"How long do we keep them waiting?"
"You in a hurry or something?" You asked, chuckling with a cigarette hanging loosely from your mouth as you flicked a zippo and lit it. A small amount of ghostlike smoke spilling from your mouth before you managed to take a satisfactory drag.
Johnny stood beside you. Anxiously bouncing his leg with his foot propped against the wall behind him. Alastor stood beside him, starkly calm in contrast. It was safe to say you each felt intensely about the situation ahead, but in your own ways as individuals.
Alastor was the most excited.
Johnny was conflicted, but shared your animosity.
You were... angry. With no one in the room of course, but the two demons on the other side of the door. It was hard to share Al's excitement because all you could focus on was how you felt when you saw those to again. In fact, the instant they were in sight you felt your blood boil; now knowing all that they did to you behind your back made you want to attack them on the spot. When you looked into their eyes, you were glad you saw fear in them.
Perhaps once you got started you could begin to relax.
"Well, they've been in that room for hours with the song 'Hey Ya' on repeat." Johnny stated.
"Think we should have chosen 'Call Me Maybe' instead?"
"Regardless of what song, I think they're losing it if they haven't already." Alastor gently cut in with a pleased sigh. "Are you sure you still want to do this?"
You nodded slowly. A subtle smile working its way to your lips as you sucked in another breath of smoke before taking the cigarette out of your mouth. Flicking the ashes onto the concrete floor just outside the door your parents were locked behind. Outkast's hit single coming to an end on the other side of the door only to start over again immediately.
"You see the look on their faces when they saw me?" You asked, looking up at Alastor.
He matched your smile and then surpassed it, displaying a full blown grin. Releasing a soft chuckle from his lungs.
"Hard to miss, they look like they saw a ghost!"
"I've never seen them look scared like that before." You said blankly. Your gaze falling to the floor as you dazed slightly. "They weren't even that distraught when I was sent to the hospital."
"Use that." Alastor said. "Take it out on them."
"Do two wrongs really make a right here, though?" Johnny wondered aloud.
"Dude they murdered you, how are you not pissed enough to wanna hurt them?" You asked.
"I do want to hurt them but I don't want to erase their entire sentience like you do. It's not that I think they don't deserve it I just don't think I can handle doing that to another person."
"Then don't, that's fine, leave it to me." You said simply. Taking another drag. "They weren't going to learn their lesson anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"I started having visions in my sleep, and I think Shannon might have been in danger if they were around any longer." You said.
Alastor gave you a tight smile. Silently recalling how terrified you were after that night when you expressed to him in vivid detail what you saw in that dream.
"At first I thought I was having some weird dreams where I was seeing them from her point of view." You continued. "But now after knowing what they are and what they're capable of... I don't think those were just dreams, anymore."
"Have you had dreams like that before?" Alastor wondered. Stepping over and taking the cigarette from you once you puffed on it again.
"When I first got here I would get mental images of... my body. Laying there on the street... waiting for someone to find it..."
"That's awful..." Johnny grimaced.
You shrugged numbly.
"Plus they didn't just kill you." You then added. "I'm blaming them for what happened to the baby. Whether they had a direct effect or not."
The other two gentlemen were quiet for a moment. Alastor didn't really know what to say, seeing as he wasn't there and had no part in that whole deal. Other than his heart ached on your behalf. Although, he and Johnny could both back your statement. Even if your parents had no prior knowledge to your pregnancy, it was still your life and wellbeing that they willingly put in danger with no regard for you whatsoever.
"Guess we'll get this started then." You sighed. Straightening your posture and cracking your neck as you tilted your head from side to side. "Let me talk to them first. Then I'll let you in and you can do whatever. Just let me get the last few blows... They took everything from me, I want to be the one who takes their existence."
"I love you so much." Alastor hummed almost absentmindedly.
Johnny just shook his head. But your dynamic with Al was not really any of his business so he said nothing and walked over to the door. Holding it open for you as you calmly walked through the threshold.
There your parents sat, right where you left them. Tied back to back in chairs in the middle of a mostly concrete room. Their attention summoned as soon as you walked in the room, you could feel their eyes on you as you walked over to the small speaker despite you not making eye contact with them.
"Y/n??"
You said nothing. You just turned off the speaker, allowing the room to fill with an air of quietude only broken by their voices.
