When Drugs Are Bad
When Bel arrived, she shooed all three of them out of the room, and Vortex led them into Bee’s movie room. Partially because it was the quieter, calmer of her personal spaces, and also… the King looked about to explode, and Bee had been looking for a reason to remodel it. If Vortex could kill two problems with one move, that’s what he was going to do!
Once they were inside and the door was closed, Lucifer spun around. “I want names. NOW!” Fire burst around him, singing the carpet and some of the bean bags close to him. Now Bee would have a reason to demo the area!
Bee sighed and stepped forward. “Look, the ones at the orgy didn’t know she was drugged. I’m not letting you kill them. We are looking for the suspect and taking witness statements, but it is going to take time-”
“SOMEONE TRIED TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER RAPED!” Lucifer roared, the fire swirling around him and obliterating half the room. The King took deep breaths, trying to calm down. His face crumpled from rage to sorrow. “They tried to violate her, Bee… She almost…” He fell to his knees, tears of gold (blood?) streaming down his face. “I can’t lose her, not again.”
Bee stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, careful of his wings. She focused on soothing him, which from the looks of it, probably was a tall order. Beelzebub loved gossip and was known for her bubbly, always-talking personality, but she was also not the kind of person to talk about someone’s struggles behind their back. So, the only thing he knew about Lucifer from Bee was that he “had a lot of baggage” and “didn’t handle shit well”. Which, seemed to be an understatement, given the sobbing.
Vortex felt a bit awkward, so he quietly turned away and busied himself with his phone, checking in with the station to make sure that the witness statements were getting done and that they were well underway in looking for the imp who caused all of this. Though, that still felt off somehow. Why would an imp target a random woman? For what reason? The Magne was obviously a closely guarded secret, so who would try to target her? Was there another reason for it?
“Luce, there a reason you didn’t tell me I am an aunt again?” Bee asked, half-jokingly, now that Lucifer’s sobs had lessened. “It’s obvious Belphagor knew, so, why wasn’t I told?”
Lucifer chuckled wetly. “We were trying to keep it under wraps for now, for her protection. Her name is Stitches and she’s amazing. I can’t wait for you to meet her under… better circumstances.” He paused. “Bel has been her therapist before she became a Magne, and now she is training her in medicine. That’s the only reason Bel knows.”
Bee huffed and gave Vortex a ‘can you believe this bitch’ look. “Oh, so when were the rest of us supposed to find out?” she muttered.
Lucifer winced. “When Stitches was ready for it. It’s up to her when we make it known.”
“If I may, Sire?” Vortex asked cautiously. Lucifer glanced at him and nodded his consent. “You said her name was Stitches, but you called her by a different name earlier. Does she have more than one? And what name should we put on the report?”
Lucifer visibly bristled. “Her name is to be left off the report, as is her titles and origin. No one is to know she is a Sinner or a Magne.” Vortex nodded at the order. “As for her name, Stitches is the name she prefers outsiders to know, while the other is meant only for family use.” The ‘and you won’t speak it’ was unspoken, but no less demanded, so Vortex nodded and stepped back in submission.
The door opened, and Lady Belphagor stepped in. Lucifer looked up with a mix of hope and despair. Vortex had only met the Sloth Sin a few times, but never had he seen her so… furious. It wasn’t the hot, suffocating fury Lucifer had shown. No, this was cold, calculating, and vengeful, promising quiet and prolonged torture for those responsible. She looked straight at Lucifer.
“I have her sedated, but it’s a temporary measure at best,” Bel said quietly. “I have never encountered this drug before, but I can confirm it isn’t anything from the Lust ring, not even the illegal shit. It’s different than anything I have ever seen, and it will take me time to analyze it and come up with an antidote.”
“What do you mean it is a ‘temporary measure’?” Lucifer whispered, focusing on the first part of the lamb demon’s statement.
Bel sighed. “I can’t cure this without an antidote. It may work it’s way out of her system, but it’s not waning in its potency: it’s getting stronger. Sedating her is helping suppress some of the symptoms, but the only options she seems to have at this point are to either give in to the urges and hope it gives her relief and burns off this lust-inducing drug, or to get an antidote.”
“How long until you can get an antidote?” Bee asked.
