Author's note: Somebody asked in a review if Lute was going to get worse...oh boy...you have no idea...hehe, this one was allot of fun to write and been really looking forward to uploading this one so, i hope y'all enjoy it and would LOVE to hear what y'all think.

Chapter 44:

Hostile takeover

A tense atmosphere hung in the Vee tower ever since the events of Vox's and Vallentino's nightly visitor as they had started resorting to barricading their bedroom doors in order to feel safe at night.

When the nightly activities of their new angelic colleague would suddenly come to an abrupt stop, the 2 media overlords breathed a sigh of relieve as Lute seemed to finally get the hint and back down, reverting to a slightly more pleasant mood in the presence of her new fellow Vee's.

Through some seriously dubious means, and some smooth talking on Vox's end, not to mention Vallentino pulling some strings, they were able to procure a position for the fallen exorcist as the mistress of the snuff film underground, which allowed her to blow of some steam when it came to some of her more violent tendencies as well as she used regular, non-angelic blades to rend sinners apart, only to record it and sell for other sinners' sick amusement.

It was a macabre industry, but something that still fit within the Vee's branding as distributors of media of any kind AND it kept the murderous fallen angel off their backs, so Vox and Vallentino were more then happy to let Lute indulge, as long as she allowed the poor sinners time to pull themselves back together again for the next shoot.

Unbeknownst to them however, nothing went by the former exorcist unseen, her sharp eye and keen perception picking up on every small little detail, as she readied the next step of her newly formed plan…..

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It had taken a while, but finally, Vox felt like things had returned to his beloved status quo.

3 Vee's sat atop the Vee tower, they were once again the masters of the media in the pride ring with Vendetta's newly acquired snuff film following, but most importantly, the fallen angel's nightly stalking had stopped and the 2 overlords were FINALLY able to sleep normally again.

It had taken a while, but man was it worth the wait, as Vox would unceremoniously fall backwards onto his mattress with a satisfied sigh, especially happy about the fact him and Val no longer needed to lock and barricade the doors.

Sure, getting used to Lute's quirks was a bit of a hassle as she slowly settled into life as an overlord in hell, especially after she was given some souls by him and Val to jumpstart her career in the Vee's, but things were finally returning to some kind of normalcy…..well….as normal as things could get in the Vee tower.

Patting down the mattress a bit, Vox would press a button on the side of his screen head, muting any and all incoming calls as he pulled up the blankets as he was finally able to sleep normally for the first time in WEEKS, and by fuck, he was going to enjoy it to the max.

And as he laid down his head on his pillow, he finally got to doze off without a care in the world…

…or so he thought…..

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Movement on his mattress was the first thing he felt as he was rudely awoken from his sleep.

Trying to gain his faculties, he became aware that it was somewhere around 3 in the morning as he would check his internal clock, one of the perks of being a biomechanical demon, as he slowly sat up.

As he raised his hand to rub his eyes, it would hit something…something hard and cold as it gave a metallic "Clink" when his claws hit it.

He would finally fully open his eyes and look up, only for his gaze to widen in shock as he was staring down the tip on a blade…a blade that, as the subtle light of his screen shone on it, had that distinct angelic steel shine to it…..Lute's new sword….that HE gave her….fuck…

Slowly looking up, he would finally see his nightly assailant.

There, standing on his bed, angelic sword aimed at his face and a large, wicked, wide eyed smile plastered on her face…..was Vendetta…Lute.

"Ok Lute, what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Vox spoke groggily, having gotten over the shock of this nightly surprise and by now, he was just annoyed "It's in the middle of the fucking night, we have no time for your fucking ga-" He was cut off as suddenly, he would feel a sharp sting as his head was jolted to the side….she backhanded him…she fucking backhanded him!

"You'll talk when I SAY you can talk, demon filth…." The fallen angel spat out, a weird sadistic kind of glee creeping itself onto her face.

Vox wanted to go off on his new colleague, but as he was about to get up, Lute would double down and put the blade against his throat.

Ready to stare her down with a glare, his expression quickly changed when he met hers….there was no bluff in her eyes….this woman was fully prepared to slit his throat here and now if needed…..

"I want to…..change the "arrangements" of out deal….." she spoke with a Cheshire like smile as she slowly extended her one free hand….her demonic hand.

