Chapter 16: Overlord's Umbrage (Part 2)
Author's Note: After reviewing the previous chapters I must say I am very aware of the multitude of flaws present in my writing. After seeing the sneak peeks for the full series premiering in January on prime, including "Happy Day in Hell", I must say this series can no longer adhere to the canon story, however I will make every attempt to introduce as many canon elements as I can. After Hazbin Hotel has reached it's conclusion, I may revisit these books and do a re-write from the ground up. Both to adhere to the new canon, as well as to correct the mistakes present in this story.
Side note, on my birthday December 13th at 11am the trailer for season one was released on YouTube and it was to die for! One of the best birthday gifts I've ever gotten!
Side note over. Hazbin Hotel is now my undisputed favorite show of all time, and is, in my opinion, undoubtedly one of the greatest shows ever made. Once again, congratulations Vivienne Medrano, and thank you to all who like and continue to follow this story despite it's faults. Now without further delay;
The hot pink limo pulled up to up to the entrance of the cylindrical skyscraper. As the door opens the shredded battered form of Valentino bursts through the doors of the V's tower. While he did still suffer the injuries of the brawl, he was also incredibly furious. That combined with a minor expenditure of power held him together and allowed him to walk. Expressions of shock followed him as he made his way to the elevator.
"Mr. Valentino what happened?! Is there anything I can do fo- AUGH!"
Those were the last sounds of the only stage hand dumb enough to get in Valentino's way as he made for the elevator, before he was smashed into the wall with such force he was nearly reduced to paste. No one got in his way after that, no one spoke to him at all, and if any of his underlings happened to be doing any work near that hallway at the moment they made sure to do it very quietly. As the doors opened on the penthouse suite, the technology demon looked over from the tablet he was working on.
"Fuck! Val, you look like you tried to bang a shredder, what the hell happened?"
Ignoring his compatriot for the moment he crossed the room to his private bar and opens a cabinet. Placing a box on the counter he pulls out a softly glowing pinkish red bottle and downs the whole thing in one go. The potion took effect instantly, lacerations and gashes knit closed, bruised flesh regained it's original hue, and shattered bone moved into place and mended itself back together. In a matter of seconds the overlord goes from badly injured to fully restored. Finally he turns to regard his partner.
"Some damn nobody thug, and that bug that Angel plays around with! That's what happened!"
"So what, you went in there, tried to take Angel back, and got your ass handed to you by a bellhop? HA! That's hilarious, I've got to send this to Velvet!"
"This Isn't funny Vox! Those little grubbers at that stupid ass Hotel can't keep me from getting' my bitch whenever I want him!"
"And yet here you are, your outfit ruined, a valuable potion spent, and one hooker short."
Vox chided in a slightly mocking tone. Valentino was infuriated at being mocked so casually by a fellow overlord, and one of his fellow Vees no less! Bits of his demon form began to creep back into his features as his voice darkened.
"This isn't funny Vox, you of all people in this fiery cess pit should understand the value of a damn contract! Especially when that contract is for my most profitable bitch! I'm not gonna let this shit stand, as soon as I can round up my boys I'm gonna go back and burn that damn hotel to the ground! Now I figure I'm gonna need five of your-"
"I'm gonna stop your right there Tino'. I'm not about to waste any of my resources because you shit the bed on this."
"What? Vox, I think you need to get that flat head of yours examined! Did you not hear what I just said? No one keeps a contracted slut awa-"
"Your contract Tino', your problem. And Velvet would say the same. You underestimated them, so this is your mess to clean.If you can't handle getting just one of your bitches back from a hotel run by bag boys, bellhops, and that sissy princess, then I'm not wasting any of my guys to go clean up your mess."
Grrrrrrrrrrrr
A deep growl emanated from Valentino's throat at his partner's blatant refusal. His already seething anger rose until it was just beneath boiling over. Memories of their most recent breakup flashed through his mind. Briefly. This shit right here, this confirmed that he was absolutely right to break up with that spark-dick good for nothing shit!
"Remind me why I still work with your worthless ass if I can't get some damn help when I want it!?"
"Cause you need me that's why. Without my screens, you wouldn't have nearly the reach or the profits you have now. Unless you wanna go back to just porno mags, blow up dolls, and body pillows, you got no way to get your merch' into every hole. Not without me."
"One little fact your forgetting, without me your profits are gonna tank just as fast as mine."
"Hm, true. But the key difference is, everyone who matters has a TV, and there are plenty of assholes who are too lazy or poor to drag themselves out to one of your clubs any time they want to see some piece of ass."
Valentino wanted to press the issue more but he knew it would be a losing battle. And as much as he was loathe to admit it, even to himself, Vox had a point. If he were completely and entirely honest, he would say the exact same thing if their positions were reversed.
*Bing-Bong*
A text alert sounded from his phone showing Velvet's contact.
Is it true? Did you get you ass beat by a bag boy and Angle's GF? LOL! I always knew you were older than dirt but I didn't think you had lost your step this much! LOL, but seriously, I gotta take Voxy's side on this one, your on your own. Sry, not sry~
"RrrrrrrrrAUGH!"
Shouted the enraged pimp as he throws the bottle in his hand at Vox's head.
*Crash!*
"FINE! If you won't get off your worthless ass then I'll do this myself! I don't need your guys anyway! In fact, I got a few people in mind who would be perfect for this. Gotta use them for something."
The pimp said as he pulled out his phone and started going through his contacts. He had quite a few calls to make, but the first was a number he had been saving especially for a situation just like this. As the contact finally came into view his face broke into a grin that was wide, malicious, venomous, and supremely demonic. The call began automatically, showing the contact name on the screen,
N51
Meanwhile, at the Hazbin Hotel
Everyone was reeling from Valentino's attack. Husk was doubled over the counter, being tended to by Nifty, who was still picking out splinters and other debris from his back. Most of the others were nearby, with Charlie in a near panic. Vaggie was simultaneously trying to make a plan while calming down both her friend and herself. With limited success, as she herself was afflicted by a nigh overwhelming amount of anxiety and fear. Only Tafford appeared entirely calm, a grim look in his eyes and his stance, but even as he treated the wound in his side he seemed entirely calm.
"Shit! Shit, Shit, Shit! Ah, what to do, what to do? Maldita sea what do we do?"
Questioned Vagatha as her mind raced a mile a minute, desperately searching for a way out of the current crisis.
"Ah, mierda! *Sigh* Charlie, I hate to say this, I really hate to say this, but we have to consider evacuating the hotel. I'm going over this from every angle and I just can't see any way out of this! I hate this as much as you do, but we're up against three overlords here! One would be bad enough, but Valentino is guaranteed to bring his partners with him to tear this place down! At least this way we can save ourselves, maybe find another building, or come back and rebuild sometime down the line."
"NO! Absolutely not! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity Vaggie! I am not abandoning it, not even in the face of these overlords! We have to find another way!"
"If I may."
Responded another voice before Vagatha had a chance to respond. Looking over the two women could see Tafford coming towards them, fresh bandages covering his wound.
"I think I may have a plan to confront the threat."
"What?! Listen here you estupido, inutil, pedazo de mierda, I don't care what war you fought in, what odds you faced, or how much experience you have, this is impossible! There is no way we can stand up to threeoverlords at once! At least if we run, we'll live to rebuild another day!"
