The time was coming for Carmilla and her children to retire to her chambers. She had a few more matters to settle for work before she ended her day, but she was more than ready for some peace and quiet after everything that had happened over… well, the last week.
One good thing that's come out of everything for sure? At least she was getting some decent sleep.
Exhaustion tended to have the effect. Carmilla found it funny, admittedly. A peaceful night's sleep was hard to come by for anyone in hell, but once one exhausted themselves, restlessness of any kind tended to become a distant memory.
However, that didn't mean she sought exhaustion on a daily basis. She rather enjoyed it when her days weren't a trainwreck one after another.
Doing good was hard.
Carmilla never thought that those words would ever cross her mind, nor did she ever think she'd actually be trying to do something good in the first place. But here she was, brainstorming ideas in case the Angelic Security thing didn't pan out.
And considering Vox was involved… she admittedly didn't have much faith.
Carmilla found it amusing. Here she was, one of the most powerful Overlords in Hell. She owned close to a million souls if not more, and she had no issue taking someone else's if the time or the opportunity were to ever present itself.
And yet, regardless of reasons, she was trying to do some good.
In Hell.
The ballerina actually let a slight chuckle escape her as the thought crossed her mind. What kind of demon, sane or insane, would try to do good in Hell? The realm where sin and evil ran rampant because that's what Hell was meant for. A place of punishment for all of it's damned souls.
There wasn't any good to be had in Hell. The only way to truly survive was to fall to it's level, to become the biggest threat to the general population that you could.
Yet… it still astounded her. John Douglas Gallagher had fallen to Hell, and manifested with that kind of power from the very beginning… and yet, his only wish was to do some good in Hell.
What kind of demon did that?
Then again, that was the price of free will, Carmilla supposed. There was good and evil inside all souls. It all depends on which one you wish to embrace.
But it still baffled her. A behemoth, a sinner no less, was damned for an eternity and found himself lucky with unprecedented power… and he chooses to do good where he can.
It would've been easy to assume it was all an act… but for four years? What reason would he have to be so kind and courteous to the guards of his prison? What reason would he have to return to said prison after quite literally breaking free? What reason did he have to save the city the imprisoned him, only to return to imprisonment?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. At least, nothing that Carmilla could decipher.
Everything she could find or recall pointed to the man having nothing less than genuine intentions, and even still, it stumped the woman.
But… there wasn't exactly much she could do at the moment. Or possibly at all.
So, her best bet would be to follow Flow's advice, and form a somewhat amicable relationship with him.
As she was finishing up the last couple of documents she needed to take care of, Carmilla found herself thrown from her thoughts as the sound of the building's security alarm began to blare, destroying the silence harshly as Carmilla's eyes went wide in surprise.
She immediately pulled up the security camera on her computer, wasting no time and hoping that she could catch and kill the idiot who would dare attack her directly. However, when she saw the feed for herself… her heart admittedly sank.
Rather than some dull sinner or another type of demon trying to break into her factory, she found herself staring at the front shutter door, which had been violently ripped open. The metal sat, mangled and bent beyond repair, both the door itself and the building around it. And from the pattern… it looked as if someone had tried to lift it.
"What the…" Carmilla could only mutter to herself, her brow furrowing in slight confusion as she took a second to see what exactly she was looking at, before her eyes flew wide in horror as she realized that someone was currently on the loose in her home.
With her children present.
Carmilla's first order of business was to make sure Clara and Odette were prepared for possible combat, sending them a quick text over the phone and instructing them to bunker down in the safe room and hide while the Overlord herself dealt with the impudent threat.
Her second order of business was to make sure the intruder would either be her next soul, or her next victim. Either worked for her.
Her pointy shoes clicked upon the floor with every step she made, and she was sure to stand confident and proud as she addressed the threat. She passed the elevator, choosing to take the stairs as she could admittedly traverse them much quicker than the elevator would take her down.
In no time at all, she had made it to the bottom of the stairs and to the main hall, before rushing out, intent on taking a hidden position and surveying the area. If the intruder was still present, they'd be easy to study for a moment before Carmilla engaged.
However, she never got the chance.
"There you are." A familiar voice called from the bottom of the last staircase, and Carmilla froze in her tracks before she could even try and hide. Then again, knowing now who was in her building… it would've been useless in the first place.
After taking a moment to process the voice that had entered her ears, Carmilla hesitantly approached the edge of the stairs, all of her courage having admittedly drained from her as she realized that the intruder was the one sinner in Hell she couldn't beat if she'd tried.
And as she stepped closer, more and more of him became visible, until she was staring at the familiar nine foot frame of an annoyed John Gallagher.
