Chapter 27: Radio or TV, Who's the liar?

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To say you were frustrated would be an understatement. Why did you have to run into Vox at this particular time? At this place? You'd have preferred to meet him on the street or even in your neighborhood.

Well...At least it allowed you to do everything at once. However, there was one small detail that bothered you, you had absolutely nothing to defend yourself against this mobile TV, except the hard way.

You followed the TV man to his office silently, on the way Vox was singing music that you knew but couldn't remember the title. You, for your part, tried to ignore the demons who were jerking off or getting fucked publicly in the corridors. The more it went on, the more the anger got the better of you. You really didn't understand how one could have such a lack of civility. It made you sick.

To avoid vomiting, you approached Vox and asked him coldly.

"How did you know I was here, Vox?"

"Oh? Well, at first I thought it was Alastor, to be honest."

You frowned rather perplexed...

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, now that I think of it, it was a crazy idea of mine, what would this "goody two-shoes" here?"

Strangely his comment pissed you off, even though you didn't like that deer, you totally understood why he wouldn't set foot in a place like this.

"I totally understand him." You spat bitterly, turning the TV head in your direction with a curious look, silently asking you to explain your point of view. "I don't understand how anyone could enjoy working in such a vulgar place. The demons here have no decency, it's completely repulsive, and- "

You were cut off by a laugh from Vox.

"HA HA HA HA very funny doll. " he laughed but stopped when he noticed you were serious.

"Oh, you were serious about that? Come on sweetheart, do you really think it's possible to reconcile a demon and decency? What a joke!"

"That's what a smart killer does to trick his victims and kill them more easily, I thought you were enlightened enough to know that." You arrogantly replied while looking him coldly in the eye.

(A/N: Yeah, I couldn't resist, I had to do a drawing of Y/N when she was serious.)

Vox's smile wavered slightly, then he laughed again as he looked at you "friendly"...

"Oh, I don't deny it at all, my little wolf! "He said as he laid a hand on you.

This time you felt an electric sensation go through your body, making you immediately tremble under his touch.

"But admit that there is no need to bother showing a 'human face' here. After all, there are no humans to play with in hell... only a few beautiful human-looking creatures like you~" He whispered in your ear in an enticing tone, "Why not let the animal that we are break our rules of conduct? No one judges us for our fantasies or the way we behave around here."

It made you roll your eyes in trouble when you understood his invitation. Decidedly you began to curse your human allure and the day you made the promise to help this hotel.

"My, my, is it really the demon of television who says that?" You provoked with confidence by walking away from him. "Why are you wearing a suit? Why are you trying to control the tone of voice? Why do you choose your words carefully if it doesn't matter how we behave? You have to hide behind a face and look perfect. What would your listeners say if they saw you in a compromising position? You'd lose credibility and the demons would call you a "bitch" despite your Overlord status."

You immediately heard threatening static that you were beginning to reach the limit of patience of this pile of electrical garbage. Fortunately for you, Vox kept a perfectly calm and serene face and was content to laugh.

"You've got a point I'll admit doll, it's true enough that for an overlord it's necessary to keep a little order and be respected by the other demons."

You put a little smile on your face.

"I'm glad you share my point of view. Now can you tell me why you thought Alastor was here?"

The television gave you an amused little smile.

"Why are you so interested in that, doll?" he asked you teasingly.

You rolled your eyes with annoyance

"Don't we have the right to be curious anymore? I'm surprised that I could be mistaken for a stupid deer, it really does have a way of getting on my nerves" You defended yourself.

"You two aren't really close, are you?"

"It's quite visible." You answered curtly. "Even a child would notice our aversion to each other"

Vox was silent for a moment and then answered you.

"The lights," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"The lights my doll. Alastor is a deer and a radio, he can create electrical interference when he's angry, of course my electrical capabilities are more developed than his if I have to compare our powers. I mean, I'm able to cut off the power to the whole city," Vox said proudly, bulging his chest.

