Here's chapter 6, sorry for the delay, real life stuff held me back, enjoy!

CHAPTER 6

Velvette delivered what she promised, after being hydrated and untied. She revealed how the hooded figure basically came out of nowhere and started to 'kindly boss around' them.

"What the fuck means 'kindly'? You can't 'kindly' boss around people, that doesn't make sense" Vaggie commented. Charlie nodded in agreement, as she thought that wasn't really possible. Velvette shrugged. "I ain't know how else to describe dat. She just…says things, an' we obey. Sometimes it ain't even an order, but we still do as the bitch says. It's like we are her puppet or somethin'. Sure didn't know 'bout the spooky necklace".

Lucifer mused over the Overlords words. He was starting to have suspicions already, and they were growing stronger by the minutes, but all that story didn't make any sense to him. There were elements that were still missing. "What are you describing, young Velvette, is a commanding spell. The users' voice becomes a conduit for an ancient and powerful magic that can bend the will of who is listening" the King started to explain. Velvette snarled angrily.

"Hey, I ain't any fucking magic mess with my head, I'm too much of a bitch for that!" she said, her voice filled with indignation. Lucifer, however, shook his head. "It is not a matter of strong will or not. You either have a strong resistance to magic or you are an angel, and not a fallen one, otherwise there is no way to resist".

"Wait wait dad, that means that you can't resist it too?" Charlie intervened, suddenly scared. Her dad was the strongest being in Hell, but if there were powers active that could harm even him, then no one was really saved.

"I still have my higher powers as a former Seraphim, that should grant me, and maybe even you, some sort of resistance. But there is another problem with that". Vaggie looked at Lucifer, puzzled. "And what is that?". Lucifer sighed, then looked at his daughter, her eyes full of sadness and regret. "There are only two types of beings that have that kind of power: Higher Angels and…and your mother, Charlie".

Charlie gasped at the revelation, partly because of the implication it implied. "No…it can't be…mum…". Charlie was at a loss of words, unable to say anything. Vaggie was quick to hug her girlfriend, trying her best to comfort her.

"Wow, time out, Big Daddy. You should be the one to have that power, since you were one of the high fuckers. Unless…". Wicken looked at Lucifer: his dismissive look told him anything he needed. "You six-winged son of a bastard, you gave her that power. Your power!".

All the hall looked at Lucifer. Even Velvette was quite interested. Charlie, still holding onto Vaggie, looked at her father.

"Why would you do that, dad?". Lucifer watched her daughter, her eyes distraught.

"When I gave humanity the free will, it seemed…contradictory of me to retain the power to command people. The angels usually use that power to inspire wisdom in selected individuals, so it's not that they can abuse it anyway. But when Lilith and I fell and went to Hell, I retained most of my powers, but Lilith…she felt so incredibly vulnerable. She was just a human, even if an extraordinary one; she wouldn't have survived on her own, but her pride in herself prevented her from looking for help. So, I made the next best thing, and I bestowed her my own commanding spell, so that she could use that to defend herself. And she did even more: she turned that to songs and used it to create the Hell we have now. Nothing here would be the way it is now if it wasn't for her".

Lucifer concluded his tale, then looked at her daughter. "I know that Lilith distanced just like I did, but she loves you, Charlie. She is your mother! She would never try to harm your life! There has to be something else here, at play".

"But you said that only mum and the higher-rank angels have this power. This kinda limits our options. Unless someone was able to rob her of her power".

"I think you are getting sidetracked here" Wicken intervened, as the attention focused on him. "You want to know why someone wants you dead, remember? Ask yourself why your own mother would want your head or, in general, why some powerful hotshot would want you out of the picture". Charlie mused over Wicken's words, then her eyes widened in realisation.

"Heaven!"

"Gesundheit" Vaggie answered reflexively.

"No Vaggie, whoever wants me out of the picture must have ties with Heaven!". Silence surrounded Charlie; there were confused faces and horrified faces, sometimes both.

"Think about it, Heaven must have shitted their pants when Adam and the Exorcists were taken down. Not only they broke the deal attacking hellborns, but also lost the battle. They know we can defend ourselves and that the King of Hell now has our back, so they likely would want to end things by striking some key player, us! And since doing that openly would cause a major uprising, they looked for someone here in Hell that can and want to do the deed".