"Can I ask why you've invaded my home?" Carmilla asked, still attempting to maintain a confident demeanor despite knowing that the behemoth probably already knew better. "Considering the deal you forced us into, forgive me if I'm a bit weary."
"That makes two of us." John replied with a stern look, crossing his arms and fixing his gaze squarely upon her as he raised an eyebrow. "What's Angelic Security about?"
Carmilla blinked.
And then blinked again.
And she couldn't help the utter confusion that swept over her.
"That?" Her head actually drooped, and her arms flopped down to her sides in an almost comical manner as she stared at him with an expression of disbelief. "That's what has you so concerned? A security system that was released for sale mere hours ago?"
"Yeah, 'angelic' tends to catch some attention." John replied, using air quotes before letting his arms fall to his side as he began approaching. "It's been a week since that meeting, and since I killed Val. I didn't think anyone actually cared for him."
"Outside of Vox, no one does." Carmilla replied as she slowly regained her composure, though the confusion remained visible upon her features as the behemoth began climbing the steps. "So I ask again, why exactly are you concerned about a security system that probably doesn't work as advertised?"
At that, John's entire demeanor changed. His stern expression faded immediately, switching to one of complete surprise as his brow shot to his hairline, and his jaw fell open as he abruptly stopped in his tracks.
"It… doesn't work?"
"Machines don't feel emotions, so how exactly would they be a threat to the angels? Let alone you." Carmilla replied, raising an eyebrow of her own as she leaned over slightly and glanced at her destroyed shutter. A small sigh escaped her as she surveyed the damage, before visibly relaxing and crossing her arms as she turned back to the still stunned behemoth. "And contrary to your belief in the first place, we released Angelic Security to placate you, not pacify you."
John shook his head to regain his own composure, but it was apparent that he was still thoroughly confused as he looked down at Carmilla with a furrowed brow. "Placate? Forgive me if that's a little hard to believe."
"Believe what you wish." Carmilla responded with a sigh, bringing a frustrated hand up to her head and massaging her aching temple. She was a demon, so how was she developing a migraine? "We had another meeting a few days ago, and everyone important was present considering you'd killed Valentino."
"I thought you said no one actually cared?"
"No one actually cared about Valentino." Carmilla confirmed with an unamused expression as she shook her head. Suddenly, the behemoth she actually had a small bit of hope for was nothing more than another irritation. "But you killed an Overlord not even a full day after that meeting. You're a fool if you didn't expect that to draw attention."
"Fair enough." John conceded her point with a nod and a small sigh as he finished climbing what few stairs were left, until he stood next to Carmilla as he turned his gaze back to her. "Let me guess, you guys were trying to find a way to control me."
"Yes." Carmilla felt no need in lying to the behemoth. Ignoring that he'd know regardless, it's not like it really mattered. "And were it not for Flow, we likely would've made a very grave mistake."
"Jack?" John raised an eyebrow at the one, before shaking his head and bringing a hand to his forehead as a frustrated sigh escaped him. "I'd have figured he'd be all aboard."
"Quite the opposite, his best advice was to simply leave you alone." Carmilla revealed as she turned away from the behemoth, waving him to follow as she strutted across the floor. "But understandably, not everyone was content with that."
"What, he's waiting for a better chance?" John guessed, and Carmilla wasn't surprised that the behemoth's opinion of Flow was so low. After all, the Overlord had played a key part in his suffering while they were alive.
"Actually, he feels guilt." Carmilla answered, just barely sparing John a glance behind her and catching the way his eyes widened in surprise, before turning her gaze forward once more. "Though, I suppose that doesn't mean much to you. Regardless, Zestial proposed another plan that was far more accepted by all."
"Zestial's the weird Lovecraftian spider guy, right?" Carmilla genuinely couldn't help the faint trace of amusement that washed over her expression when she'd heard that. She'd heard Zestial described in many ways, but that… wasn't one of them, if she was honest.
"He's not an Eldritch demon, but yes." Carmilla nodded as she stopped next to her family's personal elevator, pressing a button as she turned back to the behemoth while they waited. "As I've been informed, it is best to be forthcoming with you. Both because it would end badly otherwise and because you would know regardless."
"Okay…" John still seemed to be following, but he was still flooded with apprehension as he stopped next to the ballerina, crossing his arms once more as he looked down at her. "And the idea he proposed was…"
"To make you an ally." Carmilla admitted without a second thought as the elevator dinged. She stepped inside, before turning around to face the opening.
John raised an eyebrow when he caught her gaze, before shaking his head with a sigh as he lowered himself down and stepped into the elevator.
"Floor?"
"The top floor, please."
John nodded and pressed the button, before turning around and standing next to her as the elevator doors closed. "So, you guys are trying to make me like you or something?"
