Chapter 11: Preparation

I pop out of the shadows, releasing Dex as we hit the ground, rolling with the leftover momentum I had built up. I lay on the ground for a moment as I burst into laughter, the tension in my body melting away.

Dex was up first since they didn't have a giggle fit, walking over to look down at me. "You are always looking for a fight." Their robotic voice was more flat than accusatory.

"I'm not always looking for a fight, I just don't shy away from them when they find me... and they like finding me." I reply hoisting myself to my feet. "And look, I've got a shiny new toy." I add, holding out the moth's gun I had snatched. "It's actually pretty decent quality, shoots straight enough."

"You're a menace."

"Oh! Speaking of menace." I look at my shadow with a raised eyebrow. "You are welcome to stop hiding and join us, Alastor."

A shadow breaks apart from mine, and morphs into the red clad Radio Demon, the sound of static following his person.

"I was observing, my dear. Not hiding. Only cowards hide."

"Uh-huh, sure." I fire back.

The static grew a little louder, but he brushed it off. "I do question how long you knew I was in your shadow though?"

I give him a shit-eating grin, walking closer. "Long enough to know you're not as subtle as you think you are, darling." My fluffy white tail flicking playfully behind me as I lean closer.

He stiffens and his eyes dilate when he breaths in, a record scratch ringing out.

I lean back quickly realizing the problem, touching the back of my head, my hand coming back with a light coat of blood on my fingers. "Alastor." My tone doesn't change much at first, but he remains frozen in place. "ALASTOR!" He jolts slightly, blinking at me slowly. "Your bloodlust is showing, dear."

He seems to come back to himself. "Apologies, my dear. It seems I have shown an unbecoming side of myself."

"You've seen me rip into prey on our first meeting, Alastor. If we are as similar as Rosie said, bloodlust comes with the territory." I wave off the apology, his eyes locked onto the blood on my hand. "Do you need a taste? Or would that only make it harder to resist?"

His pretty red eyes found mine. "You don't like to be touched."

"That wasn't what I asked. It's much more tolerable if I initiate the contact, and I wouldn't offer if it was going to make me react like earlier today." I hold eye contact to reassure him.

He nods, holding out his hand, but not touching me directly. "Then I shall take you up on your offer." I place my bloody hand in his, and he brings it to his lips, breathing in the scent.

The feel of his touch not causing the ant-like sensation to travel my body like I would normally feel.

I give him a grin. "If you bite me, let this be a warning, I'll bite back."

I can feel his breath as he chuckles. "Is that a threat, or a promise?"

"Oh it's a promise."

His eyes still locked on mine, he flicks his tongue out, tasting my blood, and let's out a muffled moan.

My breath hitched. "I'm that good, huh?"

He stepped back, breaking all contact with me, and runs a hand over his face in frustration. "That was entirely unhelpful. It only made the craving bearable."

I laugh, pulling my hand back to my side. "Did you think it would eliminate the craving? I'm still bleeding. Though the wound on my head explains why the ringing in my head got worse."

His eyes snap to my person, his ever present smile twitching as though trying to frown. "Worse? You've had ringing before?"

"Yeah, you should know by now that hell likes to fuck with you. I had it when I was human, it was in my ears then, and I always hated it. It would always flare worse when I was getting a migraine." My voice was very nonchalant about it. "That's one of the reasons I agreed to your company earlier today... Your static." I mumble the last bit.

His face was questioning. "My what?"

"The static you admit. It's pleasant, and it quiets the ringing." I look off to the side, and focus on why we were here, refusing to elaborate farther. I notice Alastor's shadow move a little on it's own, a grin on it's shadowy face. "Your shadow is sentient isn't it? Does it have a name?" I look back to Alastor.

"Yes, it is. And no, it does not have a name. Why?" He questions, head tilting slightly.

Huh, must be an animal thing.

"Because, having a name can be a powerful thing. If given a name, Shade could become more powerful, and in turn as it's master, you would also reap the benefits." I inform. "I've been reading a lot of spell books since my fall." I hold out my hand to the shadow.

