UNDERDOG
"ATONE FOR YOUR SINS"
DISCLAIMER
NOTE: I am aware that the entire series is not finished yet. With the potential number of changes in the canon, this story will be an AU (Alternate Universe) that combines both elements and characters from Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, while adopting some actual new elements from the canon. This story is also not too "Lore-Friendly" (aka not being too accurate to the world of the Canon.) So, be warned if some inaccurate information in this AU may make you cringe.
In regard to The Magne Family being renamed into The Morningstar Family, I will be sticking to "The Magne Family" as it's what I'm used to during the development and writing of this story. If it gets in the way too far for most of my readers, I can make an exception and fix it to "Morningstar". Just let me know.
Both shows along with their characters DOESN'T belong to me. The series respectively belongs to SpindleHorse and its creator, Vivienne Medrano (aka "VivziePop".) The plot in this Fan Fiction and some characters you'll know who are OCs (Original Characters) are original from me. If any ideas or characters sound similar to another story written by somebody else, it is purely coincidental. I refuse to blatantly steal somebody's idea and claim that it was mine. If you have any concerns, you are always welcome to message me.
If there is anybody outside of this site posting this Fan Fiction without giving proper credit or impersonating me, please let me know.
Chapter 2: Meeting Princess Charlie.
Getting a gift of importance.
-(Downtown Pentagram City, Pride Ring)-
(Morgan's POV)
Morning arrived in the city as it was 7:05 AM. I was called in to work to pick up some paperwork from Major General Damiens and was given the day off as nothing was going on at the moment. However, Mei was the one that handed the papers to me instead as Damiens was occupied in his office. Starting tomorrow, I will officially be working with the Royal Guard, and the Overlords along with the Royal Family. Because of this, I told Mei to relay word on Damiens about moving out of Camp Juno and somewhere close to my work to avoid being late due to the long drive and possible traffic. That was when she assured me that he would give me and my girlfriend the condo I mentioned near the Royal Guard Headquarters and closer to the Overlord residences. I was a bit of a minimalist just like Marcela, which means moving our stuff out of our current house wasn't going to be a hassle. All we needed was to rent a medium sized moving truck.
Since it was still early, the roads downtown was crowded and obstructed with traffic as Hellborns and Sinners alike were doing their daily routine to start the day. I played it smart by not using my car to head downtown and left it in the parking lot back at WarDog HQ. Instead, I took the train because a station was already in front of the HQ for WarDogs and civilians to use if they don't have access or prefer not to use a car. Plus I'm sure a lot of us prefer the train downtown to avoid the roads that already have sucky drivers.
The train I was on stopped near central as the outside was crawling with a lot of citizens waiting to get onboard. With the doors opening, I walked out with some others in time to avoid getting crushed by the crowd heading inside. Walking downstairs off the platform and walking down the sidewalk, my destination was right there.
'Janice's Jewelries'
Last night, I told Marcela that I would buy her a present to convince her I was faithful to her. And what better way to show it by buying something like rings or something valuable. I made sure to have a limit to the expenses though. Wouldn't want her to feel bad for getting something a royal family could afford.
With that, I opened the door as the bell on the entrance rang. The first thing I noticed was the clerk, which was an overly fashioned lady minding her own business by taking care of her nails. On occasions, she would look up at the TV playing some sappy romance film that was very over the top. Two demons holding each other close in the sunset over the cliffside? Yeah. How original. I ignored the movie and walked further inside and gave a casual smile to the clerk.
"Morning." I greeted her while walking in.
"Morning." She replied with a smile but went back to focusing on her hand.
My eyes wandered off to scan the glass display cases to find what I was looking for. On the other hand, I also noticed the place wasn't too busy as it was just me and the clerk. "Not many demons come by here in the morning, it seems."
"Not anymore nowadays. I remember back then; Stolas' wife Stella was a regular customer back before…some conflicts happened. Ever since then, mornings have been pretty boring without her ramblings about being above everyone else."
I cringed as I heard about their family troubles from others I worked with. Because of my uncomfortableness in that subject, I changed it. "What about thieves?"
"Believe it or not, not as frequently as you thought." She answered. "Good thing you're here though. If one is out there right now, they will think twice before attempting to rob this place." The clerk joked as she was still filing her nails.
She was right though. A thief who has less experience in combat is no match against an armed WarDog. Hell, maybe even a group of thieves. "Well, I'll be sure to keep an eye out while I'm in here." I chuckled while patting my pistol on my holster before I headed closer to the clerk's display as they contained what I was looking for.
Then, the front door opened as the gentle ringing of the bell caught both me and the clerk turning our heads to see who entered.
A young woman with blonde hair that had some pink and bright highlights, tied down to two ponytails. Rosy cheeks, red eyes, and fair skin. Dressed formally in a red tuxedo jacket and pants with the other details, I could easily tell who it was.
It was, without a doubt, Charlie Magne. The Princess of Hell herself was in the same shop as me while I was sticking out clearly on the glass cases near the center where the register was. Usually, the most expensive items in the store were kept in the spot I was in. But inhabitants with a higher social status usually aim for those as they can easily afford them. As expected, she was clearly approaching where I was. I can only assume she was buying herself something, or a gift for someone. I kept my cool and pretended to focus on finding a ring in front of me.
The assistant bowed her head and gave the most welcoming smile compared to what I was given. "Good morning, your highness."
"Hello." Charlie smiled back and placed her hands on the glass cabinet that contained pendants. "Just looking for a gift. Don't mind me."