"I suppose that's one way to put it." Carmilla nodded as the elevator began to rise. "We wish to render you as a non-factor in our operations. But since that is impossible, our best course of action would be to befriend you."
"Or, you know, leave me alone." John added with a slight grin, shaking his head as well. "But what makes you think I want to be friends with any of you in the first place? I ain't an Overlord, and I don't plan to be a weapon."
"Neither of which are our intentions." Carmilla replied smoothly, though a small smile of amusement managed to crack through her stern demeanor. "Some of us are curious, others are simply trying to protect themselves, but we're all trying to make you an ally because we feel that it's the best course of action."
"Again, leaving me alone would've worked better." John pointed out, his brow furrowing as he let his gaze fall away. His smile faded into a frown as he looked back up at Carmilla. "Anyway, you're trying to make me an ally by… what, releasing a new security system with Vox?"
At that, Carmilla's eyes widened, before she shook her head. In hindsight, she should've admittedly been surprised that he'd even come to her about the device in the first place. In fact… the ballerina couldn't help it.
She laughed.
John's expression was nothing short of stupefied as she allowed herself to actually laugh in genuine amusement, which was admittedly an emotion that she very rarely felt.
"Now that you say that, I must ask how you even knew I was involved in it's creation." Carmilla admitted as she came down from her laughter, unable to contain the amused and curious smile on her face as she looked over at the behemoth. "I'm the top weapons dealer in all of Hell, so for all you know, Vox simply ordered ammunition from me and designed the device himself."
"Except that in the damn thing's description, it literally says that it was developed by VoxTech and Carmine Industries, from what I hear." John retorted with a raised eyebrow, causing Carmilla's eyes to widen in surprise. She had not agreed to that, and she'd make sure Vox knew it during the next meeting. "Then again, Angel told me, and god only knows how he found out."
"Well, regardless, it's apparently public knowledge that I helped build the device, so that explains a lot." Carmilla admitted with a frustrated sigh. This was exactly why she didn't work with other Overlords often. Even Zestial and she rarely cooperated on actual business ventures. "In any case, that's a part of it. Flow suggested that an act of genuine goodwill would help with our efforts."
"Well, I suppose he ain't wrong there." John begrudgingly admitted, his voice dropping to an irritated growl at the mention of the intelligence Overlord.
"He told us, by the way." At John's look of confusion, she elaborated. "Of your history together."
"Ah, so you know he helped turn me into a human petri dish?" John summarized bluntly, before shaking his head as a mirthless chuckle escaped him. "And what did you think of that?"
Carmilla opened her mouth to answer, but paused as the elevator slowed to a stop. The familiar ding sounded out as the elevator doors slid open, and the Overlord gestured for John to follow as she did so.
"I… I feel pity." Carmilla admitted after a moment, trying to choose her words carefully. "Especially knowing how young you really were."
"What difference does that make?" John asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do you really think age matters at all with something like that?" It was clear her remark had aggravated the man, and Carmilla couldn't help the way her dead heart skipped a beat as a jolt of terror ran through her body.
"I… I'm sorry." Carmilla immediately apologized, sounding both sincere and admittedly somewhat unsettled as she sucked in a deep breath.
Don't anger someone who can wipe you from existence, Carmilla.
"I suppose age doesn't matter in those circumstances… but nonetheless, you have my sympathy, for what it's worth." And Carmilla did mean it. As a mother of two precious children of her own, it was admittedly difficult for her to even try and imagine what the behemoth next to her had been put through.
Vulnerable, terrified… and in so much pain that the mind should break…
If it had been Odette or Clara, she knows she would react badly. And if it had been herself in John's position… she admittedly doubted she'd still be sane.
"Well, thanks." John answered with a sigh as they made their way through the oh-so-familiar meeting room, before Carmilla pushed open the doors to her office. "So… I gotta ask, regardless of your reasoning, why work with Vox?"
Carmilla let a frustrated sigh of her own escape her lips. "By convenience." She admitted as she stepped into her office, turning back and shooting the behemoth a glance with a look of disdain on her face. "I have an unfortunate history with the Vees, admittedly, so if I didn't think it would be productive, I wouldn't collaborate with him at all."
"Unless he buys your weapons." John pointed out, but Carmilla shook her head, a small smirk overtaking her features.
"Well, then he's just another customer."
John stared at the ballerina as she made her way to her desk, before shrugging and nodding his head, content with that answer. "Fair. Care if I ask about that history?"
"VoxTech doubles as spyware." was Carmilla's simple answer as she pulled out the chair of her desk and took a seat. "Beyond that, I'm afraid I'd rather not say."
"I think you've told me everything I need to know." John assured, raising a hand to stop her as he too came to a stop next to the desk, standing next to the ballerina as she began typing away at the computer. "Let me guess, pictures of you in your birthday suit on… um… fuck, what's it called again?"
