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Something wet hits the floor followed by a stuttered cough.
A shadow the size of a mountain overtakes the body on the floor just by standing up, and does worse when it raises a barbed tail into the air and brings it back down upon the striken little shape before it.
Like an avalanche of power that the beaten body can't get away from and gets a dose of its carnage stabbed into his lower chest.
No longer did the small form cough up blood, no longer did he look in terror up at the powerful force before his eyes!
No, now he seized where he finally came to a stop at the other end of the room.
He choked on air as wave after wave of agony road through his little form.
Worst yet, the mountain behind him finally spoke, and in those few words, was the final blow needed that told the spider struggling for life that, his struggling was over-
He was done!
"Ta think, I called you my son!"
Glass shattered with outward force as the beast took hold of his broken son and heaved him outside, where trash belonged!
The form above in the building only watched a moment at the body below, blood red eyes daggering it until he felt his rage was complete. Then, without disregard for the life he'd thrown away, Henroin turned back into his office and called for someone to clean up the mess.
-
"Cherri, I have a bad feeling bout why Pop's gott'a hold of me!" A long creamy white spider Demon spoke softly as he and his one eyed friend carefully made their way to the part of town he was told to go.
A part of town the Spider Demons Pop's ran with an iron fist.
Nothing could be good if his Pop's got a hold of him and told him to come at once.
He felt dumb for going in the first place but-
He felt he needed to!
Thus, with his friend beside him, assuring him that they'd kick anyone's ass that they met, the creamy white spider Demon kept on the path, looking at his phone every few steps to see how much further it was he needed to get.
A sick dread pooled in his stomach, then out his mouth as a beep beep beep sounded, announcing they'd made it to their destination.
That destination being, a broken bloody body!
"SHIT! ISN'T THA-"
"NISS!?"
Spitting out some of the vomit left within his mouth, Angel Dust broke from his friend and hurried to his brother's side.
He wasn't moving was the first thing Angel noted as he sank to his knees and held his hands out but didn't touch the body.
He was barely breathing-
He lay crumpled and broken, bloody and torn. A sign to Angel that he'd last been with Pop's and this time, didn't make it out!
"Ch.. Cherri, t..the phone!"
The cyclops fumbled with her best friend's phone and pulled up his contacts.
Without needing to be told who to grab ahold of, she pressed the only one she knew had her besties back and settled in beside him as the cell phone rang in the unnatural quiet between them.
-
"Easy, eaaasy-" Charlie spoke softly as Angel Dust carefully cradled his brother's small form close to his chest when his door was open and he could exit the limousine.
The ride back to the Hotel was nothing but agonizing silence save for the ragged little breaths Arackniss made as he tried to hang on.
Now, in a blur of activity, sounds, and bodies, Angel found himself overwhelmed into breaking down once more and pressed his face within his brother's blood dried furry neck. Any kind of warmth he possessed right now sent to the body in his arms.
"Holy SHIT!" Husker shouted as the spider brothers came into the foyer.
Niffty was already off grabbing what she could to start fixing the older brother up, bandages, washcloths, anything she could carry on her first trip.
Alastor stood back, no longer smiling at the state of the two spider brothers that passed by him.
The long hair tufts on top of his head flicked downwards some whilst his eyes grew a vivid crimson red, symbols forming around him in a blackened aura.
WhoMEVER did this to the creamy spider Demon, was going to get a rude visit from him soon!
He'd NEVER seen the spider in such a state until now and felt his antlers growing alongside his claws.
NO! ONE! Messed with the Radio Demon's 'friends' and got away with it!
"Give them room! Move, move!" Niffty shouted and pushed herself into the crowd of bodies that gathered to see what was going on.
"BACK OFF!!" Husker finally snapped when Vaggie tried to get a better look at the damage done only to fall backwards as the large cat Demon flipped out.
"We can be helpful and fetch whatever it is Niffty might need since she's set on her task~" Charlie whispered to her partner, holding her back gently.
With the crowd easing from around him, Angel finally unburied his face from his brother's neck fluff and allowed a tenderly spoken Niffty a chance to see what she was dealing with.
"You can hold him again in a moment, I really do need to see the rest of him first-" Niffty was speaking softly to Angel.
In a broken form of his flamboyant self, the once outspoken, bouncy spider whimpered in pain as he softly placed his broken brothers body down so's Niffty could indeed, see to the rest of his form.