Scorned Vagatha.
"And where would you have us run to? Where in this whole damned city could we go that Valentino's gangs couldn't find us?! At least if we fight, there's a slim chance we might beat them back! Or at least go down for the right cause! But if we're going to do anything, we need to move now! Every minute we stand here talking is another minute the Vees are closing in!"
He was right. Every second they stood there was another second that Valentino and his goons were closing in for the kill.
"There has to be someplace! Somewhere nobody would think to look where we can just lay low-"
"ENOUGH! Alright, that's it, no more fighting! Vaggie I don't like this any more than you do but we are not turning our backs on everything we've worked so hard to create! Mr. Tafford if you have a plan, now is the time, let's hear it."
"Thank you ma'am. Now, I've been ruminating on this subject for a while, and with the time and resources we have, this is what I came up with. If we go and get some empty trunks from out of my room we could empty them out and fill them with some junk left over from the renovations, anything that will stop a bullet.
Then we could take them out and set them up outside to create hard points to shoot from. I also have a few things left over from my old camp that we could set up to help secure the perimeter. We can't make a real stand without Mr. Alastor, so we need to get him back here five minutes ago. If we could find him quickly enough he could probably set up some magical defenses, and maybe cash in another of his favors.
Myself, Mr. Alastor and Mr. Dust will dig in out front of the Hotel and act as vanguard, keeping the bulk of the enemy away from the Hotel, while Mr. Husk and Ms. Vagatha will be sterngaurd, sticking close to the building and mopping up any demons who get too close. I know it's a forlorn hope, but if we can hold them back long enough we just might bleed them so much that they decide this place isn't worth the trouble."
The group was silent for a minute as they all absorbed the plan. One key detail quickly stuck out to Vagatha though.
"Wait a minute, did you say you wanted Angel out there fending off Valentino's thugs?! You know damn well he can't even stand much less fight! For Lucifer's sake, you were the one who brought him in after he collapsed! And what about Husk? He doesn't do anything useful under normal circumstances much less when his back is filled with glass!"
"Yeah, fuck you too."
Grumbled Husk from the bar.
"I have something for that too, but whatever we do we need a decision now! So Ms. Charlie, it's your call, what's our next move?"
Charlie considered his words for just a second quickly running through their options. There weren't many, and a minute later she still had no viable alternative.
"Vaggie, any ideas?"
The moth had been working this very line of thought since Tafford had finished relaying his plan, her mind working just as furiously to try and find a way to save herself, her dearest friend, the man she loved, and the goal they had all been working toward. Without success.
"*Sigh* No. Apart from evacuating, lying low for awhile, and coming back to pick up the pieces, I've got nothing."
"Alright then, Mr. Tafford, it looks like we're going with your plan. Where do we start?"
"Thank you. Ms. Charlie, you call Mr. Alastor and get him back here as soon as possible. Ms. Vagatha, with me. In order for this plan to work we need every man to play his part, and that means getting Mr. Dust back on his feet. And I think I have something that can do just that."
As Charlie pulled out her phone and started going through her contacts, Tafford and Vagatha race walked down the hall to his room. Upon arriving Tafford produced a leather roll and a bottle from a shelf in his nightstand. Unfurling the leather roll reveled a set of auto injecting needles filled with a substance that glowed a soft pink. The bottle was large with a simple stopper, and glowed a faint green color.
"You know those potions you sometimes see in grocery stores and places like that?"
Asked Tafford as he began his explanation.
"Yeah."
"Well a few years after I died I started wondering if those things actually worked. Now most of the potions you see sold in stores are aphrodisiacs, or enhancements for some aspect of sex. But I was able to track down a dedicated potion shop to see what else they had. Among the more interesting finds was a healing potion that claimed to have some incredible effects."
"Did it work?"
Asked Vagatha as her eye widened slightly in realization
"It did. I bought one, and tried it out after breaking up a bad bar fight. And damn if it didn't work like a charm. Now don't get me wrong, that potion tasted like ass, but it left me feeling good. Almost like I'd never been injured. Hell one or two of my teeth grew back right then and there! After that I started kicking around ideas to get passed the flavor issue, so I decided to try putting it in these single use auto injectors you can pick up at any drug supply store. I actually think they work a little better as injectables. Maybe something about direct exposure to the blood stream? I don't know. Anyway, I call them stimpacks."
"Stimpacks?"
"It's a pack of medicine that stimulates the healing process, so yes."
"O.K., what about the green bottle?"
"Stamina potion. Supposed to restore energy and vitality, but I haven't had a chance to test it yet. Let's hope we get my money's worth."
"Yeah, let's."
At the end of this line of thought they stood in front of the moth and spider's shared room and Vagatha unlocked the door.
"Vaggie! Are you O.K.? What happened with Val? What's going on?"
Frantically asked a panicking Angel Dust.
"I'm fine. Angel look at me, there's something you need to know."
Vagatha said as she came and sat on the bed. She took a deep breath, this wasn't going to be easy, so she just dived right in.
"Valentino is coming back, and he's going to destroy the Hotel. I hate this next part, and please know I would never ask this of you if there were any other way. I know how injured you are but we need your help. Mr. Tafford here has some medicine to, hopefully, get you back on your feet. We have a plan, but it won't work without you. Please, we need you with us."
"Wha- what!? No, Vags no! We don't stand a chance against Val! He's bound to bring Vox and Velvet in with him, and even with Charlie and Alastor backing us up there's no chance we can hold out against three overlords at once!"
"Look, I know the odds are long, I know by now what kind of monster that pedazo de mierda is, I know how batshit insane it is to go up against an overlord! But we don't have any choice! There's nowhere we could run that he couldn't track us down, he would never stop until you are locked up in that fuzzy purple torture chamber for the rest of eternity! AND I WILL NOT ALLOW THAT!"
Implored Vagatha, shouting at the end as fear, rage, and passion overwhelmed her.
…
"V-Vags, I want to help, but there's no fucking way! I'm barley holdin' on just layin' here in this bed, if I try getting up now I'm liable to come apart at the seams!"
"Mr. Tafford has something for that. Give it here."
She said turning back to receive the needle.
"Vags, I don't care what kind of voodoo drugs you got in that needle, there's no-"
Vagatha didn't wait for him to finish, as she uncapped the point and stuck it in his arm.
"Wha-!"
As the healing elixir traveled through the lithe form of the slender spider Vagatha and Tafford got to witness the restorative effects in real time. Just like with the tyrant pimp, as the magical infusion traveled up his arm small nicks and gouges zipped themselves shut, bruised skin returned to it's natural shade, even over strained muscles, tendons, and bones were soothed and strengthened by the rejuvenative remedy. The entire process took a few minutes, but by the end Angel Dust looked and felt exceedingly better.
"Oh, oh damn Vaggie what did you do to me? I feel like, well not a million bucks, but better. Way better! But I'm still exhausted as fuck. Good as that little shot was, I hope you weren't banking on it getting me on my feet just like that."
He said snapping his fingers.
"Not at all. That's where this comes in."
The solider said extending the green bottle to him.
"What's this?"
"A stamina potion. It will restore your energy and hopefully get you on your feet in time to help us with the coming fight. So please, drink as much as you can."
