"I'm Katie Killjoy," the formidable Mantis Demon declared, as she gracefully took her place behind the anchor desk at the notorious Channel 666 News Station.

And I'm Tom Trench," the co-anchor chimed in, his gas-masked visage causing his breath to hiss as he spoke adding an eerie ambiance to the studio.

"Breaking news just in," Killjoy announced, her expression veiled behind a superficial smile that hinted at a mix of excitement and intrigue. "Porn actor Angel Dust is... gasp... retiring?"

"Owner of Porn Studios," Trench reported, "The Overlord Valentino has not commented or confirmed any of these speculations. However, he has gone on record stating that Angel is currently experiencing creative differences and taking the time he needs to reevaluate his career."

"Still, devoted Angel Dust fans, also known as 'Dust Mites,' are understandably distressed by this news," Killjoy gushingly continued. "Rumors are circulating, speculating that this development might be related to his supposed involvement with the Happy Hotel. Unfortunately, attempts to reach Princess Charlotte Morningstar for comment have been unsuccessful. On the other hand, Overlord Velvette has provided footage showing one of the Morningstar family town cars leaving the city last night."

"The reasons behind the Princess's departure from the city remain unknown," Trench chimed in. "However, there are speculations that she might have sought refuge in a private estate owned by Hell's Royal Family."

"It's worth noting the timing of the Princess's departure coinciding with the emergence of these rumors," Killjoy deviously added her perspective. "One could speculate that her passion project isn't going as expected, leading her to explore alternative methods. In further news, it appears that pop singer Verosika Mayday may have found herself in rehab once again…"

"Looks like Val is trying to cover his ass," Cherri Bomb grumbled as she shut off the TV screen.

"Killjoy is quite cunning," Vaggie agreed as she set the table. "She'll use whatever tactics necessary to generate the highest ratings."

"Like that turf war I initiated," Cherri said. "The one that came about after the recent Cleanse."

"Well, yeah," Vaggie stated. "During our interview, you and Angel did make Charlie look like an idiot, as she genuinely believed Angel was showing promise during the two weeks he had been staying at the hotel."

"For the record," Cherri acknowledged, "I didn't ask Angie to join me in that fight. I was already handling it..." Vaggie was about to respond, but she looked up in concern as Charlie arrived upstairs, looking more than a little distressed.

"You okay, hun?" Vaggie asked as she approached her lover with concern.

"I don't know," Charlie replied, accepting the comforting embrace offered to her. "I showed Angel an image of those demons you and I found. I wanted to make sure they were... well, people he knows. But maybe it was too soon. I shouldn't have..."

"He had a panic attack," Cherri translated. "Hyperventilating to the point he passes out, shaking, looking like he's about to be sick. That kinda shit?"

"Sort of, he did have a panicked response to the photo," Charlie answered. "Henroin seemed to trigger some recognition in him. I didn't know he would react that strongly..."

"I don't know much about his life," Cherri admitted. "Or the time he's from, aside from it being shitty as fuck. It took a long time for him to open up to me about... well, anything, really. He's always been guarded and distrustful towards others... with good reason. I would be too if I suspected anyone I was in contact with could stab me in the back at any given moment."

"Let's eat," Charlie said, noticing the table was set for three. "I have a feeling I'll lose my appetite if we talk." The Blond Girl eyed the stairwell leading to the downstairs bedrooms uneasily, an action that didn't escape Vaggie's notice.

"Did he do anything to you?" Vaggie asked protectively. "I don't care what sort of issues he's having, but if he took something out on you, I'll..."

"Nothing like that," Charlie reassured. "I'm just worried about him. I had mentioned that you and I had pieced together some things on our own. But when I showed him a picture of the demons we suspected were his father and brother, he sat up rather quickly... he was fixated on Henroin in particular. It was like that look he had when Vox was at the hotel, his body started to involuntarily shake, and then he passed out. I'm starting to wonder if Doctor Abaddon should be called. I think something is seriously wrong with him... this could be more than just being affected by the weather."

"Can Dr. Abaddon actually do anything for him?" Vaggie inquired. "He is primarily your family's doctor and only works for the royal family. Even if you request his assistance, there may not be anything he can do."

"Hey," Cherri started to speak up, but her words were ignored.

"It wouldn't hurt to have our physician look at him," Charlie suggested. "Dr. Abaddon has always been open to tending to guests of this place who aren't part of the royal family if they are sick or injured. And there is a medically equipped clinic on the other side of the lake."

