[Look at that big, dumb, flying leathery bastard. Address him and only him. IGNORE THE OTHERS.]
I've got this, Alex thought, though his stomach was doing slow, sickening somersaults. He took a step forward, facing the bat demon.
"We'd like to make a deal," Alex said. His voice was as steady as he could make it, cutting through the heavy, sulfur-choked silence as he locked eyes with the Bat.
The Bat demon didn't look away from Alex. A slight, pleased curl formed on its lip. It flapped its wings once, a gesture of dominance that ruffled the dust around them.
The Ape shifted his massive weight, the movement sounding like a rockslide. A low, wet growl vibrated in his chest. "Why do you speak only to the sky-rat? And who is this 'we'?" He looked around, his nostrils flaring as he searched for hidden threats in the shadows.
[Tell the brute his position is noted, then focus on the boss. Confidence, Alex-boy!]
[Ignore him! Show them you only respect the flying rat!]
[No, Don't antagonize him further! It could get physical!]
[Address the spider! Tell her she's the most beautiful thing your eyes have ever seen!]
[WHAT?!]
A hysterical laugh almost escaped Alex's lips. He was arguing with himself while a massive ape-demon glared at him. He forced his focus back to the physical world, ignoring the frantic chatter in his mind.
Alex kept his gaze locked on the Bat demon while answering the ape demon. "The 'we' are those who are offering a deal," Alex said, his voice flat and controlled.
"But before we talk business..."Alex stopped. He pivoted his entire body away from the Bat, turning his back on the dominant predator to stare directly into the Spider's multifaceted, emerald eyes.
[OH NO!]
[YOU WOULDNT DARE!]
[ALEX-BOY DON'TTTTT!]
[DO ITTTTTTT!]
Alex ignored the screaming in his skull. He let his expression soften, his gaze becoming glassy and earnest.
"You are the most beautiful thing I've seen in my entire life," Alex stated with conviction, pushing every ounce of perceived sincerity into his gaze.
"Your eyes are like emeralds. When you chased me earlier... I felt something in my chest." He placed a trembling hand over his heart. "If you have the time, I'd like to do it again. Sometime."
[NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!]
[FUCKKKKKK YEAHHHHHHH!!!]
The Spider-demon froze, her mandibles clicking in a bizarre mix of predatory instinct and utter confusion.
She looked at her own jagged, poison-tipped limbs, then back at the small, hairless creature who had just called her 'beautiful.' For the first time in centuries, she was utterly speechless.
But the moment was shattered as the Bat-demon dropped from the air like a heavy boulder, landing few feet's from Alex.
"Stoop" The bat screeched coming down In front of Alex he could smell the stench's from his breath "Deal, You said a deal"
[Punch him in the eyes while he's close!]
Alex ignored them, staring straight into the Bat's milky, lidless eyes. "You could kill me now," Alex said, his voice flat, "and sell my soul once. One profit. One time. Or... you let me go. In return, I will supply each of you with a steady harvest of souls every month."
[Say twenty-five years. Keep the leash short.]
"Twenty-five years," Alex added firmly. "In exchange, you provide the souls I need to leave this Pit today."
The Bat tilted its head, a raspy, clicking sound emerging from its throat. "And how do you harvest for us if you are currently begging for scraps?"
"Because you've seen what happens when I try to 'harvest' down here," Alex said, shifting his gaze to the massive, brooding Ape-demon. He pointed a steady finger at the creature's scorched, hairless forearms. "Isn't that right, Ape? I get too close, and your kind burn. Even your souls turn to ash before I can touch them. "
The Ape-demon let out a thunderous roar, the sound of grinding tectonic plates, and lunged forward only to be stopped by the spider.
"I'll take that as a yes," Alex countered, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm. "Twenty-five years of tribute. One thousand souls today."
The Bat's ears twitched, and he narrowed his eyes, a jagged grin spreading across his face. "In the Pit, time is the only thing we have. Twenty-five is a blink of an eye. One hundred years, One hundred years of tribute!"
[Complain! 100 is a death sentence! Say fifty. Stay firm!]
[PUNCH. HIM. IN. HIS. STINKING. EYE.]
"One hundred is too long," Alex countered, his hands clenched at his sides. "I'll be dust before then. Fifty."
"I SAID ONE HUNDRED!" the Bat bellowed, The force of the shout ruffled Alex's hair, and the air around them grew heavy with the Bat's mounting rage.
[You are outmatched and outgunned, Alex-boy. Fold. Just fold.]
[HOLD YOUR GROUND! IF YOU GIVE AN INCH, HE'LL TAKE THE WHOLE MILE!]
Alex stood his ground He let the silence hang in the air "Fifty," Alex answered. "Fifty," he repeated. "Fifty... or the deal is dead and you can go back to burning your hands and faces on me."
The Bat's misty eyes swirled with frustration. Finally, he gave a curt, jerky nod. "Deal."
[Tell him he has beautiful eyes! Go on, double down! Work the room!]
[Stop talking. Stop talking right now, You've climbed the mountain. Don't jump off the other side.]
Alex stared into the Bat's eyes. They were fascinating, massive, lidless spheres filled with a swirling, watery grey mist. No pupils, no iris, just a stormy void. Alex actually felt a strange pull toward them. He does have beautiful eyes, he thought.
[KISS HIM]
[My liege, I suggest you refrain from further flattery. Complimenting the arachnid was a stroke of genius; it was surprising, effective, and stalled the kill-instinct. To do it twice, however, will ruin the mystique.]