"Hm, potions? Heard about em' but never actually tried one. Well, aside from that one time, but we're not getting into that!"
He said quickly. Without further delay he uncorked the bottle and started to drink. The flavor was horrendous, and any man without Angel's experience would have thrown up as soon as the liquid hit his tongue. But Angel was a famous porn star and escort with decades of experience, and was no stranger to gross things in his mouth. Even so, he couldn't stop his expression from becoming increasingly disgusted as he powered through one quarter, then half, then three fourths, until-
"GAAAAAH! FUCK! What the hell kinda flavor is that!? Tastes like fermented herring dipped in cat- WHOA!"
He cut himself off as all of his exhaustion evaporated in an instant, replaced by a feeling of having slept for a day and woke up to six shots of red bull and espresso.
"Damn. Tastes like shit, but that really works!"
He smiled looking at the bottle in his hand.
"How do you feel?"
…
"Good, real good. Almost like I never beat myself to shit in the first place."
"Can you stand up alright? Can you walk?"
"I think so, yeah."
Slowly at first, but quickly becoming more confident, Angel Dust slowly raised himself from the bed supported by the smaller woman at his side. He wobbled slightly when he first rose to his feet, but in short order was strutting around the room as if his near death state had only been a bad dream.
"Well bada-bing, I'm baCK!"
He stuttered as a slight jolt of pain hit him.
"Are you alright?!"
Immediately asked the moth.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a twinge, it's nothing."
Not taking that, Vagatha came up and gave him a full look over. Some of the deeper cuts and bruises weren't completely gone. Unlike the potion Valentino had used, the one Tafford could afford wasn't the highest grade. But the little needle had made a mighty effort, one that had pulled the spider back from death's door, but it was far from a perfect job. But it was good enough for now, it'd have to be. Vagatha put her hand on her lovers shoulder and looked him in the eyes.
"Angel I'm glad your feeling better, I'm really glad your better, but now we need your help. We can't do this without you, so please, help us."
The man considered her words for a few minutes. Everything she had told him was true. They couldn't run, there was nowhere Val couldn't catch them. It was too late to back down, Hardy-boy and Vags little tussle in the hallway has seen to that. There was no chance Valentino would let this place be, even if he went with the pimp when he arrived. So there really was no choice here, either fight and probably die facing down three overlords, or don't and be subject to some fate worse than death. It was no contest. Placing one of his hands over his girlfriend's he sighed and said,
"So, what's the plan?"
Back in the Lobby
"Oooohhhhhh"
Groaned Husk as he lay over the counter still bruised from Valentino's attack. Nifty had finished cleaning and bandaging his wounds, but they would take time to heal. Charlie had finished her phone call a few minutes earlier and was waiting near the bar as Vagatha and Angel Dust came down the hall.
"Angel, your walking again! How is that possible? You were exhausted and hurt!"
"Hardback had some potions put back in his room. He had some that fixed me right up, can you believe thAT!?"
Angel jumped in surprise as Charlie wrapped him in a hug.
"Mr. Tafford has potions? I never knew that."
"Yeah, turns out our resident tin man is just full of surprises. Ah, can you let up a little?"
Charlie released her hold and pulled back with a worried expression.
"Are you sure your alright? I know potions can do a lot, depending on who makes them, but I don't think you should be out of bed so soon! You looked really bad Angel, I don't want you to hurt yourself again!"
"Trust me Charlie Val will do a whole lot worse when he shows up. I'm still a little fucked up, but I'm mostly alright now. Just need Hardback to get here and break down the plan."
As if summoned by the sultry spider's words, at that moment the stout form of Tafford walked out of the hallway leather roll in hand.
"Well speak of the devil. Alright Hardtack we ain't got much time, so just lay it on us."
"I will, but first."
He said approaching the bar and opening the roll.
"Mr. Husk, we require your services."
Tafford said as he administered a needle.
"HUH?"
Exclaimed Husk as the concoction took effect. As his injuries weren't as severe as his acquaintance the potion worked perfectly, completely healing Husk's back and wings in no time flat. Unfortunately the potion's remaining power would then be wasted on the hopeless task of trying to restore the bar cat's liver. In only seconds the process was complete.
"Whoa! What the hell was that?"
"Stimpack, healing potion in an auto injector."
"Really? Huh, neat."
"Yes, very. But right now we have much more pressing matters to discuss."
"Yeah, we do. So, you mind breaking it down for us, solider boy?"
Interjected Angel Dust.
"Right, now while we're waiting for Mr. Alastor we can start taking my old trunks out of my room. Don't bother with my stuff, just dump it out onto the floor. After we have a few, we can fill them with some sturdy trash leftover from the renovation, it doesn't matter what we fill them with with as long as it can stop a bullet. Then we take them out and stack them up at a few key places on the front lawn to create hard points. We need three of them, and some cover beside the entrance.
After that's done, we can start setting up a few surprises I saved from my old camp. I figured myself, Mr. Husk and Mr. Dust could start on that while Ms. Vagatha Ms. Charlie and Ms. Nifty ready yourselves and maybe get my weapons from the lockup.
Ms. Vagatha, once the attack commences I need you on sterngaurd with Mr. Husk, mopping up any demons that get through the line.
Ms. Charlie, I know you hate violence, so I've assigned you a non combative role in this. I need you to get to the roof and call out when the enemy is approaching, as well as any heavy assets they may have in tow.
Ms. Nifty, your the fastest one of us all, and to take advantage of that I need you on resupply. Now Mr. Dust may be able to conjure his weapons with as much ammo as he needs, but myself and Mr. Husk aren't so lucky. You need to be Mrs. on point with ammo, stimpacks, and whatever else we need.
Mr. Dust, with the possible exception of Mr. Alastor you have the most experience fighting turf wars of any of us. I need you on Vanguard with me, holding your boss back from the main building.
And Mr. Husk, you hang back with Ms. Vagatha and make sure no one gets through to the Hotel."
"And what should I do my single minded fellow?"
Most of the party jumped, as they had been so engrossed in hearing Tafford's breakdown that they hadn't noticed the radio demon's entrance.
"Ah, Mr. Alastor, I was wondering when you'd show up."
Tafford stated not missing a beat.
"Yes, well I started right back after receiving Charlie's rather frantic phone call. Something about Angel being hurt and the hotel under attack. Although I must say, he looks just fine from where I'm standing."
"Then you shoulda' been here an hour earlier smiles, I was so fucked up I couldn't even walk. Only reason I can is because Hardtack here gave me some potions that got me back on my feet."
"Well well, aren't we a resourceful one. I wonder how many other surprises you might be hiding under your metaphorical hat?"
Asked Alastor bonking Tafford's head with the top of his cane.
"Hopefully enough to get us through Valentino's attack. Now, if your ready to listen I'll explain your role in our defense plan."
"By all means my middling man of maintenance. I'm all ears."
"To you falls perhaps the largest task of this defense. I know you're a powerful conjurer, so I need you to use your magics to set up lines of defenses around the Hotel. Runes, pits, your summoned minions, anything to make the attack harder on the enemy and put something between us and them. Once that's done, I need you on vanguard with myself and Mr. Dust.
I hate to ask this of you, but you need to be our heavy hitter against Valentino and his two companions. I know it's asking a lot, even for someone like you going up against three overlords is tantamount to suicide, but it's the best we've got with the time and resources on hand. Alright, that's about everything. Any questions or concerns speak up now, cause we need to move."
"Whatever we do I'm grabbing a drink first."
"What!? No, no you won't! Do you have any idea-"
"Wait. Ms. Vagatha, I think we have time for that. Mr. Dust, you got what's left of that bottle?"
A sly smile crossed the spider demon's lips, and despite herself quickly spread to the moth. With a short 'Yeah' he placed the bottle on the counter where Husk shrugged and promptly poured the remaining contents into a glass. Not thinking twice he threw back and,
"GAH! What the fuck was that!?"
"Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh! That was the last of the potion Hardback gave me for my exhaustion, taste's great don't it?"
"Yeah, like drinking out of a sewer!"
"What's the matter, didn't like your pick me up?"
"Damn it Angel, I swear-"
"ENOUGH! We don't have time for this, we have a lot to do and little enough time to do it. So quit your bitching and let's get to work!"
Interrupted Vagatha. With that last chastisement the group muttered begrudging agreements and broke to set about their various tasks, with one last interruption.
"Razzle, Dazzle, a moment if you would."
Spoke Tafford catching the two goat men off guard. After a nod of approval from Charlie the two bodyguards hung back with the solider, who sent the others on ahead to his room.
"You may think I've neglected giving you two a part in this, please know that nothing could be further from the truth. I know you two are the princess's bodyguards, and as such, your part is the most important. I need you two to get her away from here if it looks like the battle is lost. I don't doubt that she can take care of herself, she is the princess of hell after all, but I also know this. If she dies, so to does the dream, and with it any hope of a better tomorrow for any of us. Can I count on you two to do this?"
Of course he could. Protecting her was their one main job, and in all honesty getting her to safety if the attack went poorly had been their plan all along. Receiving solemn affirmative nods from the both of them, Tafford would quickly dismiss them and rush to rejoin the others.
As Tafford himself, along with Husk and Angel Dust busied themselves with his many trunks, Alastor set to work weaving his magic. Slowly at first, but with increasing speed as Alastor got into his zone, runes, lines, and other mystic traps appeared all across the yard leading to the Hotel. Meanwhile the ladies gathered their own gear and made preparations before retrieving Tafford's weapons from lockup. After some time, all was in readiness and the group reconvened in the lobby.
"Ah, shit! Can't remember the last time I did that much heavy lifting."
"I can. Hauling kegs ain't really the same thing, but it's close enough."
"I'll admit it's not a pleasant task, but you'll be glad we did it in just a little while."
Said the trio of Angel Dust, Husk, and Tafford who were the first to arrive back at the bar. They would speak amongst themselves like this for a few minutes before three more entered the room. The sprite was first to enter the room a large makeshift sack over her shoulder. Depositing it on the counter she would depart again at her usual supersonic blur. The other two walked into the lobby just as the tiny quickster was returning, the ladies arriving all together.
"And, there. That should be everything."
Said Nifty, setting Tafford's chainsaw down on the table in an impressive display of balance and strength. Her two companions likewise set down one shotgun each, and just like that, Tafford's arsenal was whole again. The ladies themselves also had some additional gear. Nifty was the most obvious, wearing a little nurse's hat with an upside down red cross, as well as what appeared to be some kind of midevil esque armor not all that dissimilar from Tafford's own. Vagatha was the second, with a number of throwing knives strapped to a pair of holsters on both legs while carrying her trademark spear. Finally Charlie simply had a pair of old binoculars draped over her usual attire.
"Is everything ready?"
Asked Vagatha getting straight to the point.
"Almost. As soon as Alastor finishes-"
"My ears are burning!"
Blurted Alastor strutting through the doors.
"Ugh, for once, will anyone let me finish my damn sentence!"
Yelled Husk
"Is it done?"
Asked Vagatha ignoring him.
"Indeed it is. I daresay I haven't had the chance to break out a few of those spells in just ages! Why I defy any of those upstarts to get within two dozen yards of this hotel!"
"Alright, still not trusting Al's magic for a second, but at least now we have something between us and the Vees. What about the other defenses, are they ready?"
"Almost, hard points are in place, just need to set up the stuff from my truck."
Tafford said as he loaded a mag into his Argus, the bag open to reveal a variety of ammo and a few first aid kits with more conventional supplies.
"Well we don't have time to waste, let's get out there and do it now! Angel, Husk, come on we gotta help."
Somewhat surprisingly there was no complaint from the hotel's two laziest members, who rose and followed as Tafford led the way. The back of the man's jeep revealed seemingly nothing of note. A mostly empty, slightly dirty, cargo bed covered by a tarp with maybe the outline of an old cooler beneath it. But as the man drew back the tarp and opened the dilapidated old box within, the eyes of his companions went wide.
"Oh-ho yeah baby!"
Grinned Angel Dust.
A bevy of explosives greeted their eyes, claymores, land mines, and no small number of grenades met their sight. Many of the devices were clearly manufactured, but a large number also appeared to have been improvised or handmade.
"What the fuck is this!? How long have you had these! I, WE, never would have approved this if I had known!"
"Which is why I never brought this box in for inspection. Now I know your thinking, what if this cache had been stolen, or even used against the hotel? I won't lie, the risk was always there. But if there's another thing I learned in my time in hell it's how to make your possessions an unappealing target. The casual thief might give my truck a once over decide it isn't worth the trouble and move on. So yes, it was a gamble, but one that's about to pay off in the hotel's favor."
…
"*Sigh* For your sake I hope your right. Let's get this set up."
Tafford spent the next few minutes giving the others a crash course in setting up the munitions, and the next ten minutes were spent deciding where best to deploy the limited stockpile. What areas needed defending the most? Were there any places that Alastor had overlooked? In proximity to the hotel, how close was too close? Yet after only around five more minutes every last trap was in place. Which was a testament more to the limits of Tafford's collection than the tightness of their defense.
The group rejoined the others waiting in the lobby, Charlie's face was lined with worry, and her stance and fidgeting betrayed her nervousness. But behind that there was also a certain strength, a resolve present in her eyes that spoke of a determination to do whatever it took to protect her dream and those who assisted her in it. Nifty and Alastor on the other hand seemed no different than usual. Well, almost no different, as Nifty's manic energy seemed to have ramped up to 11.
"Is that it? Is everything ready? Are they out there already?"
Tensed Charlie, trepidation edging more into her voice with every sentence.
"It's alright. Everything is in place, including the explosives Tafford had in his jeep!"
Consoled her friend, putting emphasis on that one word.
"Tafford had explosives? Where did he get those?!"
"Apparently they were leftovers from his old home, although I have my suspicions he may have been adding to his little collection since he arrived here. But in any case, everything is set up and everyone is as ready as we're going to get, right?"
"Oh yeah baby!"
"Yes."
"Yeah!"
"Indeed."
"As I'll ever be."
Ascents rose from the group like a wave, lifting Charlie's spirits and giving her a spark of confidence that re-lit the fire that lingered just beneath the surface.
"Okay, alright. We can do this, we can do this! It's not going to be easy, like really not easy, but that's not going to stop us! We're gonna hold them back and show Valentino we're not the pushovers he thinks we are! He thinks his gangs are tough? We'll show him we're even tougher! Let's show him what we're made of! Let's teach him he can't treat Angel like a doormat anymore! Let's go give him hell!"