Spitting the words out through gritted teeth, Vox spoke "What….the fuck….do you want….Lute…." as he glared at her.

"It's simple really….you are going to help me with my revenge, just like we agreed before…..BUT…you will do EXACTLY as I say…."

Vox raised an eyebrow as he gave her a cocky smirk "Hehehe….and tell me exactly…."Why" would I do that? Why the fuck would I sell you my soul?"

The former exorcist would close her eyes, still smiling as she shook her head…"Because if you don't…" as Vox's eyes went wide in shock as she gently ran the angelic blade across his throat, not remotely enough to kill him, but more then enough to draw blood as he felt the sting of the heavenly metal through the flesh of his neck "….i'll fucking kill you…..and your death will be slow…..and painful…..and agonizing…."

By now, the TV overlord was shaking like a reed, as he stuttered out "Well Val will probably wake up soon and realize something fucky is going on" as he put up a front of confidence "he's probably already on his way to my room to fuck….you….up….Lute….."

What happened next tho send shivers across the media overlord's spine….Lute's grin just became wider as she switched her blade to her left hand, reached with her right arm towards the door….grabbed something invisible….and pulled…..

A spectral, golden chain with red swirls going through it would manifest as with a thud and a pained yelp, the shape of the large moth demon came falling through the door of Vox's bedroom, battered and bruised, the golden chain ending at a shackle around his neck.

Lute would let go of the chain as she snapped her fingers and to Vox's horror…..a golden scroll materialized in the air, which unrolled…..a soul contract…..she owned his goddamn soul…

"You really think I came to you first? I've been observing your nightly routines for months now. Every quirk, habit and ritual you 2 have…..all to calculate the perfect moment to spring my trap…."

As she dismissed the scroll and returned her blade to her good hand "I'm going to give you 2 options, Vox….option 1: you are going to give your soul….and complete control over everything you own….to me….and once your usefulness to me reached its end…..i'll make your end quick and painless…"

Lute would once again run a shallow cut over Vox's throat as he backed up against his bed's headboard as he whimpered "A-and….option 2?"

Lute just smiled that wicked grin at him "Option 2:…..i will take everything by force…..and your death will be slow…..and excruciatingly painful…." Before she extended her demonic arm again…..

"So…..do we have a deal?"

Vox's gaze would shift between his nightly attacker and his colleague, Vallentino, who just laid there, on the ground, his body covered in shallow cuts and big, black bruises. He was still alive, but for the brief moment the 2 media overlords made eye contact, he saw no light left in his eyes….Vallentino had completely given up….he had all the hope forcefully beaten out of him…..

And as Vox's gaze settled on Lute again, he gritted his teeth as he slowly extended his hand "What…what fucking choice do I have….."

The TV overlord swore that, for a second, as their bargain was struck and he officially lost ownership of his soul, Lute looked more demonic then she ever had….

Lute would slowly get off the bed "Now….do you still have the stores of angelic steel I smuggled into hell for you before?"

Vox would begrudgingly get up "Y-yes….i got it safely tucked away into a secret storehouse"

"Good" Lute simply retorted "I wand your people on it….i want to see how much we can dilute it with other, lesser metals before it loses its angelic properties…."

Vox hung his head "Yes….Lute…..i'll have folks on it right away…." Before the fallen angel turned his attention to the moth demon on the floor "Vallentino…that little automaton of yours….."

Val would raise his head "….K-Kitty?" his voice raspy and weak.

Lute scoffed "Of course you gave it a fucking name…..i want it taken apart…..i want to see how it ticks…..and to see it something similar can be….replicated….of a mass scale….."

Vallentino would peel himself off the ground "W-why would you want that?" before him and Vox made eye contact as realization set in.

"You aren't seriously planning to…."

Lute smirked as she cut them off "Yes….yes I am…I'm going to be making an army…..and I'm going to use it to finally get my revenge on that carpet munching traitor BITCH Vaggie and her royal demon whore…" as she manifested the 2 overlords's chains and pulled them closer.

"Also…..you think it's possible to use the same technology to….make prosthetics?" she said as she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb, at the 2 large, golden scars where her wings once proudly sat…

"It has been too long since I soared across the skies….."

