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He knew where he was. The violence all around, the absolute lawlessness of the place. Every corner he turned, he was met with more blood, sex, and drugs. It hadn’t taken him long to figure it out. He was in Hell.
He didn’t remember a whole lot from when he was alive. Just a few details here and there. He’d been on television, a revolutionary of the times. Though perhaps some of his business deals hadn’t been the most above the board, which he supposed was the cause for him ending up here. Well, that, and his temper. And the electrical fire. But his questionable practices had served him well. He’d made a name for himself. He’d been… eh, well he supposed he was starting a whole new life now. There was no point in trying to remember the name of a dead man.
It had only been a couple days since he’d died and arrived in Hell, and he was still getting used to the lay of the land. He suddenly became aware of his fellow demons scurrying over to his side of the road, some disappearing into alleyways.
“It’s the Radio Demon!” he heard one whisper frantically, nearly tripping over himself in his haste to get away.
He cast his gaze across the street to see one lone demon walking down the sidewalk, seemingly oblivious to everyone running away from him. He was dressed well, in a tailored suit all in red, carrying a walking stick that appeared to be topped with a microphone, and he had an easy, if slightly too wide, grin on his face.
Well, clearly this demon was somebody. And the newcomer hadn’t gotten where he’d been in life by hiding in the shadows, and he highly doubted that things would be any different in Hell. He fixed a smile on the screen that served as his face and strode purposefully across the street, coming to a stop in front of the apparent Radio Demon. A deer demon, he noted with some surprise, judging from the small antlers and the red and black ears that almost looked to be part of his hair. Well, deer were hardly scary.
The other demon’s smile didn’t waver, but his eyes narrowed as he was forced to come to a stop. There was a crackle of radio static in the air.
“Hello, there!” The young demon sporting a TV for a head extended his hand confidently. “It’s a pleasure to be meeting the infamous Radio Demon.”
The Radio Demon barely spared the offered hand a disdainful look. “I assure you it won’t be if you don’t get out of my way!” he spoke through a smile of sharp, yellow teeth, and even his voice sounded as though it was coming through some ancient radio contraption.
“Heh.” He tried not to let his nerves show, even as he slid a couple inches closer to the looming buildings, opening up space on the sidewalk. “You in a rush?”
“No,” he answered simply, though he was already pushing past the other demon in the small gap that had been made available.
“So, why don’t we grab a drink?” he continued swiftly, falling into step beside him. He smoothed his blue suit jacket subconsciously over his turtleneck, the only sign of his slight unease. “I’d love to pick your brain about a thing or two.”
The Radio Demon stopped, planting his staff on the ground in front of him, both hands resting on top, as he turned his head to fix the young demon with his disconcerting smile. “And why exactly should I entertain that?”
“Cause I have some great ideas for you, and-”
“Not interested!” he interrupted crisply as he began walking forward again, then called over his shoulder, “Might I suggest finding someone closer to your level!”
The young demon ground his teeth together in frustration, electricity sparking through his antennae, but decided to try a different approach. He stopped trying to follow, instead leaning casually back against the building beside him. “You know radio is dead, right?” he called after him carelessly.
The older demon froze, and the air became perceptively thicker and crackled with static. “What did you just say?” His neck cracked as he twisted it 180 degrees around to glare dangerously at the other demon.
The TV demon’s eyes widened at the display, but he refused to back down. He shrugged, the slight jerkiness of the motion betraying his nervousness as he pushed away from the wall and spread his arms. “I’m just saying, you’ve clearly been down here a while! Your technology could use an upgrade! And I’d be happy to help with that.” He gave the other demon his best business-deal-sealing smile, hoping it didn’t waver too much.
“My ‘technology’ is just fine.” In a single fluid motion, the demon’s body had rotated to be in line with his head, though his eyes were still narrowed dangerously.
He laughed scornfully. Maybe not the best idea, but he honestly couldn’t help it. Was this guy serious? “Your ‘technology’ was used by my grandfather! No one cares about radios, anymore! It’s all about television now, baby! And surely you don’t want to be left behind?”
