AN: Whoo, this one's a doozy. It ended up getting away from me and the third POV I was planning for this chapter is now going to be added to the next. You'll probably be able to figure out who it is by the ending of this so I hope you look forward to it :)
Disclaimer: Nope I don't own any of Hazbin Hotel. That right is reserved solely for Vivienne Medrano.
It had been several tense minutes since Angel Dust had called out to an unseen person and stepped out of view. In that time, Vox had managed to catch a few words here and there but not enough to string together anything coherent. It was frustrating! Clearly the princess and her friends had shown up, judging by the multitude of voices he could hear through the rubble, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Were they planning on helping or not? Well, for now, he'd simply have to trust them. As loath as he was to do so, he didn't have much choice in the matter seeing as Alastor was still unconscious and his condition was steadily growing worse. In the time it would take to dig them out on his own, his friend most likely succumb to his injuries and pass away.
Scooting back to Alastor's side, he removed a glove and placed the back of his hand against the other demon's forehead. Damn, the fever was getting higher! Taking a closer look, he could see that Al was sweating profusely even as he violently shivered. It was worrying and he had no way of helping ease the other's pain. Vox had never felt as useless as he did at that moment. What's the point of being a powerful overlord if you can't help the people you care about when they need you most? Sure this is Hell, but even so, it shouldn't mean you have to spend your life alone.
"Hello, Mr. Vox?" A female voice suddenly called, breaking him from his thoughts. He figured it must be the princess. "Can I speak with you?"
He swiftly replaced his glove, clenching his hands into fists as he took a calming breath.
"Give me a minute." He replied, raising his voice slightly to be heard above ground. "I'll be right there."
Then he turned back to his fallen friend, concern bubbling within him as he leaned closer, speaking lowly so no one else would hear.
"You're not allowed to die, you got that? Not now that help has finally arrived." He grumbled, voice rough as he tried to hold back the emotions swirling in his heart. "Remember our deal? Well, guess what fucker? I'm not letting you take the easy way out, you're gonna stick it out to the end. You hear me, Alastor?"
He paused, reaching out to take hold of the other's hand. The blue sinner knew of Alastor's touch aversion but it hadn't applied to him in years. They'd grown close enough that the deer felt safe with casual touches such as this. Vox would never admit it, but he'd been overjoyed when they'd reached that point in their friendship.
"We're in this shit together, so you'd better hold on, okay? " He continued, voice softer than before. "We'll escape this place and get you fixed up good as new, I promise. So please, don't give up."
A couple tears escaped his eyes, sliding down his screen to land on their joined hands. When he'd woken up this morning, Vox had never imagined how stressful it would be. He'd known the extermination was set to happen. He'd known that Alastor planned to fight. But he'd never, in a million years, thought his friend would lose. Al was the Radio Demon, the strongest sinner that had ever appeared in Hell, at least to his knowledge. He'd looked up to him even before the other demon had unwittingly saved his life in that alley all those years ago. Then he'd actually met the guy, gotten to know him, and he'd changed from an idol to a friend far quicker than Vox would have thought possible.
Rising to his feet, he quickly wiped the moisture from his face before moving over to the opening where he knew the Princess of Hell awaited. His thoughts still stuck on the day's earlier events. He'd been looking forward to watching Al wipe the floor with those fucking exorcists and things had seemed to be going so well at first. Alastor's shield had done its job, dividing the angel forces into manageable groups that were able to be picked off with relative ease. Then Adam had decided to fuck everything up and broke Al's spell with a single punch, forcing Vox to watch as his world crumbled around him. The overlord mentally shook himself. There was no use in reliving what had happened, it wouldn't change a thing. Instead, he would focus on the present. Hopefully he could work together with the members of the Hazbin Hotel without any further trouble, though, judging by his interactions with Angel Dust, he wasn't so sure that would happen.
"What can I do for you, princess?" He asked at last, peering up through the hole he'd made and subtly taking in what little he could of the group gathered on the surface. "Finally decided to help me get Al out of this mess?"
He knew he was being petty, but they'd taken their damn time discussing things that he was unable to hear. All the while, Alastor had been lying here in what could quite easily become his tomb, so you'll have to forgive him if he's a little salty about it.
"Please, call me Charlie. I'm so sorry that took so long, I just wanted to figure out the best course of action so that we can get you both out of there safely." The girl said, obviously trying to reassure him, so he gave her a small smile. "I talked to Angel Dust and he informed me of the situation. Is there anything I can do for you before we start working? Anything that would be of help to either you or Alastor?"