"Voxtagram?" Carmilla offered with a raised eyebrow, her eyes tinged in amusement as she glanced up at the behemoth. "And I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you figured it out so quickly. There's a bit more than pictures, but that's the gist of it."
"Huh… might have to see if I can find anything." John muttered to himself rather bluntly, causing Carmilla's eyes to widen in disbelief, before switching immediately to one of indignation.
"You would look for intimate pictures of me? I was under the impression that your heart was pure." Carmilla genuinely couldn't help the anger in her voice as she said it. John, however, seemed to display no shame.
"Don't know where you got that. Besides, it's up, it ain't coming down, and this is Hell." John retorted with a raised eyebrow, before offering an amused grin. "Besides, you're smoking hot. Whether we're friends or enemies doesn't change that."
Oh… well…
Carmilla actually found herself surprised by his blunt words. While it was the unfortunate truth, she was more shocked about the open compliment he gave her, no matter how unintentional it may be. The ballerina actually found herself speechless, genuinely unsure if she should still respond with anger or not.
After a few moments, she finally responded.
"Thank you… I suppose?" She still wasn't sure if thanking him for the compliment or not, but the behemoth just shrugged.
"No need, it's the truth." John assured with a small chuckle, before his expression shifted to a more serious one as he turned his gaze back to the computer. "So what are you doing, anyway?"
Carmilla shook herself from her stupor as she refocused on the matter at hand, and turned back to her computer as she began typing away at it. "Each Overlord is attempting a show of goodwill, by doing something genuinely productive and helpful for the people of Hell." She explained as she pulled up some of the files for Angelic Security, before turning back towards the behemoth. "Despite originally being another product that doesn't work as intended, Vox and myself agreed to actually develop it properly."
"A proper security system for people to buy." John nodded along as he braced a hand on the desk and leaned closer to see the computer better. "But it kind of defeats the purpose with that price tag." He pointed out, gesturing to the five hundred dollar price tag on it. Unless you were a gangster, the system was downright unaffordable for the average demon.
"I'm afraid pricing isn't my decision." Carmilla responded with a small shake of her head. "As Vox is the bigger business mogul, admittedly, he agreed to take responsibility for pricing and advertisement."
"Well, if he's actually trying, he could've tried a little harder." John commented, raising an eyebrow as he stood up straight once more. "But, credit where it's due. I suppose I was worried about nothing."
"Quite." Carmilla couldn't help the deadpan stare if she'd tried. "Nonetheless, I'm not the only one doing this. Since you are here, I suppose I should extend the invitation to the next meeting now rather than later."
At that, John's gaze turned to her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What makes you think I'm interested in an Overlord meeting? Last one didn't go to well, in case you forgot."
"As I'm well aware." Carmilla assured, silently recalling the memory of being rendered utterly helpless in less than a second. "Nonetheless, a few Overlords not present at your first meeting have shown interest in meeting you, and we all wish to show you that we genuinely mean no harm towards you."
At that bit of news, John visibly perked up, a distrustful look on his face as his eyes locked to Carmilla's own in a stern stare. "Do these other Overlords know about my son?"
Seeing the tension in his form, Carmilla was quick to shake her head. "No, not at all." She assured him quickly. "He was never even mentioned at the meeting, actually."
"Good." John was satisfied with that answer. He went silent, seemingly contemplating his options, when Carmilla decided to speak up once more.
"I'm curious." The ballerina spoke aloud, gaining the behemoth's attention. "Why did you kill Valentino, exactly?"
"Couple friends of mine were his slaves." John replied, an aggravated growl escaping him as he thought of the now non-existent moth. "One of them, a little sixteen-year-old by the name of Vanessa, had a mental breakdown at the Hotel while the meeting was going on. Come to find out, he'd been working on ways to restrain her tail so he could do to her what he'd been doing to Angel Dust." He let a mirthless chuckle escape him as he shook his head, before turning back to face Carmilla. "If I'm honest, I'm still a little disappointed by how easy I let him off."
Easy?
…
EASY?!
"I have to admit that the aftermath indicates it was anything but easy." Carmilla pointed out, raising an eyebrow and feeling a small bolt of genuine fear strike through her. She kept it hidden, of course, but awaited John's response nonetheless.
"It took me a few hours of fun before I finally killed him." John explained, glancing at Carmilla with a raised eyebrow. "And that was only because I didn't really have the time I wanted. If I'd had it my way, me and the bastard would've been in an empty room for a day, and I'd have started slow."
It was more than disturbing, the manic and downright terrifying grin that took hold of John's expression. It was clear that the behemoth had a sadistic side to him, and he seemed to be brainstorming ideas that he could've done to the now deceased Overlord.
