Angel Dust wakes up in a dimly lit room. tied up to a chair. He tries to budge free but fails.

His captor paces around him. "Finally awake, Angle Dust."

Angle glowers but eventually regains his confidence to smile. "Yeah, and what's it to ya?"

The Captor holds a knife against Angel's face. "I want you to tell me where your boss stashes his vault."

Angel laughs unbothered. "It's hilarious you think I'd tell you anything."

The Captor grabs Angel off the ground by the neck. "Fine! I guess I'll just have to fuck the information out of ya."

Angel stares at him defiantly. "Do your worst." He then breaks into a seductive smile. "Daddy~"

The captor rips off his shirt open and engages in sexual intercourse with Angel, revealing this is a porn film played on the Hotel's TV.

"Oh, yeah, baby~" Angel cries out on TV.

Sir Pentious and Charlie are watching creeped out. Vaggie is annoyed and Niffty is rather interested. Jake heaves a couple times, then brings a hand to his mouth as something comes up.

"Ya know, this performance won me a Sex-x-xi award." Angel informs.

Jake swallows the contents in his mouth. "Why are you like this, Wagtail?" He asks Angel, and Angel just smirks at him.

"It's, uh... Very... Honest?" Charlie question. "Oh." Charlie turns away, nauseous and tries to shield her eyes with her right hand.

"Ew." Vaggie deadpans as she watches.

Charlie peeks from her fingers back at the TV screen, before turning her head away to avoid watching with her hand covering her mouth this time.

Jake heaves again. "I'm with gigglemug over there." Jake turns away from the TV as he gags.

"Oh, harder, daddy~" Angel cries out on the TV.

"Okay!" Vaggie shouts. "Enough of that."

Vaggie tries to help Charlie by covering the side of her face with her own hand, so she doesn't have to see the TV screen. She turns her head to Angel Dust with a disapproving and unamused stare.

"Angel, what the fuck?" Vaggie asks.

"What?" Angel questions. "You said it was show-n'-tell day. I'm showin' you my best film, and I'm tellin' you that it scored me a win over that bitch, Tiffany Titfucker."

Husk is at his bar, wiping a wine glass. "Ya know, not a very convincing interrogation scene."

"Yeah." Jake agrees. "Where's the hammer for the hand, the pliers for the teeth and nails. The gelding tools and the hot brand iron. Plus, fucking isn't a good way to get information, I know. This is a shit film."

Angel Dust laughs pissed off. "Alright, dickheads. What makes you think you two have any right to insult my work to my fuckin' face?"

Husk sets the wine glass down. "You really gonna sit there and act like these scripts ain't hot garbage?"

Angel Dust gasps. "Fuck you! This is classy art!" He gestures with two hands at the TV screen.

"Ssssex ain't art." Jake states. "It's filthy. And-"

"OH! FUUUCK!" Angel Dust cries out on the tv, making Jake's eye twitch and his rattle shake.

Co-star slaps Angel's butt and bites it. Sir Pentious covers his eyes while Niffty lies on her stomach on the table with a smile, kicking her legs back and forth as she continues watching.

"That's bullshit." Husk walks over, bottle of booze in his hand. "You get drunk and bitch about them all the time. Everyone likes to bitch to the bartender. I know everything about you and these motherfuckers at this point." 

Husk gestures to Sir Pentious. "That one. That one is an insecure buffoon whose lonely ass watches you idiots sleep!" he gestures to Charlie. "Princess, is a bleeding heart who wants to solve everybody else's problems 'cept her own."

"What?!" Charlie waves her hands. "No, I-- What? Pffft, no, no." Vaggie just stares at her silently.

Husk points at Jake. "Jake would kill me if I divulged anything, but he's pretty messed up emotionally."

Jake shrugs his shoulders and a cigar forms in his hand from black and blue liquid, and he lights it up.

Husk motions to Vaggie. "This one." She turns her attention away from Charlie and scowls at Husk, growling under her breath. "Judges everyone and everything because she hates herself.

Vaggie  frowns before groaning.

Husk gestures to Niffty, who smiles mischievously. "And Niffty? Hehhh... You don't even want to know what her deal is."

Husk drinks from his bottle of whiskey he is holding as Angel laughs and kicking his legs.

"You weren't kidding. Oh ho, wow!" Angel laughs in front of Vaggie's face briefly while she is still frowning, before sitting himself down on the couch's arm next to Husk. "Kitten's got claws."

Angel gestures claws with his hands while looking to the side at Husk, flirtatiously, casing his eyes to widen and his eyebrows to raise at that. Angel places his hand underneath Husk' chin, turning his head to face him closely as his hand adjusts against his cheek with his other holding the bottom of Husks hand.

"Meow~ " Angel says sexily.

Husk immediately breaks away from his grasp and points at Angel with his index finger rather annoyed, causing Angel's eyes to widen and eyebrows to raise in surprise from the sudden move.

"And you!" Husk scoffs. "Don't get me started. I see right through you and all this bullshit and how fake you are."

Angel laughs. "Oh ho ho, me Fake? Wow, I had no idea. Guess that's why I'm an actor, dumbass. And--" His phone vibrates and rings. "Hold that thought." He answers the phone and steps away. "Hello? Uh, yeah I'm- I'm... No, No. I just, I..." He grows nervous. "No, I-I'm not... But, uh... Yeah, I'll be right there."

Angel hangs up his phone. "Well, uh... Looks like Val needs me for an... Uh-- emergency shoot."

Jake's tail rattles quietly. 

"Uh-huh, sure." Husk gives Angel a judging stare, before chugging on his drink.

Angel turns to Husk. "You know what? Fuck you. I don't give a shit what some drunk ass bartender thinks a' me." He pulls out shades from his chest fluff. "So why don't you just crawl back to whatever cave you came from, pron critic."

Husk grows annoyed at his comment as Angel flips hum off and puts on his shades. Husk growls and glares at him.

Charlie sprints after Angel. "Angel, you can't leave yet." She tries to stop him from leaving by taking his hands and gently leading him back to the lobby. "We haven't finished our exercises for the day."

