AN: Hey all, This is the longest chapter I've written so enjoy it everyone! Lol. Hope you all have a great Friday!

Cheers!

"If we don't do something now, they're going to make a move to brainwash all of Hell. What else could we do?"

"Ha. They wish they were that powerful. No my dear, leaving it be would be best. As much as I would love to see them all crash and burn, now isn't the time to make moves."

Ellen had an ear pressed against the door to Alastor's office. Alastor had pulled Charlie aside as soon as they got back from the bistro, and had been in the office ever since. When the discussion started most of the residents had joined her, ears pressed to the door in hopes of hearing what was going on, though to her surprise, they didn't seem to be able to hear anything and shortly left, leaving her alone to eavesdrop.

"All she would need to do is go in and see Vox."

She heard Alastor's static pitch. Before he simply replied. "No."

"It would be easy, all she would have to do is mention your name and she would have a one on one with him. You're his weakness and we can use that to our advantage. Just a simple conversation to gather information."

"And once she is through those doors how do you intend to keep her protected hmm? I believe it is my job to protect the hotel and all of its inhabitants but a full on battle with the V's is not something I wish to tackle today."

That seemed like a fair argument, though she knew it was redundant. Based on their contract, Alastor could still protect her, she wouldn't be going in completely helpless.

"Well we-

"-And a private one on one with that flat faced prick isn't likely. No, Valentino would be there as well most likely, meaning you would be sending her in alone to face two overlords. Heck maybe all three. Do you forget she knows nothing of how Hell is run? And don't get me started on her communication skills. I highly doubt she could get you anything important."

Ellen could hear the scowl on his face, just by the change in his tone. "What exactly are you hoping to acquire, princess?"

Charlie sighed. "Cherri has been keeping an eye on them ever since the battle. They're going to make a power grab, since you…well they aren't concerned about you anymore and with Rosie's numbers down, and Camila being low on angelic weapons, they stand a good chance of jumping the ladder. There are three of them, they'd be hard to challenge right now."

There was a long moment of silence, no doubt Alastor was taking time to absorb what Charlie had just said.

"And Ellen solves this problem, how?" He asked, finally breaking the silence. "If she were indeed able to gather pertinent information, it doesn't change these circumstances."

"I don't know." Charlie sounded defeated. "But the longer we sit back and do nothing, the more time they have to make a move. Even if she goes to cause a small distraction, it gives us more time to prepare." She sighed. "Look Al, I know it's risky and I know if something happened to Ellen I- I don't know if I could live with that guilt, but to them and the rest of Hell, she's a nobody, so she isn't a threat to them. I've been thinking about this for a long time. I know she can do it."

"They will not be interested in seeing her, not to mention she won't be immune to their powers."

"We don't know that for sure."

There was another long silence.

"I trust your judgment Alastor. You are more knowledgeable about this sort of thing and no one here knows the V's better than you. If you really think this plan is set to fail, I'll work to find a different solution. I want her safe too."

"Ha! Safe? She'd be walking into the lion's den. Blind." He sighed. "IF she were to agree to this, she'll have to be informed about the V's. Everything. The more she knows, the better she may be able to handle whatever they may throw her way. Knowledge is power in this case."

"Of course."

"Very well then."

Ellen heard him stand and she quickly stumbled around trying to find a place to not look suspicious. When the door opened he glared at her already knowing where she was.

"If you were supposed to be part of that conversation, you would have been invited in. I don't care much for those that can't keep their noses out of my business." He started for the stairs.

She mumbled so quietly she knew only he would hear. "What's yours is mine."

His ear twitched in her direction, confirming he heard, but he continued his way upstairs.

"Oh Ellen. Good. I wanted to talk to you." Charlie waved her into Alastor's office, a sight that seemed unsettling.

She paced his room trying to ensure she memorized all the information Charlie told her. Vox and Alastor were rivals and any information she could give Vox about Alastor would be worth a lot to him. Something to keep in mind. An easy way to move the power to herself. He had the ability to hypnotize sinners, if they were weak enough so she needed to be careful.

