Chapter 4

Early morning at the Happy Hotel was bright and cheerful, at least as much as a morning in Hell could be. Charlie oversaw breakfast preparation and hummed a happy tune to herself.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea for Cherri Bomb to be living here," Vaggie commented. "While I like her more than Angel, she tends to exhibit behaviors that we're trying to discourage."

"She's definitely rough around the edges," Charlie agreed with a nod. "But I can tell she has a good heart. And besides, Angel is really close with her, and they obviously mean a lot to each other. I think having Cherri here could actually be beneficial in helping Angel reach his potential for redemption. She understands him better than we do, and having someone he's familiar with might help us."

Charlie smiled warmly at her lover, hoping to ease her concerns. "We'll just have to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't cause too much trouble. But I believe everyone deserves a chance to change and grow, even in Hell."

A knock at the door interrupted Charlie's thoughts. Vaggie's suspicion was evident as she looked up at the silhouette of a tall figure with a rectangular head - a figure belonging to only one known demon.

"Should we answer?" Charlie asked.

"What do you think?!" Vaggie responded in a tone that clearly said 'No way in Hell.'

"Maybe...we should hear him out," Charlie stated. Though she had a dark feeling that she was inviting danger by doing this. Opening the door she was greeted by none other than Vox, the CEO of the TV station and various companies around Pentagram City. The TV-faced demon smiled down at her. While his smile was meant to come across as friendly, it looked more maliciously pained than pleasant.

"Well, howdy there, sweetheart!" The TV Demon stated as Charlie opened the door. "Would it be alright if I stepped on in?"

"Uh, sure," Charlie said, stepping aside to let him enter. She was wary, but curious to hear what he had to say.

"Ah, I must say, I had the pleasure of revisiting that charming little jingle you so brilliantly presented at the News station just the other week!" Vox's synthesized 1950's styled voice said. "And I find myself pondering, might I be permitted to extend a few suggestions?"

"Hey, whoa!" Husk exclaimed, nearly dropping his bottle of cheap booze. "You're not wanted here!"

"Ah, indeed..." Vox sneered at the sight of Husk and Niffty. "Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that you are acquainted with Alastor's compatriots, and I daresay, I've noticed a connection with none other than the illustrious Radio Demon."

"Yes," Charlie replied. "He said he wanted to help."

"My dear," Vox replied with a laugh. "The proposition I bring forth surpasses anything that outdated, static-filled impostor could ever dream of offering you. As you're well aware, I oversee a multitude of media enterprises, and I envision your hotel and its noble message transforming into a captivating reality spectacle. Demons would eagerly tune in each week to witness the competitors' trials in pursuit of the lofty goal of redemption, finding amusement as each attempt ends in failure. Meanwhile, our viewers would engage in spirited discussions across my diverse multimedia platforms, passionately predicting the victor and casting aside those deemed... unfit."

Angel groggily rolled over and squinted at the red light peeking through the curtains. The clock on his bedside table informed him that it was well past ten in the morning. Since he had no work to attend to, he didn't need to don his custom Valentino jacket and black skirt. He shrugged off his night clothes and picked out a bright pink peasant blouse with 3/4 sleeves and a pair of black, skin-tight jeans. He finished off his look with kinky black thigh-high boots. It was a more conservative outfit than his usual attire, but he figured he might as well enjoy his day off.

As he made his way down the hallway, Angel overheard a familiar voice speaking with Charlie. It was a voice that never spelled anything good. Hurrying down the staircase, Angel froze with fear as he saw Vox standing in the foyer.

"Meanwhile, our viewers would engage in spirited discussions across my diverse multimedia platforms, passionately predicting the victor and casting aside those deemed... unfit." Vox grandly proposed to Charlie. Although she was listening to Vox, she wasn't as receptive to his ideas as she was to Alastor.

