Wings of Hell

by Emersonian

Ines Coeurdor is a uniquely good girl. However, when her father was supposed to tell her a secret on her sixteenth birthday, she gets murdered. Reborn in Hell as Indigo Caligo, an owl butterfly demon, she deals with panicked anxieties as she finds shelter in the Hazbin Hotel, where she meets demons acting as second family while she tries to understand why she's in Hell with no sin.

44. The Goetia King (Extermination, Part 3)

Chapter 44: The Goetia King (Extermination, Part 3)

16 Hours Before The Extermination Ends

Ximena finally dried up her eyes.

Her comrades started to exchange glares between her and the door. Behind the glass, a dozen demon eyes were glowing. They were cautious, but now the Princess of Hell had gotten them curious.

And Ximena had spent nearly six hours soaking her face in the fountain. The irony. The Devil's offspring nearly blinded her with her saccharine kindness.

"Ximena, I don't think it's such a good idea. Adam's shit aside, what are we supposed to say? 'We're not going to kill you?'"

"What if they kill us?"

"I mean, I don't want to think that the Princess would let them…"

"OK, OK!" Ximena inhaled, shushing them. "OK, Mistletoe Truce aside, who here DOESN'T have familia in Hell?"

They just stared at her.

"Look, Adam ruined the concept of redemption for us, but isn't this the opposite?" Ximena showed the garden. "If virtuous flora can grow in an environment that drains the sins of the souls we kill, doesn't that mean that we purged innocents rather than those who do deserve it?" Some of the angels nodded. "I know it's something POSSIBLY IMPOSSIBLE to believe, but haven't some of you hoped to see your loved ones again? Especially if there was a chance they could see you in Heaven? By redeeming?" Ximena scoffed. "I mean, I have NO one left on Earth! Anything I get on my ofrenda comes from my familia in Hell!"

"OK… But what about Martin?" Someone pointed out. "Shouldn't he be here?"

"Not a good idea, man." Another angel shook his head. "If Adam and Lute find him flying here, it'll be holy spears pointed at innocents, truce or not!"

"But if we start pointing spears, the Devil might show up! Are we going to create an interdimensional war over a child?"

"I will take responsibility for the Coeurdor sitch!" Ximena declared. "YOU, mi amigos, will have a meet-and-greet…"

The door opened.

The angels lined up. Ximena stood in position.

"Vaggie, I told you we don't need it!"

"And I told you I don't trust them!"

Ximena grimaced.

The moth demoness accompanying the Princess of Hell didn't bug her. The problem was that without their helmets, the Sacrificers could easily recognize sinners based on the mortals they were. Ximena felt like she had failed. Three years of spending non-Extermination days performing deeds by tracking down traffickers with colleagues. She basically saw one of the hundreds of women she couldn't save while others were saved. At least the past traumas had strengthened the victim into a protector… A protector with trust issues.

"Hi again!" Charlie shook hands with Ximena. "I'm Charlie! I'm sorry for my excitement, but I never thought I'd say this! This is probably the best day of my life!"

Ximena got a headache after Charlie was done shaking hands.

"My gosh, there's SO MUCH I want to ask you, to talk about, because I'm running this hotel to prove that demons can be redeemed rather than killed! And you guys are here! Not pointing weapons! So that must prove you believe m…"

"Hun, I think you're overwhelming her…"

Indeed. Ximena had fallen on the steps as if a boulder had just fallen on her back. "Su bondad es demasiado para mí…"

"Sí, lo siento por eso. Ella es simplemente enérgica." The Salvadoran demon helped the Mexican angel up.

"Thanks." Ximena ruffled her feathers. "My apologies, Viv… Vagatha."

Ximena slapped herself mentally. She almost used the demon's mortal name. The sinner tensed a bit by the mere mention of her name.

"I know most of you just got here, so maybe you'd like some refreshments? Or are you good with what you have?"

Ximena checked behind her. One of the angels casually drank balm-flavored water.

