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rileyglas · 1 year ago

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Demonic Convergence - Pt. 3 - Dueling Practice

Hazbin Hotel OC Story x Alastor

Frustrated by Vexel and Alastor's constant power struggle, Althea suggests a friendly duel practice for the men to get more accustomed to each other's power. Two cocky, powerful sinners fighting for 'fun'. What could possibly go wrong? @laudrawin killed it once again with Vexel's part AND this chapters artwork - she perfectly captured the intensity of this 'friendly' battle.

Meet the OCs Pt. 1 - First Impressions Pt. 2 - A Cold WelcomePt. 2.5 - The Long Game

It’d been a few weeks since Vexel spoke with Althea. Plenty of things were in motion, however he wanted to make absolutely sure of the information he was given before dragging her and Alastor into the mess with the Vees. Things are starting to get serious and now, he has no choice but to reach out. He opens a portal on the roof of their hotel room, peeking his head around to find it empty. Guess I’ll just wait, he thinks to himself. He plops down to the bed and makes himself at home with Heniffer happily nestling on his chest.

A few quiet moments pass. Just when Vexel starts to feel himself relax, a voice cuts through the room, "You know if you wish to stay on my good side, the use of a door would be wise. Especially when it comes to making unannounced visits." Alastor chirps behind a newspaper, annoyed. Having sensed someone in his room, he shadowed in moments earlier, sitting by the bayou in his chair. He crosses his legs, refusing to even look at the unwelcome guest.

"Use of a door would require interaction with those I don’t care to see. Where's Althea?" Vexel’s monotone tone fueled Alastor’s frustration, not to mention how he nonchalantly played with necromantic glyphs and runes without a care in the world. Alastor slams the paper to the table, voice dripping with static, "Is there something I can help you with? Something that will get you out of MY BED!"

The necromancer chuckles darkly, "Bring me Althea, I just asked for it- Oh, wait, they let pets in the hotel? How amusing they give someone like you a bed.” A growl rumbles in Alastor’s throat but his smile never falters. With a snap of his fingers, a single black tentacle wraps around Vexel’s ankle and rips him down off the bed. The force sends Heniffer flying off his chest with a thud. The dark appendage retracts immediately as Alastor hums in amusement, "What do you need with her?"

"Do not touch me -" Vexel grunts, laying on the floor for a moment before getting up. “- unless you want me to chain you to that pretty chair of yours…or send you away. And that would be me being polite." He shuffles to lean against the window pane. His tone drops slightly at the realization the demon could easily send him out of the window, "If you must know, we have a deal to talk about."

Alastor nods, containing any further hostility for the sake of keeping his word to Althea. He grins menacingly at the chicken, "She should be here shortly. In the meantime, mind your vermin. It would be a shame if Nifty had to take care of it." Heniffer walks past him with a hiss and a glare. Vexel smirks, “The great Radio Demon is all bark and no bite, isn’t he?”

"Hardly.” Alastor sneers, “I am merely respectful of Althea and her....ideas. She seems to think you have potential of sorts. I, however, think you're only taking advantage of her kindness. I just hope she sees through this act of yours before things go too far." He stands from his chair, summoning a cup of tea and setting it within arms reach of Vexel, "Do not cross us. I have made a promise to not agitate the situation further but will step in if I need to."

Vexel cautiously takes the cup, sniffing for any oddities before taking a sip and nodding as a thank you. "I may or may not. You see I've spoken to Vox - all three Vees, actually. They don't like you at all." He opens a tiny portal, his hand crossing it to get a spoon of sugar for his drink.

"Trying to play both sides of the field? Can't say I'm surprised in the slightest." Alastor stalks slowly towards Vexel. His growing demonic form makes the lights flicker throughout the room, "So you do intend on crossing us if you're cavorting with the Vees. That's all the reason I need to -"

Althea opens the door, "Alastor!" she yells, scolding the scene she sees before her. He quickly retracts, glaring at Vexel. "My dear we have a visitor." he says calmly before taking a seat by the fireplace across the room.

"I was wondering when I would hear from you!" she bounces towards the man leaning against the window happily but stops to take a step back, "Sorry - personal space - I know...What do I owe the pleasure?"

"At last someone with a brain I can properly speak with." His eyes dart to Alastor before focusing back to her, "I've met the Vees, and they really believe I'm on their side. Oh and Heniffer wanted to see you too." The hen peaks from behind the necromancer, chirping and jumping to Althea’s arms. She lets out a quiet giggle as she pats its head adoringly. Vexel’s head turns to the Radio Demon, “Also it'd be nice not to be dropped on the floor like a ragdoll next time or be threatened when I'm proposing to be your undercover associate.”

