Hell was a place that defied typical expectations. For one, it wasn't the fire and brimstone torture center of the universe. People would expect there to be all sorts of horrors awaiting in the bowels of the Earth: windstorms, tar pits, rolling boulders, fiery lakes, and frozen wastelands with Satan himself trapped inside.
Alas, it was not so. For in this Hell lay a run-down city that looked typical of a shady section of a metropolis found on Earth. It was called Pentagram City, as it was right underneath a glowing dark pink pentagram that remained stationary in the crimson sky above. The city was filled with strip clubs, drug stores, black markets in alleyways, and several sections of town that were destroyed due to turf wars. The city would look even worse when dark Archangels from Heaven would arrive once a year to purge the city of sinners at random. But no one seemed to care much about the loss of life. They mostly focused on their own greed and desires.
Down below were demons of all shapes and sizes mulling about their everyday afterlives.
No, not the typical red skinned horned devils you would expect to dwell there.
These demons ranged from dragons, to hellhounds, imps, lizards, and all sorts of animal-like creatures. Some even looked remotely human. Whether they were cyclops, clowns, spiders, or human-like with extra arms, they all generally walked on two feet. Some even had the heads of different objects like TVs and weapons. They could turn into more powerful versions of themselves: their full demon forms.
The majority of these demons were sinners who had died previously as humans and were sent to Hell as punishment. Some like the hellhounds, imps, and Hell's own princess were born there.
Additionally, there were an elite group of demons who possessed powers higher than average. They often ruled their own territories, had underlings at their beck and call, and instilled fear into the weaker denizens. They were called overlords. The overlords had also been human in their past lives. The overlords' abilities were second only to the powerful royal family of Hell: Lucifer, Lilith and their daughter Charlie.
However, there was one overlord who was feared above all the others. From the moment he stepped into Hell, he was granted supernatural Eldritch powers on an unimaginably high scale. Teleportation, shadow manipulation, crating portals and conjuring fire were only some of the very many powers he possessed. Though polite, charming, and flamboyant at first glance, he was a master of manipulation, dark sorcery, and trickery.
One of his unique skills was radio broadcasting. Seemingly in less than a day, he had mercilessly slaughtered dozens of citizens, toppled powerful other overlords, and claimed territories of his own. Using his microphone staff, he would broadcast his victories, so others would know of his influence.
Hence he was known as Alastor, the Radio Demon.
Alastor's appearance also made him stand out…in a very disturbing way. The attire was reminiscent of the early 1900s. His outfit consisted of a pinstriped suit, and dress coat, blood red in color. His pants were a dark wine color and his shoes were black, with red deer prints on the soles. Indeed, he had several deer features, from his black and red deer tail, to large furry tufts shaped like deer ears and even two small pitch black antlers growing from his head. His hair was mostly red with the black ends reaching slightly past his chin. Black gloves with red dots over the knuckles covered his four-fingered claws that served as his hands. Perhaps his creepiest feature was his face. His chin was thin and pointed, his skin a pale gray color. An unnaturally wide sinister smile of sharp yellow teeth that fit together was nearly always present on his face. Large hypnotizing red eyes took up much of his face, plus a monocle would rest under his right eye, connected by a thin chain.
Besides Hell not being the typical epitome of suffering, it was also not the way it was supposed to be. Though life was chaotic in the past, the city had functioned at a normal pace.
Not too long ago, the blonde, white-faced Princess Charlie decided to propose an idea that was downright ridiculous and outlandish to everyone else. She created the Happy Hotel as a place where sinners could learn how to be better people and hopefully, complete their own unique journeys toward redemption. Though she was mocked and ridiculed, she wasn't going to give up. A gray moth-like demon named Vaggie was her girlfriend and tough with a deadly spear. Angel Dust, a white porn-loving spider demon had been involved with drugs, turf wars, and was Hell's number one porn star. Despite his sins, he had volunteered to help Charlie with her hotel.
