My Oc(s) are owned by me alone. Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss are owned by Vivienne Medrano, Spindlehorse Toons, and A24 studios. Please support the official release.
"Talking", 'Thinking', Flashback/Dream,Writing/"TV"/"Radio", "Voice change"/"Demonic talking",Titles
*SOUND EFFECT*
Chapter 1: Sanctuary
Ever since he died and came down here, Father Mark has always felt blessed that he could fly. He can get away from his enemies, and can get to places far quicker than the average demon. It can be a pain however to have to be constantly self aware of his surroundings so he doesn't keep bumping his black feathered wings into things and make sure they don't get shot at or sliced. 'Okay mental note, invest in some kind of wing armor. I nearly got nicked by that knife, and I don't need any kind of crippling. Oh and invest in some kind of rope or grappling tool to trip enemies, don't want to shoot another non targeted sinner in the leg.' He cringes at the memory while flying over the city. He continues to think to himself, 'Should I have apologized?'
'No, he made his choices. He needs to know the life he lived will have consequences.'
He internally sighs, 'Doesn't matter anymore, what's done is done.'
*KABOOM*
Mark stops flying to look in the direction of the explosion and what he sees several blocks down doesn't even surprise him anymore. A giant black and gold blimp with massive guns firing pink and red laser beams in multiple directions across city blocks. There is only one sinner that fits this type of flamboyant M.O.
"Ughhh, Frickin Pentious. Every year you do this." Mark has been tempted multiple times to go to him and erase him but has reached a few roadblocks. One is that his blimp and even his headquarters is a literal fortress so it will be really difficult to get in close and not get noticed and shot out of the sky by his security guns. And two, is that he doesn't have the necessary tools to get in and take him on and his machines single handedly. He chuckles to himself at entertaining with a thought. "Heh, what kind of idiot would try to fight him straight on?"
Meanwhile
On top of a building right near the airship a female demon in an 80s punk rocker outfit with one eye, sharp teeth, and pink hair is about to light a fuse for a bomb to throw into Pentious's airship until she suddenly stops to sneeze. Afterwards she says, "I don't know why, but I want to kick somebody's fucking teeth in." She then shrugs and lights the fuse.
Back with Mark
The last reason is that he is exhausted and doesn't have the energy to go and take him out. Jerry the pig demon was the only sinner of the day that he hunted down and erased because due to the extermination he had to hide out underneath his church with some of the other parish members to try and stay awake, pray, and be vigilant from the angels. Over the past year that he has been doing this the priest has killed over a few dozen or so sinners and hellborn demons from drug dealers, to rapists, to imps and succubi, to even prostitutes that were drugging and robbing their customers. Plus the flying demon has rationalized a few times that he is gonna be here for a LONG time so he can get him or anyone for the matter at any time down the line, he just needs to find the right opportunity. 'One day though, I will take you from this plane of existence.' He then continues to fly away quickly so that the eggbois don't see him and try to shoot him out of the air like a clay pigeon.
While he was flying away he started to truly notice the carnage that was left over from the extermination that ended some hours ago. Bodies upon bodies are littered over the street and even sees other sinners and demons going through their pockets for extra cash, to collect clothes, or even their remains for cannibal meat.
"Tsk. ungodly animals. Have no respect for the dead." Meanwhile he is clenching his hand in disgust and anger around the wad of cash he took from the hog demon he killed earlier while he was retrieving his weapons from the body. He then thinks to himself, 'Hey, you're using the money for your mission and for your parishioners. You have a noble purpose for it. They don't.'
Eventually he reaches a gothic style church. It wasn't massive by any means but it was still a decent size for about a hundred or so attendees. It has grey stone and a black shingled roof with many cracks and some holes in it across the length of the building with a partially destroyed bell tower next to it in the front, a broken rose style window in the front of the building and massive wooden doors. The doors like some of the walls had red painted graffiti. Whether it was red paint or blood doesn't matter anymore but some of the stuff that was said is very concerning and also rage inducing to him seeing this. Things like "Fuck God", "Don't worship Him" with an arrow pointing up, and "Fuck the angels" are all around the walls but mostly in the front of the church.
