Work Text:
Vox had stopped being surprised when Lucifer showed up at his office around lunchtime.
He'd also stopped pretending it was an inconvenience.
There had been a time when the sight of the king of hell sitting across from him would've been enough to make him question every decision that had led him there. These days, it was simply another part of his schedule.
A particularly pleasant part, admittedly.
Vox leaned back in his chair, one hand wrapped around his smoothie while Lucifer stole a fry from his plate. “That was mine.” He muttered.
Lucifer looked at the fry between his fingers.
Back at Vox.
Then back at the fry.
“Was it?”
“Yes.”
“You weren't eating it.”
“I was going to.”
“You've been talking for the last five minutes.”
“I can talk and eat.”
“Can you?”
Vox narrowed his eyes.
Lucifer smiled innocently and ate the fry.
“Asshole.”
“You're welcome.”
Vox shook his head, but the corner of his mouth twitched upwards.
Lunch had become something of a habit over the years.
Not every day, but often enough that Vox had stopped thinking about it as anything unusual.
There was something nice about it.
No meetings.
No investors.
No engineers demanding approval for something that should've been obvious.
No reporters asking whether his latest television model had been personally approved by the king.
That last one hadn't happened in years.
Just lunch.
His phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
Work.
Of course.
He sighed and answered. “What?”
“Sir?” Ethan said it urgently enough that Vox straightened slightly.
“What happened?”
“We just received a report from the border.”
“Of what?”
There was a pause.
“Destruction.”
“How much?”
“Enough that we've already had to evacuate the surrounding five blocks.”
That got his attention.
Lucifer lowered his sandwich.
Vox stood.
“What's causing it?”
“We don't know.”
“You don't know?”
“Witnesses are reporting some kind of sinner.”
Vox glanced toward Lucifer. “A sinner?”
“Yes, sir. Newly manifested. Best estimate is less than a day.”
Vox's expression changed.
Less than a day.
That was unusual.
“Powers?”
“That's the problem.”
“What kind?”
“We don't know.”
Vox frowned.
“Then why are you calling me?”
“Because whatever they're doing is tearing through everything in their path.”
That was enough.
Vox reached for his coat. “Send me the exact location.”
“Already sent.”
His phone chimed.
A map appeared on the screen.
Vox studied it for half a second.
It was just barely within his territory, but it was close enough to major buildings to be a major problem if not stopped.
Those five blocks Ethan had mentioned were his territory, but the other three surrounding ones were Valentino’s, as they shared a border on Vox’s southern edge.
Great.
Just great.
Vox sighed. “You coming?”
“Me?” Lucifer asked.
“Well, yeah? Who else?”
Lucifer rubbed the back of his neck. “I'd… I’d probably only slow you down.”
Vox stared at him. “How?”
“Because you're much better at dealing with sinners than I am.”
“...You're joking.”
“No?”
Vox set his coat down. “Lucifer, you're like…” He gestured at him again, struggling to find a sufficiently obvious comparison. “You're the most powerful person in hell.”
“Technically.”
“Technically?”
“Well, there are some very specific circumstances where-”
“Lucifer.”
“Right. Sorry.”
Vox folded his arms. “So how exactly would you slow me down?”
Lucifer sighed. “Because I'm not allowed to hurt sinners.”
Vox blinked. “What?”
“I can't.”
“You're telling me you can't hurt a sinner?”
“I physically can’t.”
Vox stared at him.
Lucifer shrugged helplessly. “It's one of the rules.”
“Since when?”
“Since forever.”
“And you're just… okay with that?”
Lucifer looked genuinely confused by the question. “It's not really something I'm supposed to be okay or not okay with. It's a restriction.”
“Right.”
Vox stared at him for another moment.
Then the implications caught up with him. “Wait. They can hurt you, though?”
Lucifer nodded. “Unfortunately.”
“That's fucking stupid.”
“I didn't make the rules.”
“You're the king.”
“I didn't make those rules either.”
Vox glared at him for a second. “Okay, let me get this straight.”
Lucifer nodded.
“I go deal with the sinner.”
“Yes.”
“You can come with me.”
“Yes.”
“But if they attack you, you can't actually fight back.”