Things began to turn a little awkward as I was basically looking around the same cabinet as her. I was still in my military uniform as I had just gotten out of the WarDog Headquarters. And to no surprise, Charlie took notice of me when I saw her reflection on the glass. It must have been because of my surname tag, vocational patch and my rank. Adding those three altogether equals Colonel Adler, Military Advisor; where she would easily realize I was the new Field Officer watching over the higherups with the Royal Guard, if she was notified about it. Having no choice, I turned my head and casually greeted her.
"Princess Magne. Good morning to you." I bowed my head to her as a sign of respect. Thinking she would just ignore me and go about her business; she instead continued the conversation.
"Colonel Morgan Adler." Charlie said as she gave her usual welcoming smile that I've seen many times during her speeches or on television.
And as I suspected, she knew. I nodded my head and gave her a bow after she said my rank and name. "It'll take some time for me to get used to that rank."
Charlie let out a small chuckle and nodded. "Congratulations on the promotion, by the way. I look forward to working with you."
"Thank you. It wasn't easy to reach this position, but the real challenge is reaching Brigadier General."
"Already planning ahead to become a General? Usually, three out of fifty Colonels make it up to that rank." She stated while giving a dry smile at the thought of the process.
"We'll have to see in the future if I have what it takes to become one."
She smirked up at me. "OR~…you get another two-rank promotion and become a Major General instead."
"Your highness, that's like asking for a miracle."
"I know. But I'm just saying it probably can happen." She shrugged while she scanned the case with her eyes, which her side was full of pendants with some beautiful gems.
"Buying a gift for someone~?" I asked in a teasing way while smirking.
Charlie grinned and giggled while she blushed behind her…blushes…? "Maybe~? Well, okay, yeah. It's for my girlfriend, Vaggie. Our dating anniversary is coming up and I decided to get her something special. She's been rather…stressed lately because of the hotel…"
I frowned upon her mentioning that, showing how relatable it was for having your lover under heavy stress. "I see. Maybe a gift really is a good idea for her to ease up on. She'll either go on a rampage on everything, or start stabbing people left and right..."
"Exactly. Especially the last part…" Charlie joked, but only partially as if Vaggie would really do something like that. "And what about you, Colonel?" She raised an eyebrow, giving the same teasing smirk I gave earlier. "Judging by the fact you're in the rings section, clearly you're not buying it just for yourself."
The clerk at the counter whistled. "If he was, that'd be depressing."
I laughed and shook my head. "Well, both of you can forget about that idea. Because I am buying it for my girlfriend."
"Anniversary?" Charlie guessed.
"Nope." I shook my head again. "Don't tell her if you see her, but…" My face turned hot from the thought while went close to her ear, embarrassed to tell her out loud. "Engagement rings." I whispered.
"Oh-hohohoho~!" Charlie squealed cutely. "Another "congratulations" goes out to you, Colonel~!"
"Well, we'll see if she says "Yes" when I pop the question."
She buzzed her lips and gave an optimistic smile. "I'm sure she will say "Yes" to a man that clearly cares about her. Y-You…you do care about her, right?"
"Of course I do!" I exclaimed. "I'd fight tooth and nail for her to keep her safe down here in Hell! What kind of man would I be if I treated her like garbage?!"
Charlie snickered and rolled her eyes from my comment. "I was just pulling your leg. I didn't expect you to say something so corny though."
"Corny? That's kind of funny coming from you." I teased back.
She blushed heavily and pouted. "You're talking about me when I was on the News for an interview about the hotel, aren't you?"
"N-Not in any offense, of course!" I quickly assured her that I wasn't personally attacking her.
"Okay, good." She sighed in relief. "But still…" She pouted again.
"Come on now~! You weren't that bad!" I said while giving the most convincing smile I could give to cheer her up. "Your heart was in the right place where you felt concerned about your people. Caring about them, redemption, standing up for yourself against Bitchy Killjoy, all of it!"
Charlie slowly started to smile lightly and clasped her hands together. "Really~? What about my song?! Did you like that too?!" She asked excitingly.
…
…
…
"Well…it was…uhhh…." I began to sweat nervously as I didn't want her to hear my opinions on that to avoid crushing her.
But it was pointless trying. With no further comment, she could see right through me and pouted even harder as her cheeks were now overly puffy. For some reason, this caused me to curiously poke one of them while she did this. Soft and squishy. I could probably do this all day, if I could.
The clerk laughed and folded her arms at me. "What are you doing?!"
"Pressure check…?" I answered.
Charlie gently grabbed my hand and put it down to stop me from poking even further. "Why does nobody like my songs…?" She frowned.
"I didn't hate it." I told her. "It was more like…there's a time and place to be singing about that while on air in a news channel. Besides that, I thought you sounded wonderful."
"Okay. That makes me feel a little bit better." She sighed as her small smile returned. "Speaking of which, do YOU like singing, Colonel?"
I awkwardly stood there and shifted my eyes away from her stare out of embarrassment. "Not my kind of thing. I'm a soldier. Not a singer."
"Come on~! At least give it a try in the future~! I can even invite General Calinao for karaoke, if you want."
"For the love of God and the Devil, do NOT invite him to that." I smiled wryly as I cringed a little from the thought.
"Why not?" Charlie snickered. "He actually loves to sing much more than I do. Especially karaoke."
"Sounds like your typical Filipino." The clerk joked.
"Exactly." I nodded.