Valentino. A shiver ran down her spine. He was Angel's boss and in charge of the porn industry in Hell. She had to steer clear of his cigar smoke and ensure he did not lick her. An odd detail she tried not to think too much on. She was warned he would most likely be the wild card, the one in least control of themselves. If she could get him worked up enough, it was possible Vox would send him away. Meaning she could have him one on one.

Her stomach was in knots. Did she need to create a whole cover story? Who she was? How she 'died'? What would they ask her? How powerful were they? She couldn't even deal with a regular sinner and now she was facing not one but two overlords? Even Alastor said he couldn't take all three. Why was he so calm about all of this?

"Your panicking is disrupting my reading."

She paused, looking up to find Alastor glaring at her from his seat by the fireplace.

"Well what would have me do? You think this is a terrible idea which means there's a good chance this will end poorly." Her tail had been flicking nervously for so long it felt like a metronome.

He leaned back into his chair, his book now placed on the table beside him. "You will still be under my protection and you'll have access to my power if needed. I doubt they will bother with anything more than a simple bullet to your head."

She gave him a look of disbelief. "Cause that just puts my nerves at ease."

"You should rest my dear. You'll need your wits about you."

She resumed her pacing. "I can't sleep like this. My mind is going a mile a minute and I don't even know what I'm supposed to do or talk about when I get there." She moved over to the bed taking a seat. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Remain so calm in every situation."

"With a smile my dear." When she gave him a confused look he shifted through shadow to sit beside her on the bed and continued. "Just because you see a smile, don't think you know what's going on underneath. A smile is a valuable tool, my dear. It inspires your friends, keeps your enemies guessing, and ensures no matter what comes your way, you're the one in control."

She blinked a few times. "That's why you're always smiling. It's a sign of power to you."

"Emotions are a weakness. Something someone can take advantage of." He gave her a sideways glance. "Something you would do well to remember."

"So that would make me your weakness then."

"I am not weak, I have you adequately protected despite your fragile state. More of a nuisance really."

She smiled and leaned over resting her head on his shoulder. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing. "Good. I wouldn't want you to think I'd be easy to handle. You seem like the type to enjoy challenges."

He chuckled. "I am very aware of your peculiar self conduct. Not exactly what I would have envisioned for my wife, but I believe I made a good decision." He glanced down at her.

"I'd expect nothing less from a king."

"I beg your pardon?"

She lifted her head to look at him better. "A stag is king of the forest is he not? Adorned with a crown of bone. You are a stag right? That would make you king of the forest…or bayou I guess." She turned to look over her shoulder at the non existent back wall.

From the corner of her eye she watched as Alastor pulled his shoulders back, sitting taller, prouder. The ends of her smile crept further up her face. He didn't need the ego boost, but she was glad he took it so highly from her.

"A king indeed."

She could hear the soft swishing of his tail under his coat. He was very happy about the thought.

"Thank you Ellen." He took her hand kissing the back before standing. "I will want to reserve as much power as I can to ensure you have it if needed. You'll have to excuse me, I will be off to hunt."

"Wait! Wouldn't it be wise to finish…closing that wound? It limits you in a small way doesn't it?

"It's negligible, my dear. There are other more important things to focus on." He made his way to the bayou and she turned her body to follow him with her gaze. He hesitated for a second, "I know it's unnaturally difficult for you, but do stay out of trouble my little doe. I would miss your company if something were to happen."

She smiled at the sentiment. He would never admit he loved her, maybe not even 'like' her, but that was close enough to an admission of his feelings for her.