Alastor had arrived to the hotel as well, and offered to help Charlie run her hotel so he could be entertained for a while. He summoned other demons for assist: a little hyperactive neat-freak cyclops named Niffty, and a grumpy gambling cat named Husk who always had a bottle of alcohol in his paws. Charlie was immediately enraptured with Alastor, even dancing and singing with him whenever the occasion arose. Vaggie, of course, was suspicious of him, even more so when he appeared to hinder Vaggie and Charlie's relationship.
Charlie's hope was that demons would be redeemed enough to be eligible to go to Heaven. This way, there would be less demons lost to the annual slaughter by the Archangels. Soon, she had hoped, there would only be happiness and a second chance given to everyone. In her words and song: "Inside of every demon is a rainbow." Lilith was often too busy with modeling and concerts to pay much attention to Charlie, but supported her the best she could. For obvious reasons, her father had disapproved of her idea. Having been banished from Heaven for rebelling against God, Lucifer gained his position by implementing fear and using his destructive powers. The Archangels spared the royal family in return for Lucifer letting them kill off the "common scum folk." If demons were to leave, it could lead to a war between Heaven and Hell if the circumstances did not go well.
Indeed, things had gone from bad to worse. It started off with Alastor causing mischief barely noticed by anyone. He had changed the hotel name to Hazbin Hotel. It was the little things: ignite a brawl here, a bad rating there, all while keeping up appearances and encouraging the princess to work harder toward her goal.
It was speculated by many that Alastor actually wanted Charlie to succeed. The pretty blonde demon/angel hybrid had caught his eye when he first saw her on TV. Although he wasn't interested in sex or romance, he did enjoy fun affectionate friendships…provided they benefited him and his goals. In fact, he was friends with many individuals, particularly Charlie, Rosie, Mimzy, Husk, and Niffty.
After many months of hard work, battles with evil overlords, parental brawls, and drama, many demons had been successfully rehabilitated, including Vaggie, Angel Dust and his twin sister, Molly. They had defeated/humiliated the maniac snake villain Sir Pentious, outsmarted the evil fish scientist Baxter, bested the evil Vs, (Valentino, Vox, and Velvet), along with saving themselves from more angels. Angel, Molly, Crymini, and Cherri Bomb had been active fighters when they weren't hooked on meth or doing pole dancing for the lustful crowds. Husk slowly got out of his dark shell, made amends with his past and slowly started to warm up to everyone. Niffty got delusional in her fantasies of romance, men and power as she cooked, sewed, and cleaned. Whether she was redeemed and remained cute or turned psychotic…no one really knows. Charlie and the others were ready to reach the golden heavenly gates and change their afterlives…
Unfortunately, the angels in Heaven weren't so keen to let any sinners enter Heaven so easily. They told Molly that she could enter as she wasn't a demon, and Vaggie could enter if she took on penance and renounced her sins. Elite and entitled, the angels shooed Charlie, Niffty, Husk, Alastor, Angel and several others away, even sending some Archangels after them. Charlie blasted them back with her fiery powers, saving her friends and escaping back to Hell. But her actions caused inner mental concerns for her parents, God and the angels. God suspected that Charlie and Lucifer were trying to upstage Heaven's duties and traditions. No matter what, Hell's population would continue to grow, and surely the angels would be outnumbered if a war were to begin.
Charlie's parents were not happy that Charlie had broken up with Adrian, Helsa's brother and member of a wealthy rival family. In addition, they were getting tired of Charlie's pursuit and wanted her to conform to Hell's standards. After arguing with her parents and refusing to give up, Charlie had gone to Vaggie and Alastor for comfort. Vaggie comforted her and told her the harsh reality of the situation. Still, she refused to give up, despite feeling like a failure. Charlie decided to figure out a way to negotiate with her parents and the angels. Before she could proceed further, Alastor comforted her with his velvety announcer voice and took her arm in arm for a walk.
They sang, they danced, and even shared a kiss. Charlie felt like Alastor was redeeming himself and that things would be alright in the end.
It was at that optimal moment, that the predatory Radio Demon pounced upon his gullible prey.
