Disclaimer: Yep. Or… nope? Yeah nah, I still don't own the Hazbin Hotel. And yes, I'll keep mentioning it as long as I can make it funny. So… yeah. I'll give that a shot next time.


Behind those blanks of wood…

"I cannot believe you shot our first guest!"

This had been a long time coming. While Charlie had tiptoed around the topic for a couple days, she had to confront Alastor eventually. So, while she, Alastor and Vaggie were planning out the proceedings of the hotel, it happened. The argument had started slowly, aroused by Charlie as she got increasingly bothered by Alastor's nonchalance. Ultimately, she ended barking up at everyone alongside Alastor.

As she voiced her latest and most coherent disapproval, Charlie turned away from Alastor.

They were in one of the smaller, more normal-ish office rooms of the Hotel. With a rectangle shape, one end of the room held the door, while the other end exhibited one big window with an artistic glass design. Of the lengthy walls, one was entirely covered by cabinets while the other had multiple bulletin boards along it. Under the boards was a single, long table.

Pacing further away from the Radio Demon, Charlie took a moment to gather her thoughts. The cabinets, the table, the boards, even some of the floor was covered in papers. Aside from some random bureaucracy, most of them were about the plans, her plans for redeeming her people. Paying mind to them only made Charlie feel worse. As if she hadn't even begun and yet already failed her cause.

Now facing the door she had walked up to, she stopped her pacing and took a deep, shaking breath. She couldn't let herself spiral. Not again. She had to focus on the problem at hand. And so she did.

Turning back, Charlie locked eyes with 'the problem'. Alastor was at the window, facing her and everstill wearing that broad Hollywood smile and lidded eyes. As if the last exchange of words hadn't occurred.

"You cannot murder our guests." Charlie firmly governed him. Then, with sturdier steps, she began approaching Alastor. "No matter what context you throw at it, you can't."

Their gazes stayed locked through the walk, though hers was more of a glare. Coming right in front of the Radio Demon, she stopped. As the staring contest proceeded, Charlie could catch a glimpse of the enormous pentagram outside. It shone brightly, casting rays of red light through the glass. Charlie thought it gave the already sinister demon quite the ghastly appearance.

Another set of tense seconds passed. Eventually the grinning demon responded, all the while staring straight at her.

"I see." Alastor said smoothly.

Charlie, once again, was not pleased with his unopposed demeanor. While she suspected he was doing it with intention to rile her up, she hardly felt like caring.

"I don't think you do." She recited with the most serious tone she could muster. Arms flailing, she did her best to express her point. "You don't seem to take a murder seriously! You didn't have a reason for it, you don't apologize about it. Even when you know it goes against everyth-"

"Eeeh, Miss Charlie?" A young voice came from the now ajar door. It was Niffty. "I've cleaned everything, is there anything else I shoul-"

"AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS," Charlie yelled, rotating and targeting her wrath on the door. "Could everyone just stop interrupting!"

Charlie didn't have to tell the intruder twice. However, as Niffty was closing the door, Alastor stopped her.

"Oh, Niffty" The Radio Demon called out. The girl's head appeared once again through the gap. "Could you check on the food? I'd hate to have our dinner burned."

With her natural exuberant mood resurfacing, Niffty nodded and took off, leaving the pair alone.

Charlie was still ill-tempered. Turning back towards the window, she wanted to resume the previous discussion. Instead, she came face to face with an eccentric smile. With his back bent forward, Alastor and Charlie were on the same level of height.

"You're saying I can't harm our guests, but you can be as rude to them as you want?" With a complacent impression, Alastor straightened back up. "Really isn't fitting for you, you know." He stated while raising one hand and flicking at one of Charlie's horns with a finger.

Charlie hadn't even realized her horns were out. Either way, getting one flicked didn't make her any happier. In fact, she found it difficult to form a cohesive response in the midst of her heated mumbling.

The Radio Demon took a second to view the slightly more demonic princess before sauntering past her. "I can see you're taking a moment to word out your argument" He said absentmindedly. Stopping next to the long table, Alastor continued while sorting through some of the papers. "Do take your time. I think neither of us would enjoy re-acting the already used thread of discussion."

Charlie had stopped her mumbling. Her anger wasn't mollified though. It was focused. Finding that she agreed with the last of Alastor's sentences, she decided to go straight for the conclusion. With complete silence from her, Charlie turned, once again, towards 'the problem'.