"I must admit that it still sounds far from easy." Carmilla stood firm in her opinion, before shaking her head to clear the morbid thoughts from her mind as she turned back to the computer.
"Never said it was easy for him." John joked with a small grin, before shaking his head in amusement. "Anyway, after what happened at the last meeting, you're seriously trying to invite me to another?" His amusement was traded for genuine confusion as he turned his gaze back to the Overlord.
"As I've said already, yes." Carmilla couldn't help the eye roll that escaped her as she turned away from the computer once more. "We wish to have you as an ally rather than an enemy."
"And bringing me into a meeting with a bunch of people I have less than stellar feelings for us gonna help that?" John couldn't help but to question, raising an eyebrow at the logic. "I mean, I hate Jack and Vox, Alastor is like a frenemy, and everyone else is tolerable at best."
"Which is what we hope to change with our gestures." Carmilla retorted with a small sigh. "Is there nothing I can do to prove that our actions are genuine?"
"Are they genuine?" John shot back, crossing his arms together as he raised an eyebrow at the ballerina. "You said it yourself, you're doing this because you don't want to be on my bad side. If it weren't for me, would you really be doing this?"
"Of course not."
"Then all this is just a waste of time." John let a sigh of annoyance escape him as he shook his head, while Carmilla looked genuinely surprised at the behemoth's decision as he began to make his way out of the room.
"Can you blame any of us?" Carmilla asked, standing out of her chair and to her feet as she called after John. "Someone who could topple us all, and we're completely powerless."
"How many people have you put in that position, Carmilla?" John shot back, stopping short of gripping the door as he turned back to the woman. "How many people have you bound, chained, and enslaved? Taken away their free will, turned them into nothing more than livestock?"
Carmilla couldn't help but to reel back at the question. Was that really his big issue with the Overlords?
"You'd have us stay powerless and penniless rather than use the abilities we were lucky to have?"
John raised another eyebrow, before mirthless chuckle escaped him as his gaze moved towards the window. "Wow… that's your- why the hell do you think I don't own any souls?"
Finally! A crack was showing in his seemingly genuine nature, because Carmilla knew for certain that was a lie.
"You own all of Valentino's souls, do you not?"
"No, they're all free." John revealed, sucking the wind right out of Carmilla's sails. "All of those people have been through enough, and I freed them the moment I owned them. The only ones I kept were Angel's and Vanessa's, because I wanted them to see for themselves that they were free."
"This is Hell." Carmilla was at her wits end. The natural survival instinct she held was fading quite quickly, anger taking its place as she glared at him. "You have the audacity to judge us for owning souls, when you have slaughtered thousands?"
"Remind me of what those souls were doing?" There was an audible growl in his tone as he turned and began marching back to the desk, the floor shaking with audible thumps, until he was directly across from Carmilla. "Besides, you want to bring that up, but I'm not the one who accelerated Extermination Day, was I?"
Carmilla actually found herself gritting her teeth, and she could feel her fingers digging into the table as she returned his glare with equal fury. "I will always protect my children-"
"And damn anyone else!" Clearly, his restraint was fading, as the behemoth aggressively slammed both hands upon the desk. Carmilla found herself wondering how the desk didn't collapse immediately, but she wasn't focused on that right now.
"Why should I care about the rest of Hell?!" Carmilla shouted right back, her face inches from his own as any fear was lost upon her. "Why should I value the lives of anyone else down here over my own, let alone my children?!"
"You're kids are already targets, or are you that fucking stupid?!" John shot back. "You brought them into this business! They're your fucking delivery girls for fuck's sake, do you really think you're keeping them safe?!"
"I know what they can and can't handle!"
"So that justifies weapons dealing as a job?!"
"They are trained, and they are strong." Carmilla snarled, her voice a low growl as she jerked a finger up and poked the behemoth's chest. "We don't all end up blessed with unimaginable power, and we struggle enough to get by-"
"You have an empire!" John reminded her none too gently. "You could support your kids and let them have a life of peace! This isn't about your kids, it's about power!" The behemoth had a look of utter disgust in his face as he pushed himself off the desk in frustration. "Or are you trying to teach them to be as heartless as you?"
"Sympathy is weakness!"
"Sympathy is the only reason you're still here!" John snapped, his size shifting to the thirteen foot frame that Carmilla remembered very well as pin prick dots replaced piercing blue hues. "If I had the same nihilism as everyone else in this place, you'd either be dead or my personal bitch!"
Carmilla found herself stepping back, her frustration wavering slightly as fear creeped back up. Nonetheless, however, she stood her ground and returned the glare despite the fear inducing effect of those soulless orbs.
