September 21, 2025, AD (102 Days Before The Next Purge), 7:41 AM.
Hell/The Ring Of Pride/The Pentagram City/The Hazbin Hotel's entrance
Lucifer Morningstar...
Even sounding this name sends a shiver down Sinners' spines...
Since the ancient times of Inferno, Charlie's dad evokes fear and trepidation in even the most hardened sinners. Despite his scarce appearances in Pentagram City, he has gained widespread infamy and is seen as a source of terror by the residents of Pride Ring. Given that he is a fallen angel and the ruler of Hell, this reputation is well-deserved. He is widely associated with evil, sin, and temptation and is considered a formidable force to be reckoned with. The legend of his rebellion against Heaven and rallying of the angels still captivates Demons to this day.
Vaggie and Angel Dust serve as prime examples of the fear that Lucifer Morningstar inspires. Even moth demon, who has seen Charlie's father on a few occasions, remains intimidated by him. Whenever Lucifer is present, Vaggie never speaks directly to him and always remains close to Charlie for protection...ironic as Vaggie is usually the one who protects Charlie...
Angel Dust, on the other hand, displays a clear look of horror and fear upon seeing the fallen angel with his own eyes. His forced attendance at a Catholic church and exposure to Bible stories at the hands of his mother only serve to intensify his fear.
Despite the intimidating presence of Lucifer Morningstar, the Overlords, were able to maintain their composure due to their frequent experience in dealing with the Ruler of Hell, they nonetheless kept their mouths shut and maintained a respectful silence. Velvette, on the other hand, was browsing the Hellnet on her phone out of boredom. And Cain...well Cain doesn't give a fuck...son of Satan and Eve, afterall.
"Well, of course I'm your "Dad" apple-pie. How many more "fathers" do you know?" Lucifer smirked at Charlie's silly question. Cain, behind Lucifer, scowled to himself at that, summoning a cigarette.
"Well yeah...just...b-but...why are you both doing here?" Charlie asked.
"Just some family business, C.M." Cain replied, approaching the Three Vees. Overlord Valentino slightly backed away as Cain gave him a disdainful sneer, taking in the ridiculous appearance of Valentino's pimp suit. "And I'm making sure every party behaves in my presence for today's announcement."
"And speaking of parties, my dear Cain." Lucifer added with a grin, turning his attention to Vaggie. "You look lovely to this day, Ms. Vagatha. Now, be a good Charlie's little sex toy and bring the rest of your tenants here. I want to see the achievements of my daughter's work."
"B-but," Vaggie stammered.
"Did I stutter with my wording, mortal?" Lucifer's tone turned menacing, despite the hint of goofiness still present in his voice.
Charlie looked back and gave a nod for Vaggie to listen to her dad. And so, without any choice, the Moth demon went inside the hotel to get everyone outside for the King's own amusement. The Princess, however, won't just allow her dad to be in full control.
"Why are you doing this, Dad?"
"Not even "Hello dad, how are you doing?" huh? Straight to the point, I like it!"
"It's not like that!" Charlie showed her palms in defense. "It's good to see you really, dad...but why are you doing this?"
"Sweetheart, I'm Lucifer bloody Morningstar. I'm the ruler of Hell, and I do as I please. I don't need to remind you that I saw your broadcast 5 years ago and boy, let me tell how much shit I got on my shoulders since that day. I can't help but chuckle when I think about it." Lucifer chuckled at that as he then leaned closer, whispering next. "And you seem to have made some rather unconventional connections for these days...not to add how you managed to get yourself involved with rather unusual acquittances, something something "Seraphims", hmm?"
"H-how you know this?" Charlie stiffened, avoiding her father's gaze. She nervously cleared her throat, trying to break the tension.
"As if I don't know what happens in my domain, my dearest. But who said that Fallen Angel can't be generous every now and then and let it slide by... until now." Lucifer replied quietly, a smirk still playing on his lips as he saw that Charlie tensed even more from hearing this. "Now, let's not waste any more time. I have an announcement to make, and I wouldn't want to keep my pets waiting."
Charlie sighed and reluctantly stepped aside, allowing her dad to do whatever he wanted. The Princess of Hell couldn't help but wonder what sort of announcement the ruler of Hell was about to make. Whatever it was, she was sure that it wouldn't bode well for anyone.
At the same time, Vaggie would return with the rest of Hazbin Hotel's staff and tenants, even Mimzy, who hide herself behind Vaggie's back. Lucifer chuckled as he walked up to them. Neither of them said a word as they simply stood quietly, even Niffty, who stared attentively at her "Jigoku". Vaggie laid her arms on Niffty's tiny shoulders...just in case Nifty tried to do something stupid...like hug Lucifer Morningstar.
"Ah, Charlie's own cohort of clowns. Welcome to my humble circus! How are you faring this fine day?!"
"Well, we-" Angel Dust tried to speak on behalf of the group.
"AWESOME! I'm happy you're having a good time!" Lucifer interrupted Spider, completely not caring what he wanted to say. "I can imagine how happy you are to see this magnificent king flood you with his glory!"
The response from the group was just a silent stare...fear spoke for itself.
"I was expecting more roleplaying." Even Lucifer raised an eyebrow at this nonsensical response. But he'd eventually brush it off. "Oh, we'll change that."
Lucifer performed a "ballerina" turn to face the first murderer, who rested his back against one of the Gangsters' cars, much to the dismay of the rest of the Gangsters and Arackniss.
"My boy, I need cash."
The vampire lord sighed before summoning a wallet. "How much?"
"All of it. Thank you." Lucifer snatched the wallet with a simple telekinesis spell. He then checked every clip one by one, tossed away the ones he didn't need, and finally found the correct ones. The money paper was 1000 souls vallued clip, with Lucifer himself was depicted on it with a serious face.