Jeez, Al wasn't kidding when he'd said the princess was too kind for her own good and he could feel his anger at her melting away. She truly did just want to help, it seemed. When his friend had told him about the girl he'd been skeptical, to say the least. There was no way someone so pure could exist in this hellscape. Well, guess he was being proven wrong now. He'd bet Alastor would get a kick out of this if he were awake.
"Charlie, could I get some cold water and a clean cloth?" He asked, not allowing his pride to get in the way of accepting help. "Al's got a bad fever. Whatever that damn angel's weapon did to him is fucking with his system. I can't do much from here to help you guys but if I can get that under control maybe he'll stand a better chance of surviving this shitty situation."
He watched the princess's breath stutter as she shot a glance passed him at the fallen demon, her eyes growing wide as she caught her first glimpse of him. It was clear she was trying to hide her emotions behind a mask of professionalism, but he could see them reflected in her expressive eyes. Fear, worry, concern, all feelings he himself had been feeling for the majority of the day and all aimed at the demon behind him. It made him feel slightly better that someone besides him so obviously cared for his friend and he had to hand it to her, even though he could read her like a book, the princess was keeping her cool rather well in such a stressful situation.
"I'll have someone bring that right away, Mr. Vox," the woman said at last, tearing her gaze away from the Radio Demon's prone form.
"Just Vox is fine." He muttered, giving her a nod of acknowledgment.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
Charlie smiled at the overlord, it was clear he was worried out of his mind. She could see it on his face no matter how he tried to hide it. She'd been concerned, she'll readily admit it. Back when Angel had first told them that the TV Demon was with Alastor, she'd been afraid that it was for a nefarious purpose. Even she'd heard of the rivalry between the two overlords. They were infamous. Any time they happened to meet they seemed to end up in a fight, either verbal or physical. Had that all been a ruse? A clever distraction to hide the fact that they were friends? It would appear so, as looking at the demon before her, she could see no hint of lingering animosity in his eyes, simply the fear of losing someone he loved.
"Okay, Vox, hold on for one moment." She spoke once more, quickly brushing a few loose strands of hair from her face before calling for someone behind her to grab the requested items.
"Sure," the other muttered in return and they both fell silent.
Charlie couldn't deny that the little she'd seen of Alastor sparked a growing fear in her chest. Angel had told them it was bad but she hadn't truly understood just how serious it was until she'd seen him with her own eyes. Her business partner looked to be on death's door and she was frightened they wouldn't be able to get him out in time to save his life. It was hard to see in the dim lighting of the hole but he looked to be covered in blood and dust. It was clear that Vox had done what he could to treat him with what little he had available but would it be enough? She had to hope it would be. For now, all they could do was work on getting the two unburied.
A clawed hand landing on her shoulder startled her from her thoughts and she glanced up to see Husk holding a bottle of water and clean towel, worry etched on his face as clearly as it was on Vox's. Luckily for them, both items would fit through the small opening with ease. Taking said items with a grateful smile, she watched as the bartender backed off once more to stand with the rest of their friends.
"Here, I hope this helps." The female demon said, carefully dropping the items into Vox's waiting hands before speaking once more. "Unfortunately, we can't use magic to get you out, it's too dangerous. The ground is horribly unstable and it would be nearly impossible to safely move it in one go. If we tried that we'd be risking a collapse, so we'll have to dig you out the old-fashioned way."
"That figures..." The TV Demon sighed, not surprised in the slightest. "There's no way we'd get fucking lucky enough for it to be a simple fix."
Charlie huffed a laugh, she could appreciate his annoyance, after all, she felt the same. It would have been so much quicker if they could have used her father's magic but it was just too hazardous to do so.
"We're going to try and come in from this direction, working our way down at an angle while leaving some columns for support." She informed the other of their plan. "I want to you get Alastor as far away from this side as possible in case anything goes wrong. If it looks like the ceiling is about to cave, shout out a warning as loudly as you can. We don't want to risk either of your guys' safety."
She waited for his confirmation, watching for a moment as the overlord scooted back over to the other sinner's side and gently moved him further into the opening until they were situated against the far wall. Then she gathered her fraying nerves together and stood to face her friends and family.
"Alright," She commanded, voice firm in its resolve. "You all know the plan so let's get digging!"
Everyone broke into a flurry of action at her words, shovels and buckets swiftly being passed out as they got to work. She was quick to join them, working beside Vaggie, when a movement drew her attention. Charlie turned, seeing her dad come to a stop beside her with a troubled look on his face.
