Back in the bathroom, Cherri was taking a bath and looking at her phone while angrily seething in the hot water of the tub. She had scrubbed every inch of her body, hoping to relax enough to feel even slightly better. It didn't work, but at least, she felt cleaner.
On the phone, Cherri found a series of worried text messages from everyone at the Hotel and about 100 missed calls from Angel.
Cherri immediately called Angel back and put the phone on speaker.
Angel picked up after the first ring and said almost breathlessly, "Oh, my God! Cherri?! Cherri, where are you?!"
The sound of Angel's voice was so reassuring. It was almost enough to make Cherri cry.
"Angel," Cherri said, her voice almost breaking. "The Vees got me. I was so stupid. Vox and Velvette reached my room through my TV last night. The fact that it was old as shit didn't matter. They broke in, gagged me, tied me up, and dragged me back to their Tower, back to him, back to that dickhead Valentino! I tried fighting back, but he drugged me, knocked me out, and locked me in this room without windows. I've tried to escape, but somehow, they took away my powers! I can't summon shit now!"
"How the hell did they do that?!" cried Angel incredulously.
"Fuck if I know, man!" answered Cherri. "They've given me all these bullshit rules about behaving so I can be in their family and be part of their brand or whatever the fuck and if I don't do what they say, they're going to keep me locked in here until I do. I'm their damn prisoner."
"Oh, God," Angel sympathized. "Cherri, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I thought you'd be safe at the hotel. I should've realized who we were dealing with. I should've known what they'd try to do."
It finally hit Cherri how desperate her situation really was. The Vees had complete control of her life and there was no way she could fight back. For the first time in the longest time in her afterlife, she was scared.
Cherri started to cry, "Angel, I'm scared. I don't know what to fucking do. Without my bombs, I can't do jack shit against these wankers. I'm screwed."
"No, you're not!" assured Angel. "Don't you even think that. You're one of the toughest bitches I know. If there's anyone who can survive something like this, it's you. It…it's going to be okay. I can come and get you."
"No, Angel!" Cherri cried. "Val said I couldn't spend time with any of my old friends without permission. I know that includes you. You're still under his contract. If you try to come near me without the bastard's consent, he'll use it as an excuse to fuck with you somehow or even kill you. We can't take that risk."
On the other line, Angel felt his heart sink in terror. There wasn't anything Angel could do to help Cherri. He felt so helpless because of the goddamn master holding his chain. He remained silent while trying to think of anything he could do.
"Angel, buddy, are you there?!" Cherri asked. "I'm helpless without my bombs. I don't know what to do. I'm going to have to escape on my own. But I am so scared! I can't fight the Vees like this. What am I supposed to do?"
"First, you need to breathe, just like you told me to," instructed Angel. "Remember? You're going to be alright. We'll all figure out a way to get you out of this. But you need to breathe."
Cherri nodded and whispered, "Okay," and took deep breaths.
"I'm going to ask Charlie if she can help, but I still think I should find a way to come," said Angel.
"Angel, you can't," Cherri protested. "If Val sees you trying to help me, you know what he'll do."
"I still have to try something," Angel argued. "For now, try obeying Val. If he thinks you're listening, he'll loosen up a bit…"
Just then, Cherri heard her bedroom door open. The metal door made a loud noise as it swung on its hinges.
"Oh, shit," Cherri said.
"What's the matter?" Angel asked. "What was that noise?"
"That was the door," said Cherri, getting the phone off speaker and holding it to her ear. "They're in my room."
Just then, someone rapped on the bathroom door. Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Baby, it's me!" cried Valentino's voice.
"Go away!" Cherri screamed.
Unfortunately, as expected, her father didn't acknowledge her request.
Red smoke seeped in as the door opened, Val walked in feather bouncing, "Cherri?"
Cherri turned away from her dad in the tub and screeched, "What the fuck, Valentino?! Can't you respect my privacy?!"
Valentino quickly raised a hand over his eyes and backed up, "Ain't nothing I haven't seen before!"
Cherri pulled the stopper out of the tub, climbed out, and wrapped a towel around herself.
"The fuck do you want anyways?" Cherri asked annoyedly as she picked up a toothbrush that was waiting for her.
The toothbrush and all the toiletries were things that Cherri bought regularly. The Vees really had researched everything about her and thought of everything.
"I figured I could show you around," Valentino leaned on the door looking away from her.
"And you had to barge in while I was bathing?!" Cherri snarked, putting the toothpaste on the brush and brushing her teeth.
The moth demon rolled his eyes, "Ugh! Just be glad this is the spot I didn't allowed Vox to watch from!"
Cherri paused and then spat out her toothpaste, "Oh, dear God. Is he in here too?!"
"You bet!" Vox's screen poked in from the side of the doorway, giving her a slight glance.
Cherri snarled, grabbed a bottle of lotion off the sink, and chucked it at Vox, "Get the fuck out of my bathroom!"
Vox nonchalantly dodged the lotion and quipped, "Wow, she has your temper."
"Beat it, Vox," Valentino ordered.
