Husk's throat burned worse than the cheapest booze ever could. His mouth was dry and ashy, as if he'd inhaled an entire cigar. The power of the deal had ripped the secrets out of him, and once he was done talking the Vees had him escorted away.
There was a hiss and a clunk as the doors to V Tower shut behind Husk. The hellhound security guard hadn't been too rough about dragging him outside, but he hadn't been particularly gentle either.
Landing on his hands and knees, Husk could hear his blood pumping through his ears. The city was both too loud and distantly muffled. His heart was pounding. Invisible chains around his throat constricted.
He was paralyzed between two conflicting options. On the one hand, he could fight his way back in there and drag Angel out himself. It would be messy, and it might not be a long-term solution, but it would make Husk feel like he'd managed to make a difference.
But on the other hand, he wanted to run back back to the hotel. To tell Alastor what happened and hope against the odds - again - that a confession would incur a lesser punishment. Husk didn't take the Radio Demon as the forgiving type, but with Charlie and Lilith around he might be able to make it out with all of his skin intact.
The decision was made for him as an irresistible tug on his chains guided Husk to his feet. He was drawn inexorably back toward the Hotel. Hands shaking, knees weak, and breaking out in cold sweats, Husk ran toward his fate. He tried to fly but his wings were locked up; Alastor wanted him to sweat all the way back.
Husk gripped the doorway into the hotel as he looked around inside, expecting to see the Radio Demon's too-wide smile waiting for him, but the foyer was empty. He quickly made his way toward the bar and lounge area, but before he could get back to his normal post Alastor appeared out from a shadow; his smile far from reaching his eyes.
"Husker!" he said, stretching out the name. He had a remote control in his hand. Husk's eyes went to the television behind the bar and he saw Katie Killjoy speaking silently.
Alastor unmuted the TV.
"...interview with none other than my boss, Mr. Vox!" the twitchy anchor said. The camera shifted angles and she was sitting next to Vox; the very same Vox that Husker had made a deal with not two hours ago.
"Mister Vox," Katie said, the smile plastered to her face almost as wide as Alastor's; though unlike her - who's gaze was fixed on her boss - Alastor's eyes glowed red as they stared unblinkingly down at Husk, "What was the breaking news about the Radio Demon you were so excited to share that we had to cancel the rest of our evening broadcast?"
"I'm so glad you asked, Katie," Vox said, the camera panning to center him on the screen. He grinned out from the television, as though he could see Husk watching and Alastor listening. "It has come to my attention that the oh so strong and mighty Radio Demon - yanno, the has-been from the Hazbin Hotel who got his ass handed to him a few months ago."
"Roll the clip!" Katie barked off-screen.
The scene on the television changed from Vox's smug grin to aerial footage of exorcists attacking the Hotel. Husk remembered that day very clearly and wasn't really looking forward to reliving it, but it bought him precious moments of safety from Alastor's wrath.
The camera zoomed in on the Radio Demon up on the roof of the hotel. The leader of the exorcists - Adam - attacked and broke Alastor's staff, then struck him directly. The Radio Demon retreated into the shadows and the feed cut back to a now laughing Vox.
"Did you see that piece of shit run with his tail between his legs? While lesser demons stuck around and fought? Some overlord, am I right?" Vox wiped a tear off of his face; electrical sparks shooting from it as he sighed.
"Complete and pathetic cowardice, Mr. Vox," Katie agreed with her fixed-in-place smile.
"Where was I? Oh yeah, it's come to my attention that the Radio Demon is a weak and pathetic excuse for an Overlord because..." Vox leaned slowly towards the camera, letting the dramatic tension build. Husk could feel the heat of Alastor's gaze on him, renewing the cold sweat clinging to his fur.
"...he's no longer in control of his own soul!" Vox's voice devolved into a predatory snarl as he clenched his fist. It felt as if the entire world froze for a moment. Husk tried to swallow but a spectral manacle around his neck squeezed and stopped him.
"And it's more than just that!" Vox continued, his smile cracking from smug superiority to complete mania, "The has-been hasn't killed anyone! Except for 'sElF-dEfEnSe'," he emphasized it with tone and finger quotes, "And those were just some pathetic, low-level loan sharks. He-," more, uncontainable laughter, "he hasn't even made a deal since he's shown up again!" Vox gripped his stomach as he laughed in his seat, rocking back and forth on the interview chair. "The Radio Demon hasn't even tried to take another soul! Because he can't!"
"Wow! How pathetic a fate for an overlord!" Katie chimed in.
"And I'll prove it to anyone who doubts me!" Vox leaped up to his feet and reached out, grabbing the camera with both hands. There was a flash of electrical energy and the screen became Vox's face. "Alastor! I know you're watching! If you want my soul, come and take it! I'll make any deal you want! I'll sell it to you for a fucking Klondike Bar!"
Silence. The loudest silence ever. Husk's eyes slowly drifted from the waiting face of Vox on the television screen to Alastor's.
The Radio Demon towered over Husk under normal circumstances. But now, he was looming. Neck elongated, void-black horns sprouting wide like antlers out of his head, and limbs out of proportion to his body, with too many joints, reaching out to surround the bartender.
The smile plastered in place was a chilling inferno of excited dismay. His eyes twitched. His lips quivered. His chest slowly heaved with emphasized, labored breaths.
"Someone's been naughty," Alastor said, his voice distant and his teeth not separating, as he tugged on the chain that linked Husk to him.
"Boss! I can-" Husk tried to speak but every word made him choke as his binding got tighter and tighter.
"Alastor! Stop!" Charlie's voice cut through the rising white noise filling Husk's ears. The Radio Demon never looked away from Husk as he addressed her.
"No can do, my dear." His words were crystal clear among the flood of static. Charlie said something else but it was all drowned out. All Husk could see were crackling specks of white in a void spreading out from his tormentor. All he could hear was the crackle, pop, and hiss of static and Alastor's voice.
"Husker here broke the rules...I'm a volunteer, Charlie, not your employee...My deepest apologies, but I am forced to remind everyone that I am not to be underestimated!" Alastor raised a deformed claw and plunged it into Husk's chest.
Pain. Unimaginable. Blinding. Husk could feel Alastor's power spreading out through his body. Black veins glowing with green corruption began to crisscross Husk's skin, visible through thick fur.
"A deal's a deal!" Alastor said, his voice reverberating around inside Husker's skull, adding to the pain. He couldn't tell if he was screaming in pain or had been pulled into another world entirely, but all Husk wanted was for it to stop. He would do anything. Promise anything. If only for a brief respite from-
"STOP!" Charlie's voice cut through the static. The dark void was gone. The pain was gone. Husk was on his knees in the lounge, taking deep breaths as his lungs screamed for air.
When his eyes could focus again, he saw the shattered remains of glowing green chains on the carpet, slowly fizzling away into thin wisps of smoke.
He looked up and saw Charlie in all of her full demonic glory. Horns curving out of her forehead, eyes glowing red, and no trace of a warm smile. Her arms were thick, red, and glowing with hellfire as two large chunks of the chain that had bound Husk to Alastor for so long melted in her grasp.