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Front entrance of the Vee tower, 3 weeks later, pride ring, hell:

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"…..And of course, we here at voxtech industries are always on top of the latest developments…trust us, with your entertainment" The TV headed demon smiled as he activated his hypnotic gaze, the crowd falling quiet as the effect took hold and Vox would bring the press conference to a close.

"But sir, what should we tell them about the angelic steel products you promised them?" a fish looking sinner asked as the TV demon grumbled back "Change of plans I'm afraid, we won't be able to provide"

The sinner wanted to speak up again but Vox was quick to shut him down "I have my fucking reasons, ok?" as he would turn around and disappear through a door.

The second the door closed, his normally charming demeanor would drop and his shoulders shot up as he heard a voice "You did well, my pet" as Lute would emerge from the shadows "Keep leading them on as you always have. Don't want the populace to catch on and leak information to the princess" she bitterly spat out.

Vox put on his most charming smile as he tried to butter up to the fallen angel "Lute, my dear, I can assure you, we'll just be going at it, business as usual. They won't suspect a thing" tho the exorcist was able to see the beads of nervous sweat on his forehead, still not sure how the demon could sweat with a literal TV for a face.

With a cold expression, she would manifest his soul chain and give it a strong yank, causing the TV demon to wince and drop forward onto his hands and knees as Lute put a foot on his back "They better not…." As she leaned in closer "Or I will hurt you and your little moth in a way that will haunt you for the rest of your pitiful existence"

As the chain disappeared and Lute lifted her foot off him, Vox was suddenly able to get up and breathe again as he gaped before Lute spoke "How's the progress on the factories?"

"I've got my best people on it, they've reverse engineered the blueprints of that bot, shouldn't be too hard to set up the production line and equip them for combat"

Lute raised an eyebrow "And the steel problem?"

Vox would produce an at first unassuming, crude dagger, clearly a test prototype "It took us a while but we found the sweet-spot. It's a mix of about 15% angelic steel and 85% miscellaneous alloy. With this mixture, we'll be able to mass produce weapons that have the same properties as exorcist weapons without tanking our remaining, vast yet limited supply"

Taking the dagger from his hand, Lute would run her fingers over the blade, indeed feeling that all too familiar tingle of angelic energy within the crude, slightly blue, gun-metal colored steel "Good…..guess you're useful to me after all…." Lute spoke as she suddenly lashed out, causing Vox to scream out, feeling the blade suddenly scrape against his left eye as a small trail of blood began to trickle down from the gash that now covered his face.

As Lute slowly approached him, Vox stumbled backwards, fell flat on his butt and began to back peddle until he was cornered against a wall, the fallen angel looming over him as she pressed the dagger against his throat "See this as a warning…..don't…..dare….to double cross me….you AND that disgusting pimp of yours….understood, Vox?" she said in a cold, bitter tone.

Vox swallowed a lump in his throat as he stared up at the angel "Y-yes Lute…..loud and clear….."

She would remain in very close proximity to the TV overlord, her breath warm on his face as the TV demon tried to not make any sudden movements, in fear of agitating the murderous angel before him "And the prosthetics?" Lute demanded.

His voice shaky and his screen glitching from the new cut on his face, Vox whimpered "We were able to create some prototypes and are currently running test trials. We managed to procure some of the bodies of angels that fell during the attack on princess Morningstar's hotel and are using their wing anatomy as a base for the design"

Her eyes would narrow at the mention of him possibly desecrating one of the bodies of her fallen soldiers, but decided to push that thought down for now….she still needed him "…..Continue….."

Vox would gulp as he carefully met her gaze "W-we….managed to get someone who never had wings before to take off for a small bit….and we believe that if installed on somebody with intimate knowledge of flight, it will work wonders" trying to lay on the charm as if his life depended on it….which….in truth…..it did…..

Lute would lower the dagger as by now, she was no longer looking at him, but THROUGH him "Good…now get your disgusting demonic taint out of my sight"

Vox took this opportunity as he quickly got back on his feet and scampered off to god knows where.

Note: Ever since a friend of mine sugested the angelic steel smuggling plot all the way back in chapter 15, i've been sitting on this idea of Lute slowly going full megalomaniac, and i am SO looking forward to writing the future chapters cuz ooh boy, do i have shizzle planned for y'all

Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter