Charlie's Angels - Aftershocks

by Kkat FoE

In the wake of Charlie's Angels, Charlie, Vaggie and Emily have formed a young but stable polycule. And that is far from the only thing that has changed. For Hell, for Heaven and for the lives of the residents and staff of the Hazbin Hotel. But now, as the dust settles and the fallout begins, an unexpected threat endangers everything. (This is a sequel to Charlie's Angels.)

10. Day Eight (Part Two)

Day Eight

Part Two

Day Eight - Streets of Heaven, noon:

Molly walked alongside Emily and Sir Pentious. She watched as the seraphim spontaneously began to dance down the street. Molly herself felt ill at ease. She wasn't exaggerating to Emi. Heaven felt frayed to her. Her ears picked up sharp words and arguments. Her eyes caught scurrying movements on a street far less populated than usual for the brilliant shine of midday.

The encounter with 'Amelia' simultaneously broke her heart and set her on edge. As much as she found what they had done repugnant, she found herself wondering how bad it must be right now to be in their shoes. How must they feel to live in Heaven and know Heaven had turned against them? No matter how good the reason.

She saw what Lute and her fanatics tried to do.

"Misssss Molly? Do you need help?"

He didn't ask if she was okay, and she kinda loved him for that. She leaned against him a little.

Molly felt a lump in his vest pocket. "I'd ask if you're just happy to see me, but that is the wrong part of your anatomy to be hard."

Sir Pentious tried to cough and laugh at the same time. It didn't work well. So he leaned into it, flopping over and feigning death. "I shall never essssscape! Horny sssspiders shall be the death of me!"

Molly giggled. "Need help getting up?"

He thrust an arm towards her. "See!? The innuendo never ssstops!"

Molly helped him up anyway. Once upright, he pulled a bag with a syringe and stoppered vial from his vest pocket. "All that research last night to find the best doctorsss with a hissstory of secrecy, and I almost forgot to tell Emily."

There was a squeeing sound ahead. Like a teakettle, but far cuter.

Emily had turned around, a bright grin on her face. She pumped her wings, squeeeing, and rushed back to them.

Molly quickly straightened up, blushing slightly as she prepared to disillusion her former girlfriend's shipper heart.

"I have the best news ever!" Emily shouted as the air around her exploded with sparkles of light. "I HAVE A DAD NOW!"

---

Day Eight - Hazbin Hotel parlor, early afternoon:

Vaggie felt her heart drop as she saw Charlie slowly descending the stairs, looking lost and badly shaken.

"Charlie!" She rushed to her partner. "Charlie, what's wrong?"

Her eyes turned in the direction of the radio tower. Her tone took an edge. "What did he do?"

Charlie looked up. "Alastor... gave me my first real clue about what's happened to mom."

Vaggie cringed. Charlie didn't come down singing, so she doubted what she learned was good news. Charlie turned down Emily's offer to try to find her mother, not wanting to risk a truth that shattered her hope or her mental image of Lilith. The Radio Demon clearly didn't respect that wish. Not, granted, that he knew about it.

"Is she okay?" Vaggie asked while guiding Charlie down the stairs, worried her partner was lost enough in her thoughts she might misstep.

"I-I don't know," Charlie answered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Vaggie offered.

She saw Charlie's eyes widen with a brief look of fright. "No!" Charlie insisted, her voice possessing a strange edge that it quickly loses. "No. At least, not until I know more."

Vaggie felt even more concerned now. She would respect Charlie's choice, but she had to offer, "Maybe we can help you find out more?"

Charlie shook her head.

As they reached the parlor, Angel Dust's phone buzzed. He checked it, brow furrowing, then answered, "Hello?"

The spider demon's face lit up. "Yes! Yes, this is Angel Dust. I'd love to! Thanks. When?"

His exuberance slowly deflated. "No, we don't really have anything like that here. But I've got my phone." His pained look grew with every following "no", as if he was digging his own grave and hated it.

Husk and Crymini entered from one of the halls. Both looked somber and slightly mussed. Husk moved quickly towards Angel Dust the moment he saw him.

Vaggie looked back to Charlie and saw she was watching Angel Dust with concern as well.

With a flash of light, a golden portal opened on the far side of the parlor.

To Vaggie's surprise, the angelic Sir Pentious slithered through. Vaggie still found it amazing and weird seeing him that way. He was followed by Emily, who closed the portal behind her.

Charlie's mood brightened a little. "Sir Pentious! Welcome back."

As she moved to greet him, Angel Dust's conversation took a surprise turn for the better.

"Wow, really? Yes! Yes, we can do that. No problem. Look forward to meeting them!"

Husk looked immediately relieved. "Good news?" he asked as Angel Dust ended the call.

Crymini plopped onto the couch.

"Yeah!" The spider demon was smiling. "I've got an interview! Asmodeus is sending someone here to interview me."

Charlie turned. "Oh, that's great news! Congratulations, Angel!"

As Emily rushed past, Charlie asked, "When?"

"The morning after tomorrow," Angel Dust told them as he was confronted with a happily bouncing Emily.

"Congratulations!" Emily showered him with a burst of sparkles, surprising everyone.

"When did she start doing that?" Vaggie asked nobody in particular.

"A few sssseconds after telling Molly and I that she had a dad now," Sir Pentious replied. "She's been very happy and a bit hyper all day. When she disssscovered she could make angelic light confetti... well, I would expect a lot of that for a while."

Charlie was beside herself with glee at the sight, her mood from minutes ago washed away.

Bringer of Joy, Vaggie thought, watching Emily. Charlie had her fireworks, now Emily had her sparkle shower.

"It's just an interview," Angel Dust admitted, trying to temper the seraphim's surprisingly strong reaction. "I haven't gotten the job yet."

He turned to Charlie. "A little under two days. Mind if we use one of the private rooms?"

"Of course!" Charlie said. "Whichever one you want!"

Vaggie blinked. "They're coming here?"

Angel Dust nodded. "Yeah. They wanted to do it over video, but we don't have the kind of media center they were hoping for. They didn't want to just do the interview over the phone, and I can't go down to Lust."

He looked to Charlie. "Thank you. You opened this door for me. I can't imagine they'd have been interested enough to send an interviewer several Rings up if you hadn't put in a good word."

"Maybe her name got them to take a real look," Husk interjected. "But they must like what they've seen so far to bother. Now it's up to you."

Angel Dust nodded. He took a few steps towards Crymini, asking softly, "How you doing?"

"Narc," Crymini said with no real malice.

"Yeah, well, good to see you still in one piece." Angel Dust turned to Sir Pentious. "Great to see you again. What brings ya? How's Molly?"

Sir Pentious hesitated to answer that last one. "Good to see you too, sssspider."

He reached into his vest pocket, turning to Charlie. "This is awkward. But, if it isssn't to much trouble, I'd like to get sssome blood from one of your guests. Emily sssays you know how to do this?"

Charlie looked down at the bag with the syringe and vial. "I... have some recent experience, yes."

"If you want Charlie's blood, I can just pull it from the fridge," Husk offered.

Vaggie felt a shot of alarm. It took a moment before she remembered why Husk had that.

"No," Emily said happily. "We need some of Crymini's."

Crymini jumped back over the couch, keeping it between her and the angels. "What!? What the fuck!? You angels should be the last people anywhere near my blood!"

Sir Pentious smiled reassuringly. "It'sss okay. We're going to use it find a cure!"

Crymini stared, clearly fighting to decide if this was a reason to hope or intensely stupid.

Vaggie herself would find this a massive relief if it didn't also seem like playing with fire. "Heaven does have the brightest scientific minds. And Sir Pentious himself is a scientist. They know what they're doing."

Crymini let out a huff. "Okay." She walked forward, holding out her arm. "Take as much as you want."

Vaggie caught Husk shooting her a look. Then watched as Charlie sat Crymini down and began.

---

Day Eight - Hazbin Hotel parlor, early afternoon:

"The new regulators for the Science District's power substation will be delivered in the morning," Sir Pentious was telling Emily as Charlie finished drawing blood from Crymini.

"If the sssafety tests go well, you should be able to be a giant woman tomorrow evening," he said with a smile. "Although I'd prefer to run tests all day if you think the sssspeech can wait until the next morning."

Emily rolled her eyes. "This is Heaven. It can survive two more days without the new High Seraphim giving a speech."

"You just jinxed it," Sir Pentious told her flatly. "Why would you sssay that? Now we're all doomed."

Emily laughed.

Charlie finished. "There you go!" she told Crymini. "Oh! Here, you've earned it!" She gave the teen puppy demon a lollipop.

Crymini gave her a look. "I'm not a child... wait, do you just carry suckers around in your pocket all the time?"

Sir Pentious collected the sealed bag holding the syringe and blood sample from Crymini. "Thank you. And thank you, Crymini. On behalf of all of Heaven."

"All I did was get bit by a flea," Crymini retorted. She snatched the lollipop, muttering at Charlie, "I'm never getting into a van with you."

"I don't have a van," Charlie said, confused.

Sir Pentious perked, smiling as Cherri Bomb entered the parlor.

Cherri Bomb snarked, "Dear Crymini, thanks for getting itchy, love Heaven."

Crymini barked a laugh.

Cherri Bomb smirked at Sir Pentious. "Give that to Husk."

Sir Pentious blinked, looking down at the blood sample. "Why?"

Cherri Bomb walked up and took him by the lapels. "Because you're not going back to Heaven for a while," she told him huskily.

"Oh!" The snake angel blushed. He held the bag out in Husk's general direction as Cherri Bomb began to drag him back towards her room.

Husk dashed up and took the bag while Angel Dust cheered the two of them on.

"I'm keeping this in the fridge for the next few hours," Husk said as he disappeared behind the bar.

"Hours?" Crymini questioned, talking around the sucker.

"Benefit of the doubt," Husk answered.

"I know Cherri," Angel Dust added. "Husk's not wrong."

"Molly taught Mr. Pentious things," Emily chimed in cheerfully, ignoring the look from Angel Dust. "Husk's not wrong."

Niffty pranced into the parlor, Lute in tow. The fallen angel was wearing clothing clearly inspired by her former Exorcist armor, only with a white skirt, a bare arm, and showing skin where her chainmail used to cover.

Before anyone could ask, Lute stated, "I want to wear my own clothes, not Vaggie's, when I meet my fate."

Emily gasped. "You pronounced her name right!"

Lute resolutely did not look at Vaggie. "Don't read into it."

Niffty told Vaggie, "Your clothes are in the wash."

"Thanks, Niffty," Vaggie answered.

"And thank you for making clothes for Lute," Charlie added.

Angel Dust shook his head. "Here I've been spending money ordering outfits, and I could have just had Niffty making them the whole time."

"Yep!" Niffty agreed.

Lute looked to Charlie. "I won't resist or try to flee. But if I were you, I'd chain me again. So go ahead."

"I reeeeeally don't think that's necessary," Charlie said, clearly disliking the idea of walking around with Lute in chains.

Vaggie hated what she was about to say, knowing it was a bad look, but someone had to be the voice of reason. "That's probably a good idea. Just for appearances."

---

Day Eight - Just outside Cannibal Town, afternoon:

Angel Dust pulled the limo a little clumsily up to the curb, one wheel rolling up over it. He parked, partially on the sidewalk just outside Cannibal Town. "I'll take it," he claimed, looking a little sheepishly to Vaggie, who was sitting up front with him.

Vaggie shrugged. "You now know how my one experience driving went. Any trip we can walk away from."

"That reminds me," Angel Dust said. "Got something for you. Holding onto it for just the right moment."

Vaggie closed her eye. "Do I even want to know?"

"You'll see," he teased.

Vaggie groaned. Which she assumed was exactly what he wanted. "Angel..."

She paused, then changed what she was going to say. "Good luck on that interview."

"Uh, thanks!"

Angel Dust pressed the switch that lowered the window between the driver's compartment and the rest of the vehicle. He still got a kick out of how that worked. And he only got to play with it up here. The switch on the passenger side had never been fixed.

"We have arrived," Angel Dust announced. "Quickly and without denuding Emily!"

Charlie had already gotten out. Emily stopped to stick her tongue out at him before following, insisting, "That wasn't my fault!"

That left Lute inside, once again in chains, guarded by Niffty. Angel Dust could hear Emily complain. "Who expects a demon to explode?"

"He was literally a hand grenade," Vaggie called back.

"Oh! Crymini blew him up again!" Niffty boasted.

"What?!" Emily gasped. "Why?"

"He was going to kill us," Niffty said casually, kicking her feet.

Vaggie focused on Lute. "We're about to talk to Rosie about your fate," Vaggie told her. "Anything new you'd like to say before we go?"

Lute nodded, then addressed Niffty. "I'm sorry I took your dagger."

"That's okay. You gave it back."

Lute added, "I'm sorry I tried to stab you with it."

"That was part of the lesson," Niffty said. "You passed in the end. So it's all good."

Vaggie delayed, clearly waiting to see if Lute would say anything to her. When it became clear the fallen Exorcist had no intention to, Vaggie grumbled and opened her door, exiting the limo.

"Lute, you'll say here," Vaggie reminded her, although the words seemed more for herself. "We'll come get you after we talk with Rosie."

"If we cannot come up with a nicer solution," Charlie added hopefully.

"You don't have to do that," Lute stated. "I don't deserve mercy. "

Charlie disagreed. "Everybody deserves mercy."

"No, love." Vaggie shook her head. "They don't. But we should give it anyway."

"You should have finished the job and not been so weak," Lute muttered.

Vaggie's eye widened. She slammed her door, muttering, "I just fucking can't with her."

Emily watched as Charlie walked over to Vaggie, taking her hand. As Charlie led Vaggie away, Emily slipped back into the limo and sat across from Lute.

"What?" Lute asked, slightly cross.

"Lute," Emily cajoled, leaning forward, her voice calming and hopeful. "I know you don't want to, but maybe just try? If you make an effort to show Vaggie you're sorry..."

Lute gave a soft growl of agitation. "With all respect, High Seraphim. Stop."

Emily blinked. "What?"

Lute stared at her. "Stop whatever this sunshine bullshit therapy is. You don't get it. You can't."

She waved her hand as much as the chains allowed. "I know you love her, but angels like her and I don't get redemption for what we've done. And there is no path to us ever being anything more than enemies. "

Emily stared back without condemnation. "I don't accept that."

"Only because you don't know any better," Lute retorted. "I've caused a lot of pain. Have you ever even felt pain? Not heartache. Not stress. But actual, physical pain? Have you ever bled? Don't pretend like you have any idea about what we've been through, or what we've done to each other."

Emily's own eyes narrowed in response, glowing a little with angelic light. "Yes, I'm an angel who has never been attacked physically by another angel or been hurt by an angelic weapon. But I have been hurt in ways that are just as bad or worse. Hurt by things that scarred me and changed me. Some things that still hurt."

Her expression became soft and gentle. "That's enough for empathy. More than enough reason to try."

"Sure, mental trauma hurts deeper and lasts longer," Lute gave her. "But if you think it hurts worse - more than agony that shreds your thoughts and obliterates your senses until all you do is curl inside yourself and beg that it ends - then you're naïve."

"I have suffered and caused both. So has she," Lute said, rattling her chains as she motioned in Vaggie's direction. "The worst she suffered, physically and mentally, was by my hand. There is no I'm sorry after that."

Emily disagreed. "Yes, there is. If you allow there to be. The only one making forgiveness impossible is you."

"Nobody fucking deserves what the Elders Above did to me, or an eternity of this place, or what we put the souls here through," Lute professed firmly. "But I actually deserved what Pestilence and Frederick did to me, and the scales are nowhere near balanced. I deserve what those cannibals will do to me. Don't pretend you understand or can fix that."

Emily gazed at her. "But Vaggie's right, Lute. It's not about what you deserve. It never has been."

"Tell that to Heaven."

Emily shook her head at that response. "Lute, if Heaven was just for souls who never made mistakes, it would be empty."

---

Day Eight - Cannibal Town, afternoon:

Charlie walked between Vaggie and Emily as they made their way down the clean and friendly streets of Cannibal Town, approaching Rosie's Emporium.

The sights of the town were familiar, yet never ceased to amaze her. And as much as she felt trepidation about the meeting ahead, this place also gave her a new feeling: hope.

Hope, because Emily had made this place a symbol for her of what Hell could be for those not welcome in Heaven. Heaven was no longer the single escape from misery and suffering for her people. Hell could be too! And with the Embassy being built and the whole business with Carmine, that felt like an achievable dream.

Of course, it would not be easy. She still remembered Cherri Bomb mocking: Did ya cunts still think this was gonna be easy? Ever?

Clearly that was naïve.

"Do you really think it's safe to leave Lute with Niffty?" Charlie asked. She trusted Lute wouldn't try to escape. But Niffty's whole shipping thing grew dangerous under Seviathan's influence. And Charlie wasn't sure the girl had shaken any of that. In fact, she was pretty sure they intended to keep dating.

"Angel Dust is there too," Vaggie reminded her as they waved to familiar faces.

"Hello, Bettie!" Emily called out. "How's Snarl?"

Charlie watched her seraphim partner flitter over to a somewhat elderly cannibal lady she recognized. Soon, the two were in conversation.

"She's far more at ease this time," Charlie noted. She could still see tension in those wings, and an occasional cringe, but at least Emily wasn't hiding behind her this time.

"Rosie's people make that easy," Vaggie said.

Charlie looked around. Then oooh'ed, pointing. "An arts and crafts store! I need to stop there on our way back!"

"More crayons?" Vaggie guessed.

Charlie shook her head. "No, I have a new project that requires more than crayons!"

"What, really?" Vaggie said, mind blown.

Charlie lifted a finger, "I need markers!" She fanned her hands. "In a wide variety of colors."

Vaggie could not help but giggle.

The air above Emily and Bettie burst into sparkles of angelic light. Vaggie and Charlie exchanged looks, knowing exactly what Emily revealed.

"Should I call you wife now?" Charlie asked.

"If you'd like," Vaggie told her, leaning against Charlie and taking her arm. "Partner is still good too. I like both."

"I mean, it's not like we've done anything formal," Vaggie added. "There's really no need to. Especially in Hell. It's not like we pay taxes."

She mentally questioned what kind of priest they could even find in Hell... and immediately knew the answer and was repulsed.

"What do taxes have to do with marriage?" Charlie asked.

Vaggie looked up at her lovingly. Oh you sweet, innocent bean. "Absolutely nothing. But in the Living World? Way too much."

"We are what we are and we very much know it," Vaggie told her. "As does everyone who matters."

Charlie drew herself up. "Everyone matters to me, Vaggie!"

"Well, then we can write it in the sky!" As Emily produced another shower of angelic glitter, Vaggie laughed. "I bet she can even do that."

Charlie smiled, offering. "Or Husk."

Charlie leaned forward and Vaggie rose to the kiss.

---

Day Eight - Outside Rosie's Emporium, afternoon:

Vaggie spotted Bob the snowcone vendor just outside of Rosie's Emporium. He looked up from handing a blood-soaked snowcone to the first in a line of cannibal children and gave a wave as he noticed Vaggie, Charlie and Emily.

"Welcome back, ladies! Great to see you in town again." He asked, "Would any of you like a blood-soaked snowcone?" even though he knew the answer.

"No, but thank you," Emily piped up even before Charlie could.

Vaggie stopped, recognizing one of the children in the line. "Hello, Timothy."

The boy turned and smiled, waving up at her with only a fraction of his former shyness.

Emily gasped a little in recognition, immediately remembering what she witnessed. Despite having met him before, she still had to turn away to hide the sudden flood of emotions.

Bob made another snowcone for the little girl next in line and passed it to her. Then looked back at them. "Hey, I've heard golden snowcones might be back on the menu? I can tell you, I know a lot of kids that would make happy." He chuckled as Emily grew a bit pale. "Adults too."

Charlie umm'ed uncomfortably. "We... can't confirm that."

"Well, here's hoping!" Bob said cheerfully as he poured a helping of blood over another snowcone and passed it to Timothy.

Vaggie noted the boy didn't pay, but Bob seemed happy, and she didn't think the others payed either. "Running a special?"

"Kids get the first one free today," Bob said. "I like making them happy."

Charlie and Emily gave simultaneous awwwwws of approval, making Bob blush and scratch the back of his head.

Vaggie had an idea. "Hey, Timothy?" She crouched down as the boy turned back to her and approached.

