"Ah, this takes me back." Lucifer said with a sigh as he walked around the inside of Sentinel mech, one whose insides had been hallowed of any technology making it a massive metallic shell, "That last time I was inside one of these things was near the end of the war, by that point we could tell we weren't going to win but we still tried to somehow turn the tide, and while nothing either amazing or terrifying came from looking around inside it, which was always the case since the Sentinels never left anything of true value intact, I was for the first time able to really appreciate how advanced and intricate their work is." He recalled.
"How in the Heavens are you still so freaking cheery?..." Gabriel inquired as he laid on the ground, his feet and legs both sore from walking so much.
Seeing as how neither men knew how long they'd be in Abaddon's circle before they appeared, Lucifer thought it'd be fun to explore and look over all the relics from the war, now that both of them could talk about it in good spirits. Unfortunately for the archangel this was still his first time living in flesh, so when his muscles and bones grew tired from all the walking he needed a few moments to rest.
"Aw, is someone discovering some of the discomforts that come with having a body~" Lucifer playfully teased with a mocking grin.
"I can and WILL stab you..." Gabriel threatened for he was in no mood to deal with the asshole side of his brother's personality.
"Not too long ago that would've meant something~" He maintained a whimsical tone as he walked over to look down at him, "But we're back to being one big happy family, so that is as likely to happen as me getting a halo~" He said.
In response to this Gabriel proved he would follow through on his warning, as he summoned his spear and thrusted it towards his brother. Yet Lucifer expected this which is how he dodged it effortlessly, and he continued to do so as more jabs were sent in his direction. This went on for a surprising amount of time as Lucifer enjoyed getting a rise out of him, while Gabriel at this point actually wanted to hit him at least once just to wipe that stupid grin off his face. In fact, both were so engaged with this unexpected distraction that they failed to notice a portal open nearby, nor would they notice who stepped out until they spoke.
"Ah, that takes me back." The voice of Vega reached their ears, causing them to turn their heads in his direction, "I remember when you two were little and fought over the smallest things, glad to see that childhood headbutting is still there." He said.
"Father!/Father!" Both exclaimed in surprise as they stopped what they were doing, Gabriel getting to his feet so he could look presentable, "What're you doing here?" Lucifer asked while his sibling made sure no ash clung to his person.
"I wanted to see how things were going with you two and Abaddon." He answered. "Ah...right...Abaddon..." Lucifer said awkwardly as he looked off to the side.
"I take it they've been rather silent?" He inquired.
"What? No, not at all, you just have to listen and you'll hear them." Lucifer lied.
Apparently choosing to take him up on that suggestion, all three men stayed quiet to see if Abaddon would make any noise, only to find not even the wind blew outside.
"That's twice your attempt to get on their good side has been met with failure." Gabriel spoke up as he was keeping track.
"You seem irritated Gabriel." Vega noted as his son's tone was rather strange.
"Don't mind him father, he's just a little cranky cause his new legs are sore~" Lucifer explained resuming his teasing.
"I am now standing, you will NOT be able to dodge my spear this time." Gabriel responded with a glare.
"Oh that's right you're still bound in flesh, perhaps you could help him with that Abaddon?" Vega suggested as he looked around them.
"Nice try, but we already tried that one before we decided to explore." Lucifer admitted with a sigh, "Honestly I don't know if anything will make them appear, we thought seeing you might actually do the trick but now that you're here and they're still absent, it's clear even that won't work." He said.
"Well, I do have something to share with you two that might yield some kind of result." Vega told them.
"Is it news? Has something happened with the Slayer?" Gabriel questioned.
"No, but it is just as important as not even I thought this day would ever come." He confessed.
Hearing that both his sons looked at each other with a confused yet curious expression, for what could be just as equally important as saving the Slayer from Doom?
"However, before I say anything you must promise to remain calm, no outbursts or rash decisions understand?" He instructed.
"The more you speak father the worse our confusion gets, why do you think we will have such a reaction to whatever this information is?" Gabriel inquired.
"Because...it has to do with your sister and a sudden development in her life, one that you may react to in a number of ways, though as your parent I believe I know exactly how this will be received." He explained while moving his hands to his front, fingers outstretch and palms open in a cautionary display, "Azrael, for the first time in her entire life has found someone who finds her attractive and it just so happens to be Husk, the feline like demon with a fondness for liquor in case you don't recall Gabriel." He revealed.
