"Whoa!" Aria whispered to herself in shock as she found it hard to breath as she held the necklace delicately in her hands! "How could...how could he entrust this to me!?"
Aria found herself lost in the waterfall of gold, silver, and lapis lazuli cascading over her throat as she suddenly remembered where she was and sent a thought back to the choker, changing it back to its simple, black band with a yellow rose once more. In all appearances, it looked just like a plain, old necklace, but what God Himself had given her suddenly sobered her up big time as the reality of what she wore suddenly sank in. She was arrayed for serious combat.
Riffling through the rest of the documents that detailed the capabilities of her choker, she recognized a few programs that were way beyond the norm for most angelic artifacts she was used to. There was a built in sound interference system that had been on the whole time to keep her from being influenced by evil forces through sound, which was a better version of enhancing the Holy Ghost's influence to help her against deception. Wondering if it had helped her perceive Alastor better, given he was The Radio Demon, she wondered how much of his influence had been cut back by this feature alone. It did explain why his radio feedback hadn't succeeded in sending her into fits of terror like the rest of Hell seemed to experience when he pushed his radio feedback to full blast.
The next feature was definitely not something she was used to. She didn't activate it for fear of hurting herself as she realized that a Sword of Infinite Light could be summoned, which would instantly knock out a lesser demon and drain the energy of higher tier demons with every swing, but it required years, if not decades of training to wield safely. Just because she was an angel didn't mean the draining effect wouldn't affect her if she got cut in the process. She seriously wished she'd had way more time to train up to use it, since it was a weapon specifically designed not to kill, but would instead knock out an opponent. Only an extreme circumstance would force her to wield it, given her lack of training as she shook her head in wonder before she looked at what else this piece of angelic history could do.
There was angelic armor at the ready to adhere to her disguise, if need be, as a picture of what it looked like and its impressive, defensive capabilities came up on her invisible view screen, making her whistle low in awe. The problem was that it couldn't be disguised as she realized it was made to stand out. With the symbol of the Lamb of God boldly displayed in gold, silver, and lapis lazuli on the brilliantly white, old-fashioned armor, if she wore it, her cover would be completely blown, revealing her true nature as an angel. She'd have to have nothing to lose before she could use it as she sighed to herself in disappointment before she looked to see if there was anything else that could help her out for tomorrow.
The only other feature she had that surprised her was that her analysis tech wasn't the standard model, but a much more highly versatile program designed for combat analysis, data collecting, and alchemy analysis. The program was designed to recognize far more information at a level that she could understand, which was incredibly helpful. As she set the program from standard, civilian levels to its full, intended programming, Aria was bombarded by information as her vision changed from the rare line of code to small indicators hovering over many different things throughout the room. It was like getting a brand new pair of glasses as she looked at the scene of the serpent offering the forbidden fruit above the fireplace and her analysis program identified it as "Sweet Temptation by Augustus Saint-Gaudens."
"Neat! Wait...what about that odd formula I saw earlier?" Aria asked herself as she pulled up the page on Valentino and found that the analysis program automatically brought up a link for more information on the chemical formula she saw earlier near the bottom of the page.
Sure enough, as she fiddled with the controls and realized she could think at the link and bring it up instantly, she put away her invisible keyboard as she read the new file of information that the analysis had brought up. Apparently, the chemical formula was a mix of compounds vaguely similar to ketamine, but it had a bunch of variables, unlike its earthly predecessor. According to the analysis, the compound's hallucinogenic properties were all but gone and the detached symptoms had been switched over to a state of intense, sexual need and sensitivity by mixing it with a substance that made Aria's stomach recoil as she felt suddenly nauseous. According to the formula, the substance that made the variables was heavily drugged, angelic blood, specifically from a male specimen. Aria already knew where this was going as she felt her hands ball up into fists as a shudder of horror passed over her!
Valentino was using Nicholas Chapman, the angel Alastor failed to save, to create drugs! As Aria tried to wrap her head around this horrifying realization, from the chemical formula, and list of drugs that were highlighted, it was also a booming business, making Aria realize with dread why Valentino had been holding onto Nicholas for so long. Looking at the new information and the number of dead bodies at the end of the report, the total count had to be from overdoses from the lethal compound, a drug designed to be used in sex crimes. Whatever "Love's End" was, it was a drug capable of killing from just one dose, if the insane amount of deaths cataloged were accurate! The body count was way too high!
"I've got to tell Alastor!" Aria suddenly blurted out as she suddenly stood, her body almost falling into the fire when Alastor's shadow suddenly popped out of nowhere, startling her badly! "Eek! Sigh...don't do that! I almost got roasted!"
