Valentino scowled as he sat in his limo, hissing from the attack that irritated his eyes,"Goddamn that cyclops and her stupid bombs. Damn bullshit got in my eyes and it still stings like a bitch…" Whatever Cherri's bombs were made out of, the chemicals were a lot stronger than Val bargained for, his eyes still stinging from the attack.

He clenched his cigarette with rage, bitter over Cherri's escape. He would've pursued her and blown a holy bullet in her skull had not had other things to do. Cherri wasn't worth the hassle and as spunky as she was, she was no real threat to him. Her bombs were nuisances at best and Val was certain he would've manhandled her had she not thrown them in his face.

Not like it mattered, he had bigger fish to fry than some cyclops with some bombs up her ass. If need be, he'd kill her later but he had far bigger problems than Cherri Bomb and her little 'feud' with him.

Speaking of his other problems, not only was Angel Dust missing, but that ex boyfriend of his had gone quiet. Normally he'd think Vox was just being stubborn but usually Vox would've cracked and came crawling back to him by now, that or Velvet would've pestered him into coming back since she missed home.

Instead, it had been oddly quiet on their ends. Curious, Val decided to see what was up. The driver in front of the limo pulled up to Vox's watchtower and Val stepped out heel first. He strutted towards the entrance and opened the door.

When he got inside, it was relatively empty on the first floor. Not surprising, this was Vox's personal building and he was usually the only person who actually lived there. Still, the barren atmosphere did make Val somewhat on edge as he preferred more...populated areas like his Studio which was booming with his personal workers.

Val cringed at the bright neon blue and black atmosphere that littered Vox's tower. The colors strained his eyes and he always had a disdain for the color blue. It simply wasn't his style and Vox adorning the color made his eyes bleed. The fact it was a common color in his home did nothing for Val.

'Bastard needs to redecorate this place. His taste is abominable. Don't get how he prefers this place compared to my luxurious Studio. Oh well, I'll confront him about it when I get up there..'

Val then approached the elevator and pushed the button. There was a high-pitched ding as the door opened, Val crouching down slightly before stepping inside before hitting the button for the top floor.

'Course Vox didn't build the Tower for those on the taller side…Figures the bastard would be that inconsiderate…'

Val was fairly tall by most demon's standards. It wasn't uncommon for Val to crouch down just to get inside a building that didn't accommodate his size(much to his annoyance). It was more of a minor annoyance if anything but it wasn't something he appreciated doing in public since it looked odd when the tallest person had to get down just to fit in the room and take up space.

When the elevator door opened, Val was greeted by...an empty living space. Or at least, it appeared that way.

Val narrowed his eyes as he saw no sign of his ex or his friend in the building. Suspicious, he decided to investigate, calling out Vox and Velvet's names over and over again in hopes they would reveal themselves.

"VOX! VELVET! COME ON OUT YOU TWO! QUIT MESSING AROUND!" He hissed,"DON'T MAKE ME COME FIND YOU! YOU WON'T LIKE WHAT HAPPENS…"

It was a threat Val planned on pulling through with, however he was cut short by the sound of someone approaching. He turned to see Vark had peeked his head out from the wall, likely having heard Vox's name being called and coming to look for his owner.

Needless to say, when he saw Valentino, his happy demeanor ended up faltering at the sight of Valentino, the hammerhead shark quivering and becoming meek.

"Ugh, you…" Val sneered hatefully,"I almost forgot about you. Figures Vox would leave his stupid pet here in this god awful dump of a home. And to think Vox ain't even here, must've already bailed on this place."

Vark whined.

"Oh be quiet you overgrown vertebrate. I didn't come here to listen to your whines, the pig was annoying enough and the last thing I need is your annoying ass crying."

Vark flinched, becoming quiet at Val's tone. Val grinned, relishing in the power he had over the shark. The misery of others certainly did make him happy when he was down and seeing the shark cower and tremble was like a high to him.

Though now that Val thought about it, if Vox wasn't here, that meant he could finally take reigns for himself. If Vox and Velvet were truly gone, everything they owned was up for grabs. Considering with Angel's disappearance that he'd be losing money, taking over Vox and Velvet's territory would at least balance out the loss.

