Chapter 2: Meeting Alastor the Radio Demon
During the trip, Charlie and Vaggie explain to Crystal about the hotel and Angel tells her about himself being a Porn Star and the first guest at their hotel. Of course, with Angel Dust taking part in that Turf War has put the hotel project in jeopardy, and is told as a joke.
Crystal also tells them that when she's human, she comes from a family of assassins, and only assigned to kill those who are corrupted, using their power to intimidate, abuse, and hurt people. Crystal doesn't like killing people, but knows that innocent lives are being harmed by their hands. She also tells them that she died trying to save her brother after an assignation gone wrong because the client betrayed them. Even though she does kill people, Crystal is also a kind, hard working, and caring person. Charlie can tell that Crystal is a good person and does deserve to have another chance to redeem herself. Still, Crystal likes to think about it before joining Charlie's project, but accepts to have a job, along with room and board, but Charlie is willing to pay anyway.
Sometime later, the white limo arrives at an old hotel. It has the sign, Happy Hotel on top. The doors open, and everyone walks inside. The inside of the hotel is dirty, old, and rundown. There is a welcome banner, balloons, and other festive stuff. However, there doesn't seem to be anyone here. Vaggie lays on the couch as she lets out a groan of frustration.
Angel walks to a fridge and opens it up. Then he takes out a box of popsies. He shrugs his shoulders and takes out two of them.
He then turns to Charlie and says, "Eh, it's probably a good idea to get some actual food in this place. Y'know, to feed all the wayward souls you got in here!"
Angel tries to set the mode up for Charlie, but the poor princess has the depressed look on her face. Seeing that she isn't cheering up, Angel decides to let her be. Crystal continues to sit on a different couch to see the depressed look on Charlie's face. She wants to say something to make her feel better, but she doesn't know what to say. She soon sees Charlie walking to the door and leaves outside.
Suddenly, she hears Angel asks, "Want one?"
Crystal turns her head to see Angel holding out a popsie to her.
"Sure. Thanks," Crystal says, taking the cold treat and begins to suck on it.
Crystal turns to Vaggie and asks, "You think Charlie is going to be okay?"
"I really hope so, but I think she's glad you decided to help out," Vaggie says.
"Thanks. And thanks for letting me stay here, even though I'm new and stuff," Crystal says.
She hears the door open and turns to see Charlie entering back in and closes the door. She still looks depressed. Suddenly, they hear an uneasy door knock at the door, causing Charlie to stand and turn around to face the door. Crystal decides to join Charlie in case whoever at the door is in trouble. Charlie grabs the door knob and opens the door.
At the door is a demon that is around seven feet tall. He has gray skin, and shows a large grin showing his sharp yellow teeth. He also has red angel bob cut hair with black crowlick and the top resembles deer ears and two small black antlers. He has red scleras, bright red irises, and black pupils. He wears a black oval monocle over his right eye. He wears a dark red pinstripe coat, bright red dress shirt with a black cross on the chest, long burgundy dress pants with matching bright red cuffs, a red knotted bow tie, burgundy gloves, and black pointed toe boots. He is also holding a thin can with a vintage style microphone attached to it.
Seeing this demon makes Charlie pale
The man then begins to speak, "Hel-"
But Charlie slams the door on him.
Looking away from a second, Charlie opens the door and the man finishes, "-lo!"
Then Charlie slams the door on him again.
"Who was that?" Crystal asks.
Charlie ends up ignoring Crystal's question and turns her head, "Hey, Vaggie?"
"Whaaaat?" Vaggie asks with an irritated expression.
"The Radio Demon is at the door!" Charlie nervously answers, imitating the man's smile.
Then points to the smile.
Vaggie quickly sits up in shock, "What?!"
Angel takes his popsie out of his mouth, "Uh... who?"
"What should I do?!" Charlie panics.
"Uh, well, don't let him in!" Vaggie says.
Charlie is nervous and turns her head to see Crystal walking to the door. Charlie walks to her as Crystal opens the door to see the demon is still there.
The demon calls the Radio Demon, asks, "May I speak now?"
Quickly walks in front of Crystal and calmly says to the demon, "You may."
The demon reaches his hand out to Charlie as he talks like a radio, "Alastor! Pleasure to be meeting you, sweetheart!"
He then grabs Charlie's hand and pulls her to him, "Quite a pleasure!"
The demon name, Alastor lets himself in and past the girls, "Excuse my sudden visit, but I saw your fiasco on a picture show, and I just couldn't resist! What a performance! Why, I haven't been that entertained since the stock market crash of 1929! Hahahahaha."
He then walks further in as he says, "sooo many orphans…"
Suddenly, Vaggie holds a harpoon towards Alastor calling him to stop, "Stop right there!"