"I'm sure you'' manage without me." Angel walks back over to the door to leave, grabs the handle, and opens it.

Charlie sprints back after him and closes the door with her back, trying to block him from leaving. "There isn't much time left for the hotel to prove itself."

Angel places his hands on his hips and waist growing annoyed, before facepalming trying to remain clam before taking off his shades with one hand and placing another on Charlie's shoulder.

"Dollface, it's my hob." Angel states. "I know you want to fix everything but unless you can fix my boss, there's nothing you can do."

Charlie frowns at what he said. Angel moves her out of the way to the door, and opens it. He puts his shades back on, and slams the door as he leaves.

Jake flicks his tongue out as his fiery eyes stare at the door.

"Uugh, why is this so haaard?" Charlie questions. "What am I doing wrong?"

Vaggie walks over to her. "Well, I mean.. You're the princess of Hell."

"So?"

"So, you don't really use the power that comes with that, which I love about you, but maybe you can... I don't know, command a little more... Authority?"

Charlie whines. "But that's so meeeeaaaan."

"It's not exactly. It's... Uh aggressive kindness."

"Okay... I could be so aggressively kind to Angel's boss... That I could convince him to let Angel spend more time at the hotel!"

"Sure, whatever gets you there, babe."

Jake swiftly stands up. "Woah, woah, woah. You're not thinkin' of going over to Valentino's are you?"

Charlie nods in determination. "I'm gonna be an aggressive kind person."

Jake sighs. "Charlie, I know you want to help Angel, but I don't think you should get involved."

"Why?" Vaggie asks with a raised brow.

"Valentino issssn't a nice person, at all. Charlie you're an Enthuzimuzzy, so your personality would clash with his. He most likely knows that Angel's hanging around me, so he'd probably be more harssssh on him. He still haven't gotten over me humiliating him on the telie about 12 yearssss ago."

"So I'll go over there and get Angel out of there, for his safety."

Jake grumbles and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Charlie, it's not safe for you to go. I know he can't do anything to you, but he could to Angel."

Charlie gives Jake a look of determination. "Jake, I'm going there and you can't stop me. I'm going to convince this Valentino to let Angel spend more time here."

"Isss this what it feels like to have a child?" Jake mumbles, before speaking up. "Okay, fine, but I'm coming with to make ssssure they don't try anything, because Valentino is a back biter."

.

.

Angel's working at the porn studio. Valentino supervises and Travis appears as a director.

Angel falls back onto a bed. "Ohh! Daddy, I... Uhhh?.." Angel reaches behind and underneath one of the pillows and grabs a paper to re-read the script before scoffing. "Do you really expect me to memorize this whole script."

"Just improv it!" Val calls out. "Do you think anyone watches for the dialogue?" He points to Travis, who nervously smiles and shakes his head. "Action!"

A gang of four demons slam the door open and enter the room, preparing to initiate the sec scene as raunchy music plays.

"Oh, no. So many burglars..." Angel says sexily. "And only one me! Whatever shall I do?" He quickly glances back at the script before hiding it and setting it aside. "I guess I'll have to do all of you!"

One demon grabs and pinks Angel to the bed.

"Ohh. So what are you gonna do to me?" Angel asks.

Angel hears the door squeak open as Charlie and Jake, suddenly enter the studio. Angel's eyes widen in panic.

"Charlie?!? Jake?!" Angel cries out.

"Um, my name's Rocky." The demon pinning Angel down informs.

Angel pushes Rocky off him and onto the ground as he sits up. "No one gives a shit."

Jake looks around in disgust. 

"Oh, so this is where the magic happens." As Charlie looks around she nearly bumps into a female Hellhound actor who just got done taking her bra off.

Charlie blushes and shuffles back and awkwardly from how close she accidentally was to the hellhound. 

"Oh, wow, that is--" Charlie gasps and her blush disappears as she sees another male actor get slathered in mud. "That is a lot."

"Disgusting." Jake reels back.

Angel then appears putting on a robe and gently takes Charlie by her hand, diverting her attention while he still sounds panicked. "What in the ever-loving fuck are you two doing here?!"

"I am the Princess of Hell, Angel." Charlie says. "And I go where I please, with my bodyguard." She then whispers in a soft tone. "I'm here to get you some time off for the hotel. Now, where's your boss?"

Just as Charlie looks around and is about to walk away, Angel tries to gently, but firmly, grab her by the hand and pulls her away, frightened.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Angel panics. "You are going nowhere near Val--"

"Angel!" Valentino calls out. "What is the fucking hold up?"

"I'm coming?" Angel calls out.

"No off-camera, you're not!"

Angel gently pushes Charlie into Jake, who's next to the door,  and he opens it as the two stand there.

Angel panics and talks fast. "Please, please, just wait, wait, until I'm done working and we will talk about this, I promise. But first you've gotta go."

Valentino appears behind Angel, as he flinches. "Ahhhh, Your Majesty... And Jake." He growls.

"Oh, shit." Angel whispers.

Jake grows a look of indifference as he nods to Valentino. "Valentino."

Valentino walks over to the three. "Welcome to my humble sex dungeon." He pushes Angel behind him as he bends down and leans towards Charlie. "What can I do for such a--"

Valentino takes Charlie's left arm and pulls up a her suit sleeve as he lecherously licks and slurps Charlie's arm, leaving of his saliva.

Jake swiftly pulls Charlie to him and frowns at Valentino, while Valentino glares at him.

Charlie grows grossed out and wipes her arm. "Ah, uh, no, thank you..."

Angel looks away disgusted.

"Hm!" Va hums. "Lovely specimen! You don't want a role, do you?" He tries to get closer to Charlie but Jake's rattle shakes as he glares at him. "Because I can make you a star, make us both richer than, well, your papito--"

Charlie shakes her away. "Fuck nooooo! - Uh, I-I'm sorry." She takes a step towards Valentino. "I have come to aggressively, kindly speak with you about Angel."