"Y/n, you had your fun, now let us out this instant!" Your father shouted.
"Not even a 'hi, how ya doing?'" You asked rhetorically. Pulling another cigarette from your pack seeing as Alastor was still smoking yours from before and lighting the cancer stick. "And here I thought you'd be happy to see me."
"You aren't like this, Y/n, this isn't you." Your mom then tried to plea.
"This is what you created, guys!" You chirped. Feeling your lips curl into a grin as smoke pooled from your toothy smile. "Your daughter is a revenge seeking demon, tell me that ain't fun? 'Demon' yeah, but it's not all bad. I'm up to my elbows in cash, I smoke the finest green with a pornstar, and I'm sleeping with an overlord."
"Oh, and I work for the Princess of Hell now."You added, before taking another long drag and exhaling. "So... despite everything, I'm not doing too shabby, I'd say."
"Y/n what is the meaning of all this?" Your father then demanded to know. "Did you bring us here? Are you a part of all this?"
"Yeah." You said, clicking your tongue.
Their eyes narrowed with rage and betrayal. But yet, they said nothing. Leaving room for you to explain which you gladly did so.
"I know what you did." You sighed. A glazed look in the eye as you folded your arms across your chest. "Johnny never left the circus. You killed him."
"Guess you're... pretty scorned about that." Your dad sighed bitterly.
"It does put a damper on our relationship." You said nodding slowly. Somehow bewildered and slightly hurt that his nonchalance was showing. It only cemented how heartless they actually were and how vengeful you felt.
"Y/n, we only did what we did because we love you."
"My ass that's why!" You scoffed with a laugh. "Did you love me? Or did you love my significance? Look me in my eyes and tell me that your 'love' was unconditional. Tell me. Tell me!!"
Your mom and dad winced at the sound of your voice rising. But you couldn't have cared less. In fact you didn't mind if it made their ears bleed. Everything you had felt and let fester within your saddened head was rising to the surface, and you were about to tell them off about everything.
"From the time I was old enough to articulate and have coordination, I have poured myself empty for you two. I put my heart, soul, sweat, blood and tears into everything. I worked through every ailment, I danced despite every blister, smiled through every bad day."
"And don't for one second think I want your pity because I sure as fuck don't need it," you added. "I know my worth and I know my strength; don't even think I need your sympathy or guilt to feel complete."
"You were a passionate performer and we always encouraged that," your mom offered nervously. "People soldier on through pain at work all the time. You were always strong, we didn't think you needed to be coddled."
"Coddled, huh? You didn't even care! You hardly bothered to be involved when I did need you." You retorted. "The other elders were more like a family than you. They gave a damn about me, they listened to me when I needed someone to talk to and you were nowhere to be found. My friends sat with me through more nightmares and heartache than you. Fucking stagehands helped soothe more of my fevers than either of you did!"
Not realizing your cigarette had burned itself halfway down during your monologue you flicked the excess ash onto the floor and took another drag. A deep breath as such caused a soft burn at the back of your throat from the hot and cancerous smoke. In a sordid kind of way, the subtle pain felt almost relieving.
"You may have been 'around', but you were never there!" You sneered. "But that's fine, 'cause as long as I was meeting your expectations nothing else mattered. Right? As long as I did my job all was right in the world. And ya know, for the most part I genuinely enjoyed my craft. I've...actually gotten very lucky, I still get to do it. And I love it... But as great as I felt doing what I loved I was a prisoner of your greed from the day I was born."
Letting the cigarette hang between your lips as you spoke around it, you began to remove the gloves from off your hands. Finger by finger, tugging on the fabric until they slid all the way off. You tucked them into your back pocket and sucked on the gasper one last time.
"So many years of giving you all that I had." You said quietly. "You made me sacrifice my whole life and how I lived it, and you took away any choice and chance I had for a taste of something different. I. Gave. You. Everything..."
Taking the stoge between your fingers you dropped it onto the concrete floor and stepped on it, extinguishing it with the bottom of your shoe as you exhaled a final puff of smoke. Your parents stayed silent, which was kind of a surprise. You half expected them to interrupt you by now but so far they just let you rant.
