Part 32

Having been threatened, verbally warned, and then physically removed from the property, Cherri tilted her glass back, swallowing the foul liquid inside of it to dull the pain in her shoulder and neck from where she had landed on the pavement. Maybe she would return to the Carmine manor and throw some nasty little surprises in through their windows for good measure.

Just cause she was told to leave didn't mean she had to do it. If anything, maybe they would enjoy the effort. "Fuckin' overlord and her big fancy house. Aughta' blow up yer' fuckin' car." She set her glass down. "Oi! Another!"

The bartender slid the drink over. The stuff tasted like battery acid and rusted metal but did the trick, burning her tongue and throat as it went down, "Another!" Maybe she could start a fire...

Her cell phone went off, and it took a few tries to get it out of her pocket. Angel. Angel! "Oi oi oi, love! The fuck are you? Bitch got you held up tight or what?"

The spider's voice returned a little uneasy: "Uh...not exactly. Listen, babe, I know you've done more than enough for today, but do you think you could do something for me?"

"Fuckin' say the word, Angie-Bangie."

"Sweet. Listen, I'm not at the manor right now. I'm downtown, on the other side of the pentagram." He chuckled nervously. Are you up to helping me kill an Overlord?"

She took her drink in hand and took another sip, staring into the dirty glass, watching the fleshy demons and humanoids move about behind her. "Yea...yea, I'm up for it." She glanced about. "What'chu need?"

"I need a gun. Several guns. Automatic, short reload period, drum mag if I can get fancy. Wha'chu think?"

Cherri rubbed the back of her head. She had been drinking, and her vision blurred in the corners, but her head was clear; it buzzed, but her head was still there, so she knew it wasn't the liquor talking. "I think I know a guy. Might take a little while, but..." she felt a smile crease her lips, her sharp teeth exposed, "yea. I can get you strapped, love." She took another drink. "This uh...wouldn't have anything to do with your new boy toy, would it?" She teased him with a little coo.

She heard a snicker, then his voice. "I'll text you my location. Bring it when you can, yeah? Talk ta' you then, doll. Thanks."

When the line clicked dead, Cherri held the phone, staring at her reflection, before slipping it into her pocket. She looked into her drink and snorted. "Moving a little quick there, love." She downed her drink and got up from the bar, "Lucky boy."

After ending the call, Angel turned back to Alex, who was moving boxes out of the way to clear a space on the floor large enough for him to train with Emily.

A faint beep drew Angel Dust's attention back to his cell phone. Looking back at it, he opened the message. Bitch: 'Call me. It's Vaggie.'

"Shit. One sec you two, gotta make a call." He stepped away from them and tapped her name, bringing the phone to his ear. "Hey, toots. I, uh, hope this is a social call. What's goin' on?" He was trying to play it as casually as possible, but if the girl wanted to call, no doubt something else had happened.

"Get. Back. Now." She growled the words with such force that his heart dropped into his stomach, and the hairs on his neck shot straight up. "Now Angel. Get back here NOW!"

Sitting on one of the boxes, Angel sighed and ran a hand through his fluffy hair, "Can't do that, toots. I'm...in the middle of something." He swallowed nervously. "Can this wait a few hours? A day or something, maybe?" The phone call went quiet, and he could hear Vaggie growling. "I promise, Vaggie, I'm being good. I'm behaving myself."

"Do you even know what it means to behave? Where are you?"

Angel bit his lip and let out a nervous breath. "Look, I need this. I don't wanna' go back, OK? Can you please understand that? I'm working on something and can't tell you what it is right now." He looked back at Emily, smiling as she waved her hands at boxes and moved them, talking with Alex. "Hey...Vaggie...can I ask you something?"

"Yea? I'm swamped, so try not to drag it out."

Angel sighed and leaned forward, pulling his hair a little. "About a year ago, when you and Charlie went to heaven for a bit to talk about the hotel...did you all...talk about me?"

"Wait." Her voice perked, and Angel knew he had her attention, but how she said it sent a wave of nausea through his stomach. " How could you know about that?"