"Ah, here we are." The King of Hell then brought the money clip to his face for comparison, mimicking the serious face just like in the picture.
"Hm? All right...How about this, with the smile?" Lucifer tossed that paper clip away and brought the next one to his face, mimicking the smile.
Again, none of Charlie's friends responded, silently observing their king in respect. Annoyed, Lucifer immediately switched his smile into an eerie glance as he tossed that clip and brought another one. For the final time, he showed the paper much closer to them.
"Ahem..." Lucifer warned, still holding that paper clip very close.
"That's you...your majesty." Vaggie spoke on behalf of everyone.
"That's me." Lucifer spoke slowly, hoping that every sound in his voice was taken seriously. But he would take a glance at that paper clip, noting how much time had passed. "Although, I'm not so sure anymore..."
Grumbling, he set that money paper and wallet on fire and tossed it away. Cain again sighed in an apathetic tone...it was his money.
The King of Hell then looked at Arakniss' gang of thugs... and had an idea. "Ah, of course. "Nothing beats a good little musical performance to lift the spirits!"
Clapping his hands twice, the gangsters now held musical instruments instead of their Thompsons...Al Capone would be horrified by this scene.
"Aw, come on! What a bunch of cannolis, my lord?" One of the gangsters objected. And that earned him a straight lightning bolt into his head, causing Arackniss to nearly fall off on his feet. Nothing of the gangster's head remained, and the rest of his body simply collapsed in front of horrified mobsters.
"Anyone else feel like being uncharitable to their king?" Lucifer grinned, blowing smoke off his fingers.
The Gangsters looked at each other in horror before declaring. "Um, nope. Nope at all, our Don!"
"Now that's the spirit!" Lucifer chimed in, as if he hadn't done anything a few seconds before. He once more made "ballerina" turn to Charlie. "Now, my dear, what's that thing James Brown said?"
"James who?" Charlie raised her eyebrow.
"I feel Good." Lucifer gave an overtop serious look at Charlie. With the simple tap of his tane, Lucifer commanded for the Gangster who held a accordion to start play. "And a one, and a two, and a waka-waka-waaa!"
The King of Hell skipped himself towards the Hazbin Hotel's main doors, closing them behind him for his performance debut.
"It's Lucifer!"
By Lucifer Morningstar and [Unfortunate] Trope
Lucifer's singing: normal text
Trope's Singing: italic text
Lucifer and Trope's in unison: Italic Bold Text
"It's Lucifer, it's Lucifer, it's Lucifer"
"It's Lucifer, it's Lucifer, it's Lucifer."
*Lucifer slams the doors open, now wearing his typical top hat with a long coat. He nearly stomped poor Keekee on his way but their cat managed to slip by in the time.*
"Who else has such robust good looks in such a large amount?"
"I'm handsome and I'm talented and love your apple pies!"
*Lucifer once more points his finger to the troupe, reminding them to OBEY.*
[Chorus]
"It's Lucifer, it's Lucifer, it's Lucifer"
"It's Lucifer, it's Lucifer, it's Lucifer."
"The L is for Leader, just another word for circus lead."
"U!"
"Ugh, what a handsome king. I want to Lust over him."
"C!"
"For the capital, Mammon had to learn it the hard way."
"I!"
"For the irritation, you know what happens when you annoy me."
"F!"
"For Food, I love candies!"
"E!"
"For ego, you need to be self-aware!"
"R!"
"For the regality, which is such a crucial factor,"
"When you're handsome and good-looking and the Hell's greatest King!"
[Chorus]
"It's Lucifer, it's Lucifer, it's Lucifer"
"It's Lucifer, it's Lucifer, it's Lucifer."
"Who else has such robust good looks in such a large amount?"
"I'm handsome and I'm talented and love your apple pies!"
*Unnecessary slam of Hi-hats*
*Lucifer looks at that Gangster in annoyance for few seconds...before just opting to finish the song.*
"It's Lucifer, it's Lucifer, it's Lucifer"
"It's Lucifer, it's Lucifer -
it's
"LUCIFER!"
At the end of his song, Lucifer struck a dramatic pose and beamed his biggest smile. However, the Hazbin Hotel staff and tenants remained silent, uncertain about how to react to his performance.
" It's L-u-c-i-f-e-r! ," Lucifer wiggled his fingers, hoping for a response. Behind their king, the gangsters exchanged looks, unsure of what to do with their instruments. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Charlie spoke up.
"I think my friends understand who you are by now, Dad."
"Ah, wonderful, then..." Lucifer dropped his hands in defeat, realizing that his efforts were in vain. "Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained," as humans say. Now that the formalities are established, I want to get to know who I'm dealing with."
Lucifer moved closer to the group, giving a general overview of Charlie's friends.
"Ah, what an interesting and diverse selection you have, my dear child," he smirked, starting with Angel Dust and then moving on to the rest in order. "A drug-addicted mobster, a broken shell of a gambler, a lonely and sad-ass woman, a mad ex-eugenics scientist, a worthless punk girl, and a failed starlet...nice tits, by the way!"
"Aw, thank you, my-," Mimzy responded, flattered.
"I was joking, they're horrible!" Lucifer grinned.
"Aww..." Mimzy sighed in defeat. There is no appreciation for starlets these days.
Ignoring her, the fallen angel whistled in admiration at Charlie's crew, his eyes amused. It was evident that he was enjoying every moment of this, relishing in the fear and awe that he elicited from those around him.
"And how can we forget everyone's favorite esteemed stage actor of this finest establishment?!" After finishing circling them around, Lucifer stopped walking and looked directly at the group. Of course, he noticed that one was missing. "That's right! I know you're listening to us, you smiley bastard! Come out and show us your presence to us!"
"Always finest with the word!"
"Mierda..." Vaggie cursed under her noise. Just as she feared...