"And I see now, that it was never going to be enough for you." You then shrugged. "I'm damned to hell, and I'm more free now than I ever was with you. I'm living my best afterlife and neither of you had any part in helping me achieve it. You're nothing to me anymore. Not what I would consider family, not even worthy of the air you used to breathe. Nothing, but disgusting parasites..."
Walking back over to the door, you turned the knob and opened it again, looking up at Alastor and Johnny. A faint smile crept upon your cheeks while your eyes harbored a noticeably dark mood. Hiding thoughts somewhat foreboding and macabre in nature. It almost sent a chill up Johnny's spine as he saw it and grabbed a baseball bat he had set aside; while Al was delighted to see such an expression.
On cue, they entered the room with you.
Your parents felt another strong surge of panic when they recognized Alastor almost immediately from earlier, and an even deeper seated regret when they slowly recognized Johnny as well. Struggling against their restraints, they began to beg to be released.
"You don't own me anymore." You said, looking back at them. The three of you staring them down, happy that they were about to pay for their wrongdoings.
Johnny stepped forward first. Wielding the bat in his hand, ready to swing.
"You can cry, scream if you want." Alastor stated with a wicked smile. "We can't hear you over the sound of her own happiness."
Whack
The first swing of the metal bat made impact with your fathers arm, and snapped his upper arm bone in two with an audible crunch.
The pain was immediate. A howl of agony shook the room, causing a small smile to form upon your face.
Strange. You may have been crass or cold, but scarcely did you ever wish bodily harm on people. Stranger yet that inducing suffering on your own parents would actually bring you joy.
But after everything, even this seemed merciful. You had half a mind to keep them sentient for the rest of time and just use them as your personal punching bags, however, you'd grow tired of seeing them very quickly; and just as soon rid their existence away entirely.
It would bring you more peace of mind knowing they were gone, anyway.
Whack
Johnny delivered another hard blow with the bat right to your mother's gut; knocking the wind right out of her. Her eyes bugged out as she expelled a loud, groaning breath; right before involuntarily retching right into her own lap.
She coughed and gurgled on her own bile as she desperately tried to catch her breath and cope with the discomfort. Meanwhile, you let out a little laugh at her pain and embarrassment.
"This actually feels better than I thought it would," Johnny said with a surprised chuckle. "I've never been one for altercations, but-"
Whack
"Told ya so." You hummed. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."
"Y/n please!!" Your mom sobbed. Drool from vomiting still dribbling down her chin while tears spilt from her eyes. "You already got us killed, what more do you want?!"
"Blood and tears will do just fine." You answered flatly, then looked over at Johnny. "Hit 'em again."
"Gladly." He chirped, before taking a good hard swing at your mother's kneecap. Practically shattering it in one hit.
Whack
Crunch
"I don't think you get it," you said to them. An hint of annoyance lingering in your tone that wasn't at all subtle. "You killed him, and our baby. Two lives for two lives, fair is fair. You're done. There's no negotiating it."
"We... had nothing to do with the baby..." your father confessed through gritted teeth. "We didn't even know you were pregnant..."
You shrugged.
"Inadvertently," Alastor interjected politely. "If you hadn't been such over controlling, greedy little pigs; then perhaps she would have felt comfortable enough to tell you about it. And the whole mishap could have been avoided."
"Yeah, what he said." You affirmed.
Whack
Johnny twirled the bat in his hand before resting it against his shoulder. Looking at the wounds he inflicted that immediately began to bruise and swell on sight. Feeling a sense of relief, he heaved a gentle sigh and gave a nod of satisfaction before turning to face you and Alastor.
"Next?" He asked.
Alastor's wicked grin widened. "That'd be me!"
Johnny went to hand Alastor the bat but the stag politely declined with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"When Hell gives you tools," he said, holding his hand up and displaying his set of razor sharp claws. "It's only fair to use them."
Johnny nodded in understanding and walked over to you while Alastor took his place, circling your parents like a hungry shark waiting to strike.
A chuckle laced with static filled the air, harmonizing with the pained groans and whimpers from the two demons bound to their seats.
Their noises amplifying as Al dragged his index talon along their shoulders, only creating a thin cut along their skin. Only to sink his claws in further and began shredding the flesh on their arms and shoulders. Blood oozing from the massacre of injuries and pooling onto the floor. The odor of iron growing more and more pungent until it was all anyone could smell in the room.
