Matt Hullum | CEO of Roosterteeth | Voice actor of Sarge | Suck it blues *Not the real Matt Hullum* AIM: Angelichullum Part of achievementteeth's RP group
You must understand something, Soph. I have lived for centuries - there are scars that heal and fade, but this one did not; both physically and mentally.Â
His limbs ached, his head lolling forward. His arms were bound behind him and the cuffs around his wrist dug into his skin painfully, seeming to burn wherever they touched.
Matt opened his eyes.
His grace was still burnt out, leaving him sluggish and his mind clouded. Matt tested his binds, tugging on the chains in vain before sighing, eyes scanning the room. He couldnât really make anything out though, due to the fluorescent light above his head (fluorescent lights in hell, he thought bitterly. Where the hell would you get those in hell?), blinding him to everything around him, but he could faintly make out the outline of a door in front of him.
It opened, the doors slamming against the wall and he winced back at the noise. A demon strode in, twirling a knife in hand. âWhy, hello there.â
Nothing more than a strangled noise came out of Mattâs mouth when the blade was pressed against his throat, finding it hard to speak at all when his mouth was painfully dry and he felt the blood running down his neck. He started wide-eyed at the demon, who smirked down at him condescending.
âShame we had to split the two of you up, couldnât have you guys slipping through our fingers again,â they explained, backing away from Matt.
âDex?â He rasped, the word burning his throat before it came out. The demon hummed, running their finger along the blade to clean off the blood.
âYeah, Gabriel,â Dex, Matt corrected. Itâs not Gabriel, hasnât been for a long time, get it right- âHe put up quite a fight. It was easier to kill him right there and then.â
Matt couldnât speak, but he strained against his bindings, lurching forward as much as he can. The demon didnât move an inch. âThe guy went out screaming â noisy little fucker he was â yelling ânoâ. It was all so boring.â
He glared at them, gritting his teeth together. Dex wasnât dead. No, Dex was not, heâs probably somewhere else in this grudging pit of hell, tied up like him but alive. Dex was not dead.
âSpare me that look,â they âtskâed, looking up. âWe killed your brother. Drove a knife through his heart, pierced straight through it â we checked.â
Matt hunched over. The things they said were gruesome and the logical part of Matt tried to say that they didnât, they wouldnât, but that side of him was becoming distressingly similar to his desperate part so he tuned that out completely.
âWe canât kill you, especially since we actually managed to grab you. You know, for the whole âArchangel of the Lordâ thing, youâre a horrible fighter.â Matt couldnât linger on the legitimacy of the statement before more demons walked into the room, not hesitating to walk up to him, grabbing at his wings-
Oh. In the midst of everything, the pain of his wings being stretched out behind him was mixed in with the ache of everything else, but it became increasingly evident as something sharp was pressed into the flesh and he screamed, jerking beneath the movements. They held him still and he felt the blades carving into him and if he strained his ears, Matt could hear the feathers hissing as they fell, turning into ash. Even in hell, they couldnât take those.
The demon in front of him noticed that and they growled, marching up to him with a furious expression on their face. For a moment Matt was satisfied that he got the upper hand, even if it was just the fact that they couldnât steal his feathers. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards and they punched him in the jaw, his head lolling forward.
âDonât get snarky, youâre not escaping,â they snarled, seizing him by the neck. Matt choked and they let go a moment after, leaving him gasping for air. He felt blood run through his feathers and he attempted to move one, sharp pain coursing through the wing with more ash piling beneath it. âStop doing your feather trick, we want trophies before we kill you.â
Matt couldnât speak, his voice blown out by the screaming. He cautiously looked up at them.
âOf course, we could take an eye, but angel feathers are much more valuable,â they said. âHell, if we could, Iâd take your wings.â
He shrunk back, pressing his back against the wall so the back of his wings were constrained painfully against his spine. Please no, he thought, unable to convey it. Not my wings, not my wings-
âBut,â they walked forward and plucked a feather, watching it turn to ash in their fingers. âWeâre going to have a bit of fun before we try that.â
And he screamed.
~
Matt woke up and was barely awake when he felt the knife carve into his skin, almost straight down to his bones. He didnât lift his head, barely wanting to see their faces. Sometimes they were the same, but others joined them and through his wall of denial he could hear them taunting him â all words heâs already heard before.
He didnât know how long heâs been in hell, because time was simply a concept now. Matt was awake when they wanted him to be and unconscious when the knife was given a break. He tried to count the minutes once, to keep his mind off of the burning and stabbing and he could barely get past five before Matt was distracted by his own screams.
And they always seemed to find new ways to torment him. They sprouted lies but Matt believed them, because that was the only thing he could. God hadnât been with him for years and with how long he thought he was in there for, he wasnât even sure that anyone was coming. And Dex, Dex, he could be dead but Matt didnât know. He didnât even know if he was still alive.