The city of Pentagram is no stranger to notorious murderers and serial killers from different eras, but one stands out from the rest. In the 1930s, he became the terror of Pentagram City, leaving behind a legacy of infamy that still haunts the city to this day.
Upon his rebirth in Hell, he quickly rose to power, overthrowing centuries-old Overlords and spreading chaos throughout the city. He broadcasted his atrocities and the torture of former Overlords to induce fear in the Pride realm. He was a relentless force, terrorizing and tormenting the citizens of Pentagram City. At the height of his power, he ruled over the entire city, instilling fear in all those who crossed his path.
Thus, the Legend of "Radio Demon" was born.
And He is here.
"My apologies for not coming sooner, fellers. But I would be lying if it wasn't entertaining to watch my King." Alastor chuckled as he suddenly appeared behind Vox and rest of the Vees, causing the TV demon to yell in surprise. Alastor mockingly patted Vox's head, as if to say "no hard feelings, friend," before joining to Charlie's side, but not the rest of the hotel group.
"Fucking prick..." Vox scowled at himself, before quickly switching to his professional demeanor. "Well! If it isn't the Princess of Hell's latest simp! We were just-"
"Having a wholesome and silly family reunion?" Alastor again in his repertoire, also laying his arm around Charlie's shoulder in a sign of "greetings, my co-owner", much to her discomfort...and no personal space whatsoever.
"You've got a lot of nerve to hide behind me, Radio fuck." Vox cursed back.
"And you have a lot of nerve being not dead, my good old chum. Not to mention how you're incapable of running your mouth in such an imprudent manner?" Instead of his usual neutral smile, Alastor responded to banter with a massive grin. "Let's try to have a civil discussion as our fabulous King is present over here, shall we?"
"Why thank you, my good bitch." Lucifer chuckled, although he enjoyed that little banter. He would then glance at the rest of the group, realizing they had to watch it all. "Again, I'm terribly sorry for what happened before, my pets. It's my overlords, you see, always ready to tear each other apart at the moment I throw a bone at them."
"And finally, after some unnecessary 'goofing moments,' he can finally start with the business.
"Now, you may wonder, "Why is such a handsome king wasting time with lowlifes like all of you?" Well, it so happens that this 'fine establishment' became a hotbed of "Overlord" infighting."
As he said that, Lucifer walked over to where the rest of the Three Vees were. Vox looked over at Lucifer to see him donning an ear-splitting grin with a more than pleased expression plastered all over his face. The TV demon felt a slight shudder run through his system at the sight and averted his gaze before Lucifer could notice. Neither Valentino nor Velvette fared better.
"As time went by, I learned quite well that in the business of "ruling," there is no such thing as "loyal subjects." Goetia, they can do that. They can tell you they are loyal in the moment and mean it sometimes. Overlords, on the other hand, no. Overlords are only really loyal to you in hindsight...when too much distance has built up from me."
Lucifer then pulled out a golden pen from his chest pocket, stroking the surface of the pen.
"All of you know that I'm very "picky" when it comes to Overlords. And so, when an Overlord fails to fulfill his king's wishes, I cannot help but blame myself for the failures of my Overlords." Lucifer then laid one of his hands on Vox's shoulder, causing the circuits and Vox's CPU to heat up in full worry. "Then I realized...it's not me who is a problem, no...it was the fucking Three Vees' incompetency!"
With a swift motion, Lucifer pushed Vox to the ground and stabbed his back with his own pen.
"FUUUUUCK!" Vox screamed so loudly in pain. Lucifer managed to pierce his pen enough that some oil as Vox's own blood leaked from the wound. It made even Vaggie and Charlie cringe from the metal crack as Vox screamed in agony, clenching his digital teeth. Alastor only grinned even more, relishing every moment of Vox's agony.
"Daddy!" Velvette screamed in horror. Valentino, on the other hand, gripped the young one's arm to keep her from doing anything stupid.
"Those fucking Overlords, they ruin everything!" Lucifer explained this back at Charlie, hoping she would take this lesson before screaming back at Vox. "Like the fancy tile you're bleeding on, huh?! Did no one teach you about the repercussions of falling on me?!"
"God, it hurts so (zzz)-ch!" Vox still whimpered in pain...and that was even worse for him.
"God?" Lucifer repeated to himself, with his left eye ticked from hearing. "Really, Vox? In front of my presence? Oh, my poor, Sinner. You don't revoke God's name like that. You scream for cry of help!" Lucifer then forced Vox to stand up by pulling the pen up. "So, come on. You're going to cry for God's help. If you're going to do something, you're going to do it right."
Still gripping the pen that is stabbed on Vox's back, Lucifer forced Vox away from The Two Vees before pointing his finger at the distant planet with the Halo on it.
"Here we go! Go, on! Cry for help!" Lucifer commanded, only to shift into an eerie tone as Vox didn't do it immediately, not to mention pushing the pen deeper into Vox's back. "Cry...for...help."
"H-help!" Vox whimpered like a sad dog at Heaven in the skies.
"Aw, pathetic..." Lucifer shook his head in disappointment. "No, "Cry-for-help!"
"Help me!" Vox was more vocal, still feeling a great deal of pain.
"Like you mean it, Sinner!" Lucifer hissed.
"HELP!
"HELP! LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO BE KILLED BY YOUR KING, HELP!" Lucifer screamed, demanding even more power from Vox.
"HELP FUCKING HEEEEELP *Sobing* !" Vox screamed as loud as fuck in the Hazbin Hotel's courtyard.
"Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh." Lucifer brought his finger to Vox's visor. "Now we listen..." Lucifer gave Vox ten seconds to listen before asking him again. "What did you hear?"
"N-nothing..." Vox whimpered
"That's right. I'm afraid God won't save you, my buddy Overlord. No one is good enough for Him. The only solace you can find is with me."