"Um...I don't," Cherri chimed in again, feeling ignored once more as the two girls conversed with each other as though she hadn't spoken.

"This could be something that can be handled with bed rest," Vaggie pointed out. "Angel had been working himself ragged for Valentino. And even if it is serious, he did experience something traumatic when he was kept at the studio the other night. Having a stranger wanting to look at him right now might not be the best option."

"Geeze," Cherri growled defensively "What's your problem anyway?!"

"Hey, take it easy," Charlie interjected, trying to mediate the situation. "Let's not fight, we just need to figure out what's best for Angel right now."

""I don't have a problem," Vaggie calmly responded to the Bomber girl's abrupt accusation. "I just feel that we are being too hasty."

"Let's just calm down," Charlie urged, her voice tinged with caution. She could feel a nerve had been struck, and the situation was turning ugly by the second.

"No!" Cherri snarled angrily as she stood up. "Ever since we arrived here, I was told I couldn't sit in on that call you were having with Valentino, and before dinner, the Princess here thinks she can take over looking after him."

"This is exactly why we didn't want you present during the call," Vaggie shot back. "You're too reactionary. If you had been there, it would have ruined any credibility that Charlie had in the discussion with Valentino. As for before dinner, Charlie wasn't stopping you from being with Angel, but you had already been with him much of the day."

"I was with him because I'm his friend," Cherri retorted angrily, eyeing the two girls. Her muscles and body structure started to swell, and her clothing strained and tore as her form expanded into something much larger, much more savage-minded. "You only met him months ago. I know him better than the two of you because I've been there for him... for years... Where was this stupid hotel when..."

"CHERRI," Angel's voice called out. The two female demons had been so focused on the irate cyclops that they hadn't even noticed his arrival or considered he could hear what was happening. Staggering forward, Angel firmly, but not ungently, grabbed hold of the Bomber Girl's wrist. The bandage covering his right eye had been removed, so both of his mixed-colored eyes were visible, and he regarded the cyclops with a sharp glare that Charlie had seen before, a glare she had seen in the image of another Spider Demon. While not as emotionlessly cold as Arackniss, there was a sense that he could and would resort to harsher measures if the Cyclops forced his hand.

"Enough!" That one authoritative command caused the Punk Girl to regard him as though she had never seen him before. Her figure returned to its normal size, her single eye regarding the white-furred spider as if she was seeing a stranger, not someone she had known and regarded as her best friend. Tears bloomed as a hurt look crossed her face, and she backed up a step. A single tear traced its way down her face as she shook her head, with a heaved sob, she ran past him.

Angel watched in silence as she made her way downstairs, the building almost shaking from the force of her guest room door slamming shut. An uncomfortable silence filled the rest of the cabin after the tense exchange. The tall male demon didn't look at or say anything to the two girls as he stalked towards the porch and walked out into the dusky night.

Wordlessly, the two girls settled down to eat their dinner, though both had lost any sort of appetite for it.

After washing the dishes from dinner, Vaggie retired to the loft room to lie down. There was still a tension emanating from her, along with a stressed discomfort that needed to be left alone. Charlie was at a loss for what should be done or who she should talk to. While the Bomber Girl was out of line in her tirade, she was right; she did know and understand Angel better than the rest of them. She had thought... no, she actually believed she had understood her subjects, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she didn't.

She had lived a sheltered existence. While she knew and could see for herself that the overpopulation of Pentagram City was a major problem. She could feel her subjects suffering and wondered if they were given an opportunity to apply themselves and let go of their sin, perhaps they could be accepted into Heaven. But the past couple of days had made her wonder if she was seeing things too simply. While sin was a choice, there were also other forces that facilitated it. Her shoulders slumped morosely as she hugged her arms around herself.

Pulling out her phone, she dialed her mother's number, seeking some guidance right now, someone who could tell her what she should do in this situation. The phone rang a couple of times, but as always, there was the familiar beep of her mother's voicemail.

"Hi Mom," Charlie said, trying to sound happy. "I'm sure Dad told you I'm at the mountain estate with friends. It's comfortable and quiet so far… we had a big storm today, so all of us were mostly resting and hanging out. Anyway, I know you're busy… but I was hoping I could talk to you. I really could use some reassurance about this project... maybe... there is something I haven't thought of."

