Chapter 57: The Rumor Among Overlords
January 30th, 20XX
To suggest that Hell was undergoing a crisis was an understatement.
To say the Overlords were facing was a complication… was nothing new.
Discussing interests post-Extermination was a common subject in the meetings hosted by Carmilla Carmine. But the meetings lately were beyond hopeless. A non-Heaven related catastrophe had exterminated demons, sinner and Hellborn, AND angels in numbers escalating those of an Extermination. All Overlords had their share of lost souls and newer ones were getting harder to come by.
To make matters worse, Katz, the Overlord of Gambling and Missy Zilla's associate, had just been murdered.
Author break to explain canon and fanon lore (Spoiler alerts!)
Based on the pilot, I imagined the red parrot with glasses as Katz, the Overlord of Gambling. Recently, the Helluva Boss Season 2 trailers confirmed that design to not be an Overlord, but the Ars Goetia Vassago. So, yeah…
The details of his sudden fall were inexplicable… aside from holy blades being an obvious factor. Fortunately, his killer wasn't running around with his title and possessions. The Overlord had enough of a good relationship with Missy Zilla to sign a contract with her. Should one of the two perish, the survivor would possess the deceased's souls, wealth, and territories.
Zeezi had always thought she'd be the one kicking the bucket. Not Katz.
Sans the Vees, the Overlords usually got along well with one another. Zestial Morde and Carmilla Carmine were respectable, powerful leaders, the former beating them all in centuries. Alastor and Rosie, though quick-as-thieves between one another, always treated their fellow Overlords with respect. The blue flame skull guy was OK. The Von Eldritch were fine when they shut up.
For a good change, no Vees attended today's meeting. The dinosaur Overlord was glad the wannabes failed to show. With her recent 'inheritance', Missy Zilla was stepping up in the Overlord hierarchy. Not enough to surpass high tier Overlords like Alastor and Vox, but high enough to surpass the other Vees. Those alliterative bitches wouldn't hesitate to paint a target behind her back.
"Zilla?"
"UH…"
Carmilla Carmine had snapped her to reality.
"Sorry, Carmilla…"
"No need to worry… I understand how Katz meant to you and your business." The arms dealer went back to the chart she had displayed. "With the catastrophe, we need to plan in advance for both the next Extermination AND how to minimize further incidents like that earthquake."
All Overlords nodded. Carmilla then displayed a map of the newest issues in the other rings. "We oversee this city and the Pride Ring, but our trades also extend to the rest of Hell. The catastrophe has damaged the other rings in unspeakable ways. Along with the economy crashing, crops weakening, and volcanoes weakening, we must anticipate the possibility of Hell weakening… and millions of souls at stake. Lord Lucifer and the Deadly Sins trust that we will increase the sin polls."
"What do you propose we do?" Rosie asked.
"Survey the populations you possess. See what the souls need. Keep hunting for new souls. Provide."
"Provide what, though?" Zeezi questioned. "Profits dropped by 15% on my end once I had to take over Katz's casinos! And I ain't selling off that turf just to make ends meet!"
"You could end in debt…" Frederick Von Eldritch began.
"Shut up, blueblood!" Zeezi viciously growled.
Knowing they were nowhere right now and Zeezi's anti-aristocratic button had been pushed, Carmilla Carmine had the meeting adjourned. Among the Overlords to leave, Alastor and Rosie were the first to bolt out quickly. Probably out for finger foods.
Zeezi hated the part where she had to crawl just to go through the doorway. She called for an elevator… Only to change her mind when she noticed Frederick taking a left turn for the hallway that led to the coffee machine. The dinosaur demoness sensed something was off. The blueblood never had a thing for coffee that didn't come out of a hot kettle.
Zeezi quietly followed him. Fortunately for her, Frederick Von Eldritch had enough sense of modernism to use air pods during a phone call. His focus on what he was saying made him unaware that he was stalked.
"Seviathan, I am ORDERING you to do it!" Frederick hissed. "Yes, I overheard Carmine's brats talking about it. I don't care if it's a rumor or that you're a pussy! Go to Cannibal Town, and make sure you get to the blue butterfly bitch before Alastor gets there! We're talking a potential alliance between Overlords, especially when one's the legal guardian of the Prince of Envy's favorite! Well of course, that's how I initially wanted it! You thought I encouraged you to pursue Charlotte because of her personality?
"Blue butterfly bitch?" Zeezi tried connecting the dots.
She only knew one blue butterfly bitch in Hell.