"Just this once," Vaggie told him as she produced her angelic spear, ignoring some of the looks from nearby adults. "Just for you."

Vaggie pricked the tip of her index finger with her spear, then held it out, squeezing a few drops of golden blood around the edge of his snowcone where the ice was still white.

Timothy stared in wonder, looking like he had gone to Heaven.

Vaggie stood back up, sucking her fingertip briefly. "What?" she asked in response to Charlie's and Emily's stares.

She moved close to them and whispered, "When I saved his afterlife, he kinda saved who I am as a person."

Charlie and Emily were beaming at her.

"No, love, that was you who saved who you are," Charlie chided happily.

Vaggie turned back around, having another idea, to see the boy gleefully sucking the spots of her blood out of the ice. It was a little morbid, but exactly to be expected.

"Oh, Timothy?" She crouched down again. When he looked up at her, she asked, "Remember the two children who were killed by the bad angel last week? Do you know where I can find them?"

Timothy nodded.

"Could you take me there?" Vaggie asked, getting another nod.

She felt Charlie's hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see her partner's loving smile. "Why don't you and Emily go while I talk to Rosie."

---

Day Eight - Cannibal town, late afternoon:

Emily tried not to look around too much. Timothy had led them to a "secret clubhouse" which she was willing to bet was actually quite a secret from their parents. In addition to puzzles, games, empty candy boxes and some bottles of Yum! Blood! (which the one little girl of the trio had offered), there were a lot of things completely out of place for Cannibal Town's anachronistic 1910's motif. Or for a playhouse for children.

In addition to the VoxTek laptop and the other electronics, there was a not-small amount of posters, several of which showed one of her loves, Vaggie, in a variety of poses with little or no clothing, all generated with the Vagynia model AI. Plus a scattering of other erotica that her mind screamed children were too innocent to care about.

The girl of the group, she had soon learned, had been a child in Hell since the 1800's and was absolutely done with it. While the boys had been reverent to the appearance of an angel in their clubhouse, the girl had offered her a cigar. In addition to the Yum! Blood!

Emily could tell Vaggie wanted to dig a hole, crawl in it, and bury herself. And was probably imagining murdering Velvette repeatedly. She was sitting very still and keeping her composure, but she had that little skull in her eye again.

Even more disturbing, the children had noticed, and Timothy clearly fancied that.

"So, you three have been sneaking into the Doomsday District to get stuff you're not supposed to have in Rosie's town for, what, decades now?" Vaggie finally asked.

The trio nodded. The other boy and the girl were the ones Lute killed. They had been out with Timothy and two others that day.

"Was that why you were outside when..." Emily's voice cracked a little as she looked at Timothy. "When Vaggie saved you?"

Emily caught herself fiddling with her left sleeve and stopped.

The boy nodded again sheepishly. His shyness had returned in full as soon as Vaggie saw his collection of her-themed things, courtesy of Velvette's vicious little campaign. Timothy hadn't managed to say a word since.

"I'm sorry," Vaggie said, looking at Timothy in confusion. "I'm just... having a hard time with this. Two days ago, you were literally hiding behind Rosie's dress. Now I learn you're older than me?"

Timothy stared down, unable to look at her.

"Hey!" The other boy jumped to his defense, only to immediately back down at Timothy's demonic glare. "Sorry. Um... look, in case you haven't noticed, Timothy's super introvert. He really can't handle people."

"'Cept for us!" the girl said proudly.

"Sure, he acts like a kid as a coping mech. But fuck, wouldn't you? Absolutely nobody looks at us and takes us seriously, no matter how we act." He looked at Vaggie. "Fuck, you would have murdered him for permanent if he looked his age. Any of the rest of your kind would have anyway."

Emily saw the pain in Vaggie's face. Timothy did too. In the blink of an eye, Timothy was glaring, eyes glowing, horns out and fangs down. Growling.

His friend backed down. "Sorry!" He stage-whispered at Vaggie, "He's got a crush."

"I gathered," Vaggie responded. Then, for Timothy's sake, lied. "That's fine with me."

Timothy's demonic aspect subsided and he stared at the floor again.

Emily sighed. "I'm sorry to ask about something so painful, but I need you to tell us what happened. The whole truth."

The girl lit a cigar of her own and took a few cautious puffs. Something inside Emily wanted to shout NO.

Vaggie reluctantly prompted, "What were you in the Doomsday District for that day?"

"We'd already come back," the other boy told them. "Got a great stash from one of the places those flamethrower freaks used to hang. Stevie was dividing the loot when WHAM! flash of light from Heaven..."

"Stash?" Emily whimpered. Merciful Heaven, these kids were doing drugs too?

Emily sharply corrected herself.

They're not children. Not really. Everybody sees them as children, so they're treated like them. But they're not.

I've known how that feels.

Watching them, she remembered the actual children in Heaven and reassessed.

No, I really don't. It's not the same. Because they are not adults either. They want to be, they've earned it, but they can't. Look at the way they act. The way they talk. They have the experience, but their brains never developed beyond the age of their death. Trapped forever in a limbo between elder and child.

She had known these things. No mortal soul ages in Heaven or Hell. There were children in Heaven who likewise would never be true adults. She had played with them, loving to see them happy. It made her sad sometimes to think they would never grow up. But she had never really faced what that meant without the filter of Heaven's wonder and mercy.

In Heaven, they are loved and cared for, free from worries and able to play forever. Eternal childhood is a blessing. In Hell, where they aren't, and where their condition denies them basic mental and physical defenses...

...How could the Exorcists... no, how could anyonehave ever believed they deserve this?!

Bless Rosie for sheltering these ones. Even if she treats them like children.

"Stash of what?" Vaggie asked, her voice cutting through Emily's thoughts and pulling her back into the conversation.

The boy boasted, "Check it out!" He pulled an old-fashioned razor from his pocket, opening it up to reveal the slightly-glowing silver blade.

"You... were carrying angelic weapons?" Vaggie said slowly, staring. She turned, looking to Emily with a wounded expression.

Emily began absently playing with her sleeve as she returned the look.

---

Day Eight - Rosie's Emporium, late afternoon:

Rosie led Charlie into her private back room as she did once before.

"Now tell me, Charlie. What's on your mind?" she said, offering a seat.

"Would you like some tea?" she offered. "I swear: cannibalism free. I have a new spicy sweet iced tea made from the crimson fire ivy of the Wrath Ring, if you are interested."

"Thank you," Charlie said with a nervous smile. "I'd like to try that."

Within a few minutes, the two were enjoying tall, ice-filled glasses of the fiery sweet tea. "Now, what's got you nervous, Charlie.

"I brought Lute," Charlie told her, clarifying, "She's being held just outside of town. I promised her to you. But..." She looked down, holding her drink in her hands. "I just want to know what you are going to do with her first."

"Do you think it would make you more comfortable knowing?" Rosie asked.

"No," Charlie admitted.

Rosie looked at her with a gentle expression. "And will you still be willing to keep your promise even if you really don't like the answer?"

She looked up. "Yes."

Rosie nodded. "All right then. If you leave her with me, Lute will be sentenced to a century of providing community service."

Charlie cringed. She had an idea of what that would involve. "Like what?"

"Things only an angel can provide, I'm afraid," Rosie told her. "I saw you talking to Bob outside, so I know you don't need me to explain."

Charlie paled. "I... Well, I recently gave blood myself. That's not so bad. Would it just be... that?"

"No," Rosie told her flatly, trying to convey to the girl that she really should spare herself the details.

"I-I-I..." Charlie stopped before saying she couldn't, but Rosie could read that in her face. She expected as much from the sweet girl. "I really, really, really, really wish there was another way."

Rosie smiled. "Well, there is."

Rosie could see Charlie's spirits lift. "Really? What?" She could also see Charlie catch herself before saying she'd take the offer. Smart girl.

"I may have made a little speech at the last meeting of Overlords in which I may have suggested backing your hotel." She smiled at Charlie's reaction. "What do you think? Would it be worthwhile to strengthen the friendship between Cannibal Town and the Hazbin Hotel."

"Yes," Charlie agreed quickly. Rosie expected as much. Why else would she be willing to compromise her values and give this girl up?

"I can offer to give the prisoner back to you as a token of goodwill between Cannibal Town and your Hazbin Hotel," Rosie told her. "Would you like that?"

To her surprise, Charlie's face fell. "I... I don't know if I can do that."

Rosie's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Why not? Your hotel is still about redemption, isn't it?"

"Yes! Of course it is." Charlie got up and began to pace. "But Lute killed Razzle's brother. At the very least, I couldn't let her stay in the hotel without his permission. And even if he gave it, I don't think it would be healthy for my partners. And that's not even taking into account that my hotel tried to kill her yesterday."

"Oh my. That does present a problem," Rosie agreed.

Charlie's sat back down, crestfallen. "I don't know what to do!" She held her hands in front of her. "I don't want to make the same mistake as Sera. I don't want to do what I think is necessary at the cost of what I think is right. But I can't tell which is which."

Rosie took a long drink from her tea. "What did you say when Alastor first appeared at your hotel?"

"Huh?" Charlie asked.

Another sip. "Did you turn him away?"

"No." Charlie sighed. "Not even when Vaggie told me to."

"Why not?" Rosie asked. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her I couldn't." Charlie began, thinking back. "I told Vaggie that I knew Alastor was evil and probably didn't want to change..."

Rosie could see the moment Charlie realized where she was steering her.

"...But I couldn't turn someone away. It went against everything I believe in."

Rosie smiled. "Sounds to me like you can tell which is which."

"Yes," Charlie admitted, wilting a little. "But that doesn't make any of the problems with it go away." Charlie wrapped her arms about herself. "So... do you have any suggestions?"

Rosie smiled at her. "As a matter of fact, you do have another option." She warned, "But I don't think you'll like it."

---

Day Eight - Just outside Cannibal Town, early evening:

Lightning flashed across the clouds as acid rain poured across Cannibal Town and the surrounding districts.

Charlie and Vaggie huddled with Emily under her new umbrella, which Charlie purchased from Margaret, finally making use of the discount card that Hannibal gave them nearly two weeks ago.

Vaggie was thankful. The rain couldn't hurt her or Emily, but it could hurt Charlie. (And, far more secondary, but an acute concern after the hideout, it wouldn't be good for her clothing).

"So, what's the plan?" Vaggie asked.