At first she didn't understand why she had to make her way to the V tower on her own, but after walking into the more densely populated part of the city she understood why. Cameras. Cameras everywhere. The closer she got to the tall tower, the more she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

She let out a quick breath pushing her feelings down. She pulled a small smile to her face hoping to use it to hide her true emotions. She willed herself not to panic or be nervous, feelings Alastor would read from her. She needed to be calm and collected. Her stomach started to twist as the building came into sight. Tall, blue in colour and very modern looking. At the top a large pink illuminated 'V'. This was the place. She took one more steading breath, a small smile forced onto her lips and she headed for the door.

The inside of the building was busy, people rushing about, paying her no mind. Good, although it was still a bit odd, she had gotten so used to being stared at. It took a few minutes for her to figure out where to go. She found a fish looking demon seated at a desk. She made her way over remembering to hold her shoulders back.

"I would like to see Vox."

The lady didn't even look up. "Uh-huh. You got an appointment?"

"This is above that. I assure you he will want to see me."

She finally glanced up looking bored. "Right. You can make an appointment at the desk over there." She pointed off to her left.

Bluff, she needed to bluff. She pulled her smile to look smug and glanced down at her nails. That was something confident people did. right? "Well I'll let Vox know you were the one to hold me back then. I'm sure I can take my information about the Radio Demon elsewhere. I'm sure someone else will be interested." She turned away from the desk praying this lady would take the bait. If she didn't, she wouldn't be able to come back and show face.

"You think you can bait me like that? Bitch we're in Hell I've heard it all."

Ellen stopped turning to face the lady again. "I promise you I'm not just a small fish, you're going to be begging for death if Vox finds out you just let me walk." She took a few more paces before stopping again and adding. "No one has seen the Radio Demon since the last extermination. I wonder why?"

"Wait!"

She stopped her hand on the door. Her heart nearly stopped. Talk about waiting until the last second. She pulled her smile up and turned to face the fish demon.

"I can't guarantee anything, but I'll let him know you're here, Miss…?"

"Ellen" She made her way over to a seating area. She felt eyes on her the whole way to her seat. She silently scolded herself for using her real name. She should have come up with a fake one just in case. Uhg. Her nerves were killing her.

Someone offered her some refreshments but she declined. With the way her stomach was churning, there was no way she would keep them down. She wasn't waiting for very long before another woman summoned her to follow. She was led through some doors and up an elevator. The higher they went the more her stomach twisted. If she needed to make a rushed exit, it would be more difficult the higher up she was.

There was no way she could go anywhere without being seen. She thought there were a large number of cameras around on the streets, it was nothing compared to the surveillance of the building. She was being watched since she stepped through the front doors. She reminded herself to keep her shoulders back, head up and a small smirk plastered to her face. Confident and in control.

The lady stepped out making her way to a large set of wooden double doors. She stopped, glaring at Ellen for not keeping up. She knocked on the door loudly.

"Mr. Vox I have that girl here."

"Send her in."

She continued to glare at Ellen, but pushed the door open holding it open for her. Ellen gave her a curt nod before stepping into the office.

Flat faced prick. That's what Alastor had called him. She should have guessed she would be meeting a television demon. Vox had the ability to disappear into technology. The pieces were finally making sense.

The hotel didn't have any form of modern technology. This was why. Vox would be able to see anything going on, possibly making a few unannounced visits.

Her smile became authentic. The one person Alastor would have a rival with would be the counter to his radio persona. New vs old technology. Seemed sort of fitting.

"Please take a seat my dear." He gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

Vox sat at his desk with an inviting grin on his face. She thought the hat was a bit much, but it did add to his look. She couldn't shake the eerily similar look he had to Alastor. Both men in well fitting suits and bow ties. Vox being in blue seemed a bit suspicious to her as well. Blue vs red. To add to the new vs old. Even the term of endearment. My dear.

"I'll stand thank you."

"Fiery Chiquita. What a lovely looking specimen."

She was unsuccessful in hiding her shudder. She didn't need to turn around to know Valentino was standing behind her. She watched as some pink smoke billowed around above her head. She held her breath, just in case. Valentino took a slow walk around her, taking her in. She was used to this reaction. Her human form was unnatural in Hell, but she wasn't in that form and the look on Valentinos face was not one of awe. It was something far more sinister. And why was he so freaking tall?!

