Extermination Day, 1923
Charlie wasn't here.
Adam probably looked around too many times to confirm that. "Huh. Guess her parents finally got her to stay home," he mused, rolling his shoulders. "Okay, Ladies, we-"
"Sir," Lute said in annoyance. "Look down."
Adam paused, took a breath, and calmly turned to see where Lute was staring at.
There, on the roof of a building, was a rather large message painted.
'Angels, Please Go Home!'
The paint was purple and filled with glitter.
"Well. That's different," Adam said. "Ladies, you know the deal."
"Sir, is she even down there?" one of them asked behind him.
"Oh she's fucking down there, I'd bet a year's worth of ribs on that," Adam remarked with a resigned tone, flying down and leaving them to begin the purge.
True to his prediction, Charlie was down on the roof.
She was currently dozing off against the ledge of the roof, her hands and clothes covered in glittering purple paint. Razzle and Dazzle were both here, curled up against her legs. They had been sleeping until he arrived.
It probably said something that neither of them got up when they realized it was him. Dazzle even put his head back down while Razzle eyed Adam carefully.
Adam ignored them both, gazing at the peaceful and tired princess with an unreadable expression.
He said nothing when Lute landed on the ledge Charlie leaned against, bringing the blunt end of her spear down with a loud bang.
Charlie sprung to life with a start, leaping forward with her demonic features exposed on instinct. She nearly fell, if not for a golden wing reaching out to catch her. She looked up in surprise. "Adam," she realized as her mind fully woke up.
He said nothing, just pushing her onto her feet. He scowled at his treacherous wing, which had moved entirely on instinct.
"How long do you plan to waste his time, Pit Princess?" Lute asked coldly.
Razzle and Dazzle were already between their mistress and the exorcist, flames gathering around their bodies defensively.
Charlie flinched under Lute's glare and glanced up at Adam. "I'm...I'm sorry. I was going to go back home this time, really! But I got tired. I didn't mean to make you angry again," Charlie said softly.
Lute raised an eyebrow at Adam, who just grunted. "Lute, they'll never let you hear the end of it if you're in last place," Adam said neutrally.
"Yes, Sir," Lute said, taking to the air once more.
Charlie turned and was about to say something when she realized something. "Oh. I got your wings dirty. I'm sorry."
Adam looked down at his feathers, some of them stained with the paint. "Eh. Not a problem," he said as he flexed out his wing-
Charlie covered her mouth in a gasp, eyes wide with horror as Adam sent out a slicing wave of holy energy, leaving a large gash down the middle of the multi-story structure. It was amazing it didn't collapse.
"There, all gone," Adam said, flexing his wing.
"You...why did you do that?" Charlie whimpered with her hands on her chest. "You...they might be hurt or-"
"You do know I go out and kill sinners after taking you home, right?" Adam reminded flatly. "Or did you think I just did jack-all with the rest of the time?"
Charlie flinched. "I...I didn't want to think about it."
"Then just stay home and sleep the day away like a smart Hellflake," Adam said with a sigh. "Fuck, you're lucky no demons tried to attack you before we got here."
Charlie didn't say anything, leaving Adam to his thoughts.
Was it luck? Or did she have some guardian demon lurking about? If so, they must have fucked off when they arrived. Of course, if she did have a guardian, that meant her parents, or at least Lilith, were letting her sneak out intentionally.
"You have shitty parents," Adam concluded.
"What?" Charlie said in confusion, not sure if she even heard him right.
"Nothing. Get on one of your demon ponies," Adam instructed, glaring at the two beasts.
To their credit, they obeyed the prompt and took to their horse-sized form. Charlie climbed on Razzle's back while Dazzle tilted his head at Adam.
"What, now you want to try your luck, Doltzel?" Adam mocked in annoyance.
"No, he just wanted to know if you wanted a ride!" Charlie defended quickly.
"A ride-?! Why the FUCK would I want to ride the scally mule when I got these glorious babies?" Adam asked with indignation, his wings raised his wings in demonstration.
He didn't miss how Charlie eyed his wings uncertainly after seeing what he could do with them.
"Do you...not like riding horses? Or anything like them?" Charlie asked meekly.