Chuckling and seeing that he learned, Lucifer ripped his pen out and let go of Vox, with the TV Demon falling on his knees. Both Valentino and Velvette rushed to check on him. The King of Hell would toss his pen to Cain, not words needed that it needs to be cleaned from Vox's oil blood.
"Your fellow Overlords, right, Alastor?" Lucifer chucked at Radio Demon, who flatteringly shrugged his shoulders, agreeing with his king. "Consider this a gift, as neither these three nor Mr. Henroin will bother you any more."
"But?" Charlie knew there was a huge catch.
"Shining your wisdom, huh, Charlie?" Even Lucifer chuckled at that, happy she saw him through.
With a single hand gesture, he dismissed both Arackniss and the Three Vees, letting them go and...do what they usually do. The Black Spider Demon bowed his head before he and the rest of the gangsters would get inside their cars and drive away from Hotel premise. Angel Dust scowled at himself...not even "Goodbye, tinkerbell" from his older brother...prick.
Three Vees would also depart, helping the wounded Vox get himself inside the limo, but not before Valentino would bring his attention to his pornstar.
"You're coming with us, Angel cakes. I don't need to remind you your shift started a few minutes ago." Valentino even tapped his golden watch as a remainder for Angel's "Time = Money" policy.
"Yeah-yeah, ya piece of shit..." Angel Dust grumbled to himself. When Lucifer punished Vox, he wished something similar would have happened to Valentino...hope dies the last, it seems to be. And so Angel Dust was about to walk only for Vaggie to grip his arm.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Angel. Stop listening to that rapist. We will protect you from him."
"Easy for you to say, Taco moth. Ya have yar Charlie to protect ya..." Angel Dust yanked her arm away. "Besides, someone has to pay the rent for yar Hotel."
And so, without any choice, Angel Dust would leave their group and fall into Valentino's shackles. On his way, Angel glanced at Charlie, who returned it, showing concern and sympathy for Pornstar. And yet, Angel Dust, as per usual, has to be someone's bitch just to survive in this hell.
"Your own fault, Anthony." Lucifer called out, surprising the pornstar. "A couple of bad choices in life and everything crashes down on you. Funny how it goes for sinners like you, not to mention he. - " Lucifer points his finger up to the skies. "- allows it to exist."
"Yeah, yeah, yar majesty." Angel said dismissably, completely not interested in these "Religious bullshit" arguments. The Spider Demon would get himself inside the limo, with Valentino slamming the door before the limousine drove away. Now that it's done. Lucifer would then direct his attention to his daughter.
"Now, Charlie..." Lucifer started, only to make a slow chuckle to himself. "Oh, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie..."
"Dad?" Charlie wasn't sure what he is doing.
"I'm sorry, apple-pie. It's just now I realized how time flies past in Hell, huh? The memories when you're were in our Mansion still lingers on...but look at you: a proud owner of your own business. Funny enough, I once thought to open a night-club in Los Angeles. I would had called it "Lux" as a homage to myself...but you know how it is, dreams crush and we move forward...or maybe it happened already in different timeline..."
"You don't have to give up that easily, Dad. You can always follow your dreams in the future." Charlie assured, still not sure what's her dad's intention. Lucifer only smirked to her in silence...too naive.
"Oh, sugarpie, it's been too long!" Lucifer beamed, sweeping forward to wrap his arm around her shoulder. "But seriously, my dear. Did you gain weight recently? I recall you were thinner and less paler. Don't get me wrong but it would seem your chest has became bigger as well."
"Dad!" Charlie complained, even blushing in embarrassment. Thank Devil that Vaggie didn't heard it as she busying having "death-stare" contest with Alastor...who interpreted it as a "no-blinking" game.
"No need to be defensive, my dear. I saw a lot of my bare-chested female siblings and it never bothered me. To be angel is to be beautiful and glamorous...as my mother used to say." Lucifer assured, somewhat quite surprised that Eve's curse applies to Charlie.
"Could we not have these talks in front of my friends, please?" Charlie asked kindly. Lucifer sighed to that, but fulfilling her wish. "I've tried to calling you these months, you know. But you and Mom have been so busy lately…"
"Oh, you know how it is." Lucifer smiled sharply, though he already shows how "fake" this smile. "I've had a lot on my plate lately as Inferno is ripping itself apart every second when I turn my back to my Kingdom...but so have you, from what I've heard!"
Charlie already knew it's about these two who visited her recently. And so, she opted to be straight with him.
"Dad, you knew sooner or latter I will have to confront them directly. So who cares?!"
"And that's the problem, my child!" Lucifer beamed, but again he showed so much irritation. "You see, Charlie. I know you quite well. Before you landed on your "Hotel" idea. How many projects you have planned before, hmm? Quite a lot that I would be not able to count on my fingers. And what makes you think the Hotel will?"
"Because they heard my plea this time." Charlie said it stoically and proudly.
"Aww, but the question is: what makes you think they will accept it? What makes you think Heaven would ever accept a sinner from Hell?" Lucifer noted his tone for Charlie to ponder.
"But…b-b-...but" Charlie stuttered, her voice trembling. "it's Heaven. Dad."
"Ahh yes: the Battle of Good and Evil: That Jesus boy versus Devil. How much your sinner friends have been spewing this "Modern day" bullshit?" And once more, the fallen angel chuckled at Charlie's reasons...so much naivity...so much stupidity. "Look no further than exterminations... the heaven is so righteous and noble that they send a fucking bitter first man of mankind to kill and murder his OWN DESCENDENTS, mind you, in the name of God or whatever they now worship up there these days...
"Well, they must have a reason!" Charlie argued back. "Seraphims were different than exterminators. I saw there was "goodness" and no ill-intent in them. The more I look at exterminations... it feels like something is not right and is more complicated than we used to believe."