And it wasn't like Vox and Velvet were around to protest anyways. Considering the likelihood of them still being alive was low, Val didn't see too much issue in him taking over their property to expand his empire.

After all, he'd have full control of all major forms of entertainment, at least the relevant ones. TV, Porn and Social Media, all in his grasp. Total control over all media in Hell. It was like a dream come true.

Sure, there was Radio but...well, Val didn't really consider the Radio much of a resource. It was outdated and Val had little use for old technology.

Nowadays, most Radio was played through people's phones so it wasn't like Val cared all too much. He'd take it if he could but he'd honestly be more interested in Alastor's properties than his Radio shtick.

Regardless, now that those two were out of the picture, it was time to expand. Their grasp on the media was already powerful but not that Val was the only V around well, it meant he could finally be able to do what he pleased without his business partners having a say.

As Val salvaged the possibilities, he was suddenly snapped out of his trance by Vark, who had bumped into him in a bid to get his attention.

Angered, Val kicked the shark and snapped,"Damn annoying shark! Keep your filthy paws off of me you sick creature! I swear I could just shoot you but then I'd get blood on my luxurious coat. You ain't worth the normal bullets, let alone the holy ones I got in my pistol. Now listen here, shark, I don't know if that thick skull of yours hasn't figured it out yet but I'll tell you here and now, Vox ain't coming back. You wanna know why? Because he abandoned you. He clearly didn't think you were worth the effort and decided to leave you to rot and you fell for it hook and sinker. So do us both a favor, go knock yourself out in the streets. Ain't like you're wanted here anyway. Now leave, because if Vox doesn't want you what makes you think I'd want an annoying parasite like you around?"

Vark whimpered in response to his yelling, quivering on the spot before running off in terror down the stairway. Val scoffed,"That gets rid of him. Good riddance means I have this whole place by myself. Speaking of which...I should probably give this play a makeover."

Val then began dialing a few phone numbers and inquired if they could 'remodel' a few buildings that he had in mind. They agreed and asked to meet up, Val grinning,"Perfect...Just perfect…"

The expansion of his empire was now underway and no one, not Vox, not Velvet were able to stop him. They outlived their usefulness and now they were out of the way, it was time for Val to take total control of the wheel.

" ...Guess I was right all along. I really don't need Voxy. Good riddance. He was too rebellious anyway. Now I can secure everything for myself without worrying about backlash..."

If there was one thing Val would admit, was that despite all the years of abuse, Vox refused to be totally subservient towards him.

Because even after Vox came crawling back, he eventually ended up butting heads with Val again. A part of him just refused to stand down and while Val did work hard to beat it out of him, it never stuck.

He could shatter his screen countless times...but he could never break Vox's will. Not completely anyway because that small fragment always found to restore itself piece by piece and when they got into a fight, Vox began to argue just like he had every other time they fought despite promising not to.

Well...no more. No more lies. No more empty promises. He was done and it was time take over the reigns of Vox's empire and Velvet's as well. They were weak and now that his tool he had worked so hard to build up had turned against him, he believed it was time to take back what was rightfully his.

Frederick and Bethesda made their way back home in their limo. It was finally time for them to turn back home and they were relieved to have finally dealt with their duties and other business arrangements.

Managing an entire Sector was a lot of work and finally being able to return home was like a breath of fresh air to them.

As the limo pulled up to their mansion, the monarchs stepped out of their car. Frederick sighed as he examined his home,"Aw...home sweet home."

"Indeed it is," Bethesda said,"It feels amazing to finally be back within our own chambers. Let us go inside, Hopefully the maids have kept up on the mansion while we were away…"

"I'm certain they have, it wouldn't make sense not to give how long we've had them…" He chuckled before walking to the front door with his wife.

The two monarchs stepped forward and opened the door. They were welcomed by the sight of their maids that had been serving them for countless centuries and immediately bowed in courtesy,"Welcome back Lord Fredrick and Bethesda. We welcome your return to the palace. It's a pleasure to see you."

