A/N:

Hi everyone! A fresh update here for you :) Lots of fluff in this chapter but also some drama toward the end as Henroin makes his first appearance! I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!

Content warning: Henroins doesn't use any slurs but he is very dismissive and cruel about Angel for being gay. He is not a nice guy -_-

Partners

Chapter 55:

Spiders Eat Moths

Following the sudden spider sibling group phone call where Angel had informed Molly and Niss that the mob was now casing the hotel, Niss collapsed back onto his bed in Cannibal Colony and sighed deeply. "Fuck…I cut loose from Pops to make my life better, and now this happens! I don't want to deal with the mob! I want to make more date plans with Pen." He smiled a little. Ever since he'd gotten back here from the airship, he and Sir Pentious had been flirting over the phone nonstop, which had also included imagining dates they might go on. Niss was very partial to having Pen over for a home cooked meal where they could quietly get to know each other better, and Pen was partial to a flashy ray gun bombardment of the Pentagram to claim territory and show off their partnership. Finally, Niss had assured him they could do both and everything in between, which had led to a lot of swooning and giggling from Pen and some on Niss's side as well.

Niss sighed. "But I guess I knew eventually I'd have to have a final blow out with Pops. Might as well get it over with so I can really move on." He stretched and sat up then headed out into the hall and downstairs to the Emporium. Rosie was there, assisting several customers. Niss waited for her to finish and then went over. "Hey, Rosie! Sorry, if you're busy I can come back…"

"Not to worry, dear, I have a moment. Something you need?" Rosie smiled.

He kept his voice low. "No. Uh…I just got off a call with my brother and sister."

"Delightful! I'm glad you're speaking again." Her eyes hazed. "Not that you haven't been getting your socializing in by all those calls with you special snake friend of course…"

Niss blushed and smiled sheepishly. After getting home from the airship he hadn't been able to help gushing about Pen and admitting all his feelings And Rosie and Mimzy had listened and encouraged him but also promised to keep everything a secret. They were swell ladies. Niss nodded to her. "Yeah, heh… But the thing is, Molly and Angel and I — we got a problem."

"Ah. Anyone you need me to kill?" Rosie flashed her fangs.

He shook his head. "No, no, not worth it. Apparently our Pops has mob goons watching the hotel now — which is his dramatic way of letting us know that he's got a problem with one of us. Probably me. Angel and Molly and I are gonna handle it. And I think Angel wants Alastor to help too since he mentioned having a friend eager to give us back up. But I really need to be the one in charge of fixing this mess. For a lot of reasons." He stood as tall as he could. "I'm the Don's first born son. I instigated this problem, and I gotta end it."

Rosie considered then gave him a nod, her eyes hazed meaningfully. "And handle it I'm sure you will. You do what needs to be done, Archie. But remember there is no shame in receiving help. The strongest demons, the ones who survive — they know it's true, and they don't let pride cloud their judgment. Even Alastor has help from me and Mimzy…and others."

Niss sighed and nodded. "Of course. I'm not gonna let Pops dupe me into a bad situation by isolating me. That's what he did for most of my life and all of my afterlife so far." He relaxed a little. "I just wanted to let you know cuz meeting up with my brother and sister and now trying to fix this new situation might take a few days. I'll probably stay at the hotel if they'll have me. Maybe Molly will too. Then we can all bond a little. Maybe I can even…fill them in on some things about me. Introduce Pen as more than a friend…" He blushed again, eyes down. "I'll come back here though when everything's squared away, as long as you'll have me."

Rosie knelt down. "Archie, we will ALWAYS have you. If you go away for a weekend or decide to stay away even longer, it's okay and we will always still be right here for you."

They shared a smile.

Then Rosie straightened up tall and clapped her hands together. "Now then, what I'm hearing is that you intend to travel, which means you'll need a new wardrobe."

"I-I'm only going for like two days this time around, and it's just across the city!"

"Ah, but you never can tell what will happen when you're away. And regardless two days is still a trip! I'll tailor a few more nice shirts for you and pants too. What colors would you like?"

Niss scratched his head, smiling. "Oh I don't know. if you're really sure though…I've already got a blue shirt now. So I guess maybe yellow and green…and, uh…" He bit his lip, "Well…maybe a nice light pink could be okay."

"You've got it!" Rosie winked and snatched up a notepad to write everything down.

"Thanks, Rosie. Really…" Niss smiled to himself.