Vaggie mutters, "Cabrón hijo de perra."
She continues to have the harpoon toward his throat and says, "I know your game and I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone here, you pompous cheesy talk show shitlord!"
Alastor chuckles as he moves the harpoon away from him with a grin, "Dear, if I wanted to hurt anyone here…"
Then changes his face to some kind of demonic form, "I would've done so already!"
The form becomes somewhat frightening with some startling sound effects. Charlie, Crystal, and Vaggie stare at him in fear.
Alastor snaps back to reality and says, "No! I'm here because I want to help!"
The girls stare at him with confused expressions.
Charlie asks, dumbfounded, "Say what now?"
"Help!" Alastor repeats himself.
"Hahaha, hello? Is this thing on?" Alastor questions.
He taps his mic and says, "Testing, testing!"
Suddenly, the microphone talks, "Well I heard you loud and clear!"
"Um, you want to help? With...?" Charlie asks.
Alastor teleports himself from the shadow between the girls, "This ridiculous thing you're trying to do! This hotel! I want to help you run it."
"Buuut... why?" Charlie asks.
"Hahaha, why does anyone do anything? Sheer, absolute boredom! I've lacked inspiration for decades," Alastor says.
Then leans his elbow on Vaggie's head, "My work became mundane, lacking focus…"
Then shoves her away, "aimless! I've come to crave a new form of entertainment! Hahaha!"
"Does getting into a fistfight with a reporter count as entertainment...?" Charlie nervously asks.
"Hahaha! It's the purest kind, my dear: Reality! True passion! After all, the world is a stage and the stage is a world of entertainment," Alastor, showing his big sharp toothed smile.
"So does this mean you think it's possible to rehabilitate a demon?" Charlie asks.
Alastor shakes his hand in front of her as he laughs, "Of course not! That's wacky nonsense!"
That makes Charlie deflate.
Alastor shakes his head back and forth as he says, "Redemption, oh the non-existent humanity!"
He then shakes his head again, "No no no no, I don't think there's anything left that could save such loathsome sinners!"
He then looks over to Vaggie who is offended, Angel who just shrugs, and Crystal with her arms crossed and arch her left eyebrow at him.
"The chance given was the life they lived before, the punishment is this! There is no undoing what is done!" Alastor adds.
Charlie steps forward and asks, So then, why do you wanna help me if you don't believe in my cause?"
Alastor turns to see Charlie and looks at her with a large grin with his eyes glowing.
Alastor walks up to Charlie "Consider it an investment in ongoing entertainment for myself!" Then pulls her close to him.
He twirls her around a little as he says, "I want to watch the scum of the world struggle to climb up the hill of betterment only to repeatedly trip and tumble down to the fiery pit of failure!"
"Riiiight," Charlie says, feeling uncomfortable and removes his hand from her shoulder.
"Yes, indeedy!" Alastor says.
Then grabs Charlie by her waist and drags her away, "I see big things coming your way and who better to help you than I?"
Vaggie, Crystal, and Angel are sitting on the same couch to see Alastor talking to Charlie. Vaggie doesn't seem to trust him at all, while Angel and Crystal don't understand the guy.
Angel then speaks up and asks, "Uh, so... uh, what's the deal with Smiles over there?"
"Yeah. Who's the guy with the Cheshire Cat's grin over there?" Crystal adds, confused.
Hearing the statements, Vaggie becomes confused, "Wait, I get why Crystal is asking, but you've never heard of him before, Angel? You've been here longer than me!"
Angel then shrugs his shoulders.
"The Radio Demon. One of the most powerful beings Hell has ever seen? Vaggie adds.
Angel shrugs again, "Eh, not big on politics." Then crosses his arms.
"Ugh!" Vaggie replies with an annoyed expression.
Crystal then asks, "So who is he anyway? You and Charlie seemed pretty concerned when he showed up."
Vaggie sighs, "It's best to tell you because, just so you can watch your back when you're around him.
Vaggie then lends to Crystal and Angel, and then explains, "Decades ago, Alastor manifested in Hell… seemingly overnight. He began to topple Overlords who have been dominant for centuries. That kind of raw power had never been harnessed by a mortal soul before. Then, he broadcast his carnage all throughout Hell just so everyone could witness his ability. Sinners started calling him 'The Radio Demon' (as lazy as that is). Many have speculated what unimaginable force enabled him to rival our world's most ancient and destructive evils. But one thing's for sure: He's an unpredictable source of danger, a wicked spirit of mystery, and a violent monster of chaos, the likes of which we can't risk getting involved with unless we want to end up erased!"