"We expect as much, that is what we are paying you for..." Frederick said simply before looking around the mansion with Bethesda,"Appears everything has been managed while we were away…."

"Pristine as ever. Guess those servants still fulfil their purpose. Glad we won't have to replace anyone anytime soon. It'd be such an inconvenience to get rid of them...and bloody…"

Frederick sighed, Bethesda disliked getting blood on her dress."Let's not think about that, dear. It's not time for that yet so we can still avoid disposing of anyone just yet."

"Fair enough…"

As they walked around the mansion, Bethesda couldn't help but notice how quiet it was as she and her husband sat back on the couch, the maids fetching them cups of tea.

With the exception of the occasional maid, nobody else except them was present. It felt as though something was missing but she couldn't quite put her finger on it…

"Frederick…"

The monarch lifted his head slightly, eyes gazing up at his wife curiously,"Yes?"

"You notice how quiet it is around here?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"I don't know, I just find it odd how silent our home has been. It feels as though something is missing but I cannot for the life of me think of it for what it is," She said quietly, sipping on her tea.

"Neither can I…" He admitted before flinching at the sound of his phone vibrating. He paused, noticing that it was a call from Lucifer."Hm?"

"Who is it?" Bethesda asked.

"It's Lucifer. Wonder why that is, he's not usually the type to call. I'll see what he wants." Fredrick then picked up and said,"Hello your majesty?"

"Cut the pleasantries, Frederick. I need to talk to you, quick. It's really important."

Frederick flinched, Lucifer sounded...rushed and somewhat panicked. This was odd, every other time he had spoken with the King he was jovial and in high spirits so for him to sound concerned was enough to put him on edge.

"What's wrong, Lucifer? You're not usually the frantic type, has something happened?"

"Yes, something has happened. Something very bad...Fredrick, do you know my daughter, Charlotte?"

Frederick narrowed his eyes, he remembered Charlie alright. Seviathan used to bring the Princess over when the two were still betrothed to each other. He always found her slightly irritating, her optimism and overly upbeat nature grated his nerves somewhat yet he put it aside and remained friendly not just because of her status but because he valued the marriage.

Course when Charlie broke it off, Frederick was far from pleased and did hold it against Charlie and to a lesser extent their family for costing their one chance at being at the tippy top of the hierarchy.

He didn't let it be known out loud of course, but he did feel slightly bitter over the situation and the burn hadn't subsided despite the centuries that had passed.

"Frederick? Are you still there?"The King called out in a rather urgent and irritated tone.

"Yes, I'm here. What about her?"

"She's gone missing."

"What?"

"You heard me. She's gone missing."

"How?"

"She ran away. We don't know when exactly she did but judging by how things look...it's likely she's been gone for quite some time. And it seems she's been planning this for a while given that she packed her bags and all her personal information. This isn't something someone does in one day, it's planned out and she must've done her research."

"You sure she isn't hiding somewhere? It isn't uncommon for children to pull pranks on their loved ones.." He admitted, still not fully convinced.

"This is not a prank, Frederick!" Lucifer growled,"Charlie doesn't like playing pranks on people and I know damn well that this isn't her idea of a prank. She's serious and she would've come clean if she was messing around. She hasn't come out yet and we can't find her anywhere."

"Even if that's the case, why are you calling me about this? She's your daughter, Lucifer, not mine…"

"Because I need you to secure your sector. Charlie could be wandering any of the sectors and she might've snuck her sinner friend with her."

"You know sinners aren't allowed in other circles…"

"What makes you think Charlie cares about that? She'll do what she has to do in order to prove her point. If sneaking her friend through a barrier is what she has to do to show me what for then she will do just that. I know better than to understate her at this point, if she's willing to run away and change her identity then she's more than willing to sneak her friend through an entirely different circle under a different name…"

"So what should I do about it?"

"Put your sector under lockdown. Nobody leaves, got it? All transportation must be limited and background checks need to be tightened. We have to keep things under lock and key until Charlie reveals herself because if we left up, Charlie might take that chance to flee to an entirely different sector."