Vaggie mulled over Charlie words: when she was an Exorcist she didn't know that outside them and Sera no one in Heaven knew about the Extermination. But now the cat was out of the bag, and it wasn't likely that many reacted as Emily did. "You know what, Hon? Maybe you're onto something here. But the question remains: who is the one trying to kill you? Related to Heaven or not, there has to be someone specific that is doing what is doing".

"Well then, maybe I can pull some strings and find out myself. After all, I already had to go up there, for the umpteenth time I may add, since there is a lot of unrest. Maybe I'll find something new, or at least a clue". Lucifer turned to Charlie, sighing. "Sorry I have to be gone again, Char-Char. I wish I'd be able to stick around longer, but I have to get to the bottom of this!". Lucifer couldn't add more as his daughter hugged him tightly; he smiled, tears in his eyes, and returned the hug.

"Don't worry dad, I know that what you are doing is important, for you and for us. We're grateful. I am grateful. More than anything". Charlie took her sweet time to release the hug; when she did, she saw her father sweeping out some tears from his eyes and then grabbing his jacket, his hat and the cane. "Very well, I'll be gone for a few hours, this time I'll make sure to talk to Sera, I won't be leaving Heaven until that idiot at least listens to me. I've set a spell on the hotel, so if there are any mishaps I will be able to portal here. I'll also check in every now and then to see if everything is in order. And you!". Lucifer pointed his cane towards Wicken. "I don't care what my daughter says, if she, Vaggie or everyone in here are in trouble, you will lay down your life for them, over and over, am I being understood?".

Wicken smirked and nodded. "Crystal clear, Big Daddy". Lucifer nodded back, opened a portal and disappeared in it. Charlie groaned: she was trying so hard to teach Wicken to cherish his life and for the second time in the span of a few minutes someone she loved was going against her wishes. She didn't want anyone to risk their life for her, but clearly the sentiment wasn't shared. Her thoughts were interrupted by Velvette's voice. "Well, I think I'll scram, not much to do 'ere, since the only reason I stuck around ain't here anymore". Velvette was beginning to walk towards the exit, when the door slammed open, blasted by an ominous wind. In the centre of it, Alastor stood tall.

"Alastor, you're back!". Charlie seemed sincerely happy that her faculty manager was finally back at the hotel and ran to meet him, only refraining to hug him because she knew that he wasn't a fan of physical contact. Her enthusiasm wasn't, however, shared by Vaggie and Husk, albeit for very different reasons.

"Why hello Charlie, it seems that things have become quite exciting while I was away". He then turned to Velvette. "And what's this? Do my eyes deceive me? A Vee right in our hall! Have you come to join the hazardous accommodations of the Hazbin Hotel?". Velvette scoffed at the affirmation.

"Ha! You wish, Radio Fucker!". Despite her snarky remark, Velvette was quite uneasy to stand in front of Alastor on her own, since she didn't really know where her partners were and couldn't count on them. Besides, she wasn't really sure how much under control he was at the hotel.

"Velvette, I think you should stay though. For the time being, at least". The young Overlord turned to Charlie, an indiscernible look on her face.

"Say that again?"

"Look, you've just risked your life and your partners are nowhere to be found. Besides, your house has been kinda ravaged up… ".

"Thanks to that arsehole you sent after us!"

"I did not… my point is: you're still in danger out there, and you are on your own. But if you stay here we can help you stay safe. Besides, who knows? You may rethink about the idea of… redemption" Charlie said, a bit hesitant. She was always ready to help every soul in Hell, but she knew quite well the reputation of the Vees and wasn't that sure that they accepted her ideas just like that. However, she hoped that staying in the hotel long enough was a way to change her mind.

Velvette thought about it. "Ok, ya make sense, but I ain't joining ya motley crew, are we clear?".

"Relax, no one asked you" Angel Dust retorted. He may have no beef with Velvette in particular, but the simple fact that she was Valentino's partner made him less inclined to like her.

"Ok, that settles it. Alastor, why don't you escort our new guest to a room?". At that, however, Velvette snapped.

"Fuck no, I will not be left alone with Creepyface here!". Alastor didn't seem to be offended by that comment, if else, he seemed to be rather amused by it.

