"You're joking. It's … It's … a joke, it's a joke, it's a joke."
"You're not needed anymore."
!
"I'm sorry."
"Wait!"
With a wave of his hand, darkness was left to plague her.
12.00 pm
The paranormal black pentagram moon hung against mahogany skies, looming over Pentagram City. Its eerie glow laid a sinister blanket upon the city with the shadows it cast. The atmosphere created a time for nightcrawlers to surface and cause mischief; luring clueless victims to stray away from the light. It was the spice of life. Those fearful expressions, thrills of the chase and those feeble cries for help; they were helpless, powerless. Nobody came rushing in to help because everybody was selfishly saving themselves, the target's only solace was the light on the streets. This natural instinct would save the living but down here. Down here, there was no police, no law and especially no God nor angels for their rescue. However, their chaser pitied them by their naive efforts to find security, the least they could do was to reveal their faces as their prey fell by their blades and fangs; drawing out sweet music of screams, bittersweet taste of blood. Don't fret, reader - 'nothing dies in Hell'. You can't blame these murderers, they were cursed with undying life, their hobby was the only thing keeping them entertained.
There were more hobbies sprinkled down here than murder. Over the vast expanse of Pentagram City, moonlight revealed brothels, casinos, clubs, pubs, illicit stores, especially the infamous porn studio flashed in neon and boomed with beats and bass; enticing the denizen of Hell. These architecture of transgression were the foundation of Hell as lewd scandalous bodies flowed along with grunts and breathless moans, consumption of drugs and smokes, clattering gambling tokens and pool balls, smooth liquid flowing down sinner's throats and rowdy crowds after an explicit performance. These guilty pleasures have no limits, no culpabilities, no consequences and no responsibilities; they get to enjoy the temptation of sin till they drop.
Lost in time, Hell was a dim and abysmal cesspool, sprouting everlasting fire. A place for the damn to suffer and pay for their wrongdoings. The city stands as a testament that embraces these so-called 'sins'; a challenge to its biblical interpretation. Sinners didn't suffer, it was a blessing. With the benefit of having no repercussions of death by diseases, murder or overdoses; it was the largest sinful playground. However, for some their amusement ends faster than the rest. As the population rose uncontrollably, overcrowding the street, a solution was needed. The solution chimes when Big Ben's dials turn zero; to signal an annual cleanse. Angelic beings plunged from the luminous orb in the sky, heaven, with spears at hand.
Stereotypically, symbolling an angel as a being of holy good would bring the greatest solution for the overpopulation. News flash, you're wrong. Those angelic spears were built specially to end the lives of the inhabitants of Hell. For those that manage to stay indoors and survive, until Big Ben strikes 4:07, they continue to live. Those survived had the chance to witness the grime and gore decorated the streets, along with desuetude spears and crimson further staining brimstone. No mercy was given by these terrifying creatures. Those 'angels' left with bloodshed and a massacre, they stained themselves with blood on their black armor, immaculate wings and their holographic twisted grins. This shows that a halo doesn't crown someone for righteousness and holiness.
Here's a question: Who's evil now?
There were no differences between 'good' and 'evil'. The notion to label something 'good' or 'bad' was taught by someone's perceptions, belief and culture that deemed acceptable and trustworthy. Sex, drugs, alcohol, gamble and genocide were viewed as evil while democracy, human rights, equality were considered favorable in respective societies. This goes the same with 'heaven' and 'hell'. Segregating the living based on their actions does not damn someone for eternity because their concepts were different. Some kill for vengeance or justice, some steal for survival or necessity. Crimes were constituted as evil because their actions were different from the majority. The living may see an angel as a being of good but it was the worst of evil by sinners. Therefore, 'Fuck you, Heaven!' was littered in the streets of Hell.
At least the purge helped to isolate between the fittest with the weak. The fittest fight for the top to build a hierarchy of power. A notorious class of demons; overloads. Establishing fear in its succession classes; this was their view of order. Nobody in the right mind would dare to engage these ancient and destructive beings. Even the mere sight of the infamous radio demon's shadow made sinners hide and cower.
What a beautiful night! Destruction everywhere! Death decorating the streets! The vile smell of blood! It's a shame that I already have dinner. Alastor hummed a cheery tone of 'You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile' as he strolled along the streets after a satisfying dinner of his mother's special recipe for jambalaya. What a kicker! A warm belly filled with an esculent meal, he wanted to admire the genocide and destruction before calling in for the night; the combined efforts of the extermination and turf wars. However, the sound of static caught his attention as he passed an electronic store, displaying televisions with unreasonable prices. That's evil but not to my standards.
"Hello, Alastor." A reverb voice called out as television screens hissed and collectively revealed a demon with a head of a flat-screen television. "Out for a stroll?" Another overload, grinning back at him.
Alastor, however, was unphased by this surprise. "Show off. All hat and no cattle." The radio demon waved him off and continued his stroll.
Television screens popped for a second, distorting his screened face and the image of his striped suit as the radio demon left.
Alastor was pleased with himself that he was able to push Vox's buttons.