"Fine, fine, I'll be waiting out here with Velvette," Vox said, calming retreating.
Cherri huffed as she rinsed her toothbrush and put on her deodorant.
"Why are all you in my room?" Cherri inquired.
"Oh, they're just excited," excused Valentino. "That's all."
"So, you all decided to break into my bathroom like a bunch of perverts?!" Cherri asked sarcastically as she put down the deodorant and moved on to brushing her hair.
"She has a point, Val," Velvette quipped.
"Shut up, Velvette!" Valentino called from out of the room.
Cherri rolled her eye and finished brushing her hair.
"I don't have to be here, prick! I have other shit to do!" Velvette flipped off Val.
"Fine!" Valentino conceded. "Let's get our little lady dressed."
With that, Val grabbed Cherri's wrist and started pulling her behind him.
"Let me go, you prick!" Cherri cried, gripping her free hand on her phone and tightly around her body to keep her towel up.
"And you can end your little call with Angel now," Vox added.
"What the hell? Are you spying on my calls?!" cried Cherri.
"Let's just say I see everything," Vox said.
"God, can I have no privacy from you dickheads?" Cherri complained.
"Not with flat face there," Velvette said bluntly.
"You all suck," Cherri spat out. "Now can I dress myself and continue my call?"
"That depends," said Valentino. "Is it Angel Dust?"
"No," Cherri tried to lie.
"Sure," Valentino said, snatching the phone and putting it on speaker. "Hi there, Angie Baby."
"Val?!" Angel cried on the other end. "Val…I swear, I didn't mean anything by this! Just don't hurt Cherri!"
"I plan on doing nothing of the sort, amorcito," Val said. "I'm not mad at all. I'm actually glad you called."
Angel paused and then replied, "You're not?"
Meanwhile, Cherri started pulling clothes out of her dresser, picking out her boots, and getting dressed.
"Oh, yeah," Valentino said sweetly before shifting his tone. "Saves me the trouble of you ignoring my calls. Let's get one thing straight, Angel Dust. You and those little friends of yours in that hotel aren't to come near my daughter. If you do, we'll start exterminating any of yours we can, and I'll make you pay for it in work. Then kill you."
Angel let out a frightened yelp. Vox smiled like he was enjoying it way too much. Velvette giggled under her breath.
After getting on her bra, underwear, black shirt with mesh sleeves, her red plaid mini skirt, and her black stockings, Cherri moved on to putting on her boots.
"And if you think you can do anything sneaky at the studio, think again. See you tomorrow, baby." Valentino then closed his hand crunching the phone in his palm.
That was when Cherri made her move. She rolled over the bed, got to her feet, and headed for the door.
Val dropped the phone chunks, looking at Cherri, "Well, honey, that outfit is certainly…uh…"
"Trash," Velvette said bluntly.
Cherri rolled her eye and opened the door, "Like I give a fuck what you think."
The bomb demon then threw the door open and instantly took off down the hall.
"Yeah, that outfit needs work," Vox said nonchalantly.
"Knock it off, Voxxy," Val said, elbowing him slightly.
"What? It does," Vox chuckled. "We cannot let her go out in public in that."
"Flat face has a point, Val," Velvette backed Vox up.
"Okay, fine," Val conceded. "I guess we can give her a makeover after we eat. Cherri, it's time for breakfast. Cherri?"
After an awkward pause, Valentino asked, "Did anyone see where she went?"
Vox turned his screen back and forth, "What?!"
"I'm sorry. Did we not just see Cherri exit the room?" Velvette asked sarcastically. "I assumed you two idiots had the situation handled."
Valentino sighed in frustration and stomped to the door, "Why does mi hija keep running away? Cherri Berry! Please come back! We mean you no harm!"
"She can't have gone far," Vox said, following behind with Velvette in tow. "She can't do as much damage either. She can't use her bombs."
"Could you look at your cameras to see where she is?" Valentino said, summoning his smoke and causing it to turn into two hands that started stretching down the hallway in each direction. "In the meantime, I'll try to feel for her."
"Alright," Vox said, checking the cameras.
"Do you see her, baby? I can't feel her anywhere!" Valentino lamented as he continued stretching his smoke hands.
"I would track her down using her phone, but you destroyed it," Velvette said, taking out her phone.
"Not the time, Velvette!" Valentino pleaded. "Vox, I need updates!"
"Yes, I see her!" Vox answered annoyedly. "Calm down. I have eyes everywhere here. And…she just took out two of our employees. Making a run for it this soon? That is ballsy."
"The girl's opportunistic and resourceful," Velvette said. "I'll give her that. She has potential to be an asset or a liability."
"Those hapless servants will pull themselves back together," said Valentino, dissolving his smoke. "Focus here. Which way did she go?"
That was when Velvette noticed something on the floor.
"You two are idiots," she said.
"What?" both male Vees asked.
"Look at the floor," Velvette said, gesturing to the ground.
On the carpet were wet spots going down the hall. They looked like large drops falling from a leaky pipe...or long wet hair.