“Correct.”
“So I'd have to protect you.”
Lucifer winced slightly. “That is exactly how it works.”
Vox stared at him.
Then he sighed and picked his coat back up.
“Fine. I'll go alone.”
Lucifer nodded. “Probably for the best.”
“Yeah.”
Vox pulled his coat over his shoulders.
“I'll see you later.”
“Be careful.”
Vox glanced back.
Lucifer was still sitting at the table, looking mildly concerned.
“I'll be fine.”
“I know.”
“You don't sound convinced.”
“I am.”
“Good.”
Vox started to teleport, but he paused for another second. “...You really can't hurt sinners?”
Lucifer shook his head. “No.”
“Even if they're attacking someone?”
“No.”
“Even if they're destroying half the city?”
Lucifer grimaced. “No.”
Vox stared at him for another second. “...That's going to be a problem someday.”
Lucifer smiled faintly. “I’m lucky it hasn’t been yet.”
Vox shook his head. “See you later.”
“I’ll be here.”
With that, Vox was gone.
One second, he was standing in his office.
The next, he was standing on the roof of a building several blocks from the reported disturbance.
The difference was immediately obvious.
Smoke hung over the street.
Not the usual industrial haze that permanently seemed to cling to parts of the pride ring, but thick, black clouds pouring from somewhere ahead. Emergency sirens screamed in the distance. Windows had been blown out of several buildings, and chunks of concrete littered the street below.
He checked his phone.
The location marker was still moving.
Whoever was causing this wasn't staying in one place.
He stepped off the roof.
His body flickered into static for half a second before he reappeared on the street below.
An explosion shook the street.
Vox started walking towards the noise.
The closer he got, the worse the destruction became.
A storefront had been torn apart.
A streetlight had been bent almost completely in half.
A car had been thrown through the front window of a building.
And in the middle of it all, something moved.
Vox stopped.
The figure was small.
Smaller than he'd expected.
A young woman stood in the middle of the street, surrounded by debris.
Her hands were raised defensively.
Energy crackled around her fingers.
Vox's eyes widened.
Magic.
Actual magic.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
Not this quickly.
Not with a sinner who couldn't have been dead for more than a few hours.
The woman looked toward him.
Her eyes widened. “Oh, fuck.”
“Yeah.” He said. “That's about what I was thinking.”
She took a step backward. “I didn't mean to-”
“Relax.”
“I can explain.”
“I'm sure you can.”
“I didn't know I could do this!”
“You didn't?”
“No!”
Another burst of purple energy flashed from her hand.
Vox teleported out of the way just before the blast struck the building behind him and concrete exploded outward.
Vox stared at the hole before slowly looking back at her.
She looked horrified. “I told you!”
“Oh, this is going to be interesting.”
“Sure is, papi.” A familiar voice interrupted.
Valentino.
Vox felt his eyes roll without his permission.
He turned around.
Valentino was standing at the end of the street, looking remarkably pleased with himself despite the fact that half the buildings around him were on fire.
Of course he was.
Vox glanced past him.
A handful of Valentino's people were standing further down the street, keeping civilians away from the destruction.
“You got the same report?” Vox asked.
“Apparently.”
“Then you know this is my territory.”
Valentino put a hand over his chest. “Wow. No hello?”
“Hello.”
“Much better.”
Vox turned back toward the sinner.
She was staring between them.
Her hands were still raised, purple energy flickering nervously around her fingers.
Valentino noticed.
His smile widened. “Ooh.”
Vox immediately knew that tone. “No.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I was about to say she looks interesting.”
“She does.”
Valentino's eyebrows lifted.
Vox sighed. “Don't.”
“Don't what?”
“Whatever you're thinking.”
“I haven't even thought of anything yet.”
“You're lying.”
“Obviously.”
The woman looked between them again. “...Do you two know each other?”
“Unfortunately.” Vox muttered.
“Quite well.” Valentino added.
Vox shot him a look.
Valentino grinned.
The sinner took another cautious step backward.
Vox noticed immediately. “Hey.”
Her eyes snapped toward him.
“Don't worry. We're not going to hurt you.”
Valentino glanced at him.
Vox gave him a warning look.
