Chapter Text
“Roo is back.”
Lucifer’s grim voice sounded throughout the silent room, Rosie sat in silence. Charlie by the king’s side.
“Who?” She asked, confused
Lucifer sighed, he really didn’t want to have to have this conversation with her, he was hoping to never have to speak that name again, but alas - she was here, and Charlie deserved to know.
“Roo is the ‘root of all evil.’... She -.. was created when I was banished down here, another consequence of my actions I suppose... She’s strong, as strong as the sins, as strong as me. Perhaps even stronger..” He shuddered, drawing in a breathe, and letting it out slowly.
“I banished her, kept her locked away for a very long time, but something happened to let her back out. I think it was the battery incident, it used up a lot of my power. Power that kept her behind lock and key.”
“But if she’s as strong as you then what does she need with Vox and Alastor?”
“They’re an obstacle.” Rosie interjects, “Those stubborn men are so power hungry that they’ll stop at nothing to get what they want. Neither one of them know when to back down, neither one of them have any respect for the order or hierarchy of how things work down here.” Rosie sighed, exasperated, “Those two.. They’ll be more than willing to get in her way, just to take her power. Hell- they’ll kill each other over it. And she knows that, So she got rid of them.”
Charlie pales, voice wavering. “G-got rid of them?.. Got rid of Alastor?”
Rosie tuts, bless her innocent naive heart.. “Not literally dear - don’t cry. She sent them to the human world, we’re not sure what time period but.. Somewhere where she can keep them in line, where she can torture and kill them so they stay out of her way and disrupt Hell’s order, she might even try to get them to kill each other instead.”
“Both of them have a lot of power down here.” Lucifer adds, “Sure, there are Overlords above them that may be older and wiser but in terms of raw strength and wits, nevermind respect... those two have it.”
“So how do we get them back?” Charlie wavers, wiping her face.
“I’m not sure..” Lucifer admits, “We need to find a way to contact them-”
“Baxter!!!” Charlie screams, jumping out of her chair, making Lucifer jump in surprise. “We can use him to help contact them!”
“Who?” Both Rosie and Lucifer question.
“Um... A hotel guest, little fish guy- pretty cute actually, but in like- a little pet type of way.. Well that sounded weird actually - you know what, nevermind dad - come with me.”
She practically dragged Lucifer out, waving a half hearted bye to the cannibal overlord as she raced back to the hotel, Lucifer following close behind with a half attempted, ‘I could just portal us there!’
--------------------------------------------------------------------
They stood in Baxters lab, the little fish trying to comprehend everything he just heard. He was clearly having a hard time judging by the look on his face. The devil was quickly losing his patience.
“Wait - So.. the root of all EVIL is back?! back from where?! Double hell???”
Lucifer sighed
“Look kid, I don’t have time to explain all this to you. We’ll hold a meeting or something. Can you help us?”
“I’m not a kid.”
“Whatever! just help us out before the balance of hell gets fucked.”
“Wait- how would the hotelier and my previous boss's absence cause the balance of Hell to go haywire-”
“BAXTER.” both Charlie and Lucifer yelled in exasperation.
He threw his hands up in defense, “Alright, Alright, what’s in it for me though?”
Lucifer growled, horns threatening to emerge out of his skull, “You won’t have your limbs slowly torn off and hung up for everyone to see in the town square.”
Baxter chuckled, “Nice try your majesty, but I saw your little argument with Vox, you can’t do anything to m-
“I wasn’t talking about by me.”
Baxter stopped, paling in front of the king who was standing with his arms crossed, glaring hard at the fish, tapping his foot impatiently. Charlie beside him, looked at Baxter pleadingly.
That brilliant inventor mind seemed to have caught up with him finally.
“Uh - yeah, I can.. find something to communicate with them, I think bringing them back would involve more power than I’m capable of though. Lu- your majesty, can you go up onto earth?”
“Not without getting summoned... So unless the bellhop decides to summon me at some point I’m stuck down here, I can possess people - but only for short periods of time. And again, there has to be a summoning involved. I don’t think that stubborn egotistical asshole will willingly do that.”
Baxter hummed, “You might be surprised.. Even if.. wait- what did you call him?”
“The bellhop?”
“Dad. His name is Alastor. And he’s not the bellhop!”
Baxter chuckled, muttering a ‘I should use that sometime.’ before continuing, “So going onto earth and getting them is out of the question, what happens if they just... kill themselves to wind up back down here?”
“They’ll wind up in purgatory... forever.”
Both Charlie and Baxter grimaced.
