Chapter 6: The Elephant In The Room
CW: Physical abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, sexualized power dynamics, manipulation, threats of violence, profanity.
Powder turned her head to see none other than Vox, his grip was gentle, almost like he didn’t really care if she gifted the prick with a final jab. If anything, Vox probably would have laughed the whole time if there wasn’t the media to worry about. Can’t have the poster girl of Vox Tech getting too wild on live television, especially if people weren’t paying for it.
She stood up, Vox’s grip on her arm helping to lift her and keep her stable as she rose,”I was getting bored anyways.”
Powder swiveled and spat on the man’s face before she gave him a final swift kick to the ribs for good measure. Serves you right.
Vox chuckled loudly, linking their arms together. An award winning smile etched onto his face. The static from his body jumped onto hers, dancing around her skin and making her nerves tingle at the sensation. It was a feeling she had grown used to in her years of knowing Vox, his touch came as a comfort to her after working for Val for so long. Sometimes his static was the only soothing contact she would get in a day, she grew to appreciate it.
The TV-headed overlord led her through the front doors of V Tower, past the reception desk, and through the crowd into an elevator. He made a habit out of using more normal methods of transportation when he was in her company. Vox had no issue with taking the longer route if it meant he got to be in Powder’s presence for even a second longer. That was if he was honest with himself. He quite enjoyed the time he got to spend with her. It was nice to hear her opinions on how to find clarity in the busy life of running a company. Quite the clever girl she was. There truly wasn’t anything that Powder wouldn’t talk with him about and he adored that about her. The girl he met at the bar all those years ago had helped him save his own ass time and time again.
“That’s gonna be quite the mess to clean up, Powder.” Vox’s voice spoke softly as the elevator doors closed. His arm was still linked with hers like it was second nature.
“Yeah, well fuck that guy. He’s lucky I didn’t do worse.” She quipped, blowing a piece of hair out of her eye.
They both smiled knowingly as the elevator rose, taking them to Vox’s desired location. She was right on the money with that statement. Her worries about Valentino’s anger slowly drifted out of view, if she was with Vox she assumed that he would know about it. She knew that the pair had a special kind of relationship, just not exactly what entailed. Powder would probably eat her hat if she knew that Val did almost anything Vox told him to do, just because he wanted to touch him.
“Where do you stay these days, anyway? I hardly see you around the tower anymore, doll.” Vox asked curiously, averting the conversation to what he wanted to talk about. He had a funny way of doing that.
But the question caught Powder a bit off guard, since when did he care about her whereabouts? It had been years since she actually left the tower, why now was he so curious about it? Vox never so much as showed an inkling of genuine interest in her life outside of Vox Tech until that moment. Sure he had asked her questions during conversations but she usually tried to keep as much of her life as private as possible. Contrary to popular belief, knowledge was the biggest enemy in Hell.
“I’m, uh, I’m at the Hazbin Hotel right now. Just until I can tighten up my budget.” She replied softly. But she had been tightening up her budget for years and somehow she still hadn’t made any progress.
“Ha! You mean that tacky little hotel that Princess Charlie started up? Some sinner redemption bullshit or whatever, right?” He laughed dryly, he found Charlie’s endeavor quite entertaining. Only someone with an acutely false sense of optimism would be dumb enough to try their hand at the redemption of a sinner.
Powder looked ahead as the doors to the elevator opened,”Well it’s a roof over my head and I don’t have to listen to porn in the next room, so I’ll take it.”
Vox’s arm slid out from hers and his hand grabbed her wrist, leading her further into the room before them. She felt like a prized teddy bear being hauled around by a toddler, still nothing more than an object for temporary enjoyment. He meant well probably, but at the end of the day she knew where she stood in the grand scheme of things. Powder was just the pretty little toy that Valentino got lucky enough to lock down. She was there to make Vox Tech look good, to make the Vee’s look good, and to say what everyone wanted to hear. That’s it. Lucky girl.