Valentino raised both hands. “What? I wasn't going to.”
“You were thinking about it.”
“I was thinking about something.”
“That's worse.”
The woman looked unconvinced.
Vox couldn't blame her.
She was surrounded by rubble, smoke, two overlords arguing over her, and apparently had no idea what the fuck was happening.
She probably didn’t even know what an overlord was.
He lowered his voice.
“You said you didn't know you could do this.”
She nodded.
“When did you die?”
“Oh. I’m dead?”
“Okay, well… um, welcome to hell.”
“Hell? Okay, I got this.” She muttered, seemingly mostly to herself.
“How long have you been here?” He asked.
“I don't know. A few hours?”
Vox's eyes narrowed. “That's not normal.”
“I gathered that.”
Another pulse of energy crackled around her hand.
She looked down at it with fear in her eyes.
“Can you control it?”
“No.”
“Can you make it happen intentionally?”
“I don't know.”
“Try.”
She stared at him. “...What?”
“Don't aim it at anything. Just try to produce the energy.”
“Are you insane?”
“Probably.”
Valentino snorted.
Vox ignored him.
The woman swallowed.
Slowly, she lifted one hand.
Purple light gathered around her palm.
It was unstable; raw.
But powerful nonetheless.
Vox stepped closer. “Interesting.”
The energy suddenly flared.
Vox teleported backward.
The blast tore through a nearby street sign.
The woman stared at the smoking remains. “Oh my God.”
“Okay.” Vox said. “Don't do that again.”
“I didn't mean to!”
“I know.”
“I told you I can't control it!”
“I know.”
“Then why did you tell me to try?!”
“Because now I know you weren't exaggerating.”
She stared at him.
Vox glanced at the destroyed sign, then back at her. “You're going to kill someone. You need to learn how to control it.”
Valentino's expression shifted. “You planning on teaching her?”
Vox looked at him. “Yes.”
“No.”
Vox blinked. “...Excuse me?”
“I said no.”
“You don't get a vote.”
“I absolutely get a vote.”
“Why?”
“Because she's in my territory now.”
“She was causing destruction in my territory.”
“And then crossed the border.”
“Because she was running.”
“Still counts.”
Vox stared at him. “You're not taking her.”
Valentino smiled. “I wasn't asking permission.”
“Neither was I.”
The sinner looked between them. “...Are you seriously fighting over me?”
Neither answered.
She waited.
Valentino shrugged. “Maybe.”
Vox crossed his arms. “She's an uncontrolled magical threat who manifested less than a day ago. She needs someone who knows what they're doing.”
Valentino scoffed. “And that's you?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Since I invented half the technology currently being used in this city.”
“That doesn't make you a magician.”
“No, but I can teach her how to control herself.”
“You don't know anything about her powers.”
“I learned how to use my own powers back in the day. What’d you have to learn? How to breathe on your targets, Mr. Aphrodisiac-Breath?”
“It’s more complicated than that, loser.”
“Wow, how creative.”
The sinner slowly lowered her hands. “Can I say something?”
Neither of them looked at her.
“I can hear you.”
Still nothing.
“Hello?”
Valentino pointed at Vox. “He's going to make you boring.”
Vox pointed back. “And you're going to get her killed.”
“That's rude.”
“It's accurate.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
The sinner raised both hands. “HEY!”
Both men stopped.
She took a breath. “I'm standing right here.”
Silence.
Vox looked at her.
Valentino looked at her.
She gestured wildly at the destroyed street around them. “I don't know where I am. I don't know why I can do this. I don't know what the fuck happened to me, and I definitely don't know either of you.”
She pointed at Vox.
“You want to teach me.”
Then Valentino.
“You want to teach me.”
Both overlords nodded.
She stared at them. “Then figure it out.”
Vox frowned. “What?”
“You're both powerful. You're both apparently interested in whatever the hell is wrong with me.”
She crossed her arms.
“So work together.”
Valentino laughed.
Vox stared at her.
She looked completely serious.
“If you can't agree on that, I'll find someone else.”
That wiped the smile off Valentino's face.
“You'd do that?” Vox asked.
“Absolutely.”
She looked around at the destruction.