The demon scoffs and rolls his eyes, "Maybe lead with that information before announcing your communications with such company." Althea sets a loving hand on his shoulder and looks to Vexel, "Our history with the Vees is far from civil. You have to understand our apprehension when it comes to dealing with them in any form." She moves to the bed, setting Heniffer on a pillow for her to relax. "They play dirty - What have they offered you in exchange for your alliance?"

"The ‘all powerful Vees’ offered me a seat with them. Just for the small price of using my power against him.” Vexel’s eyes shine for a moment, making Alastor’s fingertips grow numb.

"Don't do that!" Both Alastor and Althea snap.

“Apologies. It seems I can do it anytime, but I won't." His eyes go back to normal and Alastor shakes out his hands in annoyance. Vexel smirks, "I could reject their offer but I believe getting some extra knowledge would be more useful." He tilts his head, eyes burning into Althea, "Just say the word."

She clears her throat, "Any information is useful if it means keeping ahead of their plans. It's dangerous to get involved without getting tangled in their web. They're probably looking at you as merely a pet, only to be rid of you the second Alastor is out of the way. I wonder though..."

She begins to pace, Heniffer happily jumping down to shadow her, "They fear being overpowered...to not have control...you obviously can overtake Alastor with ease - " Alastor groans at the comment to which Althea holds a finger up, "- bare with me dear - is there a way you can train him to fight off your control? It would allow you to explore your abilities more, give Alastor a fighting chance should you ever need to prove yourself to the Vees, AND be a show of power on our end. If no one can control us then they'll be running with a tail between their legs."

Vexel follows her with his eyes. "I guess I can. I'm trying to outsmart them, no need to worry about me falling for any of their tricks." His stare moves to Alastor for a moment then back to her, "Mutual training sounds good. Do we need a safe word or will he accidentally pierce my heart before I can even say it? How far do they overpower you, Alastor?"

Alastor sighs. He can't believe he's actually going along with this plan, but he'd do anything for Althea...and to get Vox off his ass. "Get each one alone and they do not stand a chance against me. However, as mentioned, they do not care about playing fair." He walks over to Althea, grabbing her shoulder to force her nervous pacing to stop, "If this training happens I want to use my full capacity and you shouldn't hold back either. I think for best results, Althea should overlook the sessions to ensure neither of us go too far."

"If they are weaker than you, then I should be able to control them as well." His eyebrow lifts again, "If they don't stand a chance, how come you haven't killed them already?"

"Taking out an Overlord can cause quite a ripple in the hierarchy of Hell. Killing all three would do nothing but bring unwanted attention and danger to our doorstep." Althea takes Alastor's hand. Sensing his apprehension, she gives a reassuring squeeze before continuing, "Alastor has taken out many Overlords in the past. The only reason Valentino still breathes is because Al stopped me before I could finish the job. We don't know the repercussions of my power if I were to take a life and we don't wish to find out."

A look of astonishment crosses Vexel’s face for a moment. "You escalated that far as an Overlord just by healing and getting contracts? I'm glad I don't underestimate you anymore. Though it seems the danger is already here. No offense, but Alastor here seems to be the life goal of Vox.”

"Damn, I save your ass and you still don’t have an ounce of trust." Althea mumbles, taking a seat by the table in front of the wooden bayou. If they were going to work together, she needed some level of respect and trust. Something she knows is going to be a slow process. Vexel snaps back, "This is Hell, Althea, sooner or later someone will stab you in the back. You’re here so obviously your intentions were not always good."

"The system is flawed, don't assume my reasons for being here." Althea growls then points to Alastor with a shrug, "Him on the other hand? Serial killer." Alastor's toothy grin darkens with pride. She turns the focus back to the issue at hand, “Vox has eyes everywhere, we will need a place he cannot find us. Where do you suggest we train?"

Alastor walks over to the table, snapping his fingers to make a map of Pride City appear, "His cameras are usually on every corner along with his drones going where they please."

The necromancer approaches the table, focused on the map. "Any underground caverns? That's where I set my studio. It's quite silent and the worst thing that could happen is us provoking a light earthquake."

She looks at Alastor, "Can you see if you can find a good area? Preferably one with enough room for your full form?" He nods in acknowledgement then turns his attention to Vexel, "No kidnapping, no mind control. I'll be back." he sneers before disappearing into his shadow.