*Sigh* "Dammit, not again." Says the costumed priest when he gets closer to the building and hovers over the ground to look at the graffiti. Not only that but he also notices some 12 or so corpses of sinners and demons that have been trying to claw their way in. He then bows his head with his hands over one another in a prayer. "Don't worry Lord, I will clean this in your honor and name. And please help these souls find comfort in the void." He then releases his hands and flies up to the rose window and goes through it and lands right at the beginning of the nave in the front of the church. He then goes to a large stone bowl in the entrance with beautiful engraving around it. As beautiful as it is the bowl has a broken base with the pieces scattered around it so it is lopsided somewhat, and is lower than where it was but it still holds water. He then reaches up to his head and pulls down his black hood and takes his angels mask off his face. He then holds it in his left hand while using his right hand to use his thumb, pointer, and middle fingers to dip them in the water. He then touches in the specific order of his forehead, heart, his left shoulder, and his right while muttering, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."
He puts the mask and hood back on and he looks around and takes in the design and scenery around him and through this tries to feel the Holy Spirit around him.
Back on earth when he was alive it was much easier to feel the swelling in his chest when he was in attendance at mass or even when he, as a priest, conducted and ran the mass. But now that he is in Hell it's far more difficult to feel that. He can't help but feel like he is somewhat disconnected from God and His grace and love.
For his whole life, Father Mark has been taught and even taught others that Hell was a place of torment and pain for those that are truly evil in spirit and haven't repented for their sins. It was a place of punishment so that God and his justice will be implemented against the wicked. It is still surprising to think that Hell has a society of sorts, with an economy, and all sorts of things like businesses, and a lot of freedom with a loose sense of law. But despite how promising it is there is always something lurking underneath that promise of true freedom. There will be no stopping those who hurt others, whether by assault, rape, or even murder. There will be those who scam and take advantage of others without repercussions, and practically everyone will eventually stab their ally or friend in the back whether metaphorically or literally. There is no form of justice or even sustainable happiness. It is a true paradise for sinners and there are so many who have embraced that and with the threat of the angels coming to curb the population once a year they try to live their day like it is their last with no consequences.
Mark, while through his train of thought, continues to move through the nave and pass by the wooden pews, statues, and the images of the stages of the crucifixion all the way to the altar. He genuflects by standing straight, putting his hands together, and bowing down to the altar and the golden crucifix that is standing up on top of it. He then stands back upright and walks around to behind the altar. Feeling his heart drop he now realized that there are about half a dozen bodies carefully placed at the front of the pews covered in white clothes with blood stains that originated from their chests.
The demon priest bows his head in silence and says, "You my friends have all served this parish well, to continue to be faithful and to serve the church during your eternal time here, and that you have chosen to stay here during the extermination and die on your own terms by giving yourselves to the angels is a commendable act alone that you accepted your destiny."
He finishes, "I will make sure you will be buried and me and the parish will give your true final rites tomorrow. I promise"
He then bends down behind the altar and within the stone carvings he presses a carving of Michael the Archangel to have it pop open and turns it and pulls it out hearing the mechanism unlock and slowly the altar moves over to the side revealing stone stairs going down. The masked priest walks down underneath the nave. He reaches the bottom and turns on the lights revealing a grey stone room with a twin bed, desk, and wardrobe on the far corner and on the other end there is a simple kitchen with a sink, oven with a stove, microwave, fridge, and small pantry. against a wall near the stairs is a small TV, a couch, and a coffee table. And on the other wall close to the stairs is a shrine with a kneeler.
This is Father Mark's home. His Sanctuary.