“Preferably someone who can explain why I accidentally blew up a building.”
Vox glanced at Valentino.
Valentino glanced at Vox.
Neither looked particularly happy about it.
“Well shit.” Valentino said eventually.
Vox sighed. “This is going to be annoying.”
The woman shrugged. “Probably.”
Valentino grinned. “Fine.”
Vox looked at him. “Fine?”
“Fine. We work together.”
“You're agreeing that easily?”
“No.” Valentino's smile widened. “I'm agreeing because I want to see how long it takes before you lose your mind.”
Vox stared at him. “I already regret this.”
“Good.”
The woman looked between them. “So... we're doing this? Whatever ‘this’ is anyway?”
Vox sighed. “Apparently.”
She smiled. “Great.”
Vox looked at the destruction around them. “First lesson.”
She straightened. “What?”
“Don't use magic unless you know where it's going.”
She looked at the smoking crater. “...That seems fair.”
Valentino chuckled. “Welcome to hell, senorita.”
“We should probably introduce ourselves, huh?” Vox asked.
“That would be nice, yes.” The woman said. “I’ve just been thinking of you as moth and TV guy.”
“Wow, ‘moth’?” Val scoffed. “I thought I’d at least be ‘sexy guy’.”
Her face scrunched up in disgust. “Ew.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.” Vox laughed. “I’m Vox, CEO and founder of VoxTech, AKA the creator and manufacturer of every single screen you destroyed today.”
“And I’m Valentino. I own the biggest porn studio in the pride ring.”
“...Seriously?”
“What? It's a respectable business.”
Vox snorted. “It absolutely is not.”
“It's profitable. You can just call me Val. What about you, sweetheart?”
“I’m…” She hesitated.
“It’s quite common for people to change their names down here. Lots of folks don’t want to be recognized for what they did on earth. If you want to change it, you can think about it for a while before deciding.” Vox added.
“...That sounds nice.” She said. “I think I’ll choose something else.”
“Sounds cool. How old are you?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because you never know down here. You’re new, but you could be just as old as me, or you could be fourteen. Your appearance isn’t based on how old you were when you died.”
“Okay, fine. I was just about to turn eighteen.”
“Then Val better not flirt with you.”
“Oh c’mon, how was I supposed to know that?” Val muttered.
Vox ignored him. “What’d you do to get down here? I was a serial killer before it was cool.”
“He just means he’s old.”
“Am not.”
“You died in the 50s.”
“So? Everyone since the beginning of time who sinned is down here. Lu is like ten thousand years old, and I never hear you calling him ancient.”
“I’ve never gotten the chance to, but I totally would if I did.”
“Who’s Lu?” The woman asked.
“Finally!” Vox celebrated.
“What?”
“Someone who knows me before they know Lu!”
“WHO’S LU?!”
“Exactly!”
“Lucifer’s his friend.” Val shook his head. “Y’know, the devil.”
“From the fucking bible?!”
“Yes, that Lucifer.”
“You’re his friend.” She said it flatly, but it was clearly a question.
“Yeah?”
“Why the fuck didn’t you mention that earlier?”
“Oh my Satan, not everything is about him.”
“Isn’t he literally Satan? Aren’t you swearing using your friend’s name?”
“No, actually; Satan is a different guy. I have met him though.”
Val turned to him with an increasingly exasperated expression. “When the fuck did you meet Satan?! And why are you cursing using his name?”
Vox shrugged. “I asked him if he minded and he said no.”
“That explained nothing.”
Vox suppressed a smile.
Valentino stared at him. “You asked Satan if he minded?”
“Yep.”
“And he said no?”
“Yep.”
“And you just accepted that?”
“Why wouldn't I?”
Valentino opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
“I'm not even going to ask.”
“Good.”
The girl looked between them, seemingly trying to decide whether either of them was remotely sane.
“So…” She said slowly. “What happens now?”
Vox glanced at Valentino.
Valentino glanced at Vox.
Neither spoke.
“Right.” She muttered. “That's reassuring.”
“We need to figure out how to get you somewhere safe.” Vox said.
“I can go somewhere myself.”
“I know.”
That seemed to catch her off guard.
