Chapter 15: Stayed Gone
Disclaimer: I don't own The Loud House. I make no money or profit from this. Just in case, I don't own the song used in this chapter.
"So what are we going to see this time?" Luna asked, excited for another song.
"This time you're going to see the other Vees," Cobalt replied.
"Other Vees?" Lincoln asked, confused, before remembering who they were. "Oh, the Overlords who work with Lori!" The oldest groaned at remembering her sinner self.
"So we're going to see more Overlords?" Lucy asked. Although only Haiku and Lincoln could tell she was excited.
"Correct, and they are people some of you might recognize," the android replied. "However, I'd be very surprised if you did. They don't look anything like their human selves."
"Will we see more of Hell?" Haiku asked. This made everyone a little nervous. While this world wasn't bad, it didn't paint a good picture of the afterlife.
"You'll see a bit, but only glimpses of it," their host replied. "Now who would like to do the honors?"
"I will!" Luna said excitedly. She got up and took the orb, threw it at the screen. The orb went into it and the screen came to life.
The scene opens to a tall and slim-figured, technology-themed demon. He sports a flat-screen television for a head, with the monitor projecting eyes with red sclera, small cyan pupils and different-colored outlines - black for his right and cyan for his left. The screen also shows a mouth full of sharp, cyan-colored teeth. He also has dark navy-blue skin with sharp, cyan claw-like fingers. He wore a navy-blue tuxedo with the jacket sporting coattails, red-trimmed cyan lapels, thin cyan stripes and cyan lining, worn over a red-and-black-striped waistcoat which itself is worn over a collared bluish-white shirt with an upside-down broadcast symbol and a rather large, red bowtie. He also wore heeled dark gray dress shoes with cyan-colored laces, toes, and tips on the heels. He also wears a small black top hat on his head, with red and blue designs reminiscent of a broadcast symbol and radio wave symbol, respectively. He has a TV antenna that sticks out the top of the hat, the left one bent into a zigzag. This was Zach Gurdie, better known as Vox of the Vees.
"Look at him!" Lana shouted, a little impressed.
"I'm guessing this is the one in charge of television in Hell," Lisa asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Correct, this is Vox," Cobalt replied. Bobby glared at the Television Demon. "However, when he was human, his name was Zach Gurdie."
"What!?" Shouted Lincoln, Clyde, Ronnie Anne, and Jordan in disbelief.
"So that's one of Lincoln's dorky friends?" Lynn Jr. asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Zach is an Overlord?!" Clyde asked, stunned.
"Yes to both questions," the android replied. "My creator is unsure if he was a TV host or just worked in the television industry when he was alive. Either way, he brought his skills with him when he got to Hell."
"Try to get that bitch Rita on the books and cancel all my appointments for today," he said to a demon assistant looking annoyed. "I have a fire to put out upstairs." He then turned into electricity and went into a security camera. He then reappeared in another room right behind Velvette.
"What did he just do?!" Becky shouted in shock.
"Vox can use electronic devices to get to different locations," Cobalt replied. "Think of it like teleporting, only using any electric device."
"That sounds cool!" Lincoln said, with all the kids agreeing.
"Sounds like he doesn't like mom," Luna said with a frown.
"Yes, but remember none of these Vees like any of the other Overlords," Lisa pointed out.
"Look, it's Lori!" Leni shouted happily.
"Not her again," Lori said with a scoff.
"Oh Velvette, I can see you're busy," he said to the female Overlord cheerfully. "Tell me where is our hot headed friend now?" He asked while looking around the room.
"Up in his tower waiting for a flat faced prince to calm him down," Velvette said, annoyed, turning around to look at him.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam asked their host.
"Vox and Valentino are in a on/off relationship," he replied simply. This surprised everyone, because they weren't expecting that.
"On/off relationship?" Lori asked, confused about the title.
"They are business partners," Cobalt started. "However their personal relationship is more complicated. They could be together, have a fight and not be together, then make up and be together again."
"That sounds hard," Leni said, not fully understanding the relationship.
"As I said it's complicated, it's also messy and not a healthy relationship," Cobalt added.
"So is Lori also…?" Becky asked, with a small blush. Lori caught onto what she was implying and let out a gasp of horror.
"No she isn't," Cobalt replied, hearing Lori let out a sigh of relief. "However I don't know what kind of relationship she has with them outside of business partners."