"Oh my God. You're lucky he's not in this store to hear you say that." Charlie folded her arms.
I chuckled and waved my hand around as a sign for her not to worry. "We're good friends. We always make fun of each other." I smirked and winked. "Hell. He called me a straight white male once, which is true."
"Wait. That's…offensive?"
"Apparently it is to some people. But the both of us don't care."
She inhaled deeply with a smile and tilted her head before leveling it back at me. "Well, it's at least good to know you are thick skinned and don't flinch too much with insults. Because…Overlords, especially in royalty, will easily look down upon you just for being below them in the social structure. Believe me. It pains me to see them treat others, especially towards our military servicemembers so badly. I just wanted to let you know that it might be tough to get along with them while they're already…having some knives behind each other's backs."
"I understand. My girlfriend would always be worried about how I'll endure working with them and the Royal Guard, who already treats us WarDogs like rivals." My head shook at how obnoxious they can be about it sometimes. "But just know that when it comes to work, I like to keep things professional and not make the structure of all this unstable than it already looks…"
With that, Charlie nodded her head as if she was convinced that she saw promise in me. "Well, from this point on, it'll be nice working with you."
"Of course. I'm not sure if I need to drop by each residence on some occasions. But some directions to your hotel would be helpful if I need to check it out for your father."
"Oh yes! Of course!" She gave a wide smile and reached for something from inside her coat, which was her hotel business card. "I've always wanted to give someone this when they asked for it…" She said while completely overjoyed as if she was on the verge of tears.
My mouth couldn't help but form a smile as seeing her happy that her hotel was getting at least some attention was heartwarming to watch. I took the card from her and placed it in my pocket before bowing my head one last time. "Sorry I took some time from your shopping. It was nice meeting you, ma'am." I bowed.
"Just call me Charlie. There's no harm to it." She said.
"Okay…Charlie." I called her by her name for the first time, which felt odd calling her without her title. "But when we're at work, I'm going to have to call you by your title. You know? Wouldn't want to get some odd stares that the advisor is calling the Princess by her first name only."
"Understandable. And it was a pleasure talking to the new WarDog Advisor for the Royal Guard." Charlie replied after turning around to face me once again.
Suddenly, the door to the shop opened harshly with one man in a suit holding it open. He was panting as if he ran to the door as quickly as possible with something urgent for Charlie to know. Because of this, she headed towards the bodyguard as I followed. And as I suspected, he was part of the Royal Guards under the protection for Charlie.
"Your Highness," He spoke before catching his breath, "we have a situation."
Charlie was puzzled and raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"
The Guard looked over at the clerk and pointed at the television playing a random romantic film. "Ma'am! Turn the channel to the news!"
Immediately, the clerk opened the drawer near the register to change the channel to '666 News'. The screen was reached with Katie Killjoy and Tom Trench giving a report of current events that was considered "Breaking News". When my eyes scanned and landed on the headline, my heart felt like it dropped out of my chest with force.
"BREAKING NEWS: 24 Military Personnel Killed in Supposed Ambush by Unknown Assailants. 9 Dead Confirmed to Be WarDogs."
"Major General Damiens has released an official statement regarding this ambush. Let's play the clip right now, shall we?" Katie said before the screen switched to the clip.
"Yesterday at 1800 hours. Twenty-four military service members of the Royal Army's Domestic Security Forces and the WarDog's Sentinel Pack were apparently ambushed outside of Pentagram City. I would like to sadly confirm all members of the convoy were all killed as soon it has been verified from another WarDog Fireteam. As stated earlier, the intentions of this convoy will remain classified and will not be addressed to the public. But what I can say for certain is that it is nothing to be concerned about and doesn't pose any danger to the citizens of Hell. However, the investigation will continue to be carried out in order to seek justice against these assailants. Starting today, General Calinao has unanimously adopted the order of the Royal Armed Forces of Hell to begin security procedures in all Rings in order to search for the perpetrators. With Pentagram City being a key location during the search. All we ask for the citizens of Hell is to cooperate and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement or a military service member in the vicinity. Individuals interfering with this operation will be severely punished and face fines or prison time. Those involved in gangs or turf wars will be arrested, or lethally pacified when provoked. Lastly, I am also ordering WarDogs, both Fireteams and Squads, to adjust and assist in this operation."
"Major General Damiens," One of the journalists in the crowd called up. "Do you have a statement to give directly to the assailants involved in this tragedy?"
Damiens kept his stern and sharp look while staring directly at the camera, which was enough to intimidate some viewers and journalists in the crowd. His demonic side was starting to show because of the anger he held in for so long. "Continue to run or hide. WarDogs love to hunt for their prey. It's only a matter of time before all of Hell drags you down the pavement where I will personally find a variety of ways to make sure you break. You're not getting the cowards way out. Bastards like you are going to wish Hell was your only punishment."
Then, the video feed cuts and returned the feed back to Katie and Tom.
"Oooo~! WarDogs are always feisty like him~! And yet it still makes me wonder how they had trouble taking on whoever pinned their asses down." Katie mumbled the last part.
Tom averted his (eyes?) away from her, clearly disapproving of that last comment she mumbled. "Speaking of their attackers, they have still not been identified and their motives behind this massacre are currently unknown. According to our sources, they have theorized that this attack was planned and carried out by a group of bandits or gang members looking to steal military-grade weapons and supplies. However, the notoriously persistent Sir Pentious and the notoriously sexy Cherri Bomb~ have declined their-…OOOFFFF!"