Over the course of their entire history in which all three of them saw a decent variety of reactions and emotions from each other, Vega could look back on this moment and safely say he had never seen his sons make this expression before. What they had on their faces wasn't exactly shock, nor was it an unusual combination of anger and disbelief, the only thing he could think of that was similar to how they looked now was the blank void of life look of a mannequin.
"Boys? Are you alright?" He asked with genuine concern.
"...I...I think I just had a stroke." Lucifer answered as he blinked a few times, "You smell toast when you have a stroke right? I can't tell if I'm smelling toast, I think the stroke took away my
sense of smell..." He said.
"...Gabriel?" He inquired hoping his other son was handling this better.
Unfortunately where Lucifer believed he was having a sudden stroke, Gabriel was flat out catatonic as he just stood there like a statue.
"I've broken my sons." He said in both amazement and horror, "I honestly didn't think they'd react so badly." He admitted.
Looking at them for a few seconds longer to see if they'd snap back to their senses on their own, he let out a sigh when they didn't meaning he'd need to fix them himself. But before he could close the distance between them he felt something tug on his clothes from behind, which filled him with an abundance of hope.
"Abaddon?" He questioned as he slowly turned around to look.
Sure enough, standing behind him was the person they all wanted to see. And while in their current form they lacked anything that resembled a face or even a simple pair of eyes, unlike their brothers Vega could tell they were excited at the idea of Azrael finding someone, as both had quite a lot in common.
"Yes, I am absolutely certain." He told them as he was able to understand Abaddon's unique method of communication, "This man is interested in your sister, I see no deceit or ill intentions anywhere in his soul." He assured.
In response to this something truly amazing happened, something that once again none of them thought they'd ever see happen. The gray monotone form of Abaddon illuminated the space in a breathtaking assortment of colors, as the news of their sister finally having the one thing she yearned for the most filled them with joy.
"Abaddon! You're your old self again!" Lucifer exclaimed, both he and Gabriel now back to normal thanks to this display.
"Out of every POSSIBLE thing that could have caused this, it was Azrael finding love..." The archangel said completely dumbfounded that this happened.
"There's my rainbow." Vega said as he pulled them into a hug, "Oh it is just so wonderful to see your colors return, not to be rude but gray does not suit your personality at all Abaddon." He told them.
Flashing several different bright colors to show they agreed, they happily returned the embrace as it had been far too long since they got to hug their father.
"Could we get a hug too?" Lucifer asked for both him and Gabriel, assuming that the bad blood between them was now through.
Sadly this proved to be a massive mistake, for upon hearing his voice Abaddon leaned to the side so their brothers could see them, then proceeded to bombard them with an array of hot reds, oranges, and yellows.
"Three for three." Gabriel commented adding that to the tally.
"Add one more number to that and I will summon my cane to beat you with." Lucifer threatened.
"Boys, now isn't the time." Vega told them as he ended his hug with Abaddon, "We shouldn't be squabbling or bickering with each other, we should be celebrating that another member of our family is back with us." He said.
"You're right father, but now that you are here Abaddon I would like to know if you're going to help us?" He asked.
Though they didn't respond with colors this time they still made their feelings clear, which they did by crossing their arms and turning their back to him.
"Great, so we've moved a micro meter forward which still lands us in square one." He said.
"Gabriel." Vega spoke though a bit sterner this time, "This is a major improvement both with their mood and with our family as a whole, they are within their right to deny assisting us with our business as they've already done a great deal by returning to us." He told him.
"Father's right, we're sorry Abaddon." Lucifer apologized while taking a few steps forward, "It was rude of us to show up here and ask for your help regardless of how important the matter at hand is, we're just happy to see you again after all this time." He said.
Waiting a few seconds to see how they were going to react, Gabriel's eyes nearly shot out of his head in anger as Abaddon came over and hugged Lucifer.
"OH COME ON!" He shouted as he threw his hands in the air, "So am I the only person you're not going to forgive?!" He asked.
Like before Abaddon responded with hot reds, oranges, and yellows to his dismay.
"Great, just great, on top of Azrael's first ever admirer being a raging alcoholic I now get to deal with this." He said with a sigh of defeat while letting his arms fall back to his sides.