Adam opened his mouth but then shut it in consideration. "I mean, it was nice when I was alive, but once I kicked the bucket? Wouldn't trade these for a Sleipnir."
"...Sleep near? Swipe here?" Charlie tried to repeat.
Adam just shook his head as he took to the sky, Razzle and Dazzle following closely behind.
They flew in silence until Charlie spoke up. "But what are they?"
Adam groaned. "A Heavenly Horse. It's got eight legs. Riding one feels a lot like flying with how damn smooth they are."
"Oh. I didn't know there were animals in heaven," Charlie said in surprise.
"I wonder why, Hellflake, I wonder why," Adam drawled.
"...You're mean," Charlie said, almost sounding hurt. "Are you...still mad? About what I asked last time?"
He furrowed his brow. "Kid, that was a year ago. You think I'm petty enough to keep a grudge over something like that?"
Charlie didn't say anything to that, and Adam wasn't surprised.
It didn't take long for them to get back to her home, landing on her balcony. Dazzle and Razzle shrunk down the moment Charlie was on the floor, who yawned tiredly.
"Kid, just go to bed and let me do my thing," Adam said with a head shake.
"But I'm not-" Charlie yawned again, louder. "Tired."
"Like I haven't heard that before," Adam muttered, running a hand over his face.
Charlie glared up at him half-heartedly.
"I'm not reading you a damn bedtime story, so don't even ask, "Adam shot down preemptively. "Don't you have something better to do than this? Friends? Homework? Learning to be an Infernal Princess of Hell?"
"What's homework?" Charlie asked curiously.
"I mean, I'm assuming your parents have you taught math and stuff," Adam remarked. "Though, I guess they wouldn't use the word homework."
"Oh, I used to have lessons. Momma said I didn't have to take any more I didn't want to after I turned thirty," Charlie answered with a smile.
"Right, Hellborn, slow aging, you probably learned that all a long time ago," Adam said in annoyance.
"...Is it different for a Heavenborn?" Charlie asked curiously.
Adam took a breath. Was he doing this? Was he really answering this trivia question or this Morningstar Hellspawn?
"It varies," Adam said reluctantly. "Some of them are born and grow, but only the really powerful ones like the Seraphims grow slow like you. And new ones of those are rare as fuck. Others just come into existence fully formed as adults."
Charlie's eyes sparkled a bit in recognition. "You mean like you and m- um, Eve was?"
"Me? Yes. Eve? Kind of, but no," Adam answered flatly, not acknowledging Charlie's confused look. "Didn't your old man tell you anything about this?"
"He...doesn't like talking about the other angels," Charlie said softly.
"Yeah, well, the horned prick can suck it up enough to at least tell or even write you something about it," Adam said with an eye roll.
The two fell into an awkward silence that Adam decided to end by turning to leave.
"...Kid, ask your parent shit like this. You shouldn't HAVE to ask me of all people things like this," Adam said evenly.
Charlie flinched. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"That was a jab at your so-called parents, not at you," Adam said, as he looked back at her.
Charlie blinked. It was weird. It was like Adam was glaring, but not at her. Through her?
….For her?
"Children should get to learn from family, not family enemies."
With that, he left, leaving Charlie ever more confused by the First Man...
"No, wait! Please!"
Lute drove her spear to the heart of a sinner before looking at the clock. Plenty of time left, but if the last few years were any indication, Adam should be-
"Lute."
-Right behind her, apparently.
"Sir?" she asked, looking over her shoulder while holding the spear.
"Wow, okay, a great view of your ass back here," Adam said, glancing to said rear obviously.
"Not all of us can level buildings with a finger flick, Sir," Lute retorted, pulling the spear out.
"I know, awesome," Adam said with a smirk, scratching the side of his mask. Or rather, his face beneath it. It was handy, being able to eat and everything with this on. "Any Overlords to put down?"
"Sorry, Sir, but no," Lute apologized. "I think they were spooked by last year and made sure to hide."
"Hmm," Adam looked around. "Guess it can't be helped. I'll come up with some fuckery to smoke them out, I'm sure. Oh, by the way, Lute?"
Lute didn't remotely look worried or alarmed as Adam pointed a finger at her, a holy beam shooting in her direction.