"Awww, that hurt. I was worried, with the annual extermination and all, that I was unable to see my beloved friend again." The TV demon playfully said.
"Ha! I didn't know you did comedy. Go find someone else who wants to listen for extra laughs."
When Vox was about to give his retort, there was a sonic boom. A hurling white, green and black comet flew across the sky above them. Judging from the projectile, it was going to crash near the hotel.
"Toodles." Alastor quickly reduced to his shadow and slithered away with haste.
"Yeah, GO FETCH, BAMBI!" The TV demon called out. In a safe distance, he smacked his flat screen. "Go fetch Bambi? That's pathetic." Then, screens turned black.
Seated cross-legged on a king-size bed, Charlie was glued to her hellphone that constantly cries in pain as it's default ringtone. After her interview with 666 news, she received a plethora of requests from sinners wishing to stay in her hotel but for different reasons. Angel Dust being involved in the turf wars has its benefits, sinners praised his performance for the thirst of destruction, especially Charlie's brawl with Katie Killjoy, 666 news star reporter, that left the broadcast studios in a mess; being Lucifer's daughter and all. Sinners misinterpreted that the hotel was indoctrinating carnage rather than rehabilitation. Apposing her hotel's purpose. Oh, what the heck not. An added benefit with the knowledge that the hotel was rent-free, sinners took it as an advantage until Charlie's phone was in the fritz. The princess of Hell revoked her rent-free policy for some customers staying in the hotel so that she could pay back Alastor's investment in her hotel and even have more staff working in her hotel. However, it didn't stop the swarm of messages in her inbox. It was no shocker that some sinners wanted to stay in the hotel just because they were the porn actor's creepy fans or seeking protection because of the involvement of the radio demon; after knowing what he did to poor Sir Pentious. With large numbers of customers, Charlie tried to filter out those that really wanted to stay in the hotel. Be as it may for protection or requiring a roof under their foreheads till she reached her hotel's quotas and stopped taking any further enrolments. She even created a waiting list for incoming sinners wishing to stay in the hotel.
"Urghhh, finally!" The princess of Hell splayed herself fully on to the bed with a smile on her face; feeling the comfort of bed on her strained body and vibration from her hellphone. I could hire somebody to help with that.
"That's quick." Vaggie said while she gets ready for bed.
"You won't believe how many people wanted to stay here now. We need to thank Angel for that and I don't understand why they say they wanted to stay in the 'Hazbin Hotel'. It's the Happy Hotel."
"Strange, but anyways, sinners wanted to stay here for 'training' and 'protection'."
"At least we give people a chance for redemption. They may not see it now but if we introduce the process of rehabilitation, it will definitely change their minds."
Vaggie sighed because there was no way to change Charlie's mind. She admired Charlie's tenacity to help sinners even after being publicly humiliated on television hours ago. If she was the princess of Hell, she would give up on her subjects. That was why she adored Charlie because she was determined and never failed to see the good in every selfish sinner in Hell. It always confused her about how she constantly did it. It was impressive that she could continuously do this; Vaggie knew she would lose hope. However, she did not lose hope because of Charlie's contagious passion to rehabilitate sinners. It also gave the reason why she constantly protects Charlie at the first sight of danger, preserving such immaculate purity to never be stained with darkness; physically and emotionally even if it left her in pieces. "Come on, it's your turn."
Charlie wiggled her arms in the air. "Could you help me?" She whined.
The moth demon laughed at her girlfriend's antics and helped her get ready for bed.
With the room bathed in darkness, its occupants laid in bed and were consumed with sleep. One was sound asleep but the other had difficulty sleeping. Charlie carefully removed her hands around Vaggie and sneaked off the bed. Over the balcony, staring at the luminous orb in the sky with her leaning against the balcony with her arms crossed.
A moment to recollect the events that happened today. She was able to achieve her goal in flying colors. The concern of her hotel being empty was out the door. It was packed and fully registered with sinners, she has a business but there was another concern that plagued her mind. "Can my plan work?"
There, she said it. Can her plan really work? Why didn't it work on Angel? Was there such a thing as redemption? And was it possible? What was she supposed to do? She was plagued with uncertainty and the uncertain future frightened her. When she was younger, she heard stories of heaven from her father of puppy dog kisses, cotton candy dreams, puffy-wuffy clouds and rainbows. Even though he storied it with vile and disdain, she saw beauty and comfort that her people could enjoy. A sense of hope.
Hope.
Looking at Vaggie still sleeping form and back at the luminous orb in the sky, she cupped her hands together and started to pray. Vaggie taught Charlie the ritual of praying when she was curious about how the living worshiped God; the almighty, creator of worlds and all-knowing. Humans prayed for the love of God, forgiveness, blessings and guidance; and here she was needing some of that hope.
Ummm...God? I don't know if you can hear me but I need your guidance here. I'm confused, afraid, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I only ask for a bit of hope.
Charlie gripped her hands harder, putting more power to it as if it would help to convey her message to God.
I know I'm not a failure. Please. Please. Please. With a cherry on top.
