Author note - welcome back readers, glad to be posting another chapter! We're up to 33-40 supporters, and I can't help but feel humbled at the votes of confidence. Thanks! Without further ado, enjoy the read!
Chapter 46: The proper medium for expressing oneself
"Cut it out, Alastor, I'm not a child!" Taylor complained as the Radio Demon adjusted their tie. The two ascended the elevator to attend the Overlord meeting and Taylor was certain Alastor was fussing so much on purpose to get on their already frayed nerves.
"First impressions are everything, chum!" He said in a sing-song voice as he moved on to their hair, tugging their locks forcefully as he made sure it laid just so. "And be sure to smile! Remember what I said about those?" He reminded them with an impish grin.
They were smartly dressed in a gray suit with a light blue dress shirt underneath that Rosie had gifted them for the meeting. Taylor wondered how the demoness knew their measurements as the ensemble fit like a glove, but they buried the thought to focus on the task ahead. They swatted Alastor's hand away before answering.
"Yeah, yeah. Smiles are valuable tools. Inspires friends, keeps enemies guessing, and ensures you're in control, no matter what happens." They recited as they took a step away from him and rubbed their scalp irritably. Alastor chuckled waggishly before turning to face the doors.
The dreaded day had arrived and they couldn't wait for it to be over. They shivered in apprehension; they were headed into the belly of the beast, surrounded by the figures that made up their nightmares and despite being sure things would work out, they couldn't help but be on edge.
The elevator dinged as the doors opened into a red and white lobby with a row of elevators on the opposite side. Alastor stepped out first, and before Taylor could get more than a few paces out into the lobby, they felt heavy strides shake the ground and a resonant voice greet them.
"Hey! Yer the new guy, ain't ya?"
Taylor turned and fought the urge to shrink back as they craned their neck back. A very tall pink-skinned demoness with long lime green hair with pink highlights and dinosaur-like features stood before them, with a maw of straw-colored pointy teeth and green eyes with black pupils that regarded them with interest. She wore a neon pink jacket lined with yellow fluff, a black crop top with the outline of yellow teeth on it, black pants that were cut short on one side, along with a pair of mismatched red and green knee length boots. Behind her swayed a long green tail with yellow fronds along the length.
Taylor swallowed thickly before putting on a smile and waving amicably.
"Hello! Yes, I'm Taylor. You must be Overlord Zeezi, it's a pleasure!" They said brightly to hide their nervousness.
The dinosaur demoness looked them up and down, sizing them up.
"Ya sure don't look like much, but if the Radio Demon endorsed ya, ya must be quite the fireball." She said skeptically before bending at the waist to be eye level with them, making Taylor's stomach do somersaults. "Listen, if ya make it through the next Extermination, shoot me a line and I'll get ya primo seats for one of the best matches at my fighting ring!" She chuckled as she produced a business card and held it out. "And just in case things don't go so hot, I'd be happy to work something out for ya to build some cred in the ring!"
Taylor took the card gingerly as they fought to stop their hand from shaking.
"Thanks for the generous offers."
Zeezi gave them a wink before she stood back up and strode off to the conference room, each step making the room quake along the way. When she was far enough away, Taylor took a deep breath to calm their racing heart. Alastor came up behind them and clamped a heavy hand down on their shoulder before leading them forward.
"Look at you making connections! See what the power of a smile can do?" He said smugly as the two went up the stairs to the conference room.
They barely had time to process the light red decor of the area as their eyes roved across the room to the other occupants. Vox sat closest to the door at one end of the long table. He swiveled his flat-screen head to face them before casually smiling at Taylor and shooting them a knowing wink. He looked over to Alastor and his smile grew into a shit-eating grin, to which they felt Alastor's claws tighten and dig into their shoulder painfully in response. Quickly shrugging his hand off, they rolled their eyes at the dramatics before their eyes met with Velvette's, whose annoyed frown quirked up as if to say she understood all too well their exasperation for the two feuding demons. They briefly glanced toward Valentino, whose smoldering gaze and smirk sent shivers down their spine; they looked away in disgust and moved on.