"Well, we only drink alcohol on weekends. And I don't have the stuff for agua fresca, so I don't think a mocktail or two would hurt."

15 Hours and 15 Minutes Before the Extermination Ends

The non-alcoholic beverages weren't hurting, but the failure was.

45 minutes of demonic hesitation and this was turning ironic. A garden party of demons and angels. Her comrades kept their word and didn't attack once. Many had questions for the Princess of Hell about her project. A majority of patrons, especially those perished fairly recently, were curious about the angels' perspective on good and evil.

The Princess' eyes shined brightest when a couple sinners and Sacrificers recognized one another. Ximena was happy to see one of her comrades embrace her deceased-by-suicide sibling, or another who berated their child from using drugs.

Ximena drank an orange soda by herself, frustrated with herself. Still no signs of the veteran's voice. She'd paced around, yet none of the demon's she'd eavesdropped on so far. Sighing, Ximena flew and rested on top of the arcade, the alliums creating a perfect nest and glowing at her touch. Whoever Princess Charlotte had as a bartender was stationed just under the arcade. Underneath strolled a succubus and an imp locking arms.

"… And that Exterminator said 'It's when I got guillotined that I lost the headache my wife gave me!"

The succubus laughed at the imp's gossip. "Seriously, Jinx? He said that?"

"I know! He sounds just like my dad! I guess Exterminators can be nice when ya get to know them!"

Ximena snuck a peak over the alliums. The voice didn't match, but she could see that the imp loved the succubus for more than her body… Even though her personality was disturbing.

"Husk! How ya doing? Ya sure you don't need help at the register?"

"Stay the fuck off my stash."

Ximena spat the soda out of her mouth. She now recognized the voice!

"What, the cash or the booze?" The succubus spoke.

Ximena tried to press her ear against the alliums, hopefully as close enough as she could to the actual arcade's surface. The sounds and smell hinted that mere water was served.

"Dang. Carman and I knew the kid was legit, but even we didn't think the garden would do THAT!" The succubus admitted. "Bummer she's not here to see this…"

"Yeah, but the kid needs space." Husk grunted.

"You know, for a guy who's been under the servitude of the Radio Demon for like, eons, and with a fucking good reason to give up on anything, you've been oddly chill about Caligo crashing at the Radio Tower," Jinx said.

"Give the kid some slack, bitch!" Ximena heard Husk hiss. "With all the crap she went through… I mean, I don't LIKE Al and I don't hate him either, but…" He snorted. "He and Angel are really protective of her. I don't even remember the last time that slut came to the bar. Vaggie and I searched. He's got no drugs in him!"

"And let's not talk about Bootleg Borough…"

"Hey, Husk! Since you're such a gambler, Mad Mats and Carman just started a betting pool," the succubus piped in. "How long it'll take for Radiodust to actually happen and for Ms. Caligo to officially call them 'Dads'?"

"For fuck's sake, she died, leaving her ol' man alone on Earth! Take your fucking cups and go canoodle elsewhere!"

Ximena looked over the arcade. Jinx and the succubus were holding hands while their spare ones held the water cups.

"We're not gonna canoodle, because I don't think of sex first. Queenie and I are walking around like a normal couple," Jinx scoffed.

"Yeah, see you later, Husk." Queenie shrugged. As the couple walked away, Ximena spotted the imp and succubus' tails wrapping one another. As if holding hands wasn't enough…

She winced. Her knuckles ached, looking as burnt as a log in a fireplace. Ximena still hadn't treated it. She jumped down from the arcade, but landed roughly. Thinking of her pain had distracted her. The darkness was now reaching her phalanges. Crossing her arms to hide the wound, Ximena rushed under the arcade. She hid to avoid one of her comrades passing by with a demon he was chatting with.

"The fuck are you doing?"

Ximena turned, quickly scanning who else was by the bar. Surprisingly, everyone was drinking elsewhere in the garden but the bar. The pain in her knuckles tensed. Ximena saw the darkness spreading to her wrist. Her hand trembled and the angel felt her muscles weakening.