It missed her entirely, of course, and hit a Sinner in the street, trying to crawl away into an alley before Adam gave the killing blow. "Getting sloppy, Lute?"
"I'm not claiming that one, Sir," Lute answered with a shrug. "You sure it wasn't one of yours? We are near that building you destroyed before taking the whorespawn home."
"Bitch, you calling me sloppy now?" Adam deadpanned.
Lute raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"Well fuck you too."
Extermination Day, 1924
"Do you have a belly button?"
Adam nearly fell out of the sky at the most random question yet, Charlie riding on his back with Dazzle.
"I'm sorry, where the FUCK did that come from?!" Adam asked in bewilderment.
"Well, you weren't "Born" right? So, do you have a belly button?" Charlie asked curiously. "Or, wait, did you have one and lose it when you became an angel?"
Adam was too confused to be angry. "Let me counter, does your MOM have a damn belly button?"
"Yes, she...," Charlie fell silent in understanding. "Oh."
"Yeah, Oh. And you don't lose your damn belly button going to heaven. Though, I'm sure some of the fucks lost it coming down here," Adam mused, looking over as he saw his girls utterly slaughtering some demons. One of them waved at him and-
Wait, why the fuck were they glaring at him now?
"They...don't like me, do they?" Charlie said, prompting Adam to realize she had waved at the exorcist angels.
"Hellflake, they don't like anybody down here," Adam reminded.
"Do you...not like me?" Charlie asked with a small voice.
He didn't need to look to know her eyes were large and teary. "I don't hate you, how about that for now?"
"...I can work with that!" Charlie said with a grin he could literally hear.
Adam groaned. "How the hell are you so damn positive while in, well, HELL!?"
"How in heaven are you so mean if you're from HEAVEN?" Charlie retorted, more cheeky than anything.
"Cause being Good doesn't mean being Nice? Ever heard of that?" Adam retorted.
"..." Charlie was strangely silent. "It isn't?"
"Nope! Plenty of sinners down here were "nice" their entire lives while doing vile shit," Adam answered. "Seriously, how are you a hundred and not know that?"
"Mommy and Daddy try to keep me safe and, um, well...I don't want to say I'm sheltered-"
"You are, you are utterly sheltered. In hell," Adam reminded. "You are literally the only demon who will ever be able to say Adam, The First Fucking Man, flew you home on Extermination Day."
Again, the kid got quiet. It was a different kind though, the kind Adam knew it meant the Kid was about to ask something heavy or deep that he probably didn't want to answer.
They reached her balcony and she instantly sat down against the rails, hugging her knees with a strange look on her feet. Adam crouched on the balcony, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"...If I wasn't their daughter, would you have killed me already?" Charlie asked softly.
Adam considered how to answer, if only briefly. "You want a nice story or the honest damn truth?"
"The truth, please," Charlie answered.
"The truth is? If you were any other hellborn, I would have no damn idea who you were," Adam answered neutrally. "I would have thought you were a sinner, killed you, and been on my day."
Charlie made a face but didn't exactly wince, processing that. "Would you...kill me now? If you found out I was lying? That I was just pretending to be the Princess of Hell?"
"Nope," Adam answered with a smirk. "Doing all this? That would be ballsy enough I'd give you a free pass."
Charlie almost smiled. "That's still horrible, but I like it for some reason."
"I think there was an old-ass saying about Truth being bitter, but it'll taste better than bullshit," Adam mused, scratching his chin.
Now she really smiled. "I...doubt that's a saying."
"Good, I can take credit for it then," Adam said smugly.
Charlie laughed as Adam found his gaze idly drifting into Charlie's room.
He couldn't tell it was a hellspawn's bedroom. It was all mostly pink. Not a blind, bright pink. A softer, duller tone. Her bed looked soft and fluffy, and her vanity mirrors a mess of arts and crafts. Her walls were posted with childish paintings that he refused to linger on. He didn't care to know what the Morningstar Family Life was like.
Dazzle had curled up on the bed, already fast asleep, but Razzle was watching them like the stubborn little kickable turd he was.
There was also a stool with a violin case on it, and a harp next to that.
"Has your room always been like this?" Adam asked absently.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I mean, I had to sleep with Mommy and Daddy for a little bit when I started burning the bed in my sleep, but I'm over that now," Charlie said with a bit of pride.
