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He stared out across the casino floor.
10 years of blood, sweat and tears splayed across the floor.
Not bad for only 15 years in hell, he thought.
But he'd been on top before and lost all, many a time in life.
It was a familiar rise and fall that he'd thought would end with the final curtain, but instead got an encore.
There was no end in sight this time, at least not one he was particularly interested in taking.
He'd seen enough Exterminators to know they weren't the most merciful bunch in ending sinners' lives and Husk had been many things but a fan of a painful End wasn't one of them.
So he'd lived it up.
Enjoying the rise and life at the top. Being the Overlord of Gambling wasn't a goal but a byproduct of finally getting to go all out on the two loves of his life, cards and booze.
And now the fall was eminent, whispers of those two fucking Vs nipping at his territory. Turns out winning souls from the fuck arse moth and refusing to re-bet them had put him squarely in the nearsighted fucks cross-hairs.
So here he was.
Looking across his kingdom about to lose it all.
It was almost a relief, of the other shoe dropping as it always had.
But Husk was an old man.
He'd learned to take steps so the landing wasn't as shitty as it could be, which in hell meant much more than some long life canned food and a solid place to stay.
Turning back to his office, he was unsurprised to see a red figure perched on the lounge.
"Husker, my dear. I heard that you might be in a bit of a bind and raced over to see you!"
He grimaced at that and made his way to the bar, feeling those red, red eyes following him.
Pouring three fingers of rye into each glass he turned and sat on the arm chair opposite the demon on the lounge, placing one of the glasses in front of him and leaning back into the seat.
"Thanks for the concern, Al. Not much I can do til those fuckers make an actual move."
The deer demon let out a staticy hum at them.
"You know they aren't going to do that. The cretins will just keep nipping away til all you have left is a husk of what it is now HAHA."
He squinted at that.
"Real funny Al. You should've been a comedian instead of a radio host."
Taking a swallow of whisky he leaned forward.
"There's not much I can do otherwise. I don't have the power to go against those two pricks head on and I can't retaliate if I don't have proof that they're the ones encroaching in my territory."
Placing the glass down he scrubbed his paws down his face.
"It's a shitshow and infuriating, but what can I do but wait? This is personal for the moth bastard so nothing I do is gonna be able to stop either of them because of all the political bullshit it'll stir up."
After that, he slumped back against the chair, wings draped either side and looked at the Radio Demon across from him.
Alastor was looking back, red claws silently tapping the glass of whisky as he took in the cat overlord before him.
He wasn't stupid.
He knew damn well what Alastor was here for. One didn't become a friend of the Radio Demon by having delusions about what type of person he was.
And Husk had never been delusional.
The ambient radio static buzzed in the air, almost in anticipation of what was coming.
"Well, Husker, you truly are in a bind. I would love to help, of course but what would people say at me stepping into other overlord business. Why it just isn't done."
Husk didn't move or look away from the deer. Said deer placed the glass on the table between them and leaned forward.
"Unless, of course we come to a deal"
The bastard couldn’t help himself. As he said it his eyes bled black with the burning radio dials boring into Husks own eyes.
This was the Radio Demon, not Al.
And it felt like the last push as you see the finish line.
The shoe had dropped and all that was left to do was figure out what to do with the shattered remains.
But he was still Gambling overlord yet.
And he wanted to see what he could get for the low low cost of his soul.
"And what would this deal entail? I've heard your broadcasts Al. I don't really have any desire to be a featured guest."
A wave of red claws swept through the air.
"No, no my dear. Nothing of the sort. We are friends after all are we not? While I'm sure you would be an absolute treat to have, Id despair of finding some else who appreciates a good rye as much as I do. No, what I want is your Soul."
The dials and growing antlers were back as was the growing shadow behind him. If Husk had been anyone else he would have been shaking.
But he wasn't.
This is what he chose years ago, when a certain someone had waltzed into his casino and scattered his patrons.
He had heard of the Radio Demon.
The Overlord who appeared one day and decimated the ranks of the old Guard and still to this day occasionally off one that had irritated him. He hadn't to his knowledge stepped in any toes there, but had gone to man the bar to spare his workers from having to deal with potential fallout.
