AN: This one got a bit intense at the end and it's only going to get worse from here. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you like it :)
Disclaimer: Vivienne Medrano still owns Hazbin Hotel, I do not.
Alastor paced back and forth in his room, it was nearly nightfall and Vox had yet to return from his meeting with the Vees. He was nearly beside himself with worry at the thought that something could have happened to him. If he'd been awake, Alastor would have had his shadow follow Vox, it was the least he could do seeing as the other overlord didn't believe he'd need someone to accompany him. But no, his friend had snuck out while he'd been resting, leaving it up to Lucifer of all people to reveal his departure. Suddenly, the new cellular phone Vox had gotten him pinged loudly, startling the deer enough that he knocked a nearby vase onto the floor where it proceeded to shatter into a hundred tiny pieces. A stampede of footsteps sounded from the hallway and Alastor let out an annoyed sigh, preparing himself for the inevitable onslaught as his friends burst through his door.
"I didn't fall, it was only the vase," he declared, pointing to the offending piece of pottery before they'd even had the chance to question him. Niffty hurried over to clean up the mess as he spoke once more. "I am not dizzy nor did I trip, I'm perfectly fine as you all can see. I was merely startled when this blasted contraption made a noise without warning and bumped into the table causing the vase to fall."
He held up the phone in way of explanation, earning several amused looks from the gathered demons as well as a chuckle or two. As if knowing it had everyone's attention, the device pinged again.
"That sound means ya got a message, Al," Angel revealed, moving to take the item from his hand and opened it to show him a line of text. "See, there's two unread messages from Vox. He says he won't be home tonight and to stop worrying. He also said to stay safe and keep out of trouble."
Sighing in relief, Alastor nodded in understanding. He was thankful that the other overlord had managed to contact him though he couldn't help but wonder what was keeping him. Hopefully it was an issue that was easily solved but there was an unsettled feeling in his stomach that he couldn't explain, almost as if he'd eaten something bad. Unable to shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right, he decided that if Vox wasn't back by tomorrow night he'd send his shadow to search for him. Shaking off such thoughts, Alastor smiled and bid the others goodnight, not wanting to cause them undue distress. Taking his dismissal for what it was, the rest of the hotel members filed out of his room, Angel handing his phone back on the way out.
Figuring it best if he turned in for the night, Alastor got ready for bed and climbed under the covers. Unfortunately, his fraying nerves wouldn't let him relax and he ended up simply lying awake staring at the ceiling as he worried over Vox's whereabouts. Finally giving up on getting any rest once the clock reached four in the morning, the Radio Demon sat up and pushed his hooves into his slippers before rising to his feet. He quickly went about his morning routine and then headed for the door, not bothering to grab his coat.
'Hmm, I suppose I'll just get an early start to the day, then.' He thought to himself, walking silently through the halls of the hotel. 'Perhaps I'll prepare some beignets for breakfast. It's been a while since I made them and I'm sure Charlie would appreciate the treat before her meeting with Heaven.'
With his mind made up, the restless sinner ran through the recipe in his head as he headed downstairs. He was careful not to wake the others as he got everything set up in the kitchen, knowing they would make him go back to bed if they were to find him up and about at this time. Not that it would do any good, mind you, he'd tried to rest and it had proven to be a fruitless endeavor. No, he'd rather stick to a more productive task than waste his time lying about. With that in mind, he gathered his ingredients and got to work.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
Waking up to the smell of frying dough was a pleasant surprise and Charlie swiftly got changed and headed down to grab some of the delicious-smelling food for herself. It was just past seven and her meeting with Heaven was scheduled for three hours from now, giving her plenty of time. Walking into the kitchen, she was greeted to the sight of Alastor bent over the stove, carefully scooping the last of the beignets onto a baking sheet before sprinkling them with powdered sugar. She had just raised her hand to greet him when he suddenly swayed, clutching the counter to keep himself upright.
Taking a closer look at her friend, the princess frowned. Al looked utterly exhausted, as if he hadn't slept at all that night, the dark bags under his eyes accentuating the pallor of his face. Making a mental note to force him to rest as soon as possible, she walked into the kitchen, being sure to let her footsteps fall a little heavier than usual so as to alert him to her approach. It did the trick as she noticed his ears twitching in her direction before the sinner turned to face her with his ever-present smile.