He then pulls on a lever near the light switch and hears the altar going back into place up above. His home has been emptied from his parish members hours earlier after the annual cleanse ended. The priest goes straight to the far wall that has a bookshelf with several books on catholic history, the faith, a few statues of angels, one of the Virgin Mary, a few saints, and a few books and movies that aren't faith based. He moves some books out of the way and presses down a wooden panel opening it revealing a small keypad. He types in the code and hears several locks coming undone and the shelf swings open inward showing a secret room.
There are a few racks on one of the walls with some guns, swords, knives, ammo, a workbench with various tools, and tech parts lying about, and a few manuals for basic and intermediate engineering on the bench. Further in the room there are free weights for exercise, training dummies, and a small shooting gallery. And by the workbench is a desk with a computer and a bulletin board above it labeled 'Sinner Targets' with somewhat blurry pictures of various demons with their last known locations, known powers, and a brief list of their sins, including Jerry.
As he is walking by he summons a small throwing knife and throws it at Jerry's picture sinking into it with a small *Thunk*. He walks to a wooden wardrobe on the far left side and opens it to take off his exterminator suit. The only thing he took from the ensemble afterwards was his rosary which he pocketed.
Now wearing some sweatpants with a hole in the back for his now freed grey demon's tail, a plain white t-shirt with cut holes in the back for his wings, wearing his crucifix, and now barefoot walks to a small sink and starts washing his gloves free of the blood stains that was collected from Jerry.
"Get off."
He keeps muttering this over and over again while he is vicariously scrubbing the gloves and even his grey skinned hands from the blood. Even after the blood on his hands went away he still sees flecks of it and keeps scrubbing. After a while he looks up into a cracked mirror and sees his face.
Grey skin, sharp white teeth, a light stubble with short black hair with small black horns poking from his forehead curling up, and black eyes with red pupils. And a red X on the side of his neck.
The sinner looks away disgusted by his now eternal appearance. He slowly looks back now seeing wetness starting to form in his eyes. He wipes it away while glaring at the mirror, "Why do you feel guilty about this? he sinned against God and his fellow man for a long time both before and after death. You did what you had to do in order to serve God and make sure His plan is fulfilled. From this you can and WILL BE rewarded and saved from this place."
He finally tosses his gloves to the side, stops the sink water and starts walking away.
He then thinks bitterly, 'Besides, why should I even spare that demon? If I was in trouble or at his mercy he wouldn't do anything about it. He is an animal. They are all animals. Just like THEM.'
He then starts breathing heavily while unwanted memories that came from his line of thinking are going through his head and his red eyes start getting brighter and brighter in fear and rage. The troubled priest then grabs the rosary in his pocket and gets on his knees and starts counting the beads up the praying tool beginning at the Crucifix of his Lord Jesus Christ. "I-I believe in God the Father Almighty, C-Creator of Heaven and Earth…"
15 minutes later
"...Pray for us O Holy Mother of God; That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen." Over the course of the rosary and now finally finishing it, Mark's breathing finally returned to normal while his heart rate and anger calmed down. He closes his eyes and brings the rosary to his forehead and breathes out. "Thank you."
After leaving the secret room and closing the bookshelf he goes to the bathroom to shower himself off of all the grime and sweat he built up over the past day or so. After getting out he redresses himself and goes to his kitchen to make some food. After heating up some cheap noodles he goes to his couch and sets down his dinner on the coffee table and makes the sign of the cross. "In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for this meal and the nourishment of my body, and continuing to look after my church goers, and myself. In Jesus' name, Amen." He finishes with the sign of the cross and digs in.
While eating he turns on the TV and starts flipping around until he reaches Hell's primary news channel.
666 News
"Welcome Back!" *CRACK* Katie Killjoy's large pale bug-like red eyed head almost falls off her thin neck.
Just seeing her makes his blood simmer. She has an aura of smugness and arrogance that can be mistaken for a cloud. Not to mention the rumors of her violent outbursts she has towards her co-host and other crew members that pissed her off slightly. As much as he wants to erase her, Mark feels like erasing a basic sinner who just has a lot of notoriety in the entertainment industry is a sad way to truly get noticed throughout the rings and sew fear into demons. He would rather save that for an Overlord like one of the three Vs. Or better yet, demon royalty.