"Yes, I'm sure I could make you a star." He leaned down, his hand grabbing her chin to get a closer look at her face. She tried to keep a glare on her face. His claws squeezed her jaw pulling it harshly to the side. "There's a kink for everything you know." His grin sent a shiver down her spine. He let go of her face, eyes trailing up and down her body as he took another drag from his cigarette.

"Val! She's not here for that. She has some information she would like to share. Isn't that right Miss. Ellen?"

"Just Ellen is fine." She said as even as she could. She turned to glare at Valentino, she was sure it wasn't convincing. "I didn't ask for your audience. I wish to have a discussion with Mr. Vox."

"Vox is just fine." No one cared to respond to him. She kept her eyes on Valentino as he exhaled another breath of pink smoke.

"Baby doll we are a partnership, you should be grateful to be in my presence. Who are you? A little nobody so stop wasting our time. Or I could find something more productive for that mouth of yours to do. You look like someone who could suck a few dicks while being plowed from behind. That ass is definitely worthy of some screen time." His grin grew cocky as his eyes moved to her butt. She swallowed the fear and narrowed her eyes at him. "I bet you know your way around a dick, too. A little cock tease. Yes, I definitely get that vibe from you. I could make good use of that." He leaned back to eye her again.

She prayed her cheeks didn't heat. How could he tell just by looking at her?

"VAL!" It came out with some distortion and she turned to find Vox was now standing, his hands on his desk leaning over it. He quickly adjusted his tie before standing up straight. "I can handle this on my own."

Valentino only scoffed before making his way out the door. "If you're looking for a job, little Chiquita, you know where to find me." The door clicked shut behind him.

She could feel some tension leave her body. She turned to face Vox.

"So let's cut to the chase. You have some information that may interest me and seeing as you practically barged in here I expect it to be worth my while. I don't like my time being wasted." His eyes narrowed.

She took a breath trying to recompose herself. She wasn't afraid of him. She had Alastor here to protect her even if his presence was miles away. She didn't really understand what that meant, but it was at least some sort of comfort. She secretly wished he wasn't so far away. He would be able to keep himself composed and gather all the information there was to collect. She thought she was a pretty good conversationalist, had a witty tongue, but with the added pressure of her life being at risk, there was no way she was as confident in herself.

"You're interested in the Radio Demon, yes?" She already knew his answer.

"You have information on his whereabouts."

"You already know where he is." She rolled her eyes. "He's still making broadcasts, that's not what you're interested in."

He sat and gestured for her to follow suit. She hesitated for a second before she took the seat, mentally debating on sitting up confidently or leaning back to appear more relaxed. She sat up confident.

His eyes narrowed, looking at her suspiciously. "I don't recall seeing you before. You must be new to Hell. Tell me, what information could you possibly have on Alastor."

"I'm not a fool Vox. I'm not going to just forfeit that information for nothing. It is valuable is it not?"

He chuckled. "My dear you are in no position to be making demands. You've got what you wanted, my attention. Don't waste it."

She leaned forward with a sly grin on her face. She could play this part well. "So what kind of information are you looking for, hmm? Embarrassing secrets? Insecurities? Maybe some weaknesses? I've got 'em all. As I told the lady downstairs, I'm no small fish and I don't have eternity to wait for you to make me an offer worth my while."

He leaned back his hand on his chin thinking. He was trying to get a read on her, and luckily she wasn't really lying. She knew a lot more about Alastor than probably anyone else in Hell. Except maybe Rosie.

"You have piqued my interest. Give me a little something. A small taste of what you have, then we can talk about what I can do for you."

She quickly went through her mind trying to find something small that wouldn't cause too much trouble.

"He's recently married."

Vox raised an eyebrow. "You don't expect me to fall for that. He's not interested in that sort of thing. Clearly you don't know the first thing about him." He sighed, quickly losing interest.