“Says a talking box to an Overlord of Hell.” A shadowy tendril snapped out from his back, wrapping around the young demon’s neck. “Has it occurred to you that you might have overstepped, ò̸̺ŕ̶̬̮̉̚ ̷̖̖̣́ȁ̸̠̫̐̇r̶͚̩̔̋͛ë̶̪̝̳́̾͋ ̶̘̀̈̑ỳ̸̬̦̺̀̀o̴͉̔u̸͔̥̓͑͠ ̴̻̹͑j̴̼̣͗ͅu̸͕̬͕̾̇̈s̴͈̰̕͝t̵͖̩̀̕ ̸̢̺́͛͘t̸̞̭̆͌̏h̸̙͑̽a̵̎̓̈ͅt̶̫͓̽ ̵̘̈́s̵̜̃͜t̸̩̓u̶̘͋p̵̡͍͗̔i̵͙͗̉̕d̶̹͋̄̆?̶̧͉̳͆́̓
“Fuck!” he gasped as he was yanked toward the most terrifying sight that he’d yet seen in Hell. The Radio Demon had grown taller so that he was able to hold him off the ground, while still keeping him at eye level. Eyes that were now black with red radio dials where the pupil should be. And there were other changes, too - his antlers had sprouted up into an intimidating rack and a red X appeared at the center of his forehead, along with stitching at the ends of his impossibly wide smile. The shadows seemed to darken around them as a green glow emanated from the demon.
“I won’t be left anywhere,” he snarled through the yellow smile that was looking ever sharper and more threatening, the static in his voice increasing with every word. “You, on the other hand, look like something that was left out by the garbage.”
“It’s called a - TV - and it’s -” he wheezed, voice crackling and popping with his own uncontrollable static, hands scrambling desperately at the tentacle around his neck and electricity crackling over his body, but it did little good.
The Radio Demon laughed ruthlessly. “What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.” The tentacle whipped to the side, chucking the demon into a nearby dumpster, the metallic impact echoing down the street.
“A word of advice, box!” In a blink of an eye, the demon had reverted to his usual form, and he paused in the act of turning away, his eyes narrowed at the heap of demon sprawled against the dumpster, his smoking screen displaying flickering bars of color. “Stay out of my way!”
“Fuuuck,” he groaned again, rocking his glitching head back against the dumpster as he watched the Radio Demon stride away. That… hadn’t gone how he’d hoped. But he wouldn’t say his effort had been completely wasted. He wanted to know more about these Overlords…
*
It was a few months before he encountered the Radio Demon again, and this time, he’d done his research. He knew who exactly the guy was and why his last approach probably hadn’t been the best idea. Okay, definitely hadn’t been the best idea. But things would go differently this time. He’d make sure of it.
He hadn’t purposely sought out the Radio Demon - or Alastor, as he’d learned his name was - he’d just gone out for some drinks and happened to spot the familiar form at a table with a shorter, chubby demon with curly blonde hair and attire that looked like it came straight out of the 1920s. The two were talking and laughing together in a way that implied a closeness that he hadn’t seen since arriving in Hell. He was torn between hopefulness at seeing that friendships were apparently possible here and jealousness at being reminded of how utterly alone he was. But neither emotion was helpful right now, so he shook off the sensation and approached their table.
“Alastor!” he greeted with a bombastic smile. “Great to see you again!”
Alastor blinked, turning his creepy-as-fuck smile onto him. “Do I know you?”
“Uh, yeah, we met a few months ago…” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “You threw me into a dumpster…” he added in a mutter.
“Did I?!” he asked, his eyes lighting up with amusement.
“Yeah…. After I said something about radio being… outdated,” he added hesitantly with an anxious chuckle.
Alastor’s eyes narrowed, and his smile stretched wider. The girl he was with laughed. “Ah, yes. I thought your boxy head looked familiar.”
“Right! Well, I just wanted to… apologize . I was trying to be helpful, not meaning any disrespect, I assure you!” A bit of TV static crackled into his voice at his emphasis.
“And yet you missed the mark terribly!” he remarked brightly.
“Are you gonna teach him a lesson, Al?” the blonde demon cackled in a heavy Brooklyn accent, leaning forward with interest.
Alastor laughed, seemingly delighted by the question, while the younger demon shot her a glare, his eye pulsing in irritation. “Oh, I don’t think so, Mimzy, my dear! He hardly seems worth it.”
“Thanks, I guess…” he muttered under Mimzy’s laughter. That was a relief, at least. He really hadn’t wanted a repeat of their last meeting. He squared his shoulders, once again projecting an air of confidence. “Hey, mind if I pull up a chair?”
Alastor regarded him in curious silence, his head slightly tilted, for just long enough to make him squirm. “Sure! Go right ahead, box!”
“Heh. It’s Vox, actually,” he said as he pulled a chair out from under an imp at the next table, swinging it around to sit between Mimzy and Alastor. He’d decided on his new name shortly after his first meeting with Alastor. He had to call himself something, after all, and he had always been partial to names that started with a ‘V’.
“Whatever!”
“We’re gonna need another round!” Mimzy shouted in the direction of the bar, waving her empty glass in the air.
The bartender shot her an annoyed glance that quickly morphed into panic as he saw the Radio Demon smiling in his direction. Not two minutes later, and they all had a glass of whiskey in front of them.
“This round’s on you, new guy!” Mimzy shrilled as she kicked back her glass.