Alastor's dark, maniacal shadow just laughed at her, his distorted, long, and twisted grin creeping her the heck out as she shivered in fear before she continued.
"I need to get a hold of Alastor," Aria told Alastor's shadow hurriedly, her eyebrows shooting up when the shadow theatrically made a shadow stage with his body as Aria saw Alastor go through the motions of getting ready for bed, complete with brushing his teeth and instantly changing into long, old-fashioned pajamas. "I don't care that he's getting ready for bed! He needs to know about this now! If you won't tell him, I will, and I think we both know how well that will turn out if I just barge in!"
Alastor's shadow looked positively leery at the idea of Aria walking in on the real Alastor. His stretched out smile turned uncomfortable and thin as he nodded reluctantly as he disappeared under the bookshelf where Alastor's secret room was hidden behind. It didn't take long for Alastor to poof back into the library, but to say that he was less than thrilled about it was an understatement.
"My dear, this had better be important!" Alastor said intensely, the emphasis a bit over the top as his radio background screeched, intoning Alastor's less than happy feelings, despite his very creepy smile.
"Sorry! I know it's super inconvenient, but-" Aria began to apologize when her eyes registered what he was wearing and everything stopped as she took in the sight.
Alastor, wearing a simple, yet classy, red robe, wore long sleeved, black pajamas and pajama pants underneath it that were absolutely covered in devil-horned, red, rubber duckies. If Aria wasn't seeing it with her own eyes, she would've never believed anyone if they told her The Radio Demon wore rubber ducky pajamas. She fought hard not to grin as she coughed, obscuring a laugh the best she could.
"Is something the matter, my dear? You seem to have caught something in your throat!" Alastor asked politely as though he were concerned with her health, but that toothy grin grew thinner and longer as his radio feedback screeched and tuned in the background like he was just waiting for her to be foolish enough to point out his choice of attire. "From what I gathered from my shadow, you were insistent that I be here, or I'd be forced to have you as an unexpected guest in my room! What is so important that you would even dare to threaten my privacy, hmm?"
"Um...sorry, I...um...I'm fine, but...it's just...you...here, I'll just show you," Aria barely got out, her desire to laugh almost overwhelming her as she fought to not smile as she mentally turned off the invisible settings on her view screen so that Alastor could finally see what research she'd pulled up, another cough of laughter escaping her, making Alastor's radio background grow just a tad more noisy. "I did a bit of research, and...well...the reason I had your shadow fetch you so suddenly is this. As you can plainly see by the research page, the angel you refused to save has been used to make highly addictive and incredibly lethal drugs!"
"I already knew that, my dear," Alastor commented briskly, his smile and tone clearly annoyed as he began to turn to leave as he waved a gloved hand at her in a dismissive gesture, while his staff appeared out of habit, making Alastor look positively ridiculous, making Aria snort, failing to suppress the laugh as Alastor turned to smile at her with a steely grin, making her freeze on the spot. "Is there something amusing that you're not telling me? Out with it, my dear! I'm sure we could all do with a laugh!"
Aria knew he was baiting her and there were SO many jokes and jabs that came to mind as she had to force a hand over her mouth to hide her grin. The dapper robe and staff with his choice of rubber duckie nighties was pushing it for her, but she knew she had to keep it in or she'd regret it. If his radio feedback had anything to say about Alastor's emotional state, it had adopted a sinister tune behind the feedback, making Aria gain some control over herself as she took a deep breath and pushed on quickly before she lost it, again!
"Nothing! I didn't say anything!" Aria insisted as she tried to get in the mind set she'd used under The Stage when someone powerful would suddenly do something hilarious, but it'd be your head if you laughed. "It's just, I'm surprised you didn't think to tell me that his blood is being used for a particularly nasty sex drug that looks like it can kill in one dose! This is enough evidence for me to want to try and break Nicholas out! This can't go on, not with how lethal this "Love's End" stuff is! Even with the personal hell I went through under The Stage, the death rate for drug use was almost non-existent! The number of bodies that Heaven's scouts have successfully scanned and confirmed have been killed by this drug, however, is completely unprecedented! If I don't pull the plug on this while I have the chance to do it, I won't be able to live with myself!"
"It doesn't really concern me, since that lowlife of an angel has refused my help to escape," Alastor answered with a shrug, his smile bored as his eyes still leered at her like he was ready for this conversation to be over as the creepy music and screeching feedback still lingered around him. "As I said before, you should forget about him and instead concentrate on surviving your little mission to save that tiny spider's sister! You won't be able to free that filthy, disgusting angel without gaining the attention of Valentino, and we both know that is the number one thing we are trying to not do!"