"YEAH-HEAH-HEAH!"
"OOH-RAH!"
"That's the spirit darling!"
"EEEEEH-HE-HE-HE THIS IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN!"
With that short speech most of the group broke out into yelps and cheers of support, with one or two exceptions, as it wasn't the way of the more stoic of the group to express their emotions so boisterously. After that the group started to disperse to take their positions, with one small exception.
"Hey, Hardcase."
"Yes sir?"
"You better be giving me one of those guns, I don't know how I got roped into going up against three overlords, but I'll be damned again if I'm doing it unarmed."
…
After a seconds pause Tafford tossed Husk his Argus, which Husk inspected before racking the lever to chamber a shot.
"Good enough?"
"Yeah, this'll do."
The bar cat then takes the weapon under his arm and turns back to the counter to grab what could be his last drink, before turning to take his place. As he walks away with the bottle he passed two who had hung back from the rest.
"Vags, you got a moment? I uh, had something I wanna' say before shit gets crazy."
"Angel, if your thinking of apologizing or saying something sweet, don't. We cannot get bogged down by those kinds of thoughts, that is the lastplace our minds should be right now! So just, save it for afterwords.If we survive."
She said muttering the last part under her breath.
"No, actually it's not that, it's just, have you seen my phone? I just wanted to give Cherry a call. Before, everything."
"Oh. Well, I guess it can't do any more harm now. I think Charlie put it in her desk, if you hurry you can catch her before she gets to the roof. Just, don't drag your feet, there's not much time."
After one more look at his girlfriend the spider took off down the hall. Rather than going to find Charlie, he went straight to her office and did indeed find his phone in her desk. He hit Cherry's contact while walking back to the lobby making the call as he went.
Some Time Later
The convoy wound it's way through the streets of pentagram city, heading for a tall distinct building in the distance. It had taken more time than you would think to organize a force of this size, and certainly more time than Valentino had wanted. First the overlord had to wait for his various gangs to arrive at the tower, which was never an exact time frame. While they were waiting a number of fights broke out amongst the various gangsters, which were brutally crushed by the furious overlord. While all of the gangs present ultimately worked for Valentino, that didn't stop them from having rivalries between themselves. Some gangs competed to constantly one up each other, or simply didn't like competition. Then there was the arrival of the special muscle Valentino had called in, to ensure things went exactly as he wanted them to.
Merc unit N51. One of if not the most elite mercenary group in pentagram city. Arguably in all of pride. But regardless of their ranked status they were certainly one of the most feared. The moment their orderly transports pulled up to the V's tower all the fighting ceased. As the lead merc dismounted the command vehicle and approached the overlord, all eyes fell upon the sleek black armored form. There are certain men that are possessed of an aura, there is an air about them that is an expression of their very nature, radiating their skill and knowledge without any word or demonstration being necessary. The air about this man was danger and competence in equal, and vast, measure. Killing was this man's business, and he was very good at his job.
The shouts and raving quieted to hushed conversations and suspicious muttering as every gang present knew enough to distrust the new arrivals. Even with the mercenaries being by far the most orderly and disciplined group among the gathering, their integration into the larger force was not free of difficulty. The mercenaries were reluctant to work with the "civilian" groups that had amassed in front of the overlord's tower. Likewise the gangs were deeply distrustful, and more than a little intimidated, by the largely silent orderly ranks of black and yellow garbed solders.
But in short order all of these problems had been dealt with. As previously stated, all fights between the gangs had been violently suppressed and all of the groups, be they gangs or mercenaries, were told that like it or not they would be working together. And if they didn't, Valentino made it clear that not getting paid would be the least of their problems. So now, as the main building of the Hotel came in sight the moth pimp grinned wide with anticipation.
"Uh oh! Everybody get ready, here they come!"
Cried the princess into her phone as she spied the massive onrush of cars, trucks, limos, and other vehicles that made up the attacking convoy.
"Right, thanks Charlie. Everyone get to your places they're here!"
Shouted Vagatha as she also rushed for cover.
RRRRRRRRR!
"AH HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
One of the cars in the mass broke off from the rest and charged the front doors with reckless abandon, it's driver cackling madly all the while. He didn't notice as he drove right over a rune, until it was too late.
"What the?!"
In a flash of green light bolts and screws came loose, seams split, and panels fell away as the entire vehicle practically disintegrated around the demon. In seconds the car was gone, and the crazed driver rolled across the yard to come to a stop right in front of Tafford's feet. The man, now dressed in his old armor plates, cocked back his leg and punted the little shit across the lawn and back into the street, where he was immediately creamed by the river of cars coming up behind him.
Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
*BRT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT!*
*BRT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT!*
A pair of pickup trucks with machine guns mounted to their beds squealed onto the front lawn and opened fire on the hotel without preamble! Windows shattered, walls were riddled with holes, and decorations and balconies were torn to shreds!
BOOM-BOOM, BOOM!
RR - R-
CRASH!
This threat would be countered by a pair of accurately thrown grenades, and another pair of tendrils that picked up one of the trucks and threw it into the mass of gangsters. While this was happening the bulk of the attackers had begun to dismount and do what they did best. Around half of the brigands took cover behind the vehicles and shot from a distance, while the rest threw caution to the wind and charged the hotel with weapons in hand.
YEEEEEEAA-AAAAAH!
FOOM!
RATATATATATATATATAT!
BANG-BANG! BANG-BANG!
SPLAT!
This first wave was easily repulsed by a combination of Alastor's tendrils, the gun play of Angel Dust and Tafford, and the traps that had been set earlier. This didn't last long however, as a wave of pink smoke washed over the battlefield the front lawn had become. Restraining Alastor's tentacles, the smoke forced them to withdraw into the ground. Runes dulled and magic lines faded as the smoke rolled over them. Both annoyed and excited, the radio demon decided to switch to a different tack. His antlers grew to their full length as his claws elongated and sharpened. It was time to get up close and personal. Fast and efficient, Alastor wove and dove through the pink smoke like the predator he was, weaving from one kill to the next.
SLASH!
SHANK!
STAB!
REND!
TEAR!
At this point Valentino had gotten out of his limo as well, watching on with building frustration as his supposedly overwhelming force failed to make progress. But he wasn't too dismayed, yet. More of his gangs were pouring in by the second, and most of who was out there now were the new scrubs brought in to do the heavy lifting, easy to replace. Even if every last one of them died it was no skin off his ass. Still, the radio demon was a problem. In all his time in pentagram he had never known Alastor to tire of a killing spree once he had begun, physically or otherwise. If he wasn't taken off the board, Valentino could see squits that actually had some worth throwing themselves into a meat grinder. After mulling over how best to do it for a brief moment, he let out a sigh and steeled his nerve. If there was one thing that experience had taught him, even as an overlord, sometimes you just had to take care of shit yourself. Still, he wasn't a fool, so he took out his phone and called up the heads of his gangs, telling them to get their asses over there, personally.