She glared at him, the smirk back on her face. She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, getting comfortable. "I was there. Lucifer officiated it. Of course there was a contract between bride and groom, the poor thing had no idea what she signed." Also not entirely a lie.

"Why would he tie the knot?" He knitted his fingers together, leaning forward slightly. She had recaptured his interest.

"That's all you're going to get from me until I get a little something in return."

"Very well." He waved his hand in annoyance. "What are you looking for?"

"I want in on your battle plans. You're going to make a power grab. When you've cleared out all the old overlords you'll want ones that work for you. I want first pick on districts"

"Ambitious and power hungry, can't say I'm surprised. But that's a big ask for a little bit of information."

"Then give me a little something to whet my appetite. You've got plans already no doubt."

"Well you're not stupid I'll give you that." He pulled out his phone typing a message before placing it on the desk face down. "After Alastor fell we knew he was going to take time to recover, so first thing is taking him out. Not necessarily a top priority but it's personal. Has been for quite a few years now."

She raised an eyebrow, hoping she looked amused. "It's going to take all three of you to take out the Radio Demon? Perhaps I'm speaking to the wrong overlord."

He glared. "He is weak, that angelic wound isn't going to heal, not to mention he lost his staff."

Ellen didn't hide her surprise. How did Vox know about Alastor's wound? She quickly blinked trying to hide it as she tried to refocus. He saw the whole thing.

"Oh? You didn't know that, did you? Would you like to watch, I quite enjoy watching it from time to time." He turned behind him where a large screen whirled to life.

It was a cam recording of the roof of the hotel, but it looked different, older and a lot smaller. She had never seen an Angel before and what she saw was not what she was expecting. He wielded a large ax while Alastor had a cane. It was too far away to really see much more than that but Alastor was holding his own well. There was no audio but she didn't need it to know he was making slights at the angel. She knew him well enough. She watched trying to keep her emotions in check as she watched in a single blow the ax cut through Alastor's staff. She could tell in his moments pause that he wasn't expecting that to happen. He made a misjudgment. And it cost him. Unable to dodge, she watched horrified as he flew across the roof being struck across the chest. He slipped into shadow and the screen cut to static.

For a moment she forgot where she was, what she was supposed to be doing. Her heart sank. She knew he was alright. She had healed most of that wound. But she had never really thought about how he got it. If Vox had this footage, clearly the rest of Hell knew. A jab at Alastor, to destroy his reputation. No wonder she had to pry what little information she got from him.

Vox's laugh pulled her from her thoughts and she quickly pulled herself together. She needed to get her emotions in check, she probably just gave Alastor reason to be concerned.

"Gets me every time!" He spun on his chair to be facing her again. "You still think you're talking to the wrong overlord?"

"No." Her voice broke and she cleared her throat and answered again with no emotion. "No, I don't."

"So who is this unlucky lady of his?"

She forced an eye roll. "I might be okay spilling information, but giving you names is a death wish. I'm not stupid, Alastor can still kill me. Besides, I happen to know the bride very well." She leaned back, crossing her arms and legs.

"You're afraid of the Radio Demon?" He sputtered a laugh.

She narrowed his eyes. "I'm not afraid of Alastor. But I know better than to underestimate an opponent. Arrogance is a harsh judge."

"He's an old timey prick, lost in the past. He's barely a concern." He growled.

Her smile turned cocky. Another term Vox seemed to mimic from Alastor. She was finally understanding the real reason Vox was so obsessed with the Radio Demon. There was some history between the two clearly.

"You really are conceited. If he wasn't a concern you wouldn't be looking to me to be feeding you information. Nor would you bother taking him out. You said it yourself, it's personal. I have to say, I expected more from you Vox. I was told you were a force to be reckoned with, clearly I heard wrong. You're just Alastor's number one fanboy."