Charlie shook her head. "Before I say anything, before I even think more about what to do next, I need to talk to Razzle again."

Charlie was carrying a huge bag of art supplies. She could not stop herself at just a box of markers (in a rainbow of 96 colors) and dry-erase markers (in a smaller rainbow of 24 colors). She had also bought a whiteboard, oversized sketch pads and... frankly, anything else that caught her interest. Vaggie was expecting Charlie would go extra Charlie on her presentations during their lessons for a few weeks.

"I can take us there right now," Emily offered as they approached the limo.

"Thank you, Emily. But let's get back to the hotel first." Charlie shifted her bags and counted on her fingers. "I want to put these away, get something to eat, use the bathroom. Maybe even take a shower."

Vaggie noted, "Belphegor is being exceptionally gracious, considering how we've been popping into her home whenever we want."

Charlie agreed. "You're right, Vaggie. I'll be sure to call her first."

Vaggie departed the protection of the umbrella for just a few seconds as she moved to the front passenger-side door and got in next to Angel Dust.

Angel Dust was turned around, watching through the window into the back. "So, how'd it go?"

Vaggie heard the trunk open. "It... went. I just saw someone I needed to be a symbol of innocence turn out to be far from that. And compared to Charlie and Emily, I think I'm coming back the least fucked up."

She heard the trunk shut.

"Ouch. That bad?" Angel Dust said, still not turning to face her, his voice much softer than normal.

Vaggie looked into the back, seeing Lute exactly where they left her.

Vaggie's remaining eye shot open wide with alarm as she saw Niffty, still holding Lute's chains, had fallen asleep against one of the former Exorcist's wings.

She turned to Angel Dust, suppressing the string of swears boiling up inside her because she didn't want to wake Niffty.

"About fifteen minutes," he told her, his voice remaining soft. "Don't worry. I've kept an eye on them." He held up one of his far arms, showing her an angelic-barrelled SMG. "Just in case. But it hasn't been needed. The most aggressive thing she's done is glower."

The back doors opened. Charlie started to get in and stopped, eyes widening. She smiled and made a shushing motion to Emily, finger to her lips.

Vaggie turned around to face forward, keeping her voice low. "How the fuck is Niffty the one she's bonding with?"

"Trust exercises?" Angel Dust offered as he flipped the switch, raising the glass partition.

Vaggie sat facing forward and sighed, returning to the previous discussion. "Charlie finally got some new guests pursuing her dream, and within days one of them was murdered. Permanently. She's handling it, barely. Then today Alastor dumped some shit about her mom on her. And I'm guessing Rosie didn't make the Lute situation any easier."

"Yikes!" Angel Dust said, starting up the limo. As he backed it off the curb, he asked, "Any way we can help?"

"I don't know," Vaggie admitted. Then continued, "Emily's doing better, but I think she's still dealing with her first brush with violence two weeks ago. She just got another look at how cruel Hell can be. And after messing herself up by watching what Lute did to me over three years go? I swear, we all need therapy."

Angel Dust guided the limo back towards the hotel. "Yeah, well good luck finding that down here."

---

Day Eight - Streets of Pentagram City, early evening:

"What kind of name is Neon Ant Farm anyway?" Vaggie asked as Angel Dust pulled the limo onto the uppermost main road, turning towards the Hazbin Hotel.

Angel Dust replied, "Zeezi owns it."

Vaggie blinked. "Missi Zella? Well, that explains a lot."

The windshield wipers continued to squeakily scrub the windshield of acidic rain.

"Yeah. Neon Ant Farm is just down the block from Klub Kaiju," Angel Dust told her as the limo picked up speed. "Depending on how the interview goes, this will either be a celebration or a much needed distraction."

"Well, don't worry," Vaggie said a little suggestively, "I'm sure Charlie and I can find something to do while you steal our girlfriend for a night of dancing."

"Oh hohoho!" Angel Dust laughed. A moment later, a flash of lightning cast everything in stark light and shadow.

Shifting to a more earnest tone, Vaggie told him, "And don't worry. I'm sure you'll do great." She paused. "Do you even know what the job is yet?"

"No idea. But since I'm an actor with a porn resume, and Asmodeus is the Sin of Lust, I'm guessing: porn." He frowned slightly. "Only problem with that is Asmodeus doesn't have any facilities in Pentagram City. Even the interview has to take place in the hotel."

The spider demon slowly began to grin. "Oooooh..."

"No!" Vaggie snapped. "You are not filming porn in the hotel!"

Angel Dust laughed. "Why not? It's not like I haven't before!" He wiggled his eyebrows, reminding her of the (now deleted) recording of The Night of the Charliegasms.

Vaggie made strangling motions. Which only made him laugh harder.

Devilishly, he added, "You know, if you want to stick it to Velvette, you could always own... WHAT THE FUCK!"

A swarm of blackness rose from the street ahead of them, blotting out the cloudy sky. Angel Dust slammed on the brakes and felt the limo leave his control, hydroplaning across the street, fishtailing.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Angel Dust chanted as he oversteered, trying to correct.

Vaggie tried to brace herself, getting thrown against the spider demon as the limo slid sideways to a stop in the middle of the road.

She scrambled, looking around him at the street ahead as the black cloud surged towards them. She could see lights within it. A cluster of burning motes of sickly yellow-green miasma.

Those swirling chemical fires became the hooves, tail and mane of a white nightmare as Pestilence charged towards them.

Victor jumped the horse over the Morningstar's limo, coming down on the other side. The Horse of Pestilence stopped with an impossible shift in momentum, lifting her back legs and slamming them into the limo with enough force to bend the frame and shatter most of the windows.

Vaggie and Angel Dust were showered in flying glass as the limo was bucked into the air, the huge and heavy vehicle turning over in the air before slamming into the asphalt with enough force to crumple the roof in on them.

Vaggie let out a scream, more of extreme disorientation and dismay than hurt, as she was tossed around in the small compartment. For the briefest moment, her mind seized with a primal fear as she flashed back, once again in her family's jalopy as it rolled and crumpled and everything went black.

The limo rolled several times, hitting the corner of a building and coming to a stop, upside down.

Vaggie fought down the panic, screaming at herself as she came to rest in the overturned limo.

I'm not in Heaven. I'm not in Heaven. This is Hell, where I belong. Stop panicking and find Charlie!

Vaggie struggled to right herself in the now cramped space. "Angel! Are you okay? Say something."

Angel Dust groaned and tried to move. "Aaagh!" He struggled.

"Angel?" Vaggie said, getting herself turned around to face him. With a flash of her military training, she bit back the urge to demand Report! "What's wrong?"

"I'm stuck!" Angel Dust complained. She could see him bleeding from a wealth of cuts, but none looked too deep. But with his abnormal height and the roof crushed partway in, he was pinned. "I don't think anything's broken, but I can't move."

Angel Dust felt around with one free arm, picking his SMG off the floor and aiming it as best he could out the narrow gap that was once the front window. "Fuck! Where is he?"

"Me cago en todo lo que se menea!" Vaggie turned awkwardly back around and tried to open her door, but it wouldn't budge. She looked into the back through shards of glass, hearing other voices, seeing people moving around.

Vaggie turned about again, thankful for her smaller size. "Back away!" she shouted as she began kicking out the remaining glass that had once been the window between the front and back of the limo. The roof in the front was crumpled too much to crawl out the windshield, but she thought she could squeeze through the opening into the back.

"Vaggie?! Are you okay?" Charlie called up to her, shouting over a building buzz from outside. Followed by, "How's Angel?"

"Angel's cut up a bit and trapped but okay. I'm okay. I can't get out the front. I'm coming back." Vaggie announced, shouting back as she kicked away the last large shard.

A staccato of muzzle flashes and the rapid beat from the SMG followed a growled "There you are!" from the spider demon.

"Fuck, I can't aim for shit like this."

Vaggie turned around again and started crawling through. It was painful. Her hair kept catching on the small teeth of glass left in the frame. But she could do it. The blessing of having modest tits. Let's see Charlie or fucking Cherri Bomb do this!

"Charlie, are you okay?! How's Emily?" she asked, grunting. She forced herself through, crushing things that don't want to be crushed. She felt foolish - Emily was an angel, like her. She'd be shaken, but fine.

Vaggie pulled herself through to her waist and yelped again as her hair caught once more.

"Here, let me help!" Charlie said, finally managing to scramble to her. "Emily's outside looking for Niffty," Charlie said with worry as she unsnagged Vaggie's hair. "She got tossed out."

That sent a flood of panic through her. "Emily and Niffty are out there with him?"

She looked around, spotting Lute. Not trying to flee. Just curled against a corner, eyes wide, breaths shallow and fast. Hyperventilating.

"Me cago en la madre que te parió."

As Charlie freed her, Vaggie began crawling towards Lute. I cannot believe I'm doing this.

"Snap out of it, soldier!" Vaggie barked, embracing her inner drill sergeant. Getting into her face so fast and loud the woman could not help but flinch back. "Listen to me, you worthless whore. You do not have permission to panic!"

"Vaggie!" Charlie gasped, shocked. But Vaggie waved her off. She knew what she was doing.

"Cowards don't get names! Have you earned a name, you pathetic cunt?" Vaggie shouted, spraying spittle into Lutes face.

Lute's eyes were wide. Her dilating pupils stared. She nodded weakly. But Vaggie could see the woman's inner focus pull away from the fact her torturer was just outside and lock onto Vaggie.

Vaggie shouted, "Say your fucking name, cunt!"

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Lute!"

A moment later, Lute scowled and pushed Vaggie as much as her chains allowed. "Get off me!"

Lute turned to a stunned Charlie and growled. "Get these fucking chains off!"

---

Day Eight - Streets of Pentagram City, early evening:

The swarm formed a dome the size of a city block, encompassing a swath of the street with its rows of tenements on one side and small shops on the other, as well as part of an intersection and the arch of an overpass. All with the wreckage of the Morningstar limo at the center.

Above, the swarm blotted out the sky, thick enough to block the rain. Flashes of lightning illuminated patches of the black, reflecting off the carapaces of millions of hellborn fleas, ticks, flies and mosquitos. Moving in unison under the command of their master. The buzzing was horrendous, burrowing into the mind and under the skin.

Emily stood up, looking about. Her halo cut the darkness.

She heard the horse-like netherbeast, the white nightmare, moving about in the swarm, circling. She opened all her eyes, taking her full form as a seraphim.

