They raced through the Pride Ring, focused completely on getting to Alastor's radio tower. It was still sitting at the base of the hill where it had fallen years ago during the last Extermination from four years ago. They hadn't gotten rid of it; they thought it would be in memoriam of Alastor, then they simply didn't bother once he appeared again. It was his safe space, his hideaway. Even now, sometimes he went there to think about things.

As they got closer to the hotel, they could hear the sound of twisting metal and breaking glass. It sounded like something was being torn to pieces.

"What in the world do you think that is?" Vaggie said before the crackling static of the Pride Ring's radio speakers blared so loud that it shook the ground. They both stumbled but kept their pace up.

"ATTenTION HELL," Alastor's voice boomed. His voice was twisting, sputtering, like he was speaking through three different soundwaves all fighting to be the main noise. The growl Charlie heard in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. "Youuuuuu ALL of You! The TRULY DAMNED! Damn damn DAMN YOU ALLLLLL!"

It sounded very unlike Alastor. Unhinged and spouting whatever words came to his head instead of well-measured statements and wording. Charlie frowned; had they pushed him too hard? Was his vulnerability too much for him to handle?

"Charlie!" Vaggie held out a hand. Charlie knew what she meant and grabbed her arm up to the mid-forearm. Wings burst from Vaggie's back as she took flight and made directly for the hotel.

"You all think I'm WEAK. A SLAVE to my EMotIOnS! I DO NOT HAVE EMOTIONS. IIIIIIII am OnLY a manipulator. I am innnnnnn CONtrol! It's ALL part of MY PLAN! ALL OF IT!" The desperation in his voice completely contradicted his words. "You will PAY!"

Charlie wasn't sure whether he meant 'you' in general or 'you' as in herself and Vaggie. It sounded like he meant it. Then again, at the moment he wasn't in his right mind. It was likely he was too out-of-control to mean anything he was saying.

"Charlie! I see him!" Vaggie called down to her. "I know what that noise was now!"

Charlie watched the horizon as the buildings gave way to the hill where the hotel was situated. She finally saw what Vaggie saw. She said quietly, "Oh."

Behind the hotel was Alastor. He was ENORMOUS, tall enough to match the hotel even being at the base of the hill. His body was entirely consumed by his shadows. His radio tower was crunched around him as he screeched his message into the tiny microphone. The tower was twisted like a strange type of costume. His eyes were the same black with dials as it normally was when he transformed, but unlike normal the dials were spinning rapidly. He wasn't minding the metal or glass; he was completely consumed by his message.

"I WILL-" his gaze shot over to them. Green threads were stitching their way around his body, across his mouth, tying his fingers together. He snarled, "YOU! HOW DARE YOU! DOING THIS TO MEEEEEEE!"

He didn't mind anything as he tore free of the radio tower. It fell to pieces around him as his attention was diverted to Vaggie and Charlie. He began winding his way around the hotel towards them.

A single-minded focus.

"Cucumber!" Vaggie cried as she dropped Charlie on the ground. Charlie almost didn't listen; they needed to calm Alastor down! It wasn't until Alastor's tentacles started reaching for them, green sparks of magic flying wildly from them, that Charlie nodded. Vaggie could do a better job dodging. It was possible that she could tire him out to the point where he was too exhausted to keep going.

The problem was, where did she go?

Alastor reached out to destroy part of the hotel.

Ching!

The golden threads and collar suddenly appeared just before he touched the hotel. He snarled, straining, then finally gave up as he instead took an extra step to make up for not touching the hotel. Once he gave up the threads and collar vanished. For some reason, the threads weren't letting him possibly damage the hotel. Which meant the hotel was safe.

Charlie raced for the hotel as Vaggie summoned her spear to direct his attention away from her. Alastor reached for Charlie, to which Vaggie answered with a spin of her spear. It knocked him off-kilter enough that Charlie was able to make it in. Charlie noted that she did it with the flat side of her spear.

Everyone was in the foyer, obviously frightened.

"What's going on?!" Tom shouted, sparing a breath before he resumed breathing into a bag.

"Alastor promised not to eat any of us, right?! So that means we're safe!"

"Does he look like he remembers that?!" snapped a shark demon. "I say we have a last stand!"

"No no, it's fine!" Charlie tried to calm them down. "Alastor is leaving the hotel alone! You're safe here!"

Most calmed down with her exclamations. They trusted her.

Trust. How much trouble did Alastor have trusting people? His dad left him, he thought he was being a good societal killer when he was a child, then his mother murdered him… When was the last time he felt he could trust anyone?

Charlie's brow furrowed. She had to show him that she and Vaggie trusted him. That he, in turn, could trust them. But…how could she show that when he was out of control? Out of his own mind? How could she share her feelings for him, for Vaggie; her loved ones who needed to know how much she loved them.

She closed her eyes and sighed. The dreaded 'L' word. She'd been questioning if she loved Alastor because it wasn't the exact same as she felt for Vaggie. As she'd realized recently, that was because Alastor wasn't Vaggie. She loved Vaggie for her kindness, her dedication to Charlie, her beautiful soul. Alastor…she loved his hidden soft side. His protectiveness. How he went on when many would have given up. His fear of emotions, of trust, and the fact that Charlie and Vaggie were privileged with seeing that side of him.

Then, an epiphany. She knew what to do to help him calm down, to show that trust.

Charlie raced for the stairs intent on the penthouse. The tv blared, "And now to our 666 Hell-ocopter! Fuckbucket, what do you see?" "A bitch! Shit, is the camera even working?!" before Tom Trench turned it off with prejudice as Charlie lost sight of the foyer.

Once in the penthouse, she ran for the bedroom. The singe and ash was gone, leaving behind the destroyed facade of the rooms. Charlie dug through the piles of clothes that they had at the moment and began getting ready.

