A week later since Pentious' arrival at the Hotel, Charlie, Vaggie and the Doctor, with the help of Razzle and Dazzle, two flying goat-looking demons who act as Charlie's bodyguards, put up a banner that reads: "Happy 1st week, Sir Pentious!"
"Oh, that lookswonderful!" said Charlie, "I'm so happy he's staying!"
"Pentious was just trying to take over the city with his weird steampunk bullshit a few days ago, though," said Vaggie.
"He's doing nothing as such here, as far as I know," said Charlie.
"Besides, you should give him some credit." said the Doctor, "Creating terrific inventions with such...Primitive materials. It's like creating an etheric beam locator with just wood! I could do it."
"Etheric...What now?" Vaggie asked.
"Etheric beam locator. It locates Etheric beams, I've got on-Oh, nevermind." said the Doctor.
Pentious arrived in the Main Hall, rolling in a steampunk-looking cannon.
"What the hell is that?!" said Vaggie.
"Oh, hello, purple female." Pentious noticed the girl. "This is my new invention, the Skin Flayer 11,000! I'm looking forward to shooting the other residents."
"What?! Why?" Charlie asked.
"Everyone here is too nice! They must be plotting to kill me! But when? How? I must be prepared!" Pentious heard someone knocking. "Ooh, the new parts of my machine are here!"
Two demon girls entered the Hotel wheeling in several boxes of weapons.
One of the two, with pale skin and blonde hair, wearing a white lab coat and a pair of glasses with red-tinted lenses handed a clipboard to Pentious. "Sign, please." She said.
Pentious obliged.
"Thank you for your business. Enjoy your Carmine purchase." She and the other demon left.
"Hold on..." said Vaggie. "Did she say 'Carmine'? As in, 'Carmilla Carmine'? You're buying parts from an Overlord?!"
"Of course I do! She's not the Overlord of Weaponry for nothing!" said Pentious.
"Well, this stopsnow!" Vaggie took the box off Pentious' hands. "You absolutely cannot build weapons in this hotel. No one is trying to kill you. People are being nice because they want you to feel welcome!"
The Doctor looked to another room where the other residents were. Husk was downing a bottle in the bar and flipped off Pentious. Angel was looking at his phone and flipped the snake demon too, and Niffty, who was dusting a corner of the wall, looked at Pentious and giggled sinisterly.
"Well...They may be rude or creepy, but they're surely not hostile, Pentious." said the Doctor.
"Hmm...I don't trust them!" said Sir Pentious.
"How about we focus on today's activities?" said Charlie.
"Not before we set some rules," said Vaggie. "No more building weapons, no more plotting against other guests, and you need to get rid of these things." She pointed at the Egg Boiz, Sir Pentious' devoted (and idiotic) minions.
"What?! Not my little Egg Boiz!" Pentious hugged his little minions. "They do the evil bidding for me!"
"If you want to stay here and redeem yourself, you have to get rid of them," said Vaggie.
"...Yes?" said Pentious.
"Then no more eggs." The grey-skinned demon said coldly.
Pentious wiped his tears. "All right, eggies. You've got to go. I...Can't keep you anymore!don't resist. This is how it has to be!"
"Okay, boss." said the Egg Boiz in unison, as they followed Vaggie upstairs.
Pentious burst into tears, with Charlie patting his shoulder.
Vaggie went to Alastor's room. She entered inside and found him eating a deer carcass with a knife and fork while listening to jazz music.
"Alastor!" Vaggie burst inside, taking Alastor off guard.
"...Do you mind?" said Alastor. "I'm in the middle of breakfast."
"Pentious' eggs are all over the place, and I need you to get rid of them," Vaggie explained.
"Oh, in that case, I'd be delighted to!" Alastor summoned his microphone and rushed to Vaggie.
"...Humanely." The girl specified.
"Oh well, that's a lot less fun, but I'll deal with them after my outing." said Alastor.
As Alastor left the hotel, the others were summoned to the Main Hall by Charlie. With a stage with the banner "Trusting 101" behind her and Vaggie.
"Thanks for coming! It's been brought to our attention that there may be a little...Tension in the Hotel." She said.
"Tension that can be counterproductive to what we're trying to do here." Vaggie continued.
"We think that this group could really benefit from..."
"TRUST EXERCISES!/Trust Exercises."
"So, what with the...Uh..." Husk pointed at the stage. "I'm not about to put on some show for these fucking chumps."
"I will," said Angel. , but it's cash up front, and I know that one can't afford me." Be pointed at Pentious.