John allowed himself a moment of silence, closing his eyes, at least that's what Carmilla assumed it was, as he slowly returned to his more human form.
"If it weren't for the sympathy a family of hellhounds and imps showed me, more than I deserve mind you, I'd could very well be a different person today." John's voice was low, an aggravated gravel in his throat as he allowed his eyes to crack back open, and the much more preferable human eyes meet Carmilla's own. "Maybe I'm a bit stupid for doubting I'd be any different, but that doesn't mean the chance isn't there."
Carmilla stared at him for a moment, taking in his rough features twisted in anger as he glared at the ballerina. She felt her fear fading, and though her frustration wanted to return…
"You can afford sympathy because you may as well be invincible." Carmilla said, her tone cool and smooth as she recomposed herself. "The rest of us take a risk every time we show or accept it."
"Then use your brain." John retorted with a shake of his head as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "It's not about sympathy, pity, defense, or anything like that. What it boils down to in the end, is fear."
"That fear is what keeps the rest of us safe." Carmilla retorted, narrowing her eyes. "That fear is how we survive. You may not need it, but we do."
"To this degree?" John shot back, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms. "Was fear what made you best buds with Zestial?"
Carmilla couldn't help but to wince, but she refused to lose her resolve as she steadied her gaze upon his own. "Zestial saw me as a tool, as I did him. Our… friendship, merely an unexpected side-effect."
"And your kids?" John pressed, leaning back down atop the desk as his own eyes narrowed. "Were they just tools you learned to love too?"
"How dare you!" Carmilla had finally had it, and she couldn't have stopped her oversized hand from slapping him across the face if she'd tried. "My babies are the only thing I have to live for! To fight for! You would accuse me of using my children as pawns, when you have yours around Alastor?!"
"Al's actually looked out for my boy!" John snapped, smacking a hand upon the desk once more as he ignored Carmilla's useless slap. "I don't trust him for shit, made the same deal with him, but even before then our only disagreement over my son was because he felt that the Hotel wasn't safe for him! I'll be damned if you'll sit here and try to use either of them against me! This is about you!" He jerked his hand up, a large finger pointing at Carmilla mere inches from her face.
"Me?! If you'd have stayed out of it, this wouldn't be a problem!" Carmilla countered, her brow furrowing as an expression of utter fury began to take hold. "You agreed to come to the meeting, and now you're on every radar in Hell! You did this!"
"I didn't do jackshit but accept an invitation!" John denied, shaking his head as his lips peeled back into a snarl. "Meanwhile, you and all your buddies want to make me some kind of weapon!"
"You attacked-"
"If I'd actually attacked, do you think any of you would still be here?!" John interrupted Carmilla before she could even finish her retort, and he clearly wasn't finished. "You're avoiding the subject entirely anyway! This isn't about me! This is about you and your friends being too afraid of the same oppression you force on EVERYONE!"
"THAT OPPRESSION IS ALL THAT KEEPS US SAFE!" Carmilla finally found herself snapping, lifting her hands away from the desk and gripping the metal with one hand as she flung it across the room, leaving the space between herself and the behemoth empty. "ANYONE, ANYONE HELL WOULD DO THE SAME TO US WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT!"
"Because you sorry fucks never tried anything else, did you?!" John shot back leaning down once more while Carmilla found herself gritting her teeth so hard she thought they may crack, while her oversized hands slowly curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "Huh?! Everyone who ends up down is always like 'Welp, time become evil!' It's fucking pathetic!"
"What would you know of Hell?" Carmilla asked, stomping up to him and lifting a hand, poking the behemoth quite harshly square in the chest as she returned his glare with equal force. "You never truly had to worry about anything down here! You didn't have to worry about being gutted by your lover! You didn't have to worry about being overpowered, dragged behind some building and used like a third rate whore! And you never truly had to worry for your loved ones, because they always had you there! To protect them, to inspire fear in your enemies!"
"This. Isn't. About. Me." John growled, but Carmilla wasn't giving in. Not this time.
"Yes it is!" Carmilla retorted, narrowing her furious eyes as she found her face inches from his own. "You talk about us using oppression to control Hell, but what have you done to all of us but just that?!" She pushed further, gritting her teeth as her frustrations began to get the better of her. "You wish for us to do everything your way, chalking it up to fear, to being remorseless, and you judge us for it when it's the only we know we can survive! You judge us for oppressing the other demons of this cesspool, but you seem to hold no responsibility for your oppression!"
"Who have I oppressed that I should feel bad for?!" John shot back, jerking a hand up and gesturing out towards the city where its population blindly went about their day, unaware of the heated argument currently taking place. "That's what I mean! I do it to sorry selfish fucks like you and you're friends, who could learn a good lesson. Not to everyone. Has it ever occurred to you why our sunshine and rainbows Princess continues to employ me at her Hotel, why everyone there feels safe in my presence?!"