"And what if she's not there?"

Lucifer tensed,"We'll worry about that when we get there, but it really shouldn't have to come to that. There's only so many places Charlie can hide. Least we can do is make it as difficult as possible for her so that she'll be forced to reveal herself…"

"Lucifer, this is ridiculous. Shutting down entire sectors to find your daughter is outrageous. Who's to say she'll even come out? She might just dig her heels and your attempts to force her out of hiding will backfire. You're connecting literally everyone for the sake of one person."

"Fredrick," He growled, his voice becoming slightly hostile and raised,"Do you know who you're speaking to?"

"Yes. I'm speaking to the King of Hell."

"Precisely. And you, Frederick, are a good friend of mine which is why I permit you to speak so casually to me. However, do not mistake this for an excuse to walk over me because I will not tolerate it, understand? I do not want to hurt you but I will if you do not abide by my orders because it will not be pleasant, understand?"

Frederick narrowed his eyes at the not-so-subtle threat he had received, clenching his fist. One of the few times his magnificent power held no weight was with Lucifer, whose power as a fallen angel superseded all of the Deadly Sins. It was a reminder that he too was still under the heel of another person and had to answer to the one of the very top…

"Yes, I understand," He replied,"Are the other Deadly Sins doing the say, might I ask?"

Lucifer's tone reverted back to normal,"Indeed they are. This is something no Deadly Sin is exempt from. Even my Sector is going under the same lockdown so it is something that everyone is going to go through together until Charlie is found."

"I see. Well, in that case, we will be following through with your demands. I expect you want posters and such plastered all over for Charlie as well?"

"Lilith's already printing several out. We'll be putting them over billboards and have our own helpline for any information on Charlie's whereabouts. We'll even be going on LIVE TV to make her disappearance known to the public and offer high rewards if she's found and brought back to us…"

"Are we expected to have posters and billboards too?"

"Of course. It's only to make it fair Fastest way to get things done is making the public aware of it and offering a high amount of money in return. If you offer money, people will do just about anything for a high price…"

"Fair enough. I'll be sure to contact you if anything arises from this. If you need anything, be sure to call me…"

"I will. Goodbye Fredrick…" The Devil then hung up the phone, Frederick heaving once the line ended.

"I take from the conversation that Princess Charlotte has decided to run away?" Bethesda inquired calmly, staring at her husband with great intrigue.

"She has. And Lucifer and Lilith are going above and beyond to try and locate her. No doubt they are getting everyone who works for them to scour the premises and they want our Sector under lockdown until she is found. Given Charlie is a hellborn, her hopping from Sector to Sector would no doubt be an issue when finding her so this is a smart call albeit an irritating one. No doubt the populace won't take this too kindly…"

"Not like we can't handle any uprisings if they occur. We can easily put them in their place if necessary…" Bethesda admitted apathetically,"We shouldn't concern ourselves with those below us. If we must do this to find the Princess then so be it."

"Fair point."

One of the maids then approached them,"My Lords, I don't mean to bother you but I have an urgent question."

"What is it?" Frederick asked, not bothering to make eye-contact with the servant."Can't you see we're a bit busy? Make your question quick…"

"Have you heard from your children lately? We haven't seen them around the house in quite some time and we were wondering if you told them to go somewhere."

Fredrick shook his head,"No. We haven't told Seviathan or Helsa to go anywhere. Why?"

"They aren't anywhere in the house. Aren't you a bit concerned about where they are?"

Fredrick scoffed,"They're grown adults, they don't need us watching over them. I don't see the issue, it's likely they simply went out with friends. It's nothing out of the ordinary."

"But shouldn't you be worried? If Princess Charlotte is missing don't you think they might've-"

"They would never. Why would they run away? They have everything they could possibly want. They have money, they have friends and power. There is no reason to run away…"

"But they've been gone for weeks? Shouldn't you at least check on them?"

"Are you suggesting that our parenting is inadequate? That we cannot check our children ourselves?" He asked, his tone becoming deadly.