She laughed but it quickly died in her throat when she looked at his face. Clearly she hit a little too close to home. He was seething. In a flash he had a hand around her throat held off the ground. She frantically grabbed at his hand.

A light buzz pulled his attention to his phone. He smiled at the screen.

"You're staying at that shit hotel. You working with that smiling freak?"

And panic. There was nothing to hide anymore.

"You're going to tell me what I want or I'll have to return you to Alastor in pieces." Her eyes widened in horror as she watched his eyes starting to form spirals pulling her gaze in. She tried closing her eyes but it seemed like her brain had been cut off from the rest of her body.

"Did he really get hitched?"

Her mind panicked as her voice responded without her consent. "Yes"

"Why?"

"To get his soul back." She was grateful that nothing was mentioned about his rut, or hers for that matter. That definitely would have breached their privacy clause.

"Holy shit he didn't have his soul?!" He laughed. "What a fuckin twist. Oh you really are full of secrets."

She swallowed. She wasn't in enough harm or danger to acquire Alastor's power. She never considered this as a possibility. He had to blink some time right? Would that split second be enough to break free? Where would she go? She didn't want to focus on his eyes, what if she just got sucked in deeper? Fuck.

"He actually got someone to marry him!"

It wasn't a question but her voice responded anyway. "Yes"

"You were there for the ceremony?"

"Yes."

"You must be important to him then, he wouldn't have invited many."

She really tried pressing her mouth closed, but it was no use. "I want to believe I am."

"Binding contract no doubt. That is Alastor's style."

"Yes."

His grip loosened a bit. "So you've seen it?"

No. No, she did not want to answer that. Alastor wouldn't share contracts with anyone but the person that signed it. Vox had to know that. This would be giving herself away.

"Yes."

He laughed. "You're Alastor's new little bitch?! OH this is fucking GREAT! He tricked you into it, didn't he?"

"No."

He blinked surprised, dropping the hypnotic gaze. "What?!"

She closed her eyes and flailed her legs, she managed to kick him, but it did nothing.

"Who had his soul?"

She remained silent, no longer under his hypnosis. His grip tightened and he threw her to the ground, now pinning her to the floor by the neck. She continued to flail but it was useless.

"Who the fuck are you?"

She squeezed her eyes tighter. Even if she wanted to respond, Vox had such a tight grip on her neck no sound could escape. Her hands started to claw at his arm, her lungs now screaming for air. There was nothing but panic in her mind, the only thought was her need for air. Was this what dying felt like?

All of a sudden there was a surge of energy running through her. She opened her eyes in shock. Her heart slowed and everything seemed to move in slow motion. She took a deep breath and her body trembled.

"What the fuck is this?" Vox sat back at the sudden change of her state.

She was certain she had a shit-eating grin on her face. "Arrogance is a harsh judge, Vox. I told you not to underestimate an opponent."

She could see in the reflection of his screen that her eyes had gone black, little red radio dials as pupils. She shuddered with the added power now flowing through her. She felt utterly unstoppable.

A flash of horror passed his eyes before he glared. "Alastor." He growled.

"I am not the Radio Demon Vox, but you're going to let me walk out of here."

"Like hell I am." He lunged at her his claws sparking, causing a sharp electric shock to shoot through her as he stabbed her hip.

She could feel anger coursing through her as the power continued to build. She wasn't sure where the anger was coming from, but she was going to use it to her advantage. "I'm not here to kill you Vox, but I WILL be leaving here in one piece whether you're in my way or not."

"Alastor is going to have to come collect your pieces when I'm done with you."

She grabbed the collar of his shirt pulling his face to hers barely a few centimeters between the two. "You don't want to do this Vox, be smart and let me go."

He laughed. "You're a fragile weakness, a crack in the glass, his Achilles heel."