Katie kept her wide smile on air as she clearly cut Tom off from his sentence with physical harm under the desk, who was leaning on it clearly in pain. "Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb have denied any involvement in this utterly tragic event. However, investigations are currently ongoing to find their supposed killers to seek justice."
"That is…correct…" Tom whimpered while still leaning on the desk.
"Sit up straight, fuckwit." Katie whispered while lifting his head up. "We're still on air."
Tom regained some willpower to continue with the report and cleared his throat. "Th-The bodies of the fallen soldiers have been recovered and are being transported back to the Royal Armed Forces HQ; Fort Pavise, Pentagram City. A proper funeral and burial will be scheduled to a later date until things start to deescalate. For now, all we can do is remember those who have fallen and ensure their sacrifice for their service was not in vain."
"Indeed." Katie eased up her smile and took out a piece of tissue to wipe her "tears" running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, my fellow Sinners and Hellborns. It's just…after this tragic event happened, I have been worried sick about my friends in the military. Knowing any day could be their last and…*sniff*…I won't be able to see their smile ever again…"
"Uhh…yes. It's quite alright, Ms. Killjoy." Tom said forcefully as he was mainly playing along to avoid getting physically harmed by her again. "I know what it's like as well."
"Thank you, Tom." She sniffled as she continued to wipe her face and cover it partially. "I hope all of you stay safe out there while our brave servicemembers try to solve this unforgiving crime."
I growled a little bit as Katie was not taking this situation as seriously as it is like Tom. Twenty-four of my fellow WarDogs and Hell Soldiers were all killed and there she is pretending to care while dropping crocodile tears to make the news much more emotional while gaining brownie points. This sort of manipulation tactic makes me sick, and I was just close to not watching the channel.
"Change the channel. I…think we seen enough." Charlie frowned as she could tell my frustrations on the news channel.
The clerk did so without question and sat down on her chair near the counter. "9 WarDogs killed though. Are you kidding me…?"
Charlie looked at me with an equally horrified look on her face. "I thought WarDogs were our best and notoriously tough to kill…"
"Yeah. They are." I nodded while still standing there like a statue. "But how…?"
"Your Highness. I hate to postpone your shopping duties. But your father needs you back at the Royal Palace at once." The royal guardsman stated as he reminded her why he dashed into the store.
"That's alright. I can buy out a gift from here another day." Charlie nodded as she understood the situation.
Then, he looked up at me next. "Colonel Adler, correct? As our Advisor, you might want to come aboard too."
I nodded. "Alright. I'll head back to HQ and drive my way to-"
"No. It's fine. You'll be riding with Princess Charlie in her limousine. King Lucifer will most likely need you there as soon as possible." He said while opening the exit door for both of us.
"Is that…okay with you, Charlie?" I looked over at her.
She gave a small smile and nodded. "Nothing wrong with that. Let's go." She told me and said goodbye to the cashier.
I looked at the cashier and gave a quick wave. "Take care out there."
"You too." She replied.
As soon as we walked out of the shop, the orders of the Royal Armed Forces and Law Enforcement were starting to be carried out as we speak. Many more patrol cars were now seen going down the streets while putting an edge on the residences with some checkpoints being established with Military Police Forces. In the air, helicopter patrols were starting to go on sorties but not to the point of overkill using attack helicopters our military uses. It was mainly police aviation units and military utility helicopters, possibly with scouts onboard searching for suspicious activity from the air. However, if you look closely up higher in the Hellish skies, one AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System) and a few SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) aircraft were already relaying information to all air and ground units or intercepting cell signals to detect any suspicious channels. WarDog elements were either with the police and regular forces in the checkpoints, or possibly among the crowd to remain covert and not stand out.
Overall, Pentagram City has now come under strict surveillance by the Police and the Military. If things were this tight and hectic, I can already tell that Major General Damien's statement of telling the citizens of Hell not to be concerned about the situation was a lie. But the citizens so far seem convinced that everything was under control and just assumed it was just a way of taking better precautions to have this many elements present in both the ground and air. It was Hell anyway. However, that doesn't mean all citizens liked this sort of action. The others found this more of an annoyance due to making the streets busier and causing traffic with delays.
Charlie looked around while under protection from both me and her guard. "It almost seems like we're at war…" She bit her lip nervously.
"It would look much more worse than this if we were." I told her. "Add military trucks, attack helicopters, and even jet aircraft, then that's when we're at war."
"Well, that's reassuring. Kind of…"
We reached Charlie's limousine and hopped into the back while the royal guardsman went to the front passenger seat to tell the driver to step on it back to the Royal Palace. The driver was taking the less busy routes to pass the traffic. As for the checkpoints, they allowed the limousine to pass through without any checkups due to it belonging to the Magne Family and that Charlie was onboard. Thankfully, we reached the freeway without any complications.
During the ride, Charlie was on her phone texting someone, assuming it to be her friends or her girlfriend, Vaggie. With that in mind, I decided to give Marcela a call. But she didn't pick up and just left me to leave a voicemail. As soon as the tone beeped, I left the following: "Hey, Marcy. I just wanted to call to let you know my day off has been postponed due to what's going on. I'll be heading to the Royal Palace with the Princess to meet up with the King. Stay safe out there, okay? I love you."
"Awww~…" Charlie gave me a smirk while seated on the other side of the limo.
"What?" I chuckled while I blushed a little from her comment.
"Nothing. It just warms my heart knowing there are demons like you that express love to another down here in Hell."
"What're you talking about? That IS my personal Hell."
