The next morning, Cherri woke up in her bed.
The cyclops demoness rolled around on her side back and forth before suddenly shooting up with her lone eye blinking.
Cherri frantically wondered where she was until the memories flooded back, "Fuck me..."
After grabbing her phone off the nightstand, Cherri immediately kicked the blankets off and got to her feet, taking only a moment to notice the new pajamas she was wearing.
Cherri then grabbed onto the lever of the door and tried to pull it open, but as hard as she tried, it wouldn't budge. The door was locked.
The only way out was with bombs. No problem there.
Cherri ran around the canopy for cover and knelt on the soft red carpet under the bed that cushioned her feet from the hard floor.
The kingpin then opened her hand to summon a bomb like she usually would, but…nothing happened.
"What?!" Cherri asked herself aloud.
Cherri did the same with her other hand. When that didn't work, she got to her feet and focused on summoning all her bombs, any at all. But try as she might, nothing worked.
The cyclops stood in place, shuddering with fear on the verge of panic.
"Oh, God, what's the matter with me? What's going on?" Cherri asked, almost in tears. "Why isn't anything working?"
As if to answer her question, the large TV sitting on the dresser next to the bed turned itself on.
"Buenas dias, mija," Valentino's voice called out over the TV.
Cherri turned around to see Valentino sitting on a couch with Vox and Velvette sitting on either side of him.
Cherri wasted no words, "What the FUCK have you done?!"
Completely unfazed, Valentino asked, "Sleep well?"
"Oh, cut the bullshit, sperm donor!" Cherri yelled. "What have you done to my powers, you trio of motherfucking assholes?!"
"You won't be needing them for now, sweetheart," Valentino answered.
"And why not, sperm donor?" asked Cherri.
Val took a drag of his cigarette, "What would you do if you had your powers?"
"Fuck you up," Cherri said, throwing her teddy bear at the screen.
"That's why," Valentino answered.
Cherri growled audibly, "Why are you doing this?! I already told you I don't want to be here, sperm donor! Let me go! Let me out of this room!"
Cherri ran around the bed and desperately tried pulling on the door lever again.
"Because amorcita, you're home, and I'm not wasting my second chance," said Valentino.
Cherri gave up on the door, turned around, and walked back around the bed, "Your second chance? You gotta be kidding."
"You'll find I'm very serious," Valentino replied.
The red smoke whisked from the screen, finger stretching to her chin.
Cherri snarled at her father and waved her hand around, dissipating the red smoke.
She pulled off her pink pajama top and started wrapping it around her hand, "And you think I'm just going to accept your parenting and give up my freedom?"
"Cherri, you belong here. Where else would you be? That ratty-ass hotel with that Lucifer's cunt? You can have everything here, with some rules," Valentino said in an annoyingly paternal and condescending tone.
Cherri scoffed angrily as she crossed her arms and leaned against the bedpost, "And what are the rules, sperm donor?"
Valentino gave a light chuckle, "First one...Stop calling me that!"
"Okay, motherfucker," said Cherri with a sassy shrug.
"I'd prefer ya call me Dad, but my name will work just fine. Know it! Love it!" Valentino replied.
"I'll just go with bastard," Cherri said. "Rolls off the tongue more easily."
Valentino's eye twitched.
"Velvette, get out of here!" cried Valentino. "We have to present a united front here, so you can't be laughing!"
"Fine, fine, fine! I'll go get it out, love!" cried Velvette. "Good luck with our baby!"
Cherri heard a door shut and Valentino turned his attention back to Cherri.
"Anyways, back to what I was saying…" continued Valentino.
"Yes, bastard?" Cherri asked.
"It goes without saying, but you can't break any more of my shit - or my associates' shit," Val said.
"God, you're lame," Cherri quipped.
"Speaking of, mija, why in the hell do you have your shirt wrapped around your wrist like that?" Val asked.
"It feels more comfortable than wearing it," Cherri lied nonchalantly.
"Bullshit," Val replied. "You plan on breaking something, princessa. Something like this TV…or maybe the mirror in the bathroom? So, you can use the shards to make weapons?"
Cherri's eye flashed in panic.
Valentino chuckled to himself for a moment before he said, "You look so surprised, amorcita. You shouldn't be. I was a scrappy little punk once too, you know. I know all the little things you might try to do to get out of this which is why I'm telling you now that nothing's going to work, baby. You're stuck here."
"Dammit!" Cherri screeched as she threw her shirt on the ground.
