Part 15

Several hours later Alex found himself crawling underneath Alastor, panting heavily.

His tail and body were covered in bloody cuts and bruises, not even one inch of his scales having escaped unscathed. Alastor reached down with a clawed hand and lifted his chin up. "Again?" Alex nodded and pulled himself to his feet, "a-again." He brought his hands up to defend himself, "How's that drink coming along Husk-" he was side swiped by a black tentacle and flipped through the air before landing on his side.

It was strange to Alex; the abuse. He kept taking hits and cuts and strikes and yet he was able to keep getting up. Small wounds would seal quickly and bigger ones would still heal but take longer. The laws and rules of this place were strange. Perhaps it had something to do with that whole "eternal torment" thing.

"I've got time, kid," Husker said with a chuckle, "you worry about you."

Alastor put his clawed hand behind his back and gestured to Alex with the other, a smirk on his face. "Get up, dear boy." Alex forced himself back onto his knees. "You know, usually I get bored with these things but somehow I like knocking you around."

Alastor swung his hand at him, the tentacle following his movements, "Again." Alex was blown through the air and hit the ground face first; the only thing preventing his face from smacking against the floor was Alastor holding his face to the ground with his shoe, which he quickly withdrew. "I must commend you, dear boy, but this does seem...very familiar. And I know what a powerful gift it can be, though you still don't seem to know. Your fighting spirit and willingness are most admirable. At least your reflexes are worthy of note, no matter how short a note it is."

He crossed his arm over his chest and put a clawed finger under his chin. "Perhaps there must be a bigger push...something more...exciting." The air suddenly seemed very heavy and there was an unsettled stillness that followed Alastor's words, and not just because the pair had ceased their physical fight.

Husker was glaring at Alastor from the bar, his eyes narrowed and the air around him seemed to charge. Alex also paused. He stood, his entire body turning towards the pale demon. The great smile of the demon stretched wider, "Oh Nifty~" Alex heard the quick pitter-patter of little feet and Nifty came rushing down the second floor hallway and down the steps into the central lobby, looking wide-eyed at Alastor, a smile spreading giving her more eye and teeth than face itself, "SIR!"

"Nifty, my dear, would you be so kind as to fetch our little Angel Dust from his room? His services are needed for a little experiment." He winked at her, the little cyclops's face becoming increasingly excited and she nodded several times, hopping from foot to foot as if she would explode. "I would love too!" she suddenly bolted back towards the stairs. "ANGEL! ANGEL DUST! I'M COMING FOR YOU!"

Not lifting his eyes or paws away from his job, Husker set a coaster down on the bar as he finished making his first official drink for Alex. He chuckled as the lizard limped his way up to the bar and pulled back a stool, wincing as he sat down on his tail before pulling it out. "Rough morning, kid?" He slid the drink out towards him, "a little pick me up after being beaten down."

The lizard lifted the glass up, sniffing it a few times trying to figure out what the hell that smell was. "Fuck this place is weird." He took a sip. Immediately Alex hunched over, coughing and gagging but trying his best not to drop the drink, his arms pulling together and his legs squeezing. He wretched once really hard. "Holy...fuck! What is that?" He coughed, "gas?"

Husker laughed and laughed and began to laugh a lot harder until he was slapped on the wing by Angel who took the drink from the claws of the lizard and leaned his head back with it taking two gulps and dropping the glass back onto the bar. He grit his teeth and a small shudder ran through him but he had on a big smile when he finally exhaled, shaking his fur and standing tall. "Bitch drink, Husk. Hit me harder next time." Alex saw Angel out the side of his eye as his knees were already giving in. He did his best to smile, and Angel smiled right back, putting his arm around his shoulders and kissing him on his temple. "Hey, doll." Alex smiled a little up at him. "Hi Angie."

Looking back to Husker, the cat glared at him and tapped along the side of his nose, indicating to Angel he had something on his face. The slender fingers came up and touched where Husker indicated and Angel noticed the powder; quickly turning away and wiping his nose, sniffing a few times.

The tapping of Alastor's staff on the floor drew their attention to him and with a brisk clearing of the throat spoke up. "Angel, my good friend, I am glad you could join us. Would you like to take part in an experiment with me?"

Husker spit out his drink. "Wha-! Wait-wait, no. NO-" Alastor's pale gaze had turned to Husker. "I beg your pardon?"