As Rosie wrote, her eyes came up slightly. "You know, if you're planning a stay at the hotel, you might finally have a chance to bump into Alastor."

Niss blinked. "Oh. Yeah, right." He furrowed his brow. "Does he know that I've been crashing here…in his territory…with his right hand gals?"

Rosie smiled. "Now, you know your presence here has needed to stay under wraps." She crossed her arms. "But Alastor is rather clever. I put it off for a while, but eventually he realized something was up. I didn't want him to think we were under threat, so I may have mentioned we had a guest. And then I mentioned meeting you recently. He put the pieces together, but didn't question anything. He trusts my judgment about when discretion is necessary."

Niss nodded. "Got it. Good, then I won't have to explain it all to him. And I didn't want you lying to him anyway. I mean, he trusts ya so much, and you shouldn't ever have to risk that trust for me. I'm just glad he seemed okay about everything so I could keep staying here."

"Of course he was okay with us hosting you! You're the brother of Angel, his friend, after all." Rosie's eyes hazed a little. "And he does have a soft spot for rebellious young demons seeing as how he is one," she added with a laugh.

"Yeah, heh. And I wanna make sure I get to know everyone important in Angel's life, not just Cherri — you know, the princess and the hotel people and Alastor I guess too. I really want to make an effort, be more like a big brother." He swallowed. "I'm still not sure how it's gonna go when I tell him I'm into guys. I don't want it to turn into another spider sibling blowout though."

"It'll be okay, Archie. Just tell him in your own way and in your own time." She smiled warmly.

Then there was the sound of an old car horn outside.

Niss blinked. "Mimzy must be back from errands! I'll help her with the bags." He gave Rosie a grateful smile. "Thanks, Rosie!" Then he dashed outside. This new life of is might had seemed simple and unusual, but it was good and it mattered to him. And even if he needed to ask for help, Niss was going to get Pops and the mob out of all their lives one way or another.

After announcing to his fellow hotel staff members and Angel that he was dating Molly, Husk had rushed through breakfast and then called the spider lady in question to let her know that the beans were spilled about them. He wanted to give her a heads up to be considerate, but he also wanted to have a talk with her about himself and Alastor before she officially met the overlord. Molly was fine with the big reveal. In fact, she seemed flattered when Husk described his dramatic announcement, which led to Husk blushing and assuring her it was no big deal but also assuring her that he'd be happy to do it again when she got here if she really wanted.

The two of them decided to spend some time on the phone together while Molly looked after the Egg Bois and while Husk took care of cleaning around the hotel for Niffty. He was actually going a little overboard with making sure the downstairs was tidy and decorated and perfect for Molly's arrival. She'd seen the place before, but she was a lady and she deserved a warm welcome. And Angel's brother would probably like one too. Husk was a little nervous about meeting his girl's big brother, which also added to his sudden compulsion to clean to impress.

Right now he had a few dust cloths over his shoulder and his ears pinned back with a bandana as he reached up with a feather duster to shine up the portrait frames hanging on the lobby walls. Flying would have made the high cleaning tasks easier, but he usually couldn't manage it inside since there was no breeze to lift him. He held his phone pressed between his ear and his shoulder. "You want Sir Pentious to come too, Molly? I mean, he's welcome here — Charlie always says everyone is." He blushed a little, trying to push down any remaining jealousy since, according to Molly, Pen had a crush on someone who wasn't her and also seemed to only like guys. Husk moved to cleaning the next portrait — Charlie and her parents. He scowled. If those two royal pains in the asses tried ANYTHING while Molly was here…

His thoughts went back to the phone call as Molly spoke again. "Oh! Well, yeah, I guess if Pen's friends with Niss, it might make Niss more comfortable to have him here." He swallowed and made himself bring up Alastor before he could lose his nerve. "By the way, Alastor's gonna show up, so brace yourself. Guy tends to end up the center of attention, and he's not exactly easy to avoid…"

He raised an eyebrow at Molly's reply. "You're looking forward? To meeting Alastor?" That was unexpected. "No, no! Like I said, he's not dangerous, at least not to anyone here. He's more…pushy but polite." He pouted a little as he finished dusting. "But first, I want to talk to you about, uh, what exactly the deal is between me and Alastor. I mean, I don't want you finding out from him. He'll be more interested in showing off than sharing the facts."