Vexel can't help but let go a soft laugh at his words. "Alone at last." With Alastor gone, he feels free to wander the room, "Do I need to ask him for permission before having a private meeting next time? I suppose I need to make my intentions clear so your demon can breathe when you're left alone with the mighty necromancer." He chuckles.

She matches his amusement, giggling at his sudden, but welcome, change in demeanor. "He'll warm up. It's admittedly entertaining to see him squirm a little. He could use some humbling." Her eyes track him across the room, "He's just a little apprehensive. However I'm very much my own person and I extend you the freedom to visit whenever you please." she offers a small smile before turning to look out at the bayou, "Humor me, if I - er well we - weren't in the picture, would you have accepted Vox's offer to join them?" Curiosity always tends to get the best of her, but she enjoys exploring possibilities.

"They wouldn't have gotten in touch in the first place if it wasn't for your demon getting chained up." He tilts his head, questioning her sudden prodding, "If what you mean is - would I join them if I didn't owe you my life, the answer would still be no. Vox is loud and immature. Valentino's stare was uncomfortably predatory. Velvette seems smart though. If they're easy to control, power would be mine in no time, Velvette could have joined my plan, siding with the more powerful party. Hell would be ours, the end."

"Hmph. Possibly." she breathes unsurprised by his absurd assumptions. She points to an armchair by the fireplace. "Please have a seat, make yourself comfortable." She stands to pour more tea, offering him another cup, "And don't be so confident in your 'take over Hell' plan. You forget who truly rules over the seven rings..." a shudder rolls across her shoulders, "...Lucifer. Fallen Angel, King of Hell. And a royal pain in my ass."

He takes the cup without hesitation, an unfamiliar ease taking over, "So Lucifer was real after all! And you're in touch with him? Why doesn't he get rid of the Vees for you? And I assume the pain isn't literal."

An uncomfortable laugh leaves her throat as she mumbles under her breath, "If he had it his way, it would be." her eyes widen in embarrassment for being so forward. She cooly tries to recover, “I mean...yes he is real and yes, he is Charlie's dad. He doesn't wish to get involved with anything unless it directly affects himself or his family.”

"Excuse me? Is he - bothering you?" Vexel took in her words but seemed to hang onto her discomfort towards Lucifer. His knuckles whiten with tension. Althea's face twists in shock at his sudden worry, "It's nothing I can't handle..." she sighs knowing there's no going back now, "But you wonder why Alastor is so apprehensive and jealous of you? The last two men who said they wanted to 'help' or 'team up' were Vox, who nearly killed me...and Lucifer...who seems to think my body is where his hands and lips belong."

She shrugs, both in indifference and to shake the chill that ran down her spine at the thought. He remains quiet. His eyes stare into her with something she's never seen from him before, though she can't put a finger on it, "I told you...things work differently here. And the system is...well it's fucked. Key reason Al and I have chosen to stay here and try to help Charlie with the hotel."

"Of fucking course, we're in Hell after all." He huffs with his own reminder, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Next time you find yourself stuck with him - I can only hope I’m there to help…Valentino had those eyes, too. Perverted, disgusting eyes. Perhaps this Hotel and my studio are the only safe places in Hell after all. It makes sense now - Alastor's overprotection I mean."

She hums with admiration at this new side of him, a soft smile curving her face, "You are a quick learner. Thank you Vexel." A ringing in her ears pulls her out of the sweet moment, "Ah and here he comes."

On queue Alastor’s shadow dances across the wall shortly followed by the demon materializing by her chair. "Oh good, still in one piece." He says half joking half serious. "I've found a decent cavern just below Cannibal Town. We can either portal, shadow, or need be, Rosie's Emporium has a cellar with a shared wall." He says boastfully, clearly happy with his find.

"Welcome back." Vexel’s body returns to its cold, tense state as he stands up and opens a portal, "Just for you to know, Alastor, I'm not a threat. You don’t need to worry about me.” Alastor shoots a confused glance at Althea. She chuckles, standing to place a kiss on his cheek, "You did great dear." she coos before bouncing through Vexel's portal into the cavern.

A cool air stings her face the moment she enters. The glow emitting from the portal is just enough for her to see how large the cavern is. The ground seems clear and solid enough and there were only a few groups of stalactites decorating the ceiling above, "Holy shit Al - this place is huge. H-how has no one found this? It's perfect! Needs a little light but -" With an elegant move of his hand, Vexel sends necromantic bolts all around the cavern, leaving no corner without a teal light, "Until we can afford some candles, this will work. Are you joining us, deer man?"

