AN: Oh boy, I have never felt so uncomfortable writing a character as I did writing Valentino. I don't know how well I did with him, but I hope it's okay cause it's the best I got. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter that is purely centered around Vox and the Vees. Thank you for reading :)
Disclaimer: Hazbin Hotel belongs solely to Vivienne Medrano.
Light flashed around him, swirling an electric blue as Vox passed through circuit after circuit. The strobe effect caused him to grow more dizzy than he'd previously been and he held back a gag as his nausea reared its ugly head.
'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all,' he admitted to himself, closing his eyes as he traveled further. 'Fuck, I think I'm gonna be sick.'
Having no other choice, the TV Demon forced himself out of the electrical network and came to a crash landing in a painfully familiar room, fighting back the urge to vomit. For the love of... out of all the places he could have ended up, it had to be here?
"Oh, welcome home," a sultry voice spoke from behind him and he slowly turned around, seeing Velvette and Valentino lounging in the living room of their shared penthouse.
The moth demon rose to his feet, moving closer to where Vox was now standing. He refused to let his weakness show, though he knew he looked terrible. He was covered in dust and blood, most of it not even his, and his suit was ripped in various places where the rubble had managed to tear through the expensive fabric. Even so, he held his head high under the judging gaze of his business associate.
"Did you miss us while you were off pulling your little publicity stunt, hmm?" Val wheedled, reaching out to grasp the back of his neck while he leaned closer, as if going for a kiss.
Vox jerked away, not wanting such attention, his mind flashing back to his earlier thoughts that they were just using him.
"Lay off him, Val, can't you see he's had a rough fucking day? He faced down an angel for fuck's sake." She defended, slowly sauntering over to where the two males stood. "You okay, V? It looks like you just dug your way outta your own grave."
The blue sinner breathed in relief when the other demon backed off. He moved further away, having to brace himself as another wave of dizziness washed over him. He couldn't make heads or tails of the Velvette's question. Sure, he knew what she was asking but not if the sentiment behind the question was sincere or not. She sounded earnest, even somewhat worried if he were being honest, so maybe he'd been too quick to assume they didn't care. Friends get into disagreements, that's a fact of life. It happens all the fucking time. Though privately, he wondered how many of those ended with a cracked screen. Still, he was willing to give them another chance. That had only happened once, after all.
"I'll be fine." He replied, wanting to end this conversation as quickly as possible so he could get back to Al. "As you said, it's just been a shitty day. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."
The TV Demon moved toward the door, ignoring his spinning head in favor of getting to Rosie's as soon as he could manage. Since it seemed he couldn't trust his preferred method of travel, he'd simply have to take the car. Before he could get far, a slim arm wrapped around his shoulders, stopping him in his tracks. He did his best not to show the pain he felt as the other male brushed against his injured arm.
"She's right, you know," Valentino said, a look of concern momentarily crossing his features before disappearing so quickly Vox thought he'd imagined it. "You look a right mess. Why don't you go get cleaned up and then we can discuss what happened, yes? After all... we thought we watched our friend die today."
Recoiling in shock, Vox took in the two before him in a different light. The other two Vees were hovering nearby, eyes watching him warily as if worried he'd vanish at any moment. The close proximity wasn't anything new for Val, no, the clingy bastard draped himself over him all the time. Velvette, however, usually kept things more professional. She had never been into physical displays of affection as much as her male cohorts, so the fact that the female overlord now seemed barely able to restrain herself from touching him was worrisome. He must have really frightened them both when he'd taken off without so much as a word.
"All right, you win." He announced, one hand reaching up to awkwardly rub the back of his head. "I'll wash up and meet you back here in ten."
"Better make that twenty, Vox." The fashionista spoke, snickering to herself. "You're a fucking disaster."
"And you're a bitch," was the reply that escaped his mouth as he walked around them, further into the house, the banter coming easier than he thought possible with the doubts swirling in his mind.