"Henrion has venom too, right?" Niffty asked, ever still softly and Angel nodded, gurgling out through his tears, "Scor…pion…"
"Ohh.."
The dried blood around the smaller spider's lower chest showed Niffty just where it had been punched in and tried to hold herself back now from growing angry herself!
At the base of the ribcage and the start of the soft unprotected organs, lay a puncture wound that barely rose and fell with breath.
Coupled with the beating he'd gotten and his long fall from the window, Niffty couldn't bring herself to speak anymore both to hold in her tears and her rising rage.
"I need an ice pack!"
Vaggie rushed to the kitchen for the tiny cyclops' request.
"Husker, grab me sanitation bandages, I wasn't aware that he was stung!"
The cat Demon was on his four paws and gone in an instant.
"Alastor!"
The Radio Demon broke from his void like trance and shook himself to clear his mind next.
"Niffty?"
"I need you to conjure up antivenom and ibuprofen! If he's having trouble breathing-" She went quiet and thought.
Looking at Angel, she frowned and corrected herself, "He's been socked in the center of his lower ribs and upper stomach. He's small already and these prior wounds aren't doing any favors for his state as of now."
"I'm on it, Niffty Darling!" Alastor spoke up quickly and began talking to himself, going over a few different things mentally embedded within his mind. The best things for a strong enough antivenom and a powerful enough ibuprofen to combat the sting.
"If he's still breathing at this point, Angel-" Niffty started again softy, seeing how sick the younger brother now looked. "He's not one to just give up, curl up, and die!"
"Ya… Ya tha.. That's Nissy for ya.." Angel whispered and pet the hair fluff upon his brother's head.
"He'a… He'a never backed away from Pop's hand in life! Ya know dat?"
"He sounds absolutely fearless~" Charlie spoke out gently as Vaggie came back with her cold press and Husker with his supplies.
"Ya! He.. He stood in da way of him and Molly and I once when he was in a fit! Told us to go wit'out speaken and we bolted!"
"Wash the blood from around his mouth, please? Maybe having your hands moving will help~" Niffty asked, handing the younger brother a clean wet cloth.
"Sure..!"
A few fangs had been broken and his tongue had been bit, the cause of the blood that had dried upon his mouth.
Angel kept cleaning more of his brothers' ever still form, finding claw marks slashed across his snout and jagging over his right sets of eyes. Or maybe they started at his eyes and ended at his snout? Like Nissy had fought back!
Hell ya!
Angel imagined that and beamed.
As much as they'd fought in life, Niss HAD CARED before Pop fully broke him!
"Once.. Me and Molly hid under his bed-" He started up, getting a new, fresh washcloth and began on his twisted bloody arm.
"Haha, would you know it, as scared of storms as he was, as we all are, he plopped down pillows and blankets for us to snuggle with instead of forcing us out of his room~"
"He even dumped himself down soon after and lay like a wall between us and the storm that raged from out from underneath his bed~"
"He sounds brave~" Charlie spoke warmly, hands holding together under her chin as she awaited any kind of news on the older brother's health.
"I knew you's was followen Pop's orders, Jonathan!" Angel broke again as the cleaned up puncture wound was visible for the group to see.
It began to bleed again, fresh red oozing pushed out disgustingly slowly with each tiny breath his brother managed to take and it made the others' voice crack and shatter as he continued.
"Sure we fought like'a cobra and weasel- But.. But you's was only following Pop's orders! If anything-" Angel began to shake and began to curl himself up close to his brother's side.
"You's was try'n ta save me in chasing me outta the Mob! I'd have been torn apart like you's was now! All cause I felt the way I felt back then!"
"Why are you so broken now, tho?" Angel whimpered, holding his brother's only good hand with his four.
"I have it-" Alastor spoke up suddenly and all heads turned to him.
In his hand was a vile of neon greenish black liquid. The swirling of its contents SCREAMED that it could also be just as deadly as well as a savior!
"I need you to scoot back a moment please, Angel?" Niffty asked, trying to get the spider's attention.
"Best he be with him, Dear-" Alastor spoke in a broken yet soft manner as he knelt down upon his own knees beside the smaller spider's side.
"Incase he dies, Al? Is dat it?" Angel barked, eyes burning red over towards the Demon with the elixir in his hand.