"I'm sorry," Charlie said diplomatically. "But it seems like you don't quite understand the purpose of this hotel. I created this place with the intention of providing a humane alternative to the Cleanse. While there may be souls in this world who are beyond redemption and have no intention of changing, there are also souls in Hell who are genuinely good people and deserve a second chance. The purpose of this hotel is to offer them a safe place to heal and free themselves from the sins that bind them to this world, so that they may have the opportunity to enter Heaven."

"Ah, a sentiment so truly romantic!" Vox commented with a hint of sarcasm. "And yet, it does seem to carry a certain naive quality. If these supposed "good souls" were genuinely virtuous, should they not have feared the prospect of finding themselves in the depths of Hell upon the end of their earthly journeys? Every soul, my dear, is well aware of the risks entwined with their actions and the inevitable repercussions that unfurl. By graciously accepting my aid, we could transform this establishment into a veritable treasure trove, ample enough to fill the Morningstar family coffers for generations to come. And, my word, we would undoubtedly attract a far superior clientele compared to a certain arachnid character who has taken up residence in these parts. Speaking of which, is there anything you'd care to contribute to this conversation, my dear "Angel"?"

Vox turned his screen-like head towards the landing as though his antenna had picked up on Angel's presence. Charlie also noticed Angel standing on the guest floor landing, although she hadn't seen him enter the hotel foyer. Immediately, she sensed that something was amiss. Angel wasn't wearing his usual mask of egotistical cynicism. Instead, he appeared scared... no, frightened.

Flippant and cynical behavior was typical of Angel Dust, along with being egotistical and rude. However, Charlie knew from personal experience that this was all a facade he used to conceal his softer side. There had been moments when she first met him where he hadn't exactly taken off the mask, but he had briefly lifted it, as if unsure if she could be trusted with the real him. However, this was different. It was as if the mask had unknowingly slipped away, and Vox's presence was exposing the raw and infected emotions that existed beneath it. Charlie glanced briefly at Vaggie, concerned to see if she was also witnessing this. Vaggie met her gaze with the same concern, signaling that something was definitely amiss.

"What... not a single word to add, my dear?" Vox mocked, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Hmm, quite peculiar, wouldn't you say? Especially considering how you tend to be quite outspoken, particularly in the presence of your employer."

"I'm afraid I don't require anything you're offering," Charlie replied, firmly but politely. She wanted to redirect Vox's attention away from Angel and back to their meeting. She didn't know what was going on with Angel, but she didn't like what she saw, and things were only going to get worse if they continued. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today, Vox."

"I'm presenting you with an opportunity of the century." Vox's 1950's televised voice said in confusion. "I possess the ability to assist in making this establishment a resounding success."

"I'm sorry, but I must decline your offer," Charlie said firmly as she walked towards the door and opened it. "I believe in what this hotel stands for, and I refuse to compromise its values for the sake of profit. I have all the assistance I need at this time." She gestured for the overlord to leave with a polite all though tight lipped smile, hoping to end the meeting before anything else could go wrong. Vox sneered in annoyance seeing as Charlie was not going to accept his offer.

"As you wish, my dear," the TV demon said as he left. "If you ever reconsider, please don't hesitate to inform me. Oh, and allow me to offer a friendly caution: I'd exercise caution around your present "guest" if I were in your shoes... he's been known to possess a certain... shall we say, treacherous nature." Closing the door behind him, Charlie let out a sigh of relief before her eyes turned to the second-floor landing. Angel wasn't anywhere in sight, meaning he must have left at some point when she had drawn Vox's attention away. However, she had a good idea of where he may have gone.

"What was...what was that about?" Vaggie asked as Charlie stepped away from the door.

"I...I don't know." Charlie said. "It seems Vox is familiar with both Alastor and Angel."

"Oh, Vox and Alastor do not get along," Husk responded, putting down his bottle of cheap alcohol. "Alastor isn't afraid of Vox, but he sure as hell doesn't like him. If those two actually saw each other, you can bet your ass you'd be rebuilding this entire hotel from scratch."