Slowly making his way towards his private bathroom, being careful not to let his unsteadiness show, Vox took a moment to ponder this turn of events. He wasn't happy, not in the slightest. To be honest, he was fucking upset. All he wanted to do was get to Rosie's so he could check on Al, the sooner the better. He knew the other was alive but that didn't mean he wasn't worried sick. His best friend was in critical condition and he was stuck here instead of being by his side. Maybe he should just make a run for it, consequences be damned? That being said, he admitted it would be better if he got himself taken care of first. He wouldn't be any help to Alastor if he passed out from exhaustion or his concussion. Now that he was thinking about it, his arm should be checked for damage as well. That rock hadn't been light and he's sure it left a bruise if nothing else. So, with a frustrated sigh, the overlord decided to do what he'd agreed to do and get washed up.
Reaching his destination, the TV Demon set about his business, cleaning every inch of himself until he no longer looked like death warmed over. He'll admit, it felt good to be clean. He hadn't enjoyed having Alastor's blood coating him, it only served as a reminder of what had occurred that day. Now, with it gone, it was almost as if nothing had happened. He could close his eyes, ignore the pain he felt in his head and shoulder, and simply imagine that Al was safe at home planning his next broadcast. But he knew better, his friend was currently fighting for his life and the overlord didn't know if it was a fight could win.
In the solitary confines of the bathroom, Vox let himself fall apart for the first time since this mess had begun. He stared in the mirror, a look of pure anguish meeting his eyes as tears began to trail down his face. Today had been a fucking nightmare! Almost everything that could go wrong did, resulting in the shitfest that he'd been lucky enough to experience firsthand... and Alastor had taken the brunt of it. To think, after sixty-some-odd years of friendship, it could all end tonight. What would he do with himself then? Would he pick himself up, continue living, or would he retreat into his mind, simply existing in a numb haze? Maybe the pain would be too much for his circuits to manage and he'd shut down from grief, never to reboot. The answer to that question was one he hoped he wouldn't learn. For if he did, it meant that Alastor was dead... and that thought alone threatened to shatter his heart into a million pieces.
"Hey, you're still alive in there, right?" Val's voice came through the door, sounding half joking, half serious.
Goddammit, couldn't a guy have a fucking existential crisis in peace around here? Well, at least the frustration he felt at his colleague's tactless remark was enough to snap him out of his morbid thoughts.
"No, luckily for you," Vox replied, refusing to let his voice waver. Scrubbing the tears from his face, Vox took a moment to compose himself before opening the door and meeting the other man's eyes. "I know damn well you wouldn't be able to run this company without me."
"Hmm, be that as it may, I have other talents at my disposal." The moth man purred, eyes half-lidded.
"Yes, and I'm sure you're very proud of them but I'm in a hurry, let's get this over with." The blue sinner indulged, pushing past Valentino without another word.
He stalked down the hall, hearing the other mutter "Damn right I am," under his breath before following after.
Arriving in the living room, Vox found it deserted. Letting out an annoyed growl, he glanced around but couldn't spot their missing member anywhere. The stress of the situation was getting on his last nerve. He needed to get this talk out of the way so he could finally leave without the risk of the other two harassing him for it later. They could be stubborn when the need arose and, while it was usually an advantage in their line of work, Vox was likely to murder one of them if this took much longer. If only his powers weren't on the fritz he could have made it to Cannibal Town with no problem and avoided this situation entirely.
"Don't be so damn impatient, darling, I was just grabbing a few things." A teasing voice called from behind the kitchen counter, succeeding in startling the stressed overlord. "Jeez, I could hear you snarling from all the way over here. What are you, a rabid dog."
Velvette rounded the corner, carrying what appeared to be a box of medical supplies, and quickly made her way over to where he was standing. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his glare, not bothering to say anything more. Instead, she grabbed him by the front of his shirt with impressive strength and dragged him over to the couch where she left him no choice but to sit on the plush piece of furniture.