"And uh, what's got him out of sorts today?" Vox asked with a sigh and a bit of annoyance.
"Who knows?" Velvette replied with a shrug of her shoulders, still very annoyed. "But he tore up my best model! And you know the show can't wait for that unlucky bitch to pull herself back together!"
She then looks at some of the female demons in the room. "Melissa get over here!" She ordered looking at said girl with a scowl. Velvette then snapped her fingers and her clothes started to change. She kept saying no until she found the right outfit. "Oh yes! That's the one!" She finally said with a big smile on her face.
"Lori can change someone's outfit just by snapping?!" Leni said excitedly. "Lori change my outfit!"
"Leni, I literally can't do that!" Lori told her sister, slightly annoyed. "But it would be nice if I could," she muttered, while glaring at her counterpart.
"Why did he scream at her model?" Becky asked with a frown.
"Scream?" Cobalt asked, confused, before realizing what she was asking. "Oh no, he most likely didn't scream at her. He probably, literally, tore her to pieces. When Velvette said "pull herself together", she probably meant remanifest back in Hell." This got looks of shocked, terrified, and/or horrified expressions. "I believe I mention how sinners can only be killed by angelic weapons."
"So he'll just kills someone when he's in a bad mood?!" The Loud patriarch asked in rage and dumbfounded. He now didn't like this Lori hanging around him.
"Yes, he's an Overlord and only a few could stand against him," the android replied.
"Well, looks like you have everything under control here," Vox said with a large smile.
"Of course I do!" Velvet said with an eye roll, before giving him the middle finger. "Fuck you! Now shoo! Take care of the piss baby!" Velvet then started to look at her phone while Vox made his way to another room.
"Wow, so Lori is like that with them as well," Luna commented, surprised.
"I guess it makes sense," Sam said, sharing her thoughts. "Those three are Overlords, making them kinda like equals."
"It also seems like she doesn't like them that much to begin with," Becky added.
As he walked to a set of large double doors. Two female moth demons standing beside them, open the doors for him. He paid no mind to them and walked in, searching the room for his target. Who he was looking for was easy to find. He was laying on a very fancy red couch.
The person was tall, slender, somewhat muscular and broad-shouldered moth demon with lavender skin and lacking pupils and irises in his cerise-pink eyes, over which he is always depicted wearing gold-rimmed, heart-shaped sunglasses with cerise lenses. His mouth is full of sharp, cerise teeth with a single golden fang that sits to his far left of center. He has fluffy white neck fur with small red love-hearts that plume up from his coat's break-line. He has red curly hair with moth-like antennae, the right appearing like a large white with black heart-striped feather while the left appears smaller and lacking the white areas. He has an extra set of arms just above his hips. His hands and forearms are black, mimicking black gloves, while the upper halves are his normal skin color. He wears a red top hat with a wide, asymmetrical zebra-printed hat-band, in which his antennae poke out like feathers. This was Rusty Spokes, better known as Valentino of the Vees.
"So that's the Valentino we keep hearing about," Lucy said, looking at the Moth Demon.
"That wasn't what I was expecting," Lincoln said looking confused.
"He looks like a pimp from many different TV shows," Sam said.
"That's to be expected since he's the Overlord of Lust," Cobalt started. "That is Valentino, or Rusty Spoke when he was alive." This got another shout of surprise from the kids who knew him. "When he was alive, he was a pimp. So when he died and was brought to Hell, he just continued to do what he knew."
"There's no way that's Rusty!" Lincoln said defending his friend.
"Yeah, he may try too hard to flirt with girls, but he would never do anything like this!" Clyde added.
"Are you sure?" Cobalt asked, looking directly at the boys. "The name Valentino comes from the word Valentine and can mean "Ladies Man"." This got the boys to look away nervously. "Isn't that what he calls himself?"
"When you put it that way, I can see that as Rusty," Jordan said after hearing Cobalt's explanation. She and the rest of the girls in her class have seen or heard of his many attempts at flirting with girls.
"I hate to say it Lame-o, but he makes sense," Ronnie Anne added. Just like Jordan, she heard many things about the boy.
"I believe this is a darker version of your friend," Cobalt said, still looking at the two boys. "However, he could turn out like this if he's not careful." Both boys looked at each other and nodded. They might need to have a talk with him when they get back, maybe with the rest of their friends.