Angel smiled, "Absolutely! I can only assume this is about getting him more acquainted with the uh...glowin' hardware?" Alex frowned at the wording but Angel seemed to ignore it. A flash and smirk crossed the face of the demon. "But of course!" Alastor turned and motioned with his free claw at the boy, "My good Alex, this is a simple demonstration, to show your future...whatever it is you have with our dear dear Angel, that you are capable and worthy of having it. Angel, would you care to join me over here for a moment?"

"Boss!" Husker began to protest but Alastor glanced at him again, "No one is speaking to you, Husker~" the spider joined him, shaking his hair out, "Of course! Babe?"

He placed the glass down next to Husker who groaned out loud into the counter. Alex wasn't sure what the drink was but he had to admit, his eyes felt a bit lighter.

Angel joined Alastor on the other side of the room and faced Alex. Alastor looked back to Angel. "Now, before we begin, how far are you willing to go to help with the boy's training?" Alastor wagged a clawed finger in the air at Angel and chuckled. "Before you answer, don't feel compelled to say too much. After all, I don't really expect you to do much in any case..." He smiled and touched the tip of his claw to Angel's nose. Angel could see Alex was already fighting himself on not reacting, and that made this worth it.

Swatting the claws out of the way with a paw, he took a few steps away from the demon, "Look. You wanna' push him, I get it, and ya think Imma' softy, also a valid point. Imma' just throw this out there, though. Alex is a sweetie but is fierce when he wants to be," he smiled at Alex, biting his lip.

The large smile did not waver and Alastor sighed and rolled his eyes for a moment. "Of course, Angel, we are all very happy for you, but I need to hear you say how far you are willing to go." Angel's smile faded and he became quiet for a few moments before taking a deep breath.

"All the way, if that's what it takes."

The radio demon's smile grew a little wider and he let out a sensible chuckle. "Good! Good. I just wanted to make sure." His eyes glowed a little brighter and they fell back on Alex. "Let us crank that dial a little harder, my dear boy. I'll give you ten percent."

The floor beneath Alex broke open and two shadowy tendrils emerged, thrusting themselves towards Alex. He dodged the first just by stumbling but the second one caught him in the shoulder and pierced him and forced the lizard down onto his knee. He screamed as it curled inside his wound, anchoring him to the ground.

The sound almost animalistic, and Angel was about to move to run and stop it, but Alastor saw this and stopped him by simply holding out a hand and grabbing the boy by the shoulder, keeping him in place. Alex fell to his second knee, his body shaking. "Look at me, dear boy." He gripped Angel tight to keep him in place.

The pain was blinding and his head was heavy but he looked up, needing to squint to see. Alastor approached him, pushing Angel with him till they were only a few feet away. He leaned Angel forward. "Tell him you love him, Angel." He gave Angel a little shake.

Angel couldn't meet Alex's eyes and he fidgeted, nervous, afraid that any reaction to this would be a wrong move. He knew how hard Alastor could make things. His eyes lingered on the tentacle piercing him. "L-Look at me, baby." Angel winced and tried his best to be a voice of encouragement.

Alex looked at Angel, and tears formed at the edges of his eyes, but not from pain. From fear. From anger. Angel couldn't move closer so he nodded. "It's okay, Alex. I...I-" Alastor's clawed hand slid to the back of Angels neck, "so he can hear you." Angel grit his teeth tightly, "I…love you." He was pulled back by Alastor and the second sharp tendril followed them. "That is quite the responsibility, isn't it, my boy?" Alastor's other hand grabbed Angel's tuft of hair and pulled it back, forcing the boy against him and the tip of the tendril pressed against Angel's cheek.

"Boss!"

"No one...is talking to you...Husker." He smiled down at Alex. "Watch me carefully, my boy. I don't believe you understand the gravity of this situation." The sharp tip of the black tentacle slid back across Angel's cheek, a small single line of red showing through his white fur, drawing blood. The smell was rich. Angel hissed.

Alastor was full on grinning now as he looked down at Alex but spoke to his hostage. "This is the one you chose, my boy? Look at him. He won't even reach out to you." He looked at Angel. "Tell him again that you love him."

Angel's voice came out angry and he could hardly look at Alex. "L-Love you...s-sorry." The tentacle came back, cutting vertically this time. Again just enough to draw blood. "Alastor. Wait!" It cut a different part and Alex tried to reach out to Angel. "ANGEL! Stop it!" He was close to getting his claws to touch Angel but they were out of reach from one another. The tendril traveled south, resting against Angel's belly. Alex began to flail now, fighting against the one in his shoulder, his claws grabbing it, trying to get it out of his body.