"Don't think we didn't notice you were hurt," she said in way of explanation, rolling her eyes. "We're not complete morons, you know. Well, I'm not at least."
"Babydoll!" Valentino whined in offended disbelief from where he'd been watching the entire show with an amused expression. "How could you say such a thing? I noticed too."
"Sure ya did." The female V said in a quiet voice, before turning her attention back on Vox. "Now let me get a look at your head before you end up with fucking brain damage or some shit."
There was no use arguing with her when the smaller demon got like this. Besides, if he tried to make a run for the door, she would simply drag him back kicking and screaming. It didn't matter if he was the more powerful, Velvette would find a way and it would only end up wasting more time. Not to mention, he'd already decided it would be best to treat his injuries rather than face the consequences later on. So, taking a deep breath through his nose, the male settled in for the examination with an annoyed huff. Val moved to sit on his right side, a pout still on his face while Velvette rummaged through their first-aid kit.
"You've also been favoring your left arm." She spoke once more, a frown pulling at her lips. "Don't try and deny it. I saw you wince when Valentino wrapped his arm around your shoulders earlier."
The taller sinner ducked his head, embarrassed at being caught. He thought he'd managed to hide his pain pretty well but, apparently, that wasn't true.
"I didn't notice that," the other male admitted quietly, slight guilt audible in his voice as he stared at the other male in concern. "What happened to your arm, Voxy?"
Seeming to have found what she was looking for, Velvette climbed onto the couch on his left side. She stood on the cushion, having better access to his head this way, and swiftly ran an alcohol wipe over the small crack at the top of his screen. He hissed, sucking in a breath at the sudden burst of pain. It was over nearly instantaneously and, before he knew it, she was placing some antiseptic and a band-aid over it.
"It's nothing," Vox said at last, replying to Val's question. "I just got hit with a piece of the building as it was collapsing... no big deal."
"How the fuck is that not a big deal?" The moth exclaimed, jumping up from his seat to begin pacing. "The camera lost track of you after the damn angel flew off. Don't tell me you were in the building when it fell!"
"Okay, I won't tell you." He snorted, finding the other's reaction very entertaining... he'll just blame his questionable humor on Al. You don't spend years knowing a guy without them rubbing off on you a bit.
"You've got to be shitting me." Velvette sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Let me get this straight, you literally had a building fall on you and you're saying it wasn't a big deal? You could have died, V, and for what? To save your rival? Do you want to kill the fuckin' Radio Demon so badly that you're incapable of allowing anyone else to do it for you?"
"No! That's not it!" He denied vehemently, a flash of anger filling his heart as he jumped to his feet, ignoring the fact that he almost knocked the smaller demon off the couch as he did so. "You guys don't understand."
"Then why, Vox?" She pleaded, voice strained, as she regained her balance. "Can't you see we're worried about you?"
"You disappear without so much as a word, scare the shit out of us, and then show up and say nothing's wrong," Val added, finally halting his frenzied pacing to catch the other male's eyes. "Not to mention that the entire time you've been here all you've wanted to do is leave again. Where would you even go? This is your home! We are your friends! You owe us a damn good explanation and you aren't going anywhere until we get it."
"For fucks sake, fine, I'll tell you everything!" Vox yelled at last, slumping back into his previously abandoned seat. "Just shut the hell up, will you? My head is killing me."
There was a moment of silence and the TV Demon breathed in relief, aching head getting a reprieve before a hand was thrust into view. He glanced up, seeing Velvette standing before him. He hadn't even noticed her jumping off the couch.
"Here, painkillers." She said gruffly, shoving a glass of water at him once he'd taken them from her hand. "Now let me get a look at that arm while you tell us what happened."