She could see it now. The ultimate plague beast, its mane and tail a miasma that held untold pathogens locked in chemical fire.

Victor was not hard to find. The plague doctor stood over the unmoving body of Niffty, his head cocked in curiosity.

"A hellborn evocation of Japanese encephalitis. Fascinating," he stated. "I have rarely seen a disease from the mortal world reborn in a demon's body. She must have had it when she died."

"Leave her alone!" Emily shouted, warning.

He straightened up, taking note of her. "I doubt it was responsible for her mortal death. But the flavivirus may have informed her soul's incarnation." His voice had a touch of melancholy. "I almost wish I had time to study her."

Emily took to the air, several of her eyes tracking the circling nightmare while she locked onto the aberration of a doctor.

Victor stared up at her. "You... you have never been ill. Never known a day in the embrace of disease. But do not despair. I will fix that."

She moved towards him, intent on taking Niffty from this monster. The headache skewered her brain like an Exorcist's spear. She collapsed to the ground, vomiting as she held her head.

Lute was right. she barely managed to think. Physical pain is so bad!

"If you think the headaches and vomiting are savage," Victor told her casually, "Just wait for the seizures. Japanese encephalitis can be brutal."

He looked down at her, as Emily screamed. "No need for that. You only have it so long as I maintain it. And for you angels, something much more self-sustaining is needed."

She fought, trying to get up, trying to get to Niffty even through the sledgehammers covered in razor blades pounding at her brain. But the world swam. She stumbled.

"Now that would be the disorientation," Victor noted, but his words weren't to her. "It really is impressive, Leonard. What They give you when you finally accept your horse. They really want you to believe it is worth the chains."

Emily cried out and collapsed again as the whole of Hell tilted and wobbled. The pain in her head made it too hard to think more than a few words at a time. But two were enough.

"...call... Dad..."

She reached out a hand, stretching it to a blurry, buzzing darkness. And conjured an orb of light. The light didn't need to brave the swarm. It calmly sank into the ground, seeking its recipient in Sloth.

---

Day Eight - Streets of Pentagram City, early evening:

Vaggie climbed out one side of the limo while Charlie pulled herself out of the other. Vaggie looked down to see Lute dragging herself out at her feet.

The buzzing air bellowed with the unhallowed whinny of the white nightmare. Lute was just climbing to her feet when Vaggie spotted the yellow-green flickers racing towards them in the swarm. "Dive!"

Vaggie and Lute jumped in opposite directions as the beast slammed into the limo between them, sending it rolling over Charlie, smashing her to the ground before coming to a stop, again upside down. Angel cried out from within.

"Charlie!"

Vaggie started to move towards her, but was tackled, slammed back by Lute as the nightmare's chemical-burning hooves pounded into the pavement where she just was.

Lute's helping?

Vaggie's world destabilized a moment.

Lute helped me?! Why? We're angels! Can this thing even hurt us?

She heard Charlie moan, coughing.

Vaggie grabbed Lute and rolled as the Horse of Pestilence tried to stomp on them again.

"Fly!" she shouted as she let go, hearing the horse canter about for another charge. She spread her wings, taking to the air.

A moment later, Lute joined her between the nightmare and the swarm. Her nemesis' voice was tattered. "All it needs is a cut. Any open wound..."

And the fleas will get inside you, make you sick

"And that's the end of Heaven."

Vaggie shook her head. There was still a chance. If Heaven could make a cure in time. If Crymini's blood did contain the plague.

Her eyes fixated on the white nightmare, its very nature forcing her to accept the forces at play.

If this Other-fueled plague could even be treated by scientific means. If it couldn't simply hide in the Other within an angel's bloodstream until it was ready.

"Can it do that?" Vaggie questioned aloud as the beast circled below.

"It's an aberration from as deep Below as the seraphim are from high Above," Lute snapped back. "It sent a limousine flying! What would you assume?"

I need to stop acting like I'm invulnerable. I've already learned this lesson. Twice. Now to act like it.

Vaggie saw Charlie getting up wobbly, her demonic aspect flaring. Her partner just got clobbered with a limo and she was standing. FUCK YES!

The nightmare stopped, seeing her too.

"Charlie! We'll keep it busy! Help Emily!" Vaggie shouted.

"We?" Lute challenged, deadpan.

Vaggie's remaining eye clenched shut. "Se va a la mierda!" She drew her spear in one hand and Lute's sword in the other, holding the latter towards her nemesis. "You'll need a weapon."

The moment Lute snatched her sword back, Vaggie readied her spear. "Fight to distract! Fight defensively! Don't let it touch you!"

She dived at the Horse of Pestilence below, and Lute followed.

---

Day Eight - Streets of Pentagram City, early evening:

Charlie HURT. But she stood up anyway. Despite the agony in her back and in her legs. She was Lucifer's daughter. The Princess of Hell. And she was not going to let this asshole kill anyone else! Especially not a woman she loved!

Her demonic aspect was already surging as she shuffled up to the overturned limo, grabbing the exposed underside and starting to climb. As she crested it, she saw Emily. Curled up on the ground. Screaming. She saw Victor, in his open lab coat and his ugly crow-like mask, standing over her and just watching.

She heard him say Leonard's name.

Charlie's demonic aspect shifted from a surge to a blaze.

"VICTOR!"

Charlie shouted as she pulled forth her pitchfork. The agony in her back flared so badly that she screamed as she unfurled her wings.

She launched herself towards the man that murdered one of her family and was torturing her wife.

Victor turned to see the fury of Hell bearing down on him.

Charlie almost made it before the sudden migraine slammed her to the ground.

Even through the agony, she could make out Victor's surprised backstep as she pulled herself to her hands and knees, crawling towards him through an onslaught of nausea, headaches and disorientation. She felt herself burning up...

Emily moaned weakly as Charlie forced Victor to pull his focus from the angel to keep Charlie down.

"You will NOT hurt the ones I love!" Charlie growled as weakness sapped her ability to keep crawling. "You will NOT hurt Heaven!"

Spots danced before her eyes. Her gut betrayed her, twisting horribly. The migraines pummeled her with gruesome agony.

"You will not hurt ANYONE else!" Charlie roared, crying, still pushing herself. Inching just a little closer...

...before stopping.

---

Day Eight - Streets of Pentagram City, early evening:

Victor looked down at the crumpled Princess of Hell. He was breathing heavily inside his mask. His body was shaking. Putting her down took an entirely unacceptable amount of power.

He looked up, seeing his loathsome steed battling the two other angels. Circling them. Victor called the swarm to tighten around them. Take the sky from them. If they flew, his little friends would fill their mouths and their lungs. Their ears. Every orifice they could find. If they would not bleed, let them swallow!

He watched as the two angels moved to fight back to back, trying to see which direction his horse would come from. The fallen one switched her sword to her demonic hand.

Ingestion was far from a sure vector for his plague. He would prefer his horse break them. Best to do things right. But if they insisted on leaving him no other choice...

His attention was torn away as the seraphim started to get up. He pulled as much focus from the Princess as he dared, driving the angel back to the street with another scream.

"Time to finish this before my jailor's daughter can pull her wits back together," he said, opening the little box and pulling the vial from his belt.

He held it up, revealing the small splash of golden liquid still within. The rest of it had been ingested by his fleas. Only a fraction of them compared to the multitudes in the swarm. And those had all been directed to the two angels fighting his steed. Still, this would be enough to do the job.

"All you need to do is bleed," he told her as he slipped the vial into a pocket. With a flick of his hand, he produced his angelic steel scalpel.

Emily stopped screaming and began to convulse. "Ah, the seizures." Victor paused. He would actually prefer she be still for this. Fortunately, the next symptom was a coma. He raised his hand over her, focusing to speed up the process even faster.

Agony ruptured through his leg, accompanied by a staccato beat. Victor fell, dropping his scalpel. His focus completely shattered as he clutched at his lower leg. His foot dangled like useless meat, his ankle blasted apart by angelic bullets.

He heard the demon still trapped in the limo holler a victorious vulgarity at him. Then start cursing as his SMG clicked, dry of angelic death.

The abyss rose up to consume them all.

---

Day Eight - Streets of Pentagram City, early evening:

Charlie felt the headaches and the nausea and the weakness all flush from her body like shit down a toilet. She blinked, wiping tears from her eyes.

There was screaming nearby. Not hers. Not Emily's either. A male voice.

Victor.

Charlie pushed herself to her knees, looking around to see Victor fallen, clutching the mess that was his leg. Emily, still in her beautiful seraphim form, rolling over to look back at her, face a mess of dirt and tears.

The asphalt split between them. And all around them, cracking. Chunks fell in slow motion into the colorless maelstrom below, filled with flashes of light.

Charlie felt a wash of terror. She had seen something like this before. In Alastor's room, when the reality of the bayou had begun to crumble. But this was much more.

What came up from the nether shifted and distorted, unable to fully exist in the reality of hell. It writhed, and existence seemed to writhe with it in antipathy. It had no color and was all the colors at once. And every part of it that allowed itself to be glimpsed solidly for even a moment was eyes and tongues and teeth and sphincters.

The thing that shouldn't be consumed the swarm. But not the bodies. The sky fell in a rain of dead, desiccated bugs.

She looked back to see Vaggie and Lute taking a stand on the overturned limo. She tried to cry out to them as they cringed back, terrified by what was going on around them but focused on the abomination. Their weapons were ready as the Horse of Pestilence, bloodied by their attacks, reared up over them with hooves awash with chemical fire... only to be engulfed by the Other and wrenched from reality.

With a strobing squeal, reality snapped back. The cracks in the street disappeared, the missing chunks rising back and sealing into place.

Charlie blinked repeatedly, her eyes painfully dry. As was the street. And the sky. The thing from Below had consumed the storm.

"Show off," she heard her dad say as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to form tears.

"Some events call for making an entrance," Frederick replied lightly. "Now stay back, Luci. He still might be a danger to angels."

Charlie opened her eyes to see her dad flying above. Seviathan's father was hanging onto his back. He let go, dropping to the pavement, and began stalking towards Victor.

"Time to go back to your cage, Vic."

"No!" Charlie called out.

"What?" Lucifer and Frederick asked with simultaneous confusion.