“Without a sample of the drug, it will take me at least three days. If we can find a sample, even a prototype or different strain of it, I can have it done in as little as 24 hours.” Bel looked at Lucifer again. “I would usually suggest that I take her with me, but she needs to be somewhere comfortable and familiar. Take her to the hotel and keep her sedated until I can get this fixed. Also, see if you can find any signs of the drug in Pride. This kind of drug would be illegal among Hellborn, and banned in all the Rings, but I know your Sinners have no such laws.”
Vortex frowned. That was one thing that he could never understand. Why the Sinners could get away with crimes that the Hellborn could never even dream of defending themselves of… it simply was unfair. Sure, this was Hell, but Sinners were vile (not all of them, but too many to be comfortable with). They had some restrictions, specifically when visiting other Circles outside of Pentagram City, but the fact a drug like this would be allowed to exist anywhere was grotesque.
“I’ll look into it,” Lucifer hissed. “If I find who is making this shit, I will tear apart their souls with my own two claws.” There was a deadly promise in those words, and Vortex shivered at the ancient malice there.
Bel nodded. “Then, I will be off. If there are any changes, call me.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Angel Dust was pacing around Stitches’ room anxiously. He had been, ever since Alastor had pulled him from the bar and told him that his sister had been drugged and tossed into some sort of orgy. Torn between homicidal rage at whoever had done this to her and all-consuming grief for what she had been through, he simply couldn’t sit still. Not until Lucifer brought her back home, not until he could confirm with his own eyes that she was safe, not until he could hold her and-
A golden-rimmed portal cut through reality, and out stepped Lucifer, a bundle of blankets and a bag hanging from his arms. He walked straight to the bed as the portal shrank closed and dissipated, carefully setting the blanket burrito down before tossing the bag to the side of the room. Stitches’ backpack purse tumbled out, showing that the bag held her belongings inside. Then Lucifer turned to him and tilted his head, and they went to the little entryway, far enough from the bed to not be heard if they whispered, but close enough to hear Stitches if she woke up.
Lucifer made a noise, somewhere between a growl and an exhausted groan. “It’s bad, Angel. Bel doesn’t know what drug it is, thinks it may have been created here in Pentagram City, and unless we find a sample of it for her, she could take up to three days to create an antidote, and Brandi is in pain and has to stay sedated, and I don’t-”
“Wait, wait. Wait!” Angel put his hands on Lucifer’s shoulders and leaned down to look him in the eyes. “Bel thinks the drug was made here?” Lucifer nodded. “Well, then I may be able to help you narrow it down! Ain’t a drug in Pentagram City that I ain’t sampled at some point.”
He walked over to Stitches and started unraveling the blankets, being very careful not to jostle her more than necessary. He kept his voice low as he worked to untangle her. “What symptoms is she having?” Once the blankets were loose enough to get access to her arms and neck, he took stock of her. Skin feverish, pulse exhilarated, even the lightest touch making her shiver and moan. It was heartbreaking to see his sister like this. Especially knowing her trauma when it came to… No, he couldn’t think about that right now. He had to focus.
Lucifer swallowed. “It’s acting like a lust drug, but on steroids. Bee said that she was begging for relief, that she had to ‘please’ everyone or the pain wouldn’t stop. Bel said that it looked like the drug was getting worse and worse as time went on instead of fading.”
Angel froze. That description was painfully familiar. No, it couldn’t be… Please don’t be… Angel gently took Stitches’ mouth and opened it slightly, sniffing. The scent of sweet syrup and incense smoke made his stomach drop. “Lucifer, I know what drug this is.” Lucifer looked at him with a mix of hope and horror. “Velvette has been taking Valentino’s saliva and usin’ it to make ‘love potions’, which is just their way of marketing date rape drugs. Val’s spit is a mind-control aphrodisiac, which he usually turns into smoke for faster effect. But Velvette has been experimenting with making condensed versions that can be added to food or drink and not lose their potency. I know about it cuz Val uses us at the studio as guinea pigs.”
Lucifer growled. “The fucking Vees are behind this?”
Angel shrugged. “I dunno if they are specifically behind the druggin’, but I can say for certain that they made the drug. I have a vial of Val’s saliva in my room that he gifted me a while back for when I ‘missed him’, fucking prick. Since that is the base for the drugs, it should help. I can also buy a bottle of the latest love potion.”