"So both of these big scary Overlords are Lincoln's dorky friends?" Lynn Jr. mocked with a scoff and unimpressed tone.
"Yes, but I assure you they are powerful and strong," The android replied.
"Fucking finally!" Valentino shouts standing up from the couch. He then smashes a glass on the floor and then orders a jester like demon to get him another drink. "Can you believe what that piece of shit did?!" He asked, looking at Vox. The demon came and gave him another drink, only for him to throw said drink at Vox. "That ungrateful whore!"
"Wow, he has a temper," Luan commented with a frown.
"He shouldn't be throwing glasses like that," Lynn Sr. commented with a furious expression. He really didn't like someone like this being around his daughter, or daughter's counterpart in this case. His wife was rubbing his back trying to calm him down.
"Uh, which whore are we talking about this time?" Vox asks calmly, easily dodging the drink.
"Fucking Angel Dust!" Valentino screams at his partner "Who the Hell else would I be talking about?" Vox attempted to say something only for Valentino to continue talking. "That fucking slut walked out on me! Me! I fucking made him! Without me he's just a bag of meat with some mildly entertaining holes!"
"Okay, I literally don't like this guy," Lori said with a frown.
"I thought that Angel Chandler was bad, this guy is worse," Becky added with a matching frown.
"This is the kind of person I was told to stay away from," Sam commented with a disgusted expression.
"He's giving off bad vibes," Luna added with the same expression.
While no one said anymore, all the females agreed with them. They all frowned at the Moth Demon, feeling something was not right with him.
"Does Angel Dust sound familiar?" Clyde whispered to the only Loud boy.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure why," Lincoln replied to his friend.
"Angel quit?" Vox asked with a cheesy grin.
"No he didn't fucking quit!" The Moth Demon replied walking to the window to look out at Hell. "It's worse! He moved! He thinks he can walk in here, work, and then go home somewhere else!?" He then turned to look at his business partner with a scowl. "Can you fucking believe that!?"
"Why does he care?" Luan asked out loud. She didn't understand why he cared that this Angel Dust lived elsewhere.
"Angel Dust used to live in that building," Cobalt answered. "Valentino liked it like that so he had…access to him whenever he wanted." Cobalt tried to use other words so the younger audience wouldn't ask certain questions. The parents and older teens caught onto what he was saying and were even more disgusted.
"Why does Angel Dust sound familiar?" Lincoln asked their host.
"That's because he came up in a previous orb," he replied. "He was the one Luan showed when she was in court with Heaven."
"That's why it sounded familiar!" Clyde shouted, glad to know where they heard it from.
He then started to walk to the other side of the room. "He thinks he can run off and shack up with Lucifer's bimbo daughter?" He then walks over to a dark wood chester closet and starts rummaging through it.
"Angel is living with Lucifer's daughter now?" Vox asked, looking at him confused.
"What did he just say!" Luna shouted standing up. She, along with everyone else, knew Luan was the Princess of Hell.
"No one insults my sister like that!" Lynn Jr. joined in standing up as well.
"I'm literally going to turn him into a human pretzel!" Lori shouted, joining her younger sisters.
The three suddenly felt themselves being forced back onto the couch by an invisible force. "You can't do anything, and even if you could, you wouldn't stand a chance!" Cobalt said to them in a firm tone. "I have let you do what you wanted, but I know how chaotic you can get. If you start getting to chaotic, then I will step in and put an end to it." He then looks at all of them, his red eyes glowed brighter than before. "Do I make myself clear?" His voice had multiple voices, while sounding serious and dark.
This new side scared everyone. Since he seemed to be friendly, kind, and considerate to them, they didn't expect him to act like this. Everyone silently nodded, not wanting to anger the android any further.
"Good," his voice and eyes returning to normal. "Let's continue," he said as if nothing happened. Everyone returned the attention to the screen, although now nervous about their host.
"Yeah that bitch!" Valentino replies not looking at him. "Lulu, Lynn, or…I don't know, something stupid like that. She got this hotel and-." He suddenly stops when he finds what he was looking for. He pulls out two pistols, one which was gold-plated and the other that was black and red. "And which of these makes me look sexier?" He asks his partner, turning around holding the guns.
"He doesn't even know my name?!" Luan asked, annoyed. "I'm the Princess of Hell!"
"Valentino doesn't care about much unless it affects him," Cobalt replied.