"Oh...someone just...filled me in. Look, it wasn't about the Hotel. It wasn't about anything. It was just a dumb question. You know me! Dumb ideas." He laughed it off too fast but figured Vaggie might've taken the bait. "I won't be back for a few days. I'm uh...working on something here."

The phone was quiet again, and for a moment, he wondered if Vaggie had hung up, but then the girl sighed. "It was nothing. Just a conversation. It's like a checkup kind of thing. We...used you as proof someone could improve at the hotel. You were our example." She sighed, and the tone in her voice was sad. "So, yeah. Whatever. You were important in all that. Big shock."

"...hey...I, um...thanks. It meant a lot hearing that. Wish you told me earlier, though. Might have...tried a little harder. Maybe."

"Look, Angel. Don't get hurt, alright? There are people there who need you."

"I'll be safe." He leaned on his hand and smiled a little. "I...gotta go. I have someone who needs me right now. It's only a few days. Promise. And I'll..." he sighed, running his hand along his face, "stay sober."

"You better not lie, Angel." She was growling, but that was because of the stress. She wasn't angry anymore...not really. He sighed and gripped the cell, "don't worry... I have something I'm trying to fight for now, and that's not just me. I got...responsibility now." The word felt funny, but it was the truth. It just...surfaced. A simple thought he wouldn't have even admitted months ago. "I...gotta go."

"...just stay alive... please. Charlie's scared. And we worry."

Angel opened his mouth and tried to speak but couldn't find words, his jaw slacking and mouth opening, but nothing came out. All his clever quips, lies, and bravado...he just wanted to lie down. Hold Alex. For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile crossed his lips, and his hands moved to rub his face, giggling a little, "I'll be OK. We'll be OK."

Angel lowered the phone a little and let out a teary breath, forcing it back and trying to calm his voice. "I'll see ya, toots."

"Get back soon."

"Promise... I promise. Don't worry about me or what I'm doing. You guys will see...please don't worry." The phone clicked, the line went dead, and he turned back.

"Ok, that's as good as it's gonna get for now." Emily fluttered through the makeshift arena, swirling around a few times. Alex stood in the center, rolling up his shirt sleeves to expose the bandages on his wrists. "Angel, would you mind joining Alex in the middle, please?"

"Sure." He sighed as he approached, looking up towards the ceiling and running a hand over his face. He didn't know the first thing about what he was doing, but whatever it was was starting.

"Alright, just keep yourself relaxed."

Alex had barely heard Emily, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Angel reached out and pulled him into a hug. He was stiff at first but began to settle. Angel held him a little longer, and when he pulled away, he pressed his nose against the demon boys. They didn't say anything to each other, but the spider felt a little lighter when Alex wrapped his arms around him and pulled him back. "I'm happy I'm here with you, Alex."

The boy's hands were soft for scales, and he didn't fight the embrace; he returned it eagerly, Alex's smaller arms wrapping around him as much as he could. Angel held him tight, almost too much, gripping the lizard, fingers digging into his scales. "I'm going to fight too, Alex. You're trying to keep me safe. I need to keep you safe, too." The lizard nodded. "Give me a smile, cutie." Alex sighed but couldn't help but give Angel a little smile. He could see where the tooth Valentino had knocked out was, a little dagger of one beginning to grow back. "Poor baby."

The blue and purple tongue of the lizard slid out through the spot, touching the sharp tip with his tongue, "just a tooth. It will grow back. I think."

Angel ran his fingers through the boy's hair and over his cheeks, careful not to touch the injured spot, the color of his claws strikingly contrasting the color of his scaled cheeks. Alex rested his forehead against the demons and smiled a little.

Emily seemed infatuated with the two as they pressed into one another, "This is perfect. Your bond will always help the Sutures in their need of protection. Your connection is your greatest tool. No matter how hard the road ahead is, you will always have someone fighting by your side." She chuckled softly and folded her wings against her back, floating a foot above the ground. "Remember who you are fighting for and remember why."

A shiver ran up Angel's back when he felt the warm wrappings coil around his wrists and up along his shoulders. "I wish I could tie you up with these," Alex smiled a little. It was good to see him smile genuinely again.