Taken by surprise by surrounding voodoo spirits and black tentacles, Charlie fought back as much as she could. But a Creole lullaby sung by Alastor soon rendered her helpless. Charlie was kidnapped and briefly held hostage in Alastor's lair. No rape or beating was involved, just a bunch of creepy touching and mind manipulating. He didn't possess her but did manage to get her on his side when they were face to face with the king and queen. Alastor's evil shadow held an angel's spear to Charlie's throat, a weapon capable of killing any demon. Alastor knew that his powers would not be enough against Lucifer. So he did the one thing to catch him off-guard: go for his child.
Alastor soon proposed a deal with Lucifer and Lilith: Charlie and her hotel would be spared…in exchange for the throne. Lucifer accepted…and soon found his dark powers depleted, traveling into Alastor's microphone staff. He and the dark spirits were now free to take over Hell, cause chaos and feast on innocent demon bodies and souls.
It was at this moment that Alastor had a choice to make…one that could determine the fate of Hell itself. His mother was currently in Heaven, and he hadn't seen her for decades. For a brief moment, Alastor saw Charlie and her friends struggling against the Exterminators…even Lucifer and Lilith were having a hard time. He could either give into his evil carnal desires; claiming Hell and its denizens as his own. Or he could step in, save Charlie and the others (while giving back Lucifer's power and everyone's free will.) He could free Husk and Niffty from their servitude to him, deeply apologize and help save the day.
Alas, he did not.
Instead, he succumbed to his primal evil ways, losing any last trace of what little humanity he had left.
The results were catastrophic. Though several demons and overlords joined together to try and defeat the Radio Demon, the damage had already been done. The Archangels had been a great threat to Hell. With Lilith and Lucifer's powers gone and Charlie devastated that her plan had failed, Alastor was the only one strong enough to overtake so many Exterminators at once. Reluctantly, the other demons let Alastor take the lead…which would soon be a fatal mistake.
Using his powerful magic, and deal-making, everyone in Hell was soon under his control. Their eyes would glow demonic red with moving radio dials in place of pupils. Sinister smiles of sharp teeth would always be present on their faces. They could be moved like puppets, be summoned, and be called to perform musicals at any time. The citizens weren't mindless zombies however; they kept some of their original traits and were more than willing to serve their new overlord. Even princess Charlie was now Alastor's queen and best friend (though they never had sex or married). Those who refused to surrender were slowly tortured and cooked alive.
Hell's population was now a hive-mind, and the lord of chaos was their leader.
The crimson sky in Hell would often shift back and forth to a variety of colors…neon green, purple, black and then back to red. Giant red Voodoo symbols lay scattered in the sky and vibrated like dancing clouds. Radio towers loomed at every corner of Hell, jazz music constantly pulsing among the radio waves. A smug Alastor lounged in his newly conjured throne, a tall golden chair with a shadow wendigo on the back, red voodoo symbols decorating the sides and a pair of black antlers fastened at the very top. Black tentacles slithered everywhere like dark snakes.
All the drug stores and strip clubs had vanished. Valentino, the formerly powerful porn studio owner, sat helplessly as his studio burned to the ground, thanks to shadowy dragons breathing fire from their mouths. Pentagram City now resembled New Orleans in the early 1900s. A demonic version of Mardi Gras was celebrated for four months of the year, complete with the typical yellow, green and purple costumes, masks and decorations. The parade was the same as on Earth, save for the voodoo imps that ran around fighting each other or poking at demons with black pitchforks. The stock market was obviously crashed, as it was Hell, but even more so. It was stuck like the 1929 crash, resulting in tons of crying demon orphans roaming the streets with nowhere to go. Even all the demons were now wearing suits, dapper dresses, top hats and other stylish attire from that time.