"What are you doing Val?" Vox asked him with a chuckle. "You're not going over there," he half orders with a frown and his left eye spiraling.
"What's with Zach's eye?" Clyde nervously asked the android.
"He can hypnotize people with it," he replied calmly. "While I'm not sure, I believe that's how his television empire grew so much."
"Just hypnotize people to watch TV," Rita commented with disgust.
"That slippery twink is going to remember who owns him!" Valentino said not looking at his partner. "I'm going to fuck everyone in that rancid shithole, I swear to God!"
"What does he mean by "own him"?" Becky asked, not liking the sound of that.
"Valentino owns Angel Dust's soul," Cobalt answered, earning surprised shouts. "At some point, Angel signed a contract that claims Valentino owns him. I don't know if there's a way to break the contract, but if there is a way, it's not easy. As long as Valentino is around, Angel is owned by him and has to do what he wants"
"That's horrible!" Sam said in fear and disgust.
"So at the meeting with the Overlords…" Lucy started to ask with fear.
"It's unclear whether they were talking about human souls or their currency," the android started to reply. "But all of them have some human souls like Valentino." This made a certain white haired boy nervous. While also making two little goths reconsidering making deals with demons, if they ever summon one.
"VAL!" Vox shouted with a scowl, grabbing Valentino by his jacket and forcing him to look at him. He then lets out a light-hearted chuckle and smiles, pulling him close with a one arm hug. "Think about it," he says to him, in a much calmer and happier tone. He then starts to guide him back towards the window, all the while removing the guns from Valentino's hands. "Our brand is perfection. And what do you think chasing whores around town will do to our image?"
"Uh…Fuck it up?" Valentino answered like he was asking a question.
"Right!" Vox said as if he was praising a child. "Do you want people thinking you can't control your employees?"
"No," the Moth Demon replied quickly.
"Exactly!" Vox continued with a large smile. "And hey, you still have him under contract. He isn't going anywhere so you should…?"
"Do nothing?" Valentino asked, seemingly confused by this conversation.
"Great idea!" The Television Demon replied. Praising him like a child and making it seem like it was his idea all along. "Now that's why they pay you the big bucks."
"Wow, TV head just played him," Lynn Jr. said with a small smirk.
"He doesn't seem that smart now," Luan commented with a deadpan expression.
"I get the feeling that this Vox is the brains of the group," Lisa said dryly.
"If only our Rusty was this easy to control," Clyde jokes. This got a laugh from Lincoln, Jordan, and Ronnie Anne.
"But I really wanted to shoot someone," Valentino said for the sigh as he pulled out his cigarette.
"Well let me call up the lowest earners this month," Vox said to him, lighting his cigarette.
"Oh you know me too well," Valentino said as he smiled and chuckled maliciously.
"What?!" The parents shouted.
"Since they'll most likely remanifest back in Hell, Valentino will kill people without any care," Cobalt told them.
"That's messed up," Luna commented with a frown.
"Well they are in Hell," Haiku spoke up. "This is the first thing of torture or suffering we've seen."
Vox walked past him and started to walk to a nearby desk in the room. As Valentino took a drag of his cigarette, he looked over his shoulder at his partner. "You know Angel isn't the only one spending time at this ratty hotel with the Devil's Princess~" he says to him in a cryptic tone.
"Oh who else is there?" Vox asked in an uncaring tone. "Someone who owes you money?"
"Someone who owes us much more than money," Valentino replies with a chuckle. "The Radio Demon is there."
Hearing this causes Vox to short circuit and him digging one of his hands into the desk. "What did you just say?" Vox asked with a chuckle turning to look at his partner.
"You heard me~" Valentino replies with a smug look.
"Why did he freak out hearing about the other me?" Lincoln nervously asked Cobalt.
"You'll find out, just keep watching," he replied simply.
"Lincoln came back and he is with Lucifer's daughter?" Vox started to say with a strained smile and an angered filled voice. He started to walk closer to his partner, all the while his screen-like head was glitching. "And that wasn't the first fucking thing you told me?" He screamed, grabbing a hold of Valentino again.
"Hey, killing Lincoln is your kink," Valentino replied, getting out of Vox's grip and smugly walking away. He then walks over to the desk that Vox was at and shows a live camera feed just outside the hotel on the computer screen. The live feeds showed Lincoln defeating a snake demon, creating some shadow demons to fix the hotel, and then walking off.