Charlie pushed herself up. She looked around. Vaggie and Lute were standing on the limo, staring around in wonder and horror. The Horse of Pestilence was gone. The swarm was dead in the street.

And in her hair. And everywhere.

Victor had curled up, clutching his leg. Defeated and in pain.

"Don't cage him," she told her father. She turned to Frederick. "Set him free."

Frederick's eyes widened. "No. No, that's a bad idea, Charlotte."

Lucifer stared at Charlie and she looked back, letting him see her determination. "Mercy, dad. Set him free."

Lucifer landed. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's right. It's time, Freddy." He looked down at Victor. "The nuclear option."

Frederick scowled. "If he's not willing, things go really, really bad. For EVERYBODY."

"He's willing," Charlie promised, having faith. "I believe he doesn't want any of this. That he never has."

Frederick wasn't willing to take their word for it. He knelt down to Victor, grabbing him by his mask. "Are you willing to give up your power? All of it?"

The answer shocked him.

Frederick stood, shaking his head. "Okay." He leveled a stare at Charlie. "But if this kicks off the Final Game, it's on you."

Frederick began to chant as the pentagram in the sky above Pentagram City bled oily black from its inner edges, slowly filling each quadrant overhead until the sky above the city was a disc of obsidian darkness.

"Holy shit," Vaggie said, walking up to Charlie.

Emily shook her head, horrified by what she was seeing. "Nothing holy about this. At all."

Charlie made a mental note not to ask Emily what the seraphim could see that the rest of them could not. Never ever ever ever.

Frederick paused between stanzas of his litany. "Understand, I'm not taking this power for myself. I don't want it any more than you do. I'm forcing Them to take it back. It's not something that can be undone."

Charlie swore she heard the words Thank you whisper up from behind Victor's mask.

Frederick continued until it was over.

---

Day Eight - Streets of Pentagram City, evening:

Frederick von Eldritch held up the vial, looking at the small dose of golden liquid at the bottom. "To think, this is a threat to all of Heaven."

"You know," Lucifer said casually, "When I said I didn't want to know how you purged the Doomsday District of Victor's pests, that wasn't code for please, do it right in front of me."

"I'll take that," Charlie said, reaching a hand out. Even that action made her wince. Half of her body felt like a deep bruise. Which, she supposed, was fair. She had the family's limousine thrown at her.

"Charlie?" her father asked cautiously. "What are you going to do with that? I don't think I need to say that it is very dangerous. Especially to your... partners? Wives?... My other daughters."

Charlie's demeanor softened as joy filled her heart at her dad's clumsy words. "All of those." With a wink to Emily, she added, "We go by anything."

She heard Angel Dust calling out from the wreckage. "Some help here!?"

Charlie kept her hand held out to Seviathan's father. "I'm going to give this to Sir Pentious. He has angels in Heaven ready to work on a cure. But we're not certain the blood sample we're giving them is infected."

"Or we could destroy it and not need a cure," Vaggie offered. But Charlie shook her head.

"We don't know for certain that it isn't out there. Crymini likely has it. Who knows if anyone else does," Charlie said firmly. "Heaven needs a cure, just in case."

She heard Niffty groan.

Lucifer nodded. "Okay. That's probably a very good idea."

"To take the sickness that can kill Heaven and give it to Heaven," Frederick questioned. "Oh, absolutely brilliant."

"I trust Sir Pentious," Charlie said as Frederick allowed her to take the vial.

Behind her, she heard Emily trying to help Angel Dust. It didn't sound like it was going well. Charlie looked over to them, then to her father.

"You're going to need a new limo," he noted, eyebrows raised. "I'll have one sent up tomorrow."

Charlie smiled. "Thank you. But could you also help..." She stopped as she saw Lute approach Victor. Her demonic aspect was still flaring and she held her old sword in her red scaled hand. The former plague doctor was crumpled on the ground, helpless, having passed out during the invocation of Frederick's nuclear option.

Frederick von Eldritch saw her too.

Lute's eyes widened in absolute terror as Frederick moved in front of her. She stumbled back, her pupils dilating at the sight of him.

"Hello again." Frederick purred.

Lute's sword clattered to the ground as her demonic aspect withered. The woman wilted, her albino complexion managing to pale even further.

"Thank you so much for your assistance with Victor," Frederick menaced politely, looming over her as Lute dropped back on her ass and began to curl up. "Your answers were ever so helpful."

Frederick von Eldritch suddenly had an angelic spear pointed between his eyes.

"Leave. Her. Alone!" Vaggie demanded.

Frederick yelped as he was rapped on the back of the head with Lucifer's cane. "Bad Freddy," her father scowled. "Down, boy."

Frederick turned to Lucifer. "Ow."

Her father put on a pleasant smile. "Thank you, Frederick, for rescuing my daughters and saving all of Heaven. Please don't ruin it by being a piece of shit, okay?"

Frederick turned back to Lute. Not only was Vaggie still pointing her spear, but now Niffty standing between them, eye narrowed with a hateful expression.

"You're not a bad boy. You're just a bully," Niffty growled. "And a terrible father."

Frederick backed away with a What the fuck? expression.

Charlie joined her father as Lucifer strolled over to the overturned limo. He tore the driver door off. Charlie and Emily assisted Angel Dust in getting out.

"Thanks for the call, bitch!" Lucifer told Emily.

Emily stared, wide eyed. "W-what?"

Charlie cringed. "Dad... that's..." She put her hand to her temple. "...nevermind."

Lucifer blinked innocently. "What? It worked with you."

Turning towards Victor, Lucifer asked, "What about him?"

Charlie gave Emily an apologetic look and mouthed I'll explain later when her dad was distracted. Then answered her father. "If he wants to seek redemption, he can. But he has to come to the hotel himself. We can't make sinners come to the hotel by force."

Charlie gave a glance in Lute's direction. "Any of them."

"Let's go home," she said.

---

Day Eight - Hazbin Hotel, evening:

"Let's hear it for the hero of the day!" Husk cheered, raising his glass while wrapping Angel Dust with his other arm and a wing.

Everybody with drinks in their hands held them aloft and gave a hearty holler.

A very happy Sir Pentious and a very satisfied-looking Cherri Bomb finished their drinks, the latter going to the bar for another while the former double-checked the protective case that the vial was in. Husk let go of Angel Dust to pour Cherri another drink and to pull the bag with Crymini's blood from the mini-fridge.

"So..." Vaggie told Charlie with a sigh. "Turns out the child I saved has been in Hell since before I was born and has a porn stash of me thanks to Velvette."

That, of course, caught Angel Dust's attention. "Oh really!?"

Vaggie groaned, knowing she was not going to hear the end of this for weeks at least.

"I think he's just in love," Emily offered.

Vaggie groaned. "That doesn't make it any better."

She sighed. "But I can't fault him for it. I'm the one who put him on a pedestal in my head as an icon of innocence. For my own sake." A realization struck her. "I guess... he's kinda doing the same with his idea of me."

"Only with more nudity," Angel Dust had to interject.

"Gilipollas," she muttered. "I can't imagine having that much experience without the full faculties to process it. I'm not sure what they are, but I guess kids in Hell really aren't kids anymore."

From the end of the bar, she heard Crymini cry out, "Fucking duh!"

Emily slipped away, moving to the side of the parlor as she saw Sir Pentious was ready to go.

Charlie got up too. "Good luck, Pentious! We'll see you soon!"

She turned to Emily, "Once he's through, ready for that trip to Sloth?"

Emily nodded, opening a golden portal to Heaven. Sir Pentious gave Cherri Bomb a kiss. Then waved and bowed with a flourish before heading through the portal.

Emily followed, closing the portal behind them.

"Uhh..." Charlie said, staring.

Vaggie slipped off her stool and walked up to stand next to her. "Wait for it."

The golden portal reappeared and Emily stepped back through, glaring at Vaggie's smug expression. "Not a word."

"I didn't say anything," Vaggie insisted even more smugly as Emily closed the portal and opened one to Sloth.

---

Day Eight - Molly's Villa, Heaven, late evening:

Molly stood at the glass wall of her modest villa, looking out over her pool at the Heavenly vista of the park below. The sky was painted with the beautiful purples and lavenders of the evening. She listened to Sir Pentious on her phone.

"...gone home for the evening, but Missss Curie has it in ssssafe storage, and promises they will start work on it first thing in the morning."

Molly smiled. "Oh thank you! That's one load of stress gone." She sighed. "Heaven is not supposed to be stressful! I'm going to message my polycule. We're going to... fuck, I forgot the speech!"

"Missss Molly, is your ssssibling being a bad influence on you?" Sir Pentious teased.

Molly eeped, realizing she just swore casually. "Sorry!"

"Sssssilly ssspider," Sir Pentious reminded her, "I come from Hell. Fuck isn't a word. It's more like the ssspace between them. At most, it's a comma."

"I've been to Hell," Molly said lightly, moving across to her brightly-lit kitchen. She extended her extra arms and began pulling out ingredients for dinner while still holding the phone to one ear. "It's not that bad."

"You've been to the Hazbin Hotel," Sir Pentious corrected. "It's not the sssame as really seeing Hell." He quickly cautioned, "And you don't want to. It is not recommended. Zero ssstars."

Molly laughed. "Well, in that case... EEEEEEK!"

She jumped onto her kitchen's island at the loud, sharp boom from somewhere outside. All the lights in her kitchen went out. They flickered back on a second later only for another cracking sound to echo from somewhere outside. The lights went out again. And this time they stayed out.

"What's going on?" she heard Sir Pentious ask with alarm. "Are you alright!?"

"I just lost power!" Molly told him.

To her dread, he replied. "So did I."

"Something exploded!" Molly added. "Multiple somethings."

"Secondary explosions?" For the moment, his analytic tone was helping to keep her from spiraling with worry.

There were more thundering pops in quick succession. Molly jumped down and moved back to the glass wall. "There are more. They sound like they're coming from across the park, beyond the river. I can't see anything."

For several dreadful seconds, she heard nothing over the phone. It was a relief when her favorite serpent angel spoke again. "That would be the Cumulous Line."

Molly blinked. "The what?"

"Part of Heaven's power grid," Sir Pentious answered. "That sounds like a cascade failure. A bad one."

Molly's eyes narrowed. "You've been here weeks. How do you know more about Heaven's power system than I do?"

"Because I always check any power system that I hook my inventions too... oh no." She heard the dread in his voice. Like her own was contagious. "Molly, please look towards the Science District."