Valentino stiffens slightly at the mention of that, his eyes narrow ans an eyebrow raises in suspicion as Angel waves his hands and gestures for her to stop from behind Val.

"Later, of course." Charlie says. "I wouldn't want to stand in the way of your work."

Valentino snaps his head to the side, peering over his shoulder and scowls at Angel, as he grows more worried. "Well then, make yourself comfortable, your Majesty, and enjoy the show. Jake, maybe it's time for you to leave though, your... ruining my atmosphere."

Jake keeps his look of indifference. "Sorry, but I am the Princess' bodyguard, so I stay by her."

Valentino growls. "Why does she even need a bodyguard?" He then walks back towards his chair as he motions for the film crew to go back to shooting. "Well, let's take this shit from the top!" He sits down.

Angel goes back to the bed.

Travis laughs. "Action!"

Angel gets pinned down on the bed. "Oh, wow, mister robbers. I sure hope you don't hurt me with those... Big guns of yours."

"Don't move,-" A robber starts, but the microphone appears on the camera shot a few times. "-you spicy little, uhh, cock sleeve or else I'll..."

The camera person pans to Charlie, whose's whispering to the microphone holder about the Hotel. Jake's looking at the porn scene in disgust.

"We do trust exercises everyday in the morning...."

"CUT!" Valentino shouts and looks back. "What the fuck is going on with this?"

"Ohh, I'm sorry." Charlie apologies. "Were we too loud? I was just telling him about the Hazbin Hotel."

Val gives a fake smile. "Not at all, Princess!" He glares and gnashes at Angel as he shrinks forward a bit, knowing this isn't good for him. "It doesn't bother me one bit."

"You know, this scene feels awfully violent." She walks around. "If you want help with the script, maybe I can pitch some scenarios that are more whole--  Whoah!" Charlie screams as she trips over a cable, and the electricity crackles.

"Okay. Okay. Ah, ah okay." Charlie tries to fix her mess, but the cables and wires catch on fire and begin to spread as she backs away from it. Angle and the four male actors are seen watching, eyes wide. "That's on fire. That-that, that's on fire."

Jake sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

The crew and actors scream and flee while Angel remains on the bed, backing up against the pillows, and eyes still wide. "Oh shit..."

Everyone runs screaming as the room burns down. Charlie tries to put out the fire to no avail. Valentino glares at Angle Dust menacingly, believing he's the cause of this mess.

"Oh, god. Okay uh do you have any--" Charlie grabs and picks up the corner of a furry carpet, in attempt to put out the fire.

Jake just watches as Charlie panics, he rubs his temples. "I knew this would happen."

Valentino watches everything play out, eyes wide before he grits his teeth and stands up from his chair in annoyance. 

"Can I get a fire extinguisher?" Charlie takes off her suit jacket and begins swaying it up and down trying to put out the fire, but still to no avail as the screams and running continue. "I am so sorry. I ruined your movie. I ruined your movie."

Angle watches everything as he sits on the bed, still backed against the pillows blinking with a mortified expression. His pupils shrink when he sees Valentino's dark figure standing still in the midst of the fire, glaring at him.

"Oh, my God." Charlie shouts. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm s-s-s-s-s-s-sorry! Nooooo!"

Valentino growls and flaps his wings once and extinguishes the fire in an instant. Angle sits up and gets off the bed quickly, reaching underneath, grabbing and putting on his robe.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck..." Angel mutters.

"Oh, my gosh, I am so, so, so, so sorry." Charlie turns to Valentino. "I-- I can clean this up. I-- I can--"

Val walks up to Charlie and bends down in front of her to her eye level. "Don't you worry your pretty blonde head about it. We have people for that." He turns to Angel. "Angel... can I see you in your dressing room for a moment.

Angel runs off to Val, leaving a concerned Charlie. She reaches out to stop him, but Jake grabs her hand and she looks at him. Jake shakes his head and lets go of Charlie.

As Angel enters the dressing room, worried and scared. A fuming Valentino appears from behind the door, slamming it shut. He approaches Angel menacingly as Angel turns around with his hands raised up in defense trying to immediately explain.

"Val, I didn't know that--" Before Angel can continue, Valentino grunts in annoyance as he backhands Angel across the face, hard.

Angel stumbles back in pain as a black eye forms over his right eye. He holds the side of his face with his hand as he tries to speak again.

"Val, I--" Angel grunts as Valentino grabs the collar of his rob and holds him close to his face, extremely pissed off. 

"You really think you can have Rattlesnake and Lucifer's little BITCH..." Val throws Angel back, sending him colliding back against a chair as Angel anxiously shuffles around it. Angel is visibly scared, gasping and panting out of breath. "...fight your battles for you?!?!"

Valentino growls as he walks closer to Angel, who was still trying to explain and calm him down.

"Val, please, I'm sorry... She's--"

"You bring her here to protect you?" Val asks as he reaches his left arm out to Angel with his open to grab his chest fluff as Angel backs himself away in the corner of the room in fear, instinctively grabbing his robe to try and cover his chest. "To fuck with me?!"

Red cigar smoke circles around the back of Angel's wrists like cuffs, binding them together. Val grabs Angel by the neck and forcefully drags him back before slamming and pinning him down to the couch, causing Angel to yell in pain.

"Argh! Val, STOP!!"

Valentino gnashes his teeth. "You think she can get you out of work?"

"NO! No, that--- that-- that's not--" Angel tries to explain as Val uses his free hand to run and touch Angel's chest fluff. His voice wavers. "--What I'm trying to do, I-- No--"

Valentino growls and violently throws Angel to the ground, causing him to slide to a stop, gasping and grunting heavily.

"You know she can't do anything." Valentino says menacingly.

Val manipulates his smoke into a ball before forming it into a chain wrapped around Angel's neck, lifting his head and body up to read his golden contract that binds him to Valentino. Singed with his real name, 'Anthony'.

"I own you." Val growls. "Or have you forgotten that?"

Angel sniffles and whimpers. "No..."