"Do they have some bad blood?" Luna asked hesitantly.
"Something like that, just keep watching," was all Cobalt said.
"See!" Valentino screams with anger looking at the screen. The screen shows Angel Dust flirting with the shadow demons. "Look at how he flirts with that guy, and he's not even paying! Who is that?! I'm going to fucking kill his whole fucking family!" He then looks at the Television Demon. "Vox? Vox?"
"Why does he care? Is he in love with him or something?" Lola snarky asked. Cobalt said nothing, not wanting to explain the complicated and twisted relationship those two have.
Vox's expression was one of absolute fury and rage. "That fucker is back!" Vox snarled.
"Is that music I'm starting to hear?" Jordan asked.
"That means the song is coming up," Sam said excitedly.
"Yeah, I thought he was gone for good too," Valentino said in a mocking tone.
"It's been seven years!" The Television Demons said through gritted teeth.
"Seven years?" Ronnie Anne asked, confused.
"Yes, Lincoln actually disappeared for the last seven years," Cobalt clarified, surprising and confusing everyone. "Why he did and where he was is unknown. He started staying at Luan's hotel not long after returning."
"So that's what he meant at the meeting of Overlords," Lucy said, remembering what he said.
"You're still pissed that he almost beat you last time~?" Valentino teased while pinching the side of his monitor face.
"Uh, fuck you!" Vox snarled back at him.
"That's why he's angry?!" Lincoln said dumbfounded.
"What happened?" Ronnie Anne asked Cobalt. She was curious about what happened between Lincoln and one of his friends.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know that," Cobalt replied, sounding disappointed.
"Just saying~" Valentino smuggly said to him.
"Things have changed a lot since he left town," Vox said with a large smile.
"That's for sure," Valentino agreed, with a smile just as large as his.
"I got to send a message of who's really in charge of things now," the Television Demon said confidently.
"The song is about to begin," Cobalt informed the audience.
The scene changes to Vox entering a large circular room. It had a small platform from the door to a control panel with a chair in the center of the room. All throughout the room there were many screens with all the cables being connected to the control panel.
Vox: Welcome home. I'm gonna make you wish that you stayed gone. Say hello to a new status quo.
Vox then sits in the chair and then pushes a button. Chords suddenly pop out of nowhere and plug into ports in the back of his head. Suddenly all the screens come to life.
Vox: Everyone knows that there's a brand new dawn, turn the TV on!
"Whoa, that looks gross and cool!" Lana said, seeing the sinner plug himself into his system.
"Why would he do that?" Lola asked grossed out.
"Do you think that hurts?" Stella asked uncomfortably.
"Doing this gives him full access to every television that's connected to his network," Cobalt replied to the pageant winner. "I don't know, but I would imagine it's a weird feeling."
The scene then changes to a bunch of demons holding cameras and lights for a live broadcast in a studio. The screen then shows breaking news before showing Vox at a desk as a news anchor. Underneath him had the caption, Breaking: Unremarkable Loser Back From Fucking Off.
Vox: Top of the hour, we're discussing a certain has been, who has been spotted cavorting around town after a seven year absence. Did anybody miss him? Did anybody notice? More on tonight's program.
It then changes to a different screen where Vox is interviewing himself, on a late night talk show stage called "Vox 2 Nite".
Vox: So the Radio Demon is back in town. Why is he hanging around? What does that mean for your family? Well handley I got some good news.
"Wait! What just happened?!" Lynn Jr. asked, confused at what she just saw.
"Yeah, him going from one set to a different one is understandable…" Luan said, just as confused. "...But how were there two of him?"
"Being the Television Demon, he can manipulate what's on any TV," the android replied. "While I'm not certain, I believe he can do that because he plugged himself into the network."
"Like other me in that smokey place before?" Leni asked innocently. She didn't notice everyone flinching at the mention of that version of her.
"Yes, I believe something like that!" Cobalt replied happily. "He does have several powers, but I wasn't given that information since my creator deemed it unimportant."
It then switches to another screen where Vox is in front of a red curtain stage.
Vox: He's a loser, A fossil, and I don't mean to sound hostile…
It then shows a group of demons watching 16 screens in the window of an electronic store, all of them having Vox on them. 15 of them were wearing dark colored religious like robes, with the Vox in the center screen wearing a red Pope like outfit.
