A/N: Hey everyone! This fanfic started as a theory/wish/idea for a specific subplot for Season Two I came up with after my third or fourth time watching the finale. I hope you all enjoy the story whether or not it bears any resemblance to what Season Two actually is when it comes out!
The grand opening of the new hotel had been pretty nice, even Husk had to admit. Loads of sinners and even a few overlords showed up to poke their heads in and look around. Charlie had been ecstatic but Husk found the amount of drinks he'd had to keep up with difficult.
Fortunately, Angel stepped behind the bar to help out for a while when he was finally freed of tour duty by Vaggie. Angel acted annoyed by it, calling her uptight and snobby about his style. Husk knew better; Angel got thrown off the job on purpose.
After that event, things got turned a little topsy-turvy when Charlie's mother showed up. Lilith's return was causing some very interesting conversations to occur at his bar as nearly everyone had opinions on her. Vaggie was suspicious, Lucifer was over the moon, and Nifty was either in love or got into one of Angel's stashes. It was hard to tell with her. Charlie was the one Husk thought was the most stressed out over it.
He and Angel were discussing her balancing act between the split-up rulers of Hell when Angel's phone rang. Husk grumbled under his breath as Angel stepped away from the drink he'd just poured to take the call. It took all of two seconds for Husk to know who it was.
Angel's boss.
While the bartender's patience for the spider had been growing it was the moth that grated at Husk's nerves now. Every day Angel came back from work with new frown lines. Since he no longer went out to obliterate himself, the weight of his chains was increasingly visible in the droop of his shoulders and the arch of his back.
Angel hung up and came back to the bar. Husk quietly slid the drink over to him and Angel tossed it back without so much as a quip.
"Thanks, I gotta head out," he said.
"I thought today was your day off?" Husk asked, knowing that meant nothing. When Valentino had a whim - an urge - of any kind, Angel was his to act it upon. Husk knew that there was no saying 'no' to that.
"Yeah, well, shit happens." Angel had stopped lying to Husk about these things ages ago. Husk watched him head out of the bar to the main lobby to leave. Husk took a couple of steps around the bar, but as soon as he set foot out of the area a shackle manifested around his ankle and he felt an implacable force hold him from going any further. He wanted to get out from behind the bar and say something but he was still on duty, and unless someone needed a bartender away from the bar, or permitted him to leave, he was stuck there until his shift was over.
Unfortunately, everyone who "outranked" him was busy. Charlie was busy mediating between her parents with her usual bubbly, unhelpful self, and Vaggie was busy showing a potential new resident some of their rooms and describing to them the "accountabillabuddy" program. And Alastor-
"Ta taaaaa!" the high and delighted sound of Alastor made Husk's fur stand on end as his whole body flinched in revulsion. The Radio Demon appeared out of nowhere, waggling his fingers in the direction of Angel, as if he could sense when Husk's mood was low enough.
Far as I know, he can, Husk thought.
"Hey boss, mind if I step out for a minute? Things are a bit slow and-"
"Now why would I allow that?" Alastor asked, peering down at Husk. He walked around to the other side of the bar and leaned on it with one arm, grinning smugly, "This is the busiest time of day for the weak and wretched to come and drown their sorrows. If you aren't here to serve them, they might leave to find another watering hole to commiserate at. As the manager of this fine establishment, I must-"
A pair of high giggles caught the duo's attention and both looked over to the parlor entrance. Charlie and her parents were passing by, mother and daughter sharing a laugh while Lucifer looked...Husk wasn't quite sure how to read the nervous tics of the King of Hell, but he seemed antsy about something.
"Well he sounded like a delightful demon," Lilith said, patting Charlie's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss. I would have loved to meet the reformed serpent."
"Yeah, he was a good friend," Charlie said, a smile on her lips that didn't make its way up to her eyes. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. "But as you can see we've rebuilt since then."
"Yes, you and your friends have done a fantastic job."
"Don't forget good ol' dad, right Charlie?" Lucifer said, drumming his fingers on the apple-tipped cane he was tapping frantically into the carpet.