"Are you sure you don't want me to just use my magic?" He asked, watching the slow progress unfold before them. "It would go much quicker and be safer for you."
"No, I don't," she huffed, slightly frustrated. "Dad, we already discussed this, it's too risky. Your magic could cause a cave-in! Even one mistake on your part could bury Alastor and Vox alive."
It annoyed her greatly that her father was part of the reason it took so long to get this operation underway. He had delayed them for nearly half an hour while they'd been planning the correct course of action they should take to free the trapped overlords. Lucifer had been adamant that it was too dangerous for her to attempt this rescue, saying she shouldn't risk her life on account of a sinner such as Alastor. His only thought was for her safety, no one else's, and she'd normally appreciate such a sentiment... but not at the cost of her friend's life! Was he so blinded by his feud with the Radio Demon that he didn't care if the other died? It hurt her to know he felt so little care towards the life of someone she held dear.
"You can either help us, or you can leave," she growled out between clenched teeth, refusing to look at him as she resumed digging where she'd left off. "Either way, we don't have time to stand here bickering."
The Princess of Hell heard a weary sigh before another shovel appeared beside her own. She smiled softly, maybe he cared more than she'd originally assumed. Doubling her efforts, Charlie settled in for the hard task before her.
It took several hours, ones she wasn't sure they had to spare, but they finally broke through to where the two overlords resided. As they went deeper into the rubble, the small group had formed a chain of sorts. Two people up front digging, filling buckets with the dirt and debris while the others behind them carried them out, being replaced by the next in line. When someone got too tired of digging, they switched to bucket duty. In this way, they cleared a path. Now, Charlie rushed forward with Vaggie close on her heels, the others backing off to give them room.
"Sure took your damn time," Vox muttered under his breath as the pair reached his side, though she could clearly hear it.
Judging by the angry hiss at her side, she knew her girlfriend had as well. Thankfully, the former exorcist kept quiet and Charlie was able to get her first proper look at Alastor since this whole ordeal began. She didn't like what she saw.
Alastor was currently unconscious just as Angel had described, head laying on Vox's lap as the other overlord rested with his back against the wall, the cloth she'd given him earlier sitting atop the red sinner's forehead. His breathing was quick, coming in sharp gasps as he panted from fever, though every once in a while it would stutter worryingly. The cut across his chest was inflamed and looked as if it had begun bleeding again at some point. Thankfully, it seemed to have stopped now and had most likely reopened when Vox was forced to move him. Taking a look at Alastor's face revealed that it was far more pale than it should be and, had it not been for the fact that he was breathing, she'd have thought him dead. His ears drooped listlessly against his head, hair soaked with sweat. But the worst part, in her opinion, was the lack of smile.
She remembered the conversation they'd had on the day he took her to meet Rosie. How he'd told her all the uses she never knew a smile could have. Now his face held nothing but a slightly pained expression and she found she couldn't bear the thought of never seeing his charming (and sometimes sadistic) grin ever again. It was so much a part of who Alastor was, so entwined with the person she'd come to call a friend, and it disturbed her greatly to see such an inherent part of him missing. Choking back a sob, she knelt at his side and placed her cool hand against his scalding cheek, gasping in shock at the heat radiating off him.
"We have to get him out of here as soon as possible." She expressed, fear causing her voice to quiver slightly.
"That's what I've been saying for most of the fucking day." Vox agreed, eyebrows knitting in concern even as he glared at her. "Maybe if you guys had gotten here quicker we wouldn't be in this mess."
The taller female didn't take his words to heart, she could tell he was simply hiding his own fear behind a mask of anger. Vaggie, on the other hand, was unable to stay silent any longer and huffed in offense.
"We worked as fast as we could, asshole." She sniped, mouth turned down in a frown. "Did you want us to risk bringing the roof down cause I don't see how that would have been any help to Alastor, or you for that matter."
"Vaggie," Charlie said, a clear warning in her voice as she laid a soothing hand on her partner's shoulder. "Now's not the time."
"Right," she replied, chagrined, turning to the TV overload. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"It's fine. It's obvious that we're all pretty tense right now and I was kind of an ass because of it, so apology accepted." The male demon conceded, turning away in embarrassment.
The princess smiled softly before her attention turned once more to the fallen demon before her.
"Okay then," Charlie spoke again, drawing the attention back to herself. "Vox? Do you think you can carry Alastor or are you too injured? Angel mentioned that you hit your head and arm when he was explaining things earlier."