She dropped him and with a quick wave of her hand launched a shadow tentacle at him. Ooo. That worked? He barely dodged it, disappearing into the TV above his desk. She slowly turned, her eyes focused on any sort of electronic. A zap in her back caused her to cry out, but she quickly turned her tentacle grabbing a piece of his jacket before disappearing again, this time into a phone. She was a sitting duck here. She wouldn't be able to keep this up for long, she needed to focus on leaving. She made her way to the door pulling it open and shutting it behind her. Her eyes glared at all of the cameras. She wouldn't be able to sneak out. For sure she would be running into him again.

She could feel some power slipping with no imminent danger around. She looked at the elevator for all of five seconds before pushing the door to the stairs open. She was not going to box herself into a confined space, specifically because if it was powered by electricity, Vox would have control of it.

She groaned as she looked down at the never ending spiral of stairs leading downward. Better to go down then up, but she wasn't looking forward to the long sprint ahead of her. She took them two at a time. She didn't bother looking at floor numbers, they would surely just discourage her. She did notice there were not any cameras in the stairwell. That could work to her advantage. Vox surely knew she was in the stairwell, but no idea where.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she looked up. Floor 63. At this point she was out of breath. All of the power that she had borrowed from Alastor was long gone by now. She was running on her own power stores and they were very quickly reaching empty. She took a little pause to catch her breath. Floor 51. Fuck. There had to be a faster way down the stairs. She shook the impulse to just throw herself down, letting gravity take her. She pushed on downwards.

There was a loud bang above her. She peeked up to find Vox was about 5 floors above her having kicked the stairwell door open. She stared enough to notice the pistol. She pulled herself from the railing making her way down faster, trying to keep her footsteps quiet.

"You can take me down now or I can meet you on the first floor. Don't tell me you're a coward too." A gunshot rang out and she could hear the bullet ricochet off the railings. She flinched at the sound but pressed on.

While it wasn't ideal, she at least had a push of adrenaline to run on.

"There you are. Come on dear I won't kill you. I need you alive to send a message. Besides, I'll want a good photo for the news. Everyone will love to see Alastor's newest weakness." She could hear him rushing down the stairs after her.

Floor 36. "Sorry Alastor, you're in for a rough ride." She muttered to herself. She had no idea how much she had borrowed from him and whether or not he still had some to give. She would need to be smart with her attacks, and of course he would complain about the constant state of panic and fear she'd been in for the past five minutes. Her legs burned and in a quick movement one gave out and she fell, rolling a few floors before finally landing in a heap against a door. She laid there for a few moments as the tears slipped from her eyes. The sound of heavy footfalls got her to push back to her feet ignoring the pain. She gritted her teeth forcing herself forward.

"I should have expected a coward to find another coward."

Floor 23. Maybe she fell down more than she thought. She could feel some of the power coming back. She was going to get herself into trouble. She should just continue to run. She stood her ground and turned to face the stairs leading up, waiting. Vox rounded shortly. He paused at the top looking down at her.

"Come to your senses, have you?"

She had the advantage here. He had nowhere to go. He couldn't run. He was unmatched here and he was too focused on her to notice. "No. I'm just done with you bad mouthing Alastor. He's not a coward. You are."

He aimed the gun at her. "Can you dodge bullets?"

She grinned as the power filled her again. "Let's find out."

Another gunshot echoed and despite every cell in her body telling her to move, she remained rooted. A black barrier appeared covered in symbols and sigils. The bullet bounced right off. Holy shit.

Vox looked a little shocked but chucked the gun aside, it proven to be useless. She watched as his fingertips shot sparks.

Ellen stayed on the defense for the first few minutes mostly dodging and deflecting, but she knew she was going to have to make some attacks. She threw a number of tentacles his way and she managed to get one that wrapped around his upper body. She threw him down the stairs and watched as he rolled a few floors down. He pushed to his hands and knees as she slowly made her way down to him.

"Look Vox, just let me walk away. I don't want to fight you." She dodged as he twisted and shot sparks of electricity at her. He pushed to his feet to face her, the top left side of his screen was cracked.

"No."