Alastor raised a brow. "Shade? Did you just name it yourself?"

The shadow moves, and placed it's hand in mine. "Maybe." I shoot Alastor a grin, then turn back to the shadow. "Do you like the name Shade?" The shadow nods. "Well then, I suppose that answers your question then, Alastor."

His eye twitches a little. "I suppose it's not the worst name you could have given it."

"Oh, definitely not." I laugh. "Don't forget, so far our humor is very similar. You and I, both know I could have come up with something truly diabolical." I let go of the shadows hand, and gave it a head rub, the shadow leaning into it and purring.

Alastor twitched again. "Do stop indulging him."

I give another giggle and stop, walking over to where Dex was standing off to the side, phone out, and had probably turned off their hearing when our conversation turned to blood. "Dex?" I mentally tug lightly on our chain to get their attention. Signing to turn on their ears. At Alastor's questioning gaze, I explain. "Dex can turn their hearing off."

Dex reaches up to one ear of the headphones, pressing a button. "Are you two done flirting now?"

My eyes flickered to Alastor, seeing his face flush a light pink to match my own. "Not flirting, teasing playfully!" I snap back. "Are the others ready?"

"Yeah, I sent them our location while you were busy." Dex waves their phone. "I told them to meet us here instead, we're closer to the target."

"Where are we?" Dex showed me the screen. Apparently my aim was a little off with the shadow transportation despite practicing. "I'm two blocks off where I wanted to drop us."

"Better than last time, and you had two passengers this time." Dex shot at me.

"No lip!" I shoot back.

I look over at Alastor, who was decidedly less pink. "You wanna join us to watch the fun, or are you going home?"

Alastor looked interested. "I suppose that depends on the fun. What do you have in mind?"

"Mayhem." I giggle. "We're going to take down a demon with a fair amount of businesses and souls, though he's not quite an Overlord yet."

"You have my attention, my dear. You have a plan, yes?"

"Of course I do." I send him an evil grin over my shoulder.

"Yo!" The first of three demons that rounded the nearby corner called out. The black haired demon, Midnight, dressed in her usual all black attire.

"Hey boss!" The demon's twin brother called out, finishing his sister's sentence. His multicolored cotton candy-like hair bouncing with his steps.

The third simply nodded his head in greeting, before eyeing Alastor, standing next to me, worriedly.

"He's a friend, Oscar." I assure the rattle snake demon.

"The Radio Demon?" He raised his scaly brow, the golden yellow scales shining lightly in hell's dim daylight.

Alastor's static crackles, becoming a little heavier behind me. I could almost feel the narrowing of his eyes.

"Yes, Oscar. The Radio Demon." I cross my arms and stand up straighter, staring into his red eyes.

"Nothing. Just as long as you know what you are doing." He backed down. He knew more because he had been dead longer than the rest of us, (save Alastor, of course.) and was simply worried.

I sigh. "I know you mean well enough, but questioning my authority is out of line. Don't let there be a next time... unless I look intoxicated." I look over my shoulder at Alastor. "And you, darlin', need to calm down. Your static is causing quite the disruption, setting everyone on edge."

He takes a breath, and the static calms down a bit. But he doesn't say a word.

I give him a nod in thanks, before turning to the twins, and clapping my hands. "Alright. Alastor, will be joining us to watch the fun tonight. Midnight, Nightmare, you two are on recon duty! Observe the target, and his associates, then report back to me. Oscar, you have lookout duty, until we finalize the plan and move in. The rest of us will be stationed on a nearby roof, so Dex can have easy access to any electronics, or electrical equipment." They all nod at my orders. "And as always, if you feel a tug, come back to me. If you feel two, get each other out, and I'll hold them off." I give them a serious look.

"Yes, ma'am!" They all call out. Dex giving a salute.