Lucifer looked deep in thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No, if you buy one, it could alert the Vees that we know of something if they are directly involved. The saliva should be enough for Bel to formulate an antidote. Do you know if the drug will get out of her system on its own?”
Angel shook his head sadly. “It will eventually get out of her system, but the longest they tested that for was almost a week, and the poor soul nearly died due to hunger and dehydration. He was never the same after that. The only way, without an antidote, to burn it out of her system would be for her to obey the urges. If she had a partner she trusted, that would be one thing, but-”
“So we need an antidote,” Lucifer confirmed. “I will stay with her; go get the vial. I will send it straight to Bel, and hopefully, we will have an antidote soon.”
Angel nodded and ran to his room. Fuck Val, and fuck his fucking contract with the demon! If he found out that Stitches’ was targeted by the Vees, that they ordered the hit, then he wasn’t stopping until he found a way to kill them all.
____________________________________________________________________________
“Holy fuck!” Vox cackled. “I can’t believe we actually got this kind of break so soon!”
Velvette rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You set all this up, idiot. With my drug, mind ya, and if that brings the bloody King or fucking Alastor tearin’ down our tower, don’t say I didn’t warn ya. I will absolutely throw ya at their feet and claim ignorance, ya bloody fool!”
Vox waved her off, and oh, how badly she wanted to murder the bloke. But then, who would keep the telly and the internet up and running? Nah, she could handle a lot, but if she had to be in a world without technology and her followers, she’d shove an angelic blade through her own brain, thanks.
“You worry too much, babe!” Vox manspread in his chair - because of course he would - and chuckled. “They won’t come at us without proof due to our huge role in the economy. Lucifer knows better than to upset the power balance because even he isn’t that stupid, and Alastor… well, he will want to play the long game until he knows he has the upper hand. Everyone else at the stupid hotel isn’t even worth worrying about.”
Velvette huffed. Vox had a point, that was the most likely scenario, but it didn’t change the fact that they were playing with fire. They were not in a position yet to be making these kinds of moves, directly targeting the ragdoll Sinner, when they hadn’t built up the power or strategy to take them all down. “I still think this was premature!” she hissed.
“Oh, relax, Vel,” Vox scoffed. “You were the one upset that this shit was taking so long.”
“No,” Velvette cut back, “I was upset that you and Val put this project ahead of everything else, damn it! Fuck we goin’ to do if ya let the businesses we run slide or fail to bring in more soul deals, huh? We need to keep up our reputations and power, especially if you are wantin’ to overthrow the royals!”
Seriously, was she the only one with a fucking brain around here? Vox may think he was in charge, and he certainly had the charisma and strategy skills to pull it off, but when it came to focusing on the more mundane shit, especially when it came to anything Alastor related, he was useless. His obsession with this whole thing had started to really wear on her last goddamn nerve, and he needed a wake-up call before he overstepped too soon and blew the whole thing up.
“Again, I made sure that it went through at least twenty different routes before it even reached the imp. That bitch didn’t know who was at the head of all this. I also permanently killed or made deals with all the Sinners involved, so it can’t be traced back to us.” Vox saw her about to protest and waved her off. Again. “As for the potion, even if they do figure out where the drug came from, they can’t prove we put out the hit! That particular strain has been on the market for days and ‘leaked’ on the black market weeks ago.”
Well, fuck. Maybe Vox was being more careful than she thought. “And what did you get in return for all this… planning? Are you going to make some shit gossip article exposing her?” Because that definitely sounded like something Vox would do, with the photos and video clips that he had been sent of the woman from that night.
Vox laughed. “Oh no, I wouldn’t play this card right away. It is simply more fuel in our armory. But, in the short term, it did prove that they can’t watch her every move and that she is vulnerable. Not just in the ‘we can get to her’ kind of way, but in the fact that she can be drugged or poisoned. Now, we can see how she and the hotel react to this, and then we can plan for the next strike.”
Velvette shrugged and turned back to her phone. “Whatever ya say. Just take some time to catch up on some of your actual work, yeah?” She looked up to glare at him until he nodded, with a sneer, but at least he would do it. “I got my own shit to do, so don’t bother me with this shit for at least a week.”