"Ah, Charlie, right on time." He said jovially as he placed a few of the warm beignets on a plate and handed them to her. "I thought you'd appreciate a treat to bolster your spirit before the big meeting today. Can't have our representative leaving on an empty stomach, that just wouldn't do."
"Thank you, Alastor," she replied appreciatively as a smile formed on her lips. "Why don't you sit down and rest while I clean this up?"
A brief narrowing of the eyes met her suggestion but she held firm, not allowing the other demon to protest as she lightly grabbed his elbow and led him to the nearby table. He gave in quicker than she believed he would causing alarm bells to ring in her head as he sank into the chair with a tired sigh. She hadn't seen him this compliant since he'd first begun gaining his strength back and it troubled her. Setting her plate to the side for the moment, Charlie cleaned up the cupboard and dishes as she kept a close eye on her friend. He sat at the table, eyes drooping more and more with each passing moment. She could easily guess what had upset him, after all, she had been worried as well. Vox had told her father he'd be back by last night. Sure, he'd messaged and let them know his plans had changed, but she was still concerned for his well-being and it was clear Alastor was too.
"Hey, I'm sure Vox is fine. He probably got hung up with something at his company and lost track of time." She said at last, turning to face the overlord with a soothing expression now that she'd finished cleaning. "Why don't you go get some sleep, you're clearly exhausted and he won't be happy when he gets back if he finds you passed out on the floor."
The deer took a moment to think before nodding, his smile fading as he slowly rose to his feet.
"Thank you, my dear. I think I needed to hear that." He admitted, causing her to chuckle fondly as she moved around the table to pull him into a tender embrace. "Good luck at the meeting, I know you'll do us proud. You always do."
With that, he pulled away, taking a step back as she fought the happy tears that were trying to form due to the encouraging words.
"Will you be able to make it to your room by yourself or do you need help?" The Princess of Hell questioned, sympathy written on her face.
"I'll be perfectly fine, no need to trouble yourself," Alastor said before tiredly making his way from the room.
She watched her friend go, keeping a watchful eye on him until he was out of sight, before settling down to wait for the others. It wouldn't be long until it was time to leave and she had to discuss some ideas with her father and Vaggie in the meantime. She also wanted to make sure the hotel would be safe. She knew they'd already discussed it the previous day but with Vox missing and Alastor at half-strength, it would mean that her girlfriend would be their main defense if anything were to happen. Not that she didn't trust her, she did, she was just uneasy. With all the threats that had been appearing as of late, Charlie didn't want to take any chances.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
Groaning as a wave of pain washed through his head, Vox blinked his eyes open. He found himself in an unfamiliar room with no windows, fluorescent lights lining the ceiling, and a single door. The room was completely bare save for a small cot with a metal frame that he was currently lying on. Jumping to his feet, fully alert, he reached out with his powers but couldn't sense any electronics nearby for him to use his teleportation on. The cement walls of his cell appeared to be blocking him from reaching beyond them and his cell phone must have been taken while he was unconscious since he couldn't feel its presence any better than any other electrical device. Attempting to move toward the door nearly caused him to trip as he found his leg chained to the bed frame with iron shackles, rendering him helpless to escape.
Thinking back, the TV Demon found he could remember everything that happened as whatever he'd been given had done nothing to obscure his memories. The meeting with the Vees, the argument that had ensued, the feeling of being drugged... he recalled it all in perfect clarity. Valentino had abducted him and, judging by the other overlord's rant about how they helped him with VoxTek, it was safe to assume he was after his money and power. Velvette clearly had no idea this was going to happen, though, based on his last glimpse of her. The woman had seemed horrified and he took some relief in knowing that she hadn't intentionally lured him into a trap.
