"Why can't I teleport us out of this blasted place?" Alastor's magic was beginning to deplete, and he wanted to start repairing the hotel. Extermination Day was over. He was exhausted, and no matter how many spells he attempted to cast, there was a fizzle of magic produced. Barely anything. His static was steadily growing louder.
"It's probably an enchantment Selena put on this place. Or the amount of holiness preventing demonic power from releasing. I'm more concerned about your injuries, Al. I know you're trying to hide it, but you've got blood pooling at your feet." Charlie was trying to bandage him, but he wouldn't let her get close enough. "Besides, Selena will come get us. I trust her more than anything, and you should too."
Just as that was said, Selena appeared next to them. She snapped, and an imp appeared next to her. The first thing she noticed was the pungent smell of rotten black blood surrounding Alastor's feet. She had completely forgotten that he got hurt. Shaking her head, she walked towards him. He backed away, but with a snap he was forced to stand still. Her hand approached his wounds, causing Alastor to contort in strange positions to avoid her hand. "Don't touch me! Please don't touch me!" Alastor seemed desperate so she sighed and closed her eyes.
"Just so you know, my healing magic is most effective when I touch someone. But suit yourself. Just let me get close to touching you." She gave him a pleading look.
"Ain't healing magic bad for demons, toots?" Angel's inquiry, whereas valid, was unnecessary.
"Healing magic itself, no. What makes it bad for demons is a blessing. Or the source. In my case, my source sees demons as a necessary part of the world's balance." She held her hands near Alastor's wounds. She spoke in her native tongue and closed her eyes. A bluish green hue came from her palms, and as she opened her eyes, came from them as well. As quickly as the words were mumbled and a small hum came from her lips, his wounds vanished. He felt energy return to him. Not fully but enough.
"Goddamn, hun. That was fast. I thought it would take longer." Vaggie seemed in awe at her power.
"Perks of being a high priestess. And a saintess." She blushed at that last bit. "Soooooooo. I have a lot of explaining to do, but before we get there, you have to sign a contract to not reveal me as the Crimson Reaper."
"The Crimson what now?" Angel asked.
"I'll explain, but I'm afraid you've got to sign first. That and I'll have to swear you to friend secrecy about the other stuff."
"Is it kinky?"
"No, you pervert!" Al zipped Angel's mouth. "At least not what little bit I've been told already."
"Mmmm molmmm moooo?" Angel asked.
"Yes, Charlie and I, I believe, have some insight."
"You do. But as always, there's more." Selena motioned to the imp. Charlie and Vaggie signed right away after reading the contract. Angel Dust and Husker signed without looking. Niffty read the contract and asked a zillion questions that the imp claimed he couldn't give a response to.
When Alastor read the contract, he looked at Selena. He seemed to contemplate the decision before reluctantly signing. He was weighing if there would be more to gain by signing the contract or by leaving. However, he knew that this could lead to that weakness he was searching for. The contract vanished, and the imp was snapped away by Selena. "So you all know I'm from before this time, having said that I helped Lucifer construct Hell. I helped him conquer it, shape it, and in my own way, help him rule it. Lucifer, Lilith, and I thought that there needed to be a buffer between the Kings of the Rings and the Royal Family. We created an elite team of anonymous peacekeepers, so to speak. I was the first. We are all people whose power is immeasurable by the system. We are stronger than the Kings, but it is unknown if we're stronger than Lucifer. We don't care for power so we don't bother to try. We're named the Reapers. Each of us has a color: Crimson, Veridian, and Cerulean. We keep our identities hidden from each other and all of Hell. I think the most personal we've ever gotten is showing each other our faces. We don't talk, and we don't see each other unless we're summoned by Lucifer.
We coordinate through imps and sign language. During this time of year, all three of us separate the territories and keep an eye on the angels as they exterminate demons. There's a treaty with the High Heavens that both parties must obey so we are more like enforcers during this time. We protect the passage from High Heaven and Hell to make sure there is no unauthorized traveling. I have other duties, but essentially, we don't exist. And it needs to stay that way. We only exist to enemies of the crown and the crown itself." She looked at each of their faces.
"So ya a bitch then?" Angel quipped.
Selena let out a light chuckle, "I guess so. I do take orders. Oh! Charlie, I forgot to tell you that I sent out the annual flare. Demon magic doesn't work here so I knew you couldn't. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all! Thanks for saving us! Were we in your area?"
"Yeah! I rushed as soon as I could. I repaired the hotel too. So it should be good as new when we get back, but, Al, I couldn't salvage all of the decimated food without magic. I know you prefer it handmade. I'm sorry!" She bowed apologetically. "Whoops! Old habits and all."
"It's alright! We'll just slave away as soon as we can." He waved it off, but inside he was seething over his lost dishes.
"So I'm saying this to reiterate the contract, but you can talk about it with me, but your lips won't move if you try to talk about it with someone who doesn't know about the Reapers. It's nice though to let people I like know about my other job. I should warn you though, I compartmentalize when it comes to work. So I tend to be more violent, demonic, etc when I'm the Reaper. I also only use my species' demonic magic then too. It's sort of a matter of principle." She seemed ashamed of it. "Now before you guys get to questions and I lose my nerve, I'm going to start with my other secret. Under one condition: I need you to promise to keep this between us. I won't make you sign a contract unless you want to, but I beg you to keep it, since we are all friends." A resounding amount of okays or yeses passed from everyone. All with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Selena took in a deep breath, "I serve the goddess Neana. She was one of the deities of the world I came from. I am her high priestess and still worship her to this day. Charlie and Al can explain more later, but essentially I was condemned to Hell due to a power struggle between Lady Neana and the Judeo-Christian God. It was the result of magic. Since I'm a saintess and follow my Lady's will, I still maintain all my Holy Power and strength. It is why I could compulse the demons' attempt to hurt you, Angel, and heal Al's wounds. I can do much more, but now I don't have to hide it. Just know if you hear odd chanting, see weird clothes, or anything else, there's a good chance I'm communing with my goddess. It'll be much easier to do things with holy power than tiny demon powers." She sighed in relief. "Ready to go back to the hotel?" Everyone seemed overwhelmed with the new information but nodded in agreement.
"Wait, Selena, before we go back: I accept your deal. Under one condition: I meet your goddess and make sure that she'll be good for the people's souls." Charlie seemed determined. "If God doesn't want me helping people, I'll turn to someone who does."