Hell's Redeemer

Chapter 9

Unbeknownst to Spawn, someone had been lurking in the shadows during his takedown of Vox's men. A shaky phone camera had captured the entire brutal scene, from the moment he disarmed the demon to the effortless way he dispatched the others. The video, now making rounds on the darker corners of the web, had attracted significant attention, including the eyes of Vox himself.

Sitting in his high-tech lair, Vox's luminous eyes flickered as he came across the video. His expression shifted from curiosity to cold satisfaction as he watched the footage unfold. The masked figure in the video was taking out his men with precision and ease-too much ease for a simple demon thug. Vox paused the video, zooming in on Spawn's face.

"So... this is the bastard causing all the trouble," Vox muttered, leaning back in his chair. "Looks like he thinks he's some kind of superhero reject."

With a smirk, he forwarded the video to Valentino, knowing his partner-in-crime would get a kick out of it. Valentino's response came almost immediately, his voice booming through the speakers.

"Who the hell is this clown? Is that a mask, or is he just that ugly?" Valentino cackled, his laughter dripping with disdain. "Look at him! What is he trying to be? Some kind of wannabe antihero? This is priceless!"

Vox chuckled darkly in agreement. "I know, right? Who does he think he's messing with? He doesn't realize what kind of game he's playing."

Valentino's tone shifted, turning more serious as the reality of the situation set in. "Doesn't matter what he looks like, though. He's taken out some of my best men. Yours too, by the looks of it. We can't just let this slide."

"Exactly," Vox responded, his voice low and menacing. "He's got to be dealt with. And soon."

Valentino's mind was already moving ahead. "Anyone in that area is in danger. Especially Angel. If this guy's marking his territory, he's not going to care who gets caught in the crossfire. We need to act fast."

Vox grinned. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah," Valentino replied. "We go to that hotel and get Angel. Doesn't matter if he likes it or not. If this freak's got it in his head to take over, I'm not leaving Angel where he can get caught up in it."

Vox nodded, already making plans. "Right. I'll send some of my boys to back yours up. We'll make sure this little uprising gets snuffed out before it even starts."

Valentino chuckled darkly. "And when we get our hands on this guy, I'm gonna make sure he regrets every second of crossing me."

With the plan set in motion, the two ended the call. As Vox watched the video again, a dangerous glint flashed in his neon-lit eyes. Whoever this newcomer was, he was about to learn the hard way that no one messed with the Vee's business and lived to tell the tale.
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Spawn stood on the roof of the hotel, staring out into the sprawling chaos of the city below. The neon signs flickered in the distance, casting faint, distorted shadows across the streets. The cool breeze tugged at his tattered cape as he tightened his grip on the ledge. This world-this Hell-was unlike anything he had ever known. Despite all his battles and the hellish landscapes he had traversed in his former life, nothing had prepared him for a place like this.

Everything about it gnawed at him: the grotesque parody of life, the strange inhabitants, and most of all, the uncertainty of why he was here. Callister's cryptic words lingered in his mind, pushing against his thoughts like an itch he couldn't scratch.

"Fighting myself..." he muttered under his breath, trying to wrap his mind around the idea. What could Callister have meant by that? All of his enemies had always been clear-faces he could identify, demons he could kill-but now, it was as if his true adversary was hidden, playing with him from behind a veil.