He tried hiding, once, inside the corners of his mind and shoved his grace even deeper. Stop, stop!, he pleaded. Iâm just a man, Iâm not an angel anymore. I fell, I fell! I did horrible things, I donât deserve to be an angel anymore!
So maybe you deserve to be here. The chilling thought rose. Youâve killed, you deserve this.
Matt shook his head, but the words felt so painfully true. And now, as a demon walked up to him, a red hot piece of metal in hand, he looked up and only had three words to say.
Title:Â What the Hell? (self-para with Dex and Matt)
Word count:Â 2292
tracklist
Matt groaned, waking up to his head pounding and slowly opened his eyes, chest constricting as he got a glimpse of the room. To his left, Dex stirred, rolling over before peeking through his eyelids, closing them immediately afterwards in disbelief.
âWhat the hell,â he said and Matt sighed, glaring at him in disappointment before shaking his head.
âUh â do you remember anything? Cause I kinda⊠donât,â  he asked.
âI remember being in the office and thatâs about it,â Dex admitted, sitting up. Matt sat up, cradling his head in his hands.
âMâhead hurts and we actually might literally be in hell,â he said, âwhy.â
Dex got to his feet, eyes scanning the room. âI, uh⊠I donât know.â
Matt snorted, âwell, hopefully not. Itâd kinda suck if one of us has been to hell before.â
âMaybe itâs all some huge practical joke.â
âOne hell of a practical joke, thatâs for sure,â Matt grumbled before realizing what he said, snickering despite himself. Dex laughed behind his hand.
âHell yeah it is,â he continued, grinning. Matt shook his head, muttering an âoh my godâ under his breath.
âUm,â Matt started, smile faltering. âBut if this isnât a joke, then that means weâre in hell.â
Dex huffed bitterly and the joking mood disappeared. âAlways knew Iâd end up here someday.â
âOh donât say that,â Matt chided. âYouâre an asshole; I agree, but not that much of an asshole.â
âWeâre should try and get our bearings,â he said, abruptly changing the subject. Matt stood up, pacing in the room and Dex pointed behind him. âLook, door.â
Matt whirled around, blinking. âHow much do you wanna bet that itâs locked?â He walked towards it, Dex following behind him. True to his predictions, the door didnât budge and he frowned, turning on his heel to face Dex. âNow what?â
Dex stared blankly at it for a few seconds. âI bet we can blast it open.â
âLetâs do it,â Matt extended his hand and focused, slightly folding a wing in front of him as he anticipated bits of wood and stone to blast towards him when the door broke â but nothing happened. He blinked his eyes open and looked over to Dex, who looked just as shocked as he felt.
âWhat happened?â He asked and Matt gaped at his hand before shoving the shaking limb into his pocket.
âI⊠donât know,â he took a step back. âYou try.â
Dex lined himself up and extended his hand, but to no avail. He blinked, looking at Matt with a confused expression.
âThatâs not normal,â he gulped, âour grace⊠I â did they do something?â
âThey couldnât have,â Dex insisted, though he sounded a little unsure of himself.
âWell, when was the last time you heard of archangels in hell? Other than Luci of course,â he sighed. âToday can be full of surprises.â
The door opened, revealing a demon who grinned wickedly, closing the door behind them with a click. âWell, look at this.â
The angels took a few steps back when the door was opened and now they stood, glaring at the newcomer. âWhat do you want?â
The demon laughed at Dex, the smile staying on their face. âNow thatâs a question. You know, for a bunch of archangels you were easy to capture.â
âIâm not an angel, nor am I afraid to rip out your bloody throat with my teeth,â he growled, Matt gritting his teeth from beside him.
âYou sure about that?â The demon tilted their head. âI feel like you still have that spark in you that screams angel. And watch your mouth â youâre in our territory now.â
âFuck you,â Dex snarled. The demon huffed out a laugh, which only irritated him more.
âIf you couldâve done something, you wouldâve. Iâm sure youâd love to get your hands around my throat. Tell me, howâs the grace thing working out?â Matt looked away.
âI donât need my grace to fuck your shit up.â
âThen what? Are you going to try and escape? I mean, I understand itâs your first time here but you should know, every single demon out there would be out for your asses as soon as word spreads,â they said, with that smirk that Dex wanted nothing more but to punch off of their face.
âWe can handle ourselves,â he gritted out.
The demon snorted. âYeah, if we donât break you first.â They walked forward, brandishing a knife made from a metal the two hadnât seen before, but it send chills down their spines.
âWhat are you gonna do? Stab me?â Dex taunted and the demon hummed.
âWell, thatâs certainly on the list of things weâre going to do to you,â they said and Dex glared harshly at them.
âI⊠weâre?â Matt narrowed his eyes.
âHow many of you fuckbags are there?â Dex growled.