He listened again to her reply and answered. "I'm almost done with helping out Niffty with cleaning. Maybe I'll head to my room next and we could talk everything over." She replied more, and he sighed in relief. "Thanks. It's nothing bad really, just complicated. But I want to be straight with you if we're gonna…if you're gonna be my gal." He blushed and cringed and felt stupid the moment the phrase left his mouth. But when she replied back in a soothing sweet way and ended by calling him 'her fella', he felt so good inside that a purr echoed in his chest (which he quickly pushed down with some pretend coughing). "Yeah, well…glad to be…yours."

Husk finished with the last portrait and stepped back. "Anyway, I just got one more thing to do. I figured I'd dust off the chandelier in the ballroom for when you come in case…you know…anyone wants to dance or whatever." He grumbled, trying to sound indifferent.

A giggle met his ear followed by a remark that she was certain he was a very skilled and flexible dancer, and those words made him absolutely flush. "I-I don't dance! I mean, I could, I just never have anyone around I want to dance with. But you'll be here so, you know…" When she giggled again and said some nice things to him about looking forward to being together too, Husk almost smiled. "Yeah…" She went on, more quietly now. His voice softened and he smiled a little. "Hey, I told you, don't worry about the spider body so much. I'll lead while we dance if you're nervous about tripping. I'll make sure you're okay." She sighed dreamily and called him something nice sounding in Italian, and Husk smiled dreamily too.

Then he entered the ballroom and found the unexpected and completely ridiculous sight of Angel and Alastor sitting on the stage with Fat Nuggets between them. Angel held some different fabric samples and Alastor had a sketchpad at his side, all of which suggested that perhaps some kind of productive work had been getting done earlier. But for now the two demons just sat close, holding hands and gazing at each other, lost in their own little world.

Molly's voice came from Husk's phone again, and he blinked. "Uh, yeah, I'm still here. And so are Angel and Alastor now. Hooray…" He replied loudly.

The two demons snapped out of their reverie. Angel glanced at Husk with a smirk while Alastor glowed brightly and crossed his arms and tried to pretend like his microphone was the most interesting thing in the world.

Husk put his hand over the phone and whispered loudly to the two guys. "Angel, does your sister know that you're dating the red menace over there or does she think you're just friends?"

Alastor glared at Husk but Angel just whispered back. "She thinks we're just friends! I'm gonna tell her the truth when we all meet up."

Husk nodded then uncovered the phone. "Oh, they were just…getting started on cleaning in here too. Small world. Guess we all want the whole place to look nice. Uh…could I call you back in a bit? I just want to talk about some preparation stuff with them…" He blushed again at the sound of her blowing him a kiss. "Bye, Molly." He hung up the phone.

Angel chucked. "You're having long calls with my sister about nothing in particular. Sounds like you two are practically steady."

Husk sighed and lowered the phone. "Yeah, it's just like high school and everything. Pretty soon I'll pin her and we can go to the sock hop after we stop at the burger joint for a malted."

Alastor clenched his jaw. "What are you doing in here, and why are you sporting this new, amusing look?"

Husk didn't flinch or blush or scramble to get rid of the bandana and dust cloths. "I'm cleaning. 'A' — So I can help Niffty, especially since she covered for me so much about Molly. And 'B' — Because we're expecting guests and one of them in a lady and she's my lady, and I want to show her a good time. And what are you doing to get this place ready?"

Alastor held his head high. "We were also preparing for the arrival of Angel's siblings! We are discussing what ensemble Fat Nuggets should have for the event. Doing so in here gave us the opportunity to use the stage as a catwalk should we need Nuggets to model anything." He glowed a little more. "…And at the moment we were just finishing a small break and getting ready to…finalize decisions."

Husk scoffed. "Oh, yeah, great. I mean, YOU could do all this cleaning stuff for Niffty and for me in a fraction of the time between your magic and your shadow and your tentacles, but playtime first works too. You're the boss after all."

"I am indeed!" Alastor challenged, letting his grin grow in an intimidating way.

Husk was unfazed. "Yeah, well, don't let me interrupt." The ballroom was just big enough for Husk to generate his own gust of air if he flapped his wings hard a few times. He did so, and a moment later he was flying. He made a quick pass with a rag around the chandelier then glided back down to the floor. "There, now that I'm done putting in a hard day's work, I'm taking a break. And I'm finishing my conversation with Molly. I'm sure you can take care of yourself for a bit." Seeing Alastor on the edge of hurling another insult at him, Husk turned and left.