"Shit that's right!" Lucifer exclaimed as he pulled away from Abaddon, "We need to get back to the hotel right now!" He decided as he tried to open a portal.
"No." Vega denied while grabbing onto his son's shoulder, "This is exactly what I worried would happen, what do you plan to do?" He asked.
"Father please, I am a mature man with a wife and child, I only want to have a talk with Husk." Lucifer answered.
"May I remind you that you nearly beat Alastor to death a few months ago?" Vega told him.
"You did what?" Gabriel asked as a sudden grin appeared on his face.
"...Father, how could you lie like that?" Lucifer responded in an attempt to deny everything, "I would never do something like that, I'm always in complete control of my emotions." He said while crossing his arms.
Hearing that Gabriel couldn't keep from laughing as hard as he could, both the volume and the effort he gave showing this may very well be the funniest thing he ever heard.
"Shut UP Gabriel!" He demanded angrily which only made his brother laugh more.
Watching in silence as he started shouting at him to prove he didn't have an anger problem, to which Gabriel just kept laughing without restraint, both Vega and Abaddon couldn't help but be
amused.
"Ah, things are finally getting back to normal." He said, to which Abaddon agreed with a nod.
In the few short hours that he'd been awake, this day could only be described as an emotional rollercoaster for Husk. It started with him feeling like the biggest pile of rancid shit in existence which was normal, then he nearly had his heart explode when he thought he pissed off the angel of death, after which he felt relief and even joy for the first time that he could remember when he learned she might be interested in him, and now he was upset that he was being treated like a child. This feeling was caused by Lilith, who after managing to take his shotgun away looked at him with the scariest look in existence, the disapproving gaze of a motherly figure. And while she of course wasn't his mother in this moment she had to act like it, much to the amusement of Alastor who watched on in delight.
"...Can I please have my shotgun back now?" Husk asked her while slowly looking over. "No." She answered.
"I promise I'm not gonna shoot myself." He told her.
"Oh come now Husker even I wouldn't believe that, yet I still would've given it to you just to see if you'd actually go through with it!" Alastor exclaimed with a chortle.
"Although that was grim he is right." She said as she held onto the gun tightly, "I honestly can't believe you were ACTUALLY going to shoot yourself." She admitted.
"What's the big deal? It's not like how the exterminations were, all that'd happen is I'd blow my brains out, be dead for a day or so, then I'd fall from the sky with a thud before dragging my ass back in here." Husk explained.
"That's not the point Husk!" She replied in frustration, "You can't just shoot yourself every time you don't feel like dealing with something!" She exclaimed.
"I hate to interject." Alastor spoke up while leaning forward in his seat, "But you DO realize this isn't the first time he's done that right?" He asked.
"...Come again?" She inquired.
"Alastor, don't you fucking dare." Husk said with widened eyes as the radio demon was about to make this grave a bottomless pit.
"Hmm...who do I listen to?" He hummed with a smirk while tapping his chin in thought.
"ME ASSHOLE ME!" Husk shouted as he put a hand to his chest, "I'm already gonna be in head high shit water when Charlie shows up with Vaggie and Nifty on her heels, I don't need you-"
THWACK
With a loud thud Husk hit the floor like a sack of rocks, which was a result of Lilith hitting him upside the head with his own shotgun.
"Oof, knocked out cold by his own weapon, that's a real rare irony." Alastor commented as he looked over the desk at the now unconscious feline, "What makes it even better is this is the second time today he's been put to sleep." He added.
"Alastor." Lilith spoke to regain his attention, "As you were saying." She instructed wanting him to continue.
"Hm? Oh right, Husk's long list of suicides, sorry nearly slipped my mind." He replied as he sat back down in his chair, "So, where do you want to me to start?" He asked.
"With the first obviously." She answered.
"Are you sure? I must admit it gets pretty grim even at the beginning." He warned.
"If I couldn't handle grim details I wouldn't be the queen of a circle of Hell, now hurry up and tell me before he wakes up." She insisted.
"Very well, but please do not shoot the messenger." He requested referring to the still loaded shotgun she held in her hands, "Husk grew up in a casino, which is no surprise for beyond his love of gambling he has such a well developed insight into the worst humanity has to offer, from thugs who'll break your fingers should your debt payments be one cent off, to women who stabbed men in their backs during sex on a regular basis so they could pilfer the corpses for any valuables, in Husk's long life on earth he saw it all, which not only made him jaded towards the worst atrocities committable by any sinful soul, but is also why he was weighed down by his emotions, much like the lungs of a drowning sailor." He explained.