Taylor walked beside Alastor as he took his seat at the table and they stood at the window behind him; until they were voted in and invited to sit among them, they were to remain standing, according to Carmilla. They waved politely at Rosie before they turned their attention to Zestial, who tilted his head in greeting. They returned the greeting with a nod before they heard Carmilla, Clara, and Odette arrive. The Overlord quickly gave them a warm smile and her daughters excited thumbs up before the two sat down and Carmilla stood before the group at the back of the room. The crowd's murmuring quieted down as she addressed them.
"Welcome back, sovereign Overlords. I've brought us all back here to go over the final preparations for the rapidly approaching Extermination and what else can be done to minimize our losses with the accelerated timeline. In addition, we have an update on the Dealbreaker Demon issue that should be of interest to us all."
Taylor's attention heightened at their mention, but hid their alarm as Carmilla continued.
"But first, there is the task of voting on whether to welcome a new face to our ranks, as Overlord Caesar has not made a reappearance within the agreed upon timeframe. Up for consideration is Taylor, nominated and vouched for by Alastor the Radio Demon." She indicated to them to join her at the back of the room, and as they walked over, they saw Alastor sit up straighter in his seat and sport what could be construed as a proud smile. Vox's lopsided grin inched up in gleeful anticipation.
'Okay. Here we go.' They thought nervously.
"Very well. All in favor of elevating Taylor to the position of Overlord?"
Taylor's smile faltered as they saw six hands rise, with a shocked Vox being the only one abstaining. They looked to the side and saw Carmilla had joined them.
'What the hell?' They thought numbly before their mind swirled with a mix of disbelief and betrayal as their chest clenched painfully. Their panic was interrupted by Alastor piping up.
"Oh Vox, pettiness is such an ugly look on you!" He said derisively with a condescending smile. "Is this your idea of retribution against me for your public tantrum that caused that citywide blackout? No one likes a sore loser, old pal!" He jeered as his grin curled up and his eyes narrowed in delight.
Their eyes darted anxiously toward Vox, whose furious expression and swirling right eye contorted into a savage snarl when his blazing red eyes shot over to them. Arcs of electricity coursed through his head and his face glitched on and off the screen as his outrage was clear.
'Holy shit. I'm dead.' They concluded with dread as they held the livid demon's gaze.
"The motion passes 7-1. Overlord Taylor, welcome and please take a seat." Carmilla declared, ignoring Vox's fit. After she gently prodded them forward, they dazedly took a seat between Clara and Zeezi, a forced smile still on their face to mask their horror. As soon as they sat down, the three Vees suddenly stood up in unison, but Valentino pushed Vox back into his chair.
"Not so fast, Voxy! I stayed for the last meeting and Vel before that, now it's your turn to take one up the ass!" Valentino said unsympathetically as he and Velvette sauntered out the room before Vox could protest. The TV demon quickly composed himself when he noticed the room was watching him, wherein he sat back with his hands clasped in front of him, sitting stiffly and his trademark grin sitting taut on his face, with the occasional arc of electricity and screen glitch a tell of his malcontent. Taylor gulped when his eyes flitted over to them and they narrowed dangerously.
The rest of the meeting was a blur as Taylor spent the time avoiding Vox's murderous looks and stewing over their predicament. Them, an Overlord of all things. They didn't need to wait for the next Extermination, Vaggie was going to kill them long before that. Their hackles then rose as a familiar feeling of betrayal coursed through them, and for the first time since arriving in Hell they were forced to put on their mask of stoicism reserved for public situations as they fumed internally.
'How could Carmilla do this to me? She promised to vote no and agreed to get Zestial and Zeezi on the same page for me! Even if Valentino and Velvette voting yes was a surprise, that should have been enough for a tie, then I would've just taken myself out of the running!' They agonized before they heard chairs scraping along the floor and the crowd leaving, tearing them from their brooding. Once they stood, they heard static beside them as Alastor brought them into a side hug.
"Well, that was the bee's knees! Congratulations, chum! Now, how about we tell the world the good news?" He said brightly before he cleared his throat and tapped on his microphone, making it glow faintly red.
"Not now, Alastor!" Taylor said brusquely as they shoved him away and made a beeline for the ballerina Overlord. She greeted them warmly as they strode up.