She gasped and stared at me with widened eyes.
"I'm kidding. Sorry." I laughed.
"Hey, Glory Hound?" The window between the back and front seat rolled down. It was the driver that called for me.
"Glory Hound?" Charlie asked while looking at me.
"That's my callsign." I told her.
"Patching in Major General Damiens to you now." He told me before putting me on speaker on the built-in phone feature inside the interior of the vehicle.
"Colonel." Damiens started.
"Major General. What is it that you need, sir?" I asked while sitting up straight as if I was talking to him directly. It was a force of habit.
"Are you with the Princess in her limousine?"
"Affirmative. She's right here."
Charlie cleared her throat and greeted him. "Good morning, Major General Damiens. My condolences for what happened to your men…"
"Thank you, Your Highness. I'll be sure to pass that along to their friends and families as well."
"Of course. Give them my blessings."
"Back on topic. I have already arrived in the Magne Royal Palace and am awaiting your arrival in the meeting room." He told both of us. "Princess, your father wants you to be a part of this meeting too. As for your mother, she is currently not present in the Pride Ring. She is attending another meeting down on the Wrath Ring."
Charlie frowned a little bit as she knew her mother wouldn't be present as usual. "I know. I'll come in with Colonel Adler when we arrive."
"How far are you now?"
The driver answered after taking a look at the GPS. "Estimated time: 4 minutes. I already have visual on the palace."
"Alright, good. I want you guys to stay in the driveway until the meeting is over."
"A-Firm." The driver nodded.
"And Colonel? I know she's already protected but keep a good eye on the Princess. Especially with what is going on now."
"Yessir. By any means necessary." I acknowledged.
"See you two there. Out." Damiens said before hanging up.
Exactly after four minutes had passed, we arrived in the Magne Family Estate, which was a lot bigger than I expected seeing it from the distance earlier. But what did I expect from the Royal Family that rules all of Hell?
When the limo stopped, I went out the door first and held it open to allow Charlie to come out after. Due to the intensity of the situation, I kept my eyes sharp for any suspicious activity as the Royal Family might easily become the first targets if the assailants intend to do so. Royal Guardsmen were all over the property armed with swords and rifles. They were not in the same match as a WarDog, but they do their job well enough to ensure the safety of the higher-class families. The driver and passenger guardsmen remained where they parked as I led Charlie to the front door which was guarded by heavily armored men. They took notice of Charlie and opened the doors for us as we ran inside, and the doors closed quickly upon entering.
The main hall was massive with a chandelier high above where we stood. After the flight of stairs near the center was the Magne Family portrait that was towering over us. For the overall design of the interior, it was beautifully crafted into a hellish art nouveau style with even mandala windows for the skylight and near the family portrait. Hearing about how much the Magne Family loved stylizing their home and properties, the entrance hall and exterior was enough to show how much they religiously follow that trait. Besides that, I was lost and had no idea which way we were supposed to go.
So, I looked at Charlie and raised an eyebrow. "This is my first time being here. Do you know the way to the meeting room?"
Charlie nodded. "Follow me." She patted my shoulder before walking to the first doorway to the left.
Upon entering the hallway, it was the first room to the right, which was a lot easier than I thought. Charlie grabbed the knob and opened the door carefully and quietly, but we could easily hear a conversation going on between two people. One voice I recognized was Major General Damiens. The other was a somewhat recognizable one I heard before but couldn't put my finger on it. Curious without walking in fully, we peeked inside to see it was indeed Damiens. With him was a man that had the same features as Charlie, which was no doubt her father; King Lucifer himself.
"First off, we're going to need more than just intelligence to figure this out. My WarDogs on the ground will be the best eyes you'll get in Pentagram City." Damiens said while he was walking around a table displaying a holographic map of Pentagram City, already marked with military assets on the ground, air, and some naval outside in the nearby bay.
"I knew I should've invested in better traffic cameras." Lucifer shook his head.
"Yes. But you had to use taxpayer money on building a statue of your wife in Central Star. MADE OF GOLD."
"Tim, you need to understand that our love for each other is-"
"I know. It's undying and will forever keep our lives strong in the void we have built together~!"
"Okay, first of all, that was uncalled for. And second, I don't sound like that!"
"That's not what Lilith said when I made that joke." He chuckled while lighting a cigar.
Lucifer sighed and rubbed his temples frustratingly. "Piss off, Tim. Back on topic. Maybe we can ask for some assistance from the public about the missing case?"
"Lucifer. That's a lot more easier said than done. If any information regarding the package leaks, that could spark up some widespread panic and conspiracy theories that can cause a big disarray for our intelligence to verify what is true or not." Damiens said.
He folded his arms and looked at the map. "So, what do you think is our next move? That package is out in the wild and we have no idea what the bastards who stole it are going to do with it."
"For now, we leave the searching to law enforcement and our military forces."
"You think Alphonse is going to deploy more than what we have right now?"
"General Calinao doesn't want to rile up the public too much. So, we're using a limited number of elements for this search. If he does, they will be deployed slowly overtime." Damiens said and turned his head to see both me and Charlie peeking. "I can see you two. You know that, right?"
Both of us opened the door to let ourselves in as I closed it when Charlie powerwalked inside.
"Hi, Dad!" Charlie smiled and went over to give him a hug.
"Hello, my little one~!" Lucifer smiled while hugging his little girl back.
"Sire. Colonel Adler. I will be working with you and the Royal Guards from here on out." I introduced myself and extended out my hand.