A black furry hand with white claws took her injured hand. Ximena tensed.

"You seriously planning on walking around with that? Ya might as well ask for an amputation."

Ximena recognized Husk's voice.

She'd seen a variety of demon forms after years of killing. Being face-to-face with a cat demon didn't surprise her. Ximena just didn't understand why her cheeks felt like they might as well melt like a wax statue by a fireplace.

"You touched lamb's blood?" Husk guessed.

"How did…"

Husk motioned her to sit at the bar. "50 fucking years of serving an Overlord with voodoo powers, you learn stuff. And unlike Charlie, I actually did some fuckin reading on remedies for angels. Don't think she'll need it, but figuring as it's the first time we got you guys not trying to kill us…" The cat demon searched through his cabinet and small fridge, pulling out a bottle of honey and a carton of milk.

"You really know the cure." Ximena was amazed. "The whole stuff about a land flowing in… OUCH!"

Husk had squirted some honey onto her hand. The darkness was starting to lighten, but Ximena might as well have experienced a sunburn.

"First time?" Husk used a round piece of cotton to spread the honey further.

"In this business, I shouldn't even have touched the lamb's blood. Or whatever it's protecting…" Ximena winced. "I appreciate this… And I'm surprised…"

Having finished spreading honey on her wound, Husk poured milk in a beer glass. Not sensical for this setting, but the glass was the right size for Ximena to dunk her honey-coated hand. The white liquid dissolved the pain, making Ximena sigh in pain. "Thank you…"

"Whatever. Least I could do after you stopped your annoying singing." He put the honey back in the cabinet.

Ximena stared at his wagging tail.

He still had a grumpy look when he pulled back up, a roll of bandages at hand.

"So… Is your name really Husk, or is that just what your friends call you?" Ximena tried to make a casual conversation.

"I don't have friends." Husk wrapped Ximena's hand with the bandage. "I have the Overlord I work for, my colleagues who work for the Overlord, the demons I give drinks to, the bitches I beat at jackpots, and whoever I sleep with to forget my inability to love." He tied the knot. "Also, no sinner uses their real names. Except my boss, but he's a bastard."

"Ugh, tell me about it." Ximena rolled her eyes. "My boss will probably have all of us fall the moment he finds out we're not killing! You'd think that for a business that 70% women, Adam wouldn't be such a misogynist! Or… a racist… A homophobic… A transphobic… An ableist… A rankist… A fat shamer… An OWL HOUSE hater…"

"Are there Exterminators like that among you?"

"One guy lost a leg during a war. He's been a Sacrificer for a few years, but Adam treats him like shit. Oh, and he also doesn't believe in asexuality. Keeps saying it's just 'chastity with or without marriage.'"

"Shit…" Husk paused. "Your boss makes mine sound righteous. And I work for the Radio Demon."

Ximena froze.

Keeping her mouth shut, she chuckled from within. She banged her bandaged hand against the counter, finally surrendering and laughing out loud.

"What are you laughing about?" Husk scowled.

"Sorry!" Ximena laughed. "It's just… you realize we're comparing our psychopath bosses, and I'm actually agreeing with you that your boss, an Overlord of Hell, sounds better than my boss, the First Redeemed Sinner? Let it sink in."

It took 20 seconds of sinking in the words for Husk to finally laugh.

"Fuck! I'm actually laughing at the idea!" Husk wiped away the tear. "Ah… Did not see that coming!"

"Well… any chance we can talk shit about our bosses over drinks? Non-alcoholic for me," Ximena offered.

Husk snorted. He quickly pulled out two snifter glasses and a cocktail shaker.

"Any chance you can put olive leaves in mine?" Ximena asked with a smile. Husk stopped filling the shaker with tap water. "I do like my tap with a bit of bitterness."

Husk grinned. "Remind me again your name?"

"Ximena."

"Fancy… I'll get right to it with your drink, Ximena."

12 Hours Before The Extermination Ends

Indigo was probably experiencing the maddest hours of her afterlife.