Adam hummed. If the room had always been like this, then maybe Charlie's niceness wasn't a phase. That didn't mean she wouldn't grow out of it, being a hellborn Demon Princess and all. Still, the Hellflake might really be a genuine Hellflake.
"Adam?" Charlie spoke up softly. "Do you hate my parents?"
"Yes, utterly. Abso-fucking-lutely. No damn question," Adam answered matter-of-factly.
Charlie looked up and furrowed her brow.
"What? Not going to start crying 'cause I don't like your folks?" Adam asked bluntly.
"No, it's just...you don't sound angry," Charlie observed with interest. "People usually sound angry or sad about things they hate. Or scared. You...don't."
"I've been hating them for about nine thousand years," Adam reminded. "At this point, it's less a feeling and more a fucking fact of reality. Heaven is great, Hell is shit, and I hate your literally damned family."
The concept seemed almost foreign to her, and to fair, Adam supposed it would be for most children. "Are Angels allowed to hate?"
"You're allowed to feel however you want. What the fuck you do with that feeling is what's important. Me? I come down and cull sinner ass so Heaven never has to worry about them," Adam explained.
"..." Charlie's face was doing a thing that Adam recognized. When a kid was about to have an idea a bit above their paygrade. "I want to find another way."
Adam snorted. "Good luck with that, Hellflake. In the meantime, I'm going to do my job."
Charlie didn't look up as Adam flew away. She didn't look up until the door to her room opened. "Mommy...?"
"Danger tits, you ping my halo?" Adam asked as he met up with her.
Lute considered his question. "Is that an innuendo, Sir?"
"Probably should be," Adam mused. "So, what is it, I was just about to start rolling."
"We have an...interesting situation," Lute explained.
Adam raised an eyebrow and followed her.
They were in an alley, four other exorcists holding a sinner at spearpoint. This one was a woman, a redhead. She had a fairly human torso with, in Adam's opinion, a nice wrack. But she also had a spider body below the waist, along with six eyes and a mouth that opened too wide in weird angels.
"You must be able to suck some big cock with that," Adam remarked with a smirk. "So, the fuck isn't she dead for?"
"The Leader of the Exorcists," the demon addressed, veiling hate and fear with feigned respect that was overly thick. "I wish to negotiate a...deal of sorts."
"Let me stop you right now. I will stick my dick is crazy," Adam stated honestly.
"He will," Lute confirmed with a smirk.
"But I don't put my dick in sinner holes. Granted, I always wanted to try to blast a holy laser from my dick," Adam mused.
"As...disappointing as that is, that isn't what I had in mind," the spider demon said in distaste. "I know you're looking for Overlords."
"Not exactly a secret," Adam mused. "So, let me guess? You tell us where an Overlord is and I generously don't let you get exterminated this year?"
"That would be appealing," she agreed warily.
"Interesting offer. I'll humor you," Adam waved on. "Her name?"
"Alice Kyteler," the sinner answered. "Greedy bitch, married and killed her husbands for the money. Four or five of them."
"Doesn't sound like anything special. You get a few black widows all the time," Adam said in disappointment.
"Yeah, well, she's an old bitch that has been slowly building up herself for centuries. Hides herself well, and does a lot of background deals for other Overlord. Kill her, and every Overlord will know they're not safe," the sinner explained, forcing a smirk. "And that's worth more than killing me, right?"
Adam hummed. "Ladies? Remember this bitch's face. If she's lying, it'll be your job to find her, dismember all eight limbs, and then kill her," Adam explained.
"Gladly, Sir," one of them said with a smirk as the spider-sinner shivered under their eyes.
"Now...where is this fucker?" Adam asked with an almost friendly voice. Almost.
"Right here," the sinner answered, motioning to the wall of the alley. She walked over to it and slowly, pressed a brick to reveal a hidden passage.
"Neat, I'll give you that," Adam said, waving the sinner away. "Now fuck off and hide."
The spider cautiously but quickly scurried down the alley, obviously to find some safe area.
"Sir, we really letting her go?" one of the exorcists asked curiously.
"Oh, we are definitely letting her go," Adam said with a wide grin. "I think this spidery bitch just did us a bigger favor."