Molly scurried to the stairs and up to her second floor patio, looking out. The sky was painted a sacred golden-orange. It felt like the clouds had evaporated beneath her.

"That's fire," she squeaked softly.

She could hear Sir Pentious start to panic. "But that'ssss impossible. I told everyone the projector wasn't ready without more testing! The regulators for the power sssubstation aren't even installed yet! Ssscientists aren't fools. Nobody would have turned it on!"

"Pentious?" she said, trying to calm him. But her own voice sounded frail. She saw an angel swoop by outside, headed in the direction of the flames.

Suddenly, Heaven didn't just feel frayed. It felt broken.

"There ssshouldn't even be anyone there," Pentious continued. "Everyone'sss gone home for the evening. The only angels at the sssite should be... uh... whoever we normally have for sssecurity."

Molly breath caught. "What?"

"What do you mean, what?" Sir Pentious asked, pausing in his panic at the sound of her voice.

Molly shook her head. "Heaven doesn't have crime or vandalism. We don't have security guards up here." The closest Heaven had was the Exorcists, and they were supposed to be for external threats.

Her words had the opposite of their desired effect.

"Anyone could walk in and touch anything?! ...Or bomb it! Oh God, we're under attack!"

"What? No!" Molly said sternly. "We are not under attack. Pentious, calm down!"

She wanted to yell that this was Heaven and those sorts of things did not happen here. But she could not blame him. He had lived through who knew how many attacks from angels. He didn't live through the last one.

And worse, the fact she wanted to yell warned her that some part of her feared the same.

All she knew for sure was that her friend was in a bad state.

"Pentious, I'm coming over," Molly told him as she looked at the golden-orange tint of holy fire on the clouds.

That was a lot of fire.

I don't feel safe.

"The power just came back," her friend told her. Molly looked around. Her own villa was still dark. Outside, so was the rest of the neighborhood.

Molly had made up her mind. "I'll feel safer if we are together. And you could use the support. We'll get through this. Heaven..."

The call abruptly cut as the signal was lost.

---

Day Eight - Belphegor's Estate, Sloth, late evening:

Charlie was in the next room, talking to Razzle. Vaggie and Emily sat near the piano, listening as Sera played some very basic chords.

"I realized that I have lived since the beginning, and I have never learned to play the piano," Sera mused. "Wanted to for an age, but I never felt I had the time. There were so many important things to attend to. Now, Razzle is teaching me."

She looked over to Vaggie. "If you take Razzle home tonight..." she asked cautiously, "Would you mind if I visit regularly? I would like to continue these lessons."

Emily responded by blasting the air with confetti made of angelic light, surprising her sister.

"I believe that's a Yes, please do!" Vaggie interpreted with a smile. "In the meantime, are you going to continue staying here?"

From the next room, Belphegor lazily responded, "I have grown accustomed to her company."

Emily smiled. Then narrowed her eyes, as she glimpsed something in the way her sister smiled back at Belphegor. Leaning forward, she whispered, "You and Bel?!"

Sera pointedly didn't answer, returning to her piano practicing.

Emily fluttered over to the piano, sitting on it and staring expectantly at her very tall sister. Her feet kicked with giddy anticipation.

"We're not having sex," Sera told her. Then added with a slight smile, "Yet."

Emily squeed, wings flapping happily. "I'm so happy for you!"

The younger seraphim leaned close to her sister and chided playfully, "You still owe me details about the succubus!"

Vaggie blinked. "What succubus?"

Sera's eyes widened and her fingers stopped playing for just a moment. Then continued as she promised, "Later. Now is not the time."

Emily rolled her eyes. "There's never going to be a right time, is there?"

The door opened and Charlie entered. A moment later, Razzle flew out and over to the piano, replacing Emily as she hopped off to join Charlie.

"Let's go home," Charlie said. "It's time."

Vaggie and Emily nodded. They both knew what was coming. And neither of them liked it.

Vaggie sighed. "I wasn't kidding. We all need therapy. But then, who is Hell doesn't?"

Emily added, "Plenty in Heaven do too. But we have therapists for them. The best ones."

Emily gasped, shifting full seraphim with the impact of an epiphany.

"That's what the Heaven Embassy can offer!"

Vaggie and Charlie stared at her, processing that.

Sera stopped practicing. "You... want to use Heaven's projector to offer therapy to sinners?"

"That's... that's, um wow!" Vaggie stammered.

Emily nodded happily, enamored with her idea. "YES!" She looked to Charlie. "A lot of the souls who come to the hotel are going to need a lot more than just the lessons. They need professional help. And..."

Emily paused and looked down at her left sleeve. "And Vaggie's right. We do too. Heaven has angels who love to help and are amazing at it. It will be good for everybody."

Vaggie warned, "Heaven's therapists are going to need therapy after dealing with even a few of the demons down here."

"They will have them," Sera told her. "Heaven's therapists already have that support. No one helps others alone."

Sera looked to her sister, "This... is a very bold idea, Emily. I wish I had thought of it."

Emily smiled at her sister gratefully, then turned back to Charlie with hope in her eyes. Needing Charlie's reaction to her idea. She yeeped as Charlie picked her up with a subtle pained expression, swinging Emily in her arms.

"That will do so much good!" Charlie cheered before pulling Emily tight and kissing the seraphim very deeply, her demonic aspect surging.

Vaggie crossed her arms beneath her breasts and smiled, patiently waiting her turn.

As the kiss continued, Vaggie turned to Sera, whispering conspiratorially. "So, is there any way Charlie and I can focus that insane pleasure mirroring thing on Emily? I'm suddenly feeling a real need to completely melt her tonight."

---

Day Eight - Heaven, late evening:

Sir Pentious stood at the grand arched window of his studio loft. Staring out towards the Science District and the neighborhoods surrounding it that still lay dark in the fading light of day.

He flinched back from the glass as two Exorcists swooped past his window, gliding towards where clouds of smoke were lit from the hallowed flames raging below.

His eyes looked down at his phone on the counter. He picked it up, trying Molly's number again, but there was no answer. How bad must it be if Heaven's cell phone service had been disrupted?

"Please be safe, Molly," Sir Pentious whimpered.

From somewhere, he could hear a melody forming from the marriage of a church pipe organ and calliope music. They were joined in a polycule by the deep beat of kettle drums.

Sir Pentious clutched the phone in his hand and began to sing.

"There's an electric tension in the air tonight

And now your side of Heaven glows with orange light"

"I've seen Exorcists flying

Overhead and I just

Want to hide.

His eyes caught a flicker on the giant sign that boasted KINDNESS with pictures of the most gentle angels. The image had been replaced with a notice from Heaven's Court: Heaven is experiencing a minor issue with the power grid. Do not panic. Stay calm. Stay in your homes. Power will be restored soon.

Sir Pentious stared at that, then spun, pulling his arms tightly to his chest.

"There's an aching in my chest that cannot be stopped

You said you're coming over then the signal dropped."

"Now they're displaying warnings,

Asking angels not to

Go outside?"

He stretched out an arm towards the window dramatically.

"Can tomorrow be a happy day

When tonight I know Heaven's burning?"

The music carried across Heaven to where Molly scuttled down dark, abandoned Heavenly streets.

A wind had picked up, carrying wafts of heat and smoke. A torn poster with an Exorcist's face ("How can HEAVEN be EVIL?") danced across the golden street.

It was the first litter Molly could remember seeing in Heaven. The sight was one too much, and her emotions spilled out, tears forming in her eyes as she sang.

"I heard explosions popping then the power failed

"When my neighborhood went dark I know I simply bailed."

"I should be stronger but I

Can't stop thinking Heaven's

Gone to Hell!"

She kept to the edge of the buildings as a wailing tore at the settling night. Flashing lights of red and gold swept past her as a fireangels' hoverwagon rushed down the street towards the Science District behind her. She stared back at it and another raced past her, following. She turned back to the eerily vacant roundabout ahead.

"There's golden pavement in this clean, deserted sight

And the fireangels' sirens split the silent night."

"In the roundabout ahead

I can see where Sera's

Statue fell."

She reached the roundabout, jumping up onto the toppled statue of Sera, looking up the street towards the studio apartments where Sir Pentious now lived, singing with all the pain in her heart.

"Can tomorrow be a happy day

When tonight we see Heaven burning?"

Sir Pentious held his hands up to the window, trying to spot the form of a moving spider angel in the streets below. But with the settling dark, it was hard to see beyond the glare of his halo reflected in the glass.

"Now I stand at my window, waiting here for you,

I keep calling your number, but it won't go through,"

"And I'm beginning to think

It is wrong to try to

Hide away."

He saw the ruddy light coming from the Science District and his expression changed in his reflection, his worry giving way to determination. He turned and slithered across his loft, down the stairs and out into the twilight.

Molly stood atop the highest point of the toppled statue, singing as she looked in the direction of Sir Pentious' loft. Then back down the street in the direction the fireangels' hoverwagons went.

"I remember Saint Peter's song welcoming me,

And the way that you and Emi fill my heart with glee

"Should we just hang up these wings?

If we won't be the ones who

Save the day?"

"How can tomorrow be a better day,

When tonight we leave Heaven burning?"

Molly turned and started running back towards the fires. As she and Sir Pentious traveled Heaven's streets, now headed to the same destination, the words they sang were sung together.

"There could be angels hurt out there who need our aid,

Who is helping them if everyone's afraid?

"I'm sorry but I cannot just turn a blind eye

And leave Heaven burning!"

Night had fallen by the time they reached the Science District. Fireangels fought to douse the raging flames while civilians banded together to try to clear rubble, fighting to get to those trapped within.

Molly dove in, helping an Exorcist who was struggling to move a fallen column from an unconscious badger angel. It was still a struggle, but Molly's four legs lent extra stability. Soon, they had the hurt angel freed.

Molly looked around for a means to safely move him. Her heart swelled as she spotted Sir Pentious helping coordinate the efforts of volunteers as even more angels arrived to help.

"I've got this one," the Exorcist told her.

Molly nodded and ran towards her favorite snake-angel, bursting into song again.

"Thank God! Sir Pentious, you came!"

He smiled, turning to her.

"Of course, lovely spider, for I feel the same!"

Together, they sang. And the angels around them joined in the song, singing as they strove to save the wounded and fight the flames.

