Peace and Pentious
Apologies for going a little slow. I had some college assignments to do, and this quarantine isn't making those classes very efficient. Nonetheless, I'm not going to stop until this story is complete. Douglas still has a long ways to go. And that starts with regaining the hotel in this chapter. Enjoy!
Happy Hotel Balcony, 5:30 A.M.
Bright and early the next morning, Alastor stands atop the penthouse balcony and looks over the edge. For once, his large smile wasn't present. He wasn't frowning, but he wasn't smiling either. Pentious's new ship hovers close to the hotel entrance quietly. Alastor stares at it and prepares to obliterate him, but his radio staff picks up a call. He presses a side button to answer it and a voice he seriously dreads is heard.
"Hello again, brother!" I higher-pitched static voice says.
"I have no brothers," Alastor says in an unusually disinterested tone.
"Well then, co-overlord." The voice says. "This will be your last chance to retire your overlord status, or else someone you love dearly will perish!" He threatens. Alastor makes a fist.
"I'm warning you Vox, if a single person in this building is harmed, I will kill Pentious where he stands." The radio demon counter-threatens. Vox laughs loudly for a few seconds, causing Alastor's eyebrows to come down. "Do you really expect me to fear you?"
"Why don't you take a moment to acknowledge the price you'll pay if my crony falls?" The TV demon asks before moving his microphone to the side. Alastor's heart stops the moment this voice is heard.
"Alastor! Help me!" A voice cries out in desperation. Alastor flinches and gasps under his breath.
"Mimzy?" He mumbles. Vox laughs again.
"That's right! I've got your secret admirer right here! So unless you want her to die, I suggest you surrender now before I'm forced to kill her." He states. Alastor chuckles softly.
"You think I am scared? You're not an exterminator, and therefore your dark weapons will never fully degrade the healing factor Mimzy and all other demons have." He says calmly, only for Vox to chuckle darkly.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken." He says. Alastor hears what sounds like a gun being loaded in the background and then the clip is snapped shut. "Before Velvet passed, she gave me your little holy friend's gun! So if you truly want her gone, all I need is your room number to ship her smitten remains to." He requests darkly. Alastor glares internally, it becomes increasingly harder to maintain his smile.
"You sadistic monster," Alastor says in a quiet tone. "I should warn you, it's only a matter of time before a child of holy aura comes to your beacon and decimates every pixel of your flat-screened face." Vox laughs.
"And just how many exterminators have you killed over your years in Hell?" He asks. Alastor scrunches his eyebrows.
"None. What's your point?" He asks.
"If your little angel buddy makes a sudden move, I'll make sure Mrs. Fattycake over here feels the pain!" He says with evil laughter. Mimzy yelps under her breath.
"No, no! Please let me go!" She pleads fearfully. Alastor clears his throat loudly, catching Vox's attention.
"He's not an angel, and he's got more power than any exterminator that has ever come here! If you're really feeling strong, I suggest you shoot Mimzy right now!" Alastor dares. Mimzy gasps loudly, but Vox pockets the pistol.
"I will shoot her if anything happens to Pentious or his ship. But remember Al, you have until the entire hotel is taken hostage to surrender your overlord status and permanently retire. If you don't, Pentious's minions will capture all your friends, and if the minions fail, he'll blow up the building!" The T.V. demon threatens.
"Is that all?" The radio demon asks.
"Absolutely! Do you accept old chum?" Vox asks. Mimzy leans forward.
"Accept the offer! Accept the offer!" She desperately exclaims. Alastor squints.
"I'm not ready to make my choice just yet Vox. If you feel powerful, then have Sir Pentious attack." He invites. "Rest assured, he'll die soon if he uses his bomb weaponry, he'll just die to someone else." He predicts. Vox chuckles rapidly and points the gun at Mimzy, causing her to shriek loudly.
"You're only delaying the inevitable, but you have the next hour or two to retire!" Vox says before leaning into the microphone. "Win or lose, make your choice." He says in a sinister tone before turning off his phone. Alastor stares at Pentious's ship and then looks into the clouds.
"Wherever you are, friend from the other side, the sooner you get back, the better." The radio demon says in a calm tone before sighing and staring at the ship as a bunch of egg bois are deployed.
Heaven 7:00 A.M.