"I see" you answered by looking at your hands with questioning.

Electricity? That would be your magic? But why would that be? What did it have to do with the wolf you'd become? Moreover, you hadn't really been in the media, unlike Alastor or Vox, you hadn't really worked in the electricity sector either. So why did you do it?

Vox seemed to notice your confused face and then spoke again.

"Didn't you work in the media when you worked for your boss?"

"No, my boyfriend worked in the media, though." You replied

Vox put a hand under his screen as he walked towards a black door.

"Well my doll, I don't really see why you have this ability." He said as he opened the door. "But that's not really the subject we're interested in, come on, come inside"

You nodded your head and entered his office with resistance.

The room was very different from Valentino's office, it was covered in a light gray that was in complete contrast to the style of the studio. In the center of the room there was a desk and two chairs in a very modern style. There was also a fake window, well... rather a kind of trompe l'oeil that gave the view of a big building of New York. The curtains were deep black and were decorated with thin lines of cyan blue that reminded you of the stripes on the jacket of that mobile TV.

The room had a very long leather sofa and a black coffee table some bookcase, but there was no real personal decoration, it was just soulless objects placed here and there without the slightest intention of giving life to the room.

There was a painting, but when your eyes looked at it a little more critically, a horrible cold sweat ran down your back.

It looked as if the painter had angrily thrown his paint on the canvas to make the background. It was a shade of dark red and light grey, all around the flames were dancing around a man impaled on a spike. The man was naked and was drawn rather roughly, however there was a lot of attention to the details of his muscles and wounds. His eyes were black and a liquid of the same color was flowing from his nostrils. What disgusted you the most was all these ashes, hair, cockroach corpses and worms on the canvas as decoration.

It was really morbidly tasty and already made you want to vomit.

"Beautiful, isn't it? "Vox asked proudly. "A friend gave it to me as a gift."

"Infernal Realism is not my style," you replied in a detached tone.

"Oh really? Is that too crude for you? I imagined you more... "bloodthirsty" doll."

You rolled your eyes.

"I may be bloodthirsty in my work, but I'm not a full-time employee." you replied with a dull sigh. "Blood and violence are commonplace in hell, there's no surprise, nothing new."

"That's one point of view. " Vox replied, inviting you to sit down. "May I offer you something to drink? Some water? A cup of coffee? Or perhaps something more exciting?"

"I don't want anything, thank you very much," you said politely.

"I insist! "Vox replied, "You need to quench your thirst a little."

You frowned with suspicion.

"I reassure you, drugging people thanks to their drink isn't really my style." Vox defended himself when he saw your accusing look. "It's more Val's type."

"I don't want anything, Vox." You said a little more harshly.

The TV demon sighed defeatistly and then lay down a little more in his seat.

"All right, as you wish," he said, putting some papers away on his desk. "Well before I tell you my answer about this interview, I'd like to know what brought you here."

You pursed your lips, obviously that square head was going to get curious. Your fists quietly clenched as you tried to remain as neutral as possible. If Vox was suspicious of you, your whole plan could fall apart at any second.

"I had something to ask Valentino."

Vox's eyes widened in surprise...

"To Val? You piqued my curiosity my little wolf, what did you want to ask him? Oh and please, tell me all about it in detail~" He asked with a perverse smile that made you chill while pouring a glass of liquor for himself.

A chance that you had that cane and a chance that you were a dreaded demon, who knows what would happen if you were just a demon without much power? Oh, Lucifer, you didn't even want to imagine. Val would have certainly forced you to do things against your will and Vox would have certainly drugged you forcibly to do God knows what to your body.

You wanted to leave so badly... you didn't like this place, you didn't like these people, you didn't like the way they mentally undressed you with their eyes, it was repulsive.

Your stomach twisted in disgust when you noticed Vox's insistent look on your chest.