They weaved through a sea of people, each with a different task or job they were trying to do. Cameras and televisions were all around the room and took up more space than the people did. Lights blinked from all around, reminding Powder that her headache had not fully ceased. The room sounded like a stampede with how much was happening all at the same time. She would never understand how Vox liked this shit. Just a day in this room would be enough to overstimulate her for the next century and a half.
He pulled her next to him as they approached a guy who looked like he was editing something.
“How's it coming?” Vox’s voice had changed from the friendly guy in the elevator to a more demanding boss.
The poor guy jumped, just then becoming aware of his and Powder's presence. Every sinner has had that feeling when they didn't know their boss was watching. She couldn't imagine the fear of Vox being her full-time employer. Powder recalled a time she was talking shit about Valentino’s “dirty” talk in bed, only to find out he was right behind her the whole time. The assholes could have at least laughed. She ended up with a black eye for that one.
“G-good, boss. I had to do a lot of editing to make her…” The dude's eyes flashed to Powder, deciding to choose his words more carefully,”Look like the victim.”
Irritation flashed across Powder’s face, obviously visible to Vox since she felt him squeeze her wrist as a sign to keep quiet. She hated how she had to obey every little command, no matter how small. It was so demeaning having to be the “yes” girl no matter what the circumstances were. A weaker soul would have already gotten used to the submissive behavior she had to endure. But not Powder. It was humiliating to her in a way that she couldn’t even put into words, the way people knew how few things she could say no to.
“Sounds great, Chad. Play it back for me.” Vox demanded, his eyes shifting to the screen before them.
“My name's Chase.” He mumbled, pressing a button on his board and looking up to the screen as well.
Powder was in disbelief. There was no way people would buy this shit, right? Chopped recordings of the altercation flashed across the screen playing in an incorrect order. It looked like a horribly produced, low budget action movie the way things jumped around so much. Somehow Chase was able to make it look like the sinner in the crowd was the one who swung first but only because it was too choppy to keep track of what was even happening.
“There's no way people will believe this shit, Vox.” Powder scoffed, looking up to the man. What a crock of shit.
He looked at her, unbothered by her skepticism and gave her a soft smile.”I hope for your sake that they do, Powder.”
Vox held an understanding demeanor as he glanced at some of her injuries that were not so hidden. He was a master manipulator and an expert liar, not a fool. The overlord knew exactly what Valentino would do to Powder if she gave the Vee’s any bad press and he would be a liar if he said he wanted her to endure that torture. Whether she knew it or not Vox liked to keep a somewhat watchful eye on her. He would sometimes trick himself into thinking it was about protecting one of their biggest assets, but deep down in what little of a heart he had, there was a soft spot for her.
Powder sighed in response and shifted on her feet while she thought about the seemingly kind action. It was true, she would be beyond dumb if she didn't think that Val would have a gnarly surprise in store for her after the fact. She was just so caught up in her pent up emotions that it didn't even matter to her in the heat of the moment. All she could even register was the instantaneous need to make the man feel her agony. Now she knew for a fact that someone in Hell did feel her pain.
“Thank you, sugar.” She said appreciatively, reaching to give him a small peck on the cheek. It was all she could afford to give him in return.
Vox blinked in surprise as a blush began to form on his screen. He hated how visible his emotions were, sometimes going as far as to curse his pixels for being so revealing.
“Let's go listen to the headlines and then I’ll get you up to Velvette.” He put quickly as he pulled her towards the desk of the news anchors.
They wandered over to the desk that Katie and Tom were infamously known to sit behind, standing just to the side of the camera. It bothered Vox that Katie was giving him the eyes, knowing who he was standing right next to. He found himself hyper aware and finally released his grip on Powder’s wrist, feeling the tiniest twinge of guilt in his chest.
Powder could honestly say the absence of Vox’s touch bothered her and left her feeling cold. How odd that the loss of something she formerly complained about was troubling to her.
Hoping he wouldn't find it weird, she scooted close enough that their arms were touching. Just something about the small amount of physical touch that wasn't sexual or forced was healing to her. It felt nice just to be close to a man and know he didn't want anything from her that he didn't already have. Vox was never one to condone Valentino’s actions towards her, in fact he had stepped in between many times. But after seeing how much worse it affected her in the long run, he resorted to other methods.