He smirked, running his fingers over Alex's arm, stroking his forearm, and rubbing the scales. His palm glided up along his biceps to the collar of his shirt, tracing the bruised and cut collar, "We might have time for that later."

"Boys."

The two of them straightened, "Sorry."

She smiled and gently tapped his chest with the end of her finger. "Keep the focus. Embrace what you both share. Good feelings, yes. But focus. Tapping into those will give you all a great deal of strength." She turned towards Angel, "You will be pivotal to his training, as you were the primary reason he came here. So it would be best if you were present for all of it. Is that alright with you?"

Considering he had already had his face cut from Alastor's tentacles and threatened to be impaled, he couldn't imagine an angel doing much worse.

With a nod, Emily moved behind Angel, wrapping her arms under his, and began to lift him into the air, moving slowly toward the ceiling. "You're okay; I got you." He wrapped a pair of arms around her shoulders, the second set taking ahold of his leg while the third set was busy helping hold onto her. " It's going to be a few dozen feet or so. It's scary, but you're safe. I promise."

Alex watched from below, shifting nervously as she carried him up. Angel glanced between Emily and down to Alex. The two boys made eye contact; Angel gave him a thumbs up, a confident and bold smile on his face, trying to mask his concern at least. "Alright, Alex, try to reach up and grab Angel with the Sutures. Don't force too hard. Feel it."

The lizard bounced from foot to foot, trying to psyche himself into it before he planted his feet and lifted his arms. The sutures were glowing a little but not doing much else. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Nothing happened. Emily called down to him, "You love him. Reach up like you want to give him a big hug." She looked to Angel, indicating with her eyes that he would do the same.

Alex swallowed hard. A cold feeling ran up and down his spine, and he tried to block his mind. Don't think about Valentino; think about Angel. "I'm real soft!" Angel cried from above, pulling Alex away from his thoughts, " I would love a big, strong hug from a big, strong dragon." Alex couldn't help but smile and lift his arms like he was reaching out to hug Angel, the Sutures unfurling from his wrists and extending upward.

Angel felt the ropes reach around him, and his heart pounded hard in his chest. With one last glance downward, he tightened his hold around the girl as Alex took a deep breath and threw out the Sutures, the wrappings curling around his wrists, torso, and legs. "Gently, Alex. Be gentle with him. As gentle as he was with you." She wasn't even holding him anymore, the sutures suspending the spider in the air.

Slowly, Angel was lowered back down towards the ground. A couple of strands of the sutures released their grip around him and retracted, leaving Angel to hang with just three more wrapped tightly around his hips, holding him a few inches off the ground. Alex wanted to let him down but smiled a little mischievously at him. "Hang on, let me...try something."

Angel felt the ropes loosen, slipping away from his torso as the spider struggled to keep his composure. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with Alex experimenting just yet.

Alex slowly wrapped the tendrils around his wrists and pulled his arms behind his back, a soft hum filling the room as they squeezed him a bit and drew Angel towards him. Angel was facing him, looking down into his blue eyes, Alex's fingers grazing his lower jaw as they found each other, leaning their foreheads in close. "Hi..." Angel breathed.

"Hi."

"You fuckin' dork, making me all helpless and shit."

They leaned into one another a bit, and Angel smiled, turning his face and resting the tips of his noses together, staying like this a little longer. "If I figure this out..." Angel licked the tip of Alex's nose, which caused him to drop, and the spider landed feet first. "That's good!"

Alex laughed and folded his arms a little. Then, Angel had an idea, "Try and catch me. Use anything you got." Alex chuckled a little and turned, giving Angel a moment to get ahead of him before Alex took off, chasing the spider around the arena. Maybe it was this simple.

Emily hovered in midair, her wings buzzing. A slow smile crossed her lips as Alex focused his eyes on the wrapping of one of his arms, reaching out for Angel, but the spider jumped over it, dodging it. "Come on! Don't you wanna see me all tied up again?"

Planting his feet, Alex tried with his other hand, "Oh, I'm gonna make you eat those words, babe." Angel laughed and managed to duck and weave under a few Sutures until finally, Alex managed to get one around Angel's chest, and he fell against a nearby box. Alex closed his fist around the Sutures and tightened his grip, pulling Angel towards him. "Gotcha!"