Aria growled in frustration, knowing Alastor was right as her mind raced to find a safe way to free Valentino's cash cow without being hunted to extinction for it. The more she thought about it, though, she couldn't get around Alastor's point and it annoyed her to no end. Trying to free Nicholas and still be able to survive the consequences of it would take a miracle. Lucky for her, she was in the business of miracles.
"There actually might be a way to save him and survive the backlash, but you'd have to trust me," Aria said slowly as a plan formed in her mind, the risk of doing it rather high, but she just couldn't bear to leave an angel in the hands of such a nefarious demon as Valentino. "You know those cursed lockets we're stuck with?"
"How can I forget? It mocks me with its incessant tapping on my wrist every time I move! It's incredibly annoying!" Alastor answered with a sneer as he lifted his right hand with the offending, cursed locket firmly tied to it like he'd just love to see it melt into a puddle of goo if given half the chance!
"Well...you know that limited amount of wandering space we have until you'll be forced to teleport right next to me?" Aria said with an apologetic grin as she watched as Alastor's smile grew incredibly sour as he waved his staff at her in a decidedly dismissive gesture as he shook his own head for emphasis.
"No. Absolutely not!" Alastor insisted poignantly, the distaste of the very idea making Alastor look like he'd just been offered to try something particularly nasty, like nachos topped with piles of putrescence!
"All you'd have to do is get a good grip on Nicholas, while I push the boundaries of our lockets, and presto!" Aria insisted with an encouraging smile, the idea of pulling a fast one under an Overlord's nose filling her with a new sense of adventure! "Not only would we succeed in freeing Nicholas and stopping the spread of lethal, sex drugs, but you'd get to finally fulfill your contract with him and be completely free of him! Not to mention that I'd finally get some answers to what happened a hundred years ago! It's a win-win!"
"It's a lose-lose, my dear!" Alastor answered stubbornly, his grin strained and his eyes getting dangerously narrow as Aria could tell she was losing his interest, making her feel anxious as he closed the distance between them as he stood almost nose to nose with her as Aria could feel the disapproval of her idea emanating from him like a miasma. "Not only are you assuming such a tactic would work, you're willing to put me in a situation that could be incredibly lethal, if not downright dangerous! I refuse to cooperate in such an asinine plan, given what I know about the layout of Valentino's studio, and the repercussions associated with enraging him by trying to steal an asset of his he's incredibly loath to part with! Your compassion is commendable, but poorly executed in this particular case, and your ignorance of this particular situation and your reluctance to listen to me are starting to become a problem! I will only say this one more time: forget about him, Miss Aria, before you find yourself in the same situation he is in!"
"Alastor!" Aria complained, frowning at his incredibly firm no, but it looked like he'd used up his patience for the day as he grabbed her shoulders roughly as he pushed her uncomfortably close to the fireplace as he pressed his forehead and nose against hers, making her go ridged on the spot!
"I. Said. No," Alastor whispered in a voice so low and sinister that Aria realized she may have pushed Alastor too far as he scraped her arms for emphasis with his claw-like fingers as he let her go, making her cry out in pain as she held her arms and glared at Alastor angrily! "You disturbed my bedtime routine to waste my time with information I already knew, you insist on trying to free a man you know nothing about, and you still think that you can make me do it, despite that I have warned and forewarned you again and again that I refuse to do so! Let me make something perfectly clear."
Alastor slammed a hand right next to Aria's head against the fireplace mantel above her, his murderous smile well lit and dangerously defined as she felt the burning of the fire at her back. Aria couldn't help but think of eternal punishment as the fire grew too hot and close, making Aria swallow uneasily as Alastor's glowing, red eyes grew so thin, she could barely see them. The red voodoo runes came back with a vengeance as the sound of shadows culminating around him made Aria think of Rosie as his horns grew long and his smile grew far too wide for his face.
"Never...ever...think you're in charge of me just because you're an angel and I'm a demon," Alastor whispered in a threatening tone, his clawed, gloved hands scraping hard enough against the fireplace mantel to leave deep, scoring, scratch marks in the stonework, making Aria gulp further as she realized that could've been her face. "Do we understand one another, now, or must I leave a LASTING impression to get it through that incredibly thick, angelic head of yours?"
Aria just shook her head, the fear she was feeling making her shiver as she finally realized why demons feared Alastor so deeply. Most of the time, he was a fun, albeit manipulative, polite and musical theater-loving demon she could usually relate to. However, when he looked and acted like this, Aria was forced to remember that a darker part of himself was what drove him to act. He wasn't driven to do good just for its sake alone, as she was. He wasn't like her...and it hurt to have to be reminded of that as a shudder of fear escaped through her breathing as she looked away from Alastor.