Ironically, Lucifer slightly tensed up...just what a he needed from Charlie...truth seeker.
"I-it's simpler than you think, Charlie" Lucifer quickly fixed his posture to look more confident. "They HATE us up there. They will seek to genocide us if they have their way with us!"
"But Seraphims, they - "
"Enough! Don't argue with the one who used to live up there, Charlie." Lucifer shut her off. He would then lower his voice, not wanting to sound too angry. "Listen, kid. Lilith and I...we miss you, okay? Things had changed since you left. How about I offer this as a compromise? I won't destroy or demolish this "hotel" of yours, and you can have it as a separate business with Alastor or not. The only thing I ask in return is that you stop wasting your precious time with these lowlifes!"
"These lowlifes!" Charlie was shocked, even offended, by this. "Father, these "lowlifes" are my friends! There's good in them, I know there is, and I saw it in them! I saw how no one is truly evil. Vaggie, my love of life, showed support and courage when no one else did at the start. Husk, who showed how complicated sinners are. Nifty, who shows signs of happiness no matter what! Alastor, who gave up at the height of his power after he got bored with everything! Baxter, who shows his love for science! Crymini, who I can see wants to spend time with us, and Mimzy, who supports me financially, even if she didn't need to do it. Without my friends, I would have long abandoned that idea. But through them, I saw it was possible. Overlords or the rest of hell can push me around all they want, but I care about every single one of them, no matter how lost they may seem. And if Heaven doesn't see that… Then I'll just have to convince them!"
Although they remained silent in Lucifer and Charlie's arguments. Charlie's friends all were flattered by the Charlie's belief...even Husk if he didn't show it. Alastor had to quietly chuckle at that...this is one of many reasons why he enjoys her company..She is something among the ordinary demon kind.
"And what makes you think you have a chance in Hell of redeeming these lowlifes?" Lucifer wasn't impressed with Charlie's stubbornness. "You even have no idea what drives them to sin in the first place. You have no concept of what suffering truly is. Of course it's easy to say, "You can do better," like my sister Zadkiel does, but even she has no fucking clue!"
"I…" Charlie stammered, holding back her frustrated tears...fighting the truth.
"So, let's imagine that, by some miracle, you actually manage to redeem a sinner and send them to Heaven. What's gonna happen after that? Will more degenerates rush to the hotel for salvation once the news hits? The Old Man and Old Lady appear in the sky to congratulate you on a job well done? ...No, Charlie. All those sinners, you know, the rapists, murderers, and drug addicts you claim to adore? They will never be saved. Humans are naturally nested in sin, and they die every second! Even if you found a way to straighten them out, you would have to reform at least thousands of sinners once per day! And that's not all! What happens if the hotel becomes overcrowded? What if your patients relapse? Did you even bother to think about how long the redemption process would take? Days? Months? Years? Don't expect me to believe that you can absolve hundreds of their sins in just one day when you can barely control that aberrant prostitute called "Angel Dust"
"I..."
"And even if you convince Heaven to accept a sinner, what if they break one of the thousands of regulations that Heaven has established? I'll tell you what would happen: they'd be dumped like sacks of shit. Sorry, Apple, but the cracks are really starting to show in this little venture. Down here, sinners are free to indulge in whatever hedonistic pleasures they want. No restrictions, no rules! Just the way things should be for the worst scum of humanity!"
"Not, you're-"
"Completely right, girl! That "Christian Universalism" bullshit does not exist! Hell is how it always it was and always will be! WE ALL DAMMED HERE!"
"Ain't that a truth..." Cain muttered to himself. He is not much of an "opinion" provider in the conversations...but he won't deny that both of them are stuck to their beliefs like Abel was...
Charlie would have reached her breaking point at this point... tears streaming down her cheeks. Vaggie and, to some extent, Mimzy, wanted to come up to comfort Charlie, but Lucifer showed his palm, commanding her to stop. Even Alastor blocked her path, still maintaining that grin from hearing this conversation.
Lucifer after this, remained silent, watching how Charlie sniffed. Although his face remained uptight at first, it shifted into a worried one. Truth hurts no matter what, but seeing her like this is pitiful to behold.
"I was in your shoes, Charlie." Lucifer began again, this time much nicer and quieter than before. "I believed in everything that was told to me. But I learned and started to doubt. Things went and went before I found myself like this...you will outgrow this as well, Charlie. Come on, we will have a special cake in the next few hours, and I want you to-."
Lucifer was about to touch her shoulder, only for Charlie to make a step away from him, giving a very serious glance at her father...that even Lucifer felt felt...uncanny.
"Did you recall the conversation you and I had back when I started with my idea?"
"And how does it relate to anything?" Lucifer's left eyebrow raised a bit; he wasn't sure why she is mentioning it.
"Everything!" Charlie snapped a bit. "I told you many times how painful it is seeing my people get slaughtered year after year? And somehow, despite centuries of death and suffering, I'm the only demon in power who bothers to help them! Maybe you're right, Father. Maybe I don't know what I'm doing. Maybe Heaven will never accept sinners. Maybe I can't save them... But I'll never know until I try. I will never stop believing in them!"
Lucifer stared silently at her, he too showed anger back at Charlie...and yet Charlie wasn't afraid...there is something poetic about it.
"Oh, Charlotte," Lucifer began, smiling indulgently at her. "I knew you were naive, but I didn't think you were this fucking stupid."
"OKAY, FATHER! WHY THEN?! "WHY IS HELL LIKE THIS!" Charlie had enough of this too.
"BECAUSE I'M FUCKING FALLEN ANGEL!" Lucifer snapped at her, and again Charlie showed no fear. "I rule this fucking Kingdom and rest of shitheads who I KNOW want my demise! AND YOU HAVE TO BE MIGHTY AND SHIT, TO JUST DEFILE FOR WHAT OUR KINGDOM STANDS FOR!"