"Not much happened Vox, you can ask him, I'm sure he'll be more descriptive than I am about our little conversation. I would have liked to describe to you what happened between us in detail, unfortunately I don't have much time left, I have some things to take care of at the Hazbin Hotel."

Suddenly Vox's screen started to sizzle and he almost dropped his glass.

"What?" he asked with a bewildered look on his face.

"No, I'm not trying to make amends if you're wondering. However, I am working in that place"

Vox blinked several times and "drank" a sip from his glass. When the liquid hit his face, he dematerialized completely as if he had actually crossed the screen barrier. It was quite a sight to be honest, you've long wondered how this guy could eat or drink, and now you had your answer.

"So you're working in this wreck."

You felt your smile tense itself at the critic, and unfortunately you didn't have time to defend the hotel because Vox had beaten you to it.

"With the radio demon on top of that..." The man seemed to be getting worse. His claws were tapping frantically on his desk as if you had caught him off guard. Or as if you'd just screwed up one of his plans. "May I ask why?"

"I'll answer any questions you have about it in this interview." You answered.

Vox took one look at you. Aggressive static began to ring in your ears, immediately putting you on your guard. The air of the room was beginning to get stale and you didn't like the way things were going. You were not in control of the situation. You were walking on very thin ice that could break at any moment.

"I want an answer now, doll. If you came here to talk to Val, there must be something going on with Angel. He's the only demon I know who's a resident of that miserable place. What the hell did you want?"

"Well, the princess gave me a little help to start my new life in hell, so let's just say I'm paying my debt by helping the hotel guests." You lied confidently, looking him straight in the eye and not flinching at your words. "My collaboration is only temporary, Vox, if that's what you're concerned about."

Vox frowned and then placed one of his hands under his chin.

"So you are indeed working with the princess and with the radio demon..."

Your eyes wrinkled slightly. Apparently the fact that you work at the hotel didn't really seem to bother him, but Alastor was more of a problem for him.

"It's interesting and at the same time... problematic."

"What's bothering you? "you dared to ask.

The television man looked at you again and laughed sadistically.

"The problem is that you can see very well what you want to do, you sly little wolf."

You had to fight with yourself to keep a neutral face. He had understood everything...

"Oh?"

"You want to use me and Alastor to give this crappy hotel an irreproachable reputation, don't you?"

Damn it.

"So let's get clear here honey, I'm not the kind of man who's going to waste his time on this kind of trifling matter, and give to a retarded douchebag who should have been submitted himself to the weight of technology and of modernism some grist to the mill. You may be an interesting person to interview but that doesn't mean a shit to me, I refuse to let MY work be a laughing stock for this idiot. Have I made myself clear baby doll?"

You had moved slightly back in your seat at the sound of Vox's static, aggressive and authoritative voice. You wet your lips and took a deep breath in the hope of regaining your composure. Under no circumstances were you to show any fear despite the pressure that had built up around you.

You nodded your head and continued to smile, this time with a false admiration, you had to keep your mask on, you had to look confident, and stroke the ego of this fool to make him lower his guard, whatever it cost you.

Unfortunately, it was difficult. You didn't know what to say, Vox had just destroyed your plan with a wave of his hand, and now you were left with nothing to defend yourself with except your gun. The problem was that if you used it against him, you would certainly sign the hotel's death warrant, it was going to be too hard to erase the bad reputation that was tainting him and Vox would eradicate you completely through the media.

You had to come up with something to say and very quickly!

You could feel your heart beating so fast in your chest, your breathing was becoming less and less regular because of the panic that was slowly starting to settle in your mind, you almost felt like a fish out of water.

That's when you had an idea. A crazy idea, but one that could perhaps work if Vox accepted it.