"Taylor, so good to see you, I-"
"Carmilla, we need to talk." They cut in sharply before they looked over their shoulder and saw Alastor watching them. They turned back to her with a serious tone. "Privately."
Carmilla regarded them for a moment with surprise before she nodded. "Of course. This way." She directed as Clara and Odette followed behind them.
Once the demoness closed the door behind them, Taylor whirled on Carmilla.
"What the fuck was that?" They cried indignantly.
Carmilla's eyes gleamed red as she narrowed her eyes angrily.
"Mind your tone." She warned sternly.
Undeterred, they kept on.
"Why did you vote yes? You knew how I felt about all this and you go and stab me in the back anyway!?" They snapped angrily as their indignation boiled over.
Carmilla's eyes widened as a look of confusion came over her.
"Cariño, I don't understand. I only did as you requested."
They felt their mind reel as their ire turned to disbelief.
"What? No I didn't! When did I ever say I wanted to be a part of this?"
Carmilla tilted her head to the side.
"You called last night and told me you had a change of heart and you didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, so you asked that we reverse our votes. I found it hard to believe, but you were quite insistent." Carmilla explained, face full of worry.
"What are you talking about? I never-" the words got caught in their throat as it hit them.
'A gift horse?' They lingered on the phrase as they remembered their deal with Alastor. Hot anger burned anew as they put the pieces together.
"That old-timey bastard!" They growled as they glanced at Carmilla and spoke in a clipped tone. "I'm sorry for what I said, I know what happened. I got to go." Without elaborating, they made their way out the door as they mumbled to themselves. "I need to find a certain radio-themed demon so I can wring his spindly neck myself."
They found Alastor in the lobby speaking enthusiastically into his microphone in his radio voice just as he was wrapping his broadcast up.
"This is your host, Alastor, signing off! Have a devilish day, dear listeners, and as always, stay tuned…" he warned as he tapped the microphone, making the red glow fade.
"Alastor!" They shouted. There was a sharp whine of static as he straightened up before he turned to face them with a playful grin. "I ought to mount your sorry head over the mantle in the parlor, you sanctimonious asshole!" They raved wrathfully as they stood before him.
Alastor laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself. "I'd love to see you try."
"What gives you the right to go behind my back and rig the vote?"
He chuckled before he pushed them back gently with his microphone.
"I could say the same to you, chum! You've been curry favoring with quite a few Overlords, despite your promise to our dear Charlotte's one-eyed amie and myself that you wouldn't." He cocked his head and smirked. "Simply scandalous. I simply fought fire with fire."
"You know very well that's not what's happening!" They whisper-shouted at him.
His expression darkened as his grin grew ferocious.
"Do I? It seems your collusion went so far as you getting involved with that arrogant TV-headed bastard and his ilk." He gritted out as his eye twitched.
They rolled their eyes.
"Oh yes, I'm just thrilled to work with a demon who uses his electrical powers to mess with my head and doesn't take no for an answer." They said sarcastically before crossing their arms. "We both know he's a manipulative prick who thrives on unscrupulous business tactics. All I did was play on his ego and obvious hate boner for you to get the hell away from him." They said savagely. "Thanks to you, I have him baying for my blood now!"
His feral demeanor relaxed some as his smile turned more to a grimace and his eyes narrowed.
"Hm, seems we share a mutual loathing of that obnoxious fucking television." He said full of malice.
"I wouldn't go so far to say loathing, but -" They grumbled before they stopped short. "Hold the phone, did you just swear?"
"I did, and what of it?" He replied with a tone of annoyance.
Cocking their head to the side, they regarded him with disbelief.
"I didn't think you could honestly. I just assumed if you tried, it'd come out as a censored bleep or it'd be substituted for something more PG."
He lifted his head up in a superior manner.
"I reserve profanity for only the worthiest occasions, and that untrustworthy, conceited bastard absolutely warrants it." He said haughtily.
'Hello kettle, my name is pot. You're black.' They thought wryly.
Alastor suddenly slipped out of view before they felt an arm wrap around their neck as he brought them close.