And gotten a surprise.
55 years changes a man. Husk knew this better than most, with feathers and fur and whole bunch of other stuff he had put in a box to not deal with.
But Al... Al hadn't changed a bit.
Oh the deer thing was new and the new red colour scheme but his voice... His voice was the same as when he'd listen to it during closing in New Orleans over the radio.
Years of listening to it as he packed chairs and glasses away and sweeping floors slammed into the Cat Overlord as he stopped just behind the bar.
His best friend was there, in front of him after 55 years.
And he couldn't tell him.
Husk knew how Hell worked now. Knew what a liability he could be, the risk he posed.
And part of him quailed at the thought that the Radio Demon would never believe him anyway.
So, he'd buried it.
And went to meet Alastor the radio demon overlord to overlord.
Years passed like that, Husk almost enjoyed it, getting to know this new, somehow even bloodthirster, version of his friend.
He'd almost forget then Al would do something and he'd just get a flash of the other boy showing him a dead gator or deer in the bayou.
But he knew then that there was only ever gonna be one person he'd ever considered selling his soul too.
"You'll keep the Vs away from the casino."
"Of course, wouldn't want their grubby mitts on this fine establishment."
Husk narrowed his eyes, "I want to keep my power as it is now. You get the souls and territory but I keep my powers."
"Mmmm, unorthodox but as we're friends here, I don't see why not."
Husk scoffed at that and knocked back the rest of the whisky.
"You're about to bring down a Overlord and getting his soul too. The reputation boost is worth a bonus."
A skeletal arm reached across the table, the other almost shedding his day to day form as magic and radio static swarmed the air, green symbols flicking to life and fading around the table.
"A valid point my dearest Husker" was said through closed teeth like a radio speaker.
"Now do we have a deal?"
Husk took a deep breath, his last as a free soul and leaned forward, paw reaching to meet the red claws.
"We have a deal."
It didn't hurt. It was unpleasant but it didn't hurt.
The chain and collar appeared in acid greenlight joining his neck to Al's hand and cane.
It felt heavy yet insubstantial. When the lightshow was over, he flopped back against the chair.
It was over.
Everything he'd built for years was over.
It was almost a relief. He was startled at the feeling of hands on his head.
"What are you doing?"
"Why, giving my new kitten some pats of course! I can only imagine how stressful this has all been"
"I'm not a fucking pet"
"Oh, but you are now, my dear. Mine to pet, mine to care for, mine to do whatever I want with really."
Husk went to argue more before a loud growl sounded out.
"And it sounds like my kitten hasn't been eating either. What is a new pet owner to do?"
"That depends, do you still remember how to cook your Maman's Jumbalya?"
The radio demon moved so fast that Husk didn't even see him.
All he knew was being slammed into the wall as one massive clawed hand wrapped around his torso and the other wrapped around the chain pulling his neck against the claws.
"What did you just say?"
Husk coughed and gagged.
Honestly it had slipped out, a second of absent-mindedness in a chaotic day.
"And how exactly do you know anything about that I wonder? I am severely reconsidering your appearance on my show dear Husk."
With barely any air in his lungs, he gasped out, "She...use to... make it...for us...when...wed get....back.... from........the........bayou," wheezing the last part out with the last if his air as his vision started to go black.
"John?!?"
It was like all the light in the room that had fled returned. Husk slumped to the bottom of the wall, coughing as the Radio demon collapsed in front of him, hand reaching out.
"Heh, cough, Hi Al."
" John? What? Why?"
Moving to more comfortably lean back against the wall, still catching his breath, Husk huffed another chuckle.
"If I knew that's how you were gonna react I would have waited til after food."
A shriek of static cut the air.
"John Husker, what the fuck is going on?"
Husk sobered at that.
"Nothings really changed Al, just thought it was time to put all my cards on the table ... Admittedly I didn't mean for it to be like this but, well it was time to fold anyway."
The red eyes bored into the black and yellow across from them.
"All this time you knew."
It was a statement not a question.
"Since this first time you came to the bar. Over 50 years later and I never forgot your radio voice Al," he said with a small smile.
Silence hung in the air, faint static the only thing present.