"Yes, you've made it perfectly clear, and I completely understand your concern about this, Vox." You said, putting your hands flat on his desk for a moment, and then joining them by interlacing your fingers together. "I'm surprised you understood my little game so quickly, to be honest with you. Well, congratulations, got me!" You went on. "Here's what I propose to you. I pledge that Alastor will not react to our TV interview, and if I don't live up to my end of the bargain..." You raised your eyes to the sky for a moment while maintaining your smile and then you stared at the screen again provocatively "I agree to have lunch with you face to face at the place you want, at the time you want and in the way you want, what do you think? I think this deal is more than fair" you asked him in a suave tone, taking his free hand and caressing it with your thumb.

Vox sneered.

"You won't last 10 minutes with me, doll~"

"Oh, all the more reason for me to keep my word, but I won't hide from you that it will be really hard for me to resist..." You said in a sweet voice, "However, I am willing to make this small sacrifice... So do we have a deal, my dear Vox?" You asked by taking your hand away from his and reaching out to him.

The television emitted a sound similar to the clattering of a tongue on the palate and took a moment to think about your proposition.

It was tempting he had to admit. You looked like a straight up woman, way too straight up to be in hell ironically enough. You exuded that sincerity so rare among demons, it was something attractive and at the same time dangerous and he knew it, you were like a fire sleeping under the ashes, ready to turn into a devastating inferno and reduce everything to nothing.

Suddenly he realized, what would happen if he refused to make this deal with you? How would you react? Part of him was tempted to turn down the offer just to see your reaction, nevertheless, on the other hand, letting you go through with the interview would only bring benefits to him.

The ratings were going to explode, moreover, with what he was preparing for you, he was going to destroy you, you and that stupid redemption's project.

Oh yes, he would destroy you, thereby, you will have to ask Alastor to salvage the hotel by reacting on that interview, and at the end, you wouldn't be fulfilling your part of the contract.

Plus... How could a creature like you even lead someone as stubborn as the radio demon?

A nasty sneer came out of Vox's throat, he gave you a sneaky look and undressed you one last time with his gaze. He already imagined you naked against his desk, covered with scratches and burn marks from his electric cables. He already imagined you begging him to fuck you over and over again until you could no longer walk. His mind was already starting to fantasize about all those dirty positions you would have to put yourself in just for him. Maybe he could let Val and Velvet take advantage of it if he was in a generous mood.

"You're crazy." said Vox with a twisted laugh as he grabbed your hand while a white and blue light was coming out of your hands. Strangely you received several electric sensations in your body, you tensed in the shock but strangely enough, this sensation was almost pleasant... you felt good yet ironically enough, you were nowhere near as electrifying an attraction for that square head. "You shouldn't put so much trust in the demon of the radio my doll, he may be a deer but believe me, he is rabid and could easily bite you."

A sly smile formed on your lips as you took your hand away, you preferred not to answer and then you asked.

"When will our interview take place? "

"In four days, you'll be interviewed by Katie Killjoy and myself in the TV studio, the interview will be broadcast live on television on all the news channels"

Two against one...

"I admire your fair play. "You have provoked

"I never said I'd be tender with you my little wolf~"

"I can see that. Well, it's been a pleasure doing business with you, Vox."

"Same for me doll, see you very soon," He said, grabbing your hand and kissing it despite his screen.

You blushed slightly with shame and then let him guide you out of his office. You thanked him one last time and then you hurriedly walked out.

Get out... Get Out! GET OUT!

That was all your mind was screaming at you to do, you found yourself pushing demons out of your way to reach the exit of the studio. Some grabbed your wrists with hunger in their eyes, nevertheless you pushed them back effortlessly with your gun. Finally you reached the entrance of the building and went outside.

You looked up at the dark red sky and you forbidden yourself to scream with frustration.

Yeah, unfortunately, not everything had gone as you had planned. You were going to have to trust Alastor blindly once again.

Your teeth clenched and growled out of your throat at the very thought.

"Damn it!"

If Alastor wanted to destroy you, he had a golden opportunity, if he talked directly about this interview you would have to... oh lucifer.

