Chapter 35: Favors

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I'm so happy you like the idea about seeing other mythologies from different cultures and religions. I thought this might play a big role when we get to deal with the Angels and Heaven since they act like they are the most powerful beings when in reality there are beings who have been on the earth longer and are more powerful.

Now that Blitzo has apologized to Jenny, it's now Alastor's turn. What is he going to do to get himself out of the doghouse and back in her good graces?

This isn't anything fancy or special like the last chapter but it'll help us lead into the next arch and hint at the next Helluva Boss episode that will be taking place.

Trivia of the Day: Jenny's zodiac is Cancer the crab!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss; I just own my characters.

Enjoy!

/

Jenny gave Alastor a tired look. She really didn't want to hear what he wanted to say. She just knew he was going to spout some bullshit to defend his actions and make it seem like he wasn't the bad guy.

She opened her mouth to say something but Alastor shushed her by pressing his microphone to her lips.

"You had plenty to say earlier outside so now it's your turn to keep quiet while I talk"

He pulled the microphone away and tucked it behind his arms. He thought about what Blitzo said and the imp was right-as much as he hated to admit it. He wanted Jenny to trust him and in order to do that, he'd really have to go out of his way to apologize. But for now they needed to clear things up that had gotten in between them.

"You really seem to have a hard time grasping the notion that I'm trying to help you"

"That's because yo-"

Alastor put a finger to her lips to silence her.

"I said it's your turn to listen, dear. Don't interrupt again" he said flatly.

"As I was saying, you don't like the idea of me helping you. Granted, I'm a deal maker and that's how I get most of my power, so that's understandable. But when I said I would help you get that audition I actually meant it. I'm trying to prove that you can trust me"

Jenny sighed and crossed her arms. There he went again with the whole trust thing.

"That's the thing. I can't trust you" she said.

"You've wronged me way too many times. You scratched my face up when I called you out on your bullshit, you kept my ring from me cause I ruined your coat even though I replaced it, you wouldn't tell me someone was after my blood and kept me locked up in the hotel acting like I was a prisoner and you put together a gig with your friend without even asking if I wanted to do it or not and you started a fight with Blitz outside of the hotel. What makes you think I would trust you after doing all of that?"

"Because I can admit when I was wrong" Alastor said.

"You're right. I did those things and that was cruel of me. Did I regret them back then? No But do I now? Yes I do. We both said we would be on better terms after that incident with your ring and I'm trying to honor that by going out of my way to help you. I normally try to make deals with others when I offer my help but I'm not doing that with you. The fact that a deal maker is going out of his way to help you without getting anything out of it should scream volumes to you"

"Just because you're offering me your help doesn't mean I want it" Jenny pointed out.

"In the end you get something out of this so how is this you showing that you're trying to make up to me? If the roles were reversed would you think I was genuinely trying to help you because I felt bad for what I did? Would you accept my help?"

Alastor didn't say anything for a moment. She had a point. He was a shady individual to begin with. She would have been a fool if she blindly accepted his apology and help. But she was no fool. Which was why he found her so interesting.

"You do have a point" he admitted.

"Very well then, what would you like me to do?"

Jenny raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"What would you like me to do to prove that I genuinely want to help you and that I apologize for what I did in the past?" he clarified.

"Since I wronged you four times I'll have to do four things you ask of me. Whatever you have in mind, I'll do it even if it's crazy, annoying or just plain stupid. Will that be proof enough that you can trust me?"

Jenny was puzzled by Alastor's offer. Was this another trick of his? Was he being genuine? She couldn't tell.

She crossed her arms and gave him a weary look.

"You'll do whatever I ask of you? No questions asked or trying to talk yourself out of it?" she said.

"Of course. Whatever you want" Alastor said.

"So…if I said I wanted to go to the movies and see something modern up on screen, you'll go to it even though you hate modern stuff?" Jenny asked.

Alastor's eye twitched with annoyance.

"…If that is what you want" he said through his teeth.

Jenny tapped her cheek as she hummed in thought.

"Having the Radio Demon do four things that I want and not have to do anything in return" she muttered.