Muttering a thank you, Vox swallowed the pills with a gulp of water before loosening the collar of his waistcoat and button-up, allowing her access to his injury. He sighed, unsure where to begin but figured it would be best to start from when he'd rushed off that morning. With that in mind, he began telling his tale. It took nearly an hour to convey everything. He told them of his friendship with Alastor, how he'd convinced Adam to leave them alone only to be caught in the hotel's collapse before they could escape. He recounted the hours trapped in the rubble, the fear of losing his friend, and uncertainty of ever being rescued. He told of being found and the relief that filled his heart at knowing they stood a chance of surviving. Finally, he admitted how he'd meant to teleport himself to Rosie's but ended up back here thanks to his concussion messing with his powers.
By the time his story had come to an end, Velvette had long since finished with his arm, declaring it was simply a bad bruise before rubbing some kind of salve onto the wound and wrapping it with an ace bandage. The group sat there in silence, Vox not daring to look up for fear of what he'd see on the other's faces. After several tense minutes he dared to lift his head and what he saw caused his heart to clench painfully in his chest. His companions were both glaring at him, hatred encompassing their faces as their bodies trembled with thinly veiled ire.
"So that's it... you've been going behind our backs all this time?" Val exclaimed, disgust shining in his eyes behind heart-shaped glasses. "Lying to us? And for the Radio Demon no less. You fucking asshole, we trusted you and you betrayed us?"
"No! I wouldn't do that! I swear..." Vox denied, only to be cut off before he could finish.
"Get the fuck out," Velvette said lowly, voice cold as steel while her eyes burned with a fury fueled by her inner grief.
"Guys listen, it's not what you're thinking!" The TV Demon cried, trying in vain to appeal to the enraged sinners.
"She said get out." The moth demon spoke once more, moving to stand beside his female friend while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And if I were you, I wouldn't bother coming back."
"But guys..." He whispered in stunned disbelief, feeling as if his tongue had been turned to lead.
How had this gone so wrong so quickly? He'd thought, with how worried they'd been about him, that maybe they truly did care... that he'd been wrong in thinking they weren't actually his friends. Now, just because he'd revealed his relationship with Alastor, they were kicking him out? Why? What made them think he betrayed them? Were they just pissy he had a friend outside of their group or was it because of who that friend is? Either way, why should it matter? The poor man felt like he had whiplash from how quickly Velvette and Valentino had changed their opinion of him.
"Dammit Vox, are you that much of an fucking moron?" Velvette shouted, taking a menacing step forward before reaching up to poke a pointy finger into his chest. "You chose your little pet deer over us! What did you expect to happen? That we'd be happy for you? Get a life, asshole!"
Before he could muster up a response to the woman's claim the other two overlords grabbed hold of his arms, dragged him to the entrance, and threw him out the door. He landed on his ass in the hallway, staring up at them in a daze. He'd been too shocked by their actions to even fight it.
"You're not welcome here anymore so fuck off!" Val shouted, swinging his arm out to the side in emphasis.
Then, the door slammed shut, lock clicking into place. The buzzing of the fluorescent lights in the ceiling above was the only sound as he slowly got to his feet, unable to comprehend the situation he'd just found himself in.
"What the fuck just happened?" He asked himself, hurt and confused by this dreadful turn of events.
As badly as he wanted to fix this situation, Vox knew he wouldn't be able to straighten things out with the other Vees while they were so wound up. Deciding to call them later once they'd had some time to calm down, the overlord dusted himself off and started walking. For now, he would focus on getting back to Alastor and checking on his friend. Hopefully he could deal with this shit after making sure the deer demon was alright.
'I'll be there soon.' Vox thought to himself, praying to Lucifer that the Radio Demon's condition hadn't worsened. 'Stay strong, Alastor.'
The TV Demon forced himself to move faster, rushing toward the car garage at breakneck speed. Unfortunately, once he arrived, he realized he'd forgotten to grab his keys after washing up earlier and there was no way Val and Velvette would let him back into the penthouse at the moment. He also didn't want to risk traveling via electricity again so soon after it had previously gone wrong, who knows where he'd end up if his powers decided not to work. Sighing in frustration, the overlord cursed his luck... well, looks like he was going for a walk.