You felt something go up your esophagus and burn the walls of your throat, you ran around a corner and you let it all out. The liquid crashed to the ground with a foul noise as you leaned against the wall to keep your balance.

Oh Lucifer, you could still hear the groans of those demons in the streets and corridors of that studio of horrors. You could still hear the provocations of Vox and Valentino in your head.... You threw up again thinking about the moment when that pimp had kissed you twice and the moment when Vox had dared to give you a hand kiss with that threatening hunger in his eyes.

As you coughed and tried to catch your breath a familiar smell caught your attention , however you were still too weak to turn around. Then, you felt a cold hand on your back drawing almost comforting circles in order to calm you down, while this person was humming a sweet little melody.

"Get away Alastor" You ordered by freeing yourself from the grip of his hand.

"My, my, darling, is that any way to greet your colleague and partner in crime?"

You wiped your mouth clean and turned to him with a more than stern look on your face.

"We're not exactly what I'd call partners in crime... what are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, you were abnormally long, so I concluded that something unfortunate had certainly happened to you." said the deer with some disgust over those last words. "And apparently, I wasn't mistaken when I see your condition right now, you are paler than a corpse."

"I'm a corpse theoretically Alastor" You responded in a bad mood by refraining from vomiting again. You looked away and tried to catch your breath and calm down. The deer took the opportunity to take a closer look, he noticed that you were shaking like a leaf, and you looked like you had run a marathon. He approached you and placed his hand on your shoulder again.

"Did something happen? " He asked you in a tone almost... "worried"?

You turned to look at him because you didn't believe the tone he used.

And this time you saw that his smile was much smaller than usual and that he really had a worried look on his face. If you didn't know him, you could almost swear he was worried about you. If Val or Vox had tried anything on you, would he have helped you?

"No, nothing bad, fortunately. I got what I wanted... my plan worked... the cane was enough to convince the pimp, I got a recording of our conversation and I got away with two forced kisses is all." you said emotionlessly as you took your Dictaphone out of your pocket.

A static almost startled you. Alastor's eyes had suddenly changed and looked much more dangerous, as did his smile. Your eyes widened and you immediately felt in danger. Luckily for you the deer's face had almost returned to normal, but he still seemed angry.

"And so what took you so long?" Alastor asked, leaning on his microphone.

"I saw Vox..." You replied with a slight cough and holding your stomach. "Alastor, do you mind if we talk about this tomorrow? I'll set the record straight with everyone. Right now, I really need a drink to forget what I've been through." You said as you headed out of the alley. Unfortunately, the deer decided something else for you.

"No, no, my dear, I don't think getting drunk is the best thing for you," he said cheerfully as he grabbed your wrist and pulled you up against it.

"No Let me go!"You whistled angrily as your cheeks blushed with embarrassment.

"You need a good breath of fresh air and fortunately for you I'm in the mood to show some kindness and take you to a quiet place so you can release all this pressure."

Since when did that idiot start babying you like a child?

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I? »

"mmmmmh No I don't think so my little wolf cub," Alastor said with a big smile as he wrapped one of his arms around your waist.

You growled disapprovingly as you avoided making eye contact. However the deer grabbed your cheeks and started to pull them up.

"Come on Darling, do me a favor, smile for me. You know, not only are you not fully dressed, but you're going to get wrinkled in the futur. It's too bad, you look so beautiful when you smile."

You felt your hands and even your tail hidden by your pants and your shirt tensed themself. Your cheeks were so hot you could have cooked eggs on them.

"Will he ever shut the hell up one day?"

You slapped her hands together and grunted a bitter "Don't touch me" before taking a deep breath and sighed with a defeatist tone.

"All right. I'm willing to bend to your stupid whim, but consider it a thank you for your contribution to my plan to help Angel have a slightly holier deal with Valentino."

"Oh, I'm so glad of it Darling." Then without waiting for another response from you, He grabbed your shoulder, snapped his fingers, and then, beamed you to an unknown destination.

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