That did it. With a cherry on top, her prayer was answered with a sonic boom. Charlie quickly shot her eyes in the skies. A comet of white, green and black was shot out from the luminous orb. The comet left a trail of light as it traveled past the hotel and crashed a few feet away with an effulgent ball of light; rocking the hotel where some glasses toppled and break. Charlie instantly blocked the blinding light with her hand. The effulgent light was replaced with a large fortress of ice, just outside her hotel; spikes of ice destroying anything that surrounded it.
"What was that?!" Vaggie was woken by the loud impact of the comet and was instantly by Charlie's side with a spear out.
"He … he … he heard me." Charlie whispered in astonishment.
"What?"
"He heard me!" The princess of Hell hugged Vaggie close and jumped in glee while repeating her words. "He heard me! He heard me! He heard me!"
The moth demon was confused and trapped in Charlie's embrace. "Who heard you?"
"God! God heard me! Come on!" She dragged her girlfriend outside of the hotel.
That moment, Vaggie knew that Charlie was insane. All that purity finally convinced herself that God existed. "Am I dreaming? Yes, that must be it. I'm dreaming, I am going to wake up and all of this will go away. Yeah, simple as that, Charlie pinch me."
As requested, Charlie pinched her arm.
"Owhhh!" Vaggie cried and tried to relieve her sore spot. "Why aren't I waking up?"
"Because this isn't a dream. God really heard me."
"NO! THE BOOZE!" The couple heard a devastated Husker wailing over broken bottles of alcohol on the floor. Then, in a flash, Niffty came and mopped the floors.
"What's going on?" A sleepy voice called out behind them. Angel Dust, the spider demon, had Fat Nuggets, his pet pig, in hand.
"God heard my prayer." Charlie happily informed the spider demon.
"Toots, what kind of drug is in your system?"
"Come, see it for yourself." Charlie tugged at Angel's arm like an eager child dragging her parents.
"Hey! Hold on. Where's smiles?"
In impeccable timing, Alastor warped between them. "In the flesh." When Alastor's eyes rested on Angel, he was like a deer caught in headlights and immediately pushed Angel away as far as his radio staff, five feet away, and snapped his fingers to summon a red bathrobe for him to cover his naked form; with black cursive HH initials across his right chest. The only clothing he had was his velcro knee-high boots.
"Sweet, is this free?" Angel was checking himself out, how the red bathrobe shaped around his body. "What do you think, Fat Nugget?"
"Oink!"
"With Angel fully clothed, you three can go find out what landed in our backyard." Alastor announced.
"You're not coming?" Charlie asked.
"I've had enough of flashing for one night. I'll be here cheering our devastated Husker up."
"Fuck off, you shit. I will never be happy again." Husker wailed.
The trio raised their eyebrows, shrugged and left for the crash site. Near crash site, they dodged around icy spikes poking out of the ground. Being close to the magnificent fortress of ice, it gleamed and glowed, trapping moonlight within it like a large diamond. They were mystified by its beauty and hugged themselves tight from the chill.
"Is this ice?" Vaggie asked as she inched closer. With a finger against ice, she flinched from the bite of the freeze.
"That's new."
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it before."
"I mean the broad over there." Angel pointed at the center of the fortress and found a humanoid being trapped within it.
"We need to get her out of there." A determined Charlie said.
"Well, melt this hunk of popsicle already."
"We can't do that. It will crush her." Charlie could easily summon Hellfire to melt the fortress but it will create a structural imbalance where the bottom of the fortress will weaken and collapse due to the weight from the top. "We need to do this delicately. Stand back." With Vaggie and Angel at a safe distance, the princess of Hell drew a flaming circle in the air and with a shot of her hand, controlled flames shot out and started to melt the ice, carving a tunnel leading to the center of the fortress. Charlie was leading the way, Vaggie and Angel followed after her. They found the humanoid being facing against the ground with dark wavy hair. She was unconscious with her body steadily lifted with every breath.
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you … um… carry her?"
"Why me?"
"Errr…" Charlie blushed till her white skin matched the red on her cheeks and fidgeted; trying to focus her eyes somewhere else. "She's naked."
"Oh."
At a distance, a duo was admiring the diamond fortress as it gleamed.
"Hmmm, another fallen?"
"Maybe but regardless, Lucifer is going to love this." Sipping his drink.
"New competition."
"Or an ally."
"I hate your optimism."
"I know you hate me as deep as the nine circles of Hell."
Thanks for finding an interest in reading my fanfic! I hope you enjoy the read. In this chapter, I wanted to build the setting of Hell and a brief introduction of my character. Her final design is still in the works and will be revealed in the next chapter. Overall, I would be glad to hear some feedback on the story so far. Give me your thoughts.
Fun facts
The encounter between Alastor and Vox was from an official unleashed comic that I came across when Faustisse was inking for it in her youtube channel.
I always imagine Vox's voice to be like Ultron's by Avengers: Age of Ultron. I don't know why when I was writing Vox, it suddenly came up. I hope Vox's character is something like Ultron having humor to compensate for his powerful evil side.
The philosophy between Heaven and Hell was by a fan Reddit post by u/jacksondaxhacker that I found was quite interesting and wanted to capture it.