She threw a few more tentacles at him and with nowhere to go, she easily grabbed him again. She tightened the grip.

She sighed. Of course. Hell was full of prideful men after all. She shouldn't have been surprised. She slowly approached him, keeping her hands up, but ready to defend if she needed it. She didn't want to take him down if she didn't have to.

"I won Vox. I'm not going to kill you, but right now I could very easily." She tightened the grip of the tendrils. "Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to let you go, and then I'm going to continue down these stairs and out the building unhindered. Got it?"

He only glared at her, choosing to remain silent. In a quick movement she let him go.

Of course he took the chance to make a move, and unlucky for her, she was nowhere near fast enough. She felt stupid believing that he would fight fair, this was Hell after all. His claws pierced her chest sending electricity throughout her body. Her scream echoed through the stairwell as her body collapsed and tumbled down more flights of stairs. She landed roughly trying to keep the tears at bay. She looked down to find blood seeping through her shirt. She looked up horrified as he just stood staring down at her. She rolled onto her side, her body still trembling from the shock.

She coughed, the action causing the pain in her chest to radiate throughout the rest of her body. She grit her teeth and used the wall to help her to her feet. She looked up to find Vox hadn't moved, just stood watching her.

He looked a little horrified at the state she was in. Maybe he was afraid of what Alastor would do to retaliate. She definitely wasn't going to. She needed out, now.

Keeping her eye on him she slowly made her way down the next flight of stairs, and then the next. Her ears twisting and twitching, waiting to hear the sound of footsteps following, but it never came. He was letting her go.

She pushed her way through the stairwell door on the main floor. No one seemed to bat an eye and she stumbled to the exit, clutching her chest. The only thing keeping her moving forward was the residual power borrowed from Alastor. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other, each step getting her further away from the 'V' Tower and one step closer to home. She knew she wouldn't make it to the hotel, it was too far a walk with a chest wound, not including the countless flights of stairs she had just run down. She just needed to find a spot where she could sit and catch her breath. She pushed forward as best she could slowly out of sight of surveillance cameras, slowly away from the crowded parts of the city. She kept going until her legs gave out and she fell to a sit on the sidewalk.

Every breath burned her chest, but the bleeding seemed to have slowed. She leaned back lying on the sidewalk looking up at the sky. She was tired. She was in pain and entirely spent. She fought to keep her eyes open. She didn't want to close them, not out on the street at least. Fighting temptation, she sat up, gasping at the pain it brought to her chest. She just needed to make it home.

She pushed to her feet again slowly making her way again. She kept her gaze at her feet, one foot in front of the other. A shadow zipped past her, only for it to come back waving at her. She smiled.

"Oh hey!" She continued trudging forward. "Alastor is okay right? I kinda needed to use a lot of power." She let out a winded breath, which burned her chest even more than normal breathing.

She didn't get a response, he only gave her a quick look over before zipping off again. Her smile fell. That was enough of an answer for her. His Shadow was sent to go find her, make sure she was okay. Soon enough, if he was able to, he would teleport to her and help her back. Although he may keep his distance until she was closer to the hotel. Too many prying eyes, as he would say.

She pushed the thought aside. She fell to sit on the sidewalk again, her legs too shaky to move. That was fine. She could take a break to recover a bit before continuing on. She looked down at her hands, covered in her blood. What a mess. She put her head in her hands and sat there for a while. At least she wasn't bleeding anymore. Though she wasn't sure if that was something to be concerned about. She pulled her shirt out to look down the neck hole in hopes of assessing the damage. Three holes that looked eerily like a plug. Two on top, one below. Seemed kinda fitting all things considered.

She let her shirt go staring down the road to see the hotel in the distance. So close yet still so far.

She made three more rest stops before finally getting to the hotel. She pushed the door open and made her way inside. She walked right by Husker ignoring his comments and fell to sit on one of the couches in the parlor. She leaned back laying down finally letting whatever tension or energy she had left go. She let the exhaustion take her.