For all its outdoor terrors, Bael's castle looked more like an abandoned ruin on the inside. The place made Fafnir City appear welcoming. Everything was surrounded by dull gray stone walls. Large cracks spread on the floors, Indigo almost thought she saw an orange sun underground. Dry air. Bones were the only touch of color in this dreadful place. The toad demons didn't even have a bed to rest Angel Dust. Just putting him on the floor with a ripped blanket tossed over. Forcing Indigo to wait in another empty room until Bael was ready for her.

Why did Bael even want to talk to her?

A small, square room. The window was too opaque to see anything. They offered nothing to make her feel welcomed. No food, nor drink… She had her chunk of baguette, but she only ate one thumb-sized piece every half-hour.

How long was she even there?

She could hear the screams outside, but were they Bael's victims? Or the Exterminators'?

She paced around. She tried forcing the door open.

The hunger was weakening her. She didn't have enough energy to summon butterflies… Or to even create any just by having her panic attacks.

Was it because she hadn't eaten since yesterday? Was Envy decreasing on this Extermination Day? The only distraction was her worry for Angel Dust.

Indigo gurgled any saliva she had just to miserably stay hydrated.

Her stomach gurgled. The misery kicked in.

Indigo would have preferred to be unconscious, rather than being awake in a dark room, her hunger and misery forcing her to have a second case of painful flashbacks. She would have preferred darkness rather than the memories of thirteen-year-old Ines returning back to school after the accident. Weeks of being assigned to crutches. The signatures her classmates left on her cast were obscured by the look of certain people in the crowd. Middle school didn't feel the same for a year.

We rooted for a loser.

Injured right before her turn?

I bet she chickened out.

Coach actually thought we'd have an Olympian here. Looks like she's the reason Coach quit.

Middle school now transformed into elementary school. Gossip had spread among the third graders about the aquarium field trip and how Ines was both a 'scary cat' and a 'daddy's girl.' Whale doodles covered her locker with permanent marker, the janitor had to repaint it. Dodgeball made 'daddy's girl' a target. The recess monitors once caught a boy throwing a plushie whale at her.

Elementary school became preschool. The teacher was encouraging students to make cards for Mother's Day. Ines immediately colored a butterfly card for her abuela.

Teacher! Ines isn't making a card for her mommy!

Ines, why aren't you making a card for your mommy?

She couldn't remember the teacher's apology. She didn't understand why the other kids thought it was weird. Later on in the day, her father picked her up from school.

Look, Mama! Ines doesn't have a mommy!

She digressed into a baby. Her father's loving arms held her. Scrunchy as a plushy was placed in her small arms. Someone placed a quick kiss on her small forehead.

I got to go, baby bug. I pray we meet again.

A noise made her snap back to reality.

The door had opened.

Indigo made a run for it, only to stumble down a spiraling staircase.

"Come on! There was a hallway before they locked me in!" Indigo rubbed her head the moment she stopped falling.

The presence of the tapestries confused her. Indigo was positive she had seen ABSOLUTELY nothing before. Then again, she didn't remember seeing this chamber.

At the other end, by a fireplace roaring with rainbow flames, a shadowy demon was busy weaving on a loom. A toad and a cat demon stood in attendance.

Indigo tried using her vision.

The demon lacked any heart or liver.

She frowned.

"Are you… King Bael?"

The shadowy demon extended his feathered, skeletal arm, strangling the toad demon into spitting something out. Indigo covered her mouth to prevent herself from gagging as she had no choice but to watch the shadowy demon swallow the toad's larynx.

"Frog in your throat?" The shadowy beak finally revealed itself.

Indigo tensed.

Octavia had described Bael as a tawny frogmouth demon. Indigo wasn't sure when was the last time her friend met the King of all the Ars Goetia, but a skeletal tawny frogmouth dressed in piles of shadow feathers was probably not the best comparison. His empty eye sockets glowed in rainbow hues, disturbing Indigo. He might as well have been a Skesis on steroids.