"O-Ofc course not sir. I was just suggesting that perhaps you should at least see how they were doing…"

"There is no need. I'm certain Seviathan and Helsa are doing well. There is nothing to be concerned over. Now if you'd be so kind I'd prefer if you were to mind your own business if you value that pathetic life of yours, understand?"

"Yes sire…"

"Good. Now leave until you are needed…"

The maid quickly took their leave, scampering off in terror. Fredrick huffed,"Judgmental cretin. Never criticize our parenting. As if a mere maid would know anything about our children. They are our flesh and blood and as far as I can tell. They've lived the best life and that maid had the nerve to accuse me of being lackluster. Quite disrespectful isn't it, Bethesda?"

"Of course. We're excellent parents. Couldn't be any better. Besides, I'm certain Seviathan and Helsa will come back eventually like they always do…" She said simply, brushing off any concern the maid had,"In the meantime, let's enjoy ourselves before we have to fulfill our duties again."

"Agreed." The monarchs then chuckled to themselves, enjoying their tea and each other's presence, the wind howling in the background, a sign of a Hellstorm approaching.

Rosie narrowed her eyes as she sat in the Emporium. She had since crossed out the name of her co-worker, Franklin off the sign as he had 'tragically' perished during the height of Extermination.

Not that she mourned the loss, mind you, it was simply business and once he was gone Rosie found it within her to take the reins that he managed in her Emporium all by herself. A way that the lady cannibal had preferred if nothing else, knowing she had full control over everything as she had desires for centuries.

In time, she would get a completely new billboard with only her name on it, but until she could focus on it the old sign would do just fine. She was certain people would get the idea after seeing it anyway…

No, what her mind was focusing on was her friend, Alastor. She hadn't seen him in quite a while, mainly because she was busy managing her Emporium to catch up with him. It was well..busy as Hell and she didn't have as much free time as she would've liked.

So when she finally managed to wade her way through the last of her paperwork, Rosie decided to give Al a call. She dialed his number and waited only to pause when she heard the line ring for an abnormally long time before eventually giving her a 'We're sorry, but the person you're calling isn't available right now Please leave a message after the ding. DING!'

Normally she'd chalk it up to Al not being at the phone, however she knew if need be Al could use his staff as a phone(don't ask how, he just could) and given the staff was technically a part of his body it was with almost all times. She had never seen Al without his staff and if he ever did let it go, it was usually within arm's reach of him, ready to be grabbed within a second.

"Hm...that's odd...Perhaps I should go check on Alastor. He's not actually the type not to pick up without a reason. Maybe he isn't well today…" Curious, Rosie decided to rise up to her feet and head out to the door, baring farewell to her servants as she left.

Alastor's Tower wasn't too far from her Emporium. As she walked along the streets, she made her way rather quickly through the cannibal colony. Al lived not too far out of the cannibal district and while she had tried to convince him to move in, Al declined the offer and said he preferred a more open and populated space.

Cannibal Colony had a rather small population, mainly because outsiders were usually eaten or driven away assuming they didn't get devoured by another gluttonous demon. It wasn't exactly a welcoming place even by Hell's standards and most tried to avoid going there without weapons to fend off any possible pursuers.

Course Rosie didn't have to worry about this, not only was she an Overlord and while she wasn't the strongest of the bunch, compared to normal hellborns and sinners she was quite powerful and that drove people from targeting her. That and her popularity made her liked by those around her so most of the cannibals viewed Rosie as a friend and often greeted her on the street.

Today was no different as some ladies devouring a corpse waved at Rosie and shouted,"Hey Lady Rosie!"

"Hello ladies… " She greeted back,"I'm off to visit Alastor, tell me, have any of you guys seen him lately."

"Nope. We haven't seen him in a while…" One admitted,"We were hoping you had seen him."

"Afraid not. Which is precisely why I'm going to be paying him a visit."

"Best of luck! Do tell if you found him! If you do see him please tell him that we all said hi!" One gushed with adoration.