"Ahh yes. The new advisor." He shook my hand back. "A pleasure."
"You…wanted to talk to me about something here, dad?" Charlie asked while standing firm.
"Yes. It's about the hotel you are running."
With that mentioned, Charlie bit her lip nervously as if she was hoping that subject wouldn't be brought up.
I tilted my head curiously and looked over at Lucifer. "What's wrong with it?"
"My daughter can sometimes be a bit naïve when it comes to making a difference to the people of Hell. Redemption. Honestly, it's a bit of a stretch as Hell is home for sinners and the most vile demons in existence. Rehabilitation is simply not going to work that easily. Especially after what happened on 666 News." Lucifer sighed.
Charlie lowered her head in shame as she had no excuse for that.
"But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I may disapprove of my daughter's ways, but I at least let her keep what she wants to do. As such, I want to ensure her hotel is safe. I want one of the most trusted WarDogs to investigate for anything suspicious happening near her property." He smiled and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Since you are the Glory Hound of Damiens AND the Advisor for the Royal Guard, I think you seem qualified enough to carry out this duty."
"If that's what you want, sire. I will do so." I acknowledged.
"It is." He looked at his daughter with the same smile. "Honey, is that okay with you?"
"Sure!" She smiled excitedly at me. "I can introduce you to everyone working there too!"
"Yes, yes. Just try not to bother him too much while he's there, okay? He's just there to do his job."
"Okay, dad." She nodded.
Damiens puffed out smoke and held his cigar. "Colonel, since you'll be assisting in the search, be sure to keep an eye out for a metallic suitcase."
"Suitcase? Why? What's in it?" Charlie asked while butting into the subject.
"That's classified, your highness. Even for you." Damiens stated.
"Oh…"
"So, Tim. You told me one of your Fireteam guys that oversaw the investigation of the convoy wreckage is coming here to my estate. When does he get here?" Lucifer asked.
"He should be here by now. Last time I checked, he relayed his estimated arrival would be three mikes." Damiens answered before puffing out his cigar.
It was almost perfect timing after his sentence as the entrance of the meeting room opened with a single WarDog walking inside.
Sharp eyes of an eagle, long stubble beard, blue eyes, and black demonic horns sticking out of his blonde fade combover hair. The weapon strapped to his back was an anti-materiel sniper rifle, which was pretty impressive as he stood up straight without any struggle of carrying a 50+ pounds (22+ or 23+ kilograms) rifle that could be a pain on your back. His wide and loose spikey dog collar, which we WarDogs wear in combat uniforms, had his surname and rank marked, which was Lt. Commander; representing he was in the Naval Pack. The combat apparel was much more different as it was a layout of your usual sniper team but armed with different kinds of gadgets used for monitoring and traps. He was also wearing specialized Kevlar body armor beneath his harness that was meant to be lightweight and allow the user to be agile at the same time. Lastly, he wore the flag of the Russian Federation on his chest, but it was crossed out with three black lines that represented he was a citizen there but is no longer officially affiliated with them after being sent to Hell. Next to it was the emblem of his team: A WarDog Fireteam known as "Fireteam Shinobi." Snipers.
"Your Highness." He bowed to Charlie formally. "Lt. Commander Ozren Mylozsky; Fireteam Shinobi, WarDogs. Me and my team were the first ones to arrive on scene to investigate. Sadly, as reported, no survivors."
Charlie nodded, but she was still saddened by it coming from a WarDog that arrived there to confirm it was 100% true. "I see…"
Lucifer sighed and shook his head. "No sign of the package too, I assume?"
"Correct, sire." Ozren nodded.
"Then this is more troubling than I thought…"
Ozren bowed his head and understood his frustration. "If I may?"
"Go ahead, Oz." Damiens said as he allowed him to speak.
Ozren nodded and lifted the dog tags from his vest pocket, which were all from the fallen members of the Hell Domestic Security Forces in the convoy. Then, out of his backpack, he took out the 9 spiked dog collars that still had the names and ranks of the WarDogs that were killed. Some of the tags and collars were in terrible condition as if they were damaged by fire or an explosion. Thankfully, Hell develops much more durable tags for military personnel that can withstand almost any sort of damage.
"Miraculously. I caught all twenty-four tags and WarDog collars." He said and gently placed them down on the table, which was one of the grimmest sights you could see. Especially seeing nine WarDog collars in the same pile that once belonged to one of Hell's finest warriors. "Losing two of our brothers and sisters is one thing. But nine in a single ambush? Almost seems unreal."
Charlie frowned as she stared down at the collars and dog tags of her fallen soldiers. She never knew them personally. But she knew they served and died for the sake of keeping the Kingdom of Hell safe. "They won't be forgotten."
"Of course." I nodded. "But neither will the bastards that killed them."
"Then you WarDogs are going to do both of us a favor by killing those shit stains out there." Lucifer said as he was craving for the killers to be killed.
"Gladly." Me, Damiens, and Ozren replied in sequence.
Lucifer looked over at Ozren and asked, "What is Fireteam Shinobi doing right now?"
"After we were finished investigating the ambush site, they are surveying the entire perimeter to look for any clues of how the assailants got there and where they came from. Last time I contacted Commander Kiritani, she told me nothing was found outside." Ozren answered.
"Covering their tracks, I see." He huffed and put his hands on his hips. "Anything else?"
"The only clues we found were at the ambush site. And that was all."
"Show me."