She needed to be herself. Authentic. True to form. Something Alastor would, could appreciate. He did always say he appreciated her quirkiness. Didn't he mention during the talk with her dad how he thought Charlie could take him on? That…

Charlie made the finishing touches before she went to the door to the balcony. Her horns and tail came out, her eyes shifted red as she adjusted the dress on her form. The same blaze that had been in her breast that had burned down the penthouse was still there. She started letting that loose as she walked out.

She could hear the reporters from where they were flying high above. "Is that Princess Charlie?" asked a cameraman.

"In that fuckin' ugly pink poof of a ballgown? Eh, we've seen weirder from her. Maybe she's sacrificing herself?" suggested the news anchor watching her walk out on the balcony.

She ignored them. Her only focus was Vaggie and Alastor. Her loved ones.

Charlie started singing.

You've been through so much

We've come to love your touch

It's a hesitant, earned reward

That's always struck a chord

Vaggie and Alastor had both paused in their weaving fight, Vaggie with understanding and Alastor with confusion followed by a grimace and a snarl of, "Yooouuuuuu…"

The fire in Charlie's chest grew. This time, it was controllable, not a wretched overheating mess that it was before. She let it grow, let it flow out and around her. It didn't burn her clothes this time even with the same feeling of being trapped encompassing her. Vaggie joined her on the next chorus, providing a heavenly echo that intensified the song.

We know you're more than this

A gentleman who admits

When someone he adores

Helps him open his doors

You're our partner to the end

Whose life we want to mend

The past we will upend

And show you your true self

Hidden behind those shadows

and masquerades

A lonely soul that evades

Any kind touch or care

Alastor was flinching back. He was covering himself with his tentacles and hands, desperately trying to block out the sound of them singing.

Charlie didn't know how she knew but she did. The flames focused on her back, butterfly wings forming from the massing fire. She took flight, pulling Vaggie along with her until they were on opposite sides of Alastor.

We want to know who you are

Under the mask of tar

and hate

This thing isn't you

We know it to be true

The little we have gleaned

Of the boy from the bayou

Has shown us there is something

special there

A man who yearns to

reach out and share

The load

"Stooooppppp it!" Alastor growled, the shadows tightening so much that they were simply one big black lump.

Charlie and Vaggie both reached out. The shadows burned away from the light and flame as they closed in the middle. They were both able to grab an arm, a solid demon's arm, and began pulling him free.

Come with us and see

The thing you try to be

Isn't you at all

You're our partner

Our groom

Our love

Please heed our voices

Alastor

The shadows receded, vanishing into the grounds around them. Alastor's head was limp as he simply let them carry him to the ground. His cane hit the ground beside them, by some miracle intact. He was shivering. Charlie didn't understand why until she saw his face.

As before, his smile was mostly gone. He looked like he was in pain. His eyes were closed even with the thin smile on his face. No one but Charlie and Vaggie could see the tears at the edges of his eyes. He opened his eyes and glanced up at them.

"Seems to be another bit of an emotional moment," he quipped weakly.

"Certainly does," Vaggie answered with a smile.

Charlie hugged Alastor, followed quickly by Vaggie. She murmured, "I did promise not to kiss you again. Didn't say anything about a hug!"

A tired laugh was followed by, "Ah, the technical type of correct." Charlie and Vaggie froze as Alastor hugged them back, barely but it was still there. "I-HNK!"

Ching!

Again, the collar and strings appeared and held him tight. His arms were forced away from them as he was held up like he was on a cross. Again, his lips were pulled taut, the strings cutting into him wherever they touched.

Charlie felt the blaze in her chest rising again. Her anger was starting to billow out of control at the idea that someone had specified in a deal with him not to show his emotions?! That he had to always smile and hide himself even more than he already did!?

"I-i-it's okay, my dears," Alastor gasped through the cords holding his jaws and mouth in place.

"It is NOT OKAY!" Charlie screamed, slashing at the nearest strings with her flaming claws.

They let out an ominous ting! like a demented harp before several of them snapped. Charlie freed Alastor's right arm with her attack. She let out a breath of surprise as she then began targeting the rest of them.

Shing!

Charlie's face twisted to horror as the strings on his left arm tightened to the point of cutting his arm off and into several pieces. Alastor barely gasped in pain, covering his reactions as he normally did. Vaggie tried to pick the pieces up as they fell and exclaimed, "He's a Sinner. He'll regrow his arm, right?!"

Charlie was gaping, frozen in shock at the scene in front of her. Alastor was still a hostage, the strings tightening threateningly against his body and the collar bending his neck back. She could break him free of the rest of the strings…but what about the collar? Would it wrench his neck until it tore clean from his body?

She couldn't risk it.

Just as Charlie had pulled away, trying not to hurt him further, the strings and collar vanished. Alastor collapsed on them, shadows and blood leaking out of where his arm used to be. Before Charlie could manage to gather herself enough to even apologize, Alastor did his best to hug the both of them again out of some form of desperation, this time with the same manic smile that he wore the last time the strings appeared.

"You make me want to care about something," he said quietly even with the expression on his face looking rictus. Charlie tore her dress apart and started helping Vaggie try to dress the wound with what little arm was left. "I believe you've made a good case that it should be you two."

"Awwww." Charlie's eyes glittered as Vaggie finished tying things off to stem the flow of blood.

"...what now?" Vaggie asked. She was clearly as exhausted as Alastor was. Charlie could feel her own strength ebbing as the rage emptied from her gut. And Alastor…

Alastor had one eye turned black as he suddenly lashed out with a few shadow tentacles. He tore the helicopter into pieces and tossed the passengers off into the middle of the city. Then he simply said, "We go home."