All the tea and sweets shops were gone, replaced with coffee shops and stores selling deer meat. Demon farmers were forced to burn all the strawberries they could find. Imps from the Immediate Murder Professionals were paid to enter Earth and bring game for Alastor to hunt in Hell. On occasion, the imps would capture lone humans wandering around on Earth. Once they were brought back, Alastor would break their bones, strangle them, skin them alive, or shoot them…all while broadcasting their screams on the air. Whether they were men or women didn't matter to him. He never harmed any children or elderly individuals. The humans' agonized yells and cries for help were music to his ears. He almost enjoyed it as much as eating them. In Alastor's previous life, there was a cult following of macabre-loving listeners who would tune in and listen to his grisly descriptions of murders over cheery music. Although in Hell, Alastor didn't have to worry about keeping his work secret from the public. In fact, it was the only thing that was broadcasted, both on radio and on TV.
The Hazbin Hotel was now a base for warrior demons walking through portals to invade Heaven. The remaining Archangels still had to be defeated, and the demons had been fitted with armor, spears and even bursts of dark power, allowing them to fly and resist attacks. One of the portals revealed a section of blue sky and white clouds. To protect themselves from the sunlight, some of the shadow spirits embedded themselves into living demons' bodies when they traveled to Heaven.
Alastor grinned, Lucifer's pointed black crown now resting on his head of red and black hair. Charlie wore her mother's crown and sat in an equally sized throne next to him, the throne decorated with voodoo symbols and red apples. She had been gifted with a trident with an apple in the middle of it, the silver prongs turning red in color at the tips. She also had a conjured microphone staff, this one white and pink with an apple in the center. Charlie wore a fancy red dapper dress, black dress shoes and a gold necklace with a ruby apple surrounded by little antlers arching from it. Her eyes were red like his and her straight horns jutted from her blonde hair.
Alastor leaned his face toward Charlie who smiled and blushed.
"Wow, Alastor," she exclaimed enthusiastically, "I always imagined that Hell could be a better place for everyone, free of torture and yearly exterminations. But I never thought it could be anything like this."
The couple watched as several voodoo spirits rode on skeletal horses and waving their harpoons at oncoming Archangels. A brown voodoo doll was hoisted up in the air by a dark gray demon wearing a cowboy hat. With a sickening slash, the doll sliced off the Archangel's black feathery wings with a sharp knife. The robotic assassin fell to the ground, where it was trampled to death by a large cyclops waving a club.
Five Exterminators flew through the portal by the Hazbin Hotel, dodging poisoned arrows being shot from bat-like demons flapping in the air. A few pale-skinned demons down on the street had been heartless soldiers during the World War. They shouted in German and rode black tanks while firing at the angels from old bayonets. The soldiers possessed many animal-like traits, but they had been human in their past lives. Nazis, Soviets, Muslim terrorists, European explorers and conquers, unaware of their influence on third world countries and poorer communities. Russians, Americans, Germans, Japanese, French…all former enemies on Earth were now united in a brainwashed haze.
Alastor waved his hand and several soldiers and Archangels were flown backwards, crashing into brick walls so hard that their heads were crushed in a bloody mess on impact.
Charile's smile fell and eyes widened, a trace of her former self, rising to the surface. For a brief moment, her large orbs turned their former yellow. Alastor stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"No need to get upset, dollface. Deaths is a part of life…or the afterlife in this case. This is Hell, after all. There's bound to be suffering and loss of life at some point. Besides, they were bad people, who deserved what they got. A lose-lose for them."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well it was either a painful final death or being under slavery for a while. To tell you the truth, I personally think there are worse things than death."
Charlie stared out into the horizon, where plumes of smoke swirled upwards toward the crimson colored clouds.
"Like all the violence and hate that goes on down here. How sinners never get a second chance to get better."
"I was thinking of the loss of free will. When you are bound by the rules of society and you never get a chance to express yourself. When people are so quick to label you as a freak, or a psycho, or a madman. All just because they don't understand what it means to get a thrill out of life, in the way you know best. Sinners and humans alike, living their pathetic greedy lives…I've done them a favor by granting them their demise."
"But you're a sinner too. And so are your friends. Why set them to this fate?"
Alastor narrowed his eyes and summoned his red microphone staff in his right hand.
