Part 34
High above on a rickety box of stolen TVs, Angel hesitated momentarily as he stuck his leg out, "You're sure you got me, babe?"
"I gotcha!"
Down below, Alex raised his arms high, the sutures unraveled from his wrists and sticking up in the air, high above him, leveling out at Angel's feet like stepping stones, "Cause I ain't gonna be happy if I fall even for a moment."
Emily touched the sutures a second time with the palm of her hand, humming, and the glow increased slightly, "I assure you, Angel, Alex has gotten quite good at handling you." She shrugged, "And if not, I'll catch you."
A cocky grin stretched on the Lizard's face and pulled the spider forward as a platform. Angel made a show of jumping and sliding across the tops of the floating ribbons, trying to dance across the top of them, one hand in the air with an "ohh-la-la~" to go along with his laugh as he continued dancing and walking further down Alex's extended arms until he was close enough to step onto Alex's shoulders and the jump gently to the floor. Alex spun his wrists a little, and the ribbons retracted like a long and spindly eel, coiling around his arms until they were wrapped again around his appendages.
It was enough to make Angel grow a bright and cheerful smile. When Emily touched down, she felt a bit of pride for the demon herself, clapping her hands, "Wonderful. You're getting good at this, you two. Remember, Angel, you are just as much a part of this as he is."
Angel sighed dramatically and gave Alex a shove to the boy's chest, "Ya' mean I gotta stick around?! No offense, hot stuff, I love watchin' ya' twirl that tape, but ya' aren't getting a hold of my cute-" one of Alex's ribbons lashed out and wrapped around Angel's wrist.
"You were saying?"
Angel gave the ribbon a bit of slack, lifting his leg high into the air, and stepped down on the wrappings. Alex fell forward onto his stomach, and Emily rolled her eyes with a giggle. "Anchor yourself, Alex."
The spider smiled and leaned over him, teasing, "Yeah. Anchor y'self-Alex." The lizard pulled himself to his feet and was about to say something with a bit of a snap back, but then a banging came at one of the roll doors of the warehouse. They all looked at each other.
"You are expecting somebody?"
Alex's eyes looked a little hesitant as his heart began to race, "no..." but Angel walked up to the door, "Oh, will you both relax? It's probably Cherri. I asked her to bring me some stuff." Glancing back to Alex as he approached the door, he made finger guns at him, "like I'm gonna let you walk face first into the shit. Yeah, good fuckin' luck."
Alex rolled his eyes but kept one on Angel's back as he reached out to unlock the deadbolt and open the door.
"Boo!" The cyclops giggled and embraced the demon in an affectionate hug that lasted a few seconds, Angel laughing cheerfully as he hugged her tightly. "Shit, babe, you look great. Everything go OK after the Carmine thing? They didn't hurt you, did they? Cause I'll fuck 'em' up on principle." She carried the strap for a large bag slung over one shoulder, looking beyond it at Alex but then back to Angel. Emily was nowhere to be seen.
"Yeah, they were no real issue. Said you were stayin' in one of their room. Since then, can't imagine the look on the bitch's face when she realized you escaped. Musta' been reeeeal pissed." He nudged her a little in the ribs. "Whad'ya get us, sugar? Hope it ain't ice."
Cherri's expression suddenly changed, and she smiled wide as she entered the warehouse, Angel locking the roll up once she was in. "Called inna' few favors, yea? Found something from a friend of a friend who knew a guy who fucked another guy who killed another guy who owed me a few things. I get around, yeah?"
"Kinky."
The one-eyed bomber turned and dragged a table from the wall, setting the heavy bag down on it, and the multiple chatters inside indicated various ordinances. With a quick yank on the zipper, Cherri began to pull objects from the bag. "Lessee, we got a few incendiary grenades," she said, setting the red canisters on the table. "I like my stuff, yeah? But my shit is homemade. This right here is a little more professional, ya' get me?" She pulled out a few standard grenades, "These are dog shit, far as I'm concerned. Even homemade mine is better. But they work in a pinch, send the rabble flying."
Angel reached into the bag, taking a silver grenade with blue stripes wrapped around the cylinder. He gave Cherri a curious look, who only gave him a massive smile in return. They understood one another, and he slipped the grenade into his chest tuft. Alex hesitated momentarily but stepped over to look at what she had grabbed, gingerly touching one of the explosives.
Cherri looked up at him, "Alright. Who's the lizard?"
Alex, whose eyes had been fixed on one of the grenades, turned his attention to her and could see the stern, focused expression. A small smile crossed his lips: "You must be the one Angel told me about. Hello. Thank you."
A singular brow of the cyclopes shot up, looking between Alex and Angel, "Why ain't I gotten a text about a tall drink a' lizard? What the fuck, Angel? This the boy you been cryin' ova 'ere? Shudda' seen em' a few days ago, yeah? Mascara runnin' and everything." Her eyes dropped down, and she shook a little bit. "In fact, where did you get this outfit? Can't believe he dressed ya' this cute for me and didn't bother to share, asshole."
Alex could feel a bit of blush on his cheeks, and he fidgeted a little. He said the first thing that came to mind, "I like your hair." She giggled.