Valentino dispels the contract, but still holds onto his smoke chain tightly. "When I say 'come', you say?"

"Yes, Valentino."

Val leans closer to Angel, putting a hand on his shoulder. "When I say 'You are fucking twenty guys before lunch, you say?"

Angel's voice deepens and breaks. "Yes, Valentino."

"When I say 'You better get those fucking-" Val shouts as he grabs the collar of Angel's robe and holds him up to eye level. Angel has a look of pure terror on his face. "-CUNTS out of my STUDIO..." He caresses the back of his hand against Angel's face. "You say?"

"Uh, I.."

Val digs his claws into Angel's face, leaning in closer. His voice becomes much more aggressive. "YOU SAY??"

Angel holds up his hands in defense. "Look, V-Val, she just gets involved in everything. I-I'll tell them to leave! Just don't hurt her..." He grabs Valentino's wrist.

Val grabs the collar of Angel's robe again, and lifts him up off the ground as Angel grasps and grunts. "I have killed bitches for less than this attitude you're giving me. You're lucky you make me money!! Now, you're going to get rid of her and Rattlesnake." He throws Angel to the ground, but he catches himself from the Fall. Val points at Angel in anger. "Then you are filming all night!! Get me?!"

"Yes, Val..."

Val smiles sickeningly. "Good."

Angel reaches his arm from behind and manages to grab the door handle and opens it a bit before Valentino grabs him by the robe. Val pulls Angel behind him and violently drags Angel out of the dressing room as angel gasp at the same time as the door slams and the mirror inside falls over onto the ground ans shatters. 

"Alright!" Valentino loudly calls out.

Valentino throws Angel forward against the bed, but he manages to catch himself again rather weakly in front of Charlie, who has her suit jacket back on. 

Charlie's jaw drips and her eyes widen at what she just saw. She turned her head to stare at Valentino, an expression of disbelief and anger on her face. Jake stares at Val, his tail swaying, but rattle's not going.

"Get you asses back on set, and we are taking this back from the top!" Val shouts.

Charlie, who is now furious, her voice demonic and revealing her horns and glowing red eyes as her blonde hair floats. "What makes you think you can treat him like that?!?"

Valentino simply stands there, smug with his arms crosses to his chest, as Charlie approaches. But Angel stands in her way.

"Charlie!" Angel yells. "Just STOP!"

Charlie returns to normal. "Angel, what are you talking ab--"

"Charlie, LEAVE!" Angel starts to drag Charlie towards the door, Jake silently follows.

"But--"

"I didn't want you or Jake to come here, I already asked you to leave and you didn't listen. You made things worse."

"I just wanted to help you." Charlie states.

"Well, you ain't!" Angel shouts. "You actually wanted to help me? Get the FUCK out of here! Right now, and let me finish my work."

"I... I didn't..." Charlie sobs. "Mean to!" She looks at the smug Valentino. "I.. I'm... I'm so sorry." She runs out the door.

Jake looks back at Val, who just gives him a smug look. Jake's upper lip twitches as his hands curl into fists. He walks past Angel not acknowledging him, and heads after Charlie. Jake roughly slams the door behind him, a few cracks appear on the walls.

Angel looks disappointing in himself.

Val laughs and chuckles lowly in satisfaction as he approaches Angel from behind, putting his hands on his shoulders and leaning over his back. "...Good boy."

Outside Charlie cries as she leans against a wall on a few buildings down from the porn studio. She slides down the wall and cries into her knees. Spurs jingle and stop in front of her, and she looks up to see Jake looking down at her with a look of indifference.

"I told you not to get involved, it only made things worse." Jake grabs Charlie's arm and gently lifts her up. "Come on, let'ssss get back to the hotel."

"Why... Why does he get to treat Angel like that?" Charlie quietly asks. "It's so mean, and uncalled for."

"it's because Angel's soul is Valentino's to own."

"Why? Why would someone do that?"

"Because most don't have a choice, they're ssssso down on their luck, they need something to keep them above water. Or they get tricked into a contract, or-" Jake puts a hand over his neck. "They get backed into a corner...." He clears his throat and glances at the sad Princess. "But there's nothing we can do to help Angel, at least while he's at work. But, enough of that, let's just head back."

"Right..."

Charlie holds onto Jake's arm as he leads her back to the hotel.

Back at the Studio Angel is resuming filming. Makeup is applied to his face to cover up his black eye.

"And... action." Valentino says.

Angel Dust starts to film porno after porno, intertwined with him performing a pop-music dance sequence.

"♫ I'm not above a love to cash in. Another lover underneath those flashin' lights. Another one of those ruthless nights. ♫"

A bunch of actors appear to perform a gang bang. Angel winces as he gets cocked by his co-starts.

"♫Yeah-yeah, yeah." Angel pole-dances. "I shoulda' guessed that this would happen. I shoulda' known it when I looked in your red-hot eyes.♫"

Angel gets on his knees, prepared to give a blowjob to a fellow demon, while glancing at Valentino smiling.

"♫Spewin' all your red-hot lies. Yeah-yeah, yeah. What's the worst part of this hell? I can only blame myself. ♫"

Angel dances with Valentino bound by smoke-chains.

"♫ 'Cause I know you're poison. You're feedin' me poison. Addicted to this feelin', I can't help but swallow. Up your poison. I made my choice, and every night I'm livin' like there's no tomorrow."

Shots alternate between Angel having sex with Valentino and him snorting drugs, or lying in a bed of cash with two other demons.

"♫ Oh-oh, oh-oh. Any way you want me, baby. That's the way you got me, I'll be yours."

Valentino's nightmarish silhouette appears in front of Angel in bed.

"♫ My story's gonna be end with me dead from your poison."

In a different porn scene Angel gets fitted in BDSM gear.

"♫I got so good at bein' untrue. I got so good at tellin' you what you wanna hear.♫"

Valentino takes Angel's cigarette and blows the smoke into his face. Angel shakes his head to get rid of the smoke, but all he sees is Valentino walking away before a black blindfold is put over his eyes.