Vox gestured toward the ruined street. “But unless you want to spend the rest of your first day in hell accidentally destroying things, I'd recommend coming with one of us.”
She looked at Valentino.
Then at Vox.
“I don't want to go home with a porn guy.”
Valentino's expression immediately soured. “The overlord of Lust, actually.”
She stared at him. “Okay.”
“That's all you're going to say?”
“Yep.”
Vox snorted.
Valentino pointed at him. “Don't encourage her.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You laughed.”
“That's not the same thing.”
“It absolutely is.”
The girl sighed. “Okay. So what are my options?”
“You can come with me, and I’ll find you somewhere to stay.” Vox said.
“Or me.” Valentino added.
“Or neither of you.”
Both men looked at her.
She shrugged.
“You said I could find someone else.”
Vox nodded. “You can.”
She considered that for a moment.
Then she looked down at her hands.
The purple energy was still flickering around her fingers.
“I think…”
She swallowed.
“I think I'd rather go with TV guy.”
Valentino's eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“You seem less likely to try to sell me into something.”
Vox raised an eyebrow.
Valentino looked offended. “I have standards.”
“Do you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Name three.”
“That's beside the point.”
Vox laughed.
The girl looked back at him.
“So… Vox?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I stay with you until I figure out what I'm doing?”
Vox's expression softened slightly. “Sure.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Vox pulled out his phone. “Then first things first.”
“What?”
“I need to make a call.”
“To who?”
“Someone who knows more about magic than either of us.”
Valentino folded his arms. “You have someone like that on speed dial?”
“I have a lot of people on speed dial.”
“Of course you do.”
Vox ignored him and started scrolling through his contacts.
“There are a few people who might be able to help us figure out exactly what kind of magic you're using. But until we know that, I'm not letting you walk around without some kind of safety measure.”
She looked at her hands. “Can you stop it?”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“I said probably.”
“That isn't reassuring.”
“It's better than saying no. I can have someone put together a suppression spell.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “A what?”
“Something that limits your magic.”
“Like… completely?”
“I'd actually rather not suppress it completely. If you're going to learn to control it, you need to be able to use it.”
Valentino nodded. “Makes sense.”
“But we could create specific locations where it doesn't work.”
She frowned. “Like a training room?”
“Exactly. Or just a place to exist without fear of destroying things.”
“And then I could practice without accidentally blowing up another building?”
“That's the idea.”
She looked at her hands again. “Could you make it so it works on my own clothes?”
“That's actually a really good idea.”
Valentino looked between them. “Why?”
“So she can decide when she wants to be able to use it.”
The woman nodded. “If I'm going somewhere normal, I don't want to accidentally hurt someone because I got startled.”
Vox considered that. “We could probably enchant certain pieces of clothing to suppress it while you're wearing them.”
“Really?”
“Of course. We’d just need to get in contact with the right people. Lily should have the right contacts, so I’m calling her.”
“Lily?”
“Lilith. First woman and all that.”
“Oh my god. You know her?”
“Hey, we don’t swear using his name here. It’s a little taboo. Use Satan or Lucifer instead.”
“Okay, but that did not answer my question.”
“Yes, I know her. I help her with projects sometimes. Helps the royal workload a little, but there’s lots of stuff I’m not allowed to touch because I’m not royalty.”
“She’s the queen? What, is Adam the king?”
“No, Lucifer’s the king. Adam, from what I’ve heard, was a dick even though he made it to heaven. And not the good kind.”
Val laughed, but the woman didn’t. “Okay, let me get this straight; you’re friends with the king and the queen, and you’ve met Satan, who is presumably someone else pretty important?”
“Satan is one of the seven sins, who each rule over a ring. I’ve met all of them, but I don’t talk to any of them outside of Bee and Lucifer himself. Sometimes Mammon, but that’s rare.”
“...You’re gonna need to give me an infographic on hell’s political structure.”
“I can do that.”
“...I was joking, but that might actually help. So how does this work, anyway?” She asked. “You get sent here because you were bad at something?”
Vox shrugged. “More or less.”
“What was yours?”
Valentino grinned. “Lust.”
“Obviously.”
He looked offended. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“You own a porn studio.”