âMmm, well, I have a partner. And of course, we had lackeys above too, keeping track of you. I canât exactly give you an exact number.â Behind them, the door opened and their partner sauntered in, looking chillingly excited to see them.
âOur family will come looking for us if you donât let us go!â Dex stated and the first demon shrugged.
âYeah, but can they fight off hordes of demons? Youâd be surprised at what the damned will do to get their hands on you.â
âOur friend is the King of Hell,â Matt said, finding his voice. âYouâll end up answering to him.â
âHe will come for us,â Dex insisted.
âYou seem awfully sure of that. By then youâll already be goners. Do you know the time conversion rate in hell?â Dex slowly shook his head. âWell, letâs see⊠A week up there is about, what, ten years down here?â
Mattâs eyes widened in disbelief and Dex rapidly shook his head. âNo, no fucking way.â
âThat gives us plenty of time to have fun with you,â the demon claimed, grinning at their partner who couldnât help but grin back.
âIt sounds lovely,â the other one practically fucking purred, what the fuck before the first one walked towards them, a smile tugging on their lips.
âNow, where should we start?â Dex glared at them, backing away.
âStay away from me,â he snarled as the other demon went towards Matt, who clenched his hands and stumbled back.
âWhy, hello there.â
âDonât touch me,â Matt hissed. The first demon almost pouted.
âIf you get that one, I get to have fun with the snappy one,â he said and his partner nodded, smirking as he turned back to Matt. Across the room Dex backed himself into a corner, grasping at the walls. Matt immediately retracted all his wings, slowly backing away from the approaching demon.
âWhat a compromising position â thanks for making my job that much easier,â the demon grinned, twirling the knife in his hand as they towered over Dex.
âStay away from me!â Dex yelled over the other demonâs taunts to Matt as his back hit a wall. The demon grabbed Dex, pointing their knife to his cheek before stopping.
âSay⊠Did we brand them yet?â
âI donât believe we have, oh, this will be fun. Itâs so much better when theyâre awake,â the other demon responded.
âI â what do you mean?â Matt stuttered out in between panicked breaths.
âWeâre gonna brand you!â Before they could fully comprehend the statement, the demon over Dex drew out a metal instrument, the end curved into a symbol. They stuck the end in the flames of the torch above Dexâs head.
âThis is always the best part.â
âKeep that away from me!â Dex cried out, but couldnât do much in his position. They waited till the end was hot enough before yanking Dex off the ground, scanning his torso.
âThereâs a tattoo on your chest, hate to ruin that⊠How about here?â The demon pressed the tool against his ribs and he let out an agonizing scream, drawing the attention of the room.
âDex!â Matt cried out, forgetting about the demon that was merely a foot away from him. Dex writhed and attempted to pull away, but the demon kept him steady.
âNow, now, stay still. It just wouldnât work if the brand is messed up,â they âtskâed, holding Dex harder against the wall and Matt watched, too shocked to feel the demon rip his shirt off and press his instrument on his ribcage. He screamed, nails digging into his palms. Dexâs demon hummed as he patiently waited a few more moments before removing the tool, grinning at his work.
âThere we go. All nice and tidy, too.â Dex slumped against the wall, tears streaming down his face as he stared at the demon with nothing but hatred. A second later the device was removed from Mattâs torso, leaving him to hunch over as the demon hummed happily at their work.
âWhat⊠What was that?â He croaked out.
âWeâve branded you, so now you can never leave,â the demon beamed from above him.
âLovely little thing, isnât it?â Their partner agreed. Dex grit his teeth before he let out the most horrifying sound, catching his demon off guard. Matt looked over at him, alarmed.
âWhat do you want?â Dex asked and the demon took a breath, recomposing themselves.
âWell you see, weâre going to overthrow Heaven, and you two are going to escort us up there.â
Matt shook his head and Dex flatly stated, ânever.â
âNow, who said we were going to ask for your help? Oh no, youâre going to help us whether you like it or not.â There was a short pause before Dexâs laughter broke through the silence and the demon raised their eyebrows. âSomething funny?â
âYou. Youâre an absolute fuckinâ riot,â he stood up, stepping forward. The demon stood their ground.
âOh? And whyâs that?â
âYou donât know who youâre dealing with,â he exclaimed, a dangerous edge to his tone.
âWhat, you think we canât handle a couple of fallen angels?â
Dex looked down, sighing almost bashfully before meeting the demonâs gaze again, eyes inexplicably burning with grace. âIâm Gabriel, motherfucker. The Trickster.â
The demon took a deep breath, their last breath, because not a moment later Dex grabbed his head, twisting it with a sickening crack. The others were shocked, but Matt recovered faster and stood up, decking the demon in the jaw. Dex appeared behind them, wrenching it back as he held them still by the wrists.