And his voice…

"Oh my god…" Indigo pointed at the emotionless slaves. "You were speaking to me through them…"

"They speak with what was left of my original voice. Their organs are kept safe and healthy until I need to use them. And I did require your presence, Ines Coeurdor."

Indigo inhaled and walked towards Bael. The King went back to his weaving.

"Lord Bael, I apologize for not asking permission to be near your castle…" Indigo said. "I'm just trying to get my friend and I back home."

"So Hell is your home?"

Indigo looked at Bael. The King kept weaving.

"What happened? You don't want to ascend? Or you feel like you failed your mortal father?"

"I didn't fail my dad!" Indigo exclaimed.

"Which one?" Bael asked. "You practically have three… Scratch that, you basically called one of them your friend. The unconscious one? Anthony Ruggiero?"

Indigo tensed. "I didn't fail anyone! And he's my friend!"

"The same way the Radio Demon is your friend? Is Octavia just your friend? I guess everyone in Charlotte's hotel are just friends to you. It should be easy then, abandoning your friends so you can ascend. Reunite with your family." Bael paused in his weaving. "Unless… you DON'T want to leave Hell."

"No one wants to be in Hell! Even I don't know why I'm here! I just don't get why you of all of the Ars Goetia are so nosy about it! I'm a meaningless sinner!"

Bael laughed. The ceiling threatened to crumble just from his voice shaking the walls. Bael vomited the stolen larynx into its rightful owner's mouth… only for Indigo to witness Bael stealing the cat demon's larynx. He stopped laughing like a hurricane, but he still chuckled.

"YOU? Ines Coeurdor, meaningless?" Bael resumed his weaving.

"You outrank me."

"Halfway." Bael sang in a mocking tune.

"You make no sense… Look, I just want to take Angel Dust back! What the fuck do you want from me?" The butterfly demoness hesitated. "Why do you even know my name?"

"I know everyone before even meeting them. I especially know how they died. And how they'll die again. And you, Ines, have yet to experience death."

"I died a month ago. On my birthday. I don't know how, but I died…"

"Your death is unpredictable, Ines Coeurdor. Even I can't tell. Doubling on life, maybe, but not dying yet."

"You make no sense."

"In the ancient pagan myths, Dionysus made no sense. Evidently an offspring of the gods' king, but still confusing on his mother's nature. Many prefer that she was a mortal princess. Some believers claimed it was the divine king's sister or daughter. A demigod who became a god because he faced death. Some believed him to have been ripped apart by Titans." Bael unhooked his finished product, his bony fingers stroking the tapestry. "You are very much like he was in the stories. You're just in a weakened state due to your own lies."

"I know I've lied to people." Indigo stood her ground.

"And the lies you tell yourself?" The King got up. "That whale phobia you had in life means nothing down here. Your humble life clouds the envy you truly crave. Heaven will never allow you among them. And I don't mean 'you' as in 'demons', I mean you specifically, Ines Coeurdor."

Bael suddenly appeared right by her side, dangerously whispering in her ear. "Your existence is a mistake, Ines Coeurdor."

Indigo stepped away from the Ars Goetia. "You're not the first demon who told me I should die today if I don't learn my place."

"Clearly the demon didn't know who he was addressing."

"Oh, because you do?"

"The crucial parts." Bael shrugged. "The problem with your existence? Nothing's set in stone for you. It should have, but it's not. The only thing that decides between stability and chaos… is you. And since only your actions will lead to the outcomes… I'm just going to watch from the bleachers."

Bael threw open his woven tapestry on the floor. Indigo couldn't believe how he'd perfectly woven an asymmetrical design: half showing the Radio Tower, the other showing a river of fire.

"I'm generous today, since I hope this will be the only time we ever encounter. Stability and chaos are your only options to determine your fate, Ines Coeurdor. First option, going back to the Radio Tower safe and unharmed. Second option, dropping into the Phlegethon."