“That's a business.”
“You literally introduced yourself as the overlord of Lust.”
“Brand consistency.”
Vox laughed.
She looked at Vox. “What about you?”
“Serial killer. I said that already.”
“Yeah, but I'm realizing how fucking casual you were about it.”
“It’s not like I had a record for most bodies ever or anything, you only need to kill three people before you’re a serial killer.”
“‘Only’ is a crazy word to use for saying how many people you killed. How many did you kill?”
Vox had to think about it. “Eight, I think?”
“You think?”
He shrugged. “I’ve killed lots more people since I got to hell, if that changes anything.”
“That’s worse.”
“What? Every overlord has killed someone. It’s basically a requirement for the job. Besides, they always regenerate, so it’s not like I ended anyone but those eight.”
“Regenerate?”
“Yeah, if I were to cut off your hand, it would grow back within a few months. That’s how it works down here. Every sinner since Adam, Eve and Lilith is still around. Sometimes, if the person is hated enough and they don’t hide who they were in life, people will capture them and trap them in a regeneration loop.”
“Yeah, you can throw ‘em in a pit of acid and refill it every now and then and they’ll stay ‘dead’. Sometimes the cannibals will keep people and harvest their flesh as it regrows.” Valentino added.
“But that's only for the people who were, like, dictators or widely hated. Most of us are still walking around.”
“Wow, so hell does have morals?”
“Not really. How you get treated just depends on how evil you were. The punishments we get are supposed to be enough, but for certain people, the real hell is being near people who know who you are.”
“Punishments?”
“Mhm. Some are kinda stupid, others are just common sense, and some are actually effective. For example, I died from electrocution. I’m reminded of my most traumatic moment every time I use my own powers since they’re electricity.”
He sighed.
“It’s the same with my head too. The TV that fell on me didn’t kill me instantly, but the electricity did. Still hurt like a bitch, of course. So I’m reminded of it every time I look in a mirror or touch my own head.”
“What about you?” She asked, turning to Val.
Valentino's smile faded slightly. “Mine's a little… more complicated.”
Vox glanced at him. “Is it?”
“Shut up.”
The girl looked between them. “What happens to you?”
Valentino was quiet for a moment. “I can't tell when someone's actually attracted to me.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“My powers affect people's desires. Always have.” He shrugged, though the gesture looked less casual than usual. “So hell decided I don't get to know whether anyone actually wants or even likes me.”
“That sounds... awful.”
“It is.”
Vox's expression softened for half a second.
Valentino noticed. “Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“Your face did.”
“My face doesn't talk.”
“Yours fucking screams.”
The girl looked between them. “So you can never tell?”
Valentino shook his head. “Not for sure.”
“Even if they say they like you?”
“Especially then.”
She frowned. “That's actually pretty cruel.”
Valentino's smile returned, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. “A few people are immune to my powers, like Vox, and are exceptions. They’re the few people who can actually tell me to fuck off.”
“Huh. Why’s that?”
“I don’t exactly breathe, I only need air to regulate my systems, so his pheromones and smoke don’t affect me.” Vox commented.
“And people with enough power of their own can resist my powers as well. Your magic is probably the reason why you’re not affected. You’ll find out what your punishment is eventually.”
“These powers aren’t enough of a punishment?”
“Nope.” Vox said. “Your powers are more of a blessing, or they will be, once you can control them. Speaking of, I really ought to call Lily to fix your little issue, so be quiet.”
He dialed Lilith’s number, and she picked up on the third ring.
He explained the situation, apologized for bothering her, and asked for someone who could help’s number.
She sighed and gave him an Ars Goetia’s number and told him to say she asked for a favour.
Within minutes of calling said Goetia, the bird hell-born showed up.
He took one look at the destruction. “...What happened here?”
Vox pointed at the girl. “Her.”
The Goetia adjusted his glasses and looked around again. “You said you needed assistance with a magical anomaly. I presume that would be her?”
“I'm not an anomaly.”
“You accidentally destroyed five city blocks.”
“Okay, maybe I'm a little bit of an anomaly.”
Valentino snorted.
The Goetia walked closer. “May I?”
He gestured toward the girl's hands.
She hesitated.