"Looks like pulled pork." You commented quietly, referring to the mess of torn and stringy flesh and muscle.
Johnny gagged.
"Thanks..." he murmured. You giggled.
"Sorry. It does, though."
Alastor's grin widened as he pulled your fathers head back, grabbing a fistful of his hair with one hand and then proceeded to slice his claw right along the V of his jawbone. Ripping his tongue through the wound and slicing it off as far back as he could without cutting vocal chords.
Your father fell unconscious from the pain while Al then did the same to your mother; who was already passed out from shock as well.
"What is your thing with cutting out tongues?" You asked curiously and without malice. "Is there a reason or do you do it just for kicks?"
"They make a decent light lunch." He explained happily. Snapping his fingers, the small organs in his hand were now in a closed mason jar that he set aside. "Usually I'll cook them and use them in a salad."
"Ah." You nodded. "Nice. I love that for you."
"What does... How does that taste?" Johnny asked with a subtle wince. "Do I wanna know?"
Alastor shrugged. "Depends on the cut, and how it's prepared. Most of the time it's comparable to veal but sometimes it's closer to chicken. The texture is a little different however."
"Is it true that people with tattoos taste bad?"
"Yes and no. That's really only if you're eating just the flesh, and ink does taste terrible. Internal organs though are likely fine."
"Anything else before you let me go queen of hearts on them?" You asked calmly.
"I'm harvesting some entrails but I'll wait until you're done." Al answered.
"I'm all set..." Johnny answered as well. "I'm surprised they haven't bled out and keeled over, already."
"Killing demons is a little tricky," Al explained. "you either have to leave nothing vital left at all, or finish them with an angel weapon. Which is why I had this made~."
Waving his hand, an axe manifested in his grasp. The handle was painted in black and white stripes and the blade was almost opalescent in the light; it was absolutely gorgeous.
Alastor walked over to you and presented you the weapon. Looking more closely, as you took it from him, you saw that your name was engraved beautifully along the side of the handle.
"This is..." you marveled. Awing at how the colors in the angel blade shifted from purplish-blue to green.
"Thank you, I almost don't wanna use it cause it'll get all dirty!" You laughed. "This is gorgeous."
"You thought giving a demon with a bad temper a weapon that can kill you was a good idea?" Johnny joked, looking at Alastor with a bemused expression. "I wouldn't piss her off if I were you."
"He's got a point," you laughed with a teasing smile. "Next argument better end with 'yes, dear!' so you don't end up a dead deer. I'm joking, of course."
"Are you?" Al hummed with a snarky smile. "Granted if you were to chase me around with an axe I likely did something to deserve it."
"It's so light, too~!" You murmured. Twirling the weapon in your hand like a baton. Johnny cautiously taking a couple steps back from you as to not get hacked on accident, even though you were being mindful.
"I'm pleased that you like it." Al smiled.
"I think they're waking up," Johnny mentioned. Pointing over at your rousing parents. You looked up, watching your mother unable to stop coughing on her own blood while your father looked like he was going to hurl. Probably from swallowing his own blood; how tasty.
Your heart started pounding. It was your turn. The final blow, to rid them of your existence forever. Reduce them to nothing more than an unpleasant memory.
"Are you alright?" Johnny asked. Noting the doe-eyed expression on your face as you continued to stare at your mom and dad.
You nodded.
"My heart is going crazy right now," you confessed with a laugh. "I don't know if I'm nervous or if it's adrenaline."
"You don't have to do this," Alastor added, gently reminding you.
"I want to," you insisted. Your gaze traipsing back to the weapon in your hand. Seeing your reflection in the shiny, deadly sharp blade. Sucking in a rather shaky breath as you glanced at your own eyes. For whatever reason, such a little thing made the experience all the more real to you.
"Remember what they did." Al said lowly. Glancing back over at the pathetic, whimpering cowards in the center of the room.
Your hands and feet started to feel almost numb. You chalked it up to your rising anticipation and surge of adrenaline, slowly beginning to flood your veins. Tightening your grip on the handle of the axe so you wouldn't drop it.
Looking up at your folks, your eyes narrowed in anger. Your body began to feel warm, a buzzing sensation taking over every cell of your being.