"Sounds dangerous but interesting at the same time"

She mulled it over some more. Should she accept his offer? It wasn't a deal but at the same time it was Alastor. This could have been another trick of his.

She thought of an idea. Pretending to think it over some more, she sighed.

"I don't know how I feel about this" she said.

She turned around and started walking away.

"This sounds too good to be true. The Radio Demon doing something for a minor Sinner for free? That's like saying pigs will fly. There's no way you'll do what I want"

Alastor's eyes narrowed as she talked.

"As tempting as that sounds, I just don't believe-"

Alastor grabbed her shoulder and held her still. His grin was strained as he looked at her with an annoyed look.

"Are you calling me a liar, dear?" he asked.

Jenny pretended to be unaffected as she gave him a dull look.

"No, I just know you by now" she said.

Alastor's head made a little snap noise as he tilted his head.

"Clearly you don't know me that well then" he said.

"I said I would do whatever you want in return, no matter what it was. As a deal maker I'm sworn to follow that rule"

Jenny scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I seriously doubt you'd do what I want" she said.

Alastor raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

/

Half an hour later

"Well I'll be damned. You really will do what I want as an apology" Jenny said.

Alastor scoffed and looked off to the side. To prove he was telling the truth, he was sitting on the couch watching a movie with her.

"I could have done anything. A powerful Overlord who could wipe anyone out with a snap of my fingers. Offer limitless power. And this is what you wanted"

Jenny shrugged as she watched the movie.

"I wanted to be sure you were telling the truth. And what better way to prove it than by making you do something that you despise the most?" she said.

Alastor rolled his eyes.

"If I didn't have the same mindset as you, I would say you were a twisted being" he muttered.

"Awww, you're sweet" Jenny cooed.

Alastor sighed and propped his head on his hand.

"What are we watching anyway?"

"The Sound of Music" Jenny said.

"This was something I watched a lot when I was a kid. It was my grandma's favorite"

Alastor's scowl went away and his ears went back. He couldn't really mock something that meant a lot to Jenny, especially if her grandma was tied to it.

"I do wonder how you were able to acquire a movie from the realm of the living"

"Oh this is Blitz's copy. Back when I was…alive, I gave him copies of all the movies I'd seen growing up…except for Titanic. He stole that from me and never gave it back. He claimed Moxxie took it though I but I know he did it"

She smiled a little as she propped her chin on her knees.

"When I was off for the summer during the school years we would pick out a movie to watch and then reenact it by throwing mini plays together. I wasn't really able to travel or go on vacations due to my grandma working all the time. It might have been silly but it helped fill up those lonely days when I was stuck in the house all the time" she said quietly.

Alastor looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. It seemed every time she talked about herself, he became more intrigued. He went back to watching the movie and became lost in thought.

They didn't say anything for a while as they watched the movie. Alastor wouldn't admit it but as far as modern films went (at least for him), this movie wasn't so bad. But he would never admit that to anyone. Jenny was enjoying herself as she watched the movie. She forgot how good it was. David wasn't that big into musicals. He preferred action packed films where there was a lot of fighting, car chases and shooting. He would watch her kinds of movies every now and then but she could always tell that he didn't enjoy them. She would watch his favorite movies even though she didn't enjoy them but he would have a little fit if he had to watch her favorite movies.

It seemed lately she was starting to see the red flags about her relationship with David. She had been with him for three years. He was her first serious relationship so she brushed it off because she didn't want to ruin her real chance at love. But now that she had been away from him, she was starting to see that maybe he wasn't that great after all.

"Why are you so hesitant to audition for that play?" Alastor said.

Jenny jumped a little at the sudden question.

"Why are you still hung up on that?" Jenny asked.

"Answer my question first and I'll answer yours" Alastor said with his eyes still on the screen.

Jenny looked away.

"You know the reason why" she said.

"I know part of it. There's more to that story your imp friends told us"

"My grandma died because of my dreams. What other reason would I give them up?" Jenny snapped weakly.

Alastor gave her a look showing he wasn't going to let up until she told him. She sighed and looked at the floor.

"Because it was a silly childish dream of mine that I knew would never come true" she finally said.