Vox noticed. “You don't have to let him touch you.”
The Goetia nodded. “Quite right. I can examine the magic without physical contact.”
The girl looked relieved. “Okay.”
The Goetia raised one hand.
The air around them shimmered.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then his expression changed. “Interesting.”
Vox folded his arms. “That's what I said.”
“You were able to identify this magic?”
“Obviously.”
“Not necessarily. Most sinners manifest abilities that are extensions of their demonic forms. This is different.”
The girl looked between them. “Is different bad?”
“No.” The Goetia paused. “It's simply… unusual.”
Vox stepped closer. “What exactly are you seeing?”
“Raw magical energy.”
“That much I figured out.”
“It's remarkably potent.”
Valentino's eyebrows rose. “How potent?”
“Enough that I would strongly recommend she not attempt to use it without supervision.”
Vox gave him a flat look. “Yeah. That's why I called you.”
The Goetia continued examining her. “The problem isn't that she possesses magic.”
“Then what is?”
“You don't appear to have any natural regulator.”
The girl frowned. “What does that mean?”
“Most beings capable of wielding magic learn, either instinctively or through training, how to contain and direct it. You appear to be generating it faster than your body knows what to do with.”
“So I'm basically a broken faucet?”
The Goetia nodded. “An alarmingly destructive one.”
Vox laughed.
She looked offended. “Hey!”
“Sorry.”
“You're not sorry.”
“No, I'm not.”
Valentino leaned over slightly. “So can you fix her?”
The Goetia looked mildly offended. “She's not broken.”
That shut Valentino up.
Vox glanced at him.
The Goetia continued. “I can, however, create a temporary magical suppression field. It would prevent her abilities from being used while inside it.”
Vox immediately shook his head. “No.”
“No?”
“She needs to learn to control it. If you completely shut it down, she's never going to learn. She’ll just be scared of using it. Can you create something that would dampen it, but not entirely remove it?”
The Goetia raised an eyebrow. “You already have an idea. I'm beginning to understand why Lilith likes you.”
Vox smiled.
The girl looked between them. “So what's the plan?”
Vox pulled out his phone again. “Three things.”
He held up one finger.
“First, we make your home safe. Somewhere you can exist without accidentally vaporizing the furniture.”
A second finger.
“Second, we make you something you can wear when you want your powers suppressed.”
A third.
“And third, somewhere where your powers are mildly suppressed so you can learn to use them.”
Vox looked up.
“Can you do that?”
The Goetia nodded. “With the appropriate enchantment, yes. The clothes will be considerably more complicated than a stationary suppression field, but hardly impossible.”
Vox looked pleased. “Great.” He looked at the woman. “And that means you get to decide when you want to use your magic.”
He gestured toward her hands.
“You could wear the enchanted clothes when you're out somewhere crowded, working, sleeping, whatever. Take them off when you want to train.”
She stared at him for a moment. “That's... actually really good.”
Valentino crossed his arms. “You're really taking this seriously.”
Vox looked at him. “Of course I am.” Vox looked back at the girl. “She has something nobody else we've seen has.”
The Goetia nodded. “That's an understatement.”
Vox's eyes flicked toward him. “You've not seen anything like this before?”
“Not in a sinner.”
That got everyone's attention.
“Then what?”
The Goetia hesitated. “Certain hellborn witches. Some members of the Ars Goetia. A handful of exceptionally powerful demons.”
He looked at the girl again.
“But never someone who manifested in hell mere hours ago.”
“She's unprecedented?”
“As far as I know.”
Vox's expression sharpened. “That's a pretty big qualifier.”
“I'm a Goetia, not omniscient.”
Valentino whistled. “Well, shit.”
The woman looked increasingly uncomfortable. “Is that... bad?”
Vox shook his head. “No. It just means we have a lot to figure out.”
The Goetia looked between the three of them. “So, do you have the things for me to enchant?”
“Um… not exactly, but we’ll figure that out soon. There’s probably a clothing shop somewhere nearby that we can grab something to use as a temporary suppressant while we gather up the other things and figure out where she’s going to be staying.”
“Okay, then let’s find me something pretty.” She said, purple still sparking from her hands.