As the last of the berserkers fell to the storm of antlers and razor claws that was Alastor, the antlered demon was suddenly blindsided by a blow to his right. Quickly recovering with a spin, he turned to face his new playthings, only for his grin to grow darker. Valentino himself hovered over the battlefield, in his full moth like form. To the scarlet deer's pleasant surprise his two companions were not with him, in their place was a gaggle of slightly more practiced brutes. Even with their superior numbers these hooligans were not the equal of even one of the other two Vees. Alastor would never admit this to anyone, not even himself had he not known, but he had felt… trepidation going into this bout. While he could stand up to that pompous screen headed ass any day of the week, his odds became more and more tenuous if he were accompanied by one or both of his partners. Simply put, he could not face all three of the Vees alone. But this, this he could handle. Drawing more deeply of his power, four tentacles grew from his back and lifted him into the air to match Valentino. And with that, darkness met darkness, and two overlords did battle.
RATATATATATAT! RATATATATATATATAT!
BANG-BANG! BANG-BANG! BOOM!
Elsewhere amidst the carnage Angel Dust and Tafford were fending off wave after wave of the rank and file. Angel Dust quickly and easily dispatched the hordes with his tommygun. After decades of fighting in turf wars he did this kind of thing for kicks, so to say he was in his element would be the understatement of the year. Tafford however wasn't having as easy a time of it. Although he did have experience in war fighting that Angel Dust lacked, years of relative clam had dulled his skills considerably. That, combined with his pistol being the only weapon that could be reloaded with anywhere near the speed he needed, led to him struggling to keep up. But that didn't mean Tafford lacked bite, as he was not afraid to unleash a storm of buckshot into particularly tough or tightly grouped adversaries. This combined with an occasional cooked grenade thrown into the charge ensured he kept pace with his lithe compatriot.
The two made a formidable duo, throwing back the thugs again and again even as their numbers appeared endless. Adding to their strength was the seemingly bottomless well of ammo, molotov cocktails and encouragement supplied by the pinkish crimson blur that was Nifty.
Despite the magical hole that continued to linger in their defenses, most of Alastor's runes, lines, and other area denial spells were still up and even then did a lot to thin out the oncoming tide of scum.
Alastor's battle with the overlord continued, the pimp diving in and out to slash at the radio demon with his clawed hands or take aim with a pistol or SMG. His gang leaders assisted as best they could but, as before, they were not the equal of even one overlord and as such they were being whittled down one by one as the battle drew on.
The porn star and the solider continued to snipe, blast, and burn every gangster in sight, holding them back so well that not one made it passed them to Husk and Vagatha.
Speaking of which, as the grey moth stood by the winged feline she almost couldn't believe what they were seeing. It looked like every gang in the city was out there spoiling for their blood, and yet not one survived to approach the Hotel. It was unreal, like something out of a fantasy movie or a dream! She actually forced herself to clamp down on the optimism rising within herself. Even so she couldn't stop a small smile from gracing her lips.
"Maybe we can do this!"
She thought out loud.
"Don't speak too soon, looks like new goons coming in!"
Retorted Husk. Following his gaze she spied the bulky black trucks pulling up behind the main crush of cars. Something about that sight made her stomach sink, instantly extinguishing the optimism she had felt moments before. A feeling that would prove prophetic, as it was then the tide turned.
The APCs of the mercenary outfit pulled to a stop behind the disorganized mass that were the vehicles of the various gangs and wasted no time releasing their cargo. Moving quickly and quietly the soldiers of fortune let not a second escape them as they moved to execute their tasks exactly as ordered. When they reached the final line of cars before the hotel, half their number dropped into cover and began suppressing fire, while the other half moved a few yards ahead dropped to a knee and did the same, allowing the first group to move up behind them.
The effect was immediate, forcing Tafford and Angel both to take shelter behind their improvised barricades. Immediately recognizing the danger of the situation Tafford and Angel Dust desperately took advantage of every opportunity they had to fire back, toss grenades, throw molotovs, anything to slow the lines of black death making their way steadily towards the Hotel.
It wasn't as if their efforts were suddenly ineffective, and gaps did start to appear in the mercenaries lines, but it wasn't enough. To make matters worse when it was apparent how effective the suppression of the Hotel's defenders was, black clad runners were sent through to plant charges and bring the entire building down. Angel and Tafford managed to get a few on their way passed, but their efforts were quickly refocused on staving off the advance of those ahead. Alastor's traps claimed a few more that wondered a little too far to the sides, and Tafford's own traps quickly proved their worth, killing many of the hired guns in their haste before they could reach the building. But soon Vagatha and Husk were fighting for their lives as well.
"Incoming!"
Boom! Boom!
*Shick!*
Husk blasts away two as Vagatha kills a third with a well aimed throwing knife. Before she can react another is on her, resulting in a brief scuffle before she gets a grip on her spear and stabs him through the throat, and another behind him, striking by instinct more than actual thought. All the while Husk keeps blasting, trying to buy them a bit more breathing room. He succeeds just in time for the two to look up and see a full salvo of rockets fired by the mercs.
"GET DOWN!"
He shouts as loud as his lungs will allow, diving for the ground as the rockets connect with the building.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The loudest, most terrible sound Charlie has ever heard thunders from everywhere at once, as she is pulled off her feet and into the building by her twin bodyguards. But the sounds don't stop there as a low, but growing creaking is heard from her left. The entire hotel trembles and shakes as the sound of crashing and breaking grows louder. Finally it reaches a crescendo of tearing, falling and finally-
CRASH!
As quickly as she could, she shakily gets to her feet, worried that the whole building might collapse any second. Reaching the balcony, which somehow survived, Charlie discovers a scene out of her worst nightmares. The entire turret has collapsed, taking everything inside of it and a good portion of the wall along on it's descent. The front of the Hotel wasn't any better, huge holes pocked the entire structure, and it seemed like the whole thing might collapse at any moment. No, NO,
"NO!"
It's not fair, it wasn't fair!
The lines of armored warriors closed in on Tafford and Angel Dust, their withering fire turning what was left of their cover to kindling.
What did she do to deserve this?
Alastor continued his battle with Valentino, seemingly oblivious to the larger fight around him.
What did any of them do to deserve this?
Vagatha and Husk fought on despite a near avalanche of debris raining down on top of them, desperately fighting to survive just one more second.
All she wanted, all she ever wanted, was to help her people so they could move on to a better life!
Two more APCs pulled up behind the first.
And now that dream was literally crumbling beneath her feet, and for what!? So some greed filled pimp could keep her friend as a slave!?
IT WASN'T FAIR!
*BOOM!*, ~FOOSH!~
With an unnatural screech that sounded like hell itself crying out in rage, the two newest arrivals to the battle erupted in flames, as the line of troops fighting on the ground were immolated by a wall of fire! The battle momentarily stopped as all eyes rose and took in the sight of the princess. Her horns were fully extended, claws long and sharp, and those closest to her saw the undiluted hellfire that burned in her eyes.
BRRRRRRRT!-BRRRRRRT!
RATATATATATATATATAT!
BOOM! BOOM!