"♫ I disassociate, disappear. Yeah, yeah, yeah. ♫"

Having been fully fitted in BDSM gear, Angel gets manhandled by his co-stars and has his head forced into an actor's crotch for another blowjob.

"♫ So far beyond difficult to resist another gulp. ♫"

Angel then dances a pop-MV choreography, with the BDSM scenes displayed on the LED screens.

"♫ Yeah, I know it's poison. You're feedin' me poison. I'm chokin' from the taste and I can't help but shallow. Up your poison. I made my choice, and- ♫"

Angel is chocked, and hos blindfold comes undone, revealing his fear and pain, while Val sticks out his tongue in arousal. The pop choreography continues with shots of the BDSM scene. Angle is shown struggling and pounding the ground as if trying to resist.

"♫ Every night I'm wasted like there;s no tomorrow.♫"

Angel is shown screaming and crying out in pain.

"♫ Oh-oh, oh-oh! Any way you want me, baby. That's the way you got me, I'll be yours. My story's gonna end with me dead from your poison. ♫"

Valentino smiles lecherously as he grabs and drags Angel away from stage. Angel appears scared.

Angel snaps back to reality, exhausted and traumatized. He locks the door to his dressing room and stumbles backwards. He walks out to the balcony to catch a breath, only to see Vox and Val below, smiling and shaking hands possibly striking a deal or an agreement to something. 

Vox side-glances up at the balcony seeing Angel Dust his smile falters a bit. Val turns his head to see Angel. They both smile as Vox's figure disappears into electricity and leaves while Valentino turns his back and walks away.

"♫Poison, I'm drownin' in poison. I'm fillin' up the glass but it's always hollow. Full of poison, I'm sick of the poison. Wish I had something to live for tomorrow. ♫"

Angel collapses and starts crying on the balcony of the porn studio.

.

.

.

Angel Dust returns to the hotel, worn out and groaning. Charlie awkwardly waves at him but is ignored. Angel drops himself on a stool next to Husks' bar as he cleans a glass cup.

Jake is laying his head on the counter, with his arms covering it. His hat rests on the counter next to him, showing off his black hair with brown strands, and his two small black horns with red diamond patterns. A half empty glass of whiskey rests in front of him.

Angel groans. "I need a drink. The hardest you can make."

"Hmm." Husk turns around and grabs two bottles of liquor. "You look like shit."

Angel takes a deep breath and regains his cocky smile. "Pfft, not possible. Just a long shoot, nothin' new."

Husk rolls his eyes as soon as he pours the liquor. Angel snatches the glass and gulps down the alcohol, but leaving a small portion spilled.

"Eugh." Angel sets the glass down. "I said a strong one."

"Excuse me." Husk raises an eyebrow. "Didn't realize this was a 'drinking to forget' kind of night." He pours another drink.

"Oh, I forgot. You're the wise old bartender who's seen it all. Get the fuck over yourself and pour me a real drink." Angel uses the tip of his index finger and pushes the filled cup of alcohol over.

"Look, if you've got a problem, you're not going to find the solution at the bottom of a bottle. I should know, I've been looking there a long time." Husk cleans and wipes down the spilled drink.

Angel takes a deep breath, smooths his hair back and slips into his porn star persona. "Oh sure, and where should I look? Hmm?" He talks in a sexy tone. "In your bedroom, maybe?" Husk flinches and stiffens. "Under the covers. " Angel shakes his shoulders suggestively as Husk cringes back. "Maybe we can go look together."

Husk unknowingly purrs as his eye titches he holds up his hand, gesturing Angel to stop, already feeling annoyed. "Don't. Even start."

"Oh, c'mon, I bet I can make those wings flap!" Angle grabs one of Husk's wings, spearing it out before he wraps it wound himself.

Husk pushes Angel off him and back onto the stool as the bottle of alcohol slips from his grasp, and smashes onto the floorboards, spilling. "STOP! Fucking Christ!" Angel scowls at him. "You can cut the act already." He places both hands on the counter top. "It's never going to work on me." He rolls his eyes."So all you're doing is makin' an ass out of yourself with this fake bullshit.

Angel's now agitated and filled with rage. He shouts angrily as his pupils and freckles glow a dark neon magenta,  taking the appearance of additional eyes. He gets up in Husk's face. "Call me fake one more time, muthafucka!! I DARE you!!"

Jake moves his arm slightly and his fiery eyes stare at the two from under his arm.

Husk leans close to Angel and uses his index finger to poke his chest fluff. "Fake." He smiles smugly.

"Fuckin asshole-" Angel bumps into the car ceiling, holding his head with his hands as he falls off of the stool and lands on the floor. "Arrgh! God!"

Husk leans over the bar counter to stare down Angel. "Ya done?"

Angel growls angrily. "Ya know what?!? You would be fucking lucky to get a chance to fuck me!" He throws a half broken bottle of alcohol at Husk, but misses as Husk stares unamused and unimpressed. "Ya know how much I'm worth?!? You know how many people would kill to have Angel Dust come onto them?!? FUCK YOU. Have fun being a lonely piece of shit!"

Angel storms out of the hotel, pushing past Vaggie.

Woah-- The hell?" Vaggie questions. "Angel, where are you going?"

"Out!" Angel slams the hotel door.

Jake sits up and rubs his eyes, before downing the rest of his drink.

Vaggie turns to Husk "Husk, what did you do?"

Husk deadpans and shrugs. "Made him a drink."

"Oh, no." Charlie says in worry as she walks over. "He looks really upset."

Husk waves off, dismissively. "It's just Angel. He'll be fine."

"I'm not so sure. I really messed up at the studio today and he got... Ugh, it was... It wasn't a good, okay?"

Vaggie rucks Charlie' hair behind her ear and gives her a reassuringly smile, then turns to Husk. Then she sarcastically. "Gee, sounds like someone should go after him..." Husk stare and blinks blankly. "Someone named 'Husk'."

"Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me." Husk complains. "Why don't you go if you're so worried?"

"Because I'm not the one who sent him storming out. You caused it. You drag him back."