Rosie chuckled before nodding,"Don't worry, I will…" As Rosie walked off, she couldn't help but roll her eyes in amusement. It was fairly common for them to be like this and as much as she cared for the girls she did wish they stopped gushing over Al like a group of teenagers. It was quite unladylike and she wished they had kept that to a minimum.

'They never learn…' She thought, shaking her head side to side.

Rosie then approached Alastor's Radio Tower and strolled up to the front door, knocking a few times,"Alastor? Are you in there?"

After a few moments of silence, Rosie sighed before using her magic to open the door. Al didn't have any personal servants who managed his Tower so she had to let herself inside.

When Rosie got inside, she noticed how...quiet it was. It wasn't unusual in a normal setting but it was odd given Al usually would have music playing in his home. Since Al lived by himself he played music to pass the time on a day to day basis.

As she looked around, Rosie called out to Alastor several times, becoming concerned as time passed. She soon began to search around and blinked when she saw the chair Al usually sat in was empty.

"He's gone? But he didn't even say he'd be leaving...And given how this place looks, I doubt he's been here for a while…" She said this while looking around at the building.

It was quite an eerie place, having kept the appearance of a cabin in the main room as most of the building had been lit up by dim candles. The fireplace had diminished considerably, the wood hadn't been replaced to add fuel and was dying as a result to the point I was nothing but a kindle of a flame…

Rosie noticed a small piece of paper on a wooden table and swiped it. Using the small amount of light in the room she read the short note.

Dear Rosie,

I am going out with Niffty to this...subway that she calls it. I don't really know what it is but I suppose it'll garner something to take my mind off of things. She insisted I go inside so we could see a few sights around Hell. I'd prefer not to go out this soon after Extermination but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go out. See you soon...hopefully.

Sincerely, Alastor…

Rosie felt her heart stop for a moment as she read the note. She didn't want to think of what might have happened, the awful scenarios rushing into her skull like a tidal wave. She didn't want to imagine her friend and his little servant getting on a subway only for something to go horribly wrong and meeting their ends at Exterminators. She didn't want to think of it like that...she wanted to think of something else...anything else…

'No...he can't be gone...he's out there..somewhere…Just have to find him…' Rosie clenched the note before making a face,"I'll find you, Al...I'll find both of you…" She went through some of Alastor's things, grabbing a few pictures and whatever else she believed would be available to her before heading out.

Rosie then stormed out of the Radio Tower and headed back to her Emporium, ignoring everyone who she encountered without paying a glance. She rushed up to her headquarters and called a 'special' number.

"Hello?" A random male said,"Who's calling?"

"Hello, my name is Rosie, sir. Hate to bother you but I need to file two missing person's reports. My friend Alastor and his little friend, Niffty have gone missing. I need to find them. Now."

"Oh. OK, ma'm. We'll do just that."

"Good." Rosie then hung up without another word before opening a computer to invest in missing posters and other information that would help her investigation.

Yeah, she was going to do this herself. Say it wasn't her place, but whose place was it? No one else was going to help her and if you couldn't get other people to help you why not do it yourself?

No one else was going to care and some may say her mission was pointless but...she was at least going to give it a shot, for her friend's sake if anything. Even if she ended up empty handed she was at least going to try because...what else could you do?

Nothing…She could do nothing.

But she wasn't going to do anything and let her friend's memory be forgotten. Because it wasn't over until she said it was over.

Thanks for the views, tell me what you think below!

Enigmus-288: Lol, if killing Val was that easy things would be going too smooth lol. Everyone hates Val in most Hazbin fics and whenever he's in here you know he's gonna fuck it all up.

R-Doll: Yeah Lilith's pretty mad about Charlie bailing on them lol. They're calling in reinforcements on this one and Charlie and Lucifer's relationship...has seen better days honestly. Like rally better days and they're now spending their money to look for her.

Well Cherri is at least taking care Nuggets. Probably the only good thing out of the situation and Val is...pissed as usual. Not like anyone cares lol.

Yeah int intimidation can only go so far and even Val's intimidation isn't absolute. It also helps Cherri doesn't work for him like Angel does so it's not like Val controls her or anything.