"The hillside the attackers were on provided something interesting for my Commander. Where each attacker was positioned wasn't random. Almost as if they were organized and positioned perfectly for this ambush. On the bodies, we also uncovered that each shot they received almost seemed completely accurate. Headshots, avoiding the body armor, and even shooting a handcuff out of one of the members of Amber Squad. Speaking of him, he also had a stab wound that seemed like a sword was involved."
"What does that mean?" Charlie asked.
"It means we're possibly up against some group that knows their shit. It can't be your ordinary bandits or gangsters, since they lack that sort of precision." Ozren answered as he took out a bullet that was a .50 BMG. "I also found this near the top of the hill. Pretty rare that a bandit or gangster would use these military-grade bullets…" He added while tossing me the round.
I nodded while examining it too. "Stolen weapons or the black market? Either way, you're right. This is a specialized bullet used for excessive range and velocity while keeping the most lethal stopping power compared to your standard .50 BMG round. "Plutonian Magnum" is what they're called. STRICTLY guarded and exclusive for our military." I passed it over to Charlie.
She grabbed it and was amazed at the size of the bullet with its casing. It already surpassed the diameter of her hand. "Holy hell…"
"Looks like I'm going to have to speak to my wife about this." Lucifer shook his head and turned towards the exit. "Honey, stay safe out there. And try not to hurt yourself with that."
"Okay dad. I won't…" She said while still curiously examining it.
Ozren smirked and folded his arms. "You want to keep it, Your Highness?"
"Oh no thanks!" She chuckled. "What use could I do with it anyway?"
"I could think of a few." I joked.
Charlie looked down at the large bullet and back at me, blushing heavily. "PERVERT!"
This confused me as I had no idea what she was referring to for the first few seconds. "Hold on a second. What did you think I was thinking?"
"…"
"YOU are the pervert here, Charlie." I smirked.
"Y-Y-…Y-You deceived me!"
Lucifer shrugged and joined in on the teasing before leaving. "Well, she is at that age."
"DAD!" Charlie roared as she was bursting some fire out of her hair.
Lucifer already left the room chuckling and left just me, Ozren, Damiens, and Charlie.
Damiens suppressed his laughter by clearing his throat and looked over at Ozren. "Anything else to report?"
"No, sir." Ozren shook his head. "I am to report to General Calinao as soon I am done here."
"You're excused, Oz." He nodded
Ozren made one last salute and headed out the same way Lucifer went.
"Since my day off is postponed, I should get ready to head to the Princess' hotel." I said while I went to put on a combat harness in a separate table that had some gear prepped conveniently. I'm assuming the Royal Family keeps these here for their guards during meetings, or Damiens brung it for me as I didn't have time to get my gear back at HQ or my home.
"All WarDogs are on high alert in the city. If you locate anything suspicious in the Princess' hotel, call it in and the nearest element can assist you." Damiens said while letting the holomap zoom out to the entire city.
"Roger." I nodded.
"And Colonel. Take this. You're looking pretty underarmed even with that pistol of yours." Damiens opened the cabinet near the table to display a supply of weapons; mainly consisting of a variety of PDWs (Personal Defense Weapons) or SMGs. He picked up one from the first row which was an MP5A3 submachine gun. "Lucifer always keeps this meeting room fully stocked at all times for private military briefings."
I smirked as I caught it after he tossed it over to me unloaded. He gave me the mags directly as they were already loaded with 9mm bullets. Switching the gun to safety and inserting the mags without slapping down the cocking handle, I strapped it to my side and cherished the beauty of having one next to me. "Standard issue. Always reliable."
Damiens nodded in agreement. "Always knew you preferred the real-world guns than the ones developed down here. You can thank some of our "friends" up on Earth for still giving us access to their weapons."
"If you meet one of the MARSOC boys one day, tell them I said "Hi" from down here." I chuckled.
"MARSOC?" Charlie tilted her head as she was not familiar with military acronyms and units back on Earth.
"United States Marine Special Operations Command. MARSOC. Also known as "Marine Raiders" nowadays." Damiens said as he displayed his knowledge of the US Military.
She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "You know people from there?"
"Do I know them? I was a part of the Marine Raiders back when I was still alive." I told her about my services in the Marine Raider Regiment.
"Hmm! That explains how you're in the WarDogs!"
I gave a dry smile and nodded, thinking about my early days of enlisting in the unit. "I…still had to get through the tough as hell training though."
"Now, I don't mean to pry too much." She grinned shyly as she twiddled with her fingers a bit. "But…what were you like when you were with them up there?"
To answer her question, I went for my left pocket that contained a pocket-sized notebook I kept for a variety of reasons whether it would be reminders, notes to keep while in combat, and even personal logs. I opened the third page and handed it to her. It was a photo of me and five other Marine Raiders during my deployment in Afghanistan. All of us, dressed in our combat attire and gear with our SOPMOD packaged rifles, all standing in front of a MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle. I pointed out to her that the guy in the center without his helmet was me when I was still human. In comparison, the old me looked almost exactly like how I look now. But a little bit younger and minus the dog ears I have grown since I was sent down here.
"Quite the handsome marine, you are." She complimented me, but in a rather teasing manner.
"You're just saying that." I rolled my eyes and chuckled while taking the notebook back. "I looked like I fell face first into the dirt."
"As much as I'm happy to see you two getting along nicely, both of you should head back to the hotel." Damiens said while chuckling quietly.
Charlie nodded but looked down on her hand to realize she still had the Plutonian Magnum round Ozren brung over here. "Major General, here." She handed it over to Damiens.