“Well let me do some fiddling around, I should be able to get in contact with them through.. something. Oh - I’m going to need a piece of hair or saliva or something from them to figure out what time period they’re in so I can contact them properly.”
Charlie grimaced at the thought of getting DNA from Vox. Dreading having to go to Valentino, Satan knows what he’ll give her.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vox woke on the couch, groggy. Feeling like he got hit by a truck.
Scratch that, he felt like the damn TV fell on his head again, he almost panicked - touching his face. Still flesh, Still human.
It was just getting light out, the sun peaking through the curtains, bathing the livingroom in a dark blue.
He groaned, wiping his hand down his face and turning over to face the back of the couch. I’m not ready to start the day yet, piss off world.
“You snore.”
Vox whipped around, immediately regretting it as his brain felt like it was being physically assaulted with a hammer, he grabbed his head, whining in pain at the onslaught.
Alastor was sitting - no, perching on the plush chair beside him, reading a book. Because it seems the man does nothing but read in his spare time.
“Ugh.. Ho- how long have you been up?”
Alastor checked his watch, “Oh about an hour. Its 7:30. So up and attem’!” he chirped, raising his voice purposefully.
Vox glowered in response before pulling the blanket up over his head to continue hiding from the world.
Wait-
He glanced at the blanket in confusion, mind whirring - he didn’t go to bed with a blanket, the couch was bare when he fell asleep, nodding off with nothing but a measly pillow and two or three notes scattered on his chest, pencil falling to the floor and rolling somewhere under the coffee table.
He was given a blanket.
Tucked in almost.
He peaked his head out, eyeing the brown haired man wearily, before smirking.
“Did you give me a blanket?”
Alastor stilled, slowly turning his head to look at him. An expression that screamed 'excuse you?!' before pulling it back into his natural expression of indifference.
“No.”
“I didn’t go to bed with one.”
“Maybe you don’t remember you took one with you.”
“I took a shirt with me.”
“Yes and a very thin one too, I can’t afford you catching a cold you know.”
Vox gasped comically, rocketing to a sitting position so fast his head spun temporarily, Alastor noticed his mistake and grumbled, rolling his eyes.
“You DID give me a blanket!”
“Vincent I don’t know what you’re talking about-”
“You tucked me in”
“I did not-”
“Did you give me a kiss goodnight too? Damn I missed that, can you give me a reenactment~”
The book that Alastor was reading got thrown into Vox’s face, smacking him in his already aching head and clattering noisily to the floor.
“Why must you ruin my morning with your incessant nattering?!” Alastor snapped, getting up and storming to the kitchen. Vox could hear him (purposefully) loudly clanging things around and some annoyed huffing and muttering before he stalked back to the bedroom, coffee in hand.
“Hey where are you going?”
“Getting ready for the day. Someone needs to do something around here and to figure out this mess.”
“Can I have a coffee?”
“You can get it yourself, you’re a grown man sweetheart.”
A door slammed.
Vox rolled his eyes, chuckling weakly before staggering to his feet, headache pounding away - taking over every thought he had. Damn he needed caffeine.
He was slouched over the counter, staring at the ancient coffee machine in bewilderment, waiting for the machine to finish sputtering out the brown liquid gold as Alastor emerged from the bedroom, the other man looking at him quizzically.
“What, did you kill the whiskey last night or something? What’s your problem?”
Vox grumbled into his arm, slouching more as the coffee maker was taking it’s SWEET TIME-
“I don’t know.. I feel like I got hit by a car, my head is killing me..” He mumbled, “I want to just lie down..”
Alastor sighed loudly, he must’ve been taking some pity on him, or was just well rested from sleeping in HIS BED because he responded with a (almost) sympathetic hum and -
“Go lie down Vincent, I’ll grab some pain killers and some coffee for you.”
He turned, very slowly, eyes glazed in exhaustion.
“..really?”
“Consider me being altruistic. Now, before I change my mind and lace it with poison....” He trailed off, signaling with his arm for Vox to get a move on back to the couch unless he wanted to make his own damn coffee. Vox moved, staggering back to the couch and slumping onto it unceremoniously.
Alastor rolled his eyes, but proceeded to make the big baby his coffee.
The radio on the kitchen table crackled to life, spurring both men out of their thoughts, both turning towards the buzzing sound, the transmission sounded faulty - like someone was messing with the wires with very little experience before a shy voice sounded -
“-----H--hello?--”
They both stayed silent, Alastor frozen mid motion with Vincent’s (in his opinion) ridiculous newscaster coffee mug in his hand while Vox slowly sat up on the couch. They eyed each other briefly before glancing back to the crackling radio.