'I need to figure out how to get out of this place but it's not going to be easy. I have no idea where I am or what could be waiting outside this door so I'll have to bide my time.' He plotted, knowing that if he wanted to escape he would need to wait for someone (most likely Val) to enter the room as he didn't have the strength to break the chain and his teleportation was neutralized. 'If I play along, pretend I'm willing to give him what he wants, maybe he'll let his guard down and I can escape. It's not much of a plan but it's the best I've got at the moment. I won't just sit around until Al and the others realize I'm missing and come looking for me.'
With nothing else to do but wait, Vox laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. He didn't know how long he'd have before Valentino arrived and he wanted to be as well rested as possible. If it came down to a fight, he'd be ready.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
The Heaven Embassy was just as she remembered when Charlie and her dad walked through the doors, though she hoped that this time things would go better for them. With her father's hand resting on her shoulder silent support, the pair walked up to the desk, rang the bell, and signed in. Moments later a door opened on their left and they walked into a brightly lit room with a round table in the middle. Sitting at the table where Sera, Emily, and...
"Sir Pentious!" Charlie exclaimed, rushing forward to pull her friend into a fierce hug.
Unfortunately for her, she simply fazed right through him (as he was merely a hologram) and landed in a heap on the floor. Pentious winced in sympathy as she dragged herself to her feet with Lucifer's help. She laughed in embarrassment, brushing herself off as she turned to face the gathered angels.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot... you're not actually here." She murmured, her face tinging red as the two rulers of Hell took their seats. "Anyway, thank you for granting us this meeting Sera."
"Of course," the High Seraphim stated, calmly, choosing to disregard the fiasco she'd just witnessed. "It was the least we could do seeing as the idea of redemption has been proven."
"Right, right," the princess replied, though her attention was clearly on the friend she'd thought was dead. "Before we get started, Pen, how are you? You okay?"
Ignoring her breach in conduct, the angels smiled, Emily bouncing in her chair as she squealed slightly at the cute scene.
"I am doing quite well, Charlie, though I do regret not getting to ssspend more time with my friendsss and Msss. Cherri Bomb." The snake explained, his hood flaring slightly. "How isss everyone, I trust they're doing well?"
"They're fine. Well, Alastor was injured in the fight with Adam but he's healing." She revealed, causing worry to flash on the former demon's face. "We rebuilt the hotel and are nearly ready to start accepting more sinners into the program! We're just waiting for Al to regain his strength."
Her friend nodded before a throat clearing pulled her attention back to Sera, who sat with her hands folded in front of her face with a serious expression.
"That is one of the things we wish to speak with you about." The angel revealed, Emily nodding along. "We have decided to allow your Hazbin Hotel to proceed with its intended purpose, however, we wish to appoint a liaison that will serve as the official representative for Heaven. With Sir Pentious being the first sinner to gain angelic status through redemption, we figured he would be the best person to take on such a role. We have already spoken with him before your arrival and he's accepted the position."
Charlie jumped up, shrieking in joy as her father watched with a wide smile. Not only were they backing her hotel but she'd be able to see her friend on a regular basis. It was too good to be true!
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" She expressed, joy radiating from her very being. "I promise you won't regret it!"
"Yes, I believe this could be a grand opportunity. You are to meet and discuss your progress every three months. A quarterly report, if you will." The older woman ordered, her eyes serious as she continued. "For now, we will halt all exterminations but, should this prove to be unsuccessful, we will be forced to resume."
"Right, I'll do my best!" Charlie vowed, not letting the dire warning get her down.
"We know you will, Charlie! You've already proven that souls can change, the hard part is over." Emily exclaimed, happy that her friend's vision was coming true. "And I'll do anything I can to help from this side."
"I will asss well." Sir Pentious added, saluting her. "If we work together then we are sssure to fulfill your hopesss and dreamsss."
It warmed her heart knowing she had people she could rely on to have her back in Heaven. It took a weight off her shoulders she hadn't even known was there until just now. Smiling brightly, the princess retook her seat and the five continued their discussion.
"Lucifer, as the King of Hell, you will be in charge of overseeing your daughter's work and keeping everything running smoothly." Sera declared, turning to address the fallen angel for the first time since their arrival. "If a problem arises, I expect you to deal with it in a timely manner, otherwise we may be forced to step in. I trust you won't allow that to happen?"