And unless Seviathan's IQ increased from 10% to 15%, Zeezi knew a shortcut from Carmine's turf to Rosie's.
Meanwhile
The Carmine Clan never trusted the Vees. Those bastards were obvious wannabes who thought mere sinners like them could surpass the hierarchy that dominated this realm for thousands of years. Carmilla had immediately suspected them to take the results of the disastrous Extermination as another opportunity, thus why she included spying in her list of priorities.
Infiltrating for information was never an issue. Secrets could be caught during purchases or shared if contracted souls knew one another. Along with the sales of holy weapons, Carmilla's daughters had done their share of discreet snooping. First, it was an accidental slipup from a buyer. Then, it was a drunken confession of one of Clara's 'friends' at her favorite pub. Finally, one of Val's suicidal employees gladly let it slip in exchange for a merciful blow. They had shared the 'secret' to their mother in her office after the recent meeting ended.
The news had circulated about a live performance of Val's top whore tomorrow, but the Vees had failed to properly hide the identity of their sponsors.
"The very same royals who properly criticize them on television? Supporting them?" Carmilla rubbed her chin. "I have my doubts."
"Thou art not wrong." Zestial drank his tea. "But tidings regarding the enviest of all beasts is never good tidings. Hark my counsel, Carmilla. The Von Ouroboros family scheming with the enviest of Overlords could be troubling."
The Carmine women nodded their heads in agreement. Zestial was the oldest of all Overlords. Having reigned in Hell for nearly 4 centuries, even outranking the Radio Demon himself, Zestial had enough experience to understand the true malicious behaviors of the darkest souls in Hell.
"We'll dispatch some infiltrators to spy on the performance." Odette took notes. "Smuggle in some body cameras transmitted directly to our protected drive."
Carmilla nodded approvingly. "Anything else we need to suspect from the others?"
"Missy Zilla's dealing with what's left of Katz's goods." Odette went through the list. "Blue Flames is fine. The Von Eldritch are still annoying. Rosie's still running her town just fine… and…"
"And Alastor humors the princessa's endeavors."
Odette and Clara glanced at one another.
"Mother…"
"Could be nothing!" Clara butted in.
"Mijas…" Carmilla clasped her hands together.
Clara sighed.
"We've been selling a lot around Cannibal Town… And also checking out their boutiques for Mardi Gras Season sales." She sat up. "It's been less of a rumor and more of a proof at this point… Alastor's got himself an heir."
Carmilla's eyes widened. Even Zestial nearly dropped his teacup.
"Estas segura mija?" Camilla asked.
"Si, mamá."
"Mark your words carefully, Clara," Zestial said patiently. "Tis serious business if an Overlord sires an heir."
"Alastor's has no relatives from his human life down here. Not like us." Carmilla got up, her ballet shoes glowing as she walked. "And sinners cannot reproduce. Unlike Hellborns like the Von Eldritch." She paused before the window. "Although…"
"Thou thinketh that Alastor would wrought shelter and safety to a stranger? He is not foolish."
Carmilla turned. "But for a manipulative trickster, I've yet to see him torment a demon younger than him."
"Odette and I were talking about it before the meeting." Clara looked through her phone before showing what she pulled up to her mother. Zestial lurked over Carmilla to have a look as well.
"One of your contracts has a partner in Cannibal Town… The creep…" Clara shook her head, weirded out.
"Said partner took the picture during one of Rosie's town gatherings." Odette wiped her glasses.
"The contract claimed that their partner told them: 'Can't believe Alastor chose THAT over any of our good children here.'" Clara air quoted.
"This ingenue?" Zestial asked. "She appears to beest 'mongst those who is't kicked the bucket too young."
"She's definitely younger than Velvette." Clara's comment earned a smirk from her sister.
Carmilla frowned and returned the phone to her daughter. "Why would Alastor not share such news?"
Clara shrugged.
"If she's that young, maybe he didn't want her involved in our politics," Odette concluded. "It might actually be a good reason."
"A valorous reasoneth, but a risky one," Zestial used his magic to make a physical replica of the picture. "This issue is clearly a virgin and a quaint thing. But h'r fath'r is a v'ry pow'rful, influential goodyear. If't be true the lady is his heir, demons shall sweaty haste to those folk. Consid'r yourselves lucky yond thy moth'r loves thee too much to coequal useth thee as political pawns."
"Zestial!" Carmilla gasped. "How can you insinuate such a thing? Alastor might be strange, but he wouldn't marry off a child!"