I nod. "Let's all get to our places then." I lead the way, and when we get close we split up. Midnight, turning into a black smoke, and merging into the shadows, taking her twin with her. Oscar joins the chaotic crowd, walking around and keeping watch from the ground. And I grab Dex, motioning towards the correct rooftop, so Alastor can follow, as I pull Dex into the shadows with me. Popping out on said rooftop, Alastor, materializing next to me.

I snap my fingers summoning the icey crates from Dex's apartment. "Alright Dex, grab what you need, and I'll send the rest to my room at the hotel. There's no way you can go back there, I'll talk to Charlie about letting you work there as my assistant."

Dex nods, looking through everything, pulling out what they need. "Thanks, I was going to ask to move after the extermination anyway. The building manager keeps hitting on me, it was making me uncomfortable."

I twitch, my ears flicking angrily, as I clenched my fists. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"This is hell, someone is always going to do something, and at least he never really tried anything." Dex responds, setting up their laptop. "I'm good with just this." They add, motioning to the computer.

I snap my fingers, sending the rest of their things to the small ice pad I left in my room. "You still should have said something. I would have found a safer place."

"We shall agree, to disagree." Dex said typing rapidly on their keyboard, their phone out to connect the laptop to an internet source. "I'm logging into their system now, it shouldn't take long."

When I look at our companion, I couldn't help but laugh. Alastor was glaring at the computer like it had personally offended him. "After meeting Vox, I understand why you may dislike modern tech. But you are looking at it, like it killed a loved one." My lips twitch trying to hold back a grin. "Don't worry, none of our tech is connected to the walking TV, and all of it has firewalls that he can't cross."

Alastor's gaze snapped to meet mine, before he relaxed. "You have put thought into that as well?"

I hum a confirmation. "My actions may look erratic to others, but I always do thorough research, and nearly never engage unless I'm sure I will come out on top."

He raised his brow. "Yet you just challenged not one Overlord, but at least two of the V's."

I rolled my eyes. "You and I, both know they aren't that impressive, or they wouldn't bunch together. They are merely good for entertainment. I only show what I want seen, I have many more tricks up my sleeve." I hum to myself again. "Besides, before an extermination, is not the time to lessen hell's power. It's better to have more Overlords, in case heaven decides to pull shit. Restructuring power can wait. Until then, I'll simply boost my own power. One can't ever be sure of what's to come."

He hummed back, his hands behind his back twisting his cane this way, and that way. "Of that we can agree."

"I'm in!" Dex pipes up from their seated position.

I lean over their shoulder to look at the video feed playing on half the screen, my eyes narrowing at the sight of a meeting with another boss in the area. "Looks like we have ourselves a two for one special." More souls for us. I turn back to Alastor. "I offer a vial of my blood, if all of the souls are left to myself and my team." I use my ice to make a larger cylindrical vial for size. "You seemed to enjoy the taste you were given."

He cocks his head. "Three vials." He holds out his hand his power carrying a green glow. "Is it a deal?"

I laugh. "More of a mutual agreement, I'll give you one now, but the other two will wait to ensure you keep your end. I'm not shaking your hand, Alastor. I know better than that." I shoot him a grin, cutting my arm to fill the vial, then capping it with ice, and giving it to him.

"Fair enough." He shrugs.

"Good. Now time to summon the team." I give one tug on everyone's chain.

The twins are the first ones back, Midnight, dropping her brother off, before leaving to get Oscar.

"Nightmare, what's the situation?" I ask the dream demon, his sister popping back out of the shadows with Oscar in hand. "We can see the target is in a meeting on our end, with more guards than anticipated." I add Dex's information.

"More demons, nothing we can't handle." Midnight's contribution is short and sweet. The shadow demoness wasn't much of a talker, she usually left most of the talking to her twin.

Nightmare sighs. "What she meant, is that while there are more demons, it shouldn't become a problem. The plan will still work, we may just be a little tired after." He elaborated.

Oscar spoke up next. "There are a few demons mixed in the crowd that should be knocked out, I'll take care of them, and the ones in the alley behind the building. That should lighten the load for the twins."

I clap my hands lightly. "Good! Now that there will be little to no surprises, let's get this party started!"