Chapter Text
It had been nearly a month since Vox failed in his attempt to take over Heaven. Since he lost to Alastor. Since he was utterly humiliated in front of all Hell. Nonetheless, he regained his confident composure and made sure a new body was made for him. Fucking Val. Who does he think he is? Ripping off his head? Vox was so close to winning against Alastor. So close to making him feel the pain that Al had inflicted on him all those years ago. He was almost a god. What a failure.
Finally, after a day of endless questions from the press, Vox was alone in his room. Though the relief didn’t last long. His thoughts were deafening.
Failure.
Pathetic.
Weak.
Alone.
Failure.
FAILURE.
Vox let out a guttural scream filled with static, his voice echoing through the room.It was too much for him. Everything he had worked for was falling apart around him. Val and Vel hate him, he was sure of it. He had almost killed them. His approval ratings are down the drain. And all of it? His fault. Alastor had beaten him and there was nothing he could do about it. He needed to disappear from this hell, away from the guilt and the agony that had been building up inside him.
His eyes fell on an angelic blade. It was carefully sat in a crystalline display case, a reminder of a past battle he had won alongside the other Vees. On top of the case, there was a framed photo of him, Vel and Val smiling, taken just after their victory. Something inside him shattered. He truly has ruined it all.
His movements were jerky, automated. He threw the framed photo across the room, and smashed the display case with his fist. Glass tore through his knuckles, the pain relieving him from his anguish. But only for a second. He was desperate for it to go away for good. The heavenly blade was smooth against his synthetic skin. He traced it along his pulsing blue veins, not cutting, just admiring. Then, he plunged the knife into his wrist, dragging up to his elbow. The pain was immediate. Thick, viscous blood welled up and poured down to the floor. Wires were frayed and his arm was shooting sparks. Maniacal laughter filled the room, and to Vox’s surprise it was coming from himself. Tears fell and stung his wound, but the pain only gave him energy. He turned towards his floor length mirror, and he despised what stared back at him. The face that once showed pure confidence and power now only showed weakness. With a shriek of pure hatred, he reached to his screen, and started to strike his face. The glass spiderwebbed. It rained down and embedded in his knuckles. He didn’t stop. He clawed at the broken screen, peeling back the layers of LED and glass which made up his profile, exposing the delicate circuits inside him. He punched again. And again. Mind filled with static, his vision was obstructed by the warning lights flashing on what was left on his display. His knees buckled, yet he kept going. He collapsed into a pool of his own blood. The pain finally overwhelming him, he slipped into a sleep that he prayed he would never come out of.
—-------------
“I get you’re all sulky V, but can you pull yourself together for ten seconds to respond to my texts?!"
Velvette’s high heels were clacking loudly on the ground as she approached Vox’s door. Kicking it open, she continued to reply to DM’s as she prepared to yell at Vox.
“Vox I need you to- WHAT THE FUCK?!”
The smell was what overcame her first, the sickening scent of bleeding flesh, mixed with the sharpness of ozone. In the corner of the room was a mangled Vox, his screen broken, his body beaten, his blood draining. Before she could think, Vel’s feet had carried her over to Vox’s form.
“No no what the fuck no” She screamed, “Vox, I-I’m here, I’m-”
With shaking hands, she tore off a piece of her coat to try and stem the bleeding. Just looking at Vox’s arms made her stomach sink. How could she have not seen all the pain that he was in? The bleeding wasn’t stopping, oh lucifer it wasn’t stopping. She fumbled for her phone.
“VAL, Val you have to get here now it’s-”
“Babe I’m in the middle of a shoot, I’ll call you back, yeah? mmkay.”
“WAIT Val, it’s Vox, he’s fucking- he’s tried to- oh hell it’s bad, Val. Get here right now.”
Val paused for a second, and then, in a serious tone Vel had never heard him use he said,
“I’m on my way.” and hung up the phone. She hadn’t felt this terror in decades. Her mind was screaming, but she was frozen in place, watching her friend fade away in front of her, she couldn't do anything to help. They could- They could actually lose Vox. For good.