âGrab that knife and kill this fucker,â he nodded to Matt, who didnât waste another second before grabbing the dropped knife and dug it deep into the demonâs chest. The demon went limp in Dexâs arms and he let the body drop, turning back to Matt.
Matt frowned at the mark on his ribcage. âNow Iâm shirtless and have a tattoo I never wanted.â
âCâmon, letâs just get out of here,â Dex shook his head, ignoring his scowl. He grabbed the keys off of the demon and unlocked the door, quietly sighing in relief when it opened.
âYeah, letâs go,â Matt made his out but as soon as he stepped into the doorframe he recoiled, clutching the brand and yelling in pain. Unfortunately, Dex was just behind him and his actions mimicked Mattâs with a pained yelp.
âFuck!â He growled, clutching his ribs.
âSo they werenât lying. Great,â Matt groaned, standing back up. Dex hissed and stood up, leaning against a wall.
âIâve got an idea⊠but youâre not going to like it.â
âWell, weâre already in hell. It canât really get that much worse.â
Dex held his hand out for the knife and Matt gave it to him without hesitation, curiously watching him. He bit his arm as he carved into the brand with the blade until it was split in two and Matt made a choked noise.
âI â jesus christ.â He shakily let go out his arm, handing the blade to Matt. Matt began the same process, muffling his screams with his hand. He gasped as he finished, placing his hand over the wound. âThis better work.â
Dex took a deep breath, wincing before he hesitantly walked through the door. Matt paused, waiting for any repercussions and when they didnât come he sighed, following him out. âIt worked.â
âThank g â you. You. God remains not to do anything.â
âGod isnât with us today, Mat. He hasnât been with me for a decade,â he kept walking. âOur best bet is to find Ryan.â
Matt sighed and sped up until he was walking beside him. âSo what do we do, call his name every minute?â
âRyaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!â Dex yelled, tilting his head back. âRyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!â
Matt managed a chuckle. âRyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!â
They walked around aimlessly for the next half an hour, constantly calling the kingâs name. At this point, it didnât even sound like a real word.
âSo, weâre most definitely lost though, right?â Matt said.
âOh, absolutely.â
âSo,â he started, âif they were right about the time thing, we could be in here for years before anyone notices weâre gone up there.â
âDonât think like that. Weâre gonna get out of here â I refuse to be stuck in this hell hole for years,â Dex replied.
âHell hole, my god,â he laughed and Dex snorted. Matt faltered in his steps.
âYou do know itâs entirely plausible that we wonât make it out right?â He paused and Dex glanced at him, determination in his eyes.
âWeâre gonna fucking make it.â
âI â yeah, but out grace still burns out. If the demons get to be too much then we might notâŠâ
âFucking listen to me,â Dex stopped, turning towards Matt. âWeâre getting out of here. Alive.â
What subjects are likely to make them hesitate, flush, and/or stumble on their words?
Ever since he fell, Heaven has always been a delicate subject for Matt â itâs what you ask about it to get the different reactions. What he did would make him hesitate, who he was would make him stumble and why he was like that would make him flush.
(And depending on who you are, asking about him falling would earn you a dark glance and a swift change in subject.)
There arenât many things you could ask about his life now thatâd make him uncomfortable or embarrassed. His sex life would get you a smartass answer and his private life is as normal as one could have. But his wings are a major part of him, along with the scar on his back where his third set once was. One of the things that heâll never say aloud, no matter what you ask or who you are, is that sometimes he wished he didnât have them, because they constantly remind him of what he did.
Matt has never really gotten âsickâ, but before he fell, there was a time when he was too reckless with his powers and almost drained himself completely, leaving him exhausted and feeling nauseous whenever he tried to use his grace. It was his first time really feeling human and after he recovered, he was more responsible with his powers because to him at the time, âhumanâ was synonymous with âweakâ.
But after he fell (and changed his discriminatory views, thank god for that), he lost a lot of his power, leaving him more prone to grace drainage and whatnot. Matt was more careful after that, using his powers only when necessary. But, during the rare times he did strain himself too hard, leaving him too tired and sore to work at all, heâll sleep through most of it â not thinking that he should bother with consciousness at all if he couldnât do anything.
Mattâs not one to show affection most of the time, keeping his professional lookâespecially at work. But when the cameras are turned off and itâs just him and his friends hanging out, he'll drop the act, joking around with ease.
Itâs almost the same if he was with a lover. He'd hold hands and occasionally give them a peck but he doesn't go much further than that when other people can see. Despite his job, that requires him being in front of a camera a lot, he wants to keep his relationships private. But when alone, heâd be opened to cuddles and kissing and drop his walls, relaxing completely. But if something were to happen to someone he loved, that he held so painfully close to his heart, heâd be at their side in an instant, no matter who was around. Heâd check, double-check their injuries and take care of them until they were fine, hesitant to leave their side. Mattâs guarded, but that doesn't mean heâs heartless.