Husk went to his room, locked the door, discarded his dishcloths and bandana, and threw himself onto his bed. He dialed Molly again; this time he pressed the speaker button and set the phone on his nightstand. He wanted his hands free so he could at least grip a pillow while he finally told her everything about his deal with Alastor, even the parts of the story that made him angry at himself.

"Husky!" Moly's happy voice sounded right away. "Glad you're back — how's Angel? And, uh…how's Alastor? And how are you?"

He sighed deeply. "Angel seems happy. Alastor…he's good, but hey he's the one holding all the cards. And I'm…" He rolled over, looking at the ceiling, "I'm okay, I guess…I mean, I'm always better when we talk." He blushed a little. "I guess I'm just nervous that you might be disappointed in me when you hear everything about me and the Radio Demon."

She was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke again. "Husk, ya ain't gonna disappoint me. Everyone's got regrets. And everyone tries to live through 'em." She laughed nervously. "Heck, I was pretty convinced for a while that you were pushing me away cuz you didn't want to be with someone selfish enough to give up a chance at heaven for hell, regardless of the reasons."

His eyes widened. "What? No! I wanted you safe in heaven if it could happen but… You're NOT selfish Molly. You're trying to live your own life and be there for the people who need you."

"Thanks." She swallowed. "I, uh…made some potentially disappointing choices in life too though, ya know. Stuff I ain't even told my brothers yet. Stuff about how I ended up in Purgatory in the first place…"

"Don't worry about back then. This is a new life for all of us. You can tell me more about your life whenever you're ready. And I'll tell you about me back then too." His look softened. "I want to tell you everything, Molly. I just…figured I'd start with stuff here."

He could hear a smile in her voice. "I'm listening. And I'm here, mio gatto."

He relaxed at the affectionate name. Then he cringed and blurted out the basics. "Years ago I owned that Cat-Themed Casino you saw once, and I was on my way to becoming an overlord of greed. But I had a streak of bad luck with other overlords who wanted me gone. I made a bet with Alastor — winner take all. And I ended up stuck having to make a deal with him. Now he owns my soul, and I've got nothing — no cash, no casino, no clout. I'm just a cat on call for him 24/7. And now you know what you're getting into. I'm not my own man."

He knew it was a lot. She might need to hang up and take some time to consider the whole ugly truth.

Instead she sighed. "Husky… Things were going good until they weren't, and now things are different. There's nothing to be ashamed of. But I'm sorry that what happened hurt you and made you lose some confidence." He heard the smile come back. "As far as I'm concerned, what I'm getting into is being with a guy who takes responsibility for his choices and who tries his best no matter what and who cares a lot…even if he doesn't get a lot of chances to feel comfortable showing it. And I'll tell you secret…" Husk leaned closer to the phone, eyes wide. Molly playfully whispered. "I'm not trying to date you cuz I'm angling on getting into politics or high rolling. I'm trying to date you cuz you make me smile and you listen to me good and I think we could have something nice together — regardless of whoever thinks he's pulling your strings."

Husk was beaming. But then he frowned a little. "Alastor really does have power over me. I think the only reason he's not taking me away from you for fun is because he knows it would make you and Angel unhappy."

"Well, now he's gonna have another reason to leave you be. Cuz if he did take you away, I would tear apart hell and his whole territory and his whole overlord life to get you back so you could make your own choice about staying or going. And I've got a feeling you'd do the same for me. He's never met the likes of us, Husky, and especially not when we have each other."

Husks' heart was pounding, and suddenly he wished she was here so he could grab her and dip her back and kiss her like there was no tomorrow. "I would. I mean, I'd do that for you — all of it. I've already kind of been standing up to him more… for you and for me. And it feels good. For a long time I was just going along with whatever happened because I didn't see a point in trying to change things. But I'm ready to try now. And I want to help you try too."

"I'm really happy to have your help, Husky. We're gonna decide our own futures." She sighed. "I'm actually really curious to meet Alastor. I'm hearing a lot of mixed things about him."

Husk raised an eyebrow. "He's…not all bad, I guess. I've just had bad experiences with him."

"Was there something that seemed good about him when you met that made you want to give him a chance?"

He sighed deeply. "I was…into him…for like five seconds. He's persuasive. Nothing actually happened and I snapped out of it quick."

"… He hurt your heart like that?"