"Are you fucking serious? You're seriously going to ask me to choose between going back home or jumping in a river of fire?" Ines exclaimed. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"With stubbornness like that, I could just have your spider fellow dropped into the Phlegethon."

Indigo stiffened.

She didn't understand Bael's game. She didn't know if he could keep his word. But Angel Dust mattered more to her…

She inhaled. "I will select bringing Angel Dust back to the Radio Tower… I… HEY!"

Indigo didn't expect the tapestry to be thrown at her, crushing her onto the ground.

"Oh, you chose stability! My bad! I thought you were going to prove me something by picking chaos!"

His echoing laughter was enough hint to her that it wasn't 'his bad'.

The flames exploded around her. Indigo was fucking lucking that the rocky shore was close for her to crawl out. It didn't stop the immense pain she felt from burning through her clothes and scorching her skin. Indigo cried in her pain, but her tears didn't come out as butterfly eggs. The burned areas were making dead skin stand out. The moment she tried touching one on her forearm, Indigo screamed in agony.

Her skin was molting. And she couldn't stop peeling herself.

"BAEL! YOU BITCH!" She shouted. Unable to stop herself, Indigo kept molting. Her blood soaked the ground. She cringed as the molting revealed light scales on her paling blue skin.

"Butterflies don't molt! This is bullshit!" Indigo stood up.

She quickly fell down.

"Fuck, I'm weaker than jello!"

11 Hours and 59 Minutes Before The Extermination Ends

Alastor was beginning to awaken from his drugged state. The smell of cooked demon skin certainly helped. He finally opened his eyes.

In a fireplace, Gusion's butler Bernard was roasting a demon over the flames. The Duke herself was relaxing on a chaise next to Alastor, with only a wooden table separating them. Gusion poured herself a cup of wine.

"W… Where am I?"

"In my palace. You offered to keep me company during the Extermination, remember? After that lowlife aggressed me."

"Did I? I can't remember…"

"You did. We're even, Alastor." Gusion sipped her wine. "It's the final quarter of the purge. I feel pretty safe now. Do you wish to go back?"

The fireplace glowed brighter.

An antlered shadow flew out of the chimney, viciously hissing at Gusion. The Duke kept drinking.

"You…" Alastor shook his head. "Where have you been?"

Alastor's shadow tilted its head and started playing something. The same way it could repeat Alastor's old broadcasts, it could repeat things it heard.

I have to go!

Alastor's ears went upward.

They both did so much for me! I won't forgive myself if they die because of me!

The chamber's environment vibrated like static during a storm.

I'll bring Angel back. Trust me.

"What?" Gusion dropped her cup. Intentionally, obviously. "The Goetia Darling is out there?" She got up. "This is terrible! She could get killed, or worse, scratched! I thought she was safe at the hotel! If Paimon finds out she was unprotected today, he'll ensure that she never sets foot anywhere that isn't Goetia and above! Alastor, how could you…"

A fully transformed Alastor smacked the furniture away and he stormed through the walls. Gusion looked over the edge of her ruined wall.

Exterminators had started to notice the full-demon Radio Demon rampaging towards the Greed Sector.

Summoning her sigil, Gusion summoned the debris to go back in place, fixing her property as if the Radio Demon hadn't destroyed a wall. Things were coming together… until new past events appeared to her.

Indigo Caligo and Angel Dust falling from the sky. One right into the Wrath Sector's badlands and the other right back into Fafnir City.

"Bael… What the fuck are you up to?"

11 Hours and 30 Minutes Before The Extermination Ends

Adam and Lute admired the carnage beneath Pentagram City's clocktower. Summoning a halo projection, Adam consulted the charts of this year's Extermination.

CURRENT SIN POLLS

PRIDE: 320%

NON-CLASSIFIED: 5%

LUST: 3.5%

WRATH: 2%

GREED: 1.5%

GLUTTONY:1%

SLOTH:0%

ENVY: 0%

"Talk about a quota!" Adam cackled. "This is actually better than last year! And they said genocide can't fix overpopulation!"