“Uh, yeah. Sure,” Vox brushed her off as he turned his attention to Alastor. “So, I listen to your show!” he exclaimed jovially.
“Why, of course you do! But it’s always nice to meet a fan!” At least now the smile he fixed him with seemed to at least be mildly genuine.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s great...” He bit his tongue before he could add that it was also terribly outdated. Flattery first, suggestions later. “But the screams are the best part.”
“Hah! Yes, they’re wonderful, aren’t they? They’re definitely the most fun segment to produce!”
“Heh, yeah, I bet.” Vox had always fallen a bit closer to masochist on the sadomasochism scale, but being reborn in Hell had definitely increased his penchant for violence. So, that part of Alastor’s work, he could definitely admire.
Mimzy slammed her empty glass down onto the table. “Well! I’m going to dance! Care to join me, Alastor?” She stood, offering her hand.
“No, thank you!” he politely declined.
“Suit yourself.” She adjusted her dress and flounced over to the crowd of dancers.
“She seems…” Vox trailed off, raising an eyebrow at the sight of Mimzy shoving her way to the center of the dance floor.
“Charming, isn’t she?” Alastor chimed in.
“Uh… yeah…” He turned back to Alastor curiously. “She your girlfriend?”
“Heavens, no!” he laughed. “Mimzy is just a very dear friend. My oldest friend, in fact. Met when we were alive!”
“Oh fuck, seriously?” Not many sinners talked about their life before arriving in Hell. Vox was under the impression that most used the opportunity to reinvent themselves, and besides, memories from their human lives could be a little fuzzy, and most would prefer not to remember at all. It was surprising to hear Alastor talk about it so casually. He gave him a teasing grin. “So, what was life like in the dark ages?”
“Hah-hah-hah.” Alastor brushed off the ribbing easily enough. Vox’s efforts to appease him were clearly working. “I was a radio host in that life, too!”
Vox perked up. “No shit? That’s crazy! I was a talk show host back when I was alive! You know, just on television.” He motioned towards his head.
“I was also a serial killer,” Alastor continued as though Vox had not spoken.
“Oh! That… that, I was not…”
“Hah-hah! It’s not for everyone, my friend! But I was q̸͕̫̙̈́̎̉u̷͕̓̍̒ï̶̜̥ẗ̷̘͎̻̃e̷̮̗̔ ̶̦̮̲͑̊͠g̶͍̖̍͆͂ȯ̸͕̲ͅö̶̙́͛d̸̨̗͂̕ ̶̬̟̳͋͐͊á̷̘t̷̨͉̿̍͠ ̷̰̪́̾i̶̖͌͆͠t̵̹͓̂̈́̿.” As he spoke, Vox saw the shadow of the nightmare Alastor had turned into at their first meeting. His eyes flashed black and red, the ghost of a crosshair appearing on his forehead and his shadow seemed to grow around him as the static in his voice increased. Then Vox blinked and he was back to normal.
Okay. Fuck. That was… new kink unlocked.
“I can imagine,” Vox recovered his composure, though his mouth was still dry. Maybe he should shift his focus…. No. Nope. Business first. “So, how’d you start your radio station down here?”
“Why do you ask?” Alastor replied curiously.
“Cause I think I’d like to follow your example,” he leaned into the flattery again. “Start a television broadcast.”
“Hah! That will never catch on!”
“Sure it will! Look, you’ve been dead for a while, but television is all the rage up there! It’s the new entertainment medium!” He tapped his head almost thoughtlessly and then played a short comedy clip on the screen that normally projected his face.
Alastor somehow managed a look of disgust while keeping his smile firmly in place. “Why, that’s just cheap! It leaves nothing to the imagination! If I want to see my entertainment, I’ll go see it live instead of staring at a screen!”
Vox rolled his eyes as they reappeared on his screen. “But with this, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home.”
“Nor do you with a radio,” he protested.
“Yeah, but radio gives you no visual.”
“Exactly! If you have to rely on visuals to get your message across, I think that shows a lacking on the part of the entertainer, not the medium!”
Electricity crackled around Vox’s screen. “I am not lacking!”
“Nooo?” Alastor’s smile grew and he leaned forward until he was in Vox’s face, prodding the center of his screen with a talon of his clawed hand. “Then why are you so sensitive about it?”
Vox let out a strangled growl of frustration, slapping the hand away before crossing his arms over his chest. “Oh, fuck you!”
He laughed as he straightened back up in his seat. “Nothing to be ashamed of! Not everyone can be naturally talented!”
“I am so talented!” he argued hotly. “And you will see that when television totally takes off down here!” The static was back in his own voice again - not nearly as pronounced as Alastor’s, but enough to punctuate his statement.