"Woah - neat trick. Remind me to give you a call next time Vox takes out the power in the city." she teases. Alastor, refusing to use the portal, shadows in a few feet behind Vexel, "That's all necromancers are good for...tricks." With a snap of his fingers, a few chairs and a large table materialize from puffs of green smoke on one side of the cavern. He pulls a chair for Althea, locking eyes to Vexel, "Enlighten me, where exactly have you learned such a craft?"

The necromancer lifts his chin and crosses his arms with a subtle cockiness, "Living world. We had all the information, just lacked the magic touch. Once I got down here I gathered any new knowledge and made it happen. But hey, it's just a trick."

Annoyed by the hostility the two men continue to brew, Althea scoffs, "Alright I think you two need to let off some steam. Heniffer dear, would you like to come sit with me while the boys get their frustrations out?" she pats at the chair to her right, "When I announce it's enough, you both will stop. I don't feel like dealing with the pain of healing just because you two can't get along."

The hen jumps off Vexel's head. Her body comically runs to Althea while her head follows with a small delay. "About time to put him in his place!" Vexel grunts through a wide grin, eyes glowing and threads of necromancy clinging to his body from thin air.

The Radio Demon swiftly moves to stand across from Vexel, "And what place is that, sir?" he begins to glow green as he summons smaller shadow minions who rush towards Vexel.

"As equals." He smirks, the skull hanging from his belt shines bright. His power begins to flow through his hair and body, eyes shining a bright teal. With a move of his hand, orbs appear and run to each of the demons. Within a moment the small shadows rot from the inside, “How rude using souls to fight for you!"

Alastor’s fingertips become numb, quickly spreading to his wrists as necromantic threads start to embrace him. A feral snarl comes from Alastor, "Not going to be as easy this time." his body begins to contort into his full demon form. Althea can’t help but smile watching his eyes flash to dials and a red 'x' flickering on his forehead. “There you go, don’t hold back.” She eggs him on. He continues to grow as tentacles flail from his back, sparking with green power. The dark appendages bolt towards Vexel, swiping at his body and landing a few blows.

A portal forms beneath Vexel as the first tentacles make him fall. He appears suddenly behind Alastor while sending a couple glyphs and harmless bolts into his back, "I don't want this to be easy!"

The demon stumbles forward before swinging a large claw behind him. Static fills the air as red liquid begins spilling from his mouth, "Then you should start trying harder. You're supposed to be teaching me how to defend against you, not have a pillow fight." his other hand swings to the roof, breaking a few stalactites. They crash violently around Vexel.

"EASY AL - Power only. Don't bring other elements into this!" Althea warns while giving Heniffer a few pats.

"Listen to your girl!" Vexel taunts. A glyph appears in front of him, forcing his body to swap places with Alastor, "This is practically child’s play!" His power begins growing across Alastor’s arms and legs. A chain appears in Vexel's hand, connecting him to Alastor who gradually feels the loss of control over his limbs.

"Put your energy in staying in your own head, not obliterating him. You might physically be more powerful but you're allowing him to break you through your mind. Focus!" Althea shouts, trying to keep the demon grounded in the fight. His confidence will always be his greatest weakness and right now he is showing it more than ever.

Alastor falls to his hands and knees from the pull. He shrinks slightly, still keeping his flashing eyes and extended antlers. "Let me turn up the heat then!" he shouts, sending a blazing ring of green flames around him and forward to knock his opponent back.

Vexel lifts a hand as a silent request for a moment to breathe after that hit, "What if you have to fight me and Vox all together?"

Alastor pauses in an attempt to catch his own breath. He sheds his jacket, gracefully brushing it off and tossing it to Althea. "One thing you'll learn about Vox, he won't even bother trying to fight when he has a pet to do it for him. Even if you're pinned down, the coward will leave you to die before stepping into a fight. Especially against us."

Smokey green symbols emit from the demon and he fades into the shadows. They flood throughout the cavern, surrounding Vexel and hindering his ability to see. "You can control the dead, but can you control what you cannot see." his voice echoes off the cold walls.

"Can’t you see, that is my only worry -" Vexel closes his eyes as he gets up. His power transfers to Heniffer and she glows in the chair. He uses her eyes to get a better look around, "- I worry he wants to test me against you. He will ask me to control you." A portal opens under his feet, allowing him to reappear next to Althea. "But indeed, I can control what I can't see." His whole body charges, absorbing energy from his surroundings. He crouches, touching the floor as his magic looks for his objective - dead bodies buried within the ground around him.