"You have my word, Sera," her dad said solemnly. "I was already planning on doing what I could to support Charlie. This is no different."
"Very well, then, I'll leave it in your hands." Sera disclosed before moving the meeting in a new direction. "In the meantime, we should determine other ways to hinder the overpopulation of Hell."
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
The sound of a door opening roused Vox from his light doze and he swiftly rose to his feet as Valentino entered the room, a smirk plastered on his obnoxious face.
"Well, well, look who decided to wake up." The moth taunted, obviously not realizing he'd been up once before. "How are you feeling, mi amigo?"
"I'm just peachy." Vox ground out through clenched teeth, remembering his plan to play nice and doing his best not to snap at the other demon. "When can I get out of here?"
"Hmm, that depends... have you come to your senses and realized you're a Vee or are you still planning on abandoning us and throwing away everything we've fucking been working for?" The words caused his eyes to narrow involuntarily and he fought to control his rage.
Taking a moment to breathe, he pretended to think it over. Finally, after a couple of minutes had gone by in silence, he raised his head to meet the other's eyes with a fake look of regret.
"I'm a Vee... It's what I've always been. I shouldn't have tried to leave in the first place, after all, you were right." He said, the words tasting bitter on his tongue but he refused to allow his distaste to show. "You helped me start VoxTek so why don't we put this all behind us and move forward, hmm?"
He held the moth's gaze as the man scrutinized him, never wavering in his resolve. The only sign that he was lying was a slight twitch of his eye. Unfortunately, the asshole knew him too well and, upon seeing it, a sneer appeared on Val's face. Before Vox even realized what was happening, the man raised his arm and backhanded him. Luckily it wasn't enough to crack his screen but it did cause some blood to trickle from his mouth.
"You lying bitch!" Valentino screamed, grabbing the TV Demon by the collar and throwing him to the ground where he lay, winded. "Do you really think I can be fooled that easily? I know you... I know your tells. You might as well give up. No one is coming to save your sorry ass. The message I sent to the Radio Demon assures that they won't suspect a thing."
"What message?" Vox demanded, struggling to regain his breath.
"Huh, oh, I used your phone to text Alastor and let him know that you wouldn't be home last night," Val stated in a bored tone, anger simmering behind his narrowed eyes. "That shit isn't important though, do you realize what will happen to the Vees if you suddenly split VoxTek from us? Well, do you?"
"After what you've done, I don't give a fuck," Vox declared, rising to his feet.
He stood there, legs wobbling slightly as he wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve, glaring at the man he thought he'd known. Now, faced with Valentino's treachery, he realized he'd never really known him at all.
"Fine, have it your way," the moth exclaimed threateningly as he took a step forward. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging to sign the company over to me... and don't think I've forgotten about your friend, I have special plans for him."
Those words caught the TV Demon's attention like another slap to the face. The only one he could be talking about was Alastor and if this bastard was planning something he needed to find out what it was. Al wasn't fully healed, he couldn't defend himself yet. Well, not without risking his life in the process. If he overexerted himself he could die and, with his original injury being derived from a holy weapon, his death may be permanent. That was a chance he refused to take.
"What the fuck do you want with Alastor?" Vox growled lowly, weighing the risk of using his hypnotism before deciding against it.
He knew that at the first sign of that ability, Val wouldn't hesitate to incapacitate his eye and he needed his full power if he was going to make it out of here in one piece. He couldn't chance anything happening to his conduit... not if he wanted to help Al.
"Wouldn't you like to know." Valentino taunted in a sing-song voice before sobering once more. "Lo siento, but after your little outburst, I'm afraid you've lost the right. If you're a good boy and play nice maybe I'll change my mind, but for now, I think you need to be taught a lesson."
When the other overlord moved forward, fist raised to strike him, Vox sent out a burst of electricity from his hand. It met the man's chest, throwing him back into the wall with a scream of pain. Unfortunately, he recovered quicker than the smaller sinner thought possible and he had no time to search Val for the key to his shackles, let alone get loose, before he was back on his feet. As a gun was pulled free from its holster, raised in the air, and pointed directly at Vox's head... he knew he wouldn't get a second chance.