Douglas and Charlie wake up bright and early. Douglas takes a shower and puts on a new shirt when he was done. Charlie takes the time to wash her hair and put on some makeup. Only about fifteen minutes later, Franklin comes in with a new staff. It's very thin and has a golden cross on the end.
"So my children, are you ready to return to your home in Hell now?" He asks. The princess smiles and nods while the young warrior frowns a little.
"I don't live there." Douglas mumbles. Franklin chuckles and nods.
"I mean temporary home in your case." He raises his staff. "Any questions before you leave?" He asks. Charlie nods.
"Yes, what'll happen to my clone when I get back?" The princess asks, uncertain if she'll like the answer. Franklin smiles.
"The moment you enter your dimension, the clone will disappear, and you'll acquire any new knowledge and memory she picked up overnight." He states. "Therefore, you'll learn everything that your parallel did yesterday." He clarifies. Charlie smiles cutely.
"That's pretty cool. I hope it doesn't scare anyone when the clone randomly disappears." She says nervously. Douglas pulls out his Glock.
"Franklin, could you use your holy magic to recharge my Heaven's Glock? As you know with your ex-wife, I ran out of ammo." The warlock grins and grabs his pistol.
"Anything to help my son." He says as he winks at the holy soldier. His staff glows and the gun begins to sparkle white flashes. "There you go, this one should last you a while." He says as he hands it back to him.
"Thank you, sir." He says as he takes the gun, rotates it around his finger for a moment, and then slides it into his pocket. Charlie glooms lightly at Franklin.
"So... is this goodbye?" She asks with a sad tone in her voice. The holy warlock sighs.
"I'm afraid so." He says in a down tone before smiling and pointing to the beautiful home around him. "But look on the bright side, I'm happy now." He states as he puts his hands to Douglas's right shoulder and Charlie's left. "Douglas, you've given me my freedom, and I'll never fully be able to thank you enough. Because of you, my soul can finally rest in peace, peace instead of agony and fear." Douglas smiles.
"You're welcome, sir." He says as Franklin faces the princess.
"And you Ms. Magne, I know in the next couple of years, Heaven will be packed with redeemed souls. I believe in your cause, and know you'll succeed if you continue to believe as well. Don't ever listen to someone who tells you otherwise." He says passionately. Charlie nearly cries.
"Wow... thank you so much, Franklin!" She says as she warmly hugs him. The charming warlock wraps his arm around her and then reaches out for Douglas as well.
"Take care, my children." He says as he hugs them both. "I'll continue to watch over you both." He promises as he grabs his staff. "Goodbye now, and good luck with your quests!" He exclaims as the cross flashes, and a moment later they're teleported to the holy pool Douglas made the day before. Both of them gasp at the sight of Pentious's airship levitating in the air about fifty yards from the building.
"Oh my god! What is that?!" Douglas shouts in horror. Charlie just stares at the ship with a dead expression on her face, unable to really move or say anything. "Charlie?! Come on, answer me!" He begs loudly. Suddenly the ship turns around, Douglas sees a one-eyed serpent with a top hat in the control chair.
"Be gone intruders!" He shouts as he presses a button. A large ray gun appears out the bottom and aims at them. Douglas grabs Charlie by the arm and pulls her with him.
"Charlie, let's get out of here!" He screams as the beam starts to charge. The young warrior manages to pull them both into the holy pond before the ray hits them. Pentious decides to ignore them and refocuses on the building. Douglas pulls Charlie out of the pond and the princess shakes her head rapidly and sighs.
"Sorry, I was in shock." She admits. Douglas facepalms.
"Could you pick a better time next time? We almost got vaporized!" He says in frustration. Charlie frowns lightly.
"Alright, Mr. Insensitive. Remember what Franklin told us?" She asks as he shrugs. "Once we came back, my clone would disappear, and I'd obtain the memory she picked up." Douglas sighs deeply.
"Don't tell me, something terrible is going on inside the hotel right now?" He asks. Charlie nods.
"Yep, everyone inside is being held hostage by Sir Pentious's egg minions." She says fearfully. Douglas puts a hand to his chin.
"Sir Pentious? Was that the snake guy in the ship?" He asks as Charlie nods.
"Yeah, he's been trying to rule Hell for years, but Cherri Bomb always seemed to cut him off and start fights with him." She clarifies. Douglas raises an eyebrow.