"I might have been good in my school plays and when I was in college, but those are nothing compared to the top dogs like Broadway. There have been plenty of inspiring actors who were in the same boat as I was and nothing came of those dreams. I was sure I was going to be one of those rejects. I needed to focus on reality instead of dreaming"

"Is that what you really think or is that what your fiancée told you?" Alastor asked.

Jenny turned to look at him.

"How did you…"

"Charlie might have mentioned it in passing" the demon admitted.

"She said you gave up your dreams and decided to become a teacher in hopes of inspiring children to reach for theirs. Kind of hypocritical don't you think?"

"It was a real job"

"You don't enjoy what you're doing if you call it a job. Doesn't matter if it's considered real. If your heart is not into it then why bother working for it?" Alastor pointed out.

"Even if nothing came out of this dream of yours, your fiancée should have still been supportive. He didn't even give you the chance to shine. He just decided right off the bat that nothing would come out of your goals. That doesn't sound like a supportive spouse to me"

Jenny growled and glared at him.

"Why do fucking care? Shouldn't you be all for it since you enjoy seeing people's dreams being crushed?"

"I enjoy seeing stupid dreams being crushed because it's hilarious of what people come up with. Yours is not stupid" Alastor clarified.

"You have talent. Everyone enjoyed hearing your song the other day. They didn't say they liked it because they consider you a friend, their reactions were genuine. I've seen humans make deals with demons to become famous because they couldn't achieve it on their own. You on the other hand are an entirely different story. You can achieve your goal but you're scared to reach it because of something your fiancée said. He's not here to tell you what you can and can't do so stop hesitating and go to this audition"

"Why are you still so hung about this? I answered your question so now it's your turn to answer mine" Jenny said flatly.

Alastor rolled his eyes at her childish behavior. But he did say he would answer her question so he couldn't back out of it now.

"My mother had always wanted to be a singer. She was so good at it. The house would always be filled with music as she sang in the kitchen or hummed a little tune as she went out into town. She could have been the next biggest star and performed at the hottest jazz clubs in New Orleans. She was going to…and then she met my father. He was very…old fashioned…when it came to being married. He believed that a woman had no place performing at 'scandalous' places and that a woman's place was in the home, tending to her husband's needs and raising children. She loved my father for some morbid reason so she gave up her dream of performing and decided to be a housewife. She claimed that she was happy with her life but I could see in her eyes that longing and regret she had for giving up something that meant a lot to her. My father could do whatever he wanted but not her"

One of his shadows started hovering over him and his eyes went black as he talked about his father. His claws dug into the fabric of the armrest, leaving tears into it. He had been in Hell for some many decades and yet just thinking about that man made his blood boil.

He sighed and composed himself.

"Hearing your background and seeing what you have to offer I just see my mother. I wanted to help her make her dreams come true when I became a radio host but I never got the chance to. But you…you still have a chance to make your dreams happen. You're not a show pony. I'm not having you perform at Mimzy's place to boost my status. I'm the Radio Demon, everyone knows who I am and I'm helping Lucifer's daughter. If anyone is to boost my status down here it would be Charlie, not you. I'm doing this for you because I've seen first hand what it's like for someone to take your dreams away from you by someone you love and I don't want that for you"

The only sound that could be heard was the movie end credits as they rolled across the screen. Alastor looked away so he wouldn't have to see Jenny's stare. He hadn't planned on spilling bits of his past or let his guard down. It made him feel weak and exposed. But he couldn't bring himself to make up a story to tell her. She couldn't trust him if he lied to her.

"About performing at Mimzy's. You had a point earlier. I should have asked if you wanted to perform at her club instead of booking a gig for you" he said.

"How about we compromise. Give this performance a chance. You can see if you still enjoy acting and singing there where it's with someone I know. I'll ask Mimzy to close her club for a private event so you can perform in front of everyone here at the hotel so you'll feel comfortable seeing familiar faces. If it turns out you don't want to perform anymore I'll make sure everyone backs off with you auditioning for the play and I promise we'll never talk about this again. Does that sound fair to you?"

Jenny gave him a weary look. She suddenly stuck her pinkie ring out to him.

"Pinkie promise on it"

Alastor gave her a weird look.

"Excuse me?"