Like he'd been slapped in the face, Angel Dust shrunk from Alastor's ever so softly spoken, 'yes my Dear-'
"But he's fought this long, and if he's determined not to go out this way-"
With a claw tip, Alastor dipped the long sharp appendage into the liquid then slowly brought it over the wounded spider's middle.
"He'll fight this too!"
Punching his claw tip into the wound, Alastor made quick work in opening new pieces of undead flesh within the body then gave a little prayer for Angel's sake that what was about to happen would work.
Tipping the viles contents inside the wound, Alastor watched it settle in a pool before a shaky breath disrupted its placement.
Some slithered out and down his clean sides but enough had gone in, sucked in with the small breaths of life the older brother grasped onto.
Now?
All they could do was wait-
And if it so happened he passed-
Alastor felt himself returning to his void at the thought as his eyes fell upon the terrified, shaken body of Angel Dust.
The last thing he remembered seeing was the hands holding the one that stood raised to their Pop even now that they were dead!
-
He'd been caught doing something stupid.
Something foolish.
Something akin to being happy for the first time ever.
He should have none he'd be followed, even days off, he should have none and yet!
He let himself relax.
He let himself enjoy.
He let himself have a life outside the Mob!
And in flashes of fever and pain, he saw its outcome.
He watched his Pop's tail lift then plunge into his gut.
Then he felt weightlessness, as if he was falling back down into Hell!
A noise he couldn't describe came next then sobbing and screaming.
Tony was there suddenly!
He needed to let his brother know what was going on.
He'd rag on him for YEARS once he found out~
But he kept crying!
He hated when his siblings cried-
The noise would bring Pop's fury upon them!
Beatings that lasted until not a sound left any of their lips!
He needed to make Angel stop!
Pops would be on them-
He'd sink his tail barb into HIM next!
But before he could even figure out a way to get Angel to stop crying.. He slipped into darkness before he could comprehend what he was feeling all of a sudden.
-
A playful happy laugh echoed through his pounding head.
Sweet hisses about this and that reminded him in this place he floated within that he never told the damn snake how he felt!
Tony was better at being open about that shit-
He'd get a kick and a half out of his older brother feeling the same feelings for a Male as he did in life!
The pain stopped suddenly, or so it felt to him, and left Arackniss looking at his surroundings.
In the far far distance, he saw foggy faces in the form of Anthony!
Molly was there too!
Their Mama~
Pent!
All their faces shown a light that he rose a hand out for~
This light made him feel.. Happy!
Something grabbed him from behind and yanked and pulled him backwards, away from the foggy faces he felt light within and he struggled.
He fought for what he felt he was worth and finally screamed, or so he thought he had, 'YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER ME, POPS!' Then sunk his little clawed feet backwards into the darkness pulling him away and sailed swiftly forward, into the light of the foggy faces!
-
"When that snake is needed he's not there!" Cherri Bomb was hissing as she paced outside the Hotel doors.
Vaggie too stood with her, Husker smoking pack after pack, jittery and fluffed up in worry.
"You really think it's the snake?" Husker asked, cocking one long ear back inside the Hotel.
"Are you REALLY that stupid?"
Husker shrugged.
"Angel's seen them a few times together! He flat out stated that his Brother NEVER SMILED LIKE THAT! And you don't find that a LIIIITTLE BIT partnerish?"
Before Husker could respond, all three of them scrambled for the doors when a voice whispered out tightly, "Nissy?"
Angel hadn't moved an inch from his brothers ever still form, but now, his head was up and his eyes were brimming with fresh tears as they looked upon the body he guarded.
"An..g..el..?"
"Ya, it's me, Niss! Tony~"
"A..ng..el!"
Baffled but relieved to hear his raspy voice, Angel answered happily, "Ya its Angel Dust, Niss~"
"I'm so..rry fo..r the life yo..u and Molly l..ived.."
"Niss, it wasn't all your doing-"
"I'm so..sorry damnit! I.. I cou..ld'a t..ried harder!"
"You almost die and your laying here saying-"
"Saying his dues!" Husker broke in, hurrying in beside Cherri and Vaggie.
"He's talken!! He's not DYING!!" Angel growled, going quiet when Arackniss hissed out from his wounds, "Nothen was ever.. Ever wrong wit you, Angel-"
"Stop callen me ANGEL!! IT'S TONY!!" Angel yowled, tears streaming down his cheeks once again like rivers.
