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The unmistakable sound of bells tolling. The predictable screams of panic outside. The cursing from Val upstairs, as to be expected.
It was almost comically routine at this point.
Vox didn’t worry much about exterminations anymore. Overlords were fair game, sure, but the odds of one getting caught up with angels on this yearly affair were slim to none. Most sinners had nowhere to hide. They scattered into the streets every time those damn bells went off, too blinded by panic to realize what a fate-sealing idea that was.
Those sick angel bastards enjoyed it, Vox knew, but this event was meant to be fun for them, not work. So every year they cleared the streets of the first sinners they could see, gleefully bragging about breaking records and shattering time trials. If they hadn’t had their fill by then (and often they didn’t), they would ransack the buildings lining the street closest to Lucifer’s palace. If anyone was more naive than the sinners who were taken out immediately, it was the little Princess Morningstar, who’d once showed sickeningly childish innocence in expressing her displeasure with the exterminations.
Stupid girl… Vox had thought at the time.
The angels only made a show of slaughtering sinners in as close proximity to the royal family as possible in retaliation. Unable to touch her or any of the hellborns, they knew there were other ways to make her suffer.
Only once could Vox recall the angels not having enough after all that. Bunkered down in the basement of their tower, a rare pounding on the door actually caused him to involuntarily gasp. He remembered Valentino jumping, more at the sound of Vox’s fear than the door pounding. Their only saving grace had been an intern fumbling with a door he and several others were hiding behind, unable to figure out the lock and making a ton of noise in the process of trying to do so. The closet full of sinners seemed to have satiated their hunger, and the sound of the bells signaled that he and Val had lived to see another year. He would go on to deny vehemently that he had been scared even for a moment.
Vox sighed heavily, rising from his chair. Another year, another few hours of hiding, and then he could get back to work. He took the elevator up to collect Val, who always had a habit of acting like a helpless, well, wuss on these days. Predictably, Val was digging through his closet, arming himself with as many weapons as he could as he muttered under his breath. Vox had given up on telling him that no weapon in Hell was going to stop or even lay a scratch on angels. At this point they were clearly just “emotional support” weapons, and Vox let him have that at least.
“We’ve got about twenty minutes,” Vox commented in almost a bored tone, checking the time on his phone. “Basement’s ready, if you’re done flailing around.”
Val huffed indignantly, as though he were offended by Vox’s cool demeanor. “You don’t take this seriously at all. It’s as if you want one of those fuckers to knock your head off…”
Vox rolled his eyes, guiding Val away from his arsenal and towards the elevator as he spoke. “I keep telling you: no angel is stupid enough to come for us. We’re safe.”
Val glared down at him. “Even you don’t believe that. Angels don’t care about the power hierarchy in Hell. Anyone not hellborn is up for grabs.” There was a pause, as Vox chose not to respond. Arguing before the exterminations was common with them. “... If you think we’re so off-limits, why do we bother hiding?”
Vox winced, but quickly collected himself, choosing again not to respond. There was no point. They both knew however much they hated this routine, it was a fact of life in Hell, and they had to go through the motions.
“I suppose we should stop by the fifth floor and grab Velvette,” Val muttered offhandedly, scrolling his phone.
Vox stiffened.
Shit.
He’d forgotten all about that. How could he forget?
Vel had fit into their… family , if that was the word, almost immediately. So unlike most of the sinners her age and generation, she showed no fear and a downright fiery spirit upon arriving in Hell. She was scared, sure, Vox knew that. But she was so much better at hiding it than the other newbies.
It had only been about seven months since he found her slinking around by the tower, rubbing her arms as if it were possible to be cold in Hell, displaying a vulnerability that was dangerous in a world of sinners. Sure she kept her head on a swivel, scowled as if daring anyone to come near her, and had the sense not to cry. But she was young. And clearly a newcomer. And… a female by herself. Even a sinner like Vox was disgusted by the sort of things that often happened to newcomers with those circumstances. It was simply the most reasonable and obvious choice to approach her, offer her a bite to eat, and eventually teach her how to make a deal for a soul to gain power… Not because he cared or anything. No, of course not. Just because it was the most sensible choice.
Val paid little attention to the decision to welcome her in, not that he could overrule Vox anyway. It was probably better that way, Vox figured. Val wasn’t exactly the “fatherly” type, if that’s what they could call this arrangement. So it was up to Vox to show her the ropes, teach her the ins and outs of Hell, who to stay away from…
And the exterminations.
He’d told her about them a few months ago, not wanting to scare her, but knowing they were on the horizon and it warranted discussion. Vel, as usual, had shrugged her shoulders and refused to make eye contact, muttering a “whatever” in a clear display of no fear, which Vox had learned by now was definitely fear.
The ding of the elevator brought him out of his thoughts as he walked onto the floor, displaying a subtle smile in a moment of weakness at the piles of clothes strewn about the furniture. Seeing her thrive already was… nice, he supposed.
But this wasn’t the time for that.
“Vel, let’s go,” he called out, searching the floor for her. “We got 15 minutes, kid. Move it.”