"You have to pinkie promise that you'll back off if I don't want to do the audition anymore if I perform at your friends place and end up hating it. You said you'd give me time to accept your offer to help me before and when I took to long to give you an answer you went behind my back and put this gig together. I'm not falling for that again"

Alastor rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"You're really going to make me do something childish such as linking pinkies together?"

"I'm not stupid enough to shake hands with a deal maker" Jenny said flatly.

"Deals aren't set in stone so there's always a way to find a loop hole. Promises on the other hand are totally different. Once you make one, you're sworn to follow up on that promise and if you break it, bad things happen to you. This isn't a business transaction between business partners, this is something friends do to show they trust each other. The only way I can trust you is if you perform a pinkie promise with me"

Alastor looked at Jenny's offered finger and made a face.

"You know I hate it when I have to touch others" he pointed out.

"…don't you have to shake someone's hand when you're making deals with them?" Jenny said flatly.

Alastor's ears went back when he realized she had a point. Grumbling he held out his pinkie and linked it with hers.

"Fine. I promise I won't interfere if you decide that you don't want to audition for the play anymore or anywhere else" he said.

With the promise made, they let go. Jenny felt a little smug that she somehow made the Radio Demon do something for her instead of the other way around-even if it was small like a pinkie promise.

"If I'm going to perform at your friend's place, I'd like to see who this Mimzy is and what her club is like. I want to know what I'm getting myself into" she said.

Alastor shrugged as he stood up from the couch.

"Fair enough. I'll take you to see her the next time I go into town"

"We can do it this week. Blitz was going to show me where he worked at so I'll be in the city anyway" Jenny offered.

Alastor's eye twitched as he heard Blitzo's name.

"Ah yes, the annoying imp who ruined my jacket. How could I forget" he said flatly.

Jenny remembered that he literally took a knife for her earlier. That was something she never expected him to do.

"Um…about earlier outside. Thank you for saving me from Blitz's knife"

Alastor's sour mood quickly softened. He didn't know why he took that hit for her. But when he saw the knife was going to hit her in the face, his body just acted on its own and he put himself in front of her so she wouldn't get hit. He didn't know why he did it, but for some reason he was glad she didn't get hurt.

"It was just a simple scratch. It'll take more than a butter knife to hurt me" he said.

"But I will expect to have my jacket replaced…again"

Jenny groaned when she realized she was going to have to end up replacing his jacket. If she had Blitzo replace it, Alastor was going to charge an arm and a leg from him…literally.

/

Somewhere on the other side of Pentagram City, Lue made his way to a huge manor. Checking to see that no one was nearby, he jumped over the fence and made his way to the building. He scanned the walls and spotted a large balcony. Scaling the walls, he flipped onto the balcony and opened the doors that lead to inside.

He checked to see that no one was walking by and hurried down one of the long hallways. He found the room he was looking for and quietly slipped inside without making a sound. Looking in the room, he was unsurprised to see the whole place was filled with tons of rubber ducks. And at the center of this mountain of ducks was someone tinkering away at their crafting desk, muttering random things here and there.

Lue scowled as he glared at this person. Grabbing his weapon, he quietly went up behind the tinker and raised it over his head.

"There you are, you piece of shit"

He slammed the hilt of his weapon on top of the person's head. Lucifer whipped around with his eyes blazing red with anger.

"Who the fuck-"

The anger quickly went away and was replaced with fear when he saw Lue standing behind him.

"Oh shit"

Lue's eyes glowed bright yellow. He propped his weapon on his shoulder as he glared at his old friend.

"Enough tinkering, dumbass. What the fuck happened with that meeting with Adam?"

Lucifer gulped as Lue's silhouette showed six wings coming from his back.

/

A/N: Seems like Lue isn't some ratty old homeless Sinner after all. But who is he really?

Jenny did the impossible and made the Radio Demon make a deal with her instead of the other way around. Well it was a pinkie promise but that's still a huge feat.

I don't know Alastor's whole backstory but I do know that while he was very, very close to his mother, I know he hated his father very much and was one of his first kills- at least that's an ongoing fan theory. I'm sure we'll hear more about his past in season two so we'll see.

Please review and let me know what you think!

Take care!