Alastor’s smile grew, but in a way that wasn’t quite as creepy as the other times Vox had seen it do that. “Hah! I like your ambition! It’s sorely misplaced, but it is entertaining, nonetheless! I look forward to seeing what comes of your endeavors!”
Vox blinked in surprise at the almost-compliment and then a sly smile spread over his screen. “Sure you can handle the competition?”
“HAH! Hah-hah-hah! Why, you are hilarious!” A laugh track accompanied his words.
His smile immediately dissolved into a glower. “You don’t have to be an ass about it.”
“What? You made a joke,” Alastor insisted, seemingly sincere.
Vox sighed, shaking his head. “Whatever. Say, there was something else I wanted to ask you.”
“Ask away!” He gestured towards him in invitation. It seemed as though he was honestly enjoying their conversation at this point, no longer merely humoring Vox with his acknowledgement of the other demon. Vox didn’t know what exactly had prompted the change, but he’d gladly take it.
“You became an Overlord in record time.” He eyed him out of the corner of his eyes. “How’d you do it?”
“Oh, you really have set your sights high!” Alastor exclaimed, his amusement returned. “How long have you been in Hell now?”
Vox looked down at the table. He really hadn’t wanted to admit to a demon as formidable as Alastor just how young of a demon he was. He’d learned very quickly that the best way to survive in Hell was by projecting an air of strength, especially in the face of those who were stronger than him. But he also didn’t want to hinder the rapport he was building with the Radio Demon by being caught lying to him. “Almost a year,” he muttered.
“Hah-hah! Oh, Vox, I’m afraid you won’t be able to repeat my methods, unless you think you’re capable of taking out multiple Overlords yourself.” He patted his head condescendingly, removing his hand just before a jolt of electricity could zap from Vox’s antennae to the offending hand. “So, you just focus on your little TB project, and who knows? Maybe by some hellish miracle, you’ll gain enough power to impress my fellow Overlords. Unlikely, but possible!” he sang.
“It’s… TV,” he corrected, rubbing at his screen as he felt a headache coming on.
“Hey, Al, you done with ya charity work yet?” Mimzy reappeared beside their table.
Alastor smiled at her patiently. “Alright, I suppose I do owe you a dance.”
“Damn right, you do!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. “Nice meeting ya, Voxxy!” she called over her shoulder, and Vox cringed at the nickname. “Thanks for the drinks!”
“Best of luck to you, my good man!” Alastor called as he allowed himself to be dragged away.
Dammit. Vox had been hoping to get a way to stay in contact with the Radio Demon. Nothing guaranteed success quite like powerful allies, after all. But something told him he’d have to make waves on his own before Alastor would take him seriously, anyway. And that was just fine. He’d show him. It was only a matter of time.
*
Vox spent the next several years building his TV empire and growing in power. With Alastor’s radio broadcasts being the primary entertainment in Hell for so long, it was difficult to gain traction, but Vox was persistent. Over a decade later, and he couldn’t say that his power or influence rivaled that of the Radio Demon, but he wasn’t that far behind.
“Al!” he bounded up to the demon when he saw him enter the casino, casually throwing an arm around his shoulder in greeting. “Good to see you!”
Alastor hit his hand hard with the mic of his staff, and Vox quickly snatched his arm away. “Vox! Good to see you, old chum! I wish I could stay and chat, but I’m actually here on business.” His gaze landed on the owner of the establishment, an irritating prick who had gambled his way to Overlord status fairly recently, while Vox was here actually working for it.
Vox raised an eyebrow as he saw the demon sit down at a table and place a bet. “Pretty sure you’re not supposed to gamble at your own casino.”
Alastor laughed. “He’s an addict! He doesn’t care about the rules!”
“Well, listen, we should get together for drinks sometime.” They had only crossed paths a handful of times over the years, but they’d established friendly enough rapport - about as friendly as you get in Hell - so Vox felt he could get away with the request, even if they had never actually gone out of their way to meet up before.
“Of course!” Alastor replied pleasantly. “But not tonight. Are you free tomorrow afternoon? I’m going to be in Cannibal Town, if you’d like to join me for a bite!”
“Uh… not a cannibal,” Vox said hesitantly. He really wanted to talk to Alastor about a few things - or, he supposed, just one really big thing - but if he could do it without devouring the flesh of another demon, that would be preferred.
“A pity. How about Fire & Brewstone at ten, then?”
“Sounds great! Good luck on your business tonight!”
“My dear Vox, you should know by now that I don’t need luck!” He inclined his head to him in farwell and walked over to take a seat at the poker table beside his fellow Overlord, who greeted him in a friendly manner.