"Well, we will have to make sure Vox doesn't have the opportunity to see Alastor," Charlie said, nodding in agreement. "This hotel has had enough fiascos in the last week without it becoming a war zone. We need to focus on our mission of helping redeem lost souls, not getting caught up in demonic feuds."

"It's strange, though," Vaggie said, furrowing her brow. "When Alastor showed up, Angel told me he didn't have any idea who he was. But Angel's been here in Hell for over 60...70 years. I don't even know how he couldn't have heard of Alastor, especially since he knows of the TV Demon. And what did Vox mean about Angel's employer? Do you think Angel's hiding something from us?"

"If it's who I think it is..." Husk said, his expression turning grim. "You better be prepared for a lot of trouble. Vox has some buddies that aren't exactly known for being reasonable. If you cross 'em, they're going to give you a lot of grief. You girls might want to keep an eye on him, just to be safe."

"I'm going to figure out who Angel may be associated with," Vaggie declared. "If we knew that we would be able to figure out what should be done."

"Ah," a familiar, staticy voice crackled as Alastor sauntered into the foyer. "It seems my olfactory senses detected the delightful aroma of sizzling bacon! My dear, if you wouldn't mind, kindly refrain from crisping up my portion too much, won't you? I do have a penchant for my meat on the rarer side." He quipped with a smirk.

"I've already asked Razzle and Dazzle to keep a few slices undercooked, just the way you like it," Charlie replied with a warm smile.

"Merci beaucoup, my charming belle," Alastor responded with a pleased smile. As I made my exit from the lofty confines of my executive suite, I couldn't help but take notice of Vox departing the premises, and I must say, he seemed so perterbed I though he was suffering from 'Fuzzy reception'! He jokingly observed, though his tone was somewhat thoughtful.

"He came by looking to outdo you," Husk said. "But…"

"But he caught sight of Angel," Charlie concluded.

"Interesting," Alastor commented with a wide grin spreading across his ! Should I have the audacity to inquire about the nature of the dealings that that inflated bag of hot air had with our sole guest? Besides the glaringly evident instances of Angel's frequent indulgence in less than savory escapades, of course."

"I don't know," Charlie sighed, her brow furrowing in concern as she ascended the stairs to the second-floor landing. "It seemed like he was intentionally looking for Angel, and using outdoing you as an excuse to cover his tracks. I'm not sure what's going on, but I need to go check on him. For some reason, Vox's presence really got under his skin," she added with a worried expression.

"I see," Alastor remarked with a smirk as Charlie disappeared down the second-floor hallway. I must confess, I do find myself yearning to have descended in time to behold our eight-legged companion experiencing a severe bout of trembling within those dreadfully flashy boots he fancies parading about in. That must have been quite the spectacle." he added, his voice tinged with amusement.

"I'm going to look up who is in charge of the porn studio," Vaggie grumbled as she moved out of the room.

"Spare yourself the effort, my dear. Do not trouble yourself with such a frivolous and futile contraption of technology." Alastor replied with a sly grin. The individual at the helm of that wretched establishment where Angel so fervently devotes his time is none other than the Overlord, Valentino."

Angel remained seated on the bed, cradling Fat Nuggets in his arms. Despite his usual tendency to turn to cigarettes for anxiety relief, he had noticed that when he was particularly stressed, he tended to smoke like a chimney. Unfortunately, Val's cigarettes foul smelling cigarettes weren't exactly cheap, which only added to the long list of things that the damn moth used to fuck him over.

As Angel gazed out of the window of his room, he couldn't help but think, ~Why did Vox have to be here?~ He had drawn open the curtains, revealing the stunning view of Pentagram City. In the distance, the uptown side glowed like a jewel, with its clubs, bars, and drug dens. In the center of it all stood the pristine, squat round column of the porn studio - his profession and his prison.

