The morning brings hope. Hope that today will be a better day than yesterday.
In Hell, there was no such hope. Save for one. A small glimmer of light in the darkness, a spark. The only good thing that ever came out of Pandora's box.
Hope, was blazing in Charlie Magne. For when she woke up this morning, she knew she had help, and Vaggie was by her side.
She ran through the halls and doors of the Hotel, knowing in her heart that today would be good.
She finally made her way to the lobby, throwing the doors open to welcome...
Nobody had come that morning. And Charlie's disappointment matched her hope.
But as they dueled for supremacy, she heard a soft song being sung. It was a language Charlie hadn't heard in centuries. Latin.
"Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis." Rang out from the dining room. Charlie inched closer as the soft voice sang once more, barely louder than a kitten's mewl.
"Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis." She was at the doorway now. Peeking her eye through the key hole, she saw Bill on his knees, clutching something.
"Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem." He sung, before bringing whatever was in his hands to his mouth.
As he stood, he grabbed a small shot glass filled with dark red liquid, and downed it in one go.
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." He spoke softly to himself. His gaze then went out the window, to the glowing orb in the sky. Heaven.
"God... I have questions." He began. "Why... How... What was your plan for me? To fight, and if needs be, kill? Your Commandments are often a topic of debate. Thou Shalt not Kill, or Thou Shalt not Murder." His gaze never turned from the light.
"I've killed... So many people." His voice trembled. "Either from pulling the trigger myself, or from failing to save them." His eyes finally went down to his hands. "They put their lives in my hands. They trusted me!" His gaze returned with intensity Charlie hadn't expected.
"How the fuck could I have saved them all?!" He stood, pointing towards the window. His voice got louder and louder. "I did my job, as best I could! A field medic can't perform heart surgery in a street filled with bullets and fire! I tried to save him! YOU HEAR ME HERNANDEZ?! I TRIED TO SAVE YOU!"
As his voice fell to the void of silence, he fell to his knees.
"I... I tried to..." His broken words ripped at Charlie's heart. "And your wife... Hated me for it." he bowed his head, cleared his throat, and wiped his tears.
"Lord, I beg your forgiveness for my insubordination. I should have remembered the words of your son. 'Thou shall not put the Lord, thy God, to the test.'" He said. He stood once more, and turned to just barely miss Charlie scurrying from the door.
Charlie was many things in that moment. Confused, sad, and many other emotions churned into a turbulent flurry in her heart. As she reflected on his words, the flurry dared to turn into a blizzard.
Today was Sunday, and from what Charlie had gleaned from the many sinners she spoke with, she knew Bill just partook in communion. In Hell. That may have been the first time in... Well, Charlie had never heard of sinners doing it, ever.
Just what was Bill thinking? And furthermore...
If he was like this, just what Atrocities did he commit to be sent down here?
"Hey, Blondie!" Rang Angel Dust's voice, snapping Charlie out of her spiral.
"Oh, Angel! What's up?" Charlie asked, hoping for her day to be less complicated.
"I just got a text, Val wants to see you."
Hopes, dashed.
.
Bill had just tidied up his little Communion when he heard the door behind him open.
"Oh, you're still here?" Vaggie's voice was sharper than ever. Bill knew he had to be careful, to avoid getting cut.
"I did say I was going to help." Bill said simply.
"And I said that I don't trust you." Vaggie cut in.
"I'm truly sorry if-" Bill started.
"What exactly did you do to get sent down here?" Vaggie asked. Bill loosened his tie and cleared his throat.
"Sloth." He simply said. Vaggie's face went from suspicion to confusion.
"You were condemned to eternal damnation, because you were lazy?" Vaggie asked incredulously. Bill smiled softly and shook his head.
He held his pale hands before him, palms up.
"As a medic, you're taught Triage. Give people a once over and decide whether to help them, or someone else. Deciding who lives and dies." He trailed off, staring at his hands.
"Playing God..." Vaggie realized. Bill's face contorted, in either greif or pain, Vaggie couldn't guess.
"I... I let so many good people die because I thought I could save those who looked worse off." Bill's voice was getting caught in his throat.
Heat swelled from his neck to the top of his head causing his nose to sting and his mouth to feel sticky, the only escapes the heat and pressure had were the hot tears streaming down his face.
Vaggie felt a pang in her chest. Guilt was grabbing her by the gut, while pity stabbed her heart. She didn't think... She couldn't have...
No.
She knew. Everyone has a reason to be here. Some accepted it, some hated it. But some people genuinely felt... It wasn't sadness. Nor would it be guilt, guilt didn't even begin to describe the...
Remorse. Heart wrenching, soul-tearing, remorse.
Bill sniffed, and wiped his face. He then let a small wry smile grace his face.