"Then maybe it's Hell's problem, huh!? Why it has to be like this when we can make it just an alternate afterlife from Heaven, old man!? Why is it that our kingdom doesn't DO ANYTHING about it, huh?!" Charlie's tone had completely changed to "sassy and proud" at this point. Cain could be so proud of Charlie for defiling her father...serves him right.
"That's not how it works, brat!"
"Did you try it once, Pigeon!?" Charlie ironically used Lucifer's own arsenal against him.
"No I -"
"Then try at least one before you spew this bullshit, your majesty!" Charlie snapped back again.
"WOW! Thank you, your majesty Lucifera!" Lucifer fake-clapped his hands. "Just what I need: advice from some rebellious child who berates my every decision and won't shut up and listen to me!"
"Who gives YOU the authority to pass judgment on me and my actions?!" Charlie insulted.
"BECAUSE I'm IN CHARGE AND YOU WILL LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER, YOUNG LADY!"
"YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER ME, FATHER! I DO WHATEVER HELL I WANT!"
...
...
Like Father...
Like Daughter
Lucifer heard that quite well. As he took a few steps away from her, a genuine shock appeared on his face. Charlie used the same words as Lucifer when he confronted his own father on that faithful day in heaven.
And worse,
He was there.
The Devil himself stood on one of the balconies of the Hazbin Hotel, hands behind his back, as he observed this scene unfolding itself...The Devil sure had a weird sense of humor.
Lucifer occasionally returned his gaze to the Devil himself on the balcony and to Charlie, who still glared angrily at her father, her horns and bloody eyes appearing from a great deal of rage; here he must be cautious, as the Devil has long warned about "unexpected consequences" when it comes to Charlie. And so...he has to be extra careful and pragmatic.
"Oh, Charlie..." Lucifer sighed, beginning another monologue. "Please realize that I truly want you to be happy in the first place. I would have accepted if you just run this Hotel like a normal one. But no, you had to fly up and up before your wings would crash sooner or later."
Charlie softened a bit, his horns disappearing once more...she never knew that he would be okay with that. "You do...?"
"I do, my apple pie. But I cannot accept that you're getting involved with these fuckers up there... I have indulged and respected these silly fantasies of yours time and time again. I even had to do things I'm not proud of, just for you...But enough is enough."
Lucifer would extend his arm forward, scaring Charlie's friends, believing that he was about to kill them...Instead, he summoned a hellphone, grinning when her friends fell for it. He dialed and held the phone to his ear, waiting for someone to answer. He also turned on the loud microphone for Charlie to hear.
"Yes?" Someone said from the other side of phone call.
"Quite yes, indeed. Your king is speaking. Where is Mammon?"
"He is in a board meeting with investors, my lord. Do you want me to hand the phone to him?"
"No need: I have a demand from Greed Ring. Please get me information on the property called "Hazbin Hotel" Pride Ring, Pentagram City."
"A minute, if you will, my lord."
"What are you-"
"Be quiet, Charlie..." Lucifer shushed her off. He then glanced at his watches and marked the time, interested to see if it would take a minute or two. There is a lot of shuffling and paper sorting coming from the phone. Only after 20 seconds will the speaker on Mammon's behalf respond.
"I think I found it, My lord. "Happy Hotel" as it is named and marked as the "royal" property of Inferno."
"Yes, about that...I declare that it's now "private property" for now on."
"What!?" Charlie shrieked. "But-but you can't!"
"Don't mind the external sounds, my subject. Are we clear with my wish?!"
"Yes, my lord. Mammon shall reregister the property by the end of the day."
"Good, carry on then." Lucifer ended the call and looked at his daughter with smugness. "Like I said before, Charlie. I won't raise my hand against you, your "friends" or your Hotel. But it doesn't mean you can use your royalty "privilege" to play games. Hell, I even made an favor to as Overlords won't bother you no more. But this is your property after all, and you must abide by the laws of my kingdom...and that means:"
"You must pay taxes"
The reaction was priceless for the Hazbin Hotel tenants and staff. Vaggie had an "oh, fuck" moment. Ironically, Baxter fell unconscious, Mimzy fainted in Vaggie's arms, Nifty made a pog face, and Crymini threw her hands in the air, expecting her rent to rise, while Husk raised an eyebrow.
"We never paid taxes?" Husk repeated.
"Of course, Husker! Why would we?" Alastor chimed in.
"...I never thought I'd find myself working in a communist hotel..." Husk shook his head slowly.
Charlie, of all people, was even more horrified by this. But as proud as she could get, she still remained stoic. "Alright then, I will pay my property rent with ease!"
"With what?" Lucifer asked sweetly. "You do realize your bank account is linked to MINE, Charlie?"
"But-But-"
"Now, I know you think I'm being unfair here, but trust me, it's for your own good. You might get yourself even more familiar with sinners that way, sharing stories of how a monarchy can be cruel and all that!" Lucifer continued to smile, glancing down to notice both of Charlie's toys staring at both of them. "ALSO, I'm taking Razzle and Dazzle away because, why not?!"
As soon as he said that, he cast a spell on his fingers and sent it towards Razzle and Dazzle. The poor boys didn't have a chance to react, returning them back to being lifeless toys.
"Dad, please, don't - !"
"Come on, Charlie." Lucifer snatched these lifeless toys from the floor, preventing Charlie from taking them. "You're a grown ass-up woman. It's time for you to stop playing with toys. Have a good day!" Lucifer waved his hand, only for Charlie to grip his arm."
"No - wait! Please, listen to me, Dad!"
"Listen to you, after you denounced your father and went against his wishes?!" Lucifer laughed. "Oh, no-no-no, that's not how it works. You've proven yourself to be my greatest disappointment today, Charlie."
"And you're the worst dad ever!" Charlie snapped, behaving like a child.