“----If----one--can hear me---- Alas----ox?”
“Charlie?” Alastor questioned, putting the mug down much to Vox’s silent dismay from the couch, walking over to the radio and looming over it, as if leaning closer would make the connection better.
“-------Alastor?-”
The radio cut out.
There was a sigh from both in the small apartment, the living space being plunged back into silence.
“They were trying to contact us?” Vox whispered
“It would seem so wouldn't it?” Alastor responded flatly, pulling out a chair and plopping huffily into it. The chair made a screeching noise that made Vox visibly wince. He glared at the man responsible, gripping his head in pain.
“You dick, you said you were going to make me coffee. Also, you pulled the chair out like that on purpose!”
Alastor waved him off dismissively, eyes fixed firmly on the silent radio. “Yes, and now something much more interesting has come up. So get your sorry butt off the couch and make it yourself.”
Vox grumbled, slowly getting off the couch and staggering back to the kitchen. He was in the middle of prissily putting his coffee together in (blissful) silence when the radio crackled again with a screech - making both of them jump in surprise and Vox nearly dropping his coffee mug and spilling the contents everywhere.
Thankfully most of it just landed on his hand-
“FUCK-” He hissed, running to the sink to put water over his burning hand.
“Shut up!” Alastor snapped, turning the volume up on the crackling radio.
“---Alastor? Vox? Can you guys hear us?”
Alastor cackled, “Yes! Yes we can hear you! Charlie? Can you hear us?!”
Vox was still trying to tend with his new burn wound. Rolling his eyes at Alastor’s enthusiasm
“---Yes!-- Yes we can hear you! Oh my gosh it actually worked! Wow! I didn---”
“--Charlie lets focus.--” Another voice sounded. Lucifer’s voice.
Both men scowled. Alastor debated throwing the thing out the window.
“Oh great. The illustrious KING is here.” Vox mused dramatically, trying to nurse his hand while nursing his already getting worse headache.
“---Yes I am here!--” The king replied smugly, “--And now you’re relying on me to get you out of this mess hm?--”
Alastor rolled his eyes, staying silent as he leaned back against the chair, turning his head and lifting a brow to give a look that said
‘see?’
Vox gritted his teeth in response to Lucifer’s taunting, Breathe and hold, breathe and hold-
“Why are you contacting us? Are you going to give us useful information? Or just flaunt your overbloated status as usual?” Vox sniped back.
There was a moment of silence on the other end and for a moment they thought the connection died before Lucifer’s voice broke out again.
Seems like he was doing the breathing trick too.
“----We know why your on earth.--”
“Who is this ‘we’ you keep speaking of?” Alastor cut in, still leaned back on the chair.
“Charlie, Myself, and...---” Another pause, “---Rosie.--”
Alastor stilled, Vox rose an eyebrow quizzically.
“---I’m sure you’re familiar with her?---” Lucifer asked, mockingly.
Alastor snarled, growling lowly while gripping the edge of the table, Vox was walking closer to the it now as well, curiosity piqued.
“What does she-”
“What’s your point.” Alastor hissed, cutting the taller man off.
There was another moment of silence on the other end.
“----You’re on earth---- because Roo put you there--” The reply came in staticky bursts, the connection clearly not very stable as they tried to keep it together on the other end.
“Who?” Came the flat unanimous reply.
“------Roo, She’s---oot of all---evil--she---”
There was some rustling on the other end, some faint arguing and then a loud static screech that made Vox audibly wince before the voices started coming out a little more clear, Vox was glowering at the pathetic display, arms crossed, one holding his head while leaning against the table.
He could do it so much better.
“---Sorry guys--” Charlie’s voice cut in, “--- Baxter is trying really hard to get us through to you properly, just bare with us--”
“Great the traitor is in on this too..” Vox mumbled.
“--Are we back?- ok.. Ok. Jeez..-- Ok so Roo.” Lucifer started again, “---She is ‘the root of all evil.’-- The pinnacle of darkness that envelopes Hell. She’s stronger than everyone-- myself included.”
Both Overlords stilled, A chill suddenly running through the room as the implication settled over them. Sure, Lucifer was a dork and no one took him seriously at all. Being a complete failure as a monarch will do that for you- But no one was refuting the fact that he is a literal ANGEL. He’s the strongest being in Hell, capable of doing whatever he wishes with a snap of his fingers. But this... Roo... She’s.. Stronger?