Husk's eyes widened at the undertone of rage toward the Radio Demon in her voice. But he didn't have it in him to shoot Alastor down entirely when he knew Angel probably really wanted his siblings to like his new partner. Also, Niffty had said Alastor had been asking after him a little more. And also he wouldn't lie. "I did most of the hurting myself. He acted coy but made no promises. I got carried away and made assumptions… We were both going through some stuff. He's just the one of us who came out on top in the end." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, I don't want to make you have a problem with him. He and Angel are, uh…good friends. Just take him in stride. He's got his own issues too or whatever."

"Hmm…so understanding, Husky." She laughed, and the tense tone was gone. "Okay, I'll keep an open mind. Same advice ta you for my brothers though — when they officially get introduced ta ya knowing we're together now, they're probably gonna be all dramatic and protective, especially Niss. Just let 'em get it out of their systems. They know not to push it."

"I can't blame 'em anyway." He smiled a little. "They want to be sure you're getting the best."

"But they also accept now that I know what's best for me. And you're it, mio gatto."

"You're pretty great for me too, Molly."

"Maybe I'll stick around the hotel a few days — while we deal with my Pops."

Husk's eyes widened. "I'd like that a lot." He cleared his throat. "You know, if you want…"

"It's a date." She giggled. "Gotta go now. I'm picking out an outfit for the big meeting. Ciao."

"Bye, Molly."

Molly giggled again and hung up. Husk sighed deeply and hugged his pillow. And he smiled. She liked him just for him. It wasn't a feeling he was used to, but it was a really good one.

"Why did no one tell me Husk could fly?"

Angel asked Alastor this question in awe the second Husk had left the ballroom.

Alastor tilted his head. "You've seen his wings from the start. Certainly you could deduce it."

"I don't know, he's also a cat, I figured the wings were just some random extra hell appendages for show." Angel shrugged and grinned. "Heh, oh Molly must love that. He could pick her up and fly her off into the sunset and everything. Gets to show off some extra muscle work too."

Alastor pouted a little. "Flying isn't so very impressive. And being muscular isn't…everything. Yes, Husker is sturdy and capable. He doesn't have to show it off though…on top of questioning my commitment to having your siblings visit go well."

"I, uh…don't think he was?" Angel raised an eyebrow. "You two still having problems?"

"No…maybe…yes…." Alastor crossed his arms. Nuggets nuzzled him, and he scratched the pig's head. "Nothing specific happened, but the dynamic has now descended into volatile."

"Has that happened before with any of the souls you made deals with? How did you fix it then?"

"Ate them — if I knew they were plotting against me. Or I sent them on highly dangerous lethal missions if I thought there was a chance I could scare them back into useful submission."

Angel's look went dry. "See, I know you're serious right now, and I get that the 'ruthless cannibal' rep is a big part of your overlord image. But I also I think deep down you know that's really not a great way to be in charge of people who work for you. Messing with evil people who won't quit is one thing, messing with desperate employees is another…"

Alastor furrowed his brow a little. "How I conduct myself as an overlord is my own business." His look softened. "I don't mean to dismiss your opinion. But…however powerful I may be, it has not been easy to get to where I am today. Certain actions became required." Yet he was looking down, his smile small

Angel nodded. "Fair, I get it. You don't get ahead in hell politics by cutting people slack." His tone softened as well. "And I know, when it comes to the souls you got deals with, they made the choice to make a deal. But I also know that you can be a good boss to work for. I've seen it — with Niffty, for example. You're great with her." Angel swallowed. "Take it from someone who knows what having a seriously shitty overlord boss is like. You're better than that by miles."

Alastor blinked and his ears as well as the corners of his smile turned down in some guilt. "The 'employees' I've punished…usually weren't souls I had known for long or gotten at all close to. Though I suppose I've tended to view most demons as expendable unless they entertain me or assist me, even if I only execute the most vicious ones I find." He winced. "That behavior really does sound rather cruel, doesn't it?"

Angel sighed. "I'm not here to judge. But maybe you're getting a little more sensitive to how treating people like that affects 'em. And maybe that could be a good thing. Like you're starting to care more."

"I do." Alastor said the words very quietly. "I'm not saying it would cause me any qualms to do something like go outside right now and mow down every mob demon watching this hotel — especially since they are threatening your comfort. But… I will say I would never risk Husker's safety by sending him out there to deal with them as some kind of punishment." His eyes darted around for a moment. "Ha! I find myself analyzing my motives more carefully, considering the consequences of what I do, weighing right and wrong on my end. And it did start when I came to this hotel and began caring about a great many more people a great deal more than I had ever dared before." He bit his lip, still looking down. "Also, with Husker…the reason why I brought him into my service in the first place wasn't just entertainment or convenience. There was something faintly…ugh…emotional in play as well. And perhaps we both might do well with some closure there." His face glowed a little.