"Sir?" Lute questioned.
"We let her sell out an Overlord to save her skin for a year," Adam reminded deviously. "If word gets around about that..."
Lute shared his expression, as did the other exorcists. "Oh how fast the filth will turn on each other."
"But that's a future project. Today, let's go stake this greedy whore," Adam said sadistically.
By the end of Extermination Day, there was an...interesting display.
Right outside the Heaven Embassy was the corpse of a many-armed woman. She was killed, her hands all cut off, her mouth practically torn off, but anyone that knew who she was.
The message was clear and word quickly spread.
The Exorcists were targeting Overlords.
Of course, no one gave any real credence to the idea that a sinner could or would sell out an overlord, their own contractors even to save their own hell-bound life. After all, the angel would just kill the informant in the end.
But it did rest in the back of the mind for most sinners. A desperate, unlikely possible way to escape their second, final death.
Extermination Day, 1925
"Really? Really, they sued a guy for teaching evolution?" Adam asked with a snort.
"Umm, Sir? Aren't you talking proof he's wrong?" one of the newer exorcists asked curiously, both of them hovering near the portal out of hell.
"Eh, It's more complicated than that. Earth was around a lot fucking longer, in a way. It was kind of Heaven's workshop for Eden," Adam explained, his mood souring just a bit. "Now, before you run off to begin your first run at slaughtering demon ass, I wanted to explain one important thing to you."
"Is it about the demon child on the flying goat, Sir?" she asked, jabbing her thumb over to said demon child and flying goat.
"Hello! I'm Charlie Morningstar!" she introduced herself with a wave.
"Morningstar...?" the exorcist repeated slowly.
Adam sighed. "You know the rule about not killing the Hellborn?"
"Yes, that's why we are only allowed to purge demons on the Ring of Pride. No Hellborn would be stupid enough to..." she trailed off, looking to Charlie again.
"Yeah, Hellflake here is the Princess of Hell, daughter of the Big Ls themselves," Adam explained.
Charlie pouted and crossed her arms, feeling ignored even as they talked about her.
"I see. So, hurting her is a big no," the exorcist concluded.
"You catch on fast, sweetbuns," Adam praised with a grin. "And since she SOMEHOW keeps sneaking out on E-Day, I'm stuck escorting her butt back home. If you have any questions, ask Lute."
"Got it, Sir!" the angel saluted.
"Kick some ass, newbie!" Adam called out with a grin. "Now, Hellflake-"
He looked and saw she was turned away from him, sitting backward on Dazzle's back. Her arms were still crossed and she was pouting.
"What's up with you?" Adam asked, flying around to the other side. Charlie promptly turned and refused to speak. He looked to Dazzle questioning. "What, she cranky?"
Dazzle shook his head, gesturing his head to Charlie.
Adam tried to fly in front of Charlie again, but she promptly turned around. "Fucking fuck, Hellflake, what crawled up your butt just now?"
"You were mean and ignored me!" Charlie complained sourly. "You didn't even introduce her to me!"
"Why the fuck would I introduce you to my girls? You remember, the angels slaughtering the souls your heart is bleeding all over?" Adam reminded flatly.
Charlie sunk her head closer to her arms. "I just...wanted to meet them. Maybe if I know what they're like, I can figure out a way to make you all decide to stop?"
"..." Adam stared for a moment. "You're an idiot."
Charlie almost buried her head entirely into her arm.
"But I give you credit for effort, you do keep trying," Adam added on. "Now, if you're done being a cotted little brat, let's go."
"I'm not cotted!" Charlie countered. "...I don't think I know what cotted means?"
Adam looked a bit smug at that and started to fly off. Dazzle started following after him even before Charlie prompted her.
There was a long silence, save for the horrific sounds of the purge going on across the city.
"Adam?" Charlie spoke up, getting a grunt of acknowledgment. "Extermination Day exists so Hell never threatens Heaven, right?"
"Obviously? These assholes are very good at making each other suffer without our help," Adam answered.
"What if we weren't?"
Adam blinked. "Weren't what? Hell?"
"No, a threat!" Charlie answered. "I know some of the Overlords would probably try something, but what if we handled it ourselves?"