"Regardless, turns out your efforts were all for naught anyway, so I'll forgive your transgression this time around!" He said brightly. "I did enjoy our little game, but suffice to say, when I play, I don't lose." He said smugly before he started to pull them toward the elevators.
Taylor dipped out from under his arm to escape.
"Not a chance! You're going to tell Carmilla what you did and we're getting a recount!"
Alastor glanced over his shoulder with a sly glance.
"I'm afraid it's out of my hands, chum! You're duty-bound to lay down your arms! After all, you said it yourself." he dropped his static-filled radio voice and continued in an exact replica of their own. "'I'll honor whatever the vote comes out to', right?" He reminded them with a victorious smile.
Taylor was left flummoxed. They did say that. Before they could think of a rebuttal, they felt forceful hands push them forward into the elevator as they saw Alastor's shadow return to its master's side in the elevator. They cast a peeved glance at the chuckling deer demon.
"Now, now. It's important to show humility in the face of defeat, chum!" He admonished, wagging his finger at them. Taylor growled testily and looked away; they just wanted to get back to the hotel to forget about the disastrous day and hang out with better company. The door opened up and before they got to the sidewalk, Alastor piped up excitedly.
"Of course! I know just the thing to turn that frown upside down!"
Taylor barely had time to react before they were crushed to Alastor's side and they both sank into the shadows.
When they finally emerged from the pitch-black vastness, Taylor muscled their way out of Alastor's grip and observed their surroundings. The maroon sky suggested it was early evening and they were just outside a mansion where a whole gaggle of demons dressed to the nines were ambling inside in to what looked like a ballroom for a night of frivolity.
"I didn't take you for the party animal type, Alastor." They turned, raising an eyebrow his way.
"While I do enjoy a jaunty dance number, I had another idea in mind for our crashing this little shindig." He chuckled as he hooked his arm in theirs and dragged them to a side window. "Now tell me, what do you see?" He inquired.
Taylor looked in and saw that room was awash with activity, with throngs of demons gossiping, drinking, and milling about while the band played hopping numbers as couples tore up the dance floor.
"Folks having a good time?" They guessed as they glanced back at him, curious as to his true goal.
"Yes, but what do you see?" He urged as his eyes flickered over to the window and back to them expectantly.
They returned their gaze to the room and tried to find what could be of interest to the Radio Demon. After a moment, their eyes widened as they saw several demons with glowing manacles and thick chains on their wrists. Then they realized what Alastor brought them here for: this was part of the help he had offered during their deal forging.
"We're here to target all these dealmakers." They uttered.
"Now you're on the trolley!" He chirped animatedly before he unhooked his arm and snapped his fingers. In an instant, Alastor's suit changed to a red tuxedo with a white dress shirt, black pants, and a lighter red suit jacket, with a maroon top hat to complete the look while they were now dressed in a black-tie server outfit consisting of long dress shirt, black tie, waistcoat, and black slacks. Alastor suddenly grasped their wrist forcefully and tapped their palm with his microphone before they saw swirling green skulls float over it.
"Whoa! What is this?" Taylor panicked as they wrenched their hand away.
"Just a little spell, chum, nothing to worry about! Now, I'd like you to go out there and mark all of those dastardly dealmakers for me. All you need to do is give them a tap and I'll do the rest. Come find me when you're finished and we can get started!" He instructed before he twirled his microphone and waltzed inside, humming along with the band.
Taylor heaved a sigh before taking another look at their hand; the floating skulls had dissipated, but they could still feel a tingling sensation underneath their skin that gave them the willies. Deciding to get things over with, they found a secluded corner to change their appearance and got the ball rolling.
After half an hour of awkward sidling up to people and almost getting hit by a mean right hook from a particularly prickly demon, they marked all the dealmakers in the space. They made their way over to the Radio Demon sitting alone at one of the tables, seemingly content to watch the band play. They approached him and cleared their throat.
"I'll take a glass of red. Or your finest O positive, should the option be available." He answered, eyes still fixed on the band.
"Alastor, it's me."
