Part 40

Slipping a new magazine into the slick silver pistol, Angel pulled back on the slide, took aim, and fired at Alex, who stood across the room from him. He didn't really need practice shooting. Alex was an excellent target, but he wanted to keep his fingers busy, so he didn't worry.

He tried to pay attention to Carmilla and Alex as she taught him how to block attacks and how to fight for himself, and Alex did as he was told, sweeping his arm down as the sutures slid upward and the bullet shattered against the wrappings.

"You didn't need to swing so hard," her voice seemed more motherly and loving than her natural tone. In her hands, she held the edge of the silver platter that carried the next magazine for Angel to switch to. There was something incredibly genuine and passionate as she spoke to Alex. She glanced at Angel, "Again. Three shots. And this time, try and hit him."

"50 says you can't hit me." Alex leaned down a little and felt the bullet wiz past his right cheek before he heard the gun go off; Angel almost lazily looked down the sights, "Y'owe me 50."

"That shot didn't count. You know damn well I couldn't dodge it."

Angel just grinned wide and winked, "The shot counts. Don't let'cha mouth write a check your ass can't cash. Get those fuckin' arms up. I got a whole mag to get thru' still."

The lessons and tutoring went on for an hour, Angel teaching a few basics, Carmilla talking through defensive maneuvering, and Alex following. After nearly an hour of sparring with the lizard, the lizard held his hand out, "Alright, my arms need a break."

Alex was covered in sweat and fell back onto the floor, panting. Carmilla approached him with a glass of water, and the lizard stared at it. "Ice?" he asked, taking the glass. " There's Ice in this? In hell?" He sniffed it. Carmilla nodded, crossing her arms. " There's refrigeration in hell; why can't there be ice?"

Ejecting the magazine from his pistol with the flick of his wrist, Angel slid the next one in for when training continued, "did a video about a year and a half ago at the studio that involved ice play. Not my thing, but yeah, if there's water, there's ice."

The lizard sniffed it again before taking a sip. "You know there's a saying back on the surface about how people in hell want ice water?" He took a gulp, "Man, this place is weird. Seriously, no hot dogs?" He took another drink.

When he was done, the overlord took the glass from him, "Have you ever been in a serious fight, boy?" The lizard paused for a moment, trying to think back, "got the shit kicked out of me in grade 6 once."

Carmilla huffed, putting a hand on her hip, "When was that? About fifteen years ago? What about when you fought Valentino?"

"Demon overlord kicked the shit out of me. Wouldn't really call that a fight."

Angel nodded, "We gotta get you to a fight, honey. See what you can do." Alex was unsure, but there was no better or easier way to see his progress than to test him. His legs were shaking, but he was able to stand up and brace against the wall, "I had that bar fight last week when Husker and I went out. I handled it. But I did get tossed around pretty badly." He had a moment of realization, "I've been in quite a few fights this week..."

"Let's give ya' an actual fighter then." The spider gave a wink, "Not one of Valentino's toys, or Alastor giving you," he smiled wide, his teeth clenched tight and curling a hand, imitating the radio demon, "Just six percent, dear boy!" Angel paused momentarily and pretended to mime swinging the microphone, "but an actual fuckin' fighter. Let me make some calls and find someone for you. Even if they have no personal beef, they will still have something against one or several other demons, and ya can practice again-"

"What about you?" Carmilla turned to look at him, looking Angel up and down, "You can fight."

The spider had never wanted to tell anyone "No" more in his entire existence than he did right then. A fight. Against Alex. This could go the worst ways possible, and if he accidentally slipped or made the wrong call, his boyfriend could get seriously injured, or...he could never touch him the same way ever again. He was afraid.

His throat felt like cotton as the lump stuck within it, "uh, sure, whatever. I'll grab another pistol, so it's fair. Ya won't beat me."

As the spider left for the pistol, Carmilla turned her attention to Alex. "How serious about this endeavor of yours are you, boy?" He gave her a strange and suspicious look. "Are you willing to die trying, or are you willing to make an actual sacrifice for him?"

"Carmilla, I spent my last moments alive eating a hot dog on a park bench before stepping in front of a truck. I ate a grill for him. I got here, was stabbed by Alastor, and had my...unpleasantness with Valentino, all culminating in you and I having this conversation. All because I told Val...that he was fat. At this point, I might as well see this through." He chuckled nervously. It wasn't something he was entirely comfortable with yet.

She gestured for Alex to step up and move with her across the training area, which had a few pillars around it.

"Show me a straight jab. Then sweep with the sutures."

Alex obeyed, his hands following a swift punch before the suture on his other wrist unraveled and swept in front of him about five feet out, using his tail for support. Carmilla raised her brow and held up a hand for him to stop. " You've had training?"

"Dad put me in karate for a few summers, but that's about it." He threw out a few more punches and swept his ark out in front of him, the suture sweeping across the open room with the crack of a whip. She seemed somewhat amused by his use of it as an extra leg or weapon.

"Hmm. Well, your skills are shoddy," she said, her bottom lip rising in an 'I'm not impressed' expression, "but when you use those, you will have the upper hand. You're lucky for that."

Angel returned from the next room with a second silver pistol. "Ok. Are you ready to dance, sweet cheeks?" His grin was ear to ear, pulling back the hammers of each pistol. The lizard laughed momentarily, pulling his shoulders back and raising his fists.

"Hah! Darlin', we have never danced, have we?" Angel leveled the pistols at Alex.

"Never had a reason." The ribbons began to unravel from his wrists, falling to the ground. " Don't hold back on me, Angie. I need the best you have."

And in a blink of an eye, Angel moved, rushing in close. One shot was fired, and Alex brought his right hand forward, deflecting the bullet. He lashed out with his right and struck Angel in the chest, but as he fell backward, he fired twice more and again when he hit the ground.

Two hit Alex squarely in the chest, but he managed to lift the sutures to him. The bullets shattered against the ribbon, but the force knocked Alex onto his back. His arms were drawn across him, the wind knocked out, "son of a bitch!"

Angel jumped to his feet, clicking his tongue, "Stay sharp, baby."

With a slight snarl, Alex flipped over on his chest and scrambled to his feet, charging the arachnid, the sutures glowing brightly and snaking against the ground. But when he lashed an arm out to strike Angel with the threads, Angel didn't leap backward but upward, his form clinging to the wall and firing another two shots. The first missed, grazing Alex's cheek, the second one hit him but struck his wrist causing the lizard's arm to sag from the impact. Alex snarled at the spider, "Seriously? You can climb walls?"

Angel was focused, firing a single bullet at the lizard, but missing as the other dodged left and swung out an arm to cut Angel's mobility down, the sutures leaving the ground, snapping, recoiling back, and smacking the arachnid's stomach with full force, knocking him from the wall. With the air taken out of him and the sting still fresh, Angel lifted himself, throwing a roundhouse kick, connecting his foot with Alex's cheek. "come on. Could you pick it up? I wanna feel ya' against me."

Alex brought his hands up like a boxer and then threw his arks out, the sutures snapping like whips, "Let's do some daddy-dom shit, baby." He snapped the sutures again as Angel discarded the pistols, reaching into his chest tuft and pulling something small and silver out. With the press of a button, the shiny silver edge of a switchblade ejected, "My safe word is 'yellow,' babe."