He glanced over to notice Angel, who had been staring at him, blink then blush and look down.

"Oh." The spider replied. "Uh…yeah, I guess you did say you kind of flirted with Husk to trick him into making his deal. I know you care about me, but…if you had a crush on him that you need to work through, especially now that you're spending a more time together and he's seeing someone else, that's okay. I-I mean, like I said, he's strong and tough and serious. I get why Molly likes him and why you might've held a little torch for him too deep down."

Alastor took Angel's hand in his own and squeezed firmly until the spider looked at him. "I did enjoy the fact that Husk had an attraction to me, however brief and unwise. But I never had any such feelings in return for him, I assure you. I have genuinely and sincerely never…pined for anyone as I do you. My issue with Husk was something much simpler…stemming from the fact that I was quite lonely at the time for reasons that I may explain to you one day when I feel up to the embarrassing task." His ears flicked. "You have my word. And…my heart, of course."

Angel was wide-eyed and blushing. Then he came forward and took Alastor's face in two of his hands and kissed him deeply. Sparks ran up and down Alastor's ears at the sudden gesture.

Angel finally released him, panting. "Sorry. I think…not only were you jealous over me for a sec, but then I was jealous over you too. And it was hot. And everything you just said was even hotter." He pulled back and shrugged with a sheepish smile, arms crossed.

"Oh. I see." Alastor touched his mouth and felt a pleasant aura of static running over his body.

"Thanks for clearing things up for me." Angel's eyes hazed. "And just so you know, you don't have to be jealous just cuz other demons like Husk have certain attractive qualities. You got plenty of your own. Clearly I haven't been doing enough to remind you of 'em." He moved closer, eyeing Alastor a little.

Alastor was a glowing and smiling mess of delight, his spine straight as he leaned back to regain his bearings, letting Nuggets come between them. "Now, now, you do quite well! You're very…articulate in your aesthetic appraisals."

Angel giggled. "Yeah, but I really like to go above and beyond for you. So I was thinking, before my siblings show up, how about we have another date. A special one…"

"Special?"

"The one where I put on a little private pole dance show for you in my room…and maybe afterwards you spend the night, huh?"

Alastor felt his spine shiver and heat bloom in his gut. "I-I…certainly you'd rather spend the next few days preparing for your siblings…"

"I can only do so much prep before I start to get too worked up. I need to do something to unwind, and I'm guessing you do too." Angel interlaced his fingers with Alastor's and lowered his voice. "I got a whole special act planned. I promise it's tasteful and sinful all at once." He swallowed. "I want to give you your first intro to my sexual side. If you're still up for it."

Alastor took a very deep breath in and out. "Yes, I am still quite interested." His voice was low too. "Can this date be one where all the details stay between us? I…this is all very new for me, and I'd prefer to…"

Angel caught his gaze. "It's a 'for your eyes only' kind of show. No one else is ever gonna know what we do. So you can get comfortable and figure out what you like. And I can know for the first time that I got an audience who appreciates me and not just my body."

Alastor glowed so golden that a cherry red spot was visible on his cheeks. "Then I do believe we have a date, mon ange."

Angel's smile grew and he gave Alastor a small hug around his shoulders then pulled back. "Now, come on — let's go upstairs and finish putting together Nuggets' outfit in private, huh?"

"One moment first." Alastor clenched his hand and a drop of blood fell. Then he snapped his fingers. "There we go. I've assigned some tentacles to take care of cleaning up the outside of the building. Not only will that make the place look rather presentable and deter Niffty and Husker from attempting to do it themselves, but it'll certainly give those mob spies quite a terrifying show." He chuckled.

Angel laughed. "You big eldritch softie." He picked up Nuggets. "Want to walk upstairs with our little guy or…"

"Let's teleport. I do like being closer for it." Smirking, Alastor shifted close to let a giggling Angel climb into his lap with the pig. The happy trio disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

It had been more than a few days since Valentino had promised himself that he'd get his shit together, get off the couch, get over Vox and Velvet leaving, and start running his studio again like the goddamn overlord of lust he was.

Granted he hadn't managed to just wake up one morning and step right back into his former glory. But last night he'd gotten to bed before dawn, and this morning he'd woken up before noon, and then he's showered and dressed and managed to grab himself breakfast (even if it was just a stale donut and a big cup of sweet black coffee). He'd even made a quick round of the studio, stony glare meeting every underling who saw him to remind them all that he was alive and he was boss.