"Yeah! Dad was an amazing help with the work to build-"
"There's more to building something than lazily creating some foundations with a flick of the wrist, darling," Lilith said, turning a smile to Lucifer that, similar to but very different than Charlie's, didn't meet her eyes.
"Mom, Dad's done an amazing job helping out with the hotel," Charlie said, quickly stepping between her parents.
"I'm sure he has, once he saw that it wasn't a...what did you call it, Lucy? A frivolous waste of time?"
Husk glanced away from the conversation to see how Alastor was reacting. The smile was still there as always, but his eyes had narrowed to the point Husk wasn't sure if they were even open. He was pissed, but Husk couldn't read why or at whom.
Just as the Radio Demon took two steps from the bar towards the ongoing royal dispute, the television above it flicked away from the swing music it had been playing and was replaced with Alastor's old nemesis standing just outside the hotel.
"Good evening viewers!" Vox, the face of the Vees said, pulling Alastor's attention back to the bar. He didn't look nearly as murderous as he had a moment ago; now he was as amused as Husk felt seeing Vox outside. Maybe a hundred feet away from where they were standing.
The flatscreen-faced demon continued, "I'm standing outside the - and emphasis on - Hazbin Hotel in the wake of their grand opening where a whole several sinners came in out of the cold to look around for almost a whole hour before deciding it was bullshit.
"And can you blame 'em folks? With has-beens like the Radio Demon running things, what did you expect? Let's interview half of their clientele, I think I see him coming out now."
On the screen by the bar, Husk could see Angel hurrying outside, putting a coat on against the evening chill. Vox bolted across the way to him and stopped Husk's friend in his tracks.
"Well hello there, Angel isn't it?" Vox asked as the cameras focused on the spidery sinner's scowl.
"You know who the hell I am," Angel said, trying to step around Vox, but the TV-headed bastard maneuvered to stay in his way.
"We're here doing a promo piece on this lovely establishment," Vox continued, "Anything you have to say for yourself dwelling in a place where Hell's biggest losers come to delude themselves into thinking they don't absolutely suck?"
Husk felt a chill behind him and turned to see shadowy wisps where Alastor had been standing. Glancing around, he looked back at the television just as the camera panned away from Angel and Vox to try and get the Radio Demon in the frame.
It was a laggy, pixelated mess.
"Excuse me, but I am going to have to ask you not to harass our guests on the premises." The only thing clear about the broadcast now was Alastor's voice; still with the same audible qualities as ever. He could have been speaking right next to Husk with how similar he sounded.
This was, evidently, what Vox had been hoping for as he strode back onto the frame. For a moment, the pixelation diminished around most of the screen, concentrating on the Radio Demon's figure before it slowly began to creep back toward Vox.
"Well, well, well! If it isn't the has-been of has-beens! Alastor, care to comment on the failure of the first hotel and how you had to lick -cifer's boot t- get a half-d-ent -?" The television screen continued to glitch and pixelate. Even the audio was cutting in and out. Husk reached up and banged his fist on the side of it but knew it was a pointless endeavor.
Whatever Alastor said in response wasn't audible, but Vox's smile never wavered. When the TV signal was restored Alastor was gone and Charlie was standing in his place, eyes bright and smile as infectious as ever.
"THANK YOU for this opportunity to spread the great news!" Charlie was saying when the screen shut off.
Alastor was back and holding the remote control, rolling his eyes dismissively.
"I believe that is enough television for one eternity," he said, squeezing the remote in his hand until it shattered. "Pour me a rye, Husker my boy, and close the bar. See to it that the Vees don't do anything to our first, and currently only, guest."
"What the hell?" Husk asked, pouring Alastor his drink, "I wanted to do that five minutes ago and you insisted we stay open."
"The Vees have been growing in power faster than I thought they were capable," the red-suited demon picked up his glass and swirled it thoughtfully, "I doubt they even need some of their lower earners anymore. How has Angel been performing with his attention split, I wonder?"
"Hurry on, Husker," Alastor goaded, sipping his drink as Husk took a testing, tentative step away from the bar. "It won't due for them to embarrass me by breaking a guest."