Charlie sighed. Having Velvette at the hotel was already proving to be a hurdle. "Vaggie, can I ask you to lead Velvette to a room? And Nifty, follow them with the necessary to prepare it". Vaggie stood up from the couch she was sitting with Wicken, Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb. Nifty appeared out of nowhere, carrying what seemed to be too much weight for her small frame without any issues. Vaggie gestured the Overlord to follow her and Velvette complied. She still was intimidated by her threatening aura, but between her and the Radio Demon, she didn't have any doubt that she preferred the former!

Alastor looked at the trio of women disappearing on the first floor and then looked around the hall. Only then, he registered another presence that was new to the hotel. His eyes reduced to slits as his grin twisted in a threatening smile.

"Well well well Charlie, you didn't tell me that our new patron is the infamous Boogeyman, how did you manage that?".

" 'Sup, Radio Asshole, it's been a long time since someone called me that".

"Wait, you knew each other?". Charlie was at first genuinely surprised, but then also remembered that the assassin had been very active in the past and he showed to have business ties with Carmilla Carmine herself, so it wasn't that much of a stretch to think that Alastor was also at least aware of him.

"I may have been in the position of utilising his services once or twice. Very efficient, very clean and extremely professional" Alastor admitted. Wicken chuckled.

"Once or twice? Let's make it a dozen, at least. This guy paid me good money back in the day to take out nuisances while he was climbing the ranks".

"Well, I hadn't time to deal with the small fry so I outsourced the foot work, as you do. Best decision of my life, I dare say. So Charlie, dear, would you kindly tell me how you managed to convince this peculiar fella to join our ranks? Or is he a temporary guest like the third wheel of the Vees?".

Charlie pointed to an armchair. "It's better that you sit down, it is quite a tale after all". Alastor sat as Charlie started to recount all the events of the previous two days with the most details possible, allowing the others to chime in to give their take or fill the blanks. At a certain point, Vaggie came back from the room she pointed to Velvette and joined the conversation. The only one to remain silent was Wicken himself, up to the point in which Alastor addressed him.

"So, you're now our darling princess first soul! De-e-lightful!".

"What can I say, I am a curious type. And there are way worse people I could have given my soul to" Wicken concluded, giving Alastor a knowing look.

Alastor grinned, but internally his mind was working fast. A new element was added, something he didn't foresee and one that could both spell doom and opportunity for him; from one hand, the Radio Demon didn't exactly fear him, but Wicken's presence was leaving him on edge. He knew firsthand his prowess and skillset, two things that many demons in Hell that had more than one ounce of brain were wary of. He himself wasn't particularly sure he was able to take him down cleanly and without getting harmed, especially given his peculiar gift: he already thought a dozen ways Wicken was able to put him into the ground, and was pretty sure that the assassin already thought twice of that. On the other hand, however, his unforeseen presence meant that the wheel could start spinning in his favour, as long as he played his chips well.

"On that subject, Alastor, do you know how is it possible that Wicken seems unable to die? I asked dad, but he wasn't really sure". Alastor sipped the tea that Husk reluctantly served him, taking his time to answer.

"Well my dear, of course daddy dearest wouldn't be able to answer that, it's not that he spends a lot of time mingling among us lower class. However, I too cannot fathom a way in which our dear Boogeyman can elude death by angelic weapon, since it tends to be a little definitive" Alastor admitted. The Radio Demon grinned once again as he read the disappointment on his listener's faces. "I know someone who may have more information, though, if that is what you would like to investigate. Even though I would personally not bother too much, it seems pretty handy to me".

Wicken scoffed. "Of course you would say that, you twisted motherfucker. Although, I have to admit it did come in clutch recently".

"And why, pray tell, I never heard of your… interesting ability?".

"Because I keep my mouth shut and never fight to the death, usually. I'm an assassin, not a fighter, so it's not that I could find that out unless I was on the brink of death".

"Soooo… who is this someone who could know?" Charlie interjected.

"I think you have more pressing matters in hand, my dear Charlie, since your cute little head is at stake by powers beyond your comprehension. Wouldn't it be wiser to focus on that?". Alastor looked at Charlie, a malefic look in his everlasting smiling face.