Velvette looked back at the other two overlords, shook her head, and started following the trail.
"How am I the only one noticing this?" Velvette asked, shaking her head. "You two are idiots."
"Shut up!" quipped Valentino, following behind her.
"Wait," said Vox. "I know where she's heading. I'll teleport us ahead."
Meanwhile, Cherri was approaching the end of the hall.
The cyclops demon stretched her hands out before cracking her knuckles.
"Gotta be some place outta here," Cherri said, finally reaching the elevator.
Two VoxTech goons guarded the elevators. They were two muscular shark demons.
Cherri grinned to herself and stepped out hip first, "Aye, there."
"Miss Cherri, your father has instructed us to not let you out," the spiky guard demon said.
Cherri looked at the unguarded door to the stairs and said, "Fine then. I'll just take the stairs."
Before the guards could reach her, Cherri was through the door and headed down the stairs.
By the time she made it down, there was the sound of electricity.
Opening the door Vox was standing at the entrance, "Going somewhere?"
Cherri gasped in surprise and slammed the door on him, heading back for the stairs.
Unfortunately, that was where her dad was waiting.
"Breakfast is upstairs in our apartment, baby," Val said, trying to move in for a hug. "You didn't need to use all that energy running all the way down here. Poor thing. You must be so hungry and tired. Why don't we all go upstairs and eat, hmmm?"
Cherri attempted to back away, but she just ran into Velvette.
"Oh, for the love of God, girl, what were you thinking? Going outside with wet hair and clothes that are that out of date?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Velvette ranted.
"You think I give a fuck about what you think?" Cherri asked.
"Regardless," Vox said. "It's time for breakfast and we need to go upstairs before we run into any other prying eyes, or you cause any other damage!"
"Make me," Cherri growled, putting up her fists and narrowing her lonely eye.
"Gladly," Vox said, summoning his electricity.
Cherri tried to summon a bomb and found she was unable to, much to her chagrin.
However, that didn't stop Cherri and she lunged forward to attack, but she felt a lasso wrap around her waist and pull her away.
It was Valentino. He used his smoke to form a rope around Cherri's waist and pull her out of harm's way.
"Get off of me!" Cherri screamed, suddenly swinging a fist at Valentino's chin.
"It's alright, baby," Valentino said, blocking her punch. "No one is going to hurt you. I won't let them. You just need to calm down. Take deep breaths with me. Okay, chica?"
"I'm perfectly fine hurting you!" yelled Cherri.
Cherri tried to strike, but Valentino breathed a rope around her hands.
Holding Cherri in his arms, Valentino said, "There, now, who's ready for breakfast?"
"Put me the fuck down, jackass!" Cherri yelled, struggling unsuccessfully to get Cherri's hands free.
"No," Valentino said simply before turning to everyone else. "I'll fly my baby upstairs. You two can meet us back in the apartment. Sound good?"
"Fine by me," shrugged Velvette. "I can fix the fashion disaster after I eat."
"Fuck all of you!" cried Cherri, trying to get out of her dad's arms. "Let me down before I tear you apart like I did the others!"
"Shall I meet you all upstairs?" asked Valentino, completely ignoring Cherri's protests.
"Sure, Val," Vox said, following his move to ignore Cherri's behavior. "I'll see you soon."
"Dickhead, quit ignoring me!" shrieked Cherri.
In a flash, Valentino gently took Cherri's chin and held her head so close to his that their foreheads were touching.
"Mija, you need to calm down," Valentino said in an uncharacteristically calm tone. "Breathe with me, baby, until the angry thoughts calm down."
Cherri growled, "Don't patronize me, you goddamn…"
Suddenly, Valentino started singing quietly in a low voice, "Para bailar la bamba, para bailar la bamba, se necesita una poca de gracia, una poca de gracia para mi, para ti y arriba y arriba y arriba. Por ti sere, por ti sere…"
Cherri's eye flashed in panic at the oncoming memories. She remembered her father holding her when she was a little girl. She was angry at something and had a tantrum. Her mother was smoking on the balcony outside and trying to nurse a bruise. Her father held her close and sang this song to her to help her calm down. The way Valentino sounded now was exactly the same as he did then.
The cyclops demon sat there, completely stunned by the memory.
The other two Vees were amazed.
"Val, how did you do that?" asked Vox.
Valentino chuckled as he rubbed the back of Cherri's head, "I told you I was a father for five years, Voxxy. I learned a thing or two about how to calm down my baby when she was upset."
"Well, I'll be damned," Velvette said with a smile. "You did something right for once."
"Fuck off," Valentino fired back. "I'm flying my baby upstairs for breakfast. Feel free to join me."
"We'll meet you upstairs," said Vox.
"See you there," Valentino said with a wave before he summoned his wings and started flying up the stairwell.
"Well, how about that?" said Velvette amusedly, exiting the stairwell and heading for the elevator. "Valentino seems to have some fatherly instinct after all."
"I know," chuckled Vox. "Surprised me too. We'll have to see if he can keep it up."