"That brings us to our next rule," Val continued. "For now, you aren't allowed to go anywhere without an escort. That includes anywhere in the tower or outside the tower. If you want to go anywhere outside your room, you need me, Vel, or Vox to go with you until you prove you can be trusted. Am I understood?"
"Fat chance! I'm not staying here!" yelled Cherri.
"This should go without saying, baby girl, but no sleeping around with any of our employees or anyone we don't approve of for that matter," Valentino said.
"What the fuck?!" Cherri cried. "You don't get to tell me who I can and can't sleep with. What are you on?!"
"I just don't want you smooching with trash, darling," Valentino said before pausing for dramatic effect. "Like that snake for instance?"
Cherri's hands instantly turned into fists.
"You shut your fucking mouth if you know what's good for ya," Cherri snarled.
"What?" Val shrugged. "I saw you kiss him on the livestream. I cringed internally the whole time. If I had been there, I would've shot him myself. You are way too good for him, baby. I was disappointed to find out he survived that angel attack."
"You shut the fuck up!" cried Cherri.
"No," Valentino said nonchalantly. "In addition, you may use your phone, but you will not be hanging out with any of your little friends until further notice, dear."
"If you think I will follow any of these rules, you got another thing coming," Cherri threatened.
"Doubt it," Valentino replied. "So, to sum things up, don't call me a sperm donor, respect us and our staff (sometimes), don't hang out with anyone we don't approve of, and no going anywhere without supervision. Any questions?"
"This is such bullshit," Cherri protested.
"Gucci," Valentino said, gesturing to Vox. "Since you understand those rules, we'll move onto Vox's requests. Your turn, Voxxy."
Vox turned to Val and said, "Actually, Val, we should discuss that in private real quick."
Val looked at his Cherri and back at Vox, sighed, and said, "Ok, just a moment, chiquitita. Why don't you come back in her and give your rules, Tia Velvette?"
"Fine, not like I give a shit," shrugged Cherri.
Valentino and Vox stepped aside while Velvette hopped back in the room and started her spiel.
"Vox, honey, what is it?" Valentino sighed. "I told you that I wanted to present a united front here. I thought you had your rules together already."
"Well, I know you may have a complaint about this one," Vox began calmly. "Hear me out; what if She spies for us in Alastor's hotel? After she gets some time with us, of course."
Valentino's fist instantly crumpled up the cigarette he was smoking, "What?"
"She's already got to meet them," Vox argued. "Let's say she 'escaped' and ran back to them. We get some stuff on the Radio Demon and take him down for good."
Vox was expecting Val to be angry, but the moth demon lit another cigarette and said, "Look, Vox. I know you have a kink with crushing the Radio Demon and destroying him is a big priority for us. But your plan has one major flaw. What is it? Oh yeah. It involves putting my only daughter in danger for no fucking reason! I refuse to do anything that'll risk that baby's life you hear me?! Besides, what would she even learn? You saw her on TV. She spent the whole time hanging with Angie, that snake who made out with her, Alastor's minions, and the hot lesbian couple. She doesn't know any more about Alastor than any of them do."
"She was there for a month at best. The real ticket is getting her closer to that Freak," Vox remained unfazed by Val's anger. "Besides, it's not like Princess Morningstar is going to let anything happen to her."
"She might not, but that doesn't mean that demon wouldn't try to hurt Cherri, especially now that he knows she's your stepdaughter, dumbass! I can just imagine him trying to make a deal with my little hija or broadcasting her screams on his damn radio show! It's too risky!" Valentino protested.
Vox sighed, "Val, let's be honest. It's not a secret that we're uhh…getting her used to being part of the family. It's not unbelievable that she just doesn't want that. It's not a lie."
"Well, yeah, of course not, we only got her here last night," Valentino said with an eye roll. "Cheryl needs time."
"My point still stands," Vox pushed. "They would believe it. You know it's true."
Valentino growled, "Yes, it is. Her running off would be plausible. She would be halfway there already if her bombs weren't deactivated."
"See?" Vox pushed.
"Just one problem, Vox," Val said. "What if everything goes wrong? I lost that baby once. There is no way in hell I'm going through that again!"
"The only thing that would make that happen is if she decides to misbehave and all you have to do to stop that is remind her is Angel is still under contract," assured Vox.
Valentino thought for a moment, "Can you guarantee that?"
"What?" Vox asked.
"Can you guarantee that if Cherri follows your little plan nothing will happen to her?" Valentino pressed.