Black shadows sneak over Vexel's feet then climb up his legs with the weight of concrete. "There has to be a limit to your control, I just need to chip away until I find it." Alastor's laugh bounces around the room before he reappears in the middle of the cavern, "And he will never ask anything. You will be his pet and he will treat you as such. His ego is about as fragile as that screen head of his."

Althea watches Vexel who stays completely still. She realizes he is waiting for something, "No outside elements. He's frustrated. His mind is weak right now." she advises under her breath to him, half expecting him to ignore her. His threads find the demon once more and chains fall into his hands, "You enjoy talking about how I'll be a pet, yet I’m not the one wearing the harness." Vexel chuckles and pulls the chains connecting him to Alastor.

Alastor's mind blurs, disorientating him. Not even gravity makes sense once his conscious is pushed to the back, unable to act on his own. With another yank he is pulled out of his shadow as if being fished out of thin air. Vexel guides him to stand in front of Althea. The demons once black and red eyes now glow a deep teal.

“Well your mind is weak, isn't it? You need to work on that." The necromancer approaches his new puppet, "Sing for me, radio man" He smirks through the command. A hum can be heard from Alastor’s chest. Althea stands from her seat, "Fight it Alastor - push him out. You control your soul, so fuckin act like it!" she yells, further trying to enrage him into power.

"Check this out, Althy -” Vexel laughs and covers his mouth, doing a classic puppet/puppeteer impression, “I actually think Vox is quite attractive and Vex is way better than me!" Alastor's voice speaks out with a wide, relaxed smile. He watches from the back of his mind, seeing everything through his eyes like a movie but unable to say or do anything - The fuck did he just call her?

"Oh wow Vex, you really got him now. Hey, could you make him admit I'm always right?" she teases, purposely putting on a more flirtatious voice that Alastor hates. If pure ire wasn't flowing through him already, it was now. He feels himself trying to lunge back into his mind. He only needs a moment of control back, and right now he is fighting tooth and nail to get it.

Vexel keeps focused on him, realizing he's actually resisting. "Keep trying, demon, I have all the time in Hell.” His hair flows around him with such strength a whip of it could leave a red mark on anyones skin. Alastor’s voice rings out again, “You are always right, my dear. I'm a cocked up demon who should let others spend some time with you as well! Especially in private with Vex!" Vexel smirks, noticing Althea’s acting and going along with it.

That’s all it takes for Alastor to finally snap. He lunges past Vexel's control, eyes flashing from teal to a bright red. It only takes a moment for him to regain complete control out of pure rage, screaming as he comes back to his senses, "FUCK YOU!"

Vexel turns being caught off guard, "F-fuck -"

A large, glowing red fist lands a full power hit against Vexel's cheek. Before his body has the chance to hit the ground, Alastor wraps a hand into his hair as a handle to throw him against the cavern wall. The sound of his skull cracking against the stone is deafening.

"ENOUGH ALASTOR!" Althea rushes over, pushing him out of the way to make her way to Vexel. She stops short a few feet in fear of the possible retaliation. This is bad and doesn’t want to be at the brunt of a return attack.

All orbs in the cavern vanish. The necromancer grunts after a few seconds, weakened from the blow. He feels all of his magic gone, causing even Heniffer to drop "dead". His eyes search frantically for Alastor in the darkness but all he can sense is Althea close by. As soon as he catches a solid breath, he casts a portal beneath himself to get back to his studio.

"Damn it!" Althea yells into the darkness. A hand wraps around her and within a second she's back in their room, "Wait - go get Heniffer." Alastor rolls his eyes at the request but complies, disappearing and reappearing with the limp skeleton chicken.

Althea scoops her from him. She takes a deep breath to speak softly, "I'm not angry at you. We pushed you and I know it was hard, however lashing out physically was not necessary in the moment. You broke free of him, you need to hone in to how you did that." she rests Heniffer on the bed, "I think you should go to your tower. He won't want to see you after that and I know he's hurt pretty bad."

Without a word he leaves with a mix of anger and hurt in his eyes. Althea sits next to the chicken trying to figure out how to reach out to the necromancer. I know he can communicate or at least sense through Heniffer...Worth a shot... "Vexel? It's just me here. Please....let me heal you. I'm sorry..." her voice desperately calls out to him, defeated and embarrassed.

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