"No!" Charlie starts. "No... Don't force him back. Just make sure he's safe. I pushed too hard earlier and... I only made things worse. Look, he'll come back when he's ready. I just don't want anything to happen to him until then." Husk growls. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm going to go write one hundred apology letters and a lesson planned for tomorrow about... Boundaries."

Husk rolls his eyes and slumps forward while whining like a cat.

"Hey, be a Skilamalink if you have to..." Jake says to Husk. "Just don't get into too much trouble." He smirks.

.

.

Angel enters a bar as Husk follows not too far behind. Sirens blare in the background.

Angel sits at a booth with a gang of shark demons, snorting drugs. 

"Oh, yeah." Angel cheers.

As Husk enters the bar someone bumps into him which makes him growl and glare in their direction briefly, until he hears Angel and the gang of sharks laughing.

Angel Dust laughs. "I'm so fucked up!"

Husk sits at the bar counter, placing money down, and orders a drink.

"Gimmee a whiskey..." The Bartender places a glass down and pouts some before Husk grabs the bottle. "I meant the whole bottle, jackass."

The bartender stares at him silently before letting him have the bottle and takes away the glass instead as Husk drinks down the bottle.

Angel laughs. "So I said 'You couldn't afford me in a million afterlives.' I got better options, right boys?"

"You got that right!" A gangster agrees.

The Gangsters laugh as Husk watches and snarls.

Angel turns to a demon. "Hey, baby, be a doll and bring me another one? Daddy's outta juice!"

The demon grabs his and Angel's empty glasses by the bar counter as he sits down on a stool next to Husk, who glares at him with suspicion. The bartender pours the liquor into the two glasses. The shark demon reaches into his suit and takes out some love drug and pouts it into Angel's drink making the color pink. Husk's eyes widen as he watches the demon get up from he stool and return to Angel.

Husk huffs and sets his bottle of whiskey aside. "Son of a--" He mutters.

The shark demon holds Angel's drugged drink out to him. "Here you go, darling. Just for you--"

Just as Angel is about to reach for the drink, Husk appears from behind the demon and grabs him by the back of his suit, lifting him off the ground as the drink spills.

"Woah!" The demon cries out.

"Nice try, fuckhead." Husk throws the demon across the room, causing him to scream and lands headfirst into a jukebox as up temp music plays.

The rest of the gangsters take out their guns.

"Let's go." Husk grabs Angels arm and pulls him behind while he throws a stack of cards at the demons, which cuts the barrels off their guns and cuts a net loose from the ceiling, immobilizing them.

"What the?" Angel questions. "Hey! H-h-hey, hey!" Husk drags him out of the bar. "Husk! What the actual fuck are you doing here? let go of me."

"No. I'm takin' you back to the hotel."

"Get off!" Angel rips his arm out of Husk's grip.

"That fucker put somethin' in your drink." Husk points back at the bar.

"You don't think I can if someone spikes my drink? I do this all the fickin' time!"

"You just let people drug you all the time?"

"You think I asked for it?!? I don't ask for any of this shit! I didn't ask to be this way. I didn't ask for Charlie to save me,-" Angle pushes his finger into Husk's chest. "-I didn't  ask for you to save me. I can handle myself."

"Really? Because I just saw  someone self-destructing." Husk takes a few steps away and turns back to Angel. "It seems like... I don't know... you might need a bartender to talk to."

Angel Dust chuckles then speaks incredulously. "Oh, so now you're going to act like you give a shit about me? You think after how you treated me, I'm gonna open up to you? Please." He walks off.

"Maybe I'd treat you better if you were real, and not some bullshit version of yourself, always pushin' my boundaries! Lemme tell ya, nobody in that hotel cares who you are. How famous, how hot, so you might as well just... cut the act."

Angel stops walking, eyes widening before tears form in the corner of his eyes. He drops the Angel Dust persona completely. "It's not an act!!"

Husk flinches back a bit and stares at Angle in shock.

Anthony starts sobbing. "It's who I need to be." He crosses his arms to his chest. "And this..." Gestures to the redlight street. "This is my escape! Where I can forget about it all! How much I hate... everything. A place where I can get high, and not have to think about how much it hurts. And maybe... if I can ruin myself  enough in the process... If I end up broken, I won't be his favorite toy anymore..."

Husk stands there listening and blinking as he frowns at what Anthony says. Holding his hands as his eyebrows furrowed and his ears and tail falter.

"...and maybe he'll let me go..." Angel sits down on the sidewalk, curling up into a small ball with his legs close to his chest with his arms wrapped around them and his head buried into his knees.

Husk stares at Angel with sympathy and pity, then he walks over and sits down on the pavement near him.

Husk sighs. "I was an Overlord once, you know." Angel perks up. "Yeah, and uh... it was nice to have that power. But when you're dealing in souls-" Flashback to the past Husk gambling. "-while also being a gambler,-" past Husk spreads out a deck of cards. "-the stakes are pretty high. And losing a few hands can be more than a little dangerous." Husk begins losing the gamble. "So when you're down on your luck, you turn to anything to..." A card shows Alastor's figure. "Keep you afloat, even making deals with yourself." Alastor now appears holding the cards, looming over Husk to pick the card."

Back in the forlorn present Husk. "So I know what it's like to... Regret the choices made... And knowin' ya can't take it back."

Angel and Husk sit in silence for a moment. Then Husk begins to sing.

"♫ So things look bad, and your back's against the wall. Your whole existence seems fuckin' hopeless. You're feelin' filthy as a dive bar bathroom stall. ♫"

Husk grabs an umbrella and uses it to protect Angel from a demon that projectile vomited towards him. Husk then flaps the umbrella open and close to get the puke off.

"♫ Can't face the world sober and dopeless. You've lost your way, you think your life is wrecked. Well, let me just say you're correct. ♫"

"Wait, what?" Angel questions.

"♫ You're a loser, baby. A loser, goddamn baby. You're a fucked up little whiny bitch. ♫"

"Hey!"