Vox smiled to himself in satisfaction before he went back over to collapse onto the velvet booth that bordered the front wall of the building, where he had been sitting before he’d seen Alastor arrive. He almost reached for his half-drunk drink on the table in front of him before his common sense caught up with him and he flagged over a waitress. No way was he drinking something that had been left unattended. This was Hell.
“You know you’re barking up the wrong tree with that one,” a sensual voice spoke from beside him after the waitress had collected his glass and hurried away to get his order.
“Huh?” He turned his head to look at the demon that was just a few feet down the booth from him. He held a long cigarette in his hand, and despite the short distance, Vox could only make out a tall silhouette through the smoke.
“The Radio Demon.” The unfamiliar demon breathed out a puff of red smoke into Vox’s face. He coughed and waved it away. “He’s so obviously not into you.”
“What?” Vox spluttered, his screen tinting pink. “He - I - it is so not like that!”
“Oh?” Laughter was audible beneath the pur of the demon’s voice. “Is that why you look at him like a dog in heat?”
Vox’s eye pulsed in anger and electrical sparks zapped around his head. “Okay, one: fuck you! And two: who the hell are you?”
“The name’s Valentino,” he answered, extending a hand. Vox eyed it skeptically for a moment before shaking it. “And you are?”
“Vox,” he replied coolly, dropping his hand after a single shake. “You’ve probably seen my broadcast.”
“Oh, yes! Great stuff, darling.” He leaned forward so that Vox could now see the jagged smile of the moth demon. “Say, if you’re looking for options on how to spend the evening, a man of your status hardly needs to be alone, just because the Radio Demon can’t see what’s right in front of him.”
“Oh?” Vox arched an eyebrow at him, only half-interested. “And what would you suggest?”
“I’ve started a little business. I’m sure I could provide you with someone who would be to your liking.” Somewhere along the line, Valentino had scooted closer to him, close enough to trail a finger down Vox’s shirt as he blew out another puff of smoke in his face. “Though you might even be able to afford me.”
Vox blinked in surprise as he suddenly found himself significantly more aroused than he had been ten seconds ago. Subconsciously, his gaze slid across the casino to where Alastor was chatting amiably with the other Overlord. And then Valentino’s hand was under his head, turning it back to face him, smiling down at him with a mouthful of sharp teeth.
“Oh, fuck it,” he sighed, then he returned the demon’s smile. “Why not?”
*
The night with Valentino had been fun. He was pretty sure he’d needed that; he’d been so focused on work lately, it was good to let off some steam, even if he’d had to pay for it. And Valentino was very good at what he did.
He was early to meet Alastor the next night, using his influence to get them a good table at the club. Though if the Radio Demon was impressed by this feat, he didn’t let it show.
“So, how was Cannibal Town?” Vox asked once his friend had arrived.
“Delightful, as always! And how is your little ‘project’ going? Get it off the ground yet?”
He blinked in disbelief. “Seriously? I have an extremely successful TV broadcast! I have a whole network! People have sold their souls to me to get a piece of it!”
Alastor’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really? Well, congratulations!”
Vox shook his head. “You seriously didn’t know?” he demanded, embarrassed by the petulant note that had slipped into his voice.
“I hardly pay attention to such things.” He waved a dismissive hand.
“I listen to your broadcasts!” he pointed out indignantly.
“Well, those are quality entertainment!”
“So are mine!” he argued, static corrupting his own voice.
“Oh, relax, Vox! I’m sure there are some tasteless people in Hell who watch your noisy picture boxes.” The thing was, he was pretty sure that Alastor honestly meant that as a reassuring statement. Not that that made much of a difference to Vox, he was still angry and a little hurt by the dismissal.
“There are lots of people who…” He sighed, rubbing at his head. He decided to just cut to the chase. “You know what, can you just get me a meeting with the Overlords?”
“My, Vox, are you asking me for a favor?” Alastor asked, the static in his voice picking up with his interest.
“Yeah. We’re friends, right?” he tried to sound more confident than nervous when he asked that, but the truth was, Alastor could be difficult to read sometimes. It was hard to tell just how much he cared for those around him. Though Vox was one of the very few he seemed unbothered to spend any prolonged amount of time with, so he figured that had to count for something.
“Certainly!” he answered immediately, and Vox breathed a sigh of relief. “But I can’t just be giving out favors for free, even to my good friends.”
“Oh. So… what do you want, then?” he asked carefully. He hoped that their friendship meant that Alastor would go easy on him, ask him for a reasonable favor… but he was the Radio Demon, and he wasn’t known for being particularly reasonable. Vox was not selling his soul - that would defeat the whole purpose of this endeavor - but he was going to have to figure out just how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted here.
“Hmm… I’ll think about it! In the meantime, what did you think of yesterday’s broadcast?”