"Is Cherri that cyclops girl who died the other day?" He asks. Charlie nods.
"Yeah, and it appears Pentious is gonna continue to try until he succeeds." She says before glooming. "Even if it means taking hostages." Douglas frowns.
"What's the point of hostages? Wouldn't it make more sense to just kill everyone?" He asks. Charlie gives him a serious look.
"Maybe I should clarify something, he can't kill anyone off entirely. Only people with holy powers can fully finish a demon." She says, causing Douglas to grin.
"Wait, then that means Niffty is still alive!" He exclaims before frowning. "Oh shit, that also means Velvet is alive, dammit!" Charlie sighs.
"Except overlords, they're able to kill off someone completely as well. If they couldn't, they wouldn't exist. All of us would just be normal demons, and we'd have no overlords." She states. "If Niffty died to a spell made by Rosie, she's gone forever." She then gives him a curious look. "And how'd you kill Velvet?" Douglas shrugs.
"I didn't exactly kill Velvet. I gave her a couple of mystical potions and she technically killed herself in an attempt to kill me." He clarifies.
"Well here's my point." The princess begins. "If Pentious fully develops the power of an overlord, he could easily kill everyone inside the hotel except for Alastor." Douglas pauses.
"Wait, then why hasn't Alastor destroyed his ship yet? I haven't seen all his power yet, but he sounds strong as hell!" He exclaims. Charlie shrugs.
"I don't know why Alastor is holding back." She admits. "But if he's not gonna protect Angel, Vaggie, and Husk, we'll have to." She says making a fist. Douglas holds out his hand.
"No, I'll have to." He says as he pulls out his Glock. "You wait here while I kick some ass and save them." He instructs. Charlie glooms.
"Douglas..." She says slowly, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"Yes, Charlie?" He asks.
"I know what you're feeling, but... you do realize every time you specifically kill someone; they'll never have any hope of coming back, right?" She asks. Douglas nods once.
"I'm well aware. But right now that's not my concern." He says. Charlie grabs his arm lightly.
"Please, Douglas. Can you at least try? Isn't an angel supposed to be merciful?" She asks hopefully.
"I'm not an angel Charlie..." He states. "Yet." The princess smiles softly.
"Well you've already defeated two overlords, don't you think you can handle a few eggs without violence?" She asks. Douglas pockets the gun.
"I suppose I can try. You think I can disarm them?" He asks as she nods.
"I know you can, and once they're disarmed, show them your religious side, and they'll be grateful you showed them mercy." She says, smiling cutely.
"Are you sure they'll do that? Aren't most people down here too evil to change?" He asks. Charlie shakes her head.
"It may seem that way, but I promise you if you grant them mercy when they have no one to blame but themselves, they'll have a change of heart." She says calmly. "I know they will. Do you trust me?" She asks with a cute smile on her face. Douglas stares into her eyes for a moment, and then a mirrored smile appears on his face.
"Of course Charlie, I trust you." He says as steps back. "As for you, stay hidden and safe. I'll see you in twenty minutes or less." He assures before teleporting.
"I'll try," Charlie says after he's gone. She then creeps out slowly to see how Pentious is doing. *I'll be praying nobody gets hurt, especially you Douglas.* She thinks to herself.
Happy Hotel Lobby
A bunch of egg bois are aiming guns at Husk behind the bar. The grumpy cat just sits there drinking with a bored look on his face.
"You guys waiting for a paper invitation or something?" He asks.
"Well, we're waiting for a signal from our boss." One of them says.
"Yeah, and then we'll fill you with lead!" Another threatens. Husk rolls his eyes.
"This is the most pathetic hostage crisis in the history of hostage crises." He says as he begins to drink a beverage. Douglas suddenly appears in the lobby, causing all the deviled eggs to gasp and face him.
"An intruder!" One of them yells. "Remember what the boss told us!" He says as they all glare and aim their guns at him.
"If an intruder enters the building, shoot them down!" A different one shouts. A few of them shiver and give nervous looks.
"Uh guys, I've seen this guy before." He says while whimpering under his breath. Another egg nods.
"Yeah, and he ain't weak!" He says fearfully. Suddenly a few of them begin to fire, only for Douglas to summon a forcefield to block the bullets.