"Well, 'this fate' as you so put it, is the fate they chose for themselves. You saw for yourself how they shook my hand, one by one. I offered them anything and everything to make their lives in Hell more enjoyable. It was the least I could do, me being a gentleman. Look how happy they are!"
Charlie glance over toward her friend Vaggie, who bore a grin of sharp teeth that was very unlike the angry, aggressive, protective woman she was before. Her Hispanic voice and accent sounded like it was being played through a radio. She let out a laugh as she struck an Archangel in the chest with her harpoon. Angel Dust was relaxing and looking through a book of dad jokes instead of browsing through a porn magazine. (He had cried when he was forced to burn them before he got possessed.) Niffty dashed around, cleaning up corpses that littered the streets (and mopped up the rest of the spilled guts.) Even Husk, normally grumpy was grinning ear to ear as he sat and gambled with a few other demons sitting at an outdoor table near a bar.
"Our friends are basically the same people," Alastor said. "It's just their thoughts and behaviors have been altered to better suit my tastes. It makes ruling Hell much easier, and it's a necessary precaution. I have a fearsome reputation to keep up, and it must be known by everyone."
"Where are my parents?" Charlie asked.
"Safe and snug in the voodoo spirits' domain, separate and powerless, of course. I'm still trying to figure out how to fully control angels, but in regards to your mother, it wasn't too hard getting inside her head."
"You…you creep!" Charlie yelled, shaking her head. She glanced over toward the Hazbin Hotel in the distance, memories starting to appear. "I have to get back to the hotel…I'm supposed to help redeem sinners. What am I doing sitting on a throne without everyone dancing happily in Heaven? I have to figure something out…"
Charlie walked off down the street…and her friends slowly turned their heads to look at her. Vaggie made her way toward Charlie and held out her spear in front of her, eyes red and glowing. Angel Dust, also smiling, spread out all six of his arms, two of them holding a gun. Husk arched his back and showed his fangs, while Niffty burst harmlessly into flames with a giggle.
"Guys, it's me, Charlie!" cried the princess, stopping in her tracks. "Alastor's using you. You have to let me pass!"
Alastor chuckled darkly from behind, inching closer to her.
"My dear, I'm afraid that it's not going to work. Their souls are firmly bond to me. Only I can free them."
"Then let them go!"
"Hehehehehehe. Why would I bother doing that? That would only hinder my progress and end goals. Which reminds me…"
He appeared in front of Charlie, materializing from shadow. Charlie's horns grew and she conjured fire around her. Before he could speak, she yelled and unleashed a powerful blast of force that knocked the Radio Demon back. Niffty rushed at her at full speed. She landed several fast punches to her chest, orange and red flames battling for control. Charlie tossed Niffty to the side, being sure she landed in a soft patch of dried grass off to the side. Charlie shot out a volley of fire toward Alastor, who blocked it with a tower of black tentacles that rose from the ground. A blast rang out from Angel's gun and Charlie felt something hit her leg.
"Shit!" she seethed.
She reached down with one hand and pulled out a dart. Charlie recognized the small trident symbol on the top.
"Playing with Baxter's toys? That's not like you, Angel!"
A numbing sensation instantly crept up her leg. She shook it, trying to make the feeling go away. Heavy spots tap dancing along her leg and foot…no other clear way for her to describe the feeling.
Charlie shot another blast of fire toward Alastor, but Vaggie swiped it away with her weapon.
"Last time I remember, you were the one protecting me from him!" Charlie said. "You have to snap out of it."
Vaggie's eyes glowed red. "Alastor's the one protecting us from the Archangels. He helped save us from Sir Pentious, Vox, and Valentino, remember? You can protect and lead us, too. Just let him help you."
"No!" Panic and desperation was flowing through her now. She would not let herself be possessed again. "Remember our relationship, Vaggie. You're my girlfriend. I'm sorry if I didn't listen to your warnings about him before. We have a chance to make things right again."
Vaggie smiled, "Yes, I am. Her voice was monotone. "And I know we'll both be happy together under Alastor's reign."