"I concur with thee. But th're couldst beest some out th're who is't'd pressure such an idea. A female heir is any goodyear's fastest ticket to h'r fath'r's livings. And f'r something h'rrible to befall to the bride and h'r fath'r at which hour hath said livings art taken. I've witness'd many marriages ending in murd'r at which hour husbands did get the dowries."
And that was saying something. Zestial did emerge from a time period during which women were primarily tools in family alliances, breeding, and forbidden from acting, cross-dressing was actually a thing before RuPaul.
"We'll focus on the Vees' scheme first," Carmilla said. "Then we can worry about this new heir later." Carmilla looked at the picture Zestial had duplicated. "That child seems pretty harmless."
…
The whole 'trying date stuff in baby steps' was progressing just fine. Octavia didn't want to botch it up.
The first drinks together at the hotel's bar had led to a now constant meeting every day at 5pm to drink. Card games with their friends on Saturday night didn't count. The new phase today was accompanying Indigo on her outing to Cannibal Town. Her 'not-exactly-girlfriend-but-totally-more-than-best-friend' went to Cannibal Town more often since her stay at the radio tower and her official adoption. Even if she wore a partially gothic deep purple dress with wrist ruffles, the locals automatically exempted Indigo and her 'friends' from the protocols.
In other words, Octavia could walk in her usual clothes without getting mauled.
The cannibals did tilt their hats and curtsy for the newest celebrities, not pestering them during their conversation.
"Remind me again, why are we carrying these?" Octavia motioned the classic hand-fan within her fingers.
Indigo hid her lips with her fan. "Both trendy and discreet. Auntie Rosie says that it's both fashionable for women to use here and it gives privacy to gossiping!" Sure enough, as they walked towards the plaza, the giggling visibly concealed behind the fans of nearby women couldn't be ignored audibly.
"So… gossiping in a public street is a new thing for us?" Octavia asked.
Indigo scooped the area. Fortunately, the gazebo wasn't occupied by bands rehearsing the season's jazz; she pulled Octavia towards the structure and the girls sat on the steps. "OK. We're good. I need to ask you something."
"Uh… Yeah, what is it?"
A couple cannibals passing by briefly interrupted the two to greet Indigo, who returned the greetings with a comfortable smile. When they left, she fanned herself.
"I got an issue."
"Is it about that film Angel Dust is gonna be in?" Octavia leaned in. "You know, what I suggested is still…"
"Via, thanks, but you're not opening a portal into the studios…" Indigo shook her head. "I gotta tell you something…"
An ice cream vendor stopped by, offering the girls ice cream, including vegetarian options (slang in Cannibal Town for 'non-demon flesh related'). The moment Indigo revealed her face, he quickly changed his offer to blood orange juice with ice. When she wanted to pay, he politely declined.
Indigo took anxious sips of her juice, barely enjoying it. "Via, if a hypothetical demon got attacked by a love potion…"
Octavia spat the drink back in her cup. Her eyes glowed in a vicious pink flame until Indigo fanned it away.
"Not me! Duh! But… Say you someone… A close one, maybe. They got cornered by a creepy stalker… The creepy stalker tried to drug them with a love potion, but it didn't work. YOU happened to be nearby, knocked the stalker unconscious…"
"Ines! You hit Vox?"
"SHHH!" The girls faked a smile when some children stopped by, showing off the beautiful flowers they'd picked for Indigo. Indigo fondly smiled and twirled her index, watching the bouquets braiding themselves into colorful tiaras. Seeing the little gifts on their head made the children laugh and hug the demoness. Octavia waited for them to run off.
"Look. As far as I know, only one or two fuckers hate your ass. You're impossible to hate."
"Aw…"
"Second, it's obviously not Angel Dust who got it. Hell's full of horny jerks, they'd rather sleep than really commit to a whore. And his fanbase if full of creeps anyway. That leaves your new dad. And as far as nearly EVERYONE knows, he's got bigger shit with Vox than anyone else. So it was kinda obvious to guess… Plus I've been spending too much time with Loona."
"What does that have to do with… You know what? I don't wanna know."
Octavia finished her drink and sent the empty cup flying into the nearest trash can. "I don't like that you hit a guy who could hurt you, but that's awesome!"
Indigo sighed. "Only Angel and I know what happened. Alastor doesn't want anyone else to find out…"
"But… you want to."
"Of course I want to! They don't even know that I know about tomorrow! I can't even help out Angel out of this, but… If it had been me, Alastor would have probably trashed the Gluttony Sector! Or, you know, tie up the assailant to a rock, cut out his liver, and force him to eat it on a regular basis!"