"CEASE!" The young warrior shouts. The few eggs who recognize him drop their guns and begin panicking.
"Stop! You're gonna make him mad!" One shouts to the horde of eggs. Husk rolls his eyes.
"Typical idiots. Hate to be them right now." He says as he starts sipping. Douglas's forcefield expands and then he converts it into a containment barrier blocking all the egg bois and their weapons.
"AH! He got us!" An egg shouts.
"Boss is gonna kill us for this!" A different one exclaims.
"He won't get to," Husk says with a savage grin. "This guy will beat him to it." He says darkly as he continues drinking. All the egg bois face the warrior with scared looks on their faces. Their eyes widen once he pulls out a shiny cross.
"Worry not deviled eggs, I come in peace," Douglas announces, causing everyone to pause.
"What?" Husk asks as he raises an eyebrow. The holy soldier steps forward and shuts the sanctuary off.
"I ask that you misguided souls accept my mercy and will convert to peace instead of anarchy." He says, causing many of them to gasp.
"You'll let us live?" One of them says in a prayerful tone. Douglas smiles widely and nods.
"In the name of the lord, I wish to spare your souls. None of you need to die a second time. And in return, I ask that you all drop your guns, and promise never to take hostages again." He requests. Husk glares lightly.
"Are you crazy or something? These guys are-"
"We accept!" One of them shouts loudly.
"YEAH!" Every egg boi catches on, causing Husk to drop his bottle, shattering it on the floor.
"What?! Are you kidding me?!" He exclaims. "You're letting them all live?!" Douglas faces the drunken cat.
"Of course. I see no need to shatter these poor vulnerable gentlemen. What pride would that grant me?" He asks. Husk sighs in annoyance.
"Whatever, just know it would've been satisfying to see them all explode." He says as he reaches for another drink. One of the eggs steps up to Douglas.
"Thank you for your mercy, friend. Is there anything we can do?" He asks. Douglas nods.
"You can all say hello to your new home. This hotel is for people who want to change." He announces. "Just wait about half an hour and the receptionist will return to let you all in." He says as he starts walking up the stairs. A lot of the eggs cheer and applaud as he leaves. Husk rolls his eyes.
"Dumbass." He mumbles under his breath. Douglas continues to climb the stairs until he hears the sound of someone in pain.
"Ow!" The voice reacts. Douglas flinches upon recognizing the voice.
"Angel?" He asks as he turns toward a room with the door open a crick. He inconspicuously peaks in the room to see a bunch of egg bois standing on top of the sexual spider weighing him down by all four arms while the one in front is slapping his face with a belt.
"Okay, not the face!" Angel pleads as he glances behind him. "You can hit the ass all you want, but please not the face!" He begs desperately. The egg in front whacks him directly in the eye. "Ouch!" Angel exclaims as he holds his head down, wishing his hands were mobile to aid his eye.
"HEY!" Douglas exclaims loudly, catching the attention of everyone. Angel smirks upon seeing him.
"Oh yeah, my handsome prince is here to save the day." Angel says in a somewhat seductive tone. The egg with the belt faces Douglas and prepares to strike him.
"What are you doing here? We were given specific instructions to attack this guy." The leader says as one of the other eggs nods.
"Yeah, this guy has made conquering very hard to do!" He says as Angel growls.
"If those buffoons didn't take away my guns, I swear I'd be eating the insides out of all of you right now!" He says loudly. The egg with the belt turns toward him and prepares to lash him again.
"Well too bad you don't." He says, pulling the belt back to strike. Douglas swiftly grabs the belt and pulls it out of his hand, the egg boi spins around a little. "Whoa!" He lands on his front and lifts his head up, gasping loudly as a gun is pointed at his face.
"Well the fact is I've got a gun," Douglas says, giving a glare to each egg boi weighing Angel down. "So unless you want me to blow the yolks right out your rears, I suggest you step off of him." He threatens. Angel smirks as the eggs step off of him. The one who formerly had the belt just stares into the barrel of the Glock with a hopeless look in his eyes. He softly looks up at the young warrior with tears in his eyes.
"Please don't shoot me." He says softly before covering his eyes to block his tears.
"Shoot him, shoot him, shoot him, shoot him!" Angel chants waving four fists in the air. Douglas grins and slowly lowers the pistol, causing the egg boi's expression to change into a confused look.