"Please," she begged. "Come back to me. Is this what you really want?"
"I just want you to be happy," Vaggie said.
Charlie tenderly cupped one of her gray cheeks. "I want to be happy, too. Just…" She wiped away a stray tear. "Stop fighting, please."
Vaggie's wide grin never left her face. "Why are you crying, Charlie? Let me see your beautiful smile."
Charlie gasped softly and stepped back. Her numbing leg wobbled underneath her.
Niffty and Angel walked over to her.
"Let's put on our happy faces and kick some…Archangel butt!" Angel added.
Charlie knew Angel had tried to use a swear word in his sentence.
Niffty giggled, flames vanishing from her body. Charlie was about to run, when Husk grabbed her arms from behind.
"Husk, let go of me!" Charlie yelled.
"Being happy would be purrfect for you," he crooned.
Husk was never happy. And he certainly did not care for any dad jokes.
In the blink of an eye, Alastor was standing in front of her.
"As I was going to say before that interruptive fight…that angel part of you keeps trying to resist my power. It's been happening several times each month. But no matter. Once all the angels have been defeated and Earth becomes more accessible, perhaps I'll gain enough power to keep you in check…permanently."
Charlie swore and opened her mouth in a fearsome roar. But Alastor remained unfazed.
"Ah, ah, ah," he said in a sing-song voice. "There's no need for that, my dear." He lifted up the corners of her mouth with his fingers, Charlie growling when he let go. "If I wanted to, I could've killed you and all your loved ones. But it'd be pointless to do so to a charming demon belle with such influence. Your plan may have failed, but you're no failure."
Alastor's black antlers grew slightly taller, arching out to the sides. His red eyes turned black, with red dials appearing in the center. Closing his hand, a drop of blood fell to the ground. He lifted up her pale chin with his microphone and spoke in a low demonic voice, "Smile my dear, and look into my eyes."
Charlie squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip.
"You have a dream, you wish to tell, about happiness and harmony in Hell…"
Charlie's breathing quickened as jazz music began to play not too far away. She willed herself not to listen to his singing. Her thoughts drowned away as his velvety voice continued. Her eyes slowly opened…
"I'm here to help you out, we'll go the extra mile…but you're never fully dressed without a smile."
The world turned red as she stared into Alastor's eyes. Voodoo symbols meshed with static and fractured bits of reality. Husk released her and stepped back with the others. Charlie's mind went blank, her black pupils rolling back into her head. Her sclera turned from yellow to crimson red. A fanged smile appeared on her face.
"That's much better," Alastor smiled as he reverted back to his regular form.
Alastor held out his two gloved hands and Charlie took them. They moved their legs and bodies in sync as the jazz music grew louder. A band of shadow spirits were performing as they appeared from a crater in the ground. Together, the two of them danced as the battle continued to go on. They waltzed through a puddle of blood, sang over the screams of demons being slaughtered by a few brave Archangels. He spun Charlie around in a circle, stopping her fall. Alastor's staff lit up, broadcasting the event and providing a spotlight for them.
Soon, the song was over and the dance finished with a demonic Charlie in Alastor's arms.
"That was so much fun, Alastor! Can we do some more?"
Alastor clicked his tongue. "As entertaining that would be, there's still some work to be done. Those Archangels and rival demons aren't going to kill themselves."
"I've never been to Heaven or Earth before," Charlie mentioned, eyes shining. "I'll get to see what they're like, right?"
"Indeed you will," said Alastor. "Those who try and stop us will fall down to failure. Soon, we'll get the chance to rule several realms, and look forward to endless entertainment! Who knows, you might get a chance to meet an angel or a mortal…at least, those who survive long enough."
"And we can celebrate our victory with dancing and good food," Charlie added, licking her lips.
"Coffee and eggs for breakfast, Jambalaya for lunch, demon and deer meat for dinner…"
"What's the specialty?" she asked.
Alastor grinned. "Human flesh."
He let out a maniacal laugh as Charlie and her friends joined in.