He continues to eat his noodles while watching mindlessly until something rather interesting happens that catches his full attention.
"So for those who are now tuning in we are now interviewing Princess Charlotte, daughter of Hell's ruler who has been CONSTANTLY requesting to talk about her new project!" She's practically restraining herself from lashing out at the princess.
And low and behold next to the news anchor was the daughter of Lucifer, Charlotte Morningstar. Beautiful long blonde hair, pale white face with red circles on her cheeks similar to the ruler himself, red eyes, and black lips wearing a fancy looking pink tuxedo with a black bowtie.
…
…
…
"The fuck?" Mark exclaims blindly before immediately shutting his mouth before muttering a small apology to God.
Mark then looks in stunned disbelief at actually seeing the Princess of Hell for the first time like this. He's heard about her of course and has seen pictures but actually seeing her out in the open like this was just odd if not rare. Typically royalty just stayed in their palaces and on rare occasions participated in festivals and fancy parties but on a basic news network?
Hell no.
"So Charlotte!"
"It's… Charlie." She says with slight nervousness.
"Whatever." Katie quickly dismisses. "Tell us about this new passion project you've been insistently pestering our news station about!" She clenches her pen in clear frustration while staring menacingly at her. Meanwhile, Charlie just looks a little shocked and scared.
"Well," she clears throat and exhales. "As most of you know, I was born here in Hell and growing up, I always tried to see the good in everyone around me. This is my home and.. You are my people." She says that last bit wiping a splatter of blood off of her cheek that landed.
"We…We just went through another extermination. We lost so many souls, and it breaks my heart to see my people being slaughtered every year. No one is even given a chance!" She smacks the desk, gets up and walks from Killjoy's desk as she continues, "I can't stand idly by while the place I live is subjected to such violence! So, I've been thinking: Isn't there a more humane way to hinder overpopulation here in Hell?" She walks around the audience. "Perhaps we can create an alternative way to change souls through... redemption?" She throws her arm around one of the confused news cast's staff members, "Well, I think yes! So that's what this project aims to achieve!" She returns back to Killjoy's desk and sits down. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm opening the first of its kind! A hotel that rehabilitates sinners!"
…
…
…
'Wait. What?'
Mark has heard his fair share of crazy crap over the years, both in life and in death. But this here truly breaks the top 5 of that list. And up there on that list were the confessions of some of the craziest things people told him during the sacrament of reconciliation.
He continues to think in disbelief and in apathy. 'A hotel for rehabilitating sinners? That is probably the stupidest of ideas I've ever heard. And one of those ideas I heard was from a sinner in confession said that he died eating a Tide pod on a friggin DARE. They had their chance on the earth and they wasted it, now they are punished and thriving in sin enjoying this. Why should they care about what they do now? Not to mention it is impossible to get to Heaven from here. Also why would she even care about her 'people', she grew up with LUCIFER of all demons.'
His loud thinking goes on for a bit until he is brought out by singing.
The Princess is singing. Actually singing.
"I have a dream,
I'm here to tell!
About a wonderful, fantastic new hotel!
Yes it's one of a kind, right here in Hell
catering to a specific clientele!"
"Oooh-ooh-ooh!" Sung by goat looking demons
"Uhhhh…"
"Inside of every demon is a rainbow,
inside every sinner is a shiny smile!
Inside of every creepy hatchet-wielding maniac,
is a jolly, happy, cupcake-loving child!"
"We can turn them 'round!
They'll be heaven-bound!
With just a little time down at the Happy Hotel~!"
"So, all you junkies, freaks and weirdos,
creepers, fuck-ups, crooks, and zeroes,
and downfallen superheroes, hope is here!"