They chatted for a while about inane things, and Vox almost managed to push the looming favor to the back of his mind. But this was important. If he wanted to be taken seriously by the other Overlords, then he needed Alastor to vouch for him. But what was it going to cost him? What could he afford to give up?
Finally, a couple hours and several drinks later, Alastor broached the subject. “I think I know what you can do for me, Vox.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked, shifting nervously in his seat.
“I’ll make a case for you receiving Overlord status, on the condition that whenever I take a stance or present an idea at a meeting - ever - you back me up. I don’t think that’s too much of an ask, do you?” he asked, his voice bordering on sweet.
Vox considered that. “No, seems fair to me,” he decided. There were worse deals than having to back a friend, after all. Hell, he probably would have been inclined to back him up, anyway. He liked Alastor a lot - probably more than he should - and was inclined to do just about anything to keep him in his corner.
“So, i̵̛͉̥̇t̴̰̄'̶̦̎̉s̷̗̫̚ ̵̡̯͊a̶̧̛͌͜ ̶̝̈́̉ḑ̴̡̓ė̸̙͑ḁ̸̽l̴̬͝͝?̸̞̾ͅ” The static became more pronounced in his voice again as he gradually shifted closer to his demonic form, glowing green symbols surrounding him as his antlers grew and the crosshair appeared on his forehead. He extended a hand across the table with a hungry smile.
Vox smiled with all his teeth as he reached to grasp Alastor’s hand, seeing the blue glow that emanated from him in his peripheral vision as his eyes pulsed red and he added his own power to the deal. “Oh, it’s a deal!”
*
Alastor held up his end of the bargain and brought Vox along to the next meeting of the Overlords. Between his resume in Hell, Alastor vouching for him, and the souls already under his belt, there wasn’t much debate before Vox was granted Overlord status. No, most of the debate came at the end of the meeting when Alastor voiced a rather controversial pitch that Vox realized he must have been planning for some time. After all, the Overlord from the casino and one from Cannibal Town both immediately jumped in to back him up, and with Vox’s voice added to theirs, they were collectively able to sway the other Overlords to their side. Which was exactly what Alastor must have been counting on.
“That was great, Al!” Vox declared, stretching his arms over his head as everyone else filed out of the conference room. “Damn, it’s good to finally be here!”
“I never thought you’d make it, but congratulations, my friend!”
“Hey!” he snapped, but he was too excited to truly be mad. He leapt up from his chair and grabbed Alastor’s arm to pull him up with him. “Come on! I want to take a picture to celebrate!”
“Is that really necessary?” He knocked off Vox's hand, but obligingly rose to his feet.
“Dude, I’ve been working towards this day since I got here! I’ve gotta commemorate it!” He materialized a camera and waved it in Alastor’s face tauntingly. “Come on, one picture where you don’t fry the film. That’s all I’m asking!”
Alastor rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He stood in front of the wall, hands and staff clasped behind him, and Vox set the camera on a stand he also materialized and hurried to join him. “But don’t touch me,” he added with a warning look as the other demon crowded close to him.
It was Vox’s turn to roll his eyes, but he stopped a couple inches away from his friend, mimicking his stance. “Smile!” he teased before projecting a signal to the camera to snap the picture.
“There. Satisfied?” Alastor asked, turning to face him.
Vox grinned and considered making a joke about something that would definitely satisfy him, but Alastor tended to be uncomfortable with sexual innuendos - when he even understood them in the first place - so he held his tongue. But okay, yeah, maybe that Valentino guy had had a point the other night. Alastor was Vox’s best friend - or only friend - but he would be so more than okay with him being more than that. Or even just friends with benefits. Just… look, Alastor was hot, okay? And the things the guy was capable of…. It was really too bad that he didn’t seem to be interested, but a guy could dream.
“Not even close! Let’s go out on the town to celebrate!” He leaned in a little closer with a smirk, eye pulsing in excitement. “Leave the city screaming in our wake.”
“Hah-hah! Oh, now you’re talking!” He clapped Vox on the shoulder as his smile grew wider. “Let’s go p̵̨̻̀̈ä̸͙i̶̲̓͌͜n̵̡̨͋̚t̵̪͘ͅ ̸͕̙͛t̶̫̐̎h̸̙̳͋̓ẻ̷̻̭ ̶̦̝̎̔t̴̝̥͐͝o̵̱̅̒ŵ̸̟n̶̳̼̍͝ ̸̬̔͒͜r̵͓͛̄͜é̷̢̊ḏ̷̆̕.̶̦̈́”
*
It was a couple decades later when shit hit the fan.