"So us being 'bad people' detracts from my point?" Carmilla questioned, rolling her eyes at his logic.
"Yeah actually, it does." John nodded, firm in his belief of his own words. "Let me ask you something, if who you are didn't matter to me, if I'm as vicious and hypocritical and monstrous as you and everyone else seems to think, why is Valentino the only Overlord I've killed?! Why is the first demon I've ever killed?!"
At that… Carmilla found herself losing all train of thought as she processed those words.
This man… he'd killed thousands of angels. Thousands of the Exorcists. And… Valentino was really his first kill?
The ballerina couldn't help the way she narrowed in suspicion.
"You're lying." Carmilla swore, but John shook his head, raising an irate eyebrow as he did so.
"Believe what you want, my point stands." John growled, beginning to march closer and forcing the ballerina to begin stepping back as he approached. The Overlord felt her anger beginning to fade as the much larger demon advanced. "Why would I want to ally myself with any Overlord? Why would I want to willingly work with people who, in many ways, are just as bad as Valentino?"
"I…" Carmilla couldn't believe it, but she honestly had no idea how to counter that. "We don't… we don't treat our souls like-"
"Like they're cattle?" John interrupted as Carmilla found herself raising her hands in trepidation, actually gulping as the behemoth's heavy footsteps continued to force her back. "Like they're toys? Like they're tools to use at your pleasure?!" The ballerina found her back pressing against the wall, and she couldn't help the way she pressed herself against the solid metal in order to create as much space between her and the behemoth as she could.
"I don't-"
"ANSWER ME!"
Once again, those familiar red dots were staring at her, inches from her own face. An undignified and very terrified yelp escaped Carmilla as the monster in front of her raised his fist and slammed it into the wall above her just to emphasize his point, bending the metal and putting a nice dent into the steel.
Carmilla tried to hold onto, let alone recover, her composure. But those eyes… those soulless, horrific eyes… they drained her of any and all courage, and filled her with a fear and dread unlike any other.
The usually mighty Overlord found herself… whimpering.
"Please…" Carmilla found her gaze turning away as she actually begged the behemoth, refusing to meet those horrific sockets with her own eyes. "Just… stop…"
"No, no, no… you don't get to do that." Carmilla felt a pair of rough fingers pinch each side of her jaw, before her head was aggressively jerked up to meet John's face. For her own sake of mind, she found herself keeping her eyes closed. "Open them. Now."
With a deep breath, because what other choice did she have, Carmilla hesitantly opened her eyes… and found herself staring into those haunting sockets.
"I-I have never… done what Valentino has." Carmilla replied, her voice shaky in her fear, but her words firm nonetheless. "I would never force children into servitude. I would never force myself on another. I-"
"But you would force people into servitude." John countered, his voice now that ever present vibrating rumble that made Carmilla's very bones shake as he interrupted her once more. "Wouldn't you?"
"I-is… is it really force… if they've made the deal?" Carmilla found herself asking, her words coming as barely above a quivering whisper as she averted her gaze as best as she could. "In the end… deal-making is exactly that, regardless of the power behind it. It forces us to honor our words."
"And yet, it's still our choice to enslave people with it."
Carmilla had no rebuttal for that one. Because regardless of whatever she said, it didn't change the fact that it was completely true, nor did it change the fact that this behemoth knew where he stood on his views and would not be deterred in the slightest.
But… neither would she. Regardless of her fear.
"Regardless of how we choose to use the power… it's never anyone's choice but the one who accepts." Carmilla countered, her voice still shaky, but some of it's confidence was returning as she forced herself to stare directly into his inhuman eyes. "The only deal maker whom forces a deal on anyone… is you."
"And I won't change that so long as it's necessary." John replied as he released her jaw, baring his innumerable teeth at her in a snarl as he leaned closer, causing an unwanted whimper to escape the ballerina. "Every example you give is always about me. How I break my own rules. But one simple rule of life and death is that a monster will always be needed. Because of people like Valentino. Like Vox. Like you." The behemoth stood up as he allowed his normal form to return once more, causing Carmilla to admittedly let a sigh of relief escape her as he took a step back from the cornered Overlord. "I'll always be the monster so no one has too. But what makes me different from you, Vox, Valentino, Alastor, and every other Overlord out there is that I will never turn that wrath on you until you give me a reason to believe it's needed."
Carmilla stood, panting as she caught the breath that she didn't know she needed, staring at him with apprehension as she did so.
She… could admit that he had a point. No matter how proactive he seemed, every bit of evidence that the Overlord could recall supported his declaration. He hadn't subdued everyone at his first meeting until Velvette threatened his child, something Carmilla could understand and couldn't blame him for in the least. Even in his past, he allowed himself to be imprisoned, and only broke out once to save his home. And then promptly returned.