"All of you cretins, sluts and losers,
sexual deviants and boozers, and prescription drug abusers
Need not fear!
Forever again
We'll cure your sin
We'll make you well, you'll feel so swell
Right here in Hell, at the Happy Hotel~!"
"There'll be no more fire,
And no more screams,
just puppy dog kisses, and cotton candy dreams,
and puffy-wuffy clouds, you're gonna be like "Wow!"
Once you check in with meeeee~!"
"So, all your cartoon porn addictions,
vegan rants, psychic predictions,
ancient Roman crucifixions
end right here!"
"All you monsters, thieves and crazies,
cannibals and crying babies,
frothing mouth that's full of rabies,
filled with cheer!"
"You'll be complete! It'll be so neat!
Our service can't be beat! You'll be on easy street! (Yes!)
Life will be sweet at the Happy Hotel~!"
"Yeah!"
Silence. All there was in the studio and the priest's home was silence until it was broken by a demon from the news audience.
"Wow! That was shit!"
Despite how rude that statement was it got a laugh out of Mark as well as everyone else in the news studio. "Oh, I hope she knows just how frickin stupid that plan sounds." He says.
Katie confirms this while Charlie just looks frustrated. "What in the nine circles?! You seriously think a single denizen of Hell would give two shits about being a better person?! You have no proof that this little experiment even works! You want people to be good? Just BECAUSE?!"
As much as Mark hates to agree with Killjoy, that's a fair point. Down in Hell in order to survive and thrive demons have to do things for specific reasons, especially getting something in return. If somebody down here is good to another person the reason why is because they want something from said person, whether in need or in want. Also to these people being good is near impossible in Hell when the environment keeps them from being true and pure from being constantly surrounded and tempted with sin.
"Well we have a patron already who believes in our cause and has shown incredible progress!" Charlie says defiantly.
Mark grunts questioningly, "Hm?"
"Oh, and who would that be?"
"Oh. Just somebody named… Angel Dust!"
"The porn star?/Wait, the porn star?" Katies co-host, World War I veteran/casualty Tom Trench, and Mark simultaneously asked.
"You fucking would Tom." She judgingly looks towards Tom while he embarrassingly looks away. She continues, "Besides that's not even an accomplishment! I'm pretty sure you can get that hooker to do anything with enough booger sugar and lube!" Mark, a priest of all people, didn't need THAT image in his head. "Ewwwww." Mark grimaces at the thought.
Charlie continues to make her case, "Oh I beg to differ! He's been behaved, clean, and out of trouble for two weeks now!"
Before Charlie can continue if not fully seal her case, something brought her progress to a grinding crashing halt. "BREAKING NEWS!"
Katie brings her hand to her earpiece in curiosity and her face breaks out in glee as she shoves Lucifer's daughter to the side with such force. "We are receiving word that a new player has entered the ongoing turf war!" She looks behind her as a screen is popping up. "Let's go to the live feed!"
The screen clears showing none other than Angel Dust in all his glory throwing bombs and shooting Pentious's eggbois in so much glee. He is a tall lanky white spider demon with pink spots all over him while one eye was black and sporting a striped pink and white tux, pink gloves, and a sharp gold tooth.
"Oh shit." Charlie now finally breaks her innocent professional princess role while looking in fear and disappointment.
Killjoy immediately jumps in, " 'Oh shit' INDEED! It looks like the one who joined the battle is none other than porn actor Angel Dust!" She can't help but dig the knife even further into the princess. "What a juicy coincidence! You must feel really stupid right about now." Both Trench and Katie continued further. "Hahaha, Ratings!"
"Welp, her business is screwed." Mark comments still in apathy while eating his noodles.
"*Gasp* DON'T LOOK AT THIS!" Charlie meanwhile tries desperately to cover the live feed but in her panic forgets that it is a green screen and there is nothing that can be done about it. Katie has not only dug the knife further into Charlie but also proceeds to pour salt and even spit into the metaphorical wound. "Well it seems that your little project is dead on arrival. Tell us, how does it feel to be a total failure?"