Vox had a business proposition for Alastor, one that he highly doubted his friend would be able to refuse. It was just too perfect! The Radio Demon and the CEO of VoxTek - they would be capable of anything together! Hell would tremble before them! And their empires already complimented each other, so why not have all the media in Hell controlled by one united front? Together they could effectively control the minds of every demon in Hell! And they could get others on their side, too. Form a team so powerful that not even the other Overlords could challenge them. He would be a fool to pass that up!
“So, what do you say?” Vox leaned across the table eagerly.
Alastor took a sip of his drink, ignoring the fact that his friend was practically quivering in excited anticipation of what he believed they were about to achieve together. He waited until he had returned his glass to the table to reply with a simple, “No.”
Vox rocked back in his chair as though he’d been physically slapped. “No? N-no?” His processors were screeching in his head as he struggled to process the single word. “What do you mean no?!”
“I didn’t realize that no was too complicated of a word for you,” he said flippantly. “To expound, I will not be joining you in this endeavor to create a team of powerful demons united under one banner.”
“But - but…” He had definitely not anticipated this response, and Vox prided himself on being ready and prepared in every situation. This wasn’t acceptable. It was embarrassing. He had a fucking error flashing in the corner of his screen as his system struggled with the input it was receiving. He quickly dismissed it with a frustrated growl. “Why the hell not?”
“Because why would I stoop to that level?” Alastor asked as though it were an obvious question. “I hardly need you, so why would I allow myself to be held back for your sake?”
Vox’s screen had begun sparking and he couldn’t get it to stop. Pixelated blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, left eye growing wide and pulsing angrily as he dug his claws into the table in front of him. “Together we could-”
“I can do everything I desire to do on my own. I have no need to seek out others to disguise my shortcomings like you do. Binding myself to a team would just be limiting!” He brought up his staff to rap Vox on the side of the head. “Now pull yourself together, you’re embarrassing yourself!”
“You - you - FUCKING PRICK!” He slammed his hands down on the table as he shot to his feet, his chair falling over behind him.
Alastor’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“I was doing you a FAVOR asking you to join up with me!” Vox let out a slightly hysterical laugh as he brought his hand to his head in an unsuccessful attempt to control the electricity that was now zapping over his entire body. “You’re so fucking outdated, it’s pathetic! Radios are gonna be fucking obsolete, and I just offered you a FUCKING LIFELINE! I don’t need you! YOU need ME!” He dissolved into laughter again, though he found the sound impossible to distinguish from the fans whirring in his head as he came dangerously close to overheating.
Suddenly, Vox was on the floor. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten there, but his whole back fucking hurt, and when he focused his eyes, Alastor was standing above him. “Have you forgotten who I am?” he asked dangerously, an extra layer of radio static coating his voice.
Vox just laughed. “Not yet. But all of Hell’s about to!” He barely rolled out of the way in time to avoid Alastor’s staff being speared through his screen. “No one’s gonna care about some has-been Radio Demon when they have my technology catering to their most twisted fantasies!” He scrambled to his feet, facing down the other demon with a furious glare, eye pulsing hypnotically. “NOW FUCK OFF!”
Alastor’s very presence seemed to expand to fill the bar they were in, his shadowy demonic form the only thing Vox could see. And then suddenly he was composed again, his hands placed delicately on the staff in front of him. “Gladly!” he enthused, his smile perhaps just a bit sharper than usual. “As always, Vox, you’re simply not worth my time.”
Well, if that wasn’t twisting the metaphorical knife he already had lodged in Vox’s gut. “I’m a fucking Overlord, just like you-”
“No, you’re an Overlord, because of me. Speaking of, I’ll be looking forward to your support at the next meeting! Since I know you know better t̶̛̙͎h̴̗̐̂͜ȃ̸̡n̶͙͊ ̶̺̟̇ẗ̴͖͉́o̶̦̐ ̸͙͛͋b̷͇́̈́r̵͔͌ḙ̵̲̀ȧ̴̖k̵͕̒̑ ̷̧̃ȏ̴̞u̷̧̖͊́r̸̡̹̈ ̵͙̉l̵͔̻̋̈́i̶̝̜̿̑t̵̅̈́͜t̸͇͆l̶͙͕͆é̶̥͙̄ ̵̹͖̒d̵͇͖̀̋e̸̬͚̽a̷̰̓l̴̨̻͂.̴̧͇̊̋”
Alastor was right about that. A demon’s power was tied to the deals they made. If Vox failed to hold up his end of the bargain, he could lose a good chunk of his own power. And that’s when he realized just how shitty of a deal it had really been. It had been a one-time favor on Alastor’s part - get Vox in front of the Overlords - and now Vox was forced to take his side in every Overlord meeting forever. That prick. He had always intended to screw him over.
“Our friendship never meant a fucking thing to you, did it?!” It wasn’t what Vox had intended to say, but it had spilled out with the realization.
