Angel stirred awake, he had no idea how long it had been. When he opened his eyes he recognized the surroundings in the faint red glow coming from the window. He was laying in his bed back in his room at the hotel. Groggily he got up and pulled the blanket off of him, noting the injuries he had from the night before having vanished. Sitting off the edge of the bed he put his head in his hands and thought back to prior events. His torture. His kill. His escape. No, not escape. After what he had done that option didn't exist for him anymore. He knew what he had to do now, and yet he froze.
He knows he's killed before, several times, seen the finality of death in as many angles as a person could in a lifetime. But after all he's been through with the hotel, trying every day to be a better person, he pauses at the notion of what he's going to do. Slowly he gets up and walks over to his dresser table, his phone laying on top. Picking it up the screen lights up his contacts; for a brief moment he turns away and catches his reflection in the mirror. How long has it been since he's accepted Charlie's offer? It seemed so romanticized at the time, work with the princess of hell to get to heaven. But he wanted to be free, the notion of being in a better place away from Valentino seemed too good to ignore. But now he can't help but think of it as a silly dream, made by an optimist. Someone who, although born in the pits of hell, was blind to true cruelty. Every day he would come here, and he felt no closer to redemption nor heaven; and every night he would leave, and collect a new bruise, a new scar, a new mark.
Turning back to his phone he touched on a contact and began typing, *Hey brotha, it's Val, we need to take care of him. My plan... failed, you can say I told ya so later. Meet me at Happy Hotel, it's time we ended this.* Send.
"I'm sorry Charlie."
Angel got dressed, then grabbed everything he would need for what was to come. His trademark tommy guns, revolvers, bat. Looking at his meager arsenal he realized this wouldn't be enough, he would need more. Picking up his phone with one of his hands he typed out another message and continued to pack. One way or another, he wouldn't be coming back. Being stirred from sleep by all the commotion Fat Nuggets hops onto the bed to face Angel. "Daddy is gonna be gone for a while Nugs, dunno if I'll come back, if I don't... Charlie'll take care of ya. Nothin' bad will eva' happen to ya so long as she's around." Angel finished gathering his belongings, then sat back down on the bed to spend a little more time with his pet. In his mind, this would've been the last they ever saw of each other.
A couple minutes later Angel was making his way down the hall towards the main lobby. Everyone would be awake around this time and waiting for him, he knew it. When he rounded the corner to the lobby proper he confirmed his suspicions. Husk was behind the bar as usual with his hands resting on the countertop, Niffty was sitting on a stool across from him swinging her body left to right in an antsy fashion. Charlie and Vaggie were together on the couch by the fireplace, their heads raising when they heard Angel enter the room. And Alastor was standing towards the middle of the room humming to himself absentmindedly. Charlie was the first to approach him.
"Oh Angel thank goodness you're alright! We were scared when you came back, seeing you like that. But Al fixed you up really well it looks like, you still aren't in pain anywhere are you?"
Angel looked down at her with slight sorrow, croaking out, "Nah, I'm fine babe, honestly. It wasn't as bad as it looked."
"Are you sure? You don't sound too good, maybe you should go back to your room and we can talk later."
"Charlie I'm sure, it isn't worse than what he's done before-"
"He?" Vaggie interjected. "So it's that pimp's fault, I'm not surprised," anger rose in her voice towards the end.
"It's ok, you'll be ok," Charlie said, sounding more like she was assuring herself than Angel. "You'll be safe enough while you're here, you have no reason to go back out there."
"I-it ain't that simple Charlie. Especially not now..."
"What do you mean? Why..." her voice trailed off, only now noticing the extra bag Angel was carrying. "Y-you're leaving?"
Alastor turned at this, smiling his wide devilish grin. "Well, why wouldn't he? I mean, he's been here for months, getting absolutely nowhere with redemption, only spiraling deeper and deeper into sin. And the small fact he killed Vox on top of that? Hahaha! The choice was obvious my dear!"
Angel could feel the weight of their eyes on him now. How did Alastor... actually no, I ain't surprised he knows. I was hopin' ta leave easy, looks like that option is out too. Angel glanced at Alastor, catching his rising smile, before turning back to Charlie, "All the more reason I should go. This all needs ta end, one way or anotha'."
Angel tried to move towards the front door but felt someone grab his arm. "Charlie... don't make dis harda' than it has ta be."
"No Angel, I'm not going to let you go back out there. I forgive you for what you've done, I know you enough now to know you wouldn't have done it if you had another choice. But if I let you go I can't guarantee you'll be safe, I can't help you get better."
Angel refused to look back at her, tears starting to well in his eyes, "An' what if I stay? As soon as Val finds out he'll take down this entire place ta get ta me. And when he does... I'll wish Vox did kill me." Finally turning around, he looked at Charlie and pulled out the modified angelic spear, "This is the only way now, I have ta kill him first. If I can do that, I can finally be safe."
"Angel... please, you know what this means if you do this. If you... succeed, I can't guarantee I can redeem you. You still have so much good in you, you know that."
Angel closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears that streamed through his closed eyelids. He gripped the knife harder, was this really worth it? Throwing away everything, even his friends, for this? "I can neva' escape him Charlie. Every day I'm reminded he's still out there. There hasn't been a single moment here I've felt safe, I don't give a damn about redemption anymore. I just want the nightmares ta stop, I just want him dead. I'm so sorry."
He tried to pull away again, only to be held in place, "You don't mean that! You're just scared, that's all! We're your friends, we can help you, please don't leave!" Charlie was crying now, the realization she was losing Angel was setting in.
"Charlie is right Angel. If that bastardo comes anywhere near this hotel, we'll be there to stop him I promise you," Vaggie was up now by Charlie's side looking up expectantly at him. Could he just stay here? He knows he could be potentially endangering all their lives but he began to feel that feeling he had when Charlie found him all those months ago. Hope.
Their brief comradery, however, was broken by familiar laughter and static, "How quaint, all this talk of 'we'. I don't know about you dear but I never agreed to bodyguard service. I'm here to 'help with this hotel, for as long as I desire'. Those were your words correct?"
This riled up Vaggie, "Fine! We never needed you asshole, the rest of us can help Angel just fine. Me, Charlie, Husk, Ni-"
Her rant was cut off again by Alastor's laugh, "Husker and Niffty? Last I checked they're mine to order around, not yours. If I want them to jump, I pull their strings to make them. So it seems you're on your own, although... I could lend them out. To help Angel of course." Shifting up his staff, Alastor turned and nudged Vaggie and Charlie aside leaving him standing in front of a tear-stained Angel Dust.
"Let's face it Angel, these two can't help you. How long have you been here and nothing has changed? And now you've gone and REALLY messed things up. No amount of empty promises will keep what's coming at bay my fellow. Unless..." he extended his hand out, a green glow Angel has only seen once before radiated around it, "we make a deal."