There was a nervousness running through them that either one would rather kill the other than admit.
“---She brought you here... ---She’s back, out of the containment that I left her in.. While I was being weakened..” He said the last part with audible disdain, “---She managed to escape. You can thank your little friend box for that bellhop.--”
“My name is Vox.” He snapped.
Lucifer continued, ignoring him, “---You’re a problem in some bigger scheme she’s planning--- She wants to destroy you. But you’re both too powerful, so she had to separate you--- Bring you to earth,-”
“She said there are people that want us dead.” Alastor interrupted.
There was a scoff on the other end, “--Probably. ---But listen, She’s the embodiment of all evil, she can do whatever she wants--- she hardly has any weaknesses that I know of..---You both need to be careful, unless you want to wind up in purgatory--- And trust me, you don’t want to wind up there.---”
“What about our overlord status?” Vox asked, desperation in his voice.
“---Hell is going to be in disarray soon--- You’re disappearances-- have left a void that sinners are desperately trying to fill--- If Roo’s plan is to takeover Hell then-- Getting rid of the two of you is a good start--”
“What about the rest of the overlords?!” Vox snapped, slamming his hand on the table, momentarily forgetting about his migraine, “Didn’t you all kumbaya my fucking bomb away because you all decided to be friends!?” He pitched his voice up mockingly on the word 'friends'.
Charlie interjected, “---We HAVE been in contact with the other overlords but--- everyone is pretty enthusiastic about your guys’ disappearance.--- They’re too busy trying to fill in the gaps of that---”
Alastor rolled his eyes, “Fucking Maestro...”
Vox was too busy thinking.. If people were talking, he couldn't hear it anymore. Everything sounded muffled to him now as his mind worked overtime. The Vees, are they trying to replace him? Get rid of him? Fill in his gap? After everything he did for them?!
His anger was climbing rapidly and was tempted to grab the stupid radio and smash it to pieces. And then those pieces to smaller pieces.. and then so on and so on-
“---I can help you guys--” Lucifer was back. Snapping Vox out of his violent thoughts
Both men stayed silent.
“---I found a way to go on earth-- temporarily.---I can give you something to make it harder for her to track you while we figure out how to get you both down here--”
“Why don’t you just bring us back with you?” Vox gritted out through his simmering rage.
“--It’s not powerful enough---”
“You’re the FUCKING DEVIL LUCIFER.” Vox snapped, throwing his mug against the wall, shards exploded from the impact, coffee spilling all over the counter.
Alastor smirked.
“---Listen you egomaniacal prick---” The devil hissed, temper rising himself, “---This is beyond everyone now, beyond me, beyond the other sins, beyond heaven and hell itself. So yes, I’m not powerful enough to beat her or undo her magic.---”
Magic.. Alastor thought, eyes widening in realization.
Vox stayed silent for a moment, body trembling in anger before gritting out, “What’s your plan then.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They arrived to an empty building around 10pm that night, Vox's headache wasn't as bad, about a 'hit by a open handed punch pain' compared to the earlier 'hit by a 1950s TV from a high height pain.'.
Lucifer advised them to be under the cover of darkness and to avoid being around anyone else - as she could manipulate and control people.
After picking the lock - something that Vox still wasn’t sure he felt about, they entered the dilapidated structure, abandoned desks, papers and red lines scratching out possible options littered the space.
“Hm. Seems like a building that was related to a bank.” Alastor mused, hands behind his back as she snooped through documents on abandoned desks.
Vox glanced around. He remembered this time, the chaos, despair and anxiety people felt on a daily basis. The fights, the suicides. He found it all tedious really.. So what some people lost money? That’s where you climb back up damnit. Besides, it worked out for him fairly well in the end.. if you don’t count the TV electrocuting him to death..
He chose not to think about that too much.
He unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck.
“What was your life like around this time?” Vox asked, causing Alastor to stop snooping momentarily. He turned and looked at him. Expression unreadable.
He stayed quiet for a moment before responding. Softly. Melancholic almost.
“Nothing much changed. Everything stayed the same for me.”
Vox understood the implication.
He was smart enough to stay silent about it.
A light burst through suddenly, scattering loose papers around the abandoned office like birds flying off after being startled. Both men looked over to the devil walking through - behind him Charlie was keeping the portal open.
“Here.” He stated flatly, handing them some Voxtek looking contraption. It was tie pins, but something was off about them, they didn’t look like normal tie pins. Sleek. modern looking.