"Do you promise you won't hurt him again?" Douglas asks. The minion shivers a little.
"I was ordered to hurt him by my boss!" He says in a panicking tone as he points to the eggs behind him. "We were all just following a command!" He exclaims fearfully. The other minions nod in agreement. Douglas smiles and pockets the holy weapon.
"Then here's a new command from your saving grace." The holy soldier says, causing everyone to face him with attentive looks. "From this point on, you guys no longer need to obey Sir Pentious. This hotel is all yours!" He says happily. Angel raises an eyebrow.
"Say what?" He asks in a blank tone. Douglas proceeds.
"All of you can be better people, and me killing you won't solve your negative karma. All it would do is permanently end your shot of becoming better." He holds his hand out to the leader of the pack of egg bois. "So what do you say? Do you accept my mercy?" He asks. The egg minion quickly grabs his hand and shakes it rapidly.
"Yes! Thank you, thank you so much!" He exclaims. The rest of the minions smile and wave.
"THANK YOU!" They all say at the same time. Angel gives a blank look.
"You're letting them all go?" He asks. Douglas nods.
"Of course. I follow the word of God, and that all starts with making peace with deadly people." He says as he opens the door widely for the eggs to leave. "Now go down to the lobby, I'll be down there in ten to fifteen minutes." He says.
"Alright, let's go boys!" One of the minions says heartily. The eggs clear the room and make their way down the stairs.
"What was that all about?" Angel asks, aiding his somewhat black eye.
"That was mercy." Douglas answers. "The morals of the lord carry on through peace and love, not anarchy and hatred." He states. Angel smirks lightly.
"You're a pretty brave kid you know?" He says somewhat proudly. "I'd definitely agree with your take on God if he wasn't enough of a jerk to put you here." He says, causing Douglas to frown.
"He has his motives." He responds in an annoyed tone before regaining his spirit. "But never mind that right now, we still have to save Vaggie!" He exclaims as he steps out of the room. "Come on!" He calls to Angel as he heads up the stairs.
"Are you kidding me? That bitch took away my guns!" Angel responds in an angered tone. Douglas facepalms.
"Come on dude! I don't know what floor she's on!" He shouts. Angel sighs and reluctantly follows him.
"Okay, whatever." He says, walking behind him. When they finally reach the penthouse, they see Alastor outside on the balcony.
"Alastor!" Douglas exclaims as he heads to the door. "What are you doing outside?" He asks. The radio demon turns away and continues reading a book he's holding. "Come on, don't ignore me!" Douglas shouts. Angel grabs the door and yanks on the handle.
"What the hell?! Why's the door locked?!" He asks in frustration. Douglas glares.
"Alastor, open the door or I'll come out by force!" He demands. The radio demon continues to ignore him. "Okay, that's it!" He says before teleporting onto the balcony. "Why are you ignoring us?" He asks. Alastor turns to him lightly.
"Well my friend, perhaps you're wasting your time here. You should direct your attention to the rooftop where Vagatha was chased to." He says as he points to the roof above him. Douglas gasps as he sees the purple girl standing close to the edge of the roof.
"Vaggie!" He exclaims. "What are you doing up there?!" He asks in fright. Vaggie turns to him briefly with a terrified look in her eye.
"I'm cornered here, that's why!" She exclaims. Douglas teleports onto the rooftop just in front of the door. He flinches upon seeing over twenty-five egg bois standing around Vaggie with knives pointed her direction. She's holding her spear but is still completely outnumbered.
"Hey! What do you guys think you're doing?!" He exclaims. All the egg bois turn toward him but continue pointing their weapons toward Vaggie.
"What's it look like? We're taking hostages like our boss asked us to." One of them responds. Douglas holds up his golden cross.
"Then be vile no longer, I have come to grant you mercy for your sins, and ask that you'll let her go." He announces. Vaggie's eye widens.
"What on earth?!" She exclaims loudly. A few of the minions turn around and face him with their blades.
"Let's get him!" One of them exclaims. About a dozen of the egg bois start walking towards Douglas with their knives pointed toward him. The holy soldier puts his cross away.
