Chapter Text
Angel grips his knees tightly, digging his acrylics into his flesh to distract himself from the tears he wouldn’t let fall. Not here. Not in front of Velvet and certainly not in front of Val. How could he let this happen? Why couldn’t he have noticed? Why couldn’t he have stoped it?! Is it not enough that his body no longer belongs to him, it has to be his mind too? Angel bites his lip to resist from screaming out in frustration and hurt, vaguely acknowledging the metallic taste lining the tip of his tongue. He lets his eyes wonder from couch he’s seated at to look up at Val, he’s watching him with something akin to pity in his eyes, a feeling so foreign on Valentino’s face that Angel has to look away. Velvet is on her phone, which isn’t out of the ordinary but her expression is tighter than usual. Her face often bore an expression of annoyance and bitchy-ness but instead the lines read of and anger borderline hurt, reminding him just how young she really is in comparison to someone like Val or even himself. Angel has spend decades with the Vees and not once were things as tense within them as they were now. Finally, Angel turns to his side to face Alastor for the first time since he quit the hotel. He was staring at Angel too, expression held in a tight smile but otherwise unreadable. Angel, taking pride in understanding and decoding every twitch and eyebrow raise on someone’s face, feels his mood sour more at his lack of comprehension.
“What?” Angel bites out, voice a bit too high.
“Hm?” Alastor cocks his head to the side in an exaggerated display of confusion.
“Quit starin’, just tell me what you want,” Angel bellows.
“Oh nothing my dear,” Alastor responds, his voice far too cheerful for their current predicament, “Merely observing you. I can’t help but notice your lack of restraints.”
Angle looks away ashamed.
“You’re working with the Vees.”
“I’ve always worked with Val.”
Alastor lets out a clipped laugh, “Not like this, you work for Vox.”
It isn’t a question so Angel doesn’t try to fight it. He turns back to Alastor noticing the resentment in his features.
Angle can’t find it in him to force on his persona so instead of what he wishes would be a smirked and cocky response he just lets out in a defeated voice, “Don’t tell me you of all people feel betrayed.”
Alastor’s eye twitches but he makes up for the slip in his expression with a tight smile, “Oh no, not myself. But the Princess, the hotel,” Alastor pauses, eyes darkening, “Husker. I’d say they’d feel rather betrayed if they knew what you’d been doing this whole time.”
Angel feels wetness leak from his eyes but he can’t find the energy in himself to wipe it away, “Yeah,” he has to fight back a sob, “yeah, no, you’re right.”
Behind them, the door bursts open causing a small flinch to ripple through Angel.
Vox lets out an echoed laugh, marching over to Alastor, “Things are really falling together aren’t they!” Vox grabs Alastor’s face in his claws harshly, “Finally seeing it, Al?”
Alastor’s ears droop back, loud static ringing throughout the room and he holds Vox’s smirk with a glare.
“I’d like to see you laugh now.”
Alastor’s ears perk back up and his snarl turns to a giddy smirk, letting out a loud and long giggle, “Oh, Vox-”
A slap echoes through to room, so fast that Angel didn’t see it coming. It seems Alastor didn’t either if the wideness of his eyes were anything to go by. Blood leaks from the swollen skin of his cheek and Alastor winces, wiping it gently on his shoulder as he fixes Vox another glare.
“One more word from you and I’ll have the mask put back on,” Vox smiles, pulling one of Alastor’s ear, “Or maybe a muzzle is more fitting?”
The static around them intensifies but Vox just laughs, unaffected. He kicks the chair Alastor is tied to, launching it away from the Vees and Angel and over towards the window.
“Velvet, Val, get Angel dressed and ready,” Vox walked over to Angel with a cruel smile, pulling him upright from his seat by the collar.
“Wait!” Angel cries but it falls on deaf ears as Vox’s eye begin to swirl.
No, no, no. He needs to do something to stop this, he needs to stay conscious just a bit longer to come up with a plan. Angel shuts his eyes but they’re forced open by Vox’s callous grip. Instead he forces himself to break eye contact and his eyes immediately fall to Alastor, hoping that maybe, maybe, he isn’t as stuck as Angel. Please, make good of your fucking title and do something for once. But Alastor doesn’t move, just stares back at him with an expression of shock. Vox’s eyes meets his own once again. Angel chocks on a sob as defeat infests his body and mind along with Vox’s control. Suddenly, he doesn’t know what there is to cry about. This is Vox, Angel shouldn’t cry in the presence of such a powerful and righteous leader, for what was there in need of tears for when he’s around? Then, the world around him silences and he’s encased in darkness. And he doesn’t even remember his own name.
The screaming rain cuts Vox’s obnoxious laugh short and Alastor takes great joy in the way Vox falters in shock.
“The fuck? What the fuck was that?” Vox looks around in mild embarrassment and if it wasn’t for the burning pain in Alastor’s cheek, he might have held a genuine smile.
Alastor watches as Vox straightens his jacket and momentarily meets Alastor’s gaze with a threatening grin.