Their laughter made Emily smile. The boy kept a tight hold on his wrists when Angel came forward and grinned. He could've been caught ten times during that race, but he knew what Alex wanted, and this was the outcome of their playful battle. The training wasn't about winning; it was about practice, and if all Angel had to do was have fun with Alex for him to get better, then this was going to be great.

Angel hooked his legs around Alex's waist, holding him tight. Alex seemed very focused, his hands squeezing Angel's and pulling him a little closer, a slight tinge of red on his cheeks. "You got me. So what are you going to do with me? Help...help..." Angel giggled, kissing the lizard, and held his face. "We can do better. Come on. I'll try and get away this time."

It only took a second for Alex to grab ahold of him again and pin him on a pile of boxes. The boys landed on each other, and Alex loosened his grasp around the spider's wrists. Angel raised a leg and pushed Alex back, but the lizard stumbled onto his back. "Come on. Val's going to put up a fight. Come get me."

Alex didn't even blink, throwing the sutures forward. The strings hit, but instead of pulling Angel towards him, Angel caught ahold of the Sutures. He stared in wonderment, tugging, but the strings stayed locked in Angel's hands. Angel planted his feet firmly and pulled. His strength shocked Alex as he was pulled to his feet and fell forward.

In the second Alex was pulling against him, Angel released a hand and reached to push the lizard boy's arms apart, breaking his grasp, but Alex wasn't done, trying his best to knock the spider down again and pin him to the ground, wrapping a string around him again. They wrestled momentarily, but Angel was on top, pinning his chest down. "Don't be gentle with me, babe."

Curling a clawed finger, showing what he wanted, the ribbon curled upward and coiled around Angel's throat, squeezing it a little. Angel let out an award-winning moan and arched his back, which broke Alex's concentration, allowing Angel to pin Alex's wrists to the ground.

"Ah! No fair!" The voice made Emily and Angel laugh, but the sudden shock startled the boy.

"So fucking mean..." the boy mumbled, the suture around Angel's neck falling. Angel could feel a strange vibration moving through his limbs and realized with delight that Alex was purring under him. He didn't know he could do that.

"Oooh...big boy purring. Haven't heard you make that sound before." He walked his fingers up Alex's chest, "kinda cute. Just sayin'"

Angel began to pepper the boy's neck and collarbone with a barrage of small kisses, causing the vibrations to increase. Alex squirmed, rolling his head to one side as he tried to squirm, still giggling. But when Angel leaned into Alex's neck, the lizard rolled hard on Angel and pinned him. "Gotcha!"

Angel didn't put up the struggle to break the bonds like the first few times; his giggling filled the quiet space as he relaxed and didn't move.

When Angel surrendered, Emily went quiet, watching when Alex leaned down and kissed Angel with a passion he hadn't felt for days. The boy didn't fight Alex's grasp, didn't tease him. Angel welcomed him. Angel accepted him. It made him smile.

Her hands were behind her back, smiling as her feet touched the ground. One of Angel's extra arms brushed Alex's black hair a little. "I'm happy to see you smile again. Even with a missing tooth." He ruffled his hair a bit, the two of them sharing another kiss.

Looking up at a stack of heavy, rickety boxes, Emily looked at the two boys and pushed it over towards them with a gentle touch. The noise alone caught the attention of the two of them, Angel grabbing Alex tightly and braced for the impact. Instead, the Sutures slid out and began to strike the boxes, knocking a few away, others being stopped with a coil of the rubric.

The lizard looked at Angel. "Are you okay?" Emily's giggle filled the silence. "Your reflexes are impressive, Alex." Why did everyone keep telling him that?

Angel giggled only a little and touched Alex's face, kissing his cheek. " Yeah. Perfect, hot stuff."

"Good. Well...you have that well-handled." Emily backed away from them and went to the door. " Why don't we rest for now? Angel, I need to speak with Alex for a moment." Angel raised a brow, let out a dramatic sigh, and made a show of getting up before walking toward the door. " Well, okay, if you insist." As he passed, he ruffled the lizard boy's hair. "Behave for Miss Em."

"Always."