"We'll lend a hand, in Heaven's name!

Because tomorrow's still a day away,

And we cannot leave Heaven burning!

"Angels should always find a better way,

When we forget, when we submit, to the fear and the judgment,

We are the ones to blame as much as are those who light the flame."

"How can tomorrow be a better day

If tonight we leave Heaven burning?"

---

Day Eight - Hazbin Hotel parlor, night:

Lute sat in a chair, surrounded by the rest of the hotel guests and staff as Charlie stood before her. She waited for her sentence.

Charlie took a deep breath. "I've talked to Rosie, and we have two options. The first is that we give you over to her. You will be enslaved to the Cannibal Town, performing..." She hesitated, making an ill face, "...community service. For the next hundred years."

"What kind of community service?" Angel Dust asked apprehensively.

Charlie sighed. "I don't know the details, but..."

To Charlie's relief, Vaggie stepped in. "At the very least, they're going to bleed her and use her blood as a condiment."

Lute's eyes widened. Then narrowed as she looked down. That was not as bad as she expected. But then, that's all Charlie could bear to learn. It could be a lot worse. Repeatedly being eaten alive was still... on the table.

And even if it was not, that was a horrible existence to look forward to. Even if it was a blessing compared to her first days here.

Emily drew tight around herself, whimpering. Vaggie pulled her close. She looked at Charlie, reiterating, "Charlie, we can't. We just fucking can't."

This would be easier to accept if Vaggie wasn't fighting for her.

Charlie sighed again. "It's not our decision, Vaggie." She turned to Lute again. "It's yours."

Lute looked up in surprise. "What's my other option?"

Charlie pulled a chair closer and sat down, staring at her. "The other is that you stay here. Rosie has offered to give you to us as a diplomatic gesture. But there is a catch."

Lute closed her eyes. The option didn't have the same appeal as having her skin flayed off and sharp, rusty nails dragged against her bones like it would have a week ago.

But being stuck with a bunch of demons who she had personally been vile to and had every reason to hate her? In a house that was a monument to how wrong and evil she had been?

Well, better than spending decades being fed on. Probably. But there was a catch.

"What's the catch?"

Charlie folded her hands together. "This place needs to be a safe place for people to learn and grow and become better. You've hurt people here. You've killed family. I can't let you be here while you are free to hurt them again. Even if you won't, they won't be able to feel safe."

Lute nodded. On that she was in full agreement with Lucifer's daughter. She was too close to a great many edges.

Yesterday, she tried to murder Adam's killer. The little gremlin had absurdly forgiven her for that. But Lute herself could not promise she wouldn't try again any more than she could promise not to break down like she did earlier. It shook her that Vaggie pulled her out of that rather than just leaving her.

"So what," Lute asked, "Would I spend eternity here in chains?" She could get used to it.

"Not eternity," Charlie told her. "This place is about redemption. About becoming a better person. And I believe you can do that. Even if you can't get back into Heaven, I believe you have it in you to become the sort of person who never would have fallen."

Lute stared back, full of disagreement.

"And not chains," Charlie said, her tone becoming somber. "Just one."

Charlie stood up from the chair, wincing and moving a little stiffly. She stepped aside, looking away from her. "Husk?"

Everyone else watched quietly.

Husk stepped forward and took the chair, sitting across from Lute. "I'm a Dealmaker. And here is the Deal."

He leaned forward. "If you take the Hazbin Hotel option, you will need to bind your soul to me with a Contract..."

Lute jolted. She looked to Emily. "High Seraphim?!"

Emily nodded, looking distinctly ill at ease. "I'll be watching."

"Sell my soul to a demon?" Lute blurted. "Become his slave? And you're okay with this?!"

Emily frowned. "I'm not happy about it. But I trust Husk. And I have seen the good that the right Contract can have." She looked at Husk, adding, "Right now, I have a Deal with him. I still owe him a dance."

Husk smiled at Emily's words, but kept focused on Lute. "I'm not out for power or control, and I'm not looking to trick or hurt you. This Contract would essentially forge a compulsory list of Thou Shalt Not's which prevent you from being able to carry out actions intended to be harmful to the staff and guests of this hotel."

He frowned and looked to Charlie, who had moved to hold Emily's hand. She nodded to him.

Husk turned back to Lute. "This Contract will eventually have to be nullified for the sake of your own progress. Real, internal improvement is hard when your behavior is being forced. Trust me, I know."

Husk stood. "I can't force a Contract on you. This has to be your choice."

He turned to Charlie and her angels, "And if we are going to do this, there is something I need."

Charlie asked, "What's that?"

"I need Sera," Husk stated, getting a look of concern from Emily. "I'm good, but this kind of Contract is a whole other level. Setting up compulsions to follow only specific and prewritten commands, most of which will be to avoid types of action, while phrasing them so that there aren't loopholes to be abused or restrictions that would fuck her over? I'm glad you trust me, Emily; but I don't trust myself to get that right."

"Sera is an angelic lawyer who has millennia of experience," Husk continued. "Together, we forged the tightest, best-written Contract that I have ever seen!"

"Sera sold her soul to you?" Lute asked, shocked.

"Yes," Husk said. "And I need to ask her to help me write yours." He added, "If that is your choice."

Lute looked at all of them. They were all looking back at her. Save for Cherri Bomb, who had her arms crossed beneath her bosom and was staring resolutely away from everybody, a hard look on her face.

"Can I have a little time to think about it?" Lute asked.

Charlie nodded. "Of course! Do you want to be alone?"

Lute nodded. "But I probably shouldn't be."

"Considering what we're asking you to trust Husk with?" Vaggie stated. "I think we need to trust you to sit in a room alone and not do anything stupid."

---

Day Eight - Charlie's, Vaggie's and Emily's bedroom, night:

Charlie kicked off her shoes and shrugged out of her jacket, dropping it on the bags of art supplies in the corner.

Emily watched and exchanged a knowing look with Vaggie, who rolled her eyes with a smirk.

Charlie disrobed gingerly. "Ow ow ow... I hurt everywhere. I feel like..."

"Like you got hit by a limo?" Vaggie suggested.

Charlie nodded.

"Tell you what," Vaggie offered, taking off her shirt and bra. "Why don't we shower together. I'll wash you so you don't have to bend or flex trying to reach places."

Charlie smiled with relief. "You're the best, Vaggie."

With a meep, she quickly added, "You're also the best, Emily."

Emily waved a hand at her while she banished her Heavenly raiment in a flash of light. "No, no. You can say she's the best when she's being wonderful and amazing like that without feeling the need to include me."

Vaggie chuckled. "Yeah, but then you go and say something like that and prove her right."

"Think Lute will take the Deal?" Charlie asked, turning to Vaggie. "And are you sure you'll be okay if she does?"

"It will be hard," Vaggie admitted. "For both of us. But not as hard as it would be without that. I'll at least not have to worry that she'll kill Niffty the moment I'm not watching her."

Charlie opened her mouth, then closed it again, just nodding.

"That is entirely fair," Emily voiced, just to make it said aloud.

"You sure we can't just ship her to Belphegor?" Vaggie asked and hated doing so.

Charlie shook her head. "If Rosie gives her to us, Lute has to stay with us. She's selling the idea to her people on the symbolism." With a smile, she adds, "But therapy sessions at the Embassy are totally on the table."

Vaggie changed the topic as she slipped out of her skirt. "You were amazing yourself today, Charlie. Showing Victor mercy? Getting Frederick to set him free? I hadn't even considered the option."

"Part of me didn't want to," Charlie admitted. "Part of me didn't want to with Adam either. Although with Victor, it was even worse. Even though I barely knew Leonard."

"I'm guessing here," Vaggie admitted, "But the way you found Leonard was much uglier, and much less expected than losing someone in that battle. The loss probably brought back your feelings over Sir Pentious and... I don't know, compounded with them?"

Charlie nodded. "That... sounds likely."

Vaggie moved close enough that their breasts touched, stroking Charlie's face. "But you did anyway. And you didn't back down when Frederick was an ass about it. I couldn't possibly love you more."

Emily walked around Charlie and wrapped her arms around both of them, squeezing them together, getting squeaks from both of her girlfriends. Wives, really.

"You really should be in Heaven, Charlie. More than anyone I've ever met. Hell is beyond blessed to have you here instead."

Charlie was at a loss for words. At least for a few seconds, before the fierce hug wrung another "ow!" from her.

Emily let go, jumping back and blushing apologetically. "Sorry! Forgot!"

Emily absently reached for her left sleeve, only to be naked. She sighed. "We really need therapy. I'm going to start asking around Heaven tomorrow for someone who can see us."

"Thanks, Emily," Charlie said. "I... yeah, I think we need that."

Vaggie and Charlie finished disrobing and headed into the bathroom. After a moment, Emily heard water begin raining from the shower.

The door opened. Emily watched as Keekee slipped inside and sneaked over to the bathroom, opening that door as well.

"Keekee, why don't you come over here instead," Emily suggested, closing the door. "I'll give you ear scritches."

Keekee turned and blinked at her.

There was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Hold that thought" Emily told the cyclopean cat before opening the door, wearing a bright smile.

Lute was standing in the hallway. Her eyes widened a bit, taking in Emily. Color rose to her cheeks as she looked away.

Emily eeped! "Oops! Sorry!" With a flash, she resummoned her Heavenly raiment.

Lute looked back to her. Then closed her eyes. "I'll do it. High Seraphim, please call your sister."

"I will," Emily promised. "In the morning. Get some sleep first."

At Lute's look, she explained, "I think you've made the right choice. But today has been violent and horrible. Everyone is exhausted. I want you to be sure this is still your answer after a good night's rest."

She could see Lute process that, eyes shifting downward and back, blinking. "Thank you, High Seraphim."

Emily nodded, hoping Lute really understood that she wanted what was best for her. "You were right about how bad physical pain is. I still believe everything I told you. But you were right that I was being presumptive. It is far worse than I thought."

Lute tensed slightly, then deflated a little. "I am sorry about how you learned that."

Emily nodded. "We're all learning here."

Lute stood there quietly for an awkward moment. Then turned away, walking back down the hall. "Goodnight, High Seraphim."

After a moment, Emily leaned out of the room, waving and calling out to her. "You can call me Emily! Or Em, Emi, E..." She slipped back inside, giggling. "You know, whatever!"