Hearing the stories about Alastor sends chills down Crystal's spine. She has no idea how dangerous Alastor is, and he looks rather harmless to her.
Suddenly, Crystal breaks her thoughts when she hears Angel asks, "Ya done?"
He laughs dryly and says, "He looks like a strawberry pimp."
"Well, I don't trust him!" Vaggie says.
To be fair, do you trust any man? Any men? Men?" Angel remarks.
Vaggie decides to ignore Angel and walks to Charlie.
She grabs Charlie by her shoulder, and says, "Charlie, listen to me. You can't believe this creep! He isn't just a happy face!"
She and Charlie turn to Alastor.
Then Vaggie turns to Charlie, "He's a deal maker! Pure evil! He can't be redeemed! ...And is most likely looking for a way to destroy everything we're trying to do!
"I…" Charlie says, sounding unsure.
She sighs, and says, "We don't know that! Look, I know he's bad, and I know he probably doesn't wanna change, but the whole point of this is to give people a chance!"
Charlie turns to see Alastor looking at a portrait of her family.
Charlie continues, "To have faith things will be better! How can I turn someone away? I can't. It goes against everything I'm trying to do. Everything I believe in."
She then places her hands on Vaggie's shoulders, "Just... trust me. I can take care of myself!"
"Charlie, whatever you do, do not make a deal with him!" Vaggie advice in concern.
"Don't worry, I picked up one thing from my dad!" Charlie says.
She imitates her dad and walks to Alastor, "You don't take shit from other demons!"
Charlie continues to walk to the Radio Demon as Vaggie holds a concern expression on her face.
Charlie stands in front of him and says, "Okay, so, Al. You're sketchy as fuck and you clearly see what I'm trying to do here as a joke."
As Charlie turns away, strange glowing red symbols appear besides Alastor. Then quickly disappears when Charlie turns back to him.
Charlie then says, "But I don't. I think everyone deserves a chance to prove they can be better. So I'm taking your offer to help. On the condition that there be no… tricks or voodoo strings attached."
Alastor twirls his staff, "So, it's a deal, then?" Then holds his hand out to Charlie.
Suddenly, a green glow and a strange pulse surround Alastor's hand and sends a strange gust inside the building. Vaggie and the two spider demons cover their eyes due to the strange light.
Charlie looks at his hand for a second, and refuses the hand shake, "Nope! No shaking! No deals! I... hmm…"
She then walks away a little.
Then turns back to face Alastor, "As princess of Hell and heir to the throne, I, uh, hereby order that you help with this hotel. For as long as you desire."
Then turns to Vaggie hoping to get her approval. Vaggie doesn't say a word and turns her eyes in concern.
Charlie turns to Alastor and asks, "Sound fair?"
Alastor rubs his chin, "Hmm…"
Then answers making his staff disappear, "Fair enough!"
Then he walks away.
Charlie sighs in relief and has her thumbs up, "Cool beans."
Alastor begins to walk around as he hums a little tune. Angel Dust leaves the couch as Vaggie stand with her arms crossed with a frown on her face. Crystal simply sits on the couch to see the Radio Demon with a confused expression.
He then places his finger under Vaggie's chin and tickles it, "Smile, my dear!"
Vaggie growls in anger and moves away from him, "You know you're never fully dressed without one!"
Then walks away humming a tune, and Vaggie gives him a frown as she squints her eye.
Alastor walks to Charlie and asks, "So where is your hotel staff?"
"Uh, well-" Charlie nervously says as she puts her hands together.
Then have them point to Vaggie who gives Alastor a firm glare.
Alastor adjusts his monocle, "Ohohoho, you're going to need more than that."
"I suppose, but we also have a new friend who will be joining us on staff. We're still discussing work arrangement," Charlie says, turning to Crystal.
Alastor walks over to the spider girl and says, "Hello my dear, the name is Alastor."
"Um, hello. My name is Silver Crystal, but um, you can call me Crystal. That's my real name," Crystal says.
"Pleasure to meet you my dear. So what can you do for the hotel?" Alastor replies.
"Well. I'm not sure. I can act as security or maybe cook and clean around the hotel. I could also maybe perform or something," Crystal says.
"That will do," Alastor says.
He then walks to Angel and asks, "And what can you do, my effeminate fellow?"
"I can suck your dick!" Angel answers.
There is a loud screech for a second as Alastor processes what is offered.
He then answers, "Hah! No."
Angel scoffs it off, "Your loss."
"Well, this just won't do!" Alastor says, and makes his mic appear.
Then says, "I suppose I can cash in a few favors to liven things up."
"Uh, what kind of favors?" Crystal asks.
Alastor smirks and says, "You'll see.