She didn't notice the door to the porch had opened, and someone entered the room. "I could use someone to talk to about this… anyway, I'm going to let you go… have a good evening." Putting down her phone, the Blond Girl wrapped her arms around herself, feeling lost and alone. Why couldn't the sinners of Hell see she was trying to help them?

She gasped as she felt a hand lightly land on her shoulder. Looking behind her, she found Angel regarding her. He didn't smirk or give any smart-mouth remarks. It was like many of the other times when he had been more or less alone with her – a level of wanting to trust her, but not sure how to really respond or react to her. She could smell the rank tobacco of his cigarettes, which told her he had gone out to smoke one of them now that the storm had mostly abated.

"I was gonna make some coffee," he offered. "Ya interested in a cup?"

"Sure," Charlie said, giving him an appreciative smile. Angel made his way into the kitchen and busied himself with the coffee maker. The Hellborn Princess got up and made her way to the table to sit down. She regarded the early evening sky as the red tints deepened in tone and the first evening stars started to appear. She had known this world her whole life, never experienced anything other than this world.

While Hell was a realm of punishment for those who had committed various offenses in life, there was also so much good here. There were many things and possibilities that people failed to see because they preferred to sin rather than seek redemption. Alastor had straight up said he didn't believe in the mission of her hotel but had still offered to help for his own questionable reasons. And Angel… he had agreed to be involved in it after some discussion. Unlike Alastor, he had never directly said he didn't believe it, but he did hint that he wasn't sold on the hotel's mission.

There had been a small moment where he was intrigued by the possibility but lost interest when Vaggie had admitted that the concept of demons being redeemed was still an unproven theory. While she had been willing to look the other way about the turf war because Angel had only been helping someone he considered a friend. And the interview had already been going downhill even before his involvement in the turf war was featured on the news. Since then, his rude and obnoxious tendencies had become less problematic, particularly in the light of everything she had come to learn about him.

Now, it felt more like he didn't know how to really be around others. The only constants were Cherri and his pet pig. Even among the two of them, Nuggets was the only being he openly talked to about anything. Likely because the small pig was someone who he knew wouldn't judge or question him about who he is or the things he chose to do. While talking to everyone else, Angel was more guarded on what he chose to say, as though he figured those he had come to know and regard as friends were waiting for something to use against him or as a reason to want nothing to do with him. The Blond Princess couldn't imagine how lonely that must be for anyone.

Even the way he had regarded Cherri earlier, after she ran away in tears when he had intervened in her tirade. The way he watched her looked like it hurt him to come down on her like that, but at the same time, he didn't say or do anything to justify or apologize for the Bomber Girl's behavior.

"Are you…" Charlie cautiously asked, "Are you alright?" She noticed that Angel started a little at the question, causing the coffee cups he was pulling down to rattle slightly. It was likely something he wasn't used to people asking all that often.

"I'm okay," Angel said after a moment. He had seemed to become rather quiet after the exchange she had with Valentino, though that may have been mostly due to the storm brewing outside. When he had spoken to her before he had fainted, he had been snide, but that could be because he was in a weakened state, so he had opted to hide behind the mask of bravado he so often used out of irritation. It was one of his go-tos when it came to his insecurities.

This Angel was more like the Angel Dust she had seen softly crying in the car when he thought everyone else was asleep and he was alone. The darker of his mismatched eyes regarded her in a way that made him seem almost childlike, even though he was a fully grown man. There were notably still elements of childishness as well, much of it exposed through general immaturity, as though he was making up for lost time or had a desire to return to the innocence and freedom of being a child. But o"Here," Charlie offered gently. "Let me look at it." Standing up, she approached. Angel flinched slightly as her fingers lightly touched his face, revealing deep blue and violet bruising around the white-colored eye. Blood had built up under the eyelid and surrounding tissue around the socket, making the discolored flesh appear pouched and swollen. "There is a doctor on the premises. Would it be okay for me to call him in the morning? I want to be sure there isn't permanent damage."her times, he would reveal the lonely and scared little boy that hid beneath the brash obnoxiousness.

Coming from the kitchen, he placed down a couple of cups of coffee. The warm, rich aroma was soothing as she breathed in the scent of the drink. Before she took a sip of it, she noticed he brought a hand up to his blackened eye as though it was irritating him as he sat down.