"You know Al, if you don't want to share I won't force you". Charlie replied with a deadpan tone, watching with satisfaction Alastor's face showing a tinge of annoyance. He finished sipping the tea and put the cup down, perhaps with a bit more force than he intended. "Was it so obvious, what I wanted to ask?". Charlie smiled. "Maybe a bit". Alastor sneered a little, but his grin shifted in a more genuine chuckle: he was almost proud of what Charlie pulled on him.

"Very well. If you are really interested, you may ask my fellow Overlord Zestial. He is quite ancient, even for Hell standard, so he might have more knowledge than anyone else in the Pride Ring. I do not guarantee that he will effectively answer your questions but it's the best alternative you can get here".

"I've heard about him, people say that he's fucking terrifying". Vaggie wasn't easily afraid, but when Alastor name-dropped him she started to feel a bit uneasy. However, she saw with a tinge of satisfaction that Alastor himself wasn't much better: probably he too didn't really like to deal with him.

"And for good reasons, I might add. But he is very knowledgeable so he may be one of the few around here who can actually answer that question" Husk added. It was weird for the cat demon to agree on something with Alastor, but as former overlord he could concur with his master about his fellow overlord.

"Well, we'll think about that, thanks Al. Now, who wants lunch? It will be good to have even more people than usual!" Charlie asked with her usual enthusiasm. Angel Dust raises two hands. "Oh, I can cook! I'll make an extra good lunch since we're so many". Charlie's eyes sparkled, approving the idea.

"Why, you can cook? Now that's the greatest surprise I got today" Alastor retorted. Angel Dust replied with a wide grin. "Someone has been missing for quite a while. You will eat back your words along with the magnificent lunch I'm going to cook, you watch!".

Angel Dust went towards the kitchen followed by Cherri Bomb who was still bringing the groceries; Husk went back to the counter with all the empty glasses and the cup of tea for washing. As the hall was gradually emptying, Wicken turned to Vaggie. "Wait a second, Radio Douche has been away and no one is curious about what he did and where he was?" the assassin murmured, not wanting to be overheard by the Radio Demon himself and Charlie, who were now conversing amicably. "Yeah, he tends to do that. Although this time he's been away for quite a long time". Vaggie looked at the assassin staring at Alastor, suspicion in his eyes. "I know what you are thinking, I don't really trust him, but Charlie does and that's enough for me. Besides, he worked to defend the hotel more than once".

Wicken didn't really appear convinced of Vaggie's words, though. "What do you say we help Dusty-Boy in the kitchen?" the killer proposed. Vaggie looked at him, since the proposition was weird to begin with, but in his eyes read something that told her to comply. The former Exorcist quickly nodded and followed the killer, but was stopped by Charlie.

" You are going to help Angel? I can come too!". Vaggie turned towards her girlfriend with a small, embarrassed smile.

"I appreciate that Hon, but maybe knives are involved and you are… terrible with knives. Remember when you tried to cut the bread the other day?". Charlie scratched her cheek, flushed red with embarrassment. "Yeah, I almost cut Cherri's head off".

"Who was in the living room. So, I appreciate the offer, but it's better that you settle for something easier, this time around. This motherfucker is sturdy, but you don't want to test him too much, do you?". Charlie chuckled a little at Vaggie's remark. "Got it, I'll set the table. No knives''. Vaggie nodded. "Thanks Hon, you're the best ''. She pecked Charlie's cheek and then followed the assassin to the kitchen, a mildly sour look on her face. She hoped that whatever Wicken had to say to her was worth her while.

Charlie looked at the two disappearing in the kitchen, then made her way to the cabinet to get the tablecloth, napkins and plates. However, she almost tripped on herself but Alastor managed to grab her before she caused disasters. "Oh, thanks Al".

"No problem, my dear. So, is it my impression or the Boogeyman is being quite chummy with your girlfriend?"

Charlie started to set up the table, a calm and pensive look on her face.

"Well, he did save my life when that constriction spell was about to choke me, that must have put him in her good book. And he seems to be a tad attracted to her which, let's face it, can you blame him? Vaggie is hot as fuck". Charlie chuckled as she finished setting the last plate, looking for the cutlery drawer.