"If something starts happening, we'll do a raid," promised Vox. "We'll destroy that hotel down its last atom."
"And save Cherri?" Val nagged.
"Of course, what else?" Vox replied.
Valentino lit another cigarette, "Good. Just making sure my only child isn't a casualty. She can't be. I won't go through losing her twice."
"She's not an expendable spy or a stunt devil," Vox reassured. "She's a valuable asset, of course!"
"As long as you can understand that! My hija is not disposable!" Val exclaimed.
"Glad you can see it my way," Vox said with a self-satisfied smile.
"Doesn't mean I'm sending her out tonight," Valentino reminded his lover. "I've spent half a century without my baby. I need time with her."
"That's fine, that's fine," Vox assured him.
Just then, they heard Velvette yell, "So you want to look an 80's fashion disaster!"
"Yeah, bitch! I love the way I dress!" Cherri retorted.
"We should get back," Vox said.
"You are not going out in public dressed like some punk rock tramp and that's final!" Velvette yelled.
"What? Would you rather I dress like an old lady like you?!" Cherri yelled back.
"Now, now, ladies! Let's not go too far," Vox said, walking calmly back into the frame with Valentino.
"The little bitch started it," Velvette complained. "She's such a punk that she wouldn't know good fashion if it bit her ass."
"Velvette, she's new here," Valentino interjected. "It'll take her some time to get her used to things. Besides, we still have to get her ready."
"Woah, woah, getting me ready for what, sperm donor?" Cherri asked.
"I'm thinking…business casual?" Vox suggested.
"No, Vox," Valentino shot him down with an eye roll.
"Wait a goddamn minute," Cherri said. "Who said I agreed to do anything for you dickheads?!"
Ignoring her for the insult, Valentino said, "We could get a nice punk rock outfit together for her."
"Hey!" Cherri yelled.
"We could really lean into the 80's aesthetic and give it a modern twist," Valentino gushed to the other Vees.
Realizing why her father was ignoring her, Cherri rolled her eye and muttered, "Valentino?"
Valentino turned Cherri with a smirk and squinted eyes.
Cherri sighed annoyedly, "What the fuck are you blokes planning?"
"Representing you in Hell with power!" Valentino gestured dramatically.
Cherri raised her eyebrow, "Say what now?"
"Let's finish up the rules first," said Valentino. "You guys got anything else?"
"I have a major one," Vox piped up. "Now, Cherri, as the Vees, we have a reputation to uphold. We're the heads of multiple industries. We own millions of souls. We represent the modern image of perfect overlords and we're hoping to make a power grab that'll rock hell to its very foundations."
"And all that's my problem, how?" Cherri retorted.
"It's your problem because we are trying to accomplish something that involves everyone's cooperation," Vox explained. "To that end, I give you this rule. Whatever you do, whenever you go out, always remember, never do anything that might make any of us look bad."
Cherri blinked and then laughed out loud, "You can't be serious!"
"Oh, trust me, I am," replied Vox with a smirk.
"So, what do you expect me to do?" asked Cherri with a chuckle. "Why should I care about this?"
Vox looked at her coldly, "Because, Cherri, coming out, put simply, is a privilege. And privileges can be taken away."
Cherri paused as what he was saying sank in, "What? You assholes mean to tell me I'm a prisoner in here?!"
"Let's just say we're a family here," Vox explained. "And sometimes we have to make sure everyone in the family can keep a secret."
"You dirty, rotten…" Cherri snarled through her teeth.
"But that's all the business I have, Val!" interrupted Vox.
"Thank you, Voxxy," Val said. "Now, mija, I hate resorting to such severe measures as this, but you really left me with no choice. You kept running away and we can't be a family that way. Now, breakfast should come any minute. After you eat, I was hoping we could spend some time together as a family…"
"Yeah, can I pass? It sounds boring," Cherri retorted.
"No more boring than it would be to stay in there," Valentino reminded her.
After pondering a moment, Cherri realized that she could take advantage of the situation to get out again or at the very least piss off the Vees, so she reluctantly nodded, "Fine."
Vox smiled, "Maybe I was wrong, Val. She seems to learn fast."
Cherri scoffed, "What? Did you think I was stupid? I have more street smarts than you three combined."
"You say that, but didn't you also die young?" Vox jabbed. "I mean you didn't get to survive very long."
Cherri snarled angrily, "Mind running that by me again, dickhead?!"
"I mean, you barely made it to 23," Vox said. "You died when you were still practically a child. You hardly accomplished anything."