Lute flew a bit around the clocktower, keeping her eyes out. A couple buildings away, hundreds of demons were screaming in a building. Sensing the lack of presence of lamb's blood, Exterminators had broken in.

"It almost seems too easy… Since when do these vermin try to use lamb's blood against us by the thousands?"

"Evil works in mysterious ways, Lute." Adam summoned his projection away. "By the way, where are Martin and Psyche now? They'd better not be trying to get near that hotel!"

Lute snickered. "Psyche is dealing with challenges on her first day. Good thing the Sacrificer Adrian is loyal to us, forcing these two to go fishing in the wastelands of the Greed Sector! Finding a demon there is like finding gold in the Klondike!"

Both angels' earpieces buzzed. A voicemail. Adam quickly put it on speaker.

"Commander Adam. Lieutenant Lute. Sergeant Adrian on the line. There's a disturbance at the property of Lucifer's offspring. Our Sacrificers are conversing with the vermin. And charts read that Sacrificer Ximena hasn't killed one demon since we started."

The voicemail ended.

Golden bolts of lightning erupted from Adam's angry screech.

11 Hours And 20 Minutes Before The Extermination Ends

Martin guided Psyche into landing safely on the ghost town in the Greed Sector.

"Breathe." He said patiently.

"I literally can't do this!" Psyche hyperventilated. "I can't just kill people I don't know!"

"I understand… but you still have to." Martin held her close. They fluttered around, their feet barely two feet above the ground. "I'm sorry…"

"I know!" Psyche calmed down. She was still crying under her helmet. "I just… How can you handle this, Martin? You killed, like, 66 demons since this morning!"

"Psyche, it's not the same for me. I fought in World War II, lost my leg, had to deal with jerks who didn't like my wife, my son was raped, I died and found out I am part of a Sacrificer legacy, and now my granddaughter is in Hell."

"And she's Leviathan's granddaughter as well…" Psyche sighed. "I'm sorry, Martin. I shouldn't be whining about my first day on the job."

"It's OK. Different experiences." Martin put his arm over Psyche's shoulder.

"I really hope Ines is safe in the hotel… And Fabrice pulls that loophole."

Martin gave a soft smile behind his mask.

The Sacrificers tensed.

A demonic presence was nearby. On the steps of the abandoned palace.

Unconscious.

They quickly flew towards it.

The spider demon was positioned as if he'd fallen from the sky, yet the hints of drugs and bruises suggested he was beaten up hours again. In his unconsciousness, he was groaning.

"Anthony Ruggiero… Merde, it's Maria's son. The younger one."

"You mean the gay one?" Psyche scowled. "He didn't die for that, right? Otherwise, I'm going to get pissed. And I'm trans."

"No, he died in the forties. Drug overdose. That and being in the mafia are easy tickets to Hell. First time I see him in the flesh… and not the billboards here." Martin groaned. "OK, this is the art where judgment gets ugly."

"Well, we're not gonna kill him, right?" Psyche gasped. "He's unconscious. And you know his mom! What are you gonna say? 'Hey, Maria, I killed your son?'"

"This is why it's so much easier for me to kill terrorists, murderers, sex offenders, rapists, corrupt politicians, and acephobic jerks." Martin started to unsheathe his sickle. "Maria's nice, but we're not friends the way Augustina and Beatrice are friends."

"Martin! Do you hear yourself?" Psyche stood between her guardian and the unconscious demon. "You would do anything to keep Ines safe! You keep me telling me how our job is unfair! With discrimination, you'd kill an innocent guy the way you kill those who really deserve this?"

"Psyche… I have to do it. You don't want to kill him and there's no other demon around…"

They covered their ears. Static was echoing violently… followed by a jazz cover of Imagine Dragons' 'Radioactive'.

"The Radio Demon!" Martin grabbed Psyche and the two flew into the dried moat. Because of the spikes underneath, they did their best to crawl underneath the little space between earth and bridge.

I'm waking up to ash and dust.

I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust.