The doors swung open.
“WHAT THE FUCK- WHAT DID HE DO?” Val screeched.
“He tore into himself with a dagger made of angelic steel, that’s what! I don’t know why Val, did that fucking deer mess him up that badly?”
“Fuck all that, we gotta get him- get him to stop bleeding” Val says gasping, still taking in the sight.
—----
Something inside Vox stirred, the sudden noise around him making him lucid. He saw Val and Velvette next to him. No, they can't see him like this. They weren't meant to see him like this. Why are they trying to help him? There are no friends in hell. They hate him. He can’t be saved just to be humiliated once again. Everyone will find out. They CAN’T save him. They just can’t. Vox slowly edged his hand towards the bloodied blade, grasping the handle.
“Vox, no!” Velvette shrieked, realising what was happening. But Vox was faster.
He plunged the blade into his chest, so deep he hit bone, and dragged violently right down the middle. His vision swam. But he stayed conscious. He could hear Val and Velvette screaming next to him, Val’s hands pressing the giant cavity in his body, trying desperately to stop his life from draining out of him. The look of pure terror on Val’s face made his chest ache, more than it already was from the gaping wound. No, it’s a lie. Val doesn’t care. Tilting his head, he saw Velvette hurling the blade across the room, and then going back to holding his torn up arm. Vox then felt a wave of peace he hadn't felt in a very long time, as he slipped back under into the arms of eternal death.
—----
“Velvette, his breathing is slowing down! Use your social media magic shit to make stitches or something!” He couldn’t lose Vox. Not now. Not after everything. Not like this. Staring at Vox’s face was surreal, it was something he never thought he’d see. Giant flakes of glass were missing, some being wedged in his knuckles. Fear surged through him, shuddering gasps leaving his throat. Get it together, Val. He needs you.
“Voxxy, I’m here baby, I’m not leaving you.”
Vox’s breathing stopped.
The world stopped.
HIS world stopped.
“VELVETTE” he bellowed.
“I KNOW, I KNOW, HANG ON. START CPR”
He looked at her in disbelief.
“CPR?? Does that even work in hell??” He yelled quickly, all while preparing to do it.
Breathing out, Val began to rhythmically pump Vox’s chest. He winced at the feel, it was impossible to avoid his hands from sliding underneath Vox’s skin and onto his muscle. Even then, he could dig his hand deep enough to hit Vox’s ribcage. The CPR wasn’t working, the gape in Vox’s chest made it too difficult. Glancing back up to Vox’s face, he realised that his display was completely black. No more flickers of light trying to get through the cracks. Utter darkness. He knew what he had to do. He snapped Vox’s ribs, determined to reach his biomechanical heart. He’d seen people do a heart massage on Grey’s Anatomy. Val wasn’t sure whether it actually worked on humans, let alone a demon who was half an electronic, but he had to try. He delicately squeezed Vox’s heart, pumping his blood for him.
“Ick, it’s okay amorcito, I’ve got you. You aren’t going anywhere.”
A wave of relief overtook Val as the pixelated light of Vox’s screen slowly began to come back. It was only then he looked at Velvette. She was sweating like mad, but she had managed to repair and seal up Vox’s arm with a digital resin like paste.
Val looked at her in awe.
“How did you-”
“Social media magic shit.” She smiled and shrugged, completely exhausted. “Now, get off him so I can fix his chest. Then I’ll start to work on his head.”
A fresh pang of worry ate through Val.
“But I’m pumping his heart! It- It might not start again. I have to keep pumping it, Vel, I need him to-”
“Val.” Velvette said, breaking him out of his spiral. “I need to seal his chest. He’s still losing blood with it open, and with his arm patched now he’s going to be stronger. His heart will beat on its own. And if it doesn’t, you jump straight back in there and keep being his heart, okay?”
“...Okay.” He said hesitantly.
—-----