"So many holes in that," Adam said with a sigh. "But let's address the massive pit in the middle. Why would we be stupid enough to trust Hell's leaders to NOT try to attack Heaven?"
"I don't know. I'm just asking. If- IF- you thought you could trust us? Would you stop the Exterminations?" Charlie asked with a furrowed brow.
"Hellflake, that hypothetical is almost impossible," Adam said in annoyance. "And the "almost" is just for your benefit."
Charlie glared at his back "That's not an- AHH!"
Adam wiped around just in time to see what happened. A black blur had leaped up into the air, crashing into Dazzle. The young goat-dragon couldn't even attack before the demon had broken the wing, leaping off with Charlie in hold.
"ADAM!" Charlie called out in alarm, reaching out to the angel before she and her capture were sent rolling onto a roof. She went skidding out of his hold to the edge.
"Verdammt. Whiffed the landing!" the demon said as it stood up. It was like a werewolf. Big, black, and fur. The only truly strange part was that it had a large face on its chest, and the wolfhead was detached, held in one of the clawed hands.
Charlie took on her demon form in fear as she stood up, a small trident forming in her hands. "Who are you?"
"Oh, no one, Mein Prinzessin," the wolfman said, the mouth of his chest speaking as he threw his wolfhead at her.
Charlie swiped it away with her weapon, but swung too hard, allowing the sinner to easily rush over to her. He grabbed her by the horn, pulling her trident away as he held her off the ground.
"Not what I preferred in life, but you have your uses, kleiner Morgenstern," the wolfman said before suddenly wincing.
He looked to the side and saw that Adam had landed, crushing the discarded wolfhead underfoot. "Just for the record?" Adam started offhandedly. "You know whose brat that is, right?"
"Oh, I am well aware, Pit Cleanser," the sinner introduced, holding up his free hand, a wolfhead forming in his grasp. "Allow me to make an introduction. I am Fritz Haarmann."
"Right. I'll give you this, Headless Wolfman is an interesting theme," Adam mused as Charlie watched him with pleading eyes and tears running down her face. "So, you have a double-death wish or something?"
"Neine. I'm rather new down here, but I already know what this one must be worth to the right Overlord," Fritz said, both his faces grinning disgustingly.
"Adam. Please help me," Charlie pleaded, giving out a startled cry as she was yanked up higher, harder by her horn
"I know why you, Erste Mensch, can't touch this one," Fritz said in some twisted form of sympathy. "So, let us part here, and let much suffering come for the Royals of Hell."
"Adam! Please!" Charlie cried out desperately.
Adam stared at the scene for a long moment. No one else was here. No one was going to save Charlie. Taking her home was just to make sure she didn't get caught up in the exterminations. But if a demon stole her away when her parents weren't keeping an eye on her? Well, that wasn't his problem. It wasn't heaven's problem.
He could leave. He could just walk away. Let the Sinner take care of the Hellborn.
"Adam...?"
Charlie had barely seen what happened. One moment, she was held up by the wolfman who looked like he was going to...hurt her.
Then, suddenly, the hand was cut off, and she fell into Adam's arm.
"GAH! Mein Gott! Why did you do that?!" Fritz cursed out in pain as he held up his wolfhead.
Adam said absolutely nothing, not even when blue fire engulfed the wolfhead and it was hurled at him. All he did was move his wing up to block Charlie.
Charlie stared up in amazement as Adam brushed the attack aside.
"Gr. Invulnerable indeed," Fritz said, turning to escape. "Very well, I'll let-"
Adam pointed his middle finger at Fritz, and the wolfman was suddenly missing the face on his torso, vaporized by the holy light of Adam.
Adam looked down at Charlie, still in demon form, as he stared up at him with her infernal eyes.
The Princess of Hell, held safely in the wing of the Leader of the Exorcist Angels, protected from a denizen of Hell.
The irony was not lost on either of them.
"Thank you," Charlie said with a sniffle. "Thank you, for not leaving me."
Adam said nothing, giving her an unreadable look. "I'm taking you home now, Charlie."
She gasped a bit. That was the first time he said her name. She nodded meekly. "Wait...Dazzle? Is he...?"
A baa rang out as a pup-sized Dazzle crawled over Adam's shoulder, jumping down into Charlie's arms.