I'm breathing in the chemicals.

Martin covered Psyche's mouth even though she already had her helmet on. The music and static silenced. Walking footsteps became running ones. They went over the bridge.

"ANGEL!"

"He spotted us!" Psyche whimpered at a tune below a whisper.

Above them, Alastor had knelt by Angel Dust's side. Gently lifting the spider demon's back up, Alastor tried nudging him awake.

"Angel! Anthony?" Alastor wiped the drugs off the demon's nose. He gasped at the sight of the bruises. "Cher, why didn't you stay in the tower? You would have been safe!"

The spider demon groaned, his eyes trying but failing to open.

"Anthony, please wake up… Indigo needs you more than she needs me…" Alastor pressed his forehead against Angel's. "I didn't just want to purchase your contract so you could be free of Valentino and be there for her… I'm selfish… I just wished to be with you… When you smile, it goes to my vein…"

Alastor heard a cough.

Pulling back, he smiled. Angel Dust was coughing.

He was awake! He was alive!

"Damn it!" Angel Dust coughed. His mismatched eyes fully opened. "Those bitches!"

"They're not here…"

Thinking that he was referring to them, Psyche dared to look from her hiding spot.

Alastor helped Angel Dust up. "Anthony, why are you even out here?"

The spider demon tensed. "I…" He sighed in defeat. "Don't judge me, Al!"

"I won't. I promise."
"Val had me spend the whole Extermination with a high-paying client. What else could I do, Alastor? I can't keep letting you do all of it!" Angel turned his back on the Radio Demon.

"Letting me do what?"

"Everything for Indigo! I mean, what have I done? I can barely afford anything I need! But I can't possibly let you spend every dime on her because I can't!" The spider demon started crying. "I know what you're thinking! I blew things up, and Indy feels like she owes it to us! But she doesn't!" His eyes widened. "She ran out to find me, didn't she? And I lost her! I fucked things up! You were right, you couldn't trust me!" He broke into tears.

Psyche looked at a still-hiding Martin. He'd taken off his helmet, showing her his upset face. Psyche knew that look.

Martin felt that demon's pain. He horribly knew the feeling of losing someone they cared about in Hell. Psyche looked back at the scene.

"I DO trust you!" Alastor pulled Angel to look at him in the eyes. "It just never occurred you'd do this! I probably would have stopped you if I knew, but… you did it anyway… just to help me support the child?" Alastor gently wiped away Angel's tear. "Cher, the moment my shadow told me, I tracked your scents out."

"You know where Indy is?" Angel widened his eyes.

"I think. It's strange. I picked up your scents heading towards the border, but then your scent went here… and hers went to the Wrath Sector."

"You still smell it?"

"Yes?"

Angel's third pair of arms pulled out, a machine gun in hand. His primary four arms pulled out various guns and a baseball bat from his fluffy chest.

"Let's go kill some fucking bastards and bring our kid home!"

Alastor's ears stiffened. Psyche choked in a chuckle at the red demon's blushing.

The Overlord used some sort of shadow magic to teleport himself and the spider demon out of Fafnir City. Psyche and Martin flew out of their hiding spot.

"Wow!" Psyche smiled. "I don't who this Indigo or Indy is, but that kid's lucky to have such cool dads!"

"Yeah, I… didn't think an Overlord would…" Martin shook his head. "Let's just pray the best for them."

Psyche put on her helmet. "You know what? Fuck what Adam, Lute, and anyone else says! Midnight is almost here! If demons are willing to risk their lives to save their offspring today, we will risk our halos, fly to that hotel, and see your granddaughter! Even if it's for a quick hug!" She took flight.

"And ya know what?" Psyche waited for the old angel to fly next to her so he could listen. "I'm actually in the mood to try killing some domestic abusers! Or stage moms!"

Martin smiled. "Thanks, Psyche…" Behind his helmet, his smile got bigger. Martin's halo glowed brighter. "I'm actually starting to think that Ines is going to be OK! She'll live to see tomorrow!"