"Be happy that I'm not like other "dads," Charlie. Otherwise, I would have spanked your sorry ass so hard that even the Ninth Ring wouldn't help you to cool off. And trust me, if he was your father...you would have considered me the best one you ever had." Lucifer snickered again, before yanking his arm away from Charlie.
Without even looking back at his daughter, Lucifer walked away, only to stop in front of the Vampire Lord. "Cain, be a good bloodsucker boy and make sure that Charlie won't try to do anything funny...I won't tolerate any more of her rebellious phases."
"You do realize I won't raise my hand against my cousin?" Cain apathetically responded.
"And you do realize I will fucking kill you if you won't behave, my stepson?" Lucifer threatened. Unlike with Charlie, he showed that he wouldn't hesitate to kill Cain off. Lucifer gave one final death-stare at Cain as a "reminder" before he himself disappeared from the scene.
And there it was...an exile.
Even after Lucifer had left them, Charlie stood frozen in place, feeling all the weight of the world on her shoulders...not to mention losing Razzle and Dazzle. Vaggie knew it was one of those moments, and it was best to talk privately.
"Guys, I don't want to sound rude, but...Well, Charlie needs some alone time. Could you excuse us now? We will announce if there will be changes."
"You sure?" Mimzy asked, who too wants to comfort Charlie.
"Trust me...it's best If I talk with her...it just...she is much open to me if it makes sense. Oh, and, Niffty, please clean the body from our premise." Vaggie didn't want to sound rude by shooing them away.
"We understand...see you inside." Mimzy and the rest of the group nodded, with all of them getting inside the hotel to restart their mundane morning. Niffty rubbed her hands eagerly as she grabbed the Gangester's body by his hands and dragged him to one of the "special" corners of Pentagram City she was familiar with.
And with that everyone was should be been gone by Vaggie's wish...except for Alastor...because of course he is exception in everything.
"Ah, Charlie! What a wonderful show you put on for us this fine morning!" said a cheerful voice. A clawed hand landed on her shoulder, but Charlie wasn't even fazed by it. She knew it was just Alastor standing directly behind her, with a toothy, smug-looking grin splitting his face wide open.
"Do you think arguing with her father and then breaking their relationship is entertaining to you?!" Vaggie passive-aggressively barked at Alastor as she also came closer to Charlie.
"I would be lying if I said it wasn't, ha-ha!" Alastor wholeheartedly chuckled, tapping the tip of his radio staff to Vaggie's shoulder. "Cheer up, my doll! Hell is full of stories of untold tragedies and full-on adventures!"
Vaggie gritted her teeth, deciding not to give Alastor any more fun than he should have. She then laid her hand on Charlie's shoulder. "I'm so sorry about this, hon. No one deserves to be treated like this by their own father."
"And to think I tried to impress him... and he just disowned me... and stole my Razzle and Dazzle." Charlie sniffed to herself.
"Don't let him stop you, hon. You're better than this," Vaggie cooed, and even Alastor had to nod in agreement...need to be agreetable to Vaggie, sometimes.
Charlie didn't dignify that with a response. She did, however, give a nod of thanks to Vaggie before shifting her eyes back to Cain. "Did he force you too?"
"What do you think, C.M?" Cain puffed some smoke before dropping the cigarette, coming closer to Charlie. "He barged into my mansion in Eight Ring, demanded me to follow him here... I fucking wanted to play my guitar today."
"He has his ways, I guess..."
"He is a dickhead, Charlie." He corrected her, causing Charlie to smirk.
"Truth, I suppose..." Charlie could only agree. With a sigh, she came closer and embraced Cain in a tight hug. "So great to see you, cousin."
"You too, Rosy Cheeks." Cain returned the hug immediately, even smiling weakly before releasing her but still having his arm around her shoulder. "I won't lie, C. You look like shit since I last saw you."
"You too look like shit, Cain." Charlie laughed and smiled.
"Runs in the family..." Cain patted her before moving his arm from Charlie's shoulder and crossing them, giving a glance at Vaggie and Alastor.
Vaggie felt slightly disturbed by how Cain looked at them. With Alastor, his typical wide grin always felt uncanny. But with Cain... it's as if he stares through you and is ready to kill you the moment he notices... even if he doesn't show it.
"You got us disadvantaged here, sweet Charlie. Could you be so kind as to introduce your cousin to us?" Alastor asked as his eyes narrowed in amusement, his head cocking to the side as he studied Charlie's cousin.
"Oh, right. Silly me." Charlie slapped her forehead. "Vaggie, Al. This is my close cousin, Cain Magne. Cain, this is my girlfriend Vaggie and... Alastor."
"Wait a minute... you don't mean that CAIN, Charlie!" Vaggie inquired, taken aback by what she had just heard.
"Don't use that tone with me, mothy. I assume you've met my dad, Adam, before. Why do you think that the story of one brother striking the other with a rock is not real?" Cain snarled at Vaggie, almost hostilely.
"And your reputation precedes you to this day, Master Cain," Alastor chimed in, offering his hand for a handshake. "It's very delightful to meet you!"
Cain glanced at Alastor's outstretched hand before turning his attention back to him. "And who told you to suck my dick now, radio fuck?"
"Just trying to be friendly, chum," Alastor grinned even more.
"Why don't you get your tail running before you piss me off, little Overlord?" Cain dared.
"Cain, it's a radio demon." Charlie spoke quietly, cautioning him not to provoke the menace of Pentagram City. Cain, on the other hand, only looked back at Radio Demon, examining him from every angle. He smirked in a low tone that would make a normal vampire demon shiver at their Dark Father's smirking.
"So... apparently you're that little bitch who got wacky in the '30s, huh? Tell me...friend." Cain made a few steps closer to Alastor, trying to provoke him. "Should I be impressed by your stunt in 30's?"
