Charlie:
Life in Hell was... Interesting, to say the least. Firstly, the extermination had just ended, and there was so much work that needed to be done!
I was brought out of my musings by an individual walking along on the sidewalk outside of the hotel just moments after the end of the extermination.
This man was dressed in a pure white suit. He had gel in his hair, slicked back. He looked shockingly human, frighteningly so in fact.
The man paused, and turned his head to look up at me. He was too far away to discern any facial features, but a smile could be seen.
He waved, I waved back. The man then went on his way.
"Who was that man?" I asked myself.
"Charlie! We gotta get going if we want to be early to your inverview!" Came Vaggie's voice from inside. I had an interview to get my Redemption plan into the public eye.
My mind drifted to Angel Dust. Our first, and so far only, case. I hoped he was safe, he didn't come to the hotel before the extermination.
I was brought out of my worry by Vaggie calling for me again.
Well, here goes!
Angel Dust:
Jeez, I can't even get a dime of PCP without getting robbed!
What's worse is the asshole who stole it got crushed, and my drugs were ruined!
As I glared up at... An airship with too many ray guns, another sight caught my eye.
I saw a tall glass of water in a white suit walking on the sidewalk. He looked around at the scenery with a wry smirk on his face. And, oh mother of marching powder, was it a face!
Not a single blemish! Or make up! Completely natural! Glistening white teeth and eyes whiter than a mountain of crack!
My gaze went from that... Adonis, to the ship once again when I heard an explosion. I saw the ship go down, and my BFF Cherri Bomb ran out of the wreckage!
Then this snake guy and a bunch of Egg midgets started shooting at her, and you can bet your bottom dollar I was gonna unload on all of them. I owed my girl buddy a solid, after all.
Vaggie:
We were in the limousine, on our way to the news station, when we almost ran over some crazy Cabrón. (Bastard)
Charlie wanted to go out and see if they were alright, but I convinced her we needed to get going, as traffic would be a whole new kind of Hell in a few minutes.
One thing reliable about Pentegram City, traffic consistently fucks itself up in the morning and afternoon.
I looked out the window and saw the guy dusting himself off, and continuing on his merry way.
Estúpido Gringo de traje blanco. (Stupid White-Suited Gringo)
But, I didn't have time to focus on that guy, I needed to make sure Charlie had a plan, and wouldn't resort to singing. I love to hear her sing, but I'm positive she needs to stay on task to avoid being a laughing stock.
Speaking of, I wondered where Angel Dust was. He'd better not cause trouble! We're betting it all today, and if he somehow fucks up this interview, I'm putting dye in his shampoo.
Alastor:
I was out for a nice morning stroll, and couldn't help but feel... Bored. Sure, terrorizing the weak had it's amusing spats. But they lacked a certain degree of... Originality? Yes, Originality!
Then I almost bumped into someone.
"Pardon me." The gentleman said, his voice was smooth as Jazz.
"Of course, my good man. Pray tell, what is your name?" I asked. I could not help but be intrigued, this man wasn't intimidated in the slightest! Not a single sign of tension in his demeanor!
"My name is William Smith. What is your name?" The man answered and inquired.
"I'm Alastor! The Radio Demon! Overlord of Hell!" I exclaimed as I always did, canned applause rattled in the air around me. I do enjoy those voices. They were always entertained!
"Well, it was nice to meet you Alastor The Radio Demon, Overlord of Hell." William said before continuing on his way. I couldn't help but think back on the man an hour later.
Who wears pure white in Hell? It made no sense! Actually, what made no sense about his attire was, it was clean!
In Hell, there's so many things that stain clothes, blood primarily. That's why I wear so much red, after all. But that gentleman... Something made me feel like he knew how to pass a good time.
Now, where was I? Ah, yes! I heard a little rumor that the Princess of Hell was going to have an interview on the picture show! I have the feeling that it's going to be quite entertaining!
After The Events Of the Pilot
Charlie:
I had just gotten inside, following the others, when I bumped into Vaggie. Everyone was standing still, looking at something.
I leaned to the left to see it wasn't a something, but a someone.
It was the man in white.
He was standing next to the bar, looking at us.
"Pardon the intrusion." The man said. "I saw your interview on the television. I couldn't help but persue this thread to Godliness."
He lifted a whiskey glass.
"I also helped myself to a bottle of your Old Taylor. I hope you can forgive me, but I haven't had this Bourbon in years." He said, a small smile on his face. Next to him was a bottle of 1933 Old Taylor.
"What do you want?" Vaggie asked, her voice as sharp as her knives.
The man had a taste of bourbon before he answered.
"I'd like to help you in your search for redemption." He said, a nostalgic twinkle in his eye as he gazed down at his drink.
"Why?" Vaggie asked.
His eyes shifted from his drink to Vaggie. I saw a shudder go up her spine.
"Because it's the right thing to do." He said simply, as if that was all he needed to say. "Hello again, Alastor The Radio Demon, Overlord Of Hell."
