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Normally Alastor would not be caught dead in the Media district... well double dead.
Honestly how nobody went blind in this district was beyond him but, that was besides the point. No, loathe to admit it though he was he was curious and, about Vincent of all people.
Briefly his attention turned to one of the many billboards; coming grin to grin with a cut-out of the Media Overlord. It might have normally irked him if not for what he had seen at the Overlord Meeting a few days ago. A meeting that Vincent's little brat of a partner had turned into a show for her boss's "investigation" into what who alone knew. Alastor had his suspicions of course; Vincent was a little slow in some respects but, you did not run an empire and, rise to the rank of Overlord on raw strength alone.
And you certainly did not hold the position for long by raw strength alone.
Still, given what he himself had learnt and, the fact Vincent had brought the head to the meeting he could surmise the other Overlord was likely putting together his own puzzle on how and why the Exorcists had decided to double the Exterminations. And, was more than likely trying to work out how this could be played to his advantage.
Alastor certainly would.
It was the reason he was swallowing his pride and getting the jump on Rosie making any request to "help" with the Hotel by walking into the lion or in this case's shark's den and seeing if the fish was metaphorically in a mood to bite.
......
He did not need the cameras to know the Radio Demon was here and he certainly did not need to have Ethan running in and telling him what he knew from ten minutes ago.
No, the moment Alastor had set foot into his territory he had sensed it; a discord in the normal harmony of the currents that had him accidently give Shock Wav a little extra meat with his meal with the static jolt it had given him. His pet might have yipped in delight at the treat had he not registered the look on his papa's face; a pinched sort of pain like a man who had stubbed his toe or caught his finger in a draw.
"Daddy ok?"
The message flashed across his screen with concern at the pained wince on his father's face. For a moment, a millisecond really the normally practiced face was a scowl of pain that one might expect from someone hearing nails across a chalk board. Then, just as quickly the discomfort passed has his systems and firewalls disconnected him from the upset in the network caused by the uninvited guest.
Without a word he sent a series of commands to the various drones and cameras around the district:
1. Locate
2. Observe.
3. Report location .
It was simple and easy to do and, more importantly pinned down Alastor's location in a heartbeat. Vox let out a tired sigh; he supposed after the meeting he should have anticipated this. Seven years might seem like a long time in some respects but, to sinners it became a blink of an eye after a time. Absently he reached a hand to his screen, trailing phantom scars that he had left in a previous body; a reminder of folly that, while not visible on this body certainly still stung with the memory of the beating from all those years ago.
It had been done has a lesson; know your place.
"Cancel my.... well cancel the afternoon" he did not glance behind him to the nervous Ethan has he made his way to the nearest camera; the sooner this was over and done with the better.
.....
Alastor expected a little pomp and spectacle; the guests at the bar were certainly behaved well enough to give him the proper respect while he sat around and waited for the master of ceremonies to make his grand entrance.
He expected flash and loud boasting followed by a challenge to a fight to prove superiority; that, like an irate silverback Vox would charge in for the kill in much the same way he had when Alastor had been forced to teach him a lesson oh so long ago.
The folly of youth and an ill bred ego.
What he did not expect was someone to pull up a stool opposite him with the sombre quite of a mourner at a wake "All right what do you want?" to his credit Alastor did not start or jump at the quite entrance of the other Overlord who had, in many way snuck up on him like an actual shark with his prey.
"Why my dear Vox, cant an old... friend drop by and say hello after all these years?" the emphasis on the word friend was deliberate and practiced like a blade slicing though a tendon. Vox's thin smile pursed but, he remained seated, no outburst no threats. Instead his eyes looked over to the audience; the crowd was watching them with the nervous energy of those waiting for a combination of a prize fight and a massacre that they hoped not to get caught in. A click of blue clawed fingers was all it took to rob the onlookers of their reception and turn the phones and devices into useless lump of metal and plastic "Get out, now!" barely a raised voice but, the effect was immediate; the bar emptying.
A simple nod to the bar tender had the nervous sinner scurry away to lock up.
Curious indeed, Vox shunning an audience was as common as angels shaking hands with demons; the shark did not seem bothered, simply watching the bartender leave before wandering behind the bar. He fished around for a few glasses and a bottle "I suppose you will want the usual?" he poured without waiting for an answer. Alastor said nothing, watching the other sinner for any minute twitch or hint of temper and weakness.
He had plenty of experience of spotting someone biting their metaphorical tongue when being polite to someone who, by rights should have a dagger in the eye.
Vox.... he honestly looked board, a little irritated perhaps but, no worse than a cat who puts up with the child petting him because he learnt a long time ago that being punished for scratching was not worth it. Shrugging at the sight of his "guest's" untouched glass he took a sip of his own.
Alastor smirked a little wider; clearly someone had "grown up" a bit.
"You know I was curious about why you kept that little "discovery" under your hat until the meeting" indeed, any other demon or dullard of an Overlord would have broadcast the severed head across the news as if were proof of the Second Coming. Vox shrugged " Oh come now Vincent.... modesty does now become you" now the other demon did smile a bit, fangs not fully emerging but, you would have to be made of stone not to feel a little from a compliment like that.
What Sinner did not dream of having the power to kill an Exterminator.
"The old timer had a point you know Al" he took a swig of his own glass; no lie there was no love loss between the Vees and the other Overlords but, if Vox could respect anything in Zestial it was that the old Bastard was still around after all this time.
"Oh and what might that be?" the shark took another swig "Running in without a plan or a weapon.... well that's not a game that interests me" Alastor chuckled, leaning into striking distance of the other Overlord "And what games interest you these days hmm?" Vox blinked, looking the other up and down; honestly at this distance a foolish sinner would be tempted to try.
Vox simply took Alastor's empty glass and refilled it.
"We just found the head, that's the.... God's honest truth Al" well if you wanted specifics it was one of the drones that found it during a sweep but, the Radio Demon was never one for the minute details where technology was involved. "For all any of us know those winged freaks had a tiff over who had the most kills and took it to far " well that was one way to look at it the Radio Demon supposed with a small smirk. Vox raised an eye but, said nothing which, again, was odd.
Alastor was putting down a blood trail that any other shark would jump at but, Vincent was turning his noes up at it.
"Tell me something Vincent, for simple curiosity sake, when we had our little.... disagreement" he took a little pleasure in the minute twitch in the other demon "Did I happen to damage something that has not had a chance to grow back yet?" the smile of the shark remained still, neither widening or retracting; eyes dull and unfeeling has an actual sea predator. His screen flickering slightly to show a different face over the pristine perfection of his mask.
A screen that showed the digital scars of claws and teeth.
"What can I say Al you left an impression" the "mask" reattached itself with a hiss of static "Oh, that's wonderful Vincent, its always good to see a lesson stick" honestly the notion of "friendship" especially in Hell was a weed that should be pulled the moment it reared its head.
Vincent was smiling a little wider now.
"I think we might have some crossed signals Al" he took a final swig of his own glass before tossing it, a hand going to his face "Maybe you did rip something out of me that day, something that might never regenerate but, I did learn something that day" "Oh and what would that be?" now it was the Radio Demon's turn to feel a metaphorical bite.
"You're not worth my time"
And with that the shark swam off into the darkness with a burst of static and transmission through the nearest camera.
End.