Chaos erupts in front of the Hazbin Hotel as the spider and the armored solider seized this opportunity to retake the initiative. Tafford had taken a rifle from one of his fallen foes and was using it to great effect alongside Angel Dust's tommygun. All the while the princess's rain of death never abated. The fight quickly devolved into a quagmire, both sides fighting on but neither able to gain the upper hand. It was in this chaos that a lone surviving mercenary picks his way through the wreckage, coming across an intact launcher. No one notices as he shouldered the weapon, or take aim at the rooftop balcony and-
*FISSSSSSSSSSH*
But every eye tracked the lone rocket as it streaks through the air to it's intended target. Almost every eye, as Charlie is so focused on her attack that she doesn't notice until the last second. Her pupils become slits in the moments before something large and furry pushes her out of the way.
*BOOM!*
"HUSK, GO!"
Shouted Vagatha at the top of her lungs. Not wasting a moment, the cat spread his wings and launched as fast as he could toward the spot where the balcony once was. Everything was in ruins! The Hotel was destroyed, Charlie was hurt, and without her they were about to be overrun! It was everything Vagatha feared! They should've just run! She should have taken Angel and just ran to the furthest depths of hell where Valentino wouldn't follow! But now it was too late, for all of them. Angel and Tafford couldn't hold off that army forever, what would happen to them when they finally failed? Was this how she died agai-
"SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS!"
BOOM!-BOOM! BOOM!-BOOM!-BOOM!-BOOM! BOOM!-BOOM!-BOOM! BOOM!-BOOM! BOOM!
Multicolored explosions rained over Valentino's remaining men, raining fire and death as the battlefield was thrown into utter confusion. And that's not all, as through side streets and alleyways a multitude of new demons join the fight, on the side of the hotel's defenders! In their darkest hour Cherry Bomb had come, leading her entire gang in a counterattack against Valentino's thugs! The attacker's momentum was completely broken as they are forced to turn and confront the new threat, but the moment they do they are cut to pieces by the combined arms of Tafford and Angel Dust.
Somewhere in the pitched havoc that the battle had degenerated into, one of Valentino's surviving gang leaders stood and cracked his neck. Only moments before he had been in the fight of his life against the radio demon with some of the other bosses, and had been thrown for a loop to land several yards away. He is about to jump back into the fray when a stray bullet whizzes right by his head. Instinctively he flinches away and turns to see it's source, to be met by the sight of yet another explosion annihilating four more of Val's gangsters.
Ducking down to avoid the splash of debris he takes the time to survey the field. The men were being torn to pieces, so many had been killed already, and those that remained were floundering when forced to fight on two fronts. Even the mercenaries Val had brought in weren't making much of a difference anymore! Most of them had been killed by the princess's inferno, and what holdouts remained were too few and too scattered to make an impact! It was then that reality hit the veteran criminal, this was hopeless! They had lost, but his boss, his fellow leaders, and he himself had been so preoccupied with the radio demon they couldn't see it.
If they didn't get out of here now, then there wouldn't be any of them left by day's end.
"BOSS!"
He shouted taking off at a run.
"BOSS, BOSS!"
He continued, holding off at a distance. The battle between the overlords continued unabated, with no signs that his employer had even herd him.
"BOSS!BOSS!"
The purple moth's grimace deepened, but he did not take his focus off of his enemy, if he lost his concentration here and now, he was a dead man.
"BOOOOOOOSSSS!"
"RRRR-AUGH!"
*CHANG!*
With a roar of effort mystic chains surrounded and restrained Alastor, giving the pimp lord the moments he needed to address his subordinate.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! GET YOUR ASS BACK IN THIS FIGHT RIGHT FUCKING NOW!"
"Boss we can't stay here any more! It's over! If we don't leave now we're gonna lose the rest of our guys!"
"The fuck it is! As soon as I crush this antlered piece of shit we're gonna steam roll over these fucks and tear these pansies limb from limb!"
"Boss It's too late! There's hardly anyone left, and the people we got are getting shredded! Just look!"
Reluctantly Valentino panned his head to look at the carnage around them. His underling had not lied. Only a fraction of the army he brought with him remained, hell, even those high dollar mercenaries were being wiped out! His gaze drifted over the defenders the Hotel had left, and the attacking gang that was pressing the dregs of his men to the limit. Finally, he looked down at his own body to see that he wasn't in such good condition himself.
Red tinged slashes on his clothing belied lacerations beneath, a few of his digits on multiple hands were missing, and from how he was having difficulty breathing he could say that a good few of his ribs were cracked or broken. A combination of adrenaline and focus blocked any pain he might've felt from his injuries, but the toll of this fight was apparent now. He had only lasted this long against the radio demon because he was being assisted by his gang leaders, and there weren't many of them left.
But Valentino was as prideful as he was arrogant, and so was very tempted to say 'fuck it' and continue the attack regardless of how many men he lost. However he was also an overlord with decades of experience, and knew just how quickly things would go south if he had no men left to protect and work his various interests in pentagram. The vultures of this city would pick him clean within a week, and the pimp knew it.
"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-PULL BACK! EVERYBODY GET OUT NOW!"
With great loathing, he orders the gangs to retreat as he himself reluctantly disengages from his bout with the radio demon. But as soon as he's clear of Alastor's reach he whips out a very distinct revolver. One whose barrel, nonsensically, was in the shape of a heart.
*BLAM!*
"KILL THAT LIMP DICKED MOTHERFUCKER! IF I CAN'T HAVE HIM NO ONE CAN!"
Commanded Valentino, demanding attention with a round from his loveshot. Every gangster not actively involved in fighting for his life turned and aimed his weapon squarely at Angel Dust.
"Shit"
*BRRRRRT-BRRRRRRT!* *BOOM!* *BLAM-BLAM! BLAM-BLAM!* *BANG-BANG-BANG* *BOOM! BOOM!* *RATATATATA!* *BLAM! Shk-shk BLAM! Shk-shk BLAM!" *BRRRRRRRRRRT!*
A wall of gunfire came for Angel Dust in that second. His cover had long since been reduced to twigs, there was nowhere to hide! So many firing from so many places at once, trying to doge wouldn't help, there was nowhere to go! With this many guns firing on him at once accuracy didn't even matter anymore! But the tall spider was saved by something, the form of an armored man tackling him to the ground. From out of nowhere Tafford had appeared to shield the spider with the armored plates of his own body, and taking more than a few bullets in the process.
All the roughnecks universally decided that now was the time to get out. No one could have survived that lead storm, weather some retard got in the way to shield him or not, and so continued their retreat without delay.
"Ugh! I-I-I'm alive! But how, what's, oh shit Hardcase!"
Exclaimed Angel Dust, rolling his armored savior off of himself.
"HNGH!"
Groaned the man as he tried his damnedest to suppress the scream in his lungs. Blood poured from his sides, joints, and just about anywhere not covered by the thick steel plates.
"NIFTY! NIFTY WHERE ARE YA? HARDCASE IS HURT! HE NEEDS ONE OF THOSE-"
*Ziiip!*
"-potions."
*Shick*
*Ghaaaaaaasssp!*
As before, when that needle pierced his skin the bleeding stopped almost instantly. Quickly his wounds closed, and the pain the man had felt melted away to be replaced by a much stronger feeling. Rage. Pure rage filled him now as it hadn't at any time in the battle thus far. He had felt, and had to clamp down on, and compartmentalize much during this battle. Uncertainty, desperation, fear. But being so grievously injured and almost killed. The totality of what had occurred, had been occurring all around him truly sunk in.