"♫ You're a loser, just  like me. ♫"

Angel flips Husk off. "Thanks, asshole."

Husk continues to sing. "♫ You're a screw's-loose-boozer. An only one-star reviers-er. You're a power-bottom at rock bottom. But you got company. ♫"

"This supposed to make me feel better?" Angel asks.

"♫There was a time I thought no one could relate. To the gruesome ways on which I'm damaged. But lettin' walls down, it can sometimes set you straight! We're all livin' in the same shit-sandwich. ♫"

Angel then sings. "♫ I sold my soul to a psychopathic freak. ♫"

Husk then sings. "♫ Haha! And you think that makes you unique?  Get outta here, man! We're both losers, baby. We're losers, it's okay to be a--♫"

"♫ Coked up, dick-sukin' hoe? ♫"

"♫Baby, that's fine by me.♫"

Angel smiles. "♫ I'm a loser, honey. A schmoozer and a dummy! But at least I know I'm not alone. ♫"

"♫ You're a loser. ♫"

The two duet. "♫ Just like me.♫"

Husk sings. "♫ I got an appetite for gamblin'♫"

Then Angel sings. "♫ I got an appetite for samplin' every drug and sex toy I can find! ♫"

"♫Go ahead baby, sing that song, come on! ♫"

"♫ I got no holes left to deflower. ♫"

"♫ I sold my soul to save my power.  Now I'm on that demon's leash. ♫"

The two Duet. "♫ I'm trapped and it gets worse with every hour. ♫"

Angel sings. "♫ You're a loser, baby. ♫"

Husk sings. "♫ A loser, but just maybe if we- ♫"

They duet. "♫ Eat shit together, things will end up differently!"

Angel begins to him while Husk continues to sing.

"♫ It's time to lose your self-loathin' Excuse yourself, let hope in, baby. Play your card, be who you are. ♫"

The two duet. "♫ A loser, just like-♫"

The shark demons interrupt as they barge out of the bar.

"There he is!" A demon yells. "They're fucking singing?! Get 'em!"

The demons furiously fire at Angel and Husk

"Oh shit!" Husk grabs Angel and drags him behind a car. "Stay down. I'll deal with this with this."

"Hehe, you're fucking dead-"

Husk kills each goon with relative ease using his cards, but has trouble when one goon jumps onto his back. But Angel pulls out one of his firearms and obliterates the demon.

"Eat lead, sucka!" Angel smiles at Husk. "I told ya. I can handle myself baby."

Angel pulls out five extra guns and begins fighting the rest of the demons with Husk until all the shark demons are reduced to blood and guts.

"That didn't go as planned--" The demon dies.

Husk lets out a breath. "Well, that was something I didn't expect to see."

"Like I said,-" Angel slicks back his hair. "-you don't know me. Sex ain't the only thing I'm good at."

"Good to know, cause this guy ain't that bad."

Anthony smiles, the two hear the sounds of wheels screeching and they look down the road to see several cars of gangsters coming towards them.

"Well, shit..." Husk mutters.

"Time to run?" Angel asks.

"Yup."

The two start to run down the street as the cars chase after them.

"Just what my day needed!" Husk groans.

"Hang on, I got this!" Angel pulls his phone out and starts to tap at it. 

"What are you gonna go?"

"I'm gonna call, Jake." Angel puts the phone up to his ear.

"He doesn't have a phone though." Husk ducks under several bullets that fly overhead.

"That's why I bought him one, and snuck it into his pocket." Angel informs.

"But... he won't know how to use it."

Angel blinks a few times. "That does explain why it's taking so long."

.

.

Back at the hotel, Jake is sitting at the bar as he reads the book, "This Lost Princess."

Then something in his pocket vibrates and Angel is heard singing.

"The fuck?" Jake questions. "Angel?"

Jake reaches into his pocket and pulls out a phone with a red case and a snake coiled around a revolver on the back.

"The fuck, a tele-phone?" Jake looks it over. "How is Angel's voice coming out of it?" On the screen shows that Angel's calling and the background of teh call shows Angel, wearing suggestive clothing.

Jake starts to fiddle with it, growing increasingly angry as the music keeps playing. His hons start to grow as his claws grow larger. 

"Ssssshut up!" Jake yells as his eyes catch on fire and he throws the phone at the wall as his tail rattles.

The phone lands on the ground, and keeps playing. He yells at it in anger, until Vaggie walks into the foyer.

"Vaggie!" Jake shouts in anger.

"What?" Vaggie raises an eyebrow.

"That damn, telephone won't stop playing Angel's voice!" Jake points at the phone on the ground.

"The hell?"  Vaggie walks over to the phone and picks it up. "When did you get a phone?"

"I didn't!" Jake returns to normal.

"Huh, well Angel's calling you. Here." Vaggie accepts the call and gives the phone to Jake.

"Uhhh, what do I do?" Jake asks.

"Just bring it up to your ear."

"Oh..." Jake brings the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Jake!" Angel sighs in relief over the phone.

"How is your voice coming out of this thing?!"

"We don't have time to explain! Husk and I need you help, we're being assaulted by gangsters."

"So what's happening?" Vaggie asks.

Jake pulls the phone away from his ear. "They're Mafficking." He puts the phone back to his ear, leaving Vaggie confused on what he said. "Where are you two?"

"We're at the Old Town Bar, you know where that is?"

"Of course, I know where every bar is. I'll be there soon... maybe." Jake pulls the phone away, and turns to Vaggie. "How do I make him shut up?" Vaggie presses the hang up button. "Oh, thank you."

Jake heads for the hotel door.

"Where you going?" Vaggie calls out.

"Getting those two Lollygagers out of trouble." Jake states.

Jake runs out of the hotel and down into the streets of Pentagram City. He runs onto the road and stops a cab.

"I need to get to Old Town Bar." Jake informs.

"That'll be twenty-five bucks." The cab driver informs.

"Wait, you have to pay for this shit? Fuck that!" Jake pulls out Sally from her holster and fires a round into the Cab driver's head.