"Here," Charlie offered gently. "Let me look at it." Standing up, she approached. Angel flinched slightly as her fingers lightly touched his face, revealing deep blue and violet bruising around the white-colored eye. Blood had built up under the eyelid and surrounding tissue around the socket, making the discolored flesh appear pouched and swollen. "There is a doctor on the premises. Would it be okay for me to call him in the morning? I want to be sure there isn't permanent damage."

"Ya think this is the first shiner Val's given me," Angel dismissed with a bitter laugh.

"I will take that as a 'no'," Charlie sighed as she moved away and sat down. Taking a sip of her coffee, she let her mind wander as she turned her gaze outside.

"When I came in," Angel inquired, "I gather ya were on a call with ya Mamma." Charlie noticed he said the word 'Mamma' with a slightly accented lilt to it, not the New Yorker twang he normally used. This sounded more melodic. Cherri had mentioned that Angel did speak Italian... and from what they were hearing downstairs, he was fluent enough to at least know what sounded like more than just a few cuss words.

"Yeah," Charlie answered, though she wondered how much of the call he actually overheard. "Mom was always someone I turned to when I needed advice on something. She isn't as available as she was when I was a kid due to her music career and being the Queen of Hell. So, I often get her voicemail, but I know she's glad to hear from me when she... gets to them. At least she was the only person who could listen to me. My dad cares about me, but he is the King of Hell, so he is always in meetings or conferences with the Sins, or one of the Ars Goetia, or the Overlords attending this function or that event. So, he doesn't really have the time to listen to me, and even when he does take the time to listen, he doesn't really consider it. For instance, my relationship with Vaggie. When he learned I had befriended someone, he responded to let me know he heard me, but he didn't inquire about who I had befriended or how I met them. It was only when I was interested in her as more than a friend that he wanted to meet her. Both my mom and dad liked her and trust her with me, but I think my dad assumes that I would grow tired of her over time."

Angel was only vaguely listening as echoes of his own father's words and criticisms flooded his mind.

"Hey, ya remember that hospital they had ya spend some time at? If ya keep pullin' this fag nonsense, I'll make sure they take ya to another one. Forget about Enzo and Molly findin' out where ya are 'cause they'll never lay eyes on ya again."

"I can't believe ya, Tony. I thought I had ya straightened out, and ya pull this crap. Now, thanks to you, the family is down one Capo... Celani showed promise, he had potential. But ya had to go and corrupt him with your twisted ways. Do ya even realize what this makes me look like? Huh? If this gets out, the other families are gonna think I can't handle my own crew, that I can't control my own family. If ya weren't my flesh and blood, I wouldn't have any problems with putting ya down right here and now."

"Angel... Angel," Charlie asked with concern. She noticed Angel seemed to have zoned out while she was talking.

"Sorry," Angel said, refocusing his attention on Charlie

"Are you feeling okay?" Charlie asked with concern. "You seem stressed.""

"Just a slight headache," Angel said. "Possibly a remainder of the storm wese had earlier."

"Maybe," Charlie responded. "Though you haven't really eaten that much today, that could be why you have a headache. We have some leftover potato soup from earlier. Would you be interested in a cup?"

"Can I axe ya somethin'?"Angel asked. His wording was surprisingly cautious, as though he knew the question would be loaded. "How did ya come to da idea dat demons can be redeemed?"Charlie didn't feel surprised at the question; perhaps she had always known Angel also didn't think it was possible that demons were redeemable. That didn't mean the question didn't hurt, because she had wanted to believe that someone could understand the difference she was trying to make. Vaggie was supportive, but even she would try to hint that redemption likely wouldn't be what she assumed it was.

"You don't believe in the hotel, do you?" Charlie asked, wiping away a tear from her eyes. Her tone wasn't accusatory, but she felt she should confirm what Angel was saying.

"Sorry, sweetie," Angel responded, his tone understanding that she was disappointed. Silence hung uncomfortably in the air. "I know that ain't what ya wanted to hear, but... I get dis is somethin' ya are wanting ta prove as possible. If I heard ya side of things, I could have some grasp of what is drivin' dis."

"I guess..." Charlie said after a time. "I guess I never really thought about why I believed demons could be redeemed. I mean... the Cleanses have been going on forever. And overpopulation has always been a problem. But the only solution is to indiscriminately slaughter numerous souls for no particular reason. If the exterminators just went after sinners and left the Hellborn alone, that's one thing. After all, there are various demons who are native to this world and don't know anything else. So that's punishing them for just existing."