The Hotel behind him, the building they had all fought so hard to defend, was destroyed.
The dream was dead.
The dreamer, if not dead, was certainly wounded.
The cause he had come all this way to serve was no more.
He had failed.
And he was MAD.
Rising to his feet without looking at his companions, he unslung the chainsaw from it's place on his side.
*BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!*
With the roar of the motor as his war cry he charged the fleeing gangsters like a raging bull.
"AAAAAAHH!"
"AAUGH!"
"YEAAAAAAH!"
"AAAAAAAAH!"
Screams briefly fill the air as Tafford saws through one after another in his charge before finally coming upon his target.
*BRT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT-RT!*
Finding the disabled yet still functional remains of one of the gun trucks, Tafford eviscerates the fleeing toughs and mercs until finally the weapon is spent. Taking his saw back in hand he resumes his rush across the graveyard of vehicles the street had become, until he reaches the last remaining APC, the only one not turned into slag by the princess's hellfire. Tafford didn't know why it was still here, maybe it was waiting for survivors that would never arrive, but just as likely it couldn't escape the maze of destroyed vehicles. Either way a lone merc, presumably the driver, stood outside the doors with a P-90. Sighting the onrushing mass of armor and rage the man turned and fired, not that it saved him.
*BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!*
With great satisfaction Tafford sawed him from shoulder to waist, with his mechanical blade having just enough gas left to finish the job. Finding he now carried only his pistol, and the weapon of the merc being damaged by the saw, he quickly poked around the A.P.C. for a better weapon. The back hatch was locked up tight, as was the side hatch, until he tried the driver's seat and simply unlocked it from the door. In the back he found a weapons locker, and the simple wafer lock that secured the door proved much easier to tear through than the armor plating of the exterior door. What he found within made his eyes go wide.
Valentino's men were in wild retreat, everywhere you looked you saw demons piling into whatever vehicles still ran and taking off as fast as they could. Just as another van filled up and begins to turn,
*FSSSSSSSSSH-*
*BOOM!*
,a rocket streaks out and blows it into twisted steel. In rapid succession a second, third, and fourth vehicle meet a similar fate as all attention swivels to the rocket's source. None other than Tafford stands atop the A.P.C. reloading the launcher. In the center of this chaos Valentino stands, still in his full demon form, seething about his failure. It wasn't supposed to go like this! This was a simple task that any one of his enforcers could do, break into that shitty Hotel and take Angel back, it was the easiest job in the ring!
Or so he thought. As he sees the shattered remains of his gangs fleeing in disarray, anyone with two brain cells to rub together could see he had gravely misjudged the situation, and the people here. But as he looked back at the half collapsed and still burning structure of the Hotel, he at least felt satisfaction in having destroyed that dumbass Hotel that Angel hid in. Now that bitch didn't have any place to hide, and there was a very slim, but present chance that he would come crawling back yet.
Another rocket streaked out and destroyed a car, closer this time, so the overlord of prostitution quickly boarded his limo and told the driver to step on it. As the hot pink monstrosity tore down the road, it was trailed after by a mob of stray vehicles hanging onto it's coattails. The last ones to escape the battle.
…
…
…
Silence overtook the scene for a few minutes after the attacker's departure, dumbstruck at all that had just occurred. This disbelief would prove to be short lived, as Angel Dust was the first to exclaim,
"Holy shit, HOLY SHIT, we WON!"
"We, won? We won. We WON!"
To be picked up by Vagatha shortly after. Elation, pure and simple elation, that is what was felt in that moment of having triumphed over an overlord. Valentino had come with all of his gangs for the sole purpose of taking Angel back to his studio, and yet he was still here, and none of them were dead! Angel Dust runs across the field of rubble the front lawn has become and lifts his girlfriend into his arms. And for once, Vagatha doesn't resist her lover's embrace. It was in the midst of this joyful hug that the couple hears the sound of footsteps tearing across the debris. Both look up to see Tafford running across the space to somewhere unknown.
"Hey Hardcase where you goin'?! We just beat back one of hell's biggest power players, ain't you even gonna stick around for a high five?"
It was as if the armored man didn't even hear him, as he continued his rapid advance to the side lot. Shortly after there was the sound of an engine, as Tafford's jeep roared away. That crazy bastard was chasing after them! Vagatha stared after the rapidly shrinking form of the jeep, wondering what the hell the man was doing, when her attention was drawn away by a piece of falling rubble.
Turning, she is greeted by a sight out of her worst fears. The Hotel was completely trashed, the front of the building was basically rubble, it wasn't even recognizable as the same building! It was barley recognizable as a building at all! Fires burned and spread across several parts of the structure, threatening to finish the job that the fuzzy purple asshole had started.
Thankfully, at that moment Husk touches down on a bare patch of ground near the couple, an unconscious Charlie in his arms. Seeing her like that, the catatonic form of her best, and perhaps only, friend lit by the fires of her burning dream, in that moment she was more tempted than she had been in her entire life to just break down and cry.
While she didn't break down, she could not stop the tears from streaking down her face, creating a line in the dust that clung to her skin. They hadn't won, not at all. They may have beaten Valentino back, but at a cost this high, did it even matter?
Elsewhere
"What the fuck do you mean, this is it?"
"J-Just so sir. Aside from a few cars in the side lot that arrived before you, and those with you now, there's been no others that have reported in."
"Bullshit! My men may have got torn to pieces out there but there was plenty more than this that slipped out! So you best get on your phone and get to calling until you find them!"
"T-T-That's another thing sir. I anticipated you would say that, so myself and some others have been calling around for the passed twenty minutes or so but there's nothing! We can't get anyone on the line, and no one knows why!"
"RRRRRRRRR, FUCK! Keep calling, and you let me know the moment you get through! Those lazy assholes better have a damn good excuse for dragging their feet getting back here! If they think they can just cool their heels after this! I need a smoke and a drink!"
Stormed the moth as he started the walk to the penthouse. The subordinate took out his phone again, trying another number as he did his best to stifle his nervousness.
Meanwhile
*BR-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-NG!* *BR-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-NG!*
"DRIVE YOU ASSHOLE DRIVE!"
The desperate cry came from the passenger seat of a dented, beat up old car as it tore down the street with every ounce of speed it could muster.
"GO FASTER! IF WE DON'T OUT RUN THIS GUY WE'RE-"
*BOOM!*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
*CRASH!*
The back end was torn off by an explosion, and the entire vehicle is flipped end over end, finally crashing to a stop on it's roof. Only one of the vehicle's occupants survived, mostly due to his short stature not being pancaked by the crushed hardtop. Slowly he crawled free from the wreckage and into the open air. Through the pounding of his heart and the panting of his lungs, it was a tiny miracle that he was able to hear the stomps of something heavy coming up behind him. Turning around he was greeted by the face plate of the helmet that had been chasing them.
"No, no no no no no! Please, please, don't kill me no! It was just a job! I only work for Cinder's gang that's all! I don't have a say in-"
*SPLAT!*
The small demon is silenced by a powerful armored fist reducing his head to paste. With the sidewalk receiving a fresh coat of red, the juggernaut turns, filmed by several onlookers as he walks back to his jeep.
'Last one, damn it! *Sigh* Well shit. Nothing more to do here. Time to head back and see if there's a way to triage this mess.'