"My dad would have probably turned him to stone." Octavia nodded in agreement. "But we're not our dads. We can't, you know, exact revenge without potential consequences."
Indigo groaned. Feeling miserable, she crushed her cup into pieces.
"Although…" Octavia pondered out loud. "I think there is ONE thing we can do. That doesn't involve getting our hands dirty… But requires a rotary phone."
"Why a rotary phone?"
"Easiest method that doesn't require a 13-days waiting list for an appointment… A perk of being a Goetia."
"Rosie's got a rotary phone at that new parlor she built in the Emporium…"
"Privately."
"There's also one in her quarters." Indigo pointed at the very top of the Emporium. "We can go in through the private garage without disturbing the crowds. I think we got enough time before teatime. Rosie and Alastor are supposed to be back from their meeting for teatime."
Octavia got up and the girls circumnavigated the gazebo towards the Emporium. "You still haven't called Alastor 'Dad' yet?"
A commotion occurring three streets away caught their attention.
"Missus Caligo, two Overlords stepped within the Town uninvited by your father or Miss Rosie!" A cannibal rushed to them.
"The Vees?"
"Those twinks aren't foolish enough. The Von Eldritch heir and the Overlord of Monsters are rumbling."
Indigo leaned over to whisper to Octavia. "Portal up to Rosie's quarters. Do that call."
"But…"
"I'll deal with these idiots."
Octavia silently nodded. After ensuring that Octavia wasn't followed through the portal, Indigo followed the cannibal towards the commotion in Fillet Boulevard. The cannibal might have exaggerated on the rumbling. Zeezi was the one whacking Seviathan around as if his weight were that of a ragdoll's. The commotion was attracting bystanders.
"Ahem."
Zeezi stopped before she could bite Seviathan in half. The cannibals cleared a path for Indigo. Fingers tapped impatiently on her crossed arms. Seviathan landed butt first on a ruined bouquet filled with the tackiest red roses Indigo had yet seen in all of Hell. The envy in the pollen alone had a pathetic quantity compared to the sloth she spotted in the petals.
"Oh! Hi, there!" Seviathan quickly stood up to bow. "Daughter of the Radio Demon…"
"Get out."
The spoiled heir's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" He picked up the ruined bouquet. "I was…"
"Good citizens of Cannibal Town." Indigo calmly gestured towards the prick. "Please show Mr. Von Eldritch the best way out of here. Otherwise, we might have Von Eldritch seasoned gumbo tonight."
Eager cannibals bared their fangs. Fillet Boulevard was a hub for butchers and meat pie vendors, frightening Seviathan when they casually pulled out cleavers. Zeezi took six thirteen steps back to give room for the mob hungrily chasing the jerk out of town.
Indigo walked up to Zeezi. "Why are YOU here?"
"You're not going to chase me out?" The dinosaur frowned.
"Only if you're not here for dumb reasons." Indigo looked at the direction the crowd ran off to. "That guy was too obvious. I only met him once during a business dinner at Rosie's, we barely even talked, and suddenly he shows up here with flowers? Calling me that."
"So you WERE adopted by Al!" Zeezi exclaimed. "OK, first off, congrats!"
"Thank you."
"Second, Alastor said nothing about you during the last three meetings! What gives?"
"Is it really any of your business?" Indigo questioned.
"LOVE the confident sass!" The nearest bench Zeezi sat down crushed under her ass. "I mean, it's not REALLY my biz! BUT… it can become a thing… if you accidentally overhear Seviathan's dad talking to his kid on the phone just after the Overlord meeting. Von Eldritch was trying to encourage his loser son to pursue you for a possible Overlord alliance… So I got a TEENY bit worried. Flashbacks to Paimon and all."
Indigo didn't expect such a response. "You… were worried? About me?"
The radios spread throughout the town suddenly played jazz and the cannibals quickly went back to their usual activities. Zeezi got up. Even she knew that the radios' sudden reaction had to do with the demon associated with them.
"I should bounce."
"But…"
"Chillax, girl. We'll catch up another time!" The dinosaur's rough back slap nearly made Indigo lose her step. "But for real. Stay sharp. If word is starting to grow among the Overlord's, you gotta keep your ass ready when the word gets to the Vees. Being Al's heir paints a target."
"Target on what?" Indigo turned, but Missy Zilla was gone.
It took her a few minutes just to run back to the Emporium. Thank God Rosie had provided her with extra keys. She ran up to the private quarters as fast as she could. Whatever Via's solution was, Indigo needed it NOW.