"I cannot let you kill our guests." She said with finality while crossing her arms. "And since you already have, I need to make sure that you won't do it again."

Settling the papers back onto the table, it was Alastor's turn to pivot towards Charlie. "So, how would you like to do that?" With hands behind his back, the Radio Demon smiled politely. "Since, judging by your earlier accusations, you probably want more than my word for it."

While annoyed, Charlie now knew better than to follow that 'accusations' line. With a deep breath, she made up her mind.

"I want to make a deal."

This was certainly something Alastor liked to hear. "Splendid idea!" He complimented, his features lightening up. Taking a couple steps towards Charlie, he stopped just a handshake's distance away from her.

With a noticeably lower level of static but with no less vigor, he addressed her. "Please, do go on."

With only a sliver of hesitance, Charlie laid out the terms. "You cannot kill our guests, directly or indirectly." Pointing a finger at him, she elaborated. "That means you won't be shooting anyone and you can't restrain them from basic needs like food." She paused for a second to think. "And hiring others to do the dirty work is also off limits." She if anyone knew that the devil was in the details.

"Oh Charlie." The Radio Demon laughed, his head shooting up. "Don't worry, I'm not one to let someone else conduct my business." After Charlie was done visibly judging this comment, Alastor posed a question. "So, what do I get?"

"I won't throw you off the project" Came the swift reply.

"Oh" Alastor said calmly, his eyebrow shooting up. He was still smiling, though without teeth. "I thought we were making a deal."

"We are." Charlie responded, standing her ground with a tighter set of crossed arms. "And you will agree to it or you will be thrown out of this establishment."

Charlie was actually surprised by her own ultimatum but felt like she couldn't back down now. This had to be done so the hotel could work.

After another intense moment of locked eyes, Alastor gave his answer.

"No"

Charlie felt like that response knocked the wind out of her. "Wh-hat?" She asked surprised, her steady resolve faltering for a moment. She realized she had been holding her breath.

Alastor chuckled. "Darling, you can't possibly expect me to take such a deal." Leaning on the table with one hand, he expanded on his take on the bargain. "I feel like you're forgetting that I am a reasonable businessman. One that has come here to help you and one that you told could 'help with this hotel as long as he desired'." With a snap of his fingers, a slightly static dubbed version of Charlie's voice chimed around the office, reciting those exact words. While it went on, Alastor's smile took on a somewhat playful expression. "Also," He said after the voice was gone. "You see me as one of the guests to be redeemed so throwing me out goes against quite a bit of… everything."

This did give Charlie a pause. Before she could reply and get a word in however, Alastor was already blazing onward.

"Now," Putting his weight back on his two legs, the Radio Demon began pacing around the princess in semicircle. "Of course I could call your bluff…" He stated, after which he stopped and leaned closer to her, adding: "Which, by the way, you should work on." Alastor's toothy grin returned at the sight of Charlie's menacing pout. Starting his pacing again, he resumed his line of thought. "But I'd rather give you a fair trade so we can avoid all that." He came to stop, having the window again to his back.

Charlie had followed his movement and was taking in everything he said. Admittedly, she was disappointed with herself for folding and losing her bluff in a single moment of faltering confidence. She wasn't even sure it was a bluff when she decided to double-down on it but either way, it didn't work. Not that she doubted her ability to take on the overlord, but rather if it was something she felt was right. And, listening to what he said, it didn't feel like it was.

Coming back from her thoughts, Charlie found herself staring at Alastor. He had his hands behind his back, like usual, and was looking at her with an expectant grin. After a moment she realized he was waiting for her response. Gathering herself with a sigh, Charlie gave her response.

"Let's hear it then."

The Radio Demon's grin widened, obviously pleased with the situation. He then started pacing the same semicircle around Charlie, though he took his time retracing his steps. "The terms you laid out stay the same," Alastor spoke while walking. He was staring forward, away from her. "I shall not perish a single soul that is a part of this project. Directly or indirectly" He added that last part before she could call it out. "However, how I treat people who are not officially in this program, will not be of your concern."

Reaching the table, Alastor rotated to face Charlie. She wore an expression of dubiousness and intrigue. "Is that it?" She asked, doubtful.

"Oh and I also want a favor." Alastor added with a sunshiny smile.

Charlie made an 'ah' face, after which she asked: "For what?"

"A rainy day."