Jake then fiddles with the door for a few seconds, before getting it open and dragging the body out. He hops into the driver seat and looks at everything in confusion.

"Okay... Um..."Jake hits a lever and the wipers start going. "No! Stop!" Jake slams a foot on the gas and the car revs up. "Hmmm..."

Jake keeps looking around and finds the gear shiftier. he grabs it, and with some struggle, shifts down.  

"Okay!" Jake grabs the steering wheel. "Driving these cars, can't be so bad!"

Jake smirks as he slams his foot on the gas, only to drive backwards.

"No! The other way!" Jake slams on the brake, and smashes his head into the steering wheel. "Ugh..."

Jake messes with the shiftier again and he then flies forward. 

"HAHAHA!" Jake laughs. "I am the king of these mechanical horses!"

A black and blue liquid seeps from his hands and flows into the passenger seat, forming into another Jake, but black and blue, with a guitar.

The liquid Jake starts to play the guitar. 

Jake flies down the street, nearly crashing several cars and other demons.

Jake then starts to sing with a toothy grin.

"♫ I'm a bad man. Taking on the world with a gun in hand. Find my trail where the blood ran. Cause I'm a bad man. ♫"

Jake drifts around a corner, hitting several trash cans and lamppost.

"♫ I'm a bad man. Taking my time in the killing field. Ripping the cover from the seventh seal. Yeah, I'm a bad man. ♫"

A third liquid Jake appears, in the back, playing another guitar. Gunfire echoes in the distance.

"♫ I'm a bad man." Jake pulls the steering wheel to a hard left and drifts down a road, slamming the back of the car into several other cars. 

"♫ I'm a bad man. Tears like rain in the desert sand. Heart of stone never gave a damn. Cause I'm a bad man. I'm a bad man. ♫"

Jake spots Angel and Husk far down the road, taking cover in an alleyway as half a dozen of Gangsters fire onto them. Jake's grin grows larger.

"♫ Clipping the wings of the angels. Find my peace in the danger. Oh baby, I'm a bad man. ♫"

Jake reaches Angel and Husk and he twists the wheel hard and goes into a drift. He swiftly takes out his revolver, Sally, and easily fires each six rounds into the six heads of the gangsters.

"♫ Cause I'm a bad man. ♫"

His car comes to a stop near the alleyway and the liquid Jake in the back opens the door, before disappearing. 

Husk and Angel dive into the back of the car and close the door. Jake speeds off as several cars full of gangsters drive at them.

Jake flicks his revolver cylinder open and casings fall onto the floor. Six bullets on his chest bandoleer glow black and disappear, and reappear into the cylinder. 

"♫ Cause I'm a bad man. ♫"

Jake flicks the cylinder back into place and continues singing, as Angel and Husk fire out the back windows and onto the cars chasing them.

"♫ I'm a bad man. ♫"

Liquid Jake goes into a small solo as a car slams into the back of Jake's car. He looks into the side mirror and sees a car pulling up along side him.

"♫ Oh, cause I'm a bad man. ♫"

Jake looks ahead and spots a several cars parked alone the side of the road and he smirks.

"♫Oh, I'm a bad man. " Jake aims his revolver out the window and fires onto a parked car up ahead. The round ricochets off the front of the car, and into the driver of the car pulling up alongside Jake. "I'm a bad man. ♫"

The gangster car crashes into the side of a building as Jake spins the car around, trying to drift. "♫ I'm a bad man. ♫"

Jake aims his revolver forward and fires two more rounds, into the heads of the drivers of the two cars still chasing him. Jake gets his car back in control as the two cars behind him crash, and go up in an explosion. 

"♫ Sell your life for some silver. Take my love then I'll leave her. I'm a bad man. ♫"

Jake turns a corner and a large group of gangsters fire onto them. Husk and Angel bring their heads down in the back, but Jake smiles evilly as he heads straight for the gangsters. 

"♫ Oh, I'm a bad man." Glass and bullets fly all around the car, but Jake doesn't deter. "I'm a bad man. I'm a bad man! ♫"

Jake slams the car into the group of Gangsters, and blood and guts go flying everywhere. Jake opens his mouth as several body parts fly in and he swallows them.

"♫I'm a bad man! I'm a bad, bad, bad man. ♫"

Jake leaves Pentagram city, with the car smoking and the tires going flat, and heads for the hotel. Liquid Jake keeps playing the guitar.

"♫I'm a bad man. I'm a bad man. I'm a bad, bad, bad man. ♫"

Liquid Jake goes on a solo and Jake hums as the song comes to a close as they reach the hotel. The car sputters and breaks down.

.

.

Husker and Angel enter the hotel, with Jake a few steps back. Husk and Angel are both laughing, while Jake's smiles with a satisfied look. Jake twirls his revolver around, before putting it back into its holster. 

"He had like three bills, and it took him 30 minutes to count them." Angel tells a story. "His eyes are so shit!"

"Hehe, and this is the guy you gotta take orders from?" Husk asks.

"I know! What a fucking joke, right?"

Charlie rushes to Angel in relief and hugs him tightly. "I'm SO sorry Angel, I promise I won't ever, ever, ever, ever-"

"Charlie, it's fine." Angel states with a smile. "I get it. Thanks... for caring about me." Charlie weeps tears of joy. Angel picks her up and gives her to Vaggie. "Ehh, I think this is yours."

Vaggie grabs Charlie from Angel. "Okay missy, let's get you to bed."

Charlie speaks while still blubbering. "He-he-he said he- for- forgave me!" She gives inaudible cries. "It's so beautiful, Vaggie..."

Vaggie walks away with the crying Charlie.

Husk turns to Angel. "Hey, how about that drink?"

Angel smiles. "You read my mind."

Angel and Husk walk to the bar.

Jake smiles as he stretches out. "Hehe, today made me feel young again!"

Jake's smile slowly fades as a frown forms on his face. He sighs and walks back to his room.

"Just another day, huh, Soma?" Jake whispers. "When will my own hell, end?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

02-13-2024

9010 words