The blue sinner took a few moments to contemplate her question. She watched as he moved his left shoulder around as if testing it. Besides a slight wince, the overlord didn't let any pain show and Charlie wondered if that was a trait shared by most high-powered demons or simply the ones she knew. Finally, he sighed, gazing at her in annoyance.
"It would probably be best to get some help." He admitted, her eyes widening at the unexpected show of humility. "My shoulder's pretty fucked and I might have a bit of a concussion, I've been slightly dizzy since I woke up after the collapse. I don't want to risk dropping Al just because I'm too stubborn to allow someone else to help."
"That's perfectly fine, there is nothing wrong with needing help every once in a while," she replied, hoping to soothe the other's injured pride. "I'm sure Angel or Husk wouldn't mind lending us a hand."
"It should be Husk." Vox agreed, knowing how must Al trusted the feline. "No offense but I don't want the spider near us after the shit he said earlier."
She nodded, not willing to argue at the moment with so much at stake.
"Alright, you wait here. I'm going to go grab Husk and make a quick phone call," the princess announced, a serious expression falling over her face. "Vaggie, stay here with them. Come get me if Alastor's condition worsens."
"Don't worry, I will," the other female replied and Charlie pressed a quick kiss to her head before making her way back to where the others waited impatiently on the surface.
"Gather round, everyone," she called as she exited the tunnel, catching the attention of her waiting friends and waving them over.
They moved quickly and were soon gathered around her in an anxious group, everyone asking questions over top of one another and she found herself unable to make any of them out.
"How's Smiles doin'?" Angel called, voice rising above the rest to the point where she could actually understand what was said.
He was quickly followed by Niffty's yell of, "Is he going to be okay?"
That caused the rest to quiet down as they awaited her answer. Taking a few steadying breaths, Charlie began explaining the current situation.
"He's still unconscious and has a bad fever, just as Angel said earlier." She replied, the sole focus of attention as everyone listened in watchful silence. "The gash across his chest reopened at some point but seems to have stopped bleeding for now. However, it appears to be infected and could very well be the reason for his spiking temperature. His breathing is also somewhat unstable. That could be due to the broken rib we were informed of or the fever, I'm not sure. All I can tell you right now is that he's very weak. We won't know much else until we get him somewhere safe where we can do a proper examination."
There were concerned murmurs as her friends broke apart and began discussing what they'd just heard. Charlie, seeing an opportunity, took a few seconds to simply breathe. She was so tired, exhaustion filling her entire being. All she wanted right now was for her friend to be okay. No, that wasn't true. Yes, she wanted Alastor to get better but it wasn't the only thing she wanted. She wanted her other friend to be alive. She wanted her hotel to still be standing. She wanted this day to have never happened in the first place. Charlie realized at that moment that she wanted a lot of things she couldn't have. Hopefully, this wasn't one of them. If Alastor didn't recover, if he died... she didn't know what she'd do.
"Are you alright?" Her dad's voice asked, snapping her back to reality as he placed a warm hand on her arm, effectively grounding her in the present.
She nodded, allowing herself to lean into him for a brief moment before pulling away.
"I'm fine, Dad, just tired." The Princess of Hell expressed, a sad smile appearing as she met his gaze.
She could tell he didn't believe her, still, he didn't say anything and for that she was grateful. Without another word, she turned away and walked over to pull a certain feline aside.
"Can I help you with something, Princess?" He asked once they were far enough from the crowd, curiosity shining in his eyes though his posture spoke of the concern he felt for the overlord who owned his soul.
"Yes, I need you to carry Alastor out of that pit." The female demon disclosed, keeping her voice low for their ears alone. "Vox would do it but he's too injured and is afraid of dropping him. Please, Husk, can you do this for me?"
"No problem, Charlie." The cat agreed, his deep voice solemn. "Alastor may own my soul but he's never been cruel. He's my friend, whether he'll admit it or not."
That caused a soft chuckle to escape the woman's mouth, the other demon joining in soon after. It was nice to have a moment that felt so normal after all the hell they'd been through in the last day.
Husk sighed, running a weary paw over his face as he sobered up once more. "Do you want me to head down now?"
"Yes, that would be best." She agreed, pulling out her phone. "I'm going to see about finding somewhere safe to take him for the time being since the hotel isn't an option. I'm worried that if the wrong people were to find out he was hurt, they'd see it as an opportunity to take out the fearsome Radio Demon."
"Probably a good idea," the feline agreed, a troubled look on his face. "It's always better to be safe than sorry."
With that said, Husk made his way into the tunnel and disappeared leaving Charlie alone to punch in a number she'd only recently added to her phone. Rosie answered on the third ring.