A moment of silence occurred, something that hadn't happened in a little while.

"Right." Charlie finally said. After a few seconds of suspicious reviewing of the tall red demon, she came to a realization. "This wasn't just something off your head, was it." She said, though more as a not-too-surprised-statement than an accusation. "You've been planning this deal."

"Yes indeedy!" The Radio Demon admitted enthusiastically, his staff appearing in his hand for simple theatrics. When Charlie's face turned sour, Alastor spoke in a matter-of-fact way, head tilted though still amused. "Don't tell me you already forgot the deal I presented to you when I first arrived."

"That was a different deal." Charlie pointed out accusingly, her anger rising again at the concept of being treated like a fool. "That was you vaguely offering your services here, not a favor."

Head straightening back up, only to sway from side to side as Alastor considered it, he spoke. "Still, pretty much the same topic." Stopping the motion and then switching onto viewing his fingernails, he conceded. "Although, if you wanna nitpick about it, this deal is indeed better."

Charlie's flat, anti-exuberant look, spiced with exhaustion met Alastor's abundant, and joy-filled, smugness. After, of course, he was done with his fingernails.

After the moment had passed, Alastor's eyes lit up from their relaxed state. "So," He said, this time friendly while taking a step closer to Charlie, once again standing an arms length away. "Shall we shake on it?" Slightly bending forward, he offered his open hand.

Charlie took a glance at the offered palm after which she switched to a sideways stance, her hands balled up parallel to her hips. If she was going to agree, there were a few things she wanted to be clear on.

She raised her gaze to search Alastor's face for any deceit. "You promise, as your end of the deal, that you won't harm any occupants of this hotel?"

Keeping a steady face, and hand, the Radio Demon recited his side of the bargain. "I promise not to kill any official members of this establishment."

"No," Corrected Charlie, her arms going in afresh akimbo. "You will not harm anyone in this establishment."

"Don't expect me to handle them with silk gloves." Alastor replied with a chuckle, his back returning to its upright position, though his hand stayed presented. When his chuckle died away, he added with noticeably less static but an ever wider smile: "Because I won't."

Charlie didn't let it affect her though. However, she knew he'd be against that condition. If he wasn't, she'd expect him to go against it, to some degree at least.

"Fine." The princess acknowledged, her hands falling back to her sides. "But you are not allowed to cause any lasting injuries, like handicaps, broken bones and such." While talking, Charlie kept her gaze on the overlord, making sure her point got across. "Nor will you pester anyone with continuous pain, or we'll have another talk like this one." She finished sternly.

The Radio Demon stared at her, smiling while still wielding a tense air about him. After a moment though he seemed to relax.

"Fair enough." Alastor replied. He then leaned back towards Charlie, easing his smile into a more pleasant one. "And you won't interfere with my business with people independent of our Hotel?"

"I won't." Answered Charlie, glad to get an agreement out him but still feeling a little hesitant about the deal as a whole.

"And of course, you'll owe me one." Alastor reminded her, now happily. Seeing as Charlie didn't dispute it, the Radio Demon pushed his still offered hand further into Charlie's personal space. "So," He said, his voice lowering to an appealing degree. "It's a deal then?" A green light appeared, illuminating from his palm and overtaking the reddish color shining into the room from the world outside.

Charlie looked at the lit up hand that she had once already refused. She thought back on Vaggie, how she had been worried about her making such a deal. It made Charlie even more hesitant, unsure of if this would be the right way to go about it. However, that made her think back on the things that had brought on this deal. The murder of the guest, caused by her unwillingness to sternly guide her guests and co-workers on the rules. She wasn't looking to dictate as resurrection was only possible from effort they put out themselves but murder had to be prevented.

Coming to a decision, Charlie's face hardened. With a confident motion, she brought out her hand and laid it onto the offered one, grasping it.

"It's a deal."

The green light flashed brightly on the moment of contact, after which it vanished. The enormous pentagram made sure the space was quickly filled with red, as it once was.


Author's notes: Fuck me, this one took awhile.

Really though, definitely the hardest one to type yet. Which, with it being the third chapter I've ever written, not a grand scale to top. Still, doesn't make it any less true. Lemme know how it went.

Now, this chapter was actually supposed to cover a bit more but since it's already quite long, I'll have the next one cover the rest. Didn't really seem right to connect the rest of the day to this stage of heated conversation. Anyway, stay tuned fellas :).