"And what makes you so much better than me, 'stepdad'?" asked Cherri. "You think you have a right to judge me just because you died as a rich prick?"
"I was smart enough to keep myself alive and keep going long enough to rise to the top," Vox said.
"Vox!" Valentino warned.
"But I'll admit that I also had help which is what we're going to provide you," said Vox.
"That's right, baby," Valentino backed him up. "It wasn't your fault that you died so young. With your dumbass mother, I'm surprised you didn't die after five minutes."
That struck a nerve immediately.
Cherri's eye narrowed, she clenched her fist, and quietly replied, "What? Do you mind running that by me again?"
Valentino sighed dramatically, "Ugh! She was always such a fucking rat."
"That's it!" yelled Cherri. "I don't have to hear this! You're the rat! Not my mom! Shut the fuck up and leave me alone!"
Without another word, Cherri stomped around the bed, grabbed her phone off the bedside table, and stormed into the bathroom.
On that tense note, Vox ended the broadcast.
"Just great," Valentino quipped sarcastically.
"So, tell me more about your ex, Val," prodded Velvette. "It sounds like some serious tea."
"Oh, my God! Don't get me started," Valentino complained. "That clueless bitch had no idea what she was doing. From the time we took Cherri home, Audrey was so goddamn useless. I had to do everything!"
"Really?" Vox asked in disbelief. "You did all the childcare?"
"Well – No. But only because she wouldn't let me," Valentino pouted. "And after a while, she ran away, back before you can just track people. It was heartbreaking."
"And that's when she left and took Cherri?" Vox asked.
"Yes!" Val complained. "I don't know why. It's not like I was bad at being a daddy. I used to be great at getting my little baby to stop crying too. I just held her against my fluffy coat and flicked my lighter in front of her. Cherri loved watching the fire burn. It calmed her down every time. You should have seen her little face. She was so cute!"
Vox looked at Valentino incredulously, "So, let me get this straight, Val. You calmed down your infant daughter by letting her play with fire?"
"Like moths to a flame," Velvette added.
"That explains a lot," Vox said.
"Oh, fuck the both of you!" Valentino pouted.
"We're not saying you were a bad father, baby," Vox said, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Just that maybe you made a few mistakes. Maybe a few that we can now fix."
Valentino sulked and asked, "Such as?"
"Such as turning her on to such destructive hobbies," Vox said. "Maybe there's a way we can push those tendencies towards something that will enhance our image."
"I do like the sound of that," Val said. "I know there's a way my little darling's violent tendencies could be useful."
"Do you have any ideas, Vox?" Velvette asked. "I had a few."
"Admittedly, no," Vox said. "Shoot."
"So, here's what I'm thinking. I think we should get her into influencing, maybe with a gaming niche," explained Velvette. "But we don't give Cherri her own Voxtube channel right off the bat. We first build up our little darling's popularity by letting her appear with us in public, on social media, and at events and everywhere else. She's already a hot topic among the plebs so that'll only boost her image and get out public used to her being with us. Then when our baby girl is trending everywhere and she proves she can handle an endeavor on her own, we get her into gaming, the only market niche we haven't penetrated. What do you think?"
"I love it!" Val gushed. "My little baby will shine in no time."
"Slow down," Vox said. "This plan is all well and good, Velvette. I'd recommend it for anyone under our control under normal circumstances, but as you can see, these circumstances are not fucking normal. Okay? We need a guarantee that our little Cherri Bomb can even behave before we pursue anything with her. We have to reign her in first."
"That's unnecessary, Voxxy! My baby is capable of more than behaving!" Val argued.
Velvette rolled her eyes, "That's why I said she'd be working closely with us and making public appearances first. She proves she can do that, and she gets to stay out of her room for long periods of time. Gradually, we start granting her more privileges and letting her do more things. Understand?"
"Fine by me," Val conceded. "My sweet little baby is more than capable of such a thing. She'll be rocking her new role in no time."
"Your 'sweet little baby' hasn't even shown she can behave for five minutes," Vox mocked. "This will take a while."
"Have a little faith, Voxxy," Valentino reassured. "Mi chiquitita has not had much of a chance to do anything. We just need to work with her as her family. Trust me. I raised her as a baby. I remember what made her happy. She's grown up, but inside, the little girl who needs her daddy and a loving family is still there. Just follow my lead."
Vox and Velvette looked at each other and sighed.
"Okay, if you say so, Val," Vox conceded. "Let's get ready for breakfast."