"And that doesn't cause any issues to you?". Charlie looked at Alastor with an inquiring look, and then smirked. "I know what you are trying to do and no, it doesn't". The princess set down the last fork with precision, then went towards the kitchen. However, she stopped just before entering and turned to Alastor.

"You're getting a little sloppy, Al, should I worry about you?". She didn't wait for his answer and disappeared into the kitchen.

Alastor sighed, allowing his always present smile to almost fade, now that no one was around to see him. For the first time since ever, he allowed himself a scared and sad expression. He dialled his microphone cane to a minimum. "It's not really me who you should be worried about, my dear Charlie".

Sometimes, Angel Dust didn't regret that he appeared into Hell as a spider demon, mainly because his extra sets of arms were extremely useful on many occasions, especially when cooking. He was doing the job of three people on his own, engrossed in what was beginning to be a proper passion of his.

"You know, Angel, if by chance you are able to stop working for Val, you should really think about opening your own restaurant, you'd probably be requested a lot" Cherri commented as he grabbed some bottles of spices she really didn't know. "I could help you set up a place and then split the gains equally".

"Oh yeah, Sugar Tits. What do you bring to the table?" Angel Dust replied, smiling while he was stirring something with a delicious smell on a pot. He looked at Cherri rolling her only eye in thought. "Well… my explosive personality?". That causes the two to laugh loudly. Angel Dust continued smiling as he went towards the other side of the kitchen, where Vaggie and Wicken were cutting vegetables with expert and frightening precision while murmuring to each other, a serious look on both of their faces. He tried to listen to the conversation, but found out that they were both speaking Spanish, a language he didn't know.

"You know, it's rude to exclude people from the conversation by switching languages" Angel Dust said while collecting all the vegetables they cut. Vaggie looked at Angel, a tentative look on her face.

"I'm sorry Angel, just got caught in the moment, it's not always that I can speak Spanish freely, not until Charlie gets better with it at least". Angel Dust snorted in annoyance. "What were you talking about, anyway? You owe me, since it would be quite rude if I suddenly started to speak Italian". Wicken smirked.

"Non sarebbe certo un problema, amico mio, ti capirei bene anche in quel caso".

Angel Dust's jaw almost dropped, like the bowl of vegetables he had in his hands. Luckily, Cherri managed to grab and secure it. Vaggie stared at Wicken, annoyed and dumbfounded. "Is there anything you can't do? At this point, it's just frustrating". The assassin chuckled. "Well, as I said before, being an assassin comes with a variety of skills, amongst others speaking multiple languages, being strategic, knowing your weapons, cooking, albeit on a basic level. But there are things I can admit I can't do, like for example cleaning up, playing blackjack, dying, using proper names,... ".

"Yeah, that's right". Vaggie intervened.

"That checks" Angel Dust added.

"I don't have a nickname, though" Cherri Bomb said, appearing amusedly offended. Wicken looked at the one-eyed demon. "Why, would you like one, Bomb-girl?". Cherri smiled, her sharp teeth well visible. "A bit better".

Angel and Cherri started laughing loud once again, Vaggie chuckled a little and even Wicken was able to smirk. In that precise moment, Charlie appeared in the kitchen, puzzled by the hilarity that was ensuing. The princess smiled: their bonding time was something that warmed her heart a lot.

"Hey Babe, what did I miss?" Charlie announced herself. Everyone turned to her, still grinning. Wicken was the one to talk first.

"Hello there, Princess. Apparently, she likes my nickname". Cherri smiled at the statement. "Yeah, I fucking love it. Sometimes it's nice when my tits are not the subject" she happily said, looking at Angel Dust, who seemed kinda offended.

"Hey, your boobs are awesome and they deserve to be recognised". Another laugh ensues, one Charlie was glad to participate.

"Besides, who said that I wasn't referencing them?" Wicken jokingly said while collecting his and Vaggie's knife to clean them, much to Angel Dust amusement and Cherri confusion. Without elaborating further, he washed them, polished them and, with extreme precision, he threw them into the knife rack. Vaggie looked at the assassin with a deadpan expression.