He eventually found her between two of the clothes piles on the couch, crouched over as though she were trying to blend in, clearly obsessively scrolling her phone. She looked up at the sound of his voice and composed herself immediately.
“Yea, sure. Let’s go,” she muttered, following him into the elevator. Vox decided once again that silence was the better option here. The mechanical whirring of the elevator seemed so much louder than usual as they descended, and perhaps a bit longer than usual as well.
Glancing down at Vel, Vox noticed she was still scrolling her phone. She was sporting a familiar scowl, but it was clear she was… What was the new word for it? “Doomscrolling”?
With a sigh, he took the phone from her hands and pocketed it. Vel objected in surprise, but Vox just shook his head.
“This is your first extermination. I know what I’m doing. Looking at your phone to see what people are saying isn’t going to help.”
He was surprised to hear no further objection from her. Maybe this was getting to her more than he realized…
The doors opened and Vox led her and Val into a room that was much nicer than Vel had been picturing. She was hardly sure you could call this a “basement”... It was carpeted, adorned with comfortable looking furniture, and even had a small fridge in the corner.
Notably missing compared to the rest of the tower was neon and windows… That was the point, she supposed.
Val let out an exasperated sigh at this annual inconvenience, flopping himself on the couch and taking out his phone. Vel considered asking why the doomscrolling rule didn’t apply to him , but thought better of it.
The next ten minutes didn’t feel that much different than their usual dinner time chat. Vox went on about viewership and earnings, Val pretended to listen as he texted his favorite porn star, and Vel… well she felt mostly confused. This didn’t seem any different from a normal day.
She jumped slightly at the sound of bells once again. Vox stopped mid sentence, turning the lights off with a flick of his hand. Vel made a face. “Why do you need to turn the lights out if there are no windows–”
“ SHH” , he hushed her more harshly than intended. Softening a bit, he whispered “Cracks under the doors. The less hints you can give them, the better.”
Vel nodded, folding her hands in her lap and biting her lip. The energy had shifted in an instant. Val had turned off his phone, the air conditioner stopped, making the room feel eerily quiet. Val and Vox quieted their breathing, to the point one could hear a pin drop.
Just as she thought to ask what was happening or how they would know it had started, she flinched violently at the muffled sound of a shriek from upstairs. It didn’t take long for the screams to multiply. Distinct zapping sounds, groaning, stabbing…
Vel wasn’t scared though. Well… She told herself that anyway. She was tough. She could handle this. She glanced back and forth between Vox and Val, looking… not exactly relaxed, but not worried either. She wished she could feel that unbothered.
Sensing her discomfort, Vox touched her shoulder.
“You’re alright, baby girl.”
Vel untensed a bit at the now familiar nickname. The moment of reprieve was short lived as another scream rang out, followed by joyful cackling. Something about the laughter got to her. She covered her ears, eyes wide, and pulled her knees in, making herself as small as possible.
She felt Vox’s grip on her shoulder squeeze reassuringly, scooting a bit closer so she could lean on him.
But she didn’t need that. No, she was tough. And he wasn’t her dad. And she wasn’t scared of anything. And… why was she crying? Why was she laying her head on his shoulder?
Another scream caused her to wince, and Vox began… humming a tune. She’d never heard him hum in her life… The song sounded familiar but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She’d forgotten a lot from her human life.
Val glared at him. “What the fuck are you doing?” he whispered. “They’ll hear us.”
Vox ignored him completely, as though he hadn’t even spoke, continuing his low humming. There was something really soothing about the combination of his voice and the darkness. She could almost fall asleep like this…
Vox fell silent after a period of time and Vel was surprised to realize that she could no longer hear any screaming. The eerie silence returned. Vel opened her eyes, still not quite adjusted to the darkness. She kept her head on Vox’s shoulder, about to go crazy from the absolutely maddening silence.
The bells tolled out once again, breaking the silence, and Vel let out an unexpected scream in surprise.
“Holy FUCK Velvette, it’s just the end of the extermination, christ!” Val snapped, getting up and turning the lights on.
“Shut the fuck up Val,” Vox snapped right back, not moving his arm from around Vel’s shoulders. “It was her first time. She didn’t know.”
Val rolled his eyes, switching his phone back on and heading immediately for the elevator. “Whatever. I have work to do, need to see who’s still alive,” he muttered, now deeply engaged in his phone.
Vel was about to stand up and follow, but was stilled by Vox’s grip on her shoulder.
“Hang out a bit,” he said, pulling out his own phone. “Give them time to clean up out there first.”
She nodded, grateful for the advice, and fidgeted with her hands as she waited.
Vox glanced down at her, managing a crooked smile. “Hey. You survived your first extermination, kid. Proud of you.”
Vel glowered, straightening herself up and fixing her hair. “I wasn’t scared.”
He nodded, still smiling. “I know.”
An awkward silence passed before Vox stood up. “Go wash up before dinner,” he said simply before heading to the elevator. She rolled her eyes. Little “parenting” touches came out in moments of weakness with him, and she… didn’t hate it. Even if she pretended to.
She stood, adjusting her dress and taking a deep breath, ready to go about the day as though nothing had happened.
She was a Vee dammit, and she was ready to get back to work.