And… Carmilla supposed it was even more evidence that she was still alive.
"Is there… truly nothing we can do to gain you as an ally?" Carmilla found herself asking, swallowing slightly as she stepped away from the wall she'd been trapped against for her own comfort. "Nothing at all?"
John stood, rooted to his spot as he stared at the ballerina for a moment, before sighing. "Ya'll can't just leave me alone?" He asked as he shook his head in disbelief. "For christ sake, considering my own views, you'd be better off doing that. All you're doing with this ally bullshit is poking the bear."
Carmilla continued to stare at him, thinking over her options. Was there truly no way to convince him to join them? Or at least align himself with them? The ballerina honestly didn't feel like they were asking much of him considering the affairs he himself had to deal with… all they really wanted was to make sure he wouldn't become a threat.
How could she-
Carmilla froze.
Maybe… maybe she could convince him. After all, he was a man, and all men were the same in many regards. Perhaps she could seduce him?
Then again, considering what had just happened moments ago, that didn't seem like a very valid option. Not to mention the fact that he'd be able to sense any and all falsehoods from irregularities in her heartbeat.
The only way it could work was if…
"Would you humor me, for a moment?" Carmilla suddenly asked, causing the behemoth to raise an eyebrow. "I… I have an offer. No deals, no contracts, just an offer."
John continued to stare at the woman for a moment, before pinching the bridge of his nose as a sigh escaped him. "Fine. What is it?"
"You said that you'd search for my unwanted pictures when you had the chance, right?" Carmilla asked, reminding him of his earlier remark that he'd followed up with an admittedly appreciated compliment. As she did so, she pulled out her phone and shot a quick text to Odette and Clara to let them know it was safe to come out of lockdown.
At that, John's eyes widened in surprise, before they narrowed in apprehensive confusion. "Yeah… I mean, like I said, you're fucking hot."
"Well…" Carmilla raised her hands to her shirt, and John's eyes widened as she began to unbutton them. "Why search for mere pictures when you have the woman herself right in front of you?" She offered a playful smirk to reinforce her point as she pulled open her shirt, allowing her breasts to spill into the open.
John's eyes went wide, his jaw dropping as he found himself staring at the Overlord's breasts with a look of desire that Carmilla knew all too well.
Before his eyes narrowed and he met her gaze with a look of suspicion.
"And the catch?"
"You come to our meeting." Carmilla responded bluntly, raising an eyebrow of her own as her smirk fell away. She placed a hand on her hip, not bothering to button her shirt and leaving her breasts exposed as she answered him. "Give us a chance to at least convince you together. That's all I ask in return."
At that, John's expression changed to one of utter bafflement. "Hold on, are you actually trying to seduce me or something?"
"Yes and no." Carmilla answered with a careless shrug. "I could use some relief, and it would make sense to get it from you since you've expressed an interest in my body. Whether friends or enemies, I believe I know enough about you to know I can trust you as a casual lover."
"And all you want in return is for me to just… hear you out?" It sounded so foreign to the behemoth, that someone was actually trying to sleep with him in order for him to simply give them an audience. "And there's no strings attached other than that?"
Carmilla couldn't help but to roll her eyes in annoyance as she marched up to him, her breasts bouncing slightly as her hips swayed with each step. "You'd know if I was being dishonest, so there would be no point. So no, the offer is as simple as it sounds. You get to experience the pleasures of my body for yourself, and I get a chance for the Overlords of Hell to at least try and convince you to ally with us. So…" Carmilla stepped forward, and allowed a sultry smirk to take over her features as she moved her hand to cup John's crotch, causing the behemoth to jump as a strained sound of shock escaped him. "What do you say?
John looked down at her for a moment, his lips tight as he thought over his options.
And then a sigh escaped him as he rolled his eyes. "Ah, what the hell?"
Carmilla couldn't help the gasp of surprise that escaped her as she suddenly found the behemoth's hands against her sides, lifting her into the air and pulling her smaller frame against his own as he smirked.
"Just a warning though, you might be exhausted afterwards."
"Oh? Is that a fact?" Carmilla asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck, offering a raised eyebrow and a confident smirk. "Or are you simply stoking your own ego?"
"Let's find out." And then he pressed his lips to her own, and Carmilla reciprocated.
It was only for her own ends... but that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun.
A/N: NO! Carmilla is not a part of the harem! Whether she does become a part of it admittedly depends on fan reactions since I'm fine with the harem's current lineup, but no, this does not mean she is a part of the harem.
That being said, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Life sucks, that's my excuse.
With that being said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see all of you in the next one.