The aforementioned Demon laughed, and canned laughter followed his lead.
"My fine fellow, you can just call me Alastor, or Al if you're feeling casual." He chimed, and offered his hand to the man.
The man gave a small smile, and shook Al's hand.
Then there was an uncomfortable silence as neither one broke away. They just stood there, staring into each other's eyes. Sizing one another up. Alastor broke the handshake by gesturing to the bourbon bottle.
"Would you mind?" Al inquired.
"Ah, bien sûr." He said. (Ah, of course)
Alastor paused as the man poured a drink for the man in red.
"Tu parles français?" Alastor inquired. (You speak French?)
The man smiled warmly.
"Un peu, ma mère m'a appris des bribes." He said. (A little, my mother taught me bits and pieces.)
"Astonishing!" Alastor cheered.
"Meanwhile, my father taught me some Italian, and I learned some Spanish in school." He said, handing Al the glass.
"Okay, okay. Woah, woah." Angel Dust began. "You two know each other?" he asked, pointing to both men.
"But of course, this is William Smith, we met earlier today." Alastor stated. Angel's eyes went from the man in red to the man in white.
"So~" Angel began seductively. Already I had a bad feeling. "Your name's 'Willy' huh?" oh no, it's gonna be a sex jo- "You're named after my favorite body part~" He finished, leaning close to William.
"Actually, I'm named after William McKinley. The 25th president of the United States." William stated matter-of-factly.
Angel Dust's lusty persona stalled for a moment.
"Do you not know who I am?" Angel asked. "There's not a man in Hell I can't charm!" he bragged.
"Well, now there's one." Will said before turning away, leaving Angel miffed.
"Two." Alastor said.
"We're getting off topic here!" Vaggie exclaimed.
"Ah, yes. We are." William began again. "I was trained as a Combat Medic, so if there are any medical needs I can fill them. I also have some experience with cooking so if you want me to cook something, I can." He continued.
"What if we don't want your help?" Vaggie asked, I interjected.
"Not that we're refusing, we just want to know." I said, and let out a sigh of relief. The last thing we need is to send away perfectly fine help.
"Then I will leave after thanking you for the opportunity." William said.
"So, what? Did you lose your spine or something?" Husk antagonized.
"I can assure you all of my vertebrae are intact in my body." William said. "I simply wish to avoid offending you."
"So, William." I began.
"You can call me Will, or Bill. Whichever suits your fancy." William interjected.
"Bill." I began again. "Do you think my plan for Redemption has any chance at success?"
"Yes." Bill answered immediately.
"Why? Alastor asked, puzzlement in his eyes.
"All you have to do is be willing to accept God and Jesus into your heart." William began. "But, if you ask me, I think the trick is you have to not only want to change, and not only must you accept them, but you must... Beg, as it were."
"Beg?" Vaggie asked lowly.
"Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Bill said simply. "Romans 10:9 and 10:10. "
"How many times have you seen someone who apologizes, but you weren't convinced?" Bill asked. "You've lost count, haven't you?"
"Now-" Vaggie started, only to be interrupted.
"God is the same. How many billions say I'll never do it again, I swear, and then proceed to do it again? If you were to accept him back into your heart, beg, and proceed to uphold your end of the bargain, he will accept you." Bill said.
Vaggie stayed silent, glaring at the man in white.
"I just want to help." Bill repeated.
"Are you going to try for Redemption?" I asked, my hopes teetering on a knifes edge.
"No." He said. I was confused.
"But, you know Bible verses, and you want to help! How can you tell me you don't want to redeem yourself?" I asked, practically begging for an answer.
"Because I chose to be here." He said.
The only sounds in the room were of the clock on the wall, and the clinking of the single ice cube in Bill's Bourbon.
"You, WHAT?!" Vaggie screamed, here eyes shooting Daggers at the well dressed man.
"There are many kinds of Sin." Bill said, all levity in his demeanor was dragged down into the abyss. "I must have committed more than a million. They were small sins, but I regretted none of them. I still don't."
I sensed something was off. Was he lying? I couldn't tell for sure, but I did know he wasn't comfortable with something, pulling on his tie as if he felt like it was too tight. He cleared his throat.
"Then we don't want you here!" Vaggie yelled. I rushed forward.
"Wait!" I interjected. I didn't want to throw away help. Nor did I want to give up on Bill. "Bill, could you please help Alastor prepare that Jambalaya he was talking about earlier? Follow his instructions to the letter."
Vaggie looked at me, betrayal evident in her eyes. I grabbed her hand, and guided her into a side room.
General POV
It was after an hour that the group found themselves sitting at a large dinner table, only two seats unoccupied. The seats of the two in the kitchen.
"Fucking Finally!" Husk hollared as they wheeled out a large pot and placed it in the center of the dilapidated mahogany. Husk's breath smelled of booze even from five feet away.
Angel Dust was staring at the porcelain skinned gentleman, and a keen eye would reveal Nifty was too.