"You're okay!" Charlie said in relief. "Thank you, Adam! Thank you so much!"
Adam's free hand balled into a fist.
With Charlie securely in his grasp and Dazzle in hers, Adam took to the sky.
He flew fast, probably faster than even he expected. He didn't slow down. Not when the manor came into view, not when he closed in on the balcony.
He barely slowed down when he landed, impacting into the balcony. Nothing broke, but there was a tremor through the house.
"Adam?" Charlie asked softly. "Are you...are you mad at me?"
"Not at you, Hellflake," Adam answered honestly, looking into her bedroom as a portal formed. "Brace yourself."
"What?" Charlie blinked, eyes wide as Adam suddenly tossed her into her room.
"Charlie, are-huh?!"
Charlie blinked, suddenly in more familiar arms. "Daddy!" She exclaimed in relief and stress, her tears flowing at the sight of him. "I...I was so scared!
Lucifer held his daughter tightly, albeit confused. "Charlie, what's wrong? What happened..." he trailed out as he looked out and saw the back of an angel. "You?"
Adam took to the air, never even looking back at the King of Hell.
"Charlie? Charlie? Are you okay?" Lucifer asked quickly, stiffening as he saw the cuts and bruises on his daughter. "You're hurt! Did he do this!?
What Charlie said next shook Lucifer's entire world.
"Daddy, he...he saved me."
Adam flew like a falcon, rising high over Hell until he found a sinner. He dived like a comet, his spear killing them dead before they even hit the ground.
Why had he done that? He had killed tens of thousands of Sinner children, maybe more. He knew, oh he KNEW how truly evil children could be. Killing, torturing others, and smiling to hide behind the presumed innocence of youth.
So why, when that demonic little girl gazed at him with her own look of innocence and fear, did he reach out to save her from the same Hell she wanted him to spare?
Why not let her learn why these fallen souls were not worth protecting?!
Why not let her parents finally know the pain of failing your children so horrifically?!
"Sir?"
He looked up, only now noticing the hand on his shoulder. He was surrounded by a pile of demon corpses, Lute looking at him in concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked carefully. "Did something happen?"
"Damn kid nearly got killed by some wolf-fucker. I offed the sinner, but I'm fully expecting Daddy dearest to cock out a complaint our way about his precious princess getting hurt when his ass wasn't looking," Adam answered flatly, shoving away the questions he couldn't answer and wouldn't voice.
"I see," Lute said in understanding, possibly understanding more than just what he said. "We killed an Overlord, Sir. Two, actually. We tried to hail you, but you were..."
'In the zone. Right, got it, Danger Tits," Adam acknowledged. "Anybody interesting?"
"Not really, Sir. They were weak, probably new Overlords," Lute explained.
Adam considered that for half a second. "Which means some of the older fucks are throwing the small fries our way."
"Does it matter?" Lute asked idly.
"Not really. I give it a decade before that bites some of them in the ass," Adam mused. "How'd the new girl do?"
"Slow, but she's got the right spirit," Lute answered. "We should go, Sir."
"Yeah, we should," Adam agreed. "Lute? Make sure we have lots of ribs to celebrate the newbie's first extermination."
"Of course, Sir."
End of Chapter
Well, Lucifer knows now. And oh boy, that's a blow to your pride. The man that hates your guts most in all of reality, and he's the one that had to save your daughter.
I'm also having a lot of fun fleshing out the exorcists as a group. I retain one theme of this story "There is a good reason Adam is in Heaven"- I quickly grew tired of the fan ideas that Adam is a result of Heavenly Nepotism, when the Angels clearly don't actually decide who goes to heaven. And I extend that theme to the Exorcists.
Meanwhile, Charlie is still working her way through Adam's shell. We have a few more years before the first uttering of the words "Uncle Adam" comes out of Charlie's mouth, but the entire incident with the Headless Wolfman definitely sped it up a tiny bit.
Also, yeah, I research actual killers for this fic. Fritz was a German serial killer who just got to Hell the same year he tried to kidnap Charlie. Alice is a bit older and a black widow type that was also accused of witchcraft. I literally check each year on Wikipedia for anything interesting I might mention in this fic.
Anyway, glad everyone is enjoying this! Until next time!