Angel desperately wanted to escape, to run away and never look back. But the last time he had attempted to do so, he had ended up chained to a metal table while some backwater demon dentist chiseled a single tooth out of his mouth without using any novocaine. The demon had then dipped the tooth into molten gold before painfully reinserting it back into the empty socket, where it seared against the raw flesh. The memory still made Angel shudder.

He wasn't a total prisoner there since he did have a place he could go that wasn't the studio, but it was still a far cry from true freedom. Valentino wanted him to take up permanent residence on the second floor, in one of the rooms reserved for the brothel's whores. Angel himself was offered as private entertainment for more exclusive guests, one of whom he knew Charlie should never find out about. It would only break her heart if she knew about that particular client.

He knew he wasn't the only one trapped under Valentino's control. There were so many others like him, yearning for freedom but feeling like it was an impossible dream. Many had given up the fight, telling him that it would all be easier if he stopped struggling. After all, no one cared about him. No one was coming to save him. People only cared about what he could do for them, what kind of asset he could provide. He was nothing more than a toy they could use and discard when they were finished. What was the point of fighting back when you were already broken? It seemed like there was nothing to be gained by shattering yourself even more.

Cherri was one of the first people in this world he felt he could call a friend, but it wasn't an instant connection. He kept his guard up, knowing that their partnership was built on mutual use. He couldn't predict when their relationship would end, whether it would be through death or betrayal, but he knew it would end in blood.

Despite their alliance being based on mutual gain, Cherri was perceptive enough to notice how trapped he felt. She asked him questions he had never asked himself before: why did he allow himself to be in such a situation? Did he think he deserved it or was there a part of him that knew he could be more?

When something is already broken, what do you do? You can continue to break it or you can throw it away as damaged goods. But there's also the option to fix it and make it a part of something better. It's just a matter of finding where the broken pieces fit.

There was a cautious knock at the door of his room.

"Angel..." Charlie's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Can I come in?" He didn't respond to her question, aware that she had already seen him when Vox was there earlier. He could have told her he wanted to be alone, that he wasn't in the mood to talk about what was bothering him. But before he could object, the door opened and Charlie entered the room. He faced away from her, unable to see her expression, but he could imagine the questions she wanted to ask.

She might ask if he was okay, if something was happening, or if he needed to talk about anything. All of these questions would lead to difficult conversations he wasn't ready to have. Besides, admitting his problems would mean acknowledging that he was a danger to everyone in the hotel.

Val didn't have much to attack, as targeting Charlie would risk facing the wrath of the King of Hell. Although Alastor acted for his own reasons, he wouldn't allow anyone to terrorize the hotel. When Sir Pentious arrived looking for Angel, Alastor took out his ship, even though he didn't care about the Serpent Demon's reasons for targeting the spider in particular. However, the Moth Overlord could still appear and forcefully take him back at gunpoint, and there wouldn't be much anyone else could do to stop it.

Charlie surprised him by saying nothing as she stood there observing him. Instead, she climbed onto his bed and settled herself next to him. She didn't say anything or look at him, leaving him wondering if she was waiting for him to speak or acknowledge her presence in some way.

Surprisingly, the companionable silence between them began to ease his tension. He gave a startled jump when Charlie placed a gentle hand on his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. Without speaking, she conveyed the message that she was there for him. Hesitantly, he wrapped one of his lower arms around her waist, accepting her sibling-like embrace. A small smile appeared on Charlie's face, as she felt like she had made some sort of breakthrough with him. This was the real Angel Dust, not the persona he showed to all of Hell. She remained in that position until she felt his anxiety subside, and then she stood up, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, and said with a warm smile, "Come downstairs and join us...when you are ready." Then she left the room.

Big thank you to everyone who has been reading and enjoying this fic. Please like and follow if you want to be informed of when I post the next chapter. I do respond to Comments and Private Messages, so please don't be shy about leaving me feedback.