"Sorry, too much information." He held his hands up now, in mock surrender.
Vaggie wanted to say she understood. That it was okay for him to feel that way. But as she was about to, Charlie came in through the door with Angel Dust.
"We have a problem."
.
Life, has many twists and turns. Ups, and downs. In Hell, every twist and turn is a balls-to-the-wall rocketslide in a downward spiral.
Never before, had it been so clear to Bill.
So many entities vying for territory and power, they couldn't be counted. If someone tried to tie the groups and individuals together to perhaps discover alliances and rivalries, well... Sherlock Holmes made a "spider's web", but any attempt down here would look like a wreath someone lit on fire.
"So, this 'Val' character wishes to speak with Charlie?" Bill clarified.
Angel nodded, his trademark 'sexy grin' dipping only slightly.
"Yeah, somethin' about some laws and shit." Angel waved his hand dismissively. "Honestly, I think it's just another opportunity to swing his three inch around."
Bill sighed and glanced out into Hell.
"If only, if only..." Bill trailed.
"What? Val having a Micro-Penis?" Angel asked, only for Bill to shake his head.
"If only there was a way to..." Bill trailed again.
"The suspense is killing me." Angel flatly stated.
"I just... Nevermind. Forget I said anything." Bill dismissed. Angel leaned closer to Bill, making sure to get plenty of fluff in Bill's field of view.
"C'mon. Tell me." Angel's voice, hot and heavy, slid out.
"I just wanted a Bible." Bill, not taking his eyes off the window, replied. Angel leaned back, not to the point of being fully in his own seat, but at least to the point Bill could breathe his own air.
"You, what?" Angel asked flatly. Bill only shrugged. "I thought you memorized it. You made a whole spiel yesterday."
Bill's eyes now met Angel's. Angel couldn't help the shudder that ran up his back from the glint in his eye.
"I don't want to risk getting any words wrong." Bill stated, as if it were law. Angel smirked.
"What'll happen? You get sent to Super-Hell?" He laughed. "You're a riot, Willy."
Bill's gaze went back out the window.
"Like I said. Forget it." Bill muttered. He didn't see the concern flash across Angel's face. But he did see a lone figure, cloaked in black, holding a--
"RPG!" Bill yelled, briefly before impact. It hit near the front of the limo, sending it swerving to the left, and up over a guard rail.
Everything was weightless. Angel felt like time was moving slowly as he began to rise in the limo. He wasn't wearing his seat belt.
He wasn't wearing his seat belt.
Fuck.
But then, he felt a hand grip the wasteband of his skirt, and it slammed him into his seat with a grip of Iron. He opened his eyes to see Bill wrapping his seat belt around him, having taken his own off to reach.
Then just after Angel was secure, Impact. Bill was sent out of the window he was once looking through with such violence and speed...
It was as if God ripped Bill from the Limo.
Angel had only a moment to register this before his head thumped on the side of the limo, sending him to unconsciousness.
Charlie and Vaggie were in the back, furthest from the explosion, and both were strapped in, thank Hell.
They saw Bill get ejected, and they watched as everything spun outside of the Limo until they were simply upside down. Their hair splayed on the roof in pools.
Vaggie was first out of her seat, due to Charlie's seat belt being stuck. Her hand clenching her knife, she cut Charlie out of her seat, making sure she didn't hit her head.
"You okay, hun?" Vaggie asked, checking her for injuries. Charlie nodded, pushing Vaggie's hands away.
"Bill... Where's bill?" Charlie asked hazily. Vaggie frowned, she knew she was hurt and she's asking about someone else. Then again, she thought, that's what makes her such a good person. Vaggie just hoped it would last. Hell had a bad habit of killing dreams.
Movement drew Vaggie's gaze. She saw a demon in a black cloak, reloading an RPG. She knew what they looked like, she'd played video games before dying in 2014.
When the Sinner finished reloading, he took aim at the limo again, Vaggie could make out a sharp toothed, manic, grin.
Then, a blur of white slammed into it from behind.
The demon accidentally fired off the rocket which sailed far off target. Vaggie could hear it detonate before a distant voice rang out.
"My leg!"
Her eye was fixed upon the struggling duo. Now knowing the white blur to be Bill, she wondered how he'd resolve the situation. Being the way he was, she expected him to detain the demon.
But, from even twenty feet away, she could hear a familiar wet sound.
CRACK! =
It's the sound you hear when you put too much pressure on a joint and it pops out of place. But this was different. Bill had snapped the Sinner's neck. Vaggie knew the Sinner wasn't actually dead. Holy essence was required to kill a Sinner permanently.
Bill stood from the now mangled body of the demon, and his gaze shot to the Limo.