After serving the hot and ready meal, Alastor and Bill were sitting across from one another.
It was a very nice Jambalaya, obviously Creole with the use of tomatoes. The kick from the chilli powder was very nice. The shrimp, sausage, and chicken were cooked to perfection. One thing was apparent.
Alastor cared very much about this recipe.
"This is by far the most delectable Jambalaya I've ever had the pleasure to eat." William stated.
"Why thank you William!" Alastor began. "You know, I've been wondering. How did you die?"
Eyes flew to Him, and he froze. His eyes darted around the room before he spoke.
"Execution." He said, untying his tie and loosening his shirt to show a rope scar where his neck and collar bone met.
"Oh shit!" Angel Dust exclaimed. "You got hung?! I figured you for a suicide!"
"Angel!" Charlie reprimanded.
"Damn, hanging sucks." Husk said.
"I've had time to get over it." Will replied, returning his clothes to their previous state. "I fought for my country and was captured by the enemy. I refused to give in to their torment and was given the sweet release of death. Others weren't so lucky." They ate in relative silence after that. Will was the first to finish.
He stood, collecting his silverware, but leaving the spoon.
"I shall retrieve the desserts." Will stated before walking to the kitchen.
As he returned, he was wheeled out a vast array of multicolored cones and spheres, Nifty let out an 'ooh', which got everyone's attention.
"Ah, yes! William was kind enough to make us these fine dishes!" Alastor cheered, a sharp eay could hear what sounded like canned cheers. "I must say I've been waiting for these Sno-Balls with baited breath!" He started bouncing in his seat.
William placed them on the table, and grabbed the dirty dishes.
By the time he'd gotten back, everyone had one of each kind.
And there was a small cluster in his spot on the table.
The first one to try was Charlie, believe it or not. She'd taken a big spoonful of Tutti-Fruitti in, and her eyes were twinkling.
"So good!" She cheered. Will breathed a sigh of relief.
This inspired the others to try theirs. Vaggie tasted hers and a small smile formed on her face, this smile was gone in a flash, replaced by the distrustful look she'd been eyeing Bill with.
Then Nifty tried hers, and a grin cracked across her face.
"Yummy!" She squealed. Then Angel Dust tried one of his.
"Strawberry? My favorite!" He exclaimed.
These were the usual reactions, the only acceptions being Husk, Vaggie, and Alastor.
Alastor was dead silent as he ate his sno-ball, his eyes were distant. As if he were in deep thought.
The mood of the room mellowed out eventually, then came time for Will to gather the remaining dishes.
As Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel Dust left the room, Vaggie let her opinion be known.
"First the Radio Demon and his two minions, now this stranger!" Vaggie shouted, throwing her hands in the air.
"I dunno toots, that guy seems alright to me." Angel Dust said, checking his make-up in his pocket mirror.
"Oh please, we all know you just want to get in his pants." Vaggie retorted.
"C'mon Vaggie, could you give him a chance, for me? Please~" Charlie begged, her eyes in full puppy dog charm.
"Okay, but only if I can keep tabs on him. Make sure he isn't doing anything shifty." Vaggie said.
William then left the kitchen just as Angel left the main room.
Charlie did her best to tame her usual smile, and Vaggie wore a mask of indifference.
"After careful consideration, we've decided to welcome you to the Happy Hotel!" Charlie exclaimed, she pulled a small tube out of her pocket and pulled a string out of it, making a loud POP and Bill was showered by Confetti. He couldn't help but smile at her joy.
He was escorted to his new room and Charlie handed him the key to Room 37. He at upon the creaky bed inside and gazed around the room. It needed a new paintjob and some TLC, but it was liveable.
"I hope everything is to your liking!" Charlie said. Bill nodded, gesturing around him.
"Well... to start, the room number is holy." He began. This drew confused glances from the Hotel Owners. "Well, 777 is the most holy number, and that's three sevens. 3, 7. Boom. There's also a biblical verse to consider."
"Which one?" Charlie asked.
"The Book of John, Chapter three, verse Seven." Bill began. "You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'"
Charlie smiled, and Vaggie's face hinted at her understanding.
"I am born again, and I will do my best to help others as God has helped me." Bill simply said.
Vaggie stalked out of the room and Charlie followed her after giving William a brief thank you and wished him sweet dreams.
Charlie and Vaggie went to their shared room and laid in bed with one another, the drain of the day finally catching up to them. As their eyes grew heavy, Charlie couldn't help but wonder...
What did he do to get sent down here?
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Okay, well, here we are! My first Fanfiction ever.
I do apologize if the swap between William, Bill, and Will is jarring. I think I swap depending on how I want him to be seen in your mind. Professional attitude? William. Casual talk? Will. Friendly demeanor? Bill.
No, it's not a self insert, I'm not even close to pious.
Sorry if the Spanish and French were off, I don't have more than a semester of either under my belt and it's mostly faded memory at this point.
I do hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I will have a large gap between chapter releases due to my work schedule. Sorry in advance!