"Good," Alastor answered simply as he patted her cheek, making her flinch away as he chuckled at her expense before he poofed away in a burst of shadow, the sight and sound of voodoo runes and shadow spirits leaving with him as Aria let the tears she'd held back run down her cheeks.
She sat down where she was with the fire at her back as she stifled a sob, afraid Alastor or anyone else would hear her as she realized she was truly alone here in Hell. She could've kicked herself for getting so attached to the idea that Alastor was her friend, but the wake up call she just had with him shook that idea to its foundations. He was still a demon and she knew next to nothing about him. She felt like a fool as she swallowed a sob as a sniffle escaped her while she tried to get her gasping, emotional breathing under control.
It took her a while to understand why she was so upset, though, given that things like this had happened before in her mortal life. After she got her breathing somewhat under control, it finally dawned on her on why she was such an emotional wreck. One, she was stuck with Alastor because of the cursed lockets, and she was terrified she'd be stuck with him forever because of her own mistakes and personality flaws, like what just happened with her getting on Alastor's case. Second, her need to have someone on her side here in Hell was a huge deal to her, and having Alastor suddenly threaten to maim her for her mistake in assuming he'd just help her save Nicholas hurt her deeply.
Her assumption that Alastor would refrain from violence towards her specifically because of their deal was obviously a problem. She now knew that there were quite a few flaws in her wording of the deal and her lack of insisting she not be harmed by him was a big one. If she accidentally pushed him over the edge, she could be on the receiving end of a near-death experience from The Radio Demon. Aria really, really, really didn't want that to happen.
As a shuddering sigh escaped her, she stared into the fire, wondering how to reach out to Alastor without messing it up when Alastor's shadow suddenly burst out right in front of her! His appearance startled her as she jumped and glared at the petty thing as it laughed at her expense. She wiped a tear from her eye and sniffled, frowning at the mean-spirited shadow as it pantomimed her crying in a mocking way, making her just frown as she ignored him. She was determined that she wouldn't give the thing the satisfaction of getting to her if she had anything to say about it.
As she turned the visual screen she had up back to invisible settings, she just hoped her worry about a potentially lethal sex drug were unfounded. She doubted it, though, as the view screen still lingered in front of her to see alone before she mentally turned it off, her heart and soul filling with the Holy Ghost as he warned her to pay attention to the studies she'd done that evening. Aria knew that what she'd face tomorrow would have immense consequences on not only her, but everyone in Hell depending on how well or how badly things went tomorrow afternoon. She just hoped she'd be able to get along with everyone involved as she sighed and stared at the bookshelf that hid Alastor's door.
Listening to soft, soothing hymns as she picked up her discarded, white blanket from her guardian angel stores from off the ground, she shook it out and summoned a white pillow from her stores as well. She tried to get comfortable on the couch as she resisted the urge to put up her Intention Force Field for extra security. As much as she wanted to feel safer, after what Alastor had just pulled, Aria knew it was more important than ever that she start trusting Alastor's judgment more. She had a feeling he knew more about how things really were here in Hell than she did, and rightly so, despite her own misgivings about potentially leaving Nicholas where he was, making her cringe at the thought. She just felt so guilty for forgetting how much Alastor loathed the angel that he insisted chose to stay with Valentino rather than escape.
What happened between the two of them, Aria wondered to herself as she wondered who to trust? Aria had no idea if Alastor was lying or why he would need to as she found no reason for him to lie to her unless Nicholas was a force for good to be reckoned with. Yet, if that were the case, how would Valentino be able to keep Nicholas under lock and key? There was just too much that wasn't adding up as Aria groaned to herself as she put her pillow over her face in agitation!
"Sigh...tomorrow's another day," Aria whispered to herself as she turned off the soft music, put her pillow under her head, again, turned over, and faced the back of the demon couch that looked like it was about to eat her, her body and mind on alert as it took her ages to relax enough to fall asleep. "You're not alone. Not really. God is with you. You got this, so just relax and go to sleep!"
When she finally fell asleep, half the blanket was on the ground as her body turned over in her sleep, her arms over her head as she snored peacefully. As she slept, a gloved hand pulled her blanket up to cover her body once more, making her smile in her sleep as she mumbled something as she settled deeper into her dreams. Unknown to Aria, the figure watched over her, one of his gloved hands tapping restlessly on a red locket stuck to his wrist before he poofed away from her in a puff of perpetual night