Vox:…But the demon is a coward.
"So people just watch this and ask no questions?" Becky asked with a raised eyebrow.
"People spontaneously burst out into musical numbers with random people joining in," Cobalt said looking at the teen. "Is it really that hard to believe people wouldn't question what's on TV?"
Becky thought about it, before shrugging and nodding. "Okay, fair enough," she replied, accepting that answer.
"He is just like Faith," Lincoln whispered under his breath.
"At least we get to see a bit of the underworld," Lucy commented. With Haiku nodding in agreement.
It then focuses on the Vox in the red Pope-like outfit.
Vox: You can take that as gospel. Pulling my viewers? Impossible, I'm visual.
It then showed a close-up of Vox's swirling left eye. Which then changes to a normal Vox standing in front of a red background.
Vox: He's barely audible. Stop giving him the time of day.
"This song is good, but I think I prefer the others," Sam commented with a conflicted expression.
"Yeah, I'm with you on that," Luna agreed with her crush. "This is closer to a rap song, which is fine, but isn't my style of music."
It then switches to a different screen. One of Vox dressed up like a cruise line Captain. He looks to be on a remote island during sunset, with another Island in the distance with an active volcano.
Vox: Don't listen to a word he'd say. I hope he had a nice vacay, but he should have stayed away!
It then changes to Lincoln walking out of a tailor shop. He sees the group of demons watching the screens with Vox on them and narrows his eyes, before walking away.
"What do you think Lame-o is going to do?" Ronnie Anne asked out loud.
"I don't know, but I don't think he liked TV head talking smack about him," Lynn Jr. replied.
"Lynn, that's Zach or Vox," Lincoln said to his older sister. While this wasn't his friend, it was another version of him. So he felt he had to defend him, if only a little bit.
Vox: While he hid in radio, we pivoted to video!
It then changed to one of Vox in a chef's outfit opening an oven to show him cooking a severed deer head.
Vox: Now his medium is getting bloody rare.
"Okay that was disgusting!" Lola shouted looking away. Her twin wasn't doing much better, looking green at seeing the deer head.
"Who would eat that?!" Lynn Sr. asked in horror.
"You'd be surprised," Cobalt said to the Loud father.
It then shows Vox dancing down the hallway of the Vees building, where Valentino and Velvette are. He then suddenly pulls them both into his side hugging them, with both of them looking annoyed at him.
Vox: Hell's been better since he split. Where's he been? Who gives a shit!
"Okay, all this jumping around is literally giving me a headache," Lori commented rubbing her forehead.
"You're not the only one," Lynn Jr. said to her older sister.
"Are they real?" Luan asked, rubbing her own forehead. "With everything changing so fast, it's hard to keep track of what's real."
"Yeah, everything is getting confusing," Stella agreed with the comedian.
"Either way, Lori and Rusty don't look too happy there," Clyde pointed out.
It then changes to Lincoln in a radio studio attached to the Hazbin Hotel.
Lincoln: Salutations, good to be back on the air.
"Looks like Linc is joining in," Luna said with a smile.
This draws the demon's attention from the screens to the old-fashioned radio in the shop right next door. To which all of them suddenly move over to the radio.
Lincoln: Yes I know it's been a while since someone with style, treated Hell to a broadcast. Sinners rejoice.
Vox: What a dated voice.
This had the demons switching between the screens and the radio. Soon however it switched to both Lincoln and Vox on the screen, with Lincoln's background being white and Vox's background being blue.
"Okay this isn't real right?" Lynn Jr. asked their host. Which all he did was shrugged his shoulders.
Lincoln: Instead of a cloud chasing mediocre video podcast.
Vox: Come On!
"Burn!" Luna shouted, getting everyone to look at her. Seeing this caused her to blush, with Sam giggling at her embarrassment.
Lincoln: Is Vox insecure pursuing allure? Flitting between this fad and that, is nothing working?
Vox attempts to push Lincoln's side away, Only for his side to reappear behind him knocking him down. He gets up and attempts to push his side again, only for the backgrounds to spin. Eventually leaving Vox's blue background behind both of them.
"This isn't real right?" Luan asked the android. However he stayed silent, earning a groan from her.
Vox: Ignore his chirping!
Lincoln: Every day he gots a new format.
Vox then pops up from below with the white background, a scowl on his face.