"Pe..nt.." He coughed. "Talken with.. Pent.. I le..earned.. Names me..ean something t..to people!"
"Tony.. Tony was y..your life name.. It was filled wi..with bad memories.. So.. You chose Angel Dust for a r..reason, right?"
"It sounds weird you callen me Angel! Your ganna get better so just call me Tony, or Anthony.. Please.."
"And your choice in.." He coughed again and stilled a moment, catching his breath.
"In partners.. You were never.. Never broken, you're normal.. Understand me?"
"You need ta shut'up- You sound like you're dying! You're stronger than this!"
"He tried to ta..ke me.. Where he rests.."
"Where his.. His soul rests now.. Where it rested.. Since he came into power.."
"I NEED ta ge..t this shit.. Outta my head.. While I can.. Before h..e drags me.. Down with him.."
A grunt of pain came from the smaller brother as Angel clutched him close, back into his chest fluff, his head buried within the others' own charcoal colored fluff.
"He ain't taken you no where, understand me, Niss?" Angel whispered, feeling the slow reaching of his brother's own arms to embrace him back.
"He'll have ta take all of Hell out before I let'm take you from me!"
"I'm.. Sorry.. An..gel-"
"WE, not just Molly and I suffered from Pops, Niss! Your life was ruined cause of him too! You weren't allowed to be happy, grow up normal!"
Pulling away from the hug, Angel now looked into his brother's heavy eyes and breathed, smiling sadly at the sight before him, "Yet until he completely broke you, you gave us both, Molly and I, the best life you never got!"
"You gave'a damn when we cried! When Pops got angry and went for us, you got in his way and let us escape! And then.. You tried saving me in an unconventional manner, by chasing me from the Mob when Pops found out about me!"
"I'm sorry to YOU for the life YOU had lived before me and Molly- Sorry for the torment and hell Pops put you through before you had us to think about! I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry we weren't much of anything Pops wanted and instead took away what little life you still had-"
"And turned you into a mini him-"
"But he ain't ganna do that again! He won't hurt you anymore!"
He didn't notice the shallow breathing his brother was making, just kept going, stronger, sharper-
"All of Hell will shudder when we take out Pops, Nissy! He'll see what he's done to da family! He'll regret ever raising his hand the first time, I promise!"
Angel's voice grew weaker and shakier when he finally took notice that the breathing had stopped and the small form in his arms had grown limp.
"All of Hell.. Wi…ll sh..udder… Nissy.."
"You h..have ta join us tho..…"
"Niss.."
"Jonathan?"
What little rocking the younger brother made to rouse his eldest did nothing but show him that his brother was gone. His head relaxed now moved in a different way with each little shake.
"Jon…"
The Hotel was eerily quiet save for Angel's sobbing voice and the dead weight of what had been taken from him within each stuttering word.
"I'm..crying.. He's.. Gann..a co..me…"
Falling forward onto Arackniss' still chest, Angel screamed in the silent manner of a lost soul having rekindled something only to be torn away from him once again.
A scream that sent waves of grief to even the hardest of the Redeemed in the Hotel. Husker looking away with ears flat upon his head and a shiver in his shoulders as the tears began to fall.
"I'M GANNA FUCKEN KILL'EM!!!" Angel howled in anguish, head lifted up, nose towards the ceiling.
"I'M GANNA FUCKEN KILL'EM!!"
"NISSY WAKE UP YOU FUCKING IDIOT! WAKE UP!! FUCKEN WAKE UP!! YOU BASTARD!! YOUR STRONGER THEN POPS! YOU CAN'T LOSE TO HIM NOW!! WAKE THE FUCK UP!!"
The screaming grew pitched and wailing. Angel's body crumpled in on itself and cradled her brother's worn body close.
Rocking back and forth with him in his arms, Angel rose his voice again and belted, "FUCK YOU, YOU BASTARD!! FUCK! YOU!!" Then allowed the growing grief and anger take over his own and collapsed to the ground with Arackniss dead in his arms.
Unbeknownst to the gathered 'family' the Hotel made, one body wasn't among them.
Upon sight of Angel clutching his deceased brother's body, Alastor took his leave and didn't cease his rampage as hell won over and the void sucked him in!
He failed Angel once!
The crumpled body of his Father would have to do!