Alastor hummed in his ear, chuckling, and Angel could hear his sadism, could feel his malice and joy in causing others pain. "Pity. He's already gone through so much to reach you and now you aren't even worth it." His tisked in Angel's ear. "You know Valentino does things like this to him constantly." He chuckled, "Angel, dear, are you even sober right now?"

Angel stuttered to the yes or no question, he wasn't sure. "M-maybe..." Alastor snorted, "Dear, dear boy. That isn't an answer. You look very pale~" The demon's eyes fell to Alex. "And you're going to take down Valentino? You are no knight, my boy." The tentacle on Angel's stomach turned inward so the sharp point was aimed at his navel, "you're barely a man." The tentacle drew back to pierce the spider.

A yell pierced the air and the pain of an explosion reverberated against him. Alex's claws dug into the tentacle and dark blue blood was seeping into the it and running down his shirt.

He was panting heavily and grunting with each movement, fighting past the pain to bring himself upright. He screamed and the wrapping around his free arm outstretched, lashed out like lightning, coiling around the sharp tendril as it tried to stab Angel's stomach. The tentacle tried again but the wrappings remained in place, holding the tentacle back and pulling Alex harder into the tentacle lodged in his shoulder.

Another scream reverberated through him and he clenched his fingers tightly, the fabric coiling tighter around the tentacle, squeezing it in on itself, breaking it, bending it, pulling it back towards Alex. He pulled hard, reeling his arm back, the cloth glowing white hot as he reeled it in. Alastor smiled wider, whispering to Angel. "Look at him go. Look at all that raw desperation. All for you, dear boy."

Alastor grinned as the boy stood up, movements slow and legs shaking. "Be careful, my boy, one mistake could cost you someone very dear to you. It's a perilous life here at the bottom." Alex's foot began to dig into the ground as he reeled the tendril in further, holding his claws outstretched. Alastor could tell he was straining his body, and the tentacles still held him. A tug of war. Alex threw out the other hand, rather pathetically and yet effectively, using the tentacle in his shoulder as an anchor to keep pulling it back to him. It was almost within arm's reach.

Another pull and it was in his fingertips. He grabbed it and threw his arms open, the glowing cloth slicing through the tentacle and it fell to the ground in pieces. Each one began to, bubble as the liquid shadow seeped through the floor.

Alex began panting, his arms falling to his sides as the tentacle in his shoulder dissipated and Alastor let Angel go. "Ahahaha! Wonderful~ wonderful work, my boy. It would have been better to control the other tentacle rather than to waste time killing it and then forcefully returning to your intended task but still, a solid C+ performance. Hahaha."

He clapped his hands twice and the room reset. Alastor walked away from Alex as he panted, looking around. "There now, Husker my good man, the audience has returned. What were you saying again?"

Alex had a hand pressed tightly to his shoulder, slumped on his knees on the floor, Angel examining the damage. The tentacle had pierced him deep. It would heal but it was going to suck. Husker slid a drink towards Alastor, his claws sliding around the martini glass and he turned in his chair. "Do you feel that, dear boy?" He took a sip of his drink, "the pressure in the air? The taste in your throat? Can you feel your blood pounding?"

Drink in hand, Alastor got up from his seat and walked up to him. "It is one thing to move about a training room doing an exercise, dear boy," he downed his drink and snapped his fingers at Husk, who poured him another, "and yet another altogether to put it to the test, to face true opposition." He looked down to the lizard bleeding on the floor. "Whatever that was, you need to find it and hold it tightly. Because you need to fight like your life is on the line. Because it will be and I hate having my precious precious time wasted."

Alex grunted, breathing hard, lifting his eyes to the Radio demon. "I understand." Alastor couldn't smile any wider and he turned and headed back to the bar for his second drink. Angel reached a paw up to gently touch Alex's cheek and pull his attention, and their eyes met. The two exchanged a glance, "you look at me with pity, Angie, and I'll punch you good." He put a small smirk on those scaly lips, knowing he had to make a joke or something to cut the tension like he always did. But all he could come up with was, "you're lucky you're cute."

Angel smiled and squeezed his body in tight to Alex's, not caring for any of his protests and the lizard's hissing. He pressed his muzzle against his scaly chin. "What you just did was fucking crazy." Angel laughed, "I liked it." Alex chuckled a little, "you would." They both knew they had no time to say what needed to be said, and they wanted it all.

"I need to go clean this thing before it starts to look awful." The two managed to look like normal and angel brushed off Alex, little bits of wood on his shoulders, "Think ya can stand, big guy?" "Yeah I-" Alex stopped, his legs shaking and beginning to buckle but Angel was quick to catch him. "Easy!"