That seemed to get his attention as his neck cracked in a sickeningly way before his head swiveled in their direction. They had changed their appearance to that of an orange cat demon, so it made sense he didn't realize who they were. His red eyes roved over them before focusing on their yellow eyes and their hand. He perked up in recognition.
"There you are, chum! I was beginning to wonder if something had befallen you!" He replied with a cheerful grin. "Are we all set?"
Taylor rolled their eyes at the comment before nodding. He stood up and summoned his microphone.
"Excellent! Now go ahead and change back and we can get the show started!"
Taylor flinched and lowered their voice. "Excuse me? Just because you know my identity doesn't mean I don't need to stay incognito, Alastor!"
He considered for a moment before answering.
"Hmm… very well. I suppose it won't matter in the end. Come along." He said before making his way over to the stage.
'Uh, okay?' They thought apprehensively as the both stood at the bottom of the stage and waited for the band to finish their number.
As the band prepared to start their next song, Alastor got up on the stage and faced the crowd. He threw them a cheeky grin before he tapped his microphone to life.
"GOOD EVENING, PENTAGRAM CITY!" He called boisterously into his microphone; his voice was amplified to be heard all around the ballroom. Every demon in the room froze.
"This is your host, Alastor," he continued, quieter but with the same amount of enthusiasm. "Coming to you live with another memorable broadcast and a very special guest!"
'Say what now?' They panicked before shadowy tendrils suddenly grabbed them and unceremoniously plopped them next to the Radio Demon. Scrambling to get out of view, they tried to take a step backwards, only for them to find their feet to be rooted to the spot by Alastor's shadows.
"Making their debut on the scene and the airwaves is our city's newest Overlord!" He swung his microphone toward them, making them flinch as he brought it right under their nose. "Why not introduce yourself, chum?"
Taylor shook their head at him as he narrowed his eyes and mouthed the words "play along."
They motioned to their face and mouthed back "I'm in disguise!" but Alastor waved them off.
Taylor glanced over to the crowd worriedly before they spoke.
"Hello everyone. Overlord Taylor here. Glad to be here." They said quickly. They shot Alastor a withering look before they moved the microphone away from their face with their hand. Alastor took it in stride and continued.
"Yes indeedy! Our esteemed guest here is quite media-shy and tight-lipped, so it's no wonder their arrival was a surprise!" Startled oohs came forth from him for effect. "But don't let their unassuming façade fool you! I have seen with my own two eyes that they possess the firepower and pluck to bring many a loathsome Sinner to their knees or, if you catch them on a bad day, to their final demise in a captivating fiery display!" He laughed as the sounds of blazing fire and cackling laughter played.
Taylor summoned fire to their feet to liberate themselves from their constraints as Alastor gleefully continued his spiel.
"Since it seems our guest is eager to proceed, let's get to the main event! Dear listeners, we are live at a ritzy soirée where the gracious host has found themselves on my blacklist!"
Taylor felt dread wash over them as Alastor's grin grew sinister.
"As such, everyone here will join him and be part of tonight's broadcast!" He announced cheerfully, as if the demons around him were supposed to rejoice in their imminent doom. "So do be polite and scream to your heart's content for the listeners at home! Stay tuned!"
'Oh shit.' Was all that passed through their mind as they looked out, wide-eyed, into the crowd.
There was a moment of stunned silence before absolute chaos broke out. Panicked screaming rang out as demons tried to get to the windows or doors, only for shadowy figures to block all the exits. Taylor saw smaller demons get trampled by bigger ones and some began lashing out purposefully at others as they decided to run amok since they were going to be dead anyway. They stared on in abject horror at the unadulterated bedlam happening before them.
Alastor's arm found their way to their side before he laughed merrily beside them. As he walked them to the end of the stage, they noted that despite Alastor not doing anything yet, the walls and floor were already covered in blood, guts, and unmoving bodies. When they stopped, he spoke fondly.
"Isn't it beautiful?" He mused aloud. Taylor wrenched their eyes from the mayhem and saw his eyes were narrowed in delight and grin disturbingly wide. "Look at the desperation as they attempt anything they can think of to make it out alive, only to inevitably fail in their pointless struggling! I don't even have to lift a finger and it's already a bloodbath! Very entertaining, don't you agree?"