“This just in, Tom!” Katie Killjoy’s voice pierced the air, comparable to the annoyance of a blender.
Like she was a drill sergeant, everybody in the room stood at attention and faced the desk. It was almost unnerving how everyone moved in unison.
“Hell’s star covergirl was sighted moments ago kicking the ever loving shit out of an obsessed fan! Witnesses say it was one of the most thrilling displays of women's empowerment in years! Watch now, as we play the tape received from an anonymous source.”
Silence filled the room as the chopped images flashed across the screen. Powder smirked at a moment that showed her fist colliding with the man in slow motion, emphasizing the force behind the hit. If she learned one thing from her father, it was how to throw a decent punch.
“Some would call that the beat down of the century, Katie!” Tom quipped.
“They sure fucking would, Tom! Another win for Vox Tech and another win for all women sinners! Moving onto…”
When Katie began droning on about other news in Hell, Vox put a hand behind Powder’s back and began leading her away.
“That wasn't so bad.” Powder said softly. She wasn't expecting such a small section but then she remembered that they would probably touch on it for a couple of weeks.
“Most people will believe anything on television, Powder. I’ll have ‘em play it a few more times over the course of the next two days and you’ll be a hero in no time.” The man said matter-of-factly. Vox knew how to play his cards right and always in his favor, as evil as he might have been, he was a smart man.
They reached the elevator once again and a slight panic began to arise in Powder’s body. There was still the issue of Valentino being upset that she was late. He would be even more furious after he found out they had to use resources to make a cover for her fuckup.
Vox must have sensed the change in her mood because he reached over and gently squeezed her hand. A reassurance of sorts. Something to let her know that everything was going to be okay and that he had it handled. It gave her a false sense of security for the time being but it was better than nothing.
The elevator came to a halt and Powder felt like she was going to hurl the contents of her stomach right onto Vox’s polished shoes. All she could do was hope Val was going to take it easy on her. He wouldn't, but a girl could dream right?
Right as the doors opened, Val’s voice bellowed from where he was pacing across the studio.
“That better be my money making slut, or the next person that walks through that elevator is getting-”
“Is getting what, exactly?” Vox asked sternly. The kind demeanor he had previously was gone, like it had never been there in the first place. It was interesting how he was able to switch his personality at the flip of a switch.
Valentino’s face dropped and paled when he realized who was walking into the flat. Then, it contorted into an icy glare when he realized he was holding Powder’s hand. Out of everything he expected from Vox, making nice with his ex was not something on that list.
Powder felt almost embarrassed and shook her hand free, bringing it to her other arm to try and make herself smaller. It was something she had unknowingly grown used to doing out of fear. Maybe if she tried to be smaller he wouldn't be so mad.
“What are you doing with the errand girl, Vox?” He snapped, not breaking his eye contact with the girl.
Val was furious. Just because they weren't together didn't mean Vox could have her. She was his, and he had her soul to prove it.
“You should know that Powder is one of our biggest assets, Valentino. She also has a contract with me and this company. Damaging an asset would be detrimental to our business. You know that, right?” Vox sneered at him, making it clear he wasn't going to put up with his antics.
Powder cringed to herself. She knew that Vox’s play at making Val look stupid was going to come back and bite her in the ass. She did enjoy hearing him tear Val a new one though, it was nice to have someone who stood up for her. About damn time.
“Vox, baby.” Val cooed, donning his innocent facade.”You know I would never.”
Vox looked at him, the disgust and disbelief at the moth’s statement very apparent on his screen. As an ally, having Valentino on his side was beneficial. As a demon, sometimes Vox found himself seething with how fake and two-faced he could be. He thought he was the worst of the worst until he spent enough time with the demented moth.
“Riiight.”
He turned himself and Powder around and whispered into her ear:
“You let me know if you need anything, okay?”
Valentino was fuming from behind them. Now they were whispering things to each other? Only Vox would have the audacity to disrespect him in front of his face.
“Sure, but what did you mean by contract? I haven't signed anything, Vox.” Powder asked him back lowly.