"No mercy huh?" He asks. "Then I suppose it's time you guys see the light!" He says as he attempts to summon a Seiken. A light beam emits in the middle of the egg horde and sends them all different directions upon exploding.
"Wait, WHOA!" Vaggie screams as one of them is propelled in the air and hits her in the chest. The force knocks her back and she loses her balance. "AH!" She screams as she falls over.
"I GOTCHA!" Douglas exclaims as he teleports to the balcony Alastor is on. Vaggie lands on his arms at an angle slightly off where he expected she'd land, crushing him lightly. "Ow!" He exclaims as her weight pulls on his arms. He accidentally drops her and she crashes on her rear.
"Ow!" The purple girl reacts open landing. She then stands up and glares. "Really dude?!" She shouts, causing Douglas to shrug defensively.
"Hey, I tried to catch you, okay?" He says defensively. Vaggie points to the radio demon.
"Not you, Douglas. Him!" She exclaims in anger. Alastor faces her slowly with a small smile.
"May I help you?" He asks. Vaggie stamps her foot.
"Are you kidding me?! You could've caught me a moment ago with your tentacles!" She exclaims furiously. Angel laughs from behind the door.
"That was kinda funny actually." He says, laughing somewhat loudly. Vaggie frowns.
"Oh, shut up Angel." She says with annoyance. Douglas looks back upon the rooftop and teleports back up.
"Alright guys, listen up!" He announces. All the egg bois just drop their knives and kneel.
"Please don't hurt us, young lord." One of them begs. "Being cracked hurts way more than you'd think!" All the others nod. Douglas pauses for a moment.
"Did you say; Young Lord?" He asks in a surprised tone. That same egg boi looks up lightly.
"Yes! That pulse wave you just used could've shattered us all! It looks like power more lethal than many of the overlords down here have!" Douglas chuckles nervously.
"That pulse wave was supposed to be a holy sword, I just haven't mastered it yet." He says with an embarrassed look. The egg bois look around at one another and then back to him.
"We certainly don't want to be slashed." One of them says. Douglas pulls out his golden cross.
"As I said once, I don't want to kill any of you. If you would all accept my peace, we can cease all hostility between us." He says as a lot of them begin to slowly smile in awe.
"So, you'll let us go?!" One of them asks prayerfully. Douglas nods.
"On one condition, all of you guys have to promise you won't hurt anyone in the hotel. We got a deal?" He asks. The deviled eggs glance at one another and then they all begin nodding in an uneven pattern.
"Yeah! We accept!" One says. A few of them comment about small things as Douglas opens the door.
"Then this will be your new location. Come inside!" He says as he holds the door open.
"YAY!" Some of them shout joyfully as they run inside.
"YIPPEE!" A couple of others shout.
"WHOO!" One of them screams loudly. Douglas smiles as the eggs enter the hotel with positive looks.
"It seems I did a pretty good job." He says. "Now it's time to stop that evil ship." He teleports.
Outside of the Happy Hotel
Douglas reappears at the entrance of the building. Several egg bois are standing there around him and Charlie is holding her arms out toward the evil ship.
"Wait Sir Pentious! Please don't fire at the building!" She exclaims fearfully. The serpent leans forward a little.
"I'll destroy this hotel here and now!" He says as he glares at the group of eggs. "And you pathetic traitors are going to pay for betraying your master!" He exclaims darkly. Douglas steps up to Charlie.
"What is going on here?!" He shouts over the loud sound of Pentious's ship hovering where it's at.
"Sir Pentious is trying to blow up the hotel!" The princess shouts fearfully as she glances at the crowd of eggs. "All of his minions released our friends, and now Pentious wants to destroy the building!" One of the egg bois steps forward.
"We don't want to hurt anyone anymore!" He shouts. "You told us we can be better, but our master isn't convinced!" He says at the top of his lungs.
"And now, say goodbye to your precious hotel!" The sharp serpent shouts as he presses a button. A large nuclear bomb drops out the bottom of his ship, causing Charlie to gasp loudly.
"Where the hell is Alastor?!" Charlie yells out at Douglas.
"He's not in the mood today! I have no idea why!" He responds.
"Two minutes until launch." The computer system says.
"WHAT?!" Pentious yells in frustration. "Fire now you fucking stupid system!" He demands while pounding his fist on the control table.