Husk opened his mouth to continue but was beaten but Alastor snapping his fingers and shadows covering them, before they appeared on the couch, now with Husk splayed across the cushions, his head in the radio demons lap.
"Why? What drove you to hide like that? I thought you were up top or above. Why didn't you tell me?"
Faint anger could be heard in the others voice as those red eyes looked down on him.
"Cause I'd heard of the Radio Demon long before you turned up. What you'd built down here, your reputation. I didn't want to risk any of that.... And to be honest I was afraid," he gave a humorless chuckle.
"I'm not what I was when we were young Al. I'm a washed-up old man now, grumpy and tired more than anything else. I was already committed to the whole Overlord thing before you walked in, so I figured it was better to let it lie."
"But not now?"
Husk shrugged.
"I honestly didn't mean to let it slip like that. But I was getting tired of everything anyway before the Vs started sniffing around. And I know you Al. You would've been pissed as hell at me if Id told you before today. But now I'm not a threat anymore to everything you've done."
The yellow smile that was a permanent fixture on his now owners face widened. "No, now you're mine."
"With the adoption papers and everything."
Alastor raised an eyebrow at that.
"Pet jokes, from you Husker? Colour me surprised."
"Says the demon who's been petting me this whole time."
Al's hand froze from where it had been petting his chest fur since landing on the couch.
"Ah, I apologise Husker. That .... Wait. How did I never put it together? " "Bets me Al. First time you called me that, which isn't my name anymore by the way, I for sure thought that you'd put it together. Then I realised you were just being annoying."
He then put his paw on-top of the frozen claw in his fur.
"And I never said stop. Finding good pets down here is fucking impossible. The risk of it getting out and fucking everything up wasn't worth the risk ."
The red tipped claws returned to stroking the chest fluff, occasionally moving further up to scritch under his jaw. Husk refused to be blamed when faint purring started up.
"My dearest Husk, did you play me, just to be my pet?"
"That's a bonus. Like I said, I'm tired of having to deal with everything. Alot can happen in almost 50 years of living Al. I was kinda over it all before I even got down here."
The red lantern eyes looking down at him narrowed.
"You will be telling me more of that."
"Ok, just not now, please?"
"Fine, later."
"Thank you. The pet thing I honestly don't hate? I mean if it's you. Anyone else would've lost a hand or worse. But well, as much as I hate it, I'm a cat with wings. Some things are apparently hardwired into me. Plus I remember how you'd look after the strays back home. You had a colony of adoring fans, that's gotta be a good reference or something."
Alastor hummed at that and continued petting the cat sinner on his lap.
Quite descended again, faint static and purring mixing together to create a soft background noise.
Husks eyes drifted half closed as he just relaxed where he was.
Everything was out of his paws now.
There was a chance that Alastor would grow angry later from his deception but he'd take this as it was for now.
~~~~
Alastor looked down at the large purring mass of fluff in his lap.
To say he was delighted would be an understatement.
Over 50 years apart and dearest Husk still went out of his way to protect him.
It was nonsensical of course.
But knowing the other as well as he did both in life and here in hell, it was so in character he couldn't even be mad.
Oh, he would get revenge for deceiving him, but it would be of a different sort than anyone else would suffer.
His Husker had given him an apology gift of sorts already.
When word got round The Radio Demon was the proud new owner of the now former Gambling Overlord's soul, it would cause quite the tizzy.
It was so out of character that the other Overlords wouldn't know what to do. He was quite looking forward to it.
He wondered if Husk would allow him to show off his new pet.
If it had been before the revelation, he would have disregarded the others' wishes entirely.
But now, it felt like they had both worked towards this outcome. And he was almost loath to share what was now wholly his.
But the image of the others' faces as they saw the suave and cunning Gambling Demon reduced to a house pet was a delicious temptation.
He would bring it up to Husker at a later time.
This new information had opened so many new avenues of chaos that Alastor was quite looking forward to the future.
The other had been a stalwart friend in the land of the living, ready to lend a hand regardless of the unsavoury nature of it all.
He had to think that that was another perk of hell. It made you retroactively appreciate what you had.
And now that he had him again he was never letting go.