Octavia was in the midst of a phone call on the rotary phone. She was twirling the cable nervously.
"Is tonight really the best you can do? I can't make it there tonight! Wait… I'm not… Are you sure she can come on her own? Isn't that forbidden? I understand you're being lenient, but are you… OK, OK! Yes. Yes, she'll be there at 9pm sharp. OK. Thank you, I…" Octavia looked at the phone. "And he's gone."
"How did it go? Alastor and Rosie are on their way back."
"Good… in the sense that we'll soon be getting an invite for you to meet with. BEST guy to deal with the situation of the love potion. You just gotta bring the evidence…"
"Yeah, yeah." Indigo was satisfied to have kept Vox's wires as souvenirs.
"Bad part… I can't go with you. My dad and I are finally doing family therapy tonight."
Indigo nodded her head. "Well, just give me the address, and I'll go there tonight. I'll lie to the others, saying we're out for a sleepover."
Octavia laughed nervously. "Yeah, about the address…"
8:55pm, somewhere in the Pride Ring, far from the Hazbin Hotel
Teenagers are prone to many things impractical.
If they aren't at home studying for their SATs, they're sneaking out of the house to go to parties on the other side of town. If they aren't using condoms, birth controls, remembering anything from health class, or raised by harsh parents, they're out catching STDs or unwanted pregnancies. Or they could be vandalizing their least favorite teacher's car, or spraying graffiti on their victim's house.
Ines never experienced such rebellion in her life. In her afterlife, Indigo had been dragged through several risky situations, against her will and out of that 'filial piety' of hers.
But this was bordering on a whole new form of rebellion. She was doing it for those she loved, yes. But if it all failed…
Loona slowed the car. Dozens of cars were lined up in front of them, waiting to be let into a hangar. Three barriers of security had to be gone through. The first one had been harmless, with a Hellhound guard scanning the license plate on the IMP van. The second one was OK. Another Hellhound required Loona's driver's license and the 'special invitation' Indigo had been given. After scanning and confirming the document's legitimacy, they allowed the girls to pass, but not without throwing some disgusting comment about Indigo being a 'royal-dick sucking sinner'. The third one was a bit scary, with five Hellhound guards stepping in to double-check the van, even ripping the seats to find secret compartments. Loona growled a warning to one Dane Hellhound who got too close to her friend.
Indigo couldn't say the same for the unlucky ones. Cars destroyed for having sinner-owned license-plates. Hellborns arrested for trying to smuggle sinners. Sinners getting shot for having forged documents. Hellborns being punished for thinking they could hide the undesirable sinners in secret compartments. She was still shaking even though they got closer to the hangar.
"You OK?" Loona asked. "We made it through."
Indigo curled on her seat. "Are sinners really that unwanted in the rings?"
Loona's ears flattened. "Not all humans are nice like you. You see every day how they are in this shithole. The other sins worried that they'd bring their shit, so they put limits. If sinners don't get special invites, they can't go to the other rings. Usually that kind of treatment goes to Overlords on business."
Indigo scowled. No wonder that guard gave her the slur term.
Loona pulled in the van along with twelve others. Imps were waving signs for vehicles to follow in six specific lines. The van got stationed in the middle.
"Aren't we running late?" Indigo noticed the time on the radio indicating 8:56pm.
The platform where the cars pulled in suddenly lowered. At first glance, it seemed like taking a lift through underground basements. Guards guided cars out in the order they were stationed at each level. Indigo's hands cupped her forehead, failing to calm down a sudden headache. It made her skull ache for 36 seconds.
Author break to explain canon and fanon lore (Spoiler alerts!)
Canon lore: sinners are confined to the Pride Ring. Only Hellborns can go to the other rings via elevated transportation.
Fanon lore: Cambions can traverse the rings of Hell, but if they aren't in the Pride Ring or their native ring, they can only spend a maximum of 36 hours in the ring they visit.
"We're actually four hours ahead of schedule," Loona said. The platform stopped moving. The van drove forward.
"How can we be four hours on time? It's literally 8:57pm!"
Loona grabbed Indigo's head to make her look at the digital display right by the exit gate.
CURRENT TIME
Pride: 8:57pm
Wrath: 7:57pm
Gluttony: 6:57pm
Greed: 5:57pm
Lust: 4:47pm
Sloth: 3:47pm
Envy: 2:47pm
So apparently, Hell had a time difference between the rings.
"Oh."
As the exit gate opened, the speakers turned on. The girls grimaced because the announcer clearly sounded… in the middle of something, while welcoming the arrivals to the Lust Ring.