"Please be patient, the bomb will fire in one minute and fifty-five seconds." The voice says. Pentious slams his head against the steering wheel. He sighs and glares sharply at everyone.
"Nevertheless! You all have two minutes left and your building is gone forever!" He threatens evilly. Charlie hugs Douglas worriedly.
"Douglas! He's gonna kill you! You gotta teleport out of here!" Douglas stares at the bomb.
"Wait, is that bomb powered by pure darkness?" He asks. Charlie nods.
"Yeah, and it's really destructive!" She exclaims. Douglas holds his hand out and stares at the missile.
"I know what to do. Let go of me please." He insists. Charlie stops hugging him and allows him to step forward. He stares into the energy radiating from the bomb and casts a light beam out of his hands. Moments later, the energy generator is glowing bright yellow instead of purple.
"Nuclear element has been altered." The system says. Pentious frowns.
"Pardon?!" He shouts in shock.
"Bomb contains light holy energy rather than the dark destructive antimatter." Pentious facepalms.
"Oh come on! Holy energy isn't destructive enough to destroy the building!" He shouts before flinching and grinning menacingly. "On second thought, I have no objections." He says in an evil tone.
"Great, one minute and twenty-two seconds before launch." The system responds. Charlie's eyes widen as she faces Douglas.
"What did you just do?!" She asks loudly. Douglas faces her with a proud look.
"I inverted the nuclear element. Now the bomb will feel like a holy hand grenade rather than an antimatter blast." He states. Charlie gasps and points to the door.
"EVERYONE GET INSIDE!" She screams loudly. All the minions turn around and run into the lobby, panicking. Douglas taps her on the shoulder.
"What's wrong Charlie? The bomb won't detonate the building anymore." He says. The princess turns to him with a terrified look.
"Holy energy will kill us!" She exclaims. "You may not be vulnerable to holy energy, but that bomb will kill anyone in Hell that is caught by the blast!" She shouts as she runs to the door. "I need to make sure everyone braces themselves!" She exclaims with noticeable fear in her voice. Douglas faces the ship and glares darkly.
"I don't think so." He says before teleporting inside. The sharp serpent shrieks upon seeing him inside.
"What are you doing on my ship?!" He asks with audible anger. The holy soldier gasps as he sees the timer set to forty-five seconds, and then watches it move to forty-four and then forty-three. He quickly grabs a pumpkin and jumps forward.
"I'm not letting you kill anyone!" He asserts firmly as he reaches for the controls.
"Hey! Don't touch my buttons you pesky- Ouch!" The serpent is cut off as the pumpkin hits him in the jaw and pushes him aside. "HEY! DON'T TOUCH!" He exclaims before gasping loudly once Douglas hits a button.
"Missile, withdrawn." The system says. Pentious's pupil shrinks.
"No, no, no, no, NO!" He screams as the timer hits eighteen then seventeen.
"What's wrong?" Douglas asks.
"You brought the missile back in! Now the whole ship will explode!" Pentious exclaims in fear. Douglas gasps as the timer hits fifteen. He quickly swings his pumpkin at the window and shatters it open widely. He then extends his hand.
"Come on! Let's get out of here!" He insists, offering Pentious help. The serpent glooms and turns aside.
"No. I'm not leaving." He says. Douglas gasps.
"Are you crazy?!" He shouts.
"Ten seconds until the missile is launched." The system says. Pentious glares.
"This was my last stand, and you ruined it! Now I'm giving up! I'll never rule Hell and there's no point in existing if I can't!" He exclaims in a whiny tone. He then presses a calling button.
"Five." The system says. Douglas shuts his eyes.
"Goodbye, Sir Pentious." The young soldier says as the system announces 'four' between his words.
"Three," Pentious speaks into the box.
"Vox! It's over!" He shouts in both anger and sadness.
"Two."
*Vox?* Douglas wonders.
"One." Douglas hears the fuel starting to build up. "Firing missile!" The system announces. Douglas quickly teleports back inside the hotel. The very moment he appears inside, everyone hears a loud boom from outside. They all flinch the second the detonation happens and continue to hold their frozen pose for about four seconds.
"What was that?" Husk asks when it's over. Charlie faces Douglas.
"What happened?" She asks.