"Pfft, obviously. Makes me sexy as hell." Cherri pushed Alex's hand off one of the grenades and made him look her dead in the eye, "Listen here. These ain't toys; neither's my shit. Neither's anything we got around here, ya' got it? No bullshit, no games. If you ever wanna grab something, ask first, yeah? Cause if'n a spark lights..." She hesitated and then slammed her hand down on the table. Alex jumped, but Angel didn't. It spoke volumes about their relationship. "... well then, I will have my regrets."
Alex gave a faint nod, the Cyclops demon turning and throwing an arm over Angel's shoulders, "Sides, this kid seems ta love ya'. Doncha' widdle anglel cakes?" She pinched his cheek, shaking it a little.
Angel huffed and rolled his eyes, reaching up to her hand and swatting it away, "Yeah, yeah, get off me. What did ya' bring for me, huh? Something nice a big I hope. I love em' big." His flirty smile was enough to let Cherri know what he was insinuating, and a bright grin crossed his face as Cherri opened the bag next to him. "Let's see here, we have..."
Alex smiled a little, looking at the bag, thinking about what she had given him and, most importantly, where they had come from. Was it bad he wanted to use a grenade now? He had never used one when he was alive. Who had? Even now, with the grenades and gun parts on the table, this was the closest he had ever come to a firearm outside of the scouts. That thought had a sadness drifting across his heart, gripping a small handful of shirt above his chest.
The excited look on Angel's face was almost infectious as he grabbed the rifle in the bag and withdrew it. "A stinger?!" He gasped happily. It's my new favorite." He hugged the gun like an excited child with a toy. Angel hugged it tight, moving the weapon from one arm to another, putting it on his shoulder, and lining his sight.
The rifle looked like something out of a video game, and based on the details, it was a well-funded video game. The weapons of Hell were explicitly crafted, though many seemed to enjoy designing and redesigning. Still, Alex couldn't decide for what reason. But Angel had what looked like a scaled-down, thick assault rifle in his hands; one Alex didn't think he wanted to use with its serrated barrel and trigger. He didn't want to assume, but Angel loved dangerous things. He hadn't needed to ask that one.
Angel swayed from side to side like he was dancing with it, "i know what i want for my birthday~" the words cooed from his lips. "Damn! Valentino might have a hole in his chest by the night's end with this thing. Cause I'm a damn good shooter and Alex..." the boy's gaze softened a bit.
"Angel...you know you can't help me with him."
The arachnid groaned and let the butt of the rifle drop. He seemed slightly disappointed, "Right...right...just a thought, yeah? Let a guy dream. I mean, hell, kill my boss? Do I dare live out such a fantasy?" He shouldered the weapon, looking down the sights before slipping it low, "Hey, check it out, babe, I'm you." Angel stood to his full height, posing with the weapon between his legs.
Alex sighed as Cherri walked past him, shoving the mag for it into his chest, "nuff' fuckin' around, love. What's your plan? Ain't plannin' on just runnin' in there, guns blazing, yea? Kinda want you to live past today." Cherri picked up the bandolier with grenades along it. "Heh, love these. Maybe Val can meet his match. Shove one o'these down that pretty throat of his."
Shouldering the massive gun, Angel began to pace, "don't really have a plan. I can get Alex in the front door but can't actually go to the studio. I set foot in there, and there ain't no telling what Val will do. He can do whatever he wants to me in the studio." He began to talk faster, trying to work out the logistics. "Plus, the other Vees will be there, which means we need to deal with Velvette and Vox. Velvette ain't necessarily a problem, but Vox? He's gonna be an issue. Anyone who can go toe to toe with Alastor and walk away ain't no slouch."
Alex frowned, taking a small, dull metal steel ball from one of the bags. " She might not even show up. She'll have some party she'd rather attend than watch this train wreck. Then again, who's to say she would even get involved?"
"What makes y'say that?"
Alex withdrew a massive combat knife from the bag by the blade's tip, grimacing at it, "when was the last time you heard of HR getting into a fight?" he shook his head. The more he looked at the things on the table, the less and less he wanted to hold them. Angel's hand touched Alex's, and he pushed it down, the knife returning to the table. Truth be told, Angel didn't want Alex touching anything on it. Not him.
He just didn't know how to say that.
With all that was going on, all the things he could assume Valentino was thinking, all the things Carmilla would be thinking, he didn't know what was safe or not. They weren't dealing with common street demons; these were overlords. They got that way by being a cut above. That thought made a funny feeling creep over Angel's shoulders: "Hey Cherri, were you followed?"
The question took Alex's attention, and his heart felt like it would stop. The look that crossed the bomb lady's face was enough. It was slight, but it was apparent that she felt something, too.
Her one eye glanced towards the large roll-up that blocked the way. The sutures around Alex's arms fell limp and unraveled, Angel gripping his rifle tighter in his hands.
Cherri swallowed as she stared at the door. "I don't...I...didn't check."
Then they heard a ticking before the explosion rocked the south side of the building, metal and, dust and shrapnel bursting through the warehouse in all directions.
The smoke didn't clear quickly, but the three demons could smell it. Their only protection was what stood between them and the blast.