“Tell me if Angel starts to wake up,” Vox tells the other Vees.
Before either one can respond, Vox begins messaging Lucifer his location, displayed on his screen. At least Alastor doesn’t have to look at Vox’s face anymore. Small victories. Surprisingly, Alastor finds his attention falling back to Angel Dust, the latter’s expression frozen in a look of pained desperation as Vox’s hypnotism runs its course. He hates how much relief it brings him with the knowledge that the spider hadn’t betrayed Charlie nor the hotel, it was just Vox’s influence that had invaded Alastor’s life (once again). What he hates even more is that Alastor’s relief is pathetically aimed at the princess. Had Alastor grown so weak in his seven year absence that he had picked up such a useless feeling like fondness? No, of course not. The Radio Demon does not care for any souls. The Morningstar daughter is needed for his plan to work, if she thinks Angel Dust betrayed her, she no doubt become and emotional wreak and put Alastor’s own safety in jeopardy. That was all. A swirl of fire appears in the middle of the room and interrupts his thoughts, drawing his eyes on the pompous entrance.
“Charlie! My beautiful, smart and lovely daughter whom I’m so very sorry to! I’m-” Lucifer’s voice digresses, looking around the tower with wide eyes, “here…” he trails off as he makes eye contact with Vox’s smug look.
“It’s a pleasure you could join us your majesty!”
Lucifer’s form exploded with flames, “Where the hell is my daughter you flat faced noise machine?!” He spits as fire cracked out with his breath.
Vox laughs, an even look on his face, “Oh, I’m sure we could get her to join us too if you’d like,” Vox walks over to him with ease, “Do as I say and maybe I won’t make you watch as I skin her alive.”
Lucifer’s breath hitches and his face crumbles, letting his demon form wither away. Alastor almost groans as Vox ties a golden rope around Lucifer who makes no effort to escape it. How stupid is this man? “Where is she?” Lucifer whispers.
“Oh that’s none of your concern, not yet.”
“Have you hurt her?” Lucifer’s voice breaks along the words, looking more desperate and small than Alastor had ever seen from him.
“For the King of Hell you sure are gullible,” Alastor mocks, “Your daughter is fine, most likely tucked away safely at the hotel.”
Vox turns to him, crackling with electricity, “You son of a bitch! I told you to shut your mouth!” he screams ballistic, “Valentino! Get the mask!”
Valentino turns to him with an annoyed glare, “You told me to help Vel dress Angel.”
“Yes and now i’m telling you to get the fucking mask.”
Valentino throws Angel Dust’s skirt to the ground,"!Maldito lunático obsesivo! !Uf! ! Qué suerte tienes de ser tan guapo, Vox!" he mutters as he leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.
“From Florida my arse!” Vox squawks through the door.
Lucifer’s eyes are left wide and enraged, “How did he get Charlie’s voice?” Lucifer directs to Alastor but doesn’t let his eyes leave the back of Vox’s head.
Alastor opens his mouth to respond but its shut as Vox wraps more of his cables around his mouth, tight enough that Alastor is sure it will leave a mark.
“No more out of you,” Vox says lowly before turning to Lucifer, “I might not have your daughter but I know where she is and I know all her weak spots. Even if she won’t trust me, she’ll trust Angel Dust,” he gestures to the hypnotised demon, “With him under my control, bringing her to the tower and capturing her will be a piece of cake.”
Lucifer’s breath comes out in slow and audible puffs, he looks terrified. It’s not an expression that should be worn in the presence of someone like Vox and Alastor is once again reminded how much of a moron was leading Hell.
“How do I know you aren’t bluffing again?” Hm, Maybe he is smarter than Alastor originally thought.
“Do you really want to risk the only family you have left on a chance?”
Lucifer bites his lip and turns his gaze to Alastor, his eyes begging for the Radio Demon to give him something to work with. Alastor sighs through his nose, he’s just inviting Vox to slap him again at this point but he can’t allow whatever Vox’s plan was to work. He needs Vox to be powerful, yes, but not powerful enough to overtake Heaven. He won’t allow Vox that victory so easily. So, reluctantly Alastor broadcasts his voice through the speakers in the corner of the room.
“A word of advice that I find more sinners should follow by,” Alastor begins, ignoring the way Vox is marching towards him with a dangerous glint in his eyes, “half the things you hear from Vox’s mouth will be a lie. He can’t hurt Charlie, there’s a deal preventing him from doing so.”
Vox’s hand went for Alastor’s throat but the lack of oxygen didn’t interfere with the broadcast so he continues.
“Besides, his hypnosis doesn’t work like that, as long as Angel Dust is under the hypnosis, there will be the swirls you see in his eyes now and Charlie will notice immediately and not trust a word he says. Do not trust Vox, not a word he will tell you is the truth.”
Vox lets out a cry in exhilaration as he lifts Alastor up by the neck and throws him down to the floor. Alastor feels his skull crack on the tile floor and pain erupts through his body before loosing consciousness.