"I redirected the holy bomb to blow up inside Sir Pentious's ship." The young warrior states. "I tried to get him out, but he refused to leave his creations behind." He says shamefully. Charlie and Douglas look around at the egg minions. Most of them have tears in their eyes.
"Goodbye boss." One of them says in a broken voice.
"It was nice working with you." Another adds.
"He wasn't always friendly, but he was fun to work for." A third one says upon crying. Egg Boi #23 weeps.
"He never shot me with his ray gun." He says upon sobbing immediately after. Husk sighs and glances at Charlie.
"Now these guys understand the feeling." The dark cat says as he takes another drink. "Now might be a good time to check them all in." He suggests. Charlie smiles softly and kneels to face the crowd of eggs.
"Hey guys, don't feel too bad. You all are welcome to become guests here at this hotel." She says as she glances at Douglas. "Because it seems this brave hero was able to bring the good out of you." She says proudly.
"Hey," Douglas says with a large grin. "I can't take full credit either." He states as he steps up behind Charlie and pats her on the shoulder. "This kind girl told me to be merciful today, and it looks like she was right. I'm glad I didn't have to kill any of you." He says proudly. The egg minions sniffle a couple of times and after a few moments, each one is smiling.
"Thank you both very much." The one in front says. "We'll all do what we can to redeem ourselves going forward." He promises as they all nod.
"Wonderful!" Charlie squeals happily. "Could you all give me one moment with Douglas, please? After that, I'll get you all a room key." She pledges.
"Yeah!" A few of them say. All the egg minions slowly disperse and start walking around the lobby. Douglas smirks as Charlie faces him.
"So, what did you want to say to me?" He asks. The princess immediately wraps her arms around him and warmly embraces him. The young warrior blushes lightly.
"Thank you so much, Douglas. You saved so many innocent souls, and now the hotel will finally see some real success." She says passionately. Douglas wraps his arms around her and hugs her as well.
"You're welcome, Charlie. I'm glad I could help." He says. "And I apologize for the death of Sir Pentious, because I tried to get him out." He says.
"It's not your fault. Some people just don't want to change." Charlie says as she releases her grip and they face each other. "But what matters is nobody else got hurt." Douglas grins and nods.
"Of course. That is something to be grateful for." They then continue to do their normal things. Douglas looks back at his list and Charlie begins to check their new egg friends in.
Happy Hotel Balcony
Alastor sits there with a very blank look on his face. He's still smiling, but hardly so. The steam of the explosion is still radiating, and sure enough, his staff receives another call. Alastor reluctantly presses the button.
"So, you failed to submit to a requested demand huh?" Vox says on the other end with a lower tone of voice than normal. "You just couldn't surrender when it was completely clear to you that you should!" He says angrily. "Well so be it, Al!" He says darkly as he cocks the pistol. Mimzy gasps loudly as he aims it at her.
"ALASTOR!" She screams loudly with clear desperation and fear in her voice. The radio demon sighs quietly, without a word.
"This is for Sir Pentious!" The TV demon shouts loudly. *BANG!* Alastor shuts his eyes tightly as the screeching sound of a bullet is heard in the background.
"OUCH!" Mimzy screams. She begins to weep quietly as her voice is heard gasping reflexively.
"Let that be a warning to you, brother!" Vox says darkly, regaining his attitude. "The longer you resist, the more of your friends will perish!" He exclaims. Alastor is about to hang up, but the TV demon says one more thing. "By the way, if you dare mention this to that little boy from the clouds, be sure to let him know he'll suffer the same fate as the exterminators who dare faced me before!" He threatens before laughing maniacally. The last sound Alastor hears before the call ends is the sound of Mimzy's body dropping on the floor. The radio demon sheds a single tear, and then his smile becomes a large grimace.
"You will regret this Vox," Alastor says calmly as he glances at his staff and then back into the sky. "You will not survive the Armageddon."
Author's Note: That one took a little longer to write, but I do truly apologize for taking this long between chapters. I've been spending a lot of time talking to online friends lately. This quarantine has made me more desperate to talk to them, and I haven't been writing as frequently as a result. Nonetheless, this story isn't over, and I promise you I will finish this story no matter how long it takes. I appreciate your patience, and I especially appreciate everyone who has faved, followed, or reviewed my story. Thank you all so much, and the next chapter will be out soon!
Deceased:
Sir Pentious
Mimzy