“What is this?” Alastor asked with distaste in his tone, holding the pin up to the limited light shining through the falling apart roof.
“It’s a pin that Baxter made. Put it on your ties, when you touch them they’ll change your appearance, making it difficult for Roo to know where you are. You’ll still look the same to each other but to everyone else - and her, you’ll look like someone completely different.”
Vox eyed the pin, then Lucifer. “Why are you helping us? Doesn’t this get us out of your hair?”
Lucifer stood, hands on his cane, head held high, he spared him a glare, one that even though Vox was still taller than him - made him feel like he was less then an insect under Lucifer’s boot.
“Charlie needs Alastor. Apparently the Vees need you. And...”
He stood up straighter, inhaling deeply. Looking straight ahead.
“If she tries to takeover Hell... Not having you both will be a huge disadvantage to us.”
Both men look aghast.
“Aww Lu was that a compliment?” Vox mocked, tilting his head and smushing his own face.
“I think it was!” Alastor added, failing to hide the Cheshire grin on his face.
Lucifer growled lowly.
“Dad! Let’s- ugh - hurry this up please?!” Charlie pleaded, struggling with the portal.
“Right. So, don’t use your powers if you still have them, they’re not made for the human world so they’ll take a lot out of you. Try and stay away from people but if you have to be around them use the pins so she can’t track you. We're going to try and figure out how to get you two back to hell in the meantime.”
He turned to the portal, walking through it but stopping before it closed, glancing over his shoulder, eyes inverted.
“Don’t. Die. If you die, you’ll get sent to purgatory, and there’s nothing we can do to get you back.”
The portal closed, Charlie giving a fainted, ‘good luck! we’ll keep in tou-’ and both demons were left standing in the once again quiet office, papers fluttering to the ground softly behind them.
“So what do we do now?” Vox asked, eyeing the pin still in his hand like a relic.
“We try to find a way back. I’m not sitting here and waiting for your little fish employee to come up with something.” Before Vox could respond Alastor was already out the door.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On their walk back to the apartment the night was silent, the two men eyeing anything that looked like a shadow.
“I say we should just kill her.” Alastor piped up suddenly, Vox looked over stunned.
“We don’t even know if she’s up here. Lucifer just said she’s stronger than everyone - even him!”
“Lucifer is a pushover anyways.”
“He’s a literal fallen Angel.”
“Fallen.”
Vox groaned, “Look.. I don’t know if this was some kind of fluke but... One of the people I came across, that she controlled.. I tried to punch him.”
Alastor scoffed, “tried?”
“That’s the thing! I didn’t even get a swing in! My arm felt like it broke into a million pieces - but when I looked at it-” He held up his arm, rolling up his sleeve and flexing the muscle showing the other man, “- it’s fine.”
Alastor hummed at this, stopping in his tracks, causing Vox to stop in front of him. He turned around to ask what was wrong-
And Alastor punched him.
Right in the face.
Knocking his glasses clean off, skittering across the sidewalk as Vox’s head snapped to the side. Almost falling but catching himself on a lamp post, hand flying to his face as the taste of copper filled his mouth, and rage once again soared through his veins.
“What the fuck?!”
“Seems like nothing’s wrong to me.” Alastor mused, flexing his hand a little as he continued walking.
Vox snapped.
He ran up, The other man barely having time to turn around to the sound of footsteps before Vox grabbed him and threw him to the ground, head nearly bouncing off the pavement. He was punching his face.
over
and over.
and over.
Alastor cackling in between swings, shifting his body weight so roll Vox off, he wasn’t letting up- swinging his arm around to put Alastor in a chokehold instead. Alastor grabbed Vox's arm, the other fiddling around for a probable hidden knife, Vox took his other arm, the one not choking Alastor and quickly punched him twice in the ribs, hard, stopping the man in his quest for his knife.
“I could fucking kill you. I should kill you.” He hissed in his ear, “Leave you to fucking rot alone in purgatory.”
Blood was running down their bodies, off their faces dripping onto the sidewalk. They were both panting hard.
“You won’t.” Alastor wheezed, pushing off the ground, trying to shove his body back to throw Vox into the wall behind them. Vox shifted, shoving him farther to the ground, almost laying on top of the man now.
“Why do you think that.”
“Because you need me.” Alastor responded, smugness oozing in his muffled voice.
Vox gritted his teeth, forcefully shoving Alastor’s face to the ground as he let go, getting to his feet to retrieve his glasses. He bent to where he saw them skid to-
They weren’t there.
What? Where the fuck-
“Looking for these?” A voice came from-
right
in front
of
him.