Taking a moment so a pause could occur, to Lilith's shock Alastor's trademark toothy grin became a normal expression.
"Now, I won't go into details as even I have no right to share such a story without his permission and blessing, for although I tease and toy with him it isn't because there's a lack of respect." He said while closing his eyes, "Even so, in those final moments as a human being when he pressed the barrel beneath his chin, all he was looking for was a chance to finally have the one thing he always wanted but could never have, which was to be happy." He revealed as he slowly opened his eyes again though only halfway, "Of course given the fact he'd done a few unsavory things in his life he wound up down here, where the only escape he found was an endless sea of liquor and gambling dens on nearly every street, and while to his credit a few of his suicides were to avoid the exterminations as he figured out he could stay dead during them then come back, for the most part anytime he's taken his life down here it was either to pay off a debt, because he was bored, or in the hope that it would finally be the last." He concluded.
Now finished sharing this information with her he looked to see how she was handling it, where to no surprise she wasn't even looking at him.
"I...I didn't think it was so bad..." She muttered in disbelief while staring down at Husk, "I mean I know everyone has their issues, we are in Hell after all, but that's just...so sad..." She said just as a realization hit her, "...Wait...you said he did it to pay off debts? How does killing himself pay a debt?" She questioned now returning her focus to him.
"You already said the answer, we're in Hell." He replied as he looked at the head of his cane, "Although Valentino and his porn factory were the most well known source of debauchery and sin, if there is but one single credit I can give him is that his business mostly focused on drugs and sex, but there were and possibly still are those who earn their money through the sale of snuff films, you'd be surprised how much one pays to see what a person's head looks like when blown apart by buckshot." He explained.
"He...he killed himself so other people could watch it?..." She asked in absolute horror.
"Only when he couldn't talk his way out of a debt or something similar, and when those he was indebted to allowed him to choose how he'd die on camera, there are just as many if not more times where they denied him even that and did whatever they felt like." He answered.
Another loud thud travelled through the air as Lilith lost her grip on the shotgun, her mind overcome with so many different thoughts and emotions.
"I don't say this to be mean or taunting in any way, but you should be careful of what you wish for." He said as he sank into his chair, trying to make himself comfortable after that unpleasant exchange.
"Why...why has he never said anything about this?...After everything that's happened?" She asked.
"He has no reason to, how he chooses to deal with his past, his present, and his future is entirely up to him, we may be his friends or even just his associates but that still does not entitle us to any information he deems private, I've only told you as much as I have because most of it is public knowledge, in the sense you can buy or look up any of the so called performances he was a part of." He answered, "Though with that being said a lot has changed since the reform started, you may only be able to acquire such footage from those who are avoiding detection and prosecution from the Authorities." He added.
"But we could help him! We're helping Katie and Angel work through their trauma, we could do the same for him!" She insisted.
"Again, not our place." He repeated with a sigh, "If Husker wants to drown himself in booze and bet away any cash he happens to get that is his choice and his alone, I understand you want to help him and so would the others if they knew what I and you now do, which is exactly why I'm asking you to keep this to yourself, he's already going to have a lot to deal with given his new potential relationship with Azrael, he doesn't need any more stress or concerns." He requested.
Taking another long look at the still slumbering cat Lilith was at war with herself, as on one hand she agreed that this was Husk's business, while on the other she wanted to help him much like her daughter, Vagatha, and Nifty did. That's when she remembered how he was acting just a few moments ago when he came out of the hallway, and how especially after hearing all of this his chance at being happy may have finally arrived.
"...You're right Alastor." She conceded with a sigh, "For the first time since I've known him and from how it sounds for you as well, something has finally happened that makes him happy, I don't want to do anything that'll ruin it." She decided.
"Glad to see we feel the same on this matter." He said as his smile finally returned, "Although I must admit, that is rather funny since you hit him across the face with a shotgun." He admitted.
"Yeah, I'll definitely have to make this up to him, after I manage to wake him up before the others come join us." She replied, "I wonder what's keeping them?" She asked.