"Gross!I'd never think of it, spider!" Pentious objected.
"Well, let's get started. Charlie?" said Vaggie.
"Actually, I wanted you to take the lead for once," said Charlie. "I trust everyone, so maybe you know better how to build it properly!"
"What?" Vaggie was surprised, "Uhh, I don't know if I'm qualified..."
"Oh, come on. It'll be easy! I'm sure you can handle this." Charlie smiled.
"...Alright, I'll do it," said Vaggie.
Suddenly, Vaggie started walking from one side to another, like a sergeant talking to his troops.
"All, right, so we are starting with trust falls!" She started, "Each of you is going to share something vulnerable with the group about yourself and then fall backwards, while the rest of the group catches you. Got it? Who wants to go first?"
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Me! Me! Me! Me!" said Charlie like a hyperactive child who wanted to go first on a Show Tell.
"Alright then," said Vaggie.
Charlie went up to the stage.
"I, I love you guys. Like, really, really love you." Charlie fell backwards and was caught by Vaggie and the Doctor.
"Gotcha!" said Vaggie.
"Wow...That felt nice! Wanna try, Angel?" said Charlie.
"...'Aight." Angel walked onto the stage.
"You better catch him." Vaggie threatened the others, pointing her spear at them.
" Somethin' about myself, huh?" said Angel, "How about this? I LOVE to suck-"
"-I swear to fuck if you say dicks!" Husk interjected.
"-Popscicles! Ya sicko!" Angel grinned. "Get your mind outta the gutter!" He fell backwards, Husk caught him.
"...But you know, dicks too."
Husk dropped him.
"Wanna go next, Sir Pentious?" the Doctor asked.
Pentious went up the stage.
"I... don't want to live without my minions. Nobody catch me!" Pentios fell backwards but was caught by Charlie and Vaggie. "Damnit!"
Niffty went to the stage, giggling maniacally.
"Sometimes, I kill mother bugs in front of their children as a warning to others!"
Niffty fell backwards, but nobody caught her, extremely disturbed by her comment.
"Yay! Pain!" She giggled, as she fell from the stage several times.
"...Is it normal?" the Doctor asked.
"Unfortunately," said Vaggie. "I'll...Figure something it out."
"If you're in the market for some ideas, I've got just the thing for some "trust buildin'"," said Angel.
"What the FUCK is this?!" said Vaggie.
The place Angel Dust proposed was...A BDSM sex dungeon. Angel was amused, Charlie was shocked, the Doctor was hiding his discomfort with a pained smile and Vaggie was furious.
"No activity requires more trust than BDSM, baby." Angel justified himself. No bond is stronger than those formed through bondage! That's their motto!"
"L-LIsten, Angel, love your enthusiasm, but..." said Charlie.
"Why do you think anyone would be into this?!" Vaggie asked.
"Can...Can we go to a different place?" the Doctor asked, tugging Vaggie's sleeve.
"Right now," said Vaggie, noticing the Doctor's uneasiness. "Ugh! I can't fucking believe I let you drag us here, Angel. This is disgusting."
"It's no big deal, Vaggie." said Charlie, "You know, maybe I can just help, uh-"
"No. I told you you could trust me, and I'm not going to let you down," said Vaggie. "I just need to teach them, the way Iwas taught..." She grinned.
"IS THIS HOW YOU LEARNED TO TRUST PEOPLE?!" Charlie yelled.
Vaggie brought the group to a turf war battlefield, on a rooftop of a heavily damaged building.
"There is nothing stronger than the trust between comrades in arms. Buckle up, buttercups, because today you boys become men!" Vaggie grinned, still in "Sergeant style".
"The Brigadier would have loved to have her in UNIT ranks, for sure." the Doctor commented sarcastically.
Vaggie picked up Pentious.
"W-Wait! I can't fight without my minions"
"You are going to survive together!" She threw him off the roof. Vaggie turned to Angel.
"D-Don't you even think about it-" Angel realised her intentions, but it was too late.
"-Are gonna make this hotel work!" She threw him off the roof.
Husk went inside the building to not get thrown off.
"Enough, Vaggie!" the Doctor stopped her.
"This is the only way they'll learn," said Vaggie.
"No! There are other ways, we need some time, that's all!" Charlie objected.
"Time we don't have! How many Exterminations will have gone by before these idiots get their shit together? How many times will we have to watch your people be killed before we make headway?" said Vaggie. "I took charge today and it all went sideways. I'm supposed to make your dreams a reality. I'm supposed to protect you.I'm supposed to never fail you."