He winked at her before he straightened his suit and sauntered back towards the elevator. He left nothing behind but the silence and unease that reverberated in the flat.
Did he just help her again? He owed her nothing and still he covered her ass. Surely he had to be up to something that she wasn't aware of. Why else would he do that?
Powder and Val watched as the door closed, and after they did the tension in the room grew tremendously. If there was an elephant in the room, it would have shit its pants. She could feel Val’s eyes boring holes into the back of her head. Now the seed was planted that she had a contract with Vox. If she had thought that it would make things better for her, she would've been dead wrong.
“Nice of you to show up after that little stunt you pulled.” A new voice rang through the stagnant air. Velvette.
Oh fuck.
“What stunt?” Val asked, puffing on his cigarette and blowing the smoke directly at Powder.
Velvette’s laugh bounced off of the walls and the anxious girl slowly turned back towards Val. She felt her guts churn yet again, the uneasy feeling finding a place at the bottom of her stomach.
She watched as Velvette pulled the video up on her phone and showed it to him. His face went from furious to downright seething. Powder could feel his anger emanating off of him from the several feet between them. Not good.
“So let me get this right, princessa.” He started with an exhale as his eyes darted to her.
Val began stalking towards her, his steps slow and deliberate. Like a wolf stalking down its prey before it goes in for the kill, eyes unmoving, breath slow and steady.
“You show up an hour late for work and waltz in like you own the place. I am then informed that you have another separate contract. And to put the cherry on the fucking top, I find out you are on live television beating the shit out of some random guy?”
He stopped in front of her, looking down on her. Just like Alastor did that morning. What a predicament she found herself in. Always the doe in the wrong place at the right time.
“You don't understand Val, let me explain plea-”
She was interrupted by an intense and burning pain coming from the top of her skull. Valentino had pulled her up off of the ground and dangled her by her hair. Tears pricked at her eyes but she did not let them fall. She knew if she cried, he would find a reason to make her cry harder.
“Who the FUCK do you think you are?!” He shouted in her face. His spit spattered on Powder’s face and glistened slightly.
“Hey, Val-”
“Don't you fucking dare tell me how to treat my own pet, Velvette!” Valentino interrupted the doll before she could so much as attempt to help the girl.
Powder felt as the last speck of hope she had shriveled away into nothingness inside of her. Val was officially pissed off and there was no one that could save her now. Not even Alastor if she had made a fucking deal.
“You listen here, and I suggest you listen real fucking good, Pow’.” He growled into her face. His firm grip on her hair did not falter.
She would have nodded if she could but instead she just locked her eyes onto his. Powder tried to let the numbness take over but it was especially difficult to do so whilst being suspended in the air. Her watery eyes looked into his enraged ones and where she once saw love and kindness, she saw pure and unadulterated rage.
“When I put you down, you’re going to do the best shoot of your life or Satan help me I will make you wish you were never born.” Valentino snarled into her face, his teeth baring like some sort of rabid animal.”And after you’re done, I have errands for you to run. If I hear so much as a whimper, I will beat you within an inch of your life, you hear me?”
Powder blinked in response and she felt her feet begin to slowly make contact with the ground again. She let a single tear fall, but she turned away and wiped it before Val could see. That was the last thing she needed this dreadful morning.
Velvette had watched the exchange and found herself battling internally. She was taken aback by Val’s outburst. She had seen him crash out on Powder before, but this? This was a completely different ballpark. A part of her knew that she had to separate her feelings about the situation, but the other part deep down inside of her tattered soul felt that there was something wrong there.
She walked closer to Powder and put her hand on her shoulder whilst she looked her up and down to see what she was working with. The damn girl was beaten and bruised beyond belief and she didn’t want to think about what was going to happen after the shoot.
“Let’s make this a long one, yeah?”
Powder just nodded.
Thank you again for reading! Sorry for the long hiatus, life has been beating me up and down. Hopefully you all enjoy this as much as the last few:) Any suggestions are always appreciated as I work through this storyline! If you liked what you read, it would mean a lot if you reposted, commented, or liked. I always enjoy feedback! Until next time~