He insisted and shook his head. "It's alright. Keep it. Think of it as a gift or use for emergencies only."
"No. Really. I don't have any use for it."
"You can use it when we get to the hotel." I nudged her side.
Charlie froze in place as her face started to turn red again, blushing intensely.
"What the-?! Not like that! You're having dirty thoughts again~!"
…
*SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!*
"OW! OW! OKAY! I'M SORRY!" I shielded myself from her repeatedly violent smacks.
Back on the road…
I sat quietly on my seat next to Charlie as the limousine was now driving us to the Princess' hotel. According to the driver, it was estimated to be five minutes away from the Magne Family Estate, where we had just left. Looking out the window, the city was still under high alert as the three intelligence aircrafts overhead were now being accompanied by a squadron of jet fighters belonging to our Air Force. And here I was thinking the situation wouldn't be much more problematic. Charlie has probably never seen something like this ever, or in a long time. I checked up on her, seated next to me and…
…she was still pouting her cheeks while looking out her own window. I can only assume she was still sour for that joke I pulled back when Ozren gave us the bullet, and after the briefing from Damiens.
Looks like I have to do what any person would do in a situation like this.
*Poke~…Poke~…Poke~…Poke~…Poke~…*
"Stop poking my cheeks~!" She whined as she covered them away from my finger.
"Why are you still pouting then?" I chuckled.
"You know exactly why, Colonel." Charlie glared.
I sighed and kept my hands to myself afterwards. "Okay. I apologize, Your Highness. I figured a way of relieving the stress in this situation with you is to have some fun."
Charlie folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm…it's going to have to be more than that."
With that, I bowed my head to her and made a much more sincere apology this time. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I can stop acting that way towards you, if that's what you want. An Advisor really shouldn't be acting this way towards the Princess anyway."
…
*FLICK!*
"OW!" I shielded my forehead after her finger flicked it hard. Since I bowed my head, I didn't clearly see it coming.
Charlie smiled, fully satisfied. "Now we're even." She laughed. "But no~! Don't say that! You take your job seriously at the appropriate times. But I wouldn't mind seeing that fun side to you on occasions where it's free to do so."
"I see." I smiled while rubbing my forehead still.
"This isn't a complaint or anything. But you do seem pretty laid back towards me." Charlie chuckled while leaning on her hand and looking out the window. "To be honest, I was expecting an Advisor to be strictly by the book and harshly critical towards everyone else including me. But you seem to be professional yet kind of fun to talk with sometimes." She admitted.
"Sometimes? What about the other times?"
"What? When you're teasing me? Those weren't fun at all…" She pouted.
"It is to me." I smirked as a way of teasing her.
Charlie pouted harder. "See!"
I couldn't help but chuckle even more and smile. "Look, Charlie. I'll continue to keep things professional and ensure you and your family are safe while providing some help to the Royal Guards. It's just how I roll when it comes to the military ever since I was in MARSOC. Play your job seriously but take a breather when everything is under control. Some humor is good for the soul."
"And you know what? I agree. I like it that way too…"
"Glad we're on the same page." I leaned back on my seat and looked at her. "So, what else can you tell me about your hotel?"
"Well~! I'm glad you asked!" Charlie cleared her throat. "~With the sinners and the demons will-~ "
"Without singing, please!" I interrupted her before she could go further.
She groaned and pouted once again. "Fiiiine~! So far, we only have three demons working there. Not counting me as the owner, Vaggie handles management, a sweet one-eyed demon girl named Niffty handles the housekeeping, and a… "laid-back" cat demon named Husk manages the bar even if Vaggie disapproves of it in the first place." Charlie bit her lip and twiddled with her fingers a bit. "We also have a sponsorship from Alastor, the Radio Demon. So far, he's been doing okay with us."
"I know about him." I nodded. "We WarDogs have worked with him a few times, mainly as temporary security at his broadcast station. Personally, he is quite a charismatic character. Creeps me out though."
"No argument there. Still, I'm thankful for his contribution to the hotel. Even if that means he's just there for his personal entertainment."
"Well, looks like I'll be meeting all of them anyway. So, I better introduce myself."
Charlie nodded but then leaned to her right with a smile, looking out the window. "There it is. My pride and joy~!"
I turned my head to see the hotel she always talked about. But… "Hazbin Hotel? I thought it was "Happy Hotel"."
She sighed and stayed silent when I mentioned that name. Almost as if she was a little bit annoyed at me calling it that.
"What?"
Universe Trivia
Although Overlords are lesser to the Royal Families and Dynasties of Hell, only a few select are able to have protection under the Royal Guardsmen and WarDogs if they are closely working with the Magne Family. However, this process and connection is strict as the Overlord with this sort of privilege guarantees to play by the Royal Family's rules and not break it. Any violations in this treaty will be an immediate termination of connections. Including Royal Guard and WarDog protection. Some of the most famous Overlords, The Von Eldritch Family & Alastor are examples of whom is a part of this treaty.
WarDog "Fireteam"- Smaller (3-4 Members per squad element), but more elite. Mainly consists of Combat Officers.
WarDog "Squad"- Bigger (5-8 Members per squad element), but less elite compared to Fireteams. Mainly consists of Enlisted to Warrant Officers.
(After a pretty dark ending for Chapter 1, why not lighten up the mood a little bit?)
*You may Favorite or Follow the story, if you like what you see so far.
Reviewing/Comments for this story is optional.