Angel's steps carried him further and further from the two of them. As the doors shut behind the demon, Emily approached Alex, helping him clean up the boxes, "I need to speak to you about something important about these." She took his wrists, indicating the wrappings. "These are weapons of defense. They are tools of care and protection. They cannot be used in anger, vengeance, or torture."

She grabbed Alex by the wrists tightly. He struggled for a second as he tried to pull away from her, but her grip tightened as she forced Alex to stop fighting her. The touch and her sudden force didn't register to her the severity, her grip digging into his scales a bit as she held him. "You want to protect Angel. That's fine. But your goal is to kill Valentino. I know you want to get Angel for yourself, make him happy, and free him. And they won't work if you go against him for your reasons." She relaxed her grip. "You will need to forgive him if you are going to use them against him effectively."

Alex wrenched his wrists free and sat back against one of the boxes as he rubbed his arms a little. The new cuts and wounds hidden under his shirt ached and burned, but he tried to pay them no attention. "I know you are hurting, Alex..." She looked to where Alex had begun to dig his thumb and fingers into the spot where his Sutures met his wrists. He realized what he was doing and forced his hands to his sides.

"He touched me."

"I know..."

He ran his fingertips along his cheeks and closed his eyes. "He hurt me. He hurt Angel. He...twisted both of us." The glow on his arms dissipated as his fists clenched tightly. "I want him dead. If anyone understands, it's Angel." His breathing increased, and he closed his eyes, his tongue running into the space where the tooth Valentino knocked out should have been, "you...you don't understand."

"Then please, help me too. This can't be all about you. Yes, you've gone through a horrible experience...but you're here for Angel. You chose to be here for him." She took his claws, "what can you say you've experienced next to him?"

The realization stung him, drawing blood, the smell filling his nostrils. It made him nervous, not wanting to fight it, a growl escaping his throat. He couldn't stand the fact that Valentino had...penetrated him, and so profoundly. Alex could feel his fingers clench harder as the sting in his wrists turned to burning. "Angel doesn't deserve this."

He'd gone so long, forcing his desires to himself. He wanted nothing more than to save Angel and be there for him, and now he had the power to do so, the possibility to do just that. "You will need to find it in yourself to forgive Valentino for what he did to you. You can't come at him with anger and malice and vengeance. Or you might not get to walk out of there again."

Anger...it felt good and familiar, but her words rang out in his head, and the fact was that she was right. He'd done this for Angel, and if this was it...the end was nearing. Valentino would fight him, and he would have to kill the Overlord. Otherwise, Angel would be in worse shape than when this all started, and Alex wouldn't be able to bear knowing what could happen to Angel if he failed.

"I'll try..."

"Forgiveness takes time." She stood and sat next to him, folding her hands together. "But until you've reached the point where you are strong enough to handle Valentino, don't engage with him. Don't speak or think of him. You're not doing this for Valentino."

"I'm doing it for Angel."

"Right." Her wings buzzed, and the girl stood again. "There are many things to discuss. But you need to get rest. And Angel will help. His connection with you is authentic and will protect you when you work together. But in the end, you will need to face Valentino alone. Angel won't be able to help you with that because of his contract."

When she extended a hand, he took her wrist and allowed her to help him up, "Angel, you can stop pretending you aren't listening now." Her eyes snapped over towards Angel who was peeking out around the corner and a smile on his face, Alex quickly turning.

The spider threw his arms in the air and came around the corner, "Can't blame a guy for trying." He reached to scratch the back of his head as Alex glared up at him. The sutures, unbeknownst to Alex, wrapped around his middle as he dragged the boy over and pulled him close. "I'm gonna' fight hard for you, Angel. You remember that."

Angel could not help but smile slightly and feel the fingers that ran over his fur. "I'm gonna' help as best I can. Forget everything else. Be you." Angel's hand traced his fingers up Alex's cheeks, smiling gently. Their foreheads were pressed together, the Sutures enveloping them again. Emily had a look of disappointment on her face. If only Angel had been able to stay by his side.

"You have fallen. You've both fallen." She smiled and touched a nearby box, shifting it away. "Get rest, both of you. This is the last moment of reprieve either of you will have until this is all done with."