For a brief moment there of watching the daughter of the devil being ridiculed and called a failure, Father Mark feels a twinge of sympathy and even slight guilt for being apathetic towards her. Before he can dwell on that emotion even further, Charlie who is now truly done with the pale bug like news anchor now decides to stand up for herself. By grabbing a pen.
"Oh yeah?! Well how does it feel that I got your pen huh? Bitch!"
A pin could be heard by being dropped at that moment.
Charlie puts the pen back, almost nervous. "Heh heh, oops."
Tom runs off screen while Katie turns into her true form, a giant looking praying mantis, grabs Charlie, starts fighting and then the reporter throws the princess right into the camera cutting the broadcast.
The Priest is now just stuck watching the 'Please Stand By' broadcast screen in both confusion at the interview and some shock by the absolute chaos at the end. All he had was one question after hearing her proposal in the end. 'Why would the daughter of Lucifer, the princess of Hell, want to redeem sinners?' She was born and raised by the devil himself, what kind of plan does she have with this operation. Is she luring them in with false hope and using them for something? Blood sacrifice, more sin and debauchery? What?
He keeps thinking about this more and more until he realizes something.
He says to himself in shock, "She'll be out of the palace."
Mark gets up and goes to his nightstand and grabs his Hellphone and starts Voogling Charlotte Morningstar. He receives videos and posts of her interview and even some memes that demons have made already. He can't help but think, 'Man those meme creators work fast!'
Anyway he continues scrolling until he searches on the Happy Hotel. Other than the interview and the assaults on social media he learns that this hotel used to be a vacation/party house for the Morningstar family that she no doubt converted to a 'rehab' facility. He then goes to Hell Maps and he puts in the name and gets a location.
It has no stars and is located on the west side of the Pentagram. He presses on a link to an account on Voxtagram called hotel_mangnement and sees a few pictures of the hotel; it looks rundown and not even close to support guests as well as some posts of the princess and an unknown female sinner. She was grey like him but with white hair, a pink bow, and a pink X over one of her eyes.
In the description it says, account run by Vaggie. So it seems that this hotel already has other sinners running the hotel as well. Also this 'Vaggie' could be that grey sinner.
He says to himself in realization, "Wait this is perfect, unlike the palace this place isn't a literal fortress, and there are probably little to no demons staying there."
Mark now feels a rush in him, not since he first decided and declared his holy war against the sinners and demons of Hell to achieve salvation. He gets up and goes to his secret room, and he goes through his computer and finds a picture of the princess. He prints it out, cuts it out and pins it on his 'Sinner Targets' board.
"With this I will truly prove my undying loyalty to you Lord."
He summons a small knife and throws it at the picture.
*THUNK* Dead center into her face.
"Thank you God, for giving me this opportunity. With this I can now destroy the devil and his family."
Authors note
Wow, that was a long one. First of all hope you all had a Happy Holidays and will have a Happy New Year as well! I was pleasantly surprised by how many people were following and favoriting this story already. This is my first story so it's kinda cool seeing that.
If you haven't noticed already this story will have a lot of religious themes in it. I've always wanted to write a story that has religious themes but do it in an honest way showing both the potential harms but also the personal benefits by having faith in God. Honestly as a devout Christian it sucks seeing religion done wrong in most movies and TV on how it's 100 percent pure and good, as well as seeing those abuse religion for their own goals by hurting people in the process. Faith is a lot more complicated than a lot of people think. This character I made feels personal to me in my own changing relationship with God and my faith, as well as my personal curiosity on how religion works in this world. Also let me preface by saying that I am not Catholic though I do have family members who are, and that's why I want to be as accurate and respectful as possible when I'm writing about that. Later on you will see Father Mark's reasoning for doing what he does and hopefully it will bring some more understanding to the character. Anyway enough of me rambling I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
See you next time!
Azrael-50