"You didn't-"
"-Because if I can't help you, what's the point of me?" Vaggie interrupted Charlie.
"But-"
"I'll deal with this." said the Doctor. "You go with the other, Charlie. Trust me."
Charlie, albeit a bit reluctantly, obliged.
The Time Lord glanced at Vaggie, looking so...Saddened, as she looked at the other buildings.
So, he got an idea, inspired by Charlie, he started singing.
"What is the matter, Vaggie?"
"You can confess it with me, you know?"
"A stressed person needs to talk with someone, and that person is thou,"
"Trust your Doctor, I'll see you now~"
"When I saw her face, she made me feel like a stranger in a brand new place." She joined in.
"And it felt so good to be understood!"
The Doctor smiled.
"But there's so much I wished that I could say..."
Vaggie turned to the Doctor, with a determined smile.
"So I, I'll be her armour."
"Do whatever it takes, I'll make the mistakes"
"I'll spend my life being her partner."
"And I will help you make her dreams come true." the Doctor continued.
"You know, I've seen lots of stuff in my life."
"Fought more battles than you'd imagine."
"I just wanted to travel, to the marvels of the universe."
"But then a War happened, and my life worse."
"I've lost my people, my friends, and even my granddaughter, I couldn't protect them."
"But I said 'No More', this won't happen again."
"So if..."
The Doctor took Vaggie by her hand.
"If you are her armour, I'll be your shield."
"Do Whatever It Takes, I'll make the mistakes"
"I'll stop this madness and protect you all."
Vaggie smiled, touched by the Doctor's comment. So, they sang together.
"Whatever we go through,
"I know I..."
"I'll be her armour"
"I'll be your shield."
"Whatever it wakes, we'll make the mistakes..."
"We'll make the mistakes"
"Whatever it takes..."
The Doctor and Vaggie hugged.
"Let's go back, we have a lot to do." the Time Lord smiled.
"Yeah," said Vaggie.
Later at the Hotel, Charlie looked down from the balcony after the disastrous trust exercise.
Vaggie went to talk to her.
"Hey..." She waved.
"Hey." Charlie reciprocated.
"Sorry...If I got so crazy today," said Vaggie.
"No, no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I put pressure on you." Charlie took Vaggie's hand, "We work as a team. I guess I just thought all this would be easier, but, we'll figure it out, together. I mean, look what your exercise did for them."
Despite what Vaggie thought about her methods, it seemed to have worked. Angel, Pentious and Niffty were laughing about the misadventures they had in that turf war.
"And then, when that buff guy started beating theshitoutta you!" Angel said to Pentious.
"Yes, and with the dismembered arm," Sir Pentious chuckled. "Yes, that was... particularly unpleasant.
"I liked that part!" Niffty giggled.
"Well... hey, at least you can take a beating like a champ." Husk joined the conversation. "You did okay, new kid."
"Really?" said Sir Pentious, "Oh well, I suppose I did get into a little of the old, rough and tumble today. And uh, thank you for pulling me out of there."
The Doctor listened to the conversation, amused by the demons' camaraderie. He noticed Vaggie and Charlie looking at them, and winked as a sign of approval.
Alastor returned, with the Egg Boiz still around him.
"Huh, Alastor. Failed to get rid of the eggs." Vaggie commented.
"Oh, well, they have proved themselves to be rather...Useful." Alastor grinned more with malicious intent.
"Why don't you give them back to Pentious." said Vaggie.
"Really?!" Pentious' eyes became teary.
"Yeah. After today, I guess I can trust you with them. But seriously, No. More. Weapons." Vaggie glared at the serpent demon.
Pentious went to hug the Egg Boiz, incredibly happy to finally have them back.
Later, everyone went to sleep, and so was Pentious in his room with the Egg Boiz.
"Ah! How was your day with Alastor, my minions?" He asked, getting himself ready for bed.
"It was awesome boss, I went to this meeting and there was a knife lady, an old guy, and a dinosaur!" One of the Egg Boiz spoke.
"That's nice." Pentious commented.
"And the knife lady killed an angel! And I... was not supposed to talk about it." The Egg Boi realised.
"Oh, I'm so sure and maybe you'll meet Martians tomorrow, but now is time for sleep. Good Night Eggies."
The Eggz rolled around him and they fell asleep.
But, while Pentious didn't believe it, what the Egg Boi said was true: At the meeting Alastor went to between the Overlord of Hell, among them there was the one who managed to behead an Exorcist.
Who? Why? And most importantly,how?
Well, who knows...
Who knows...
--To Be Continued--