Vox : You're looking at the future. He's the shit that comes before that!
"This is more like those rap battles you see on youtube," Sam commented. Luna and some of the kids nodded in agreement, having seen one of those videos.
It then starts showing different parts of Pentagram City, where Lincoln's voice is being broadcasted through speaker towers. It then shows inside the room where Vox and Valentino were in, only to have Valentino and Velvette in it. Both were absent-mindedly looking at their phones, before they smiled at what they heard Lincoln say.
Lincoln: Is Vox as strong as he purports? Or is it based on his support? He'd be powerless without the other Vees.
It then shows Vox with an orange background splitting the screen vertically with a scowl.
Vox: Oh please!
"That wasn't how I pictured the underworld," Haiku commented, slightly disappointed.
"Yes, it looks like any city we have, only with a red sky," Lucy added, feeling the same as her friend.
"Well this isn't all of Hell, just one city in the Pride Ring," Cobalt said to the two goths. "This is Pentagram City, in other parts of the ring might have what you imagine." Both of them nodded and smiled at him in thanks.
"Man, Lincoln isn't holding back any punches," Lynn Jr. said with a smile.
"It makes you wonder how strong any of them would be on their own," Becky commented.
"Indeed, each one of them holds a different empire," Lisa commented on the teen's thoughts. "Their group is only this powerful because they group their resources to make a powerful force."
It then shows Lincoln In his radio tower looking smug, before switching to the shop with the old radio. Vox suddenly teleports in front of the radio with a panicked expression.
Lincoln: And here's the sugar on the cream, he asked me to join his team!
Vox: Hold on!
"Wait! Really?!" Lincoln shouted, surprised.
"Well it sounds like Lincoln turned him down," Jordan commented, a little surprised.
"He would," the android said out loud. "Lincoln hates anything new, especially televisions. He prefers older technology from the time he was alive."
"I guess it makes sense, he is the Radio Demon," Luan said.
"But he only got that name from broadcasting deaths over the radio," Stella said, confused.
"Maybe it's best we don't think about it dudes," Luna said, rubbing her forehead.
Vox then suddenly teleports away, before it cuts to Lincoln relaxing comfortably in his chair in his studio.
Lincoln: I said no, and now he's pissy. That's the tea!
"That must've led to the fight between the two of them seven years ago," Clyde theorized.
"I think you're right," Sam agreed with the young boy.
It then shows Vox was back in his control center, in absolute rage and a snarl on his face.
Vox: You old-timey prick! I'll show you suf-ffering!
He was in such a fierce rage his head started the short circuit, glitch out, and blue screen. It then split screen to show Lincoln with his head on his hands and the satisfied smile on his face.
"He really is like a TV or laptop," Lana commented, seeing him glitch and short circuit.
Lincoln: Uh oh, the TV is buffering.
Vox: I'll destroy you, yo-ou lit-tle-.
As he screamed, his head continued to glitch out. While his whole body seemed to short circuit. It eventually spread to all the screens he had in his control room. This caused a power surge which seemed to affect every electronic device in Pentagram City and caused a blackout. All except for one place.
"How did he cause a citywide blackout?!" Luna shouted in disbelief.
"Forget that! How did he fry mine and the twerp's phone?!" Lori screamed in fear.
"He was plugged in the network for the whole city and any devices connected," Cobalt said, as if that answered everything. "His emotional outburst caused his powers to make a power surge, frying the power grid and devices on the network."
"So that's what Pentagram City looks like," Lucy said, seeing the blackout city.
"It really does look like any city we have," Haiku commented.
Lincoln: I'm afraid you've lost your signal.
It then started to zoom in on the only place that still had power, the Hazbin Hotel. More specifically Lincoln's radio station. It eventually showed Lincoln talking into his microphone still on the air.
Lincoln: Let's begin. I'm going to make you wish that I stayed gone.
Lincoln's appearance started to change. The sclera of his eyes became pure black and his eyes started to look like old radio dials. The small antlers on his head started to grow larger, make more of them, and become sharper.
"W-What's happening?" A scared Lola asked. She and Lana started to hug one another for comfort.
"H-He's changing," a nervous Lynn Jr. replied
"C-Changing to what?" Luan asked, starting to tremble.
Everyone was starting to huddle together again. They look to their host for answers. "I'll explain after the viewing, just keep watching," he said, not looking at them.