“Well, it certainly doesn’t now!” Alastor declared with a laugh. “I’ll leave you to pay the tab,” he added as he dissolved into shadows.
As soon as he had vanished, Vox’s shoulders slumped. He could feel his claws drawing blood from his palms with how tightly his fists were clenched, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. They’d been friends for years! Basically Vox’s entire afterlife! And Alastor had never seen him as more than a tool to get what he wanted. Vox felt like a fool, but more than that, he felt enraged. He would make Alastor pay.
“Well, that was nasty.”
Vox looked around. A good number of the bar’s occupants had fled when two Overlords had started a fight in their midst, but there were those who remained - some still cowering in the corners, while others timidly attempted to get back to their drinks. The speaker was lounging in a corner booth that would have given him a good view of the confrontation, while still remaining a safe enough distance away.
“Valentino,” Vox acknowledged, recognizing the other demon. He put on the best face he could, but didn’t think he was managing much more than a grimace. He brushed himself off and walked over towards the booth, more to get out of the center of the bar than anything. “I heard you’ve broken into the porn industry, how’s that going for you?”
He really didn’t care. The only reason he even remembered who the guy was was because of the industry overlap. But he did not want to talk about what had just gone down between himself and Alastor, and divas like Valentino could never resist talking about themselves.
“Oh, it’s going marvelously,” he said with a throaty laugh, one hand caressing the pink and white spider demon curled into his side. Said demon gave him a lazy smile, but seemed too high to do much else. “But you look a little worse for wear.”
“Hah, no! I’m great!” He gave the other demon a wide smile as he gestured back towards where he and Alastor had been sitting. “Overlords fight all the time! You get used to it.”
“Really? Because that seemed a little… heated.” He patted the available space on his free side. “Why don’t you have a seat, Voxxy? I could take your mind off things.”
His eyes slid to the other demon. “You seem to be occupied.”
“Oh, Angel Dust? He’s one of mine, don’t worry about him. Unless you want a piece, that is.” His hand slid lower down Angel Dust’s body, and the demon instinctively arched into the touch.
“I’ll pass.” He started to turn away, more than ready to get out of there, but he paused, looking at Valentino and his pet thoughtfully. “Hey Val, how many whores do you have at this point?”
“Why?” Valentino leaned forward with interest. “You wanting an orgy?”
Vox laughed as he slid into the booth. “Oh no, I’m thinking of something much better than that.”
Valentino was a powerful demon in his own right, and Vox knew just how many viewers his pornos got. The guy was successful, and if people were willing to sell their souls to work for him, there was definite potential there. Not to mention, they did have industry overlap.
“What are your thoughts on an alliance?”
*
Vox didn’t decide to throw in with the porn demon overnight, but after several conversations - as well as other activities - over the next several weeks, Vox decided that Valentino was the perfect choice for this. And he wasn’t going to wait until the next Overlord meeting to make the announcement - at least, not to most of the Overlords. He contacted them all privately, explained the business he was going into with Valentino, and petitioned for Valentino to get Overlord status himself. He was successful.
When the next meeting of the Overlords came around, Vox’s smile could rival that of the Radio Demon himself. He arrived early with Valentino to inform the other Overlords that he had some very pressing matters to attend to and unfortunately wouldn’t be able to stay for the meeting. But they could take Valentino’s voice to count for his, as well. Carmilla Carmine didn’t look too pleased, but she also didn’t have a good enough reason to argue. Vox exchanged a final smug look with Valentino before walking out the door.
Of course, Alastor was always extremely punctual, and Vox timed it just right , so that just as he exited the room, his old friend was approaching the door.
“Oh, Alastor!” Vox greeted gleefully. “Sorry to be missing you! I was just leaving.”
Alastor raised his eyebrows, his grin sharpening at the sight of him. “Running away from your problems, Vox?”
He laughed. “No, not at all. My new business partner’s in there! Don’t worry, his voice counts for both of us. Though… oh.” He feigned an expression of realization. “You know, I didn’t tell him to back you. Oops!” He laughed boisterously. “Looks like you’re running out of support, Al! Husker’s out of the picture. And without me in your corner, that just leaves Rosie. Seems like you have just screwed over too many people!” He bounded forward to get right into the face of the now seething Radio Demon. “Seems like you needed me, after all!”
“I need no one,” Alastor ground out through his clenched smile.
Vox’s shark-like smile didn’t waver. “Good. Cause no one in there has your back, Bambi.”
“Fuck. You. You’re going to regret making an enemy of me.”
“Hah! Give me your best shot, old man! I cannot wait to take you down.” With that, he pushed past Alastor and strode to the elevator without looking back. It was a new dawn, and things were about to change in Hell, Vox could feel it. Soon enough, this would all be his.