Taylor said nothing as their stomach roiled and they averted their eyes from the worst of the gore. They felt Alastor let them go before he took a step forward and looked over his shoulder.
"Care to join me in the fun or would you rather keep out of the way?" He asked politely as he transformed: his antlers grew, eyes turned to dials, and claws stretched into scythes.
'Fuck nooo!' They screamed in their head.
"I'll stay up here, thanks." They said with a stilted smile.
"Suit yourself." He said, voice deeper and full of static, before he jumped off the stage and went on his merry way.
They watched the horror show, unable to look away. Alastor tore demons twice his size apart like they were tissue paper with his bare teeth and claws and swallowed whatever didn't drop from his mouth. He used his shadow tendrils to skewer other demons before devouring them like kabobs. All while laughing with manic glee.
Eventually they managed to snap out of it and grabbed a discarded chair from the band to move to the back of the stage. As they took a seat, they closed their eyes and hummed to themselves to try and drone out the massacre happening nearby, but the amplified noises resounded in the room, foiling their plan.
'Every outing with Alastor better not be like this. Jeez, I hope Charlie isn't listening.' They worried as they waited for the pandemonium to end.
Soon enough, the screams turned into moans, and the moans into silence. They listened as heavy, staticy breathing approached and they opened their eyes.
They panicked when they were greeted by an abnormally wide and unsettling bloodstained smile with an impossibly many numbers of teeth. Sword-like claws dripped blood onto the floor as a bright X shone on his forehead. Most worrying were the black voids that stared back; unfeeling and completely unreadable. They swallowed thickly as they weren't sure the Radio Demon recognized them or even cared.
"A-Alastor," they said as they sat up straighter, their voice shaky despite their attempt to keep it even.
The only response was a sickening crack as he tilted his head to the side and radio static filled the air.
They blinked and he was in their face. They instinctively flinched back and summoned flames to cover them as they smelled blood and death on Alastor's breath.
"Alastor!" They shouted forcefully in an attempt to get him to back off as their flames blazed hotter and their heart raced.
They stared down the soulless voids in front of them while the radio noises got louder and glitchier to the point it hurt their ears. They clenched their jaw and braced for the fight of their life.
And then Alastor stepped back and shrunk back to his normal form, with no evidence that he slaughtered a whole room of people moments before. Not a drop of blood or viscera anywhere, not a hair out of place, no meat or blood between his smiling teeth.
He tilted his head and grinned playfully.
"Just kidding!" he said blithely.
Taylor sat there, stupefied, as their flames extinguished and their heart continued to hammer in their chest.
Alastor quickly summoned his microphone and gave it a twirl before speaking into it.
"That's all for tonight, folks! Thanks for listening and let's give our guest, Overlord Taylor, a special round of applause! Taylor, it was a treat to share in the fun!" They heard the sound of applause come from him before he moved the microphone to them and raised his eyebrows expectantly.
They quickly shook themselves from their shock.
"It was a pleasure. Good night, everyone." They said numbly. Alastor grinned widely, satisfied.
"This is Alastor, signing off! Have a good evening, dear listeners, and, as always, stay tuned…" he finished before he tapped his microphone and the red glow faded.
"Well!" He said chipperly. "I think that went well, don't you?"
Taylor's mind reeled from the emotional whiplash they just endured.
"What is wrong with you!?" They raged once their mental processes restarted.
"Many things, or so I'm told." He said cheerfully.
They stood and gestured to the room behind them.
"You killed everyone! Putting aside that fact for a minute, I can't break contracts if the dealmakers are dead, Alastor!" They said indignantly.
He chuckled. "Believe it or not, I am capable of self-control, chum." He snapped his fingers and they heard several thumps come from beyond the stage.
Giving him a mistrustful glance, they carefully walked around him before heading toward where the sounds originated. To their surprise, among the bloody carnage were all the dealmakers they had marked, all laid out in a row for them. They calmed some when they saw the rise and fall that indicated they were all still breathing and they couldn't help but chuckle dryly after all that had happened.
Shaking their head, they walked off the stage. They stepped around the bloody debris, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work.