"I can relate," Angel said in an almost wistful whisper. Charlie wasn't even sure Angel realized he had said anything.

"With the sinners..." Charlie said, "I think of them as my people because this is the world they have been sent to. I want to help them, to prove that I am someone who can assist them. I know they did things to wind up here... after all, Hell is supposed to be a place where the sinful go. But just because they have committed sins in life doesn't mean they are irredeemably evil. I am aware that there are sinners here in Hell who were horrible people in life and continue to be so in death, I am not disputing that. But, there are also people who have been sent here, good people, who made choices or were trapped in situations that led to their presence in Hell. And it's those individuals I feel should be given a second chance or at least a period of time to face some sort of punishment. Perhaps, once a year, they could be evaluated to see if they have become worthy of entering Heaven. I suppose this really was all just a crazy idea that no one thinks is possible. I was just hoping that maybe... someone could understand that all I was ever trying to do was what I felt was right for my subjects."

"For what it's worth," Angel said after a moment. "If ya don't come up with nutty, off-the-wall ideas, ya ain't ever gonna discover nothin'. The problem is, people ain't so keen on entertainin' crazy notions 'cause they ruffle the feathers of the established thinkin' or reveal the cracks in someone's worldview. The real challenge ain't convincin' others to hop on board with yer nutty idea, it's showin' 'em why it's worth followin' in the first place. Maybe the idea of redemption ain't all that bad; you might be onto somethin' important here. But folks ain't so quick to embrace it 'cause, well... it sounds like a loony tune, and that means changin' what's been cozy for 'em so far. Ya got passion to get this goin', but ya need some hard evidence to prove it's possible. Without that, people might just think ya got a racket goin'."

"I guess so," Charlie said, heaving a distressed sigh before finishing her coffee. "My dad was right when he said I don't know what I'm doing. I always thought sinning was a choice, but after today... I'm not so sure. I thought I had understood my subjects, maybe... maybe I never actually did." Angel stood up, moving closer to her, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Here," Angel said calmly. Cautiously, Charlie looked up at the taller demon. The pain and frustration were evident in her eyes. "Listen up, Charlie Morningstar, right here and right now. You ain't nothin' like your old man... and don't you dare let nobody tell you otherwise." One hand cupped her face as he brushed away unshed tears from her eyes. He offered a gentle smile towards her. Startled, she lurched into his arms, resting her head against the fluff of his chest as she gave in to her tears, releasing all the pent-up frustration she felt at how her hotel wasn't working out as she hoped it would. And also, the knowledge of everything that Angel had been facing for who knew how long. How she wished she had thought of this sooner, maybe found him sooner.

Two sets of arms awkwardly wrapped around her, and despite being crass and mean at times, Angel could actually be rather caring when he wanted to be. Was this what it was like to have a brother? She had never had siblings, so she never knew what it was like to grow up with someone who knew you better than anyone else.

"Thanks for talkin' to me, Sweet Cheeks," Angel said as he ended the hug and started for the stairs to the bottom floor. Strangely, he wished it could have continued; there was just something about Charlie that reminded him of his twin sister. Her absence made the whole thing feel more painful than comforting, but he knew if he had to listen to Charlie any further, he would break down, and he couldn't do that. "I'm gonna go take a shower..."

"Angel, wait..." Charlie said. She didn't wrap her arms around him, but she did grab a hold of the top he was wearing. He waited awkwardly for her to say something or do whatever.

"You, uh..." Angel pressed, "Ya needed something?"

"Just so someone says it... I'm sorry," Charlie stated. Angel blinked, confused by the statement. She hadn't done anything to hurt him, so what was she apologizing to him for?

"Come again?" Angel asked, seeking clarification. He was still unsure about the reason behind her apology.

"I'm sorry for everything Valentino and whoever else has done to hurt you," Charlie said. "You may not have been a good person, but you couldn't have been bad enough to deserve everything that has happened. You have suffered enough and been alone for too long... so if no one ever says it... please know I am sorry for everything you have endured." The Blond Girl let go of the Spider's shirt and moved away to clean up the coffee cups. Angel watched her briefly, the brow of his darker eye assessing if there was something questionable. Finding nothing, he turned and headed down the stairs to his room.

"Grazie, Charlie" (Thanks, Charlie), Angel softly whispered to himself as a single tear slipped from his damaged eye and drifted down his cheek unhindered.