Chapter 18

Valentino's Safehouse

Charlie sat in the corner, shivering in her robe. The cement floor was cold, and the 'safehouse' itself wasn't any better.

"It was unavoidable!" Valentino yelled into the phone. "She tried to throw me out of the chopper! I acted in self defense!"

Charlie glared at his back. She knew that he was talking to her father, and also knew that, if he was to give Charlie and Vaggie to Lucifer, then he had an ulterior motive.

"It was huge!" Valentino described. "It was like some sort of goddamn dragon!"

Charlie couldn't help but wonder what the Shadow was. It looked like the dragon that Trevor had drawn a while ago, but she couldn't be certain. It was shrouded in clouds.

A loud bang was heard at the door. Valentino dropped his phone in fright.

"Fuck, it's here!" he yelled. His minions grabbed Charlie and retreated to the back of the warehouse, where they realized a fatal flaw in the building;

there was only one way in, and thus, one way out.

A soft red light glowed from the other side of the door, before they were bashed in. The outside was aflame with red hellfire, and the clouds from outside poured in. A low chittering was heard.

"Oh, shit," Valentino whispered. He led the group behind a stack of wooden crates. Charlie peeked out, and saw that her suspicions were correct.

A draconic head peeked through the clouds, followed by a long neck. It walked on it's enormous wings, and behind it trailed a long tail. It's scales were dark crimson in color, and it's eyes were blood red.

It's nostrils flared as it growled, looking for the demon lord and his minions. One of the minions snuck away to try and sneak behind the dragon.

"Drake, you idiot!" Valentino whispered when he saw the minion.

It was too late. Drake had tripped on a broom.

The dragon turned it's head and it's neck revealed a massive cobra hood. It growled before opening it's mouth in a deafening scream. It's chest glowed a frightening red, and it traveled up the dragon's neck to it's throat.

It reopened it's mouth as a stream of hellfire shot right at Drake. The demon screamed in agony, before his body was nothing but ash.

The dragon walked over to the pile of ash. It flicked it's tongue at the charred remains, as if it was tasting it. Charlie knew, however, that snakes used their tongues to smell.

Valentino and his minions walked behind the dragon to try and sneak around. Charlie decided to take a leap of faith and threw a box to the ground.

The dragon turned it's head to face the retreating demon lord. It growled and unfurled it's hood again as it stalked toward them. Valentino panicked and put Charlie between him and the winged serpent.

The dragon stopped in it's tracks.

Charlie then knew it's motivation. It was trying to save her, and if that's what it was trying to do, did that mean this dragon was Trevor?

She slammed her elbow into Valentino's face and ran to the dragon. It roared as it walked over her, preventing the demons from grabbing her.

"No, please!" the demon lord begged. "It was Lucifer's fault! He wanted me to bring her and the other girl to him! He's the one you want!"

The dragon put it's mouth right in front of Valentino's face, and spoke in a voice that reeked of anger.

"You still did it," it growled.

It then unleashed a burst of red hellfire into the lord's face. The flames licked at the minions beside him and set them on fire, and Valentino was reduced to ash.

The dragon huffed as it returned to Charlie. It's eyes were gentle, and it's hood was furled into it's body. She held her hand out, and it pressed it's nose against it.

"Trevor?" Charlie asked. "Is that you?"

"Yes," it replied. "Vaggie is OK, and she's waiting for you at the Hotel."

Charlie nodded and walked up his neck. The scales felt rough on her bare feet. She finally laid on his back, below his shoulders.

Trevor walked outside and took off into the dwindling rain. The hurricane finally ended as it's source was destroyed.

In it's place was a sunset. If anything about Hell could be praised, it was the sunrises and sunsets.


Lucifer's Palace

"I can't believe this!" Lucifer yelled. "He had them! Why didn't he just deliver them when he had a chance?!"

"Sir?" one of his priests said shakily. "I have to tell you something."

"Is it good news?" the Devil asked.

"N-Not really."

"THEN STUFF IT!"

The priest ran out of the room in a puff of smoke. Lucifer was in no mood for such shit.

"Who the hell is this dragon?" he asked himself. "And who is he to take my daughter?"


Hazbin Hotel

Trevor landed in front of the Hotel with a thud. Vaggie and Angel ran out to greet him and Charlie.

"Vaggie!" Charlie yelled as she ran to her girlfriend.

"Charlie!" the demonness yelled, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.

Trevor, now in his humanoid form, smiled sadly and turned to walk away. Vaggie saw this and looked at her girlfriend.

"Charlie," she said, "please forgive me."

Charlie didn't have the opportunity to ask, as Vaggie walked past her toward her admirer.

"Trevor!" she yelled.

The shapeshifter turned to see her approaching. Oh, shit, he thought. I'm in for it now.

His thoughts were silenced as she grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss. Trevor's eyes went wide with shock, but he made no effort to push her away. Eventually, he relaxed into her grasp and closed his eyes.

"You're an idiot," Vaggie whispered when they parted for air, "but you're my idiot, and I'm not letting you go, unless I am convinced otherwise."

"But what you said-"

"I don't care. We're spending time together, irregardless of what I said when I was drunk as fuck."

Trevor grinned at her.

"What?"

"Did you really say 'irregardless?'"

She threw him an angry look before he locked their lips back together.