The effort of getting back to some kind of morning routine had been a lot though. By the afternoon, he was ready for some time to himself. He didn't want to go back to the VIP lounge or his attached apartment though — the whole place reeked of booze and weed and other smells of depression. Normally he would have had someone from the cleanup crew give the place a once over. But he didn't want anyone seeing how he'd been living. So Valentino had made an effort at cleaning on his own by shoving all his dirty clothes in a laundry bag, tossing all the half eaten food and greasy takeout boxes into the trash bag, and opening a window to air things out. Now that the worst of the signs of his misery were handled, tomorrow he'd have a real cleaning crew come in to get the place up to the high standards he deserved.

Still nursing his coffee, Valentino snuck out into the alley behind the studio. Afternoon meant it too late for any junkies or whores to still be sleeping in the gutters but too early for them to show up here for another night of partying. The alley was quiet and he was alone.

Val inhaled deeply over his coffee. He decided he'd done good this morning and that as a reward he would send someone to get him chicken burgers from that fast food place he liked.

It was at this moment that a bullet whizzed right past his shoulder, missing his flesh but successfully blasting straight through his cup. All of the remaining coffee flowed onto the ground.

"Shit!" Valentino dropped the remains of the cup then snarled and looked out into the alley. "Who in the fuck?!" His eyes glowed.

"Good. I've got your attention."

Valentino was pretty familiar with all the powerful figures in the Pentagram. After all, pretty much all of them (with the exception of that freak Radio Demon) secured their sexual services through him. And only someone with a lot of power and balls would have dared take a shot at him. But he didn't recognize this demon's voice; aged and gravelly with a hint of an accent, speaking in a slow but somehow commanding tone.

Looking into the shadows, Val saw a large figure wearing a fedora of all things. He had two red, glowing eyes that were narrowed. He blew the smoke off the end of his gun barrel.

Valentino glared. "You must be new around here. And stupid. I'm an overlord, and no one takes a shot at me and lives."

"Now they do," the voice said simply. "And speaking of not living… I'm gonna ask you some questions. And if I don't like the answers, I'm gonna snap my fingers, a few dozen of my men are gonna drop down from every one of these rooftops, and you're gonna spend the rest of your afterlife swimming in a lake of fire with cement shoes. Capiche?"

"Capiche?" Valentino almost chuckled. "What the fuck is this, some two bit mafia movie?"

"Close. But no two bits. And no movie." And then the figure stepped forward out of the shadows. He was a large spider demon — a tarantula — with black and grey hair. "Henroin. Don of the Cinque Punte Mob. I run the pulse of each arm of this Pentagram. And I'd suggest you shut up, cooperate, and mind your manners." He smiled a little, cleaning his gun. "I'm doing you an honor really. I normally send my lieutenants to broker meetings. But this is personal, about family, so I figured I'd show up myself instead."

Valentino's look went dry. "Can you cut the intimidating crap and just tell me what you want? I'm trying to run a business here, and I'm too tired for dramatic bullshit."

"Hmm…you get to the point. I like that." He tapped the gun to his chin. "Yes, business… we're both businessmen. But a very important employee of mine recently went missing. And he's been seen with an employee of yours."

"I…can't even describe how much what you just said doesn't narrow down ANYTHING."

Henroin cocked the gun. "The one who went missing is my son, Arackniss. And the one he was seen with…is someone you call Angel Dust."

"So Angel Dust whored himself out to your kid? How is that my prob—"

Henroin was in front of him in an instant, gun aimed at his chest, fangs bared. He still had that air of control about him, but underneath something seethed. "My SON Arackniss is not some unnatural pervert! He is Angel's brother. And he was seen with Angel climbing onto the airship belonging to the overlord Sir Pentious."

Valentino blinked. "Wait… so you're…you're Angel's fath—"

Henroin spit on the ground. "I disowned that disappointment a lifetime ago. I've only got one son. And my question to you is, what the hell is my son doing with your main attraction? Because so help me if you nabbed Niss to sell him to overlords like that snake to do unnatural things with his good-for-nothing brother, I'll tie you to a pole in the heart of the Pentagram, drench you in chianti, set you on fire, and leave you there til next Extermination Day!"