Lincoln: Tune on in.
Lincoln then sets his microphone down and slowly starts to stand up As he does his body becomes larger, lanky, and more monstrous. As his mouth grows larger, he grows more sharp teeth.
Lincoln: When I'm done, your status quo will know its race is run.
"He's still growing!?" A terrified Lori screamed. She was desperately clinging to Bobby.
"W-What is he changing into?!" A fearful Lucy asked, hugging her friend.
All of them continued to stare at the screen with terrified expressions, holding on to someone for comfort.
It then shows a close-up of Lincoln's face. His large black sclera, dial like eyes staring at the viewers with his large smile full of sharp razor teeth. There was also a glowing red X on his forehead, right between his eyes.
Lincoln: Oh, this will be fun.
"C-Can h-he s-see u-us?" A terrified and trembling Leni asked, holding onto Becky. Everyone wanted to ask that question, but were too scared to speak.
"No he can't," Cobalt replied, trying to reassure the group. Some let out a sigh of relief, but others were too terrified to move.
The scene then pulls back to show that he was looking at Vox in his control center, as he lets out some malicious laughter.
"Fuck!!!" Vox cries out, holding his head with both of his hands. He then slumps into his chair feeling defeated.
The screen went black and Cobalt moved in front of it. "That's it for this one, so any thoughts?"
"What was that at the end?!" A nervous Lynn Jr. shouted at the android.
"Yeah! What was happening to him?!" Luna screamed in fear and concern.
"Why did he suddenly grow antlers?" A shaking Lucy asked.
"What you saw at the end was some of Lincoln's demon form," Cobalt said as he started to answer questions. "All sinners and some Hellborn have two forms, human and demon. The form that you've been seeing is their human form. However at the end, Lincoln was partly turning into his demon form. As for the antlers, he always had them, they were just hard to see because they were small and his hair hid them. Why he has them? It's rumored that he died in a hunting accident being mistaken for a deer."
"That's terrible! Was it a family member or friend who shot him?" Lynn Sr. asked in concern for his son's counterpart.
"It's unknown, it's also unknown if that's how he died," the android replied. "There's also a rumor that Lincoln was a serial killer and was disposing of a body, when he was shot being mistaken for a deer. How he actually died is unknown to me." Hearing the second rumor made everyone fear the Radio Demon a little more. He was already suspected of being a cannibal, hearing he might've been a serial killer only strengthened their fear.
"So does that mean mom and Lori have a demon form as well?" Lucy asked. Putting the thoughts about her brother's counterpart possibly being a serial killer aside.
"Yes, that's correct," Cobalt answered.
"Well the song was good, but it didn't click with me like the others," Sam commented, starting to relax again.
"Yeah, it was more like a rap battle like you said," Luna agreed with her bandmate.
"I can't believe Zach and Rusty are in Hell as well," Clyde said, after getting his heart rate back to normal.
"Not only that, but Overlords as well," Jordan added.
"I am surprised, but also not surprised to find out Rusty is that Valentino guy," Ronnie Anne commented with a frown. "He always acts like he's a ladies man and smooth talker."
"Why would Lori hangout with those two?" Bobby asked no one with a frown. "Both of them are evil and monsters!" Lincoln and Clyde wanted to defend their friends, but knew he wasn't talking about their friends.
"I don't think Lori should be associating with those two," Lynn Sr. said with a serious frown. Rita was trying to calm him down by telling him there was nothing they could do about it.
"It looks like it's more of a business partnership," Becky replied to the teen boy.
"I still wish we'd seen more of the city, but at least we got a glimpse of it," Lucy commented.
"Yes, it would be good to see outside of the city or just more than just inside rooms," Haiku said agreeing with her friend.
"It was okay, until the end," Luan said. She shivered remembering Lincoln's demonic face looking at them.
"That Hell really doesn't seem that different from our own world," Stella commented.
"While I still refuse to believe that is the afterlife…" Lisa started saying. "...I would like to know how that world evolved technology wise. It seems like they went through a similar process like we did. Such as going from radio to television."
"I hope we don't see Lincoln's demon form again," Lana said, still holding onto her equally scared twin.
"Well if there's nothing else, then I'll take my leave," Cobalt said addressing the group. "I'm sure my creator will send the next orb soon." He then walked off leaving them to talk among themselves.