He was at the limo in moments, grabbing the door handle, he tried to open it, only to find it stuck. He placed his hands on where the window once was, blood now streaking from the glass cuts, and proceeded to rip the door off.
Vaggie stared, dumbfounded. This limo was supposed to be tough. The RPG only worked because it hit the wheel and penetrated the engine block before detonation. And here this guy is just popping the door off like someone opening a bag of chips.
Just what kind of a Sinner was this guy?!
.
Everybody else got out of the limo with only mere bruises and cuts. Bill looked, well... He looked like shit.
His suit was ruined by blood trickling from cuts all over his face and hands from the glass, he was clutching his side, no doubt tending to ribs that were fractured at best.
But, he had a small smile on his face that made Charlie feel... Warm. Like a safety blanket was wrapped around her.
Vaggie fussed about killing the Demon, a scaled Sinner, but it was half-hearted. The only reason she didn't fully lay into him was the fact he saved not only Vaggie herself, but Charlie too.
"Hey, uh, Bill?" Angel asked, drawing his attention. "Thank you. For, uh. Well, you know."
"You're welcome, Angel." Bill's smile turned to a grimace. "I think i might just go back to the Hotel. Give these ribs a chance to stop being so obstinate." Angel was at Bill's side immediately, using his many arms to help hold him up.
"You sure use a lot of fancy words, Willy." Angel said light-heartedly.
"Too grandiloquent?" Bill chuckled.
"Wat?" Angel was stumped.
"Pompus, or overly extravagant to impress. Get a thesaurus, dude." Bill laughed before clutching his ribs once more. "Okay, Comedy is officially on the back-burner."Bill stumbled in Angel's hands but found support in Vaggie as she moved beneath his left arm.
"Thank you, Vaggie." Bill muttered through the pain.
"No problem, just don't make us carry your ass back." Vaggie said, glancing down to his feet, noting that his stride was getting more and more uneasy.
Then, after a brief lull in activity, Bill coughed up blood and almost collapsed. Only Vaggie and Angel Dust were holding him up now.
"Lung... feels like Lung..." Bill gasped out as more blood flew from his lips.
This sent the group into a flurry of movement. as they scrambled, the ballpoint pen that Charlie used to write her notes for her plans fell out of her pocket. Bill fell next to it as Vaggie started to search the limo (again) for medical supplies.
Angel just cradled Bill's face. He'd been through the wringer himself, Val sure loved to beat the shit oit of his talent. Broken ribs and fucked up lungs were common in the workplace. Bill would come back anyway. They were only trying to make sure he didn't suffer too much. Angel's hand ghosted over an old 1911 that he kept hidden from Charlie and Vaggie.
But as he contemplated putting Bill out of his misery, he saw Bill messing with something. He then plunged that something into his chest on his side. He pulled something out of that something and took a deep beath inwards.
"Holy Fuck!" Angel cried. This gained the attention of Vaggie and Charlie.
"What?! What?!" Vaggie yelled, running over with the now-found first-aid kit.
"He just fucking stabbed himself!" Angel yelled, pointing to Bill's chest.
Bill, now able to breathe somewhat, explained.
"Blood... filling... chest... pen... let out... fluid and... pressure... amatuer... thora...centesis." Bill managed to wheeze out before passing out. Vaggie was now crouched next to him, applying basic first aid.
"We need to get him some help!" Charlie cried, Angel's face lit up. One of his six arms grabbed his Hell-phone.
"I know just the guy!" Angel said, dialing a number he was all too familiar with. "Hey, Doc? Got a live one. Uh... Amatuer... Thora... Centa... He's got a pen sticking in between his ribs."
While they waited for this Doctor to arrive, Charlie called Valentino to tell him she was going to be late. He didn't take it well, but he knew better than to push the Daughter of the Devil Himself.
A screeching tire could be heard as an ambulance (If you could call a panel van painted with a red cross on the side an ambulance), riddled with both new and old bullet-holes, tore from an alley. Garbage flew everywhere as it pulled up next to them.
The side door slid open to reveal both Angel Dust's friend Cherri Bomb, and a short Imp in surgical scrubs!
"Throw his ass on the gurney and hop in!" The Imp shouted. Said gurney was a hammock strapped tight to a wooden frame.
Before Vaggie and Charlie could react, Angel and Cherri hauled Bill up onto the 'gurney' and pulled them
As the Van tore down the road, the sinner who tried to kill them remained still. He would remain so, even after twenty-four hours, when his body began to smell amd attract scavengers. Other sinners recoiled from the sight and scent of the corpse.
It looked just like them.
The bodies of sinners, just after the Cleansing ends.
Those killed by angels, and would never return.
...
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Yeah, I'm alive. Almost a year later and here's part two.
Writer's block sucks, for real.
Think it's good? Think it sucks?
Let me know in the comments! Love y'all!