Val studied the stony face of rage before him for a moment. Then he sighed. "Well, now I get why I never heard about you from Angel. You're one of those buttoned up parents who can't get over your puritanical bullshit even in Hell. Had one of those myself once… He didn't get that I had my own definition of what it means to be a man." He shifted, and let one of his legs appear from behind his coat — covered in a fishnet stocking. "Lust loves all kinds…"

Henroin snarled in disgust. "I'm a sinner, not an animal. And I'm only lowering myself to talk to you because I want my son back. NOW. And I mean the son that's still worth something as long as he's resisted going through with your perversions. The Nancy boy you can keep."

Valentino crossed his arms. "I don't have your kid. Believe me, if I did, I'd have signs out front advertising the Dust Brothers and already selling tickets to the orgy."

Henroin snapped his fingers.

Val saw glowing eyes of all colors appear on the ledges of every rooftop surrounding the alley. The demons they belonged to were all armed and aiming at him.

Henroin's voice was low. "I snap one more time and we'll tear you to pieces."

Valentino swallowed but held his ground. "Fine, threaten me — but I still don't have your son. And I don't want anything to do with your 'cops and robbers' mob bullshit. If you want to find him, ask Angel." He narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "And speaking of Angel, if you ever corner me like this again maybe I'll start spreading around town that he's your pretty little boy. Wonder what that'll do to your tough reputation."

"Shut up." Henroin lowered his hand, and the demons receded into their rooftop shadows once more. He stepped back from Val. "I'm only talking to you because I don't like to embarrass the family by talking to Angel. If I find out you're lying to me about what you know, I'll come back here and kill you all the way. I'm talking 'bullet from a heaven rifle' straight through you."

"You have a heaven rifle?" Val raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"I have anything I want if I call in enough favors," Henroin simply replied. He went to step back into the shadows and depart.

"You know…we might be able to help each other."

Henroin paused and just stared at Valentino, waiting for him to go on.

So Valentino did, a little unsure about this impulsive choice but also suddenly feeling vulnerable without Vox and Velvet at his side for serious conflict like this one. "Angel's been spending a little too much time with a new friend of his. A REAL degenerate — the Radio Demon. Unless 'gay sex' ranks higher on your shit list than 'public cannibalism done by a serial killer'…"

Henroin narrowed his eyes.

Valentino went on. "Maybe I can coax Angel into spilling where Niss is and pass on the info to you. And in return you can find an opportunity to kill off the Radio Demon for me. See, Alastor is pretty powerful, however much I hate to admit it. If Angel finds out you're looking for Niss and doesn't want to drop a dime on his brother, he might run to Alastor for protection. And then we might never hear from Angel or Niss or Alastor ever again. But if I break down Angel a little to make him talk…and you deliver a nice punishing blow by taking out his big bad friend…we all get what we want. Your kid goes back to you, and Angel remembers his place."

Henroin was quiet, considering. "My organization doesn't usually get involved in politics. Or with scum like you. Too messy. However…" He tucked his gun into his suit jacket, "I'll consider your offer. See what you can get out of your 'star'. But I won't go looking for the Radio Demon. I'll only take him out if he chooses to insert himself between me and getting back my boy."

Val smirked. "Fair. So we've got a deal?"

"We have…an arrangement. For now." Henroin receded into the shadows. "Be careful. One of us is always going to be watching. And I'll be in touch. Soon."

A moment later he was gone…but Val had a feeling he was indeed still being watched. He lit a cigarette, took a long drag, then headed inside and didn't exhale fully until the door was shut safely behind him. Vox would have said that what he'd just done was impulsive and reckless. Velvet would have annoyed Henroin with a million questions until he either left in frustration or attacked her which would have ended talks by making Val and Vox attack him.

But Valentino knew he was on his own now. And he had to make all the decisions. He would handle this mess he had chosen to get himself into. Most importantly, this new deal with Henroin gave him two big advantages he'd been wanting — the chance to fuck over Angel without Alastor catching onto the fact that he was the one fucking over Angel, and the chance to be done with the 'almighty' Radio Demon and all the damage that lust-immune fucker had been doing to his life lately once and more all.

Smirking, Val strolled to the kitchen for a fresh cup of coffee and then back upstairs to the lounge to watch the floor show get set up while he patted himself on the back. He'd made a smart move by teaming up with Henroin. What could go wrong?

A/N:

That's all for now! Thank you so much for reading and for your support ^w^ Things with Henroin are going to get complicated fast for Val and everyone else. I hope you like what's next!

Take care!

-Azure129