"I'm not here to impress anyone, Master Cain," Alastor smiled neutrally. "I seek only entertainment on these mundane days."
"My fist to your face won't be entertaining to you?" Cain smiled devilishly.
"Not really. My old days of carnage are not of interest to me today, friend."
"This little shit thinks he's tough..." Cain smirked once more in response to Alastor's remark. "I saw many Overlords come and go over and over again. Of course, there will come a time when some weirdo with extremely powerful abilities will depose the rest of the Overlords... only to be defeated by an even stronger Overlord who will take their place. So, tell me, Little Overlord...what makes you special?"
Despite Cain noticing him clear his throat nervously, Alastor could only smile even more. Even behind that façade of a never-ending smile...there are always some cracks here and there.
"Most Overlords tend to rush forward to their conflicts, Master Cain. I prefer a smart direction."
"It makes no difference... you'll all slip eventually." Cain crossed his arms, a smug expression on his face. "Or Lucifer might got tired of you. And when it happens... well, let's just say you're very lucky, because not every Overlord gets to see me... most of the time, I'm the last thing they see in their pitiful existence. So remember, Seth's descendant... Lucifer only needs to say one word... and I'll come for you, sooner or later."
And to add one last grain of salt to the wound, Cain patted Alastor's shoulder in a "friendly" manner, obviously knowing he doesn't like when someone touches him.
"Then let us hope it won't come to this." Alastor simply responded. A faint static played near them as Alastor stared at Cain...it's very hard to see his true expression from his smile. But it's obvious from Charlie and even Vaggie that he took it seriously.
"For you, that is..." Cain finished with a mark before directing his attention at Charlie. "So, Charlie. You don't mind me if I practice with guitar in your hotel for upcoming concert?"
"As long as you don't murder my tenants and staff, Cain." Charlie warned in a silly tone.
"No promises, C.M...First Murderer's honor." Cain approached her with a childlike grin.
"Show off, bloodsucker." Charlie pushed him away in a playful manner. The First Murderer gave her a middle finger before his body poofed into a single dark bat, flapping its wings to the nearest open window in the Hotel.
"What a charming fella!" Alastor beamed in, very happy to make acquaintances with the Legend of Hell.
"Yeah, right..." Vaggie sighed, not enjoying meeting a biblical person. She would then confront. "Are you sure it's wise to have him here, hon? I'm mean; don't get me wrong. I don't have a full picture of him as I'm familiar with Cain through the Genesis Bible... and what was described about him... is not pretty."
"I know him very well, Vags. "It's not like he has a choice... when my father threatens someone to do his bidding... he means it." Charlie shrugged at that before crossing her arms. "You saw him today already..."
Charlie released another dreadful breath, just wanting to go up to her room and have a good cry...
"Cheer up, my dear!" Alastor smiled, throwing an arm around her shoulders and yanking her close. "No need to make such a face! Why, these little family spats are the highlights of everyone's life!"
"I'm so happy we could entertain you, Al." Charlie deadpanned flatly.
"And that's the spirit!" Alastor grinned, clapping her back cheerfully. "Of course, now that you and your glorious dad have scarpered, I suppose we'll need some new entertainment for all of us..."
"No! I'm not giving up on the Happy Hotel!" Charlie snapped sincerely, causing Alastor to tilt his head a bit. "Dad may put up roadblocks for us, but I believe we can do it."
"Which is why I'm concerned about it, hon..." Vaggie interjected, wanting to ask Charlie as she is quite knowledgeable when it comes to Inferno's laws and social norms. "First off, I want to know. What did your father mean by "royal property"?
"It means that the building doesn't abide by the "tax laws" of Greed Ring, Vaggie. I don't need to pay rent as the owner-"
"Co-owner" Alastor snapped with a cheerful tone.
"...Co-owner of this Hotel." Charlie played Alastor's narrative, deadpanning again at Radio Demon before returning to Vaggie. She should take another pause, shaking her head in defeat. "But because Dad made it private property, we'll have to pay our rent to the Inferno's treasury."
"And what happens if we can't?"
"Then we must declare bankruptcy before Uncle Mammon will take the "temporary" ownership from us. The rest depends on my Dad. He can either take it over or sell it to someone else."
"Thus, his majesty wins anyway!" Alastor added.
"Pretty much..." Charlie had to reluctantly agree with that.
"Not to worry, my dear! Hell's full of desperate lowlifes; I'm sure I can find one or two foolish enough to actually buy into this farce hotel!"
"How fucking dare you-" Vaggie was about to complain at Alastor, only to be stopped by Charlie's palm.
"No, Vaggie. He is right..." Charlie muttered slowly. "For five years, we have been open to the public, and so far we have had only what: 4 everyday tenants and at least 21 who came and went. With Rosie's support and Mimzy's donation and us being the Royal Property, we prospered...but now as we have to pay the bills...I'm not so sure."
"The only thing that comes to mind as a solution is..." Vaggie paused for a moment, not wanting to say it, but she must. "We probably will have to switch from the "rent per month" to the "rent per week" model...But I'm sure that Crymini and Angie won't be happy about it."
Charlie didn't answer at first, deep in her thoughts. She crossed her arms back and forth, thinking it through. Alastor's gaze trailed her like a hunter stalking his prey, metaphorically speaking. Charlie's mind raced as she tried to come up with a solution. Suddenly, an idea struck her.
"I have a plan!" Charlie broke the silence. "Let us not fall into a pit of despair for now. Maybe the rent won't be so bad... but I'll have to confront it. Vaggie, Al. Meet me in our mutual office, okay?"
"What are you planning, hon?" Vaggie asked, concerned. Even Alastor's grin widens with full-on interest.
"Very simple thing, Vaggie." Charlie spoke slowly.
"I'm going to make a call to Uncle Mammon."