He glanced up from his crouching position, A man was holding his glasses. Wide grin on his face. light reflecting off his oval glasses, hiding his eyes. He could faintly hear Alastor coughing behind him, grumbling.
Vox stared at the man, frozen. He didn’t know if this was a good Samaritan or her..
“Vincent.”
He glanced back
The man moved
Grabbing Vox with a root, enveloping his torso and slamming him into the store wall, cracking the glass and knocking the wind out of him.
Alastor moved next. With a speed that Vox hadn’t seen since their last fight in Hell.
He raced forward, manic grin on his face, knife in his hand. He was laughing.
He threw his arm in an overhead arc, missing the man as he ducked and jammed the knife into the root, merely missing Vox's right lung, Vox yelped.
But-
nothing happened to Alastor. Why did nothing happen-
Then he took another swing for the man, flipping the knife around with astounding expertise and swinging his arm in a backward stabbing motion-
and then stopped
The knife fell, clattering to the pavement. The man hadn’t moved an inch.
Alastor fell next, writhing on the pavement, glutteral cry leaving his mouth as he clutched his hand in agony.
“-FUCK-”
The man chuckled, a woman’s voice coming out of his mouth. “Isn’t that a neat little party trick?”
“F-fuck you.... you dumb... Dora.” Alastor hissed, trying feebly to crawl to the fallen blade just within reaching distance. Vox was struggling in his confinements.
“That’s not very nice.” The man with the woman’s voice chided him. nails extending as she grabbed the brunette, slapping Alastor across the face, adding to his injuries.
Vox’s anger was boiling again. The lights overhead started flickering.
“Why don’t you face us yourself instead of hiding in these flesh puppets?” Alastor responded smugly, kneeling now, smile straining his face as he clutched his arm, sweat breaking out on his forehead. “Are you scared?”
The man hummed.
“Oh please, I'm just having some fun. But I'm also putting more pieces together that require me to be in two places at once. Don't be so selfish for all my attention dear.” She coo'd, wiping blood off her nails in disgust, “But don’t worry your handsome little head. You’ll both get your time to play with me.”
Alastor’s face contorted in disgust.
“Yeah? Why are you telling us this anyways?” Vox wheezed. Struggling.
“Because I’m going to kill you.” She promised, glancing back at him with that manic smile again. “Doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with it first though. Who knows.. Maybe you both will kill each other for me!”
She grabbed the knife, walking slowly to the still writhing man, He tried to back up, shoes skidding on the pavement. She used the mans body to stomp on Alastor's ankle, halting him. stabbing Alastor in the shoulder with the blade, he gasped in pain. Vox flinched.
She stabbed the other shoulder
Sliced his arm when he tried to grab the knife.
The lights flickered harder.
Vox gritted his teeth, feeling the heat coursing through his veins, lighting up his very being-
Then it exploded-
Electricity bursts through him, popping streetlights, exploding transformers, rocketing to the ground, electrocuting the man currently trying to kill the former radio demon.
None of the electricity touched Alastor, but he flinched anyways at the bright display.
Vox fell to the ground in a heap, the roots disintegrating, falling around him like ash. And then-
Nothing.
Darkness again. But darker with all the power knocked out. So dark you could almost touch it.
And Silence. Complete and utter silence.
He groaned as he flopped onto his back. There was a smell of something burning off to his left.
Flesh.
He sat up, frantically looking around for Alastor and finding him panting on the ground, blood pooling around him. He looked over and found the other man.
Fried. Dead.
He killed a man..
And didn’t get hurt.
He crawled over to the radio host, peering over him as he gasped for breath.
“Did I get you?”
“...No.” He wheezed.
“Ok... I have to... Fuck- you’re bleeding a lot-”
“So I’ve gathered.. My, such... good observation skillss” He slurred, turning his head away as another wave of pain went through him.
“Shut up. I’m going to - I have to-..” Vox stuttered, looking at this fingers like they held the answers.
“I have to cauterize you.” He finished, Alastor weakly waved him off.
“Just..... do what you must...”
The TV in the nearby store flickered on, catching Vox’s attention out of the corner of his eye.
It was playing something.. Muted. But.. Bright.
Vox could almost mouth out what the man was saying. He was staring with his mouth agape, fighting the bile and little food he had threatening to come up.
The man was him.
Now who’s ready to be baptized into a new era of ENTERTAINMENT?!
The TV fell, Vox flinched.
The TV shut off, right before the big finale of his life.
She was still watching them.