Every injury you worked through, every time your needs or sense of value was swept under the rug, everything they ever did ran through your mind. Every heartache they refused to acknowledge, every piece of praise that now just felt so hollow and unfulfilling.
All they ever did was get in your way; and killed your spirit before you had a chance to thrive.
You no longer felt any sort of love when you looked at them. There was no compassion, not an ounce of sympathy. They were already dead to you... Time to make it official.
"They took everything..." you answered back.
"What do you feel?" He asked.
You blinked. A tear steadily streaming from down your cheek as you did. "Hate..."
"What do you want?"
Glaring still at your parents, now mutilated and covered in blood; their eyes were pleading for mercy. You grit your teeth and sucked in another deep breath.
"Control." You answered.
Alastor's wicked grin returned.
"It's yours," he encouraged. "All you have to do is take it."
Nodding quietly, you slowly walked over to your parents. Even with disfigured throats, they still managed to release noises of panic. Mostly raspy, gurgling breaths as they weakly thrashed about in their seats. Doing their best to beg you to spare them.
But their pleas went in one ear and out the other. Letting another pained tear fall from your eyes, you brought the axe back and prepared yourself to swing.
"I can't look..." Johnny murmured. Covering his eyes and looking down at the floor.
Meanwhile Alastor had summoned himself a small bag of salted popcorn and was fully ready to enjoy the show with a little snack.
"I've seen my darkest days," you whispered. "You gave each one to me... I hope you fucking suffered..."
Expelling a soft breath, you swung the axe.
Slicing your mother's head off first in one swift motion.
Your father tried to scream as the head rolled onto the floor, bloody and wide-eyed as empty eyes stared back at him. Desperately trying to free himself from his restraints, but to no avail. He was far too weak and pained to get anywhere even if he wasn't bound.
Droplets of blood dripped onto the floor from the blade, a small amount of splatter getting on your face as you brought the weapon back again.
In another graceful motion you hacked his head clean off as well. The blade slicing through bone with ease as another head hit the floor with a soft thunk.
The room was quiet. (Save for the sound of Alastor still chewing popcorn, but that only lasted for a second.)
The only sound that broke through the air, was your soft, barely audible cries.
Dropping to your knees and placing the axe on the floor next to you, you covered your face in your hands as you continued to sob quietly.
It was a mixture of anger, sadness, but also relief and adrenaline. The whole thing was almost cathartic, it felt like boasting to the heavens that you were finally rid of something awful. And yet... it couldn't take your pain away completely... you knew it wouldn't, but grief still echoed in your heart.
You'd feel angry forever, most likely. But you were free from the chains that held you back. Now and forevermore.
"Y/n...?" Johnny asked wearily, only looking up at the gruesome bloodbath once he realized you were crying.
"Do you need a moment, dear?" Al asked.
You just nodded.
Alastor looked back at Johnny and locked eyes with him. Silently gesturing over to the door with a subtle head nod. The fox demon understood, and awkwardly followed the stag out of the room and let the door shut.
Your screams of frustration and anger filling the empty space as soon as the door latched shut, making the two men wince uncomfortably as they stood there.
"Is she going to be okay?" Johnny wondered.
"She'll be fine," Al sighed. "I did that my first time. Just have to let her process what she's feeling."
"Will she ever feel better?"
"I don't know if we ever feel 'better' after being traumatized. One just learns to cope with it."
Johnny nodded solemnly. Looking up through the small window in the door, he saw you just taking numerous whacks at the lifeless bodies. Seemingly taking your anger and frustration out on them as if they were your own personal punching bags; blood and viscera spraying everywhere while you screamed at them.
"She deserved better." He said quietly. Shaking his head.
"She did." Alastor agreed.
The two stood quietly, waiting patiently until you had gotten it all out of your system. Leaving only piles of meat in your wake as you set the axe down one final time and simply stared at what you had done.
"Johnny?" Alastor then said.
The fox's ear flicking at the sound of his name. He raised a brow and looked over at him.
"Your baby is okay." Al said, offering a sincere smile. "My mother will watch over them."
Alastor's words inadvertently made the fox demon tear up. But, in a good way. His kind words were deeply appreciated.
Extending his arm out, Alastor grasped his palm and they shook hands. Burying the petty rivalry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(A/n: if you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. Your support means the world to me. Up next is the epilogue, my deers!! Stay tuned~)