"Tsk, show off"

It took quite a while, but in the end Angel Dust served lunch while everyone was sitting at the table. The only notable absence was Lucifer, while Velvette was dragged from her room by Vaggie and was now sitting between Husk and Cherri Bomb with a sour expression. "I wanted to eat in my room, do ya even have room service?".

"That's not how it works here. Meals are meant to be made together, as my grandma used to say" Angel Dust replied to her while putting down on the table a huge tray, on which there was what seemed to be a multi-storey cake, only made with pasta, sauce and cheese on top. "Lasagna alla bolognese!" the spider demon announced, a smile on his face.

"The smell is certainly good!" Charlie sniffed, taking in the good smell of freshly made pasta.

"The looks too, I'm even hungrier now!" Cherri added, licking her lips.

"It ain't spiked, right?". Velvette checked the food with suspicion. She had to admit, the smell was good and she felt her stomach rumbling in anticipation.

Angel Dust cut a portion of the lasagna and expertly and carefully placed it in Velvette's plate."There is only one way to find out!". The sinner grinned, then proceeded to do the same to the other people at the table, who thanked him dearly. Velvette poked the food and then took a small bite, savouring it. She felt like an explosion of tastes in her mouth that made her, almost unconsciously, start to attack the lasagna, eating it ravenously, pleasure filling her eyes.

"Fuck, that's tasty! Stop making cheap, tasteless porn for Val and join me, I'll make ya a social star in a beat, the next sensation in food blogs!". Angel looked at the Vee, deadpan. "No thanks, not really in the mood of capitalising it, especially for Val's pal". Velvette simply shrugged. "Your loss" she said, asking for a second serving. Angel Dust then turned to Alastor. "So Smiles, what do you say, satisfying enough for your tastes?". Alastor didn't answer immediately, preferring to carefully chew the food in ordinately fashion. Finally, he put down the fork and used the napkin to clean his mouth.

"Well, I might say that your ability in the kitchen surprised me a little. Your lasagna almost rivals my mama's jambalaya".

"Ha! Almost a compliment! Mark the day guys! Today I, Angel Dust, almost got a genuine compliment from the Radio Demon!"

That got a laugh from everyone on the table, even from Alastor, who however hid his chuckle behind the napkin. The loudest laugh, however, was from Velvette, who attracted the puzzled stare of everyone.

"And here I thought that you were some sort of secret, powerful organisation that wants to conquer all of hell, But ya are a bunch of idiots playing family! I dunno why Vox is so scared of ya all. Well, aside from Freaky Smile over 'dere, but it may be 'cause his fucking face!". Alastor chuckled once again. "Well, my dear Velvette, the fact that your dear friend Vox just got in cohort with some entity he didn't really understand and let it play him like a toy tells you anything you need to know about him: he's a sad, pitiful sinner with not enough brain to acknowledge threats that are beside him, preferring chasing victims that have no business with him just because he is unable to keep his humongous ego in check".

Alastor's words left Velvette completely outraged. It was Charlie who intervened. "Alastor, stop insulting our guest, it's not the hotel way". Alastor tilted his head, a quizzical look in his face. "Insulting? Quite the opposite, actually. I'm just saying that Vox as a leader is wildly ineffective to be the head of that trivial triumvirate that is the Vees, that's the tea". Velvette stared at the Radio Demon, unsure. "Oh yeah? And who should then, you? You ain't even have a fuckin' V in your name!".

"I'm well aware and heavens, no! The actions of you pesky pals are totally undeserving of my attention. No, I just think that the more intelligent one should be the one calling the shots, that is all" Alastor concluded, looking directly at Velvette with a knowing look.

There he goes again, Charlie thought, always trying to manipulate others. The Princess of Hell was quite surprised that she was starting to understand so quickly when Alastor was using his schemes. He usually was way more subtle, like when he was able to make a deal with her. Was she learning from her mistakes and being more careful and less naive? Or was he being more direct on purpose, for who knows why? She strongly wanted to believe it was the former, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it could be the latter.

"Listen here, Radio Fucker, we are the Vees. We! We come as a trio! Granted, I am the backbone of the three because Vox is an overinflated asshole and Val is kinda… is a total bitch, but we always cooperated on major plots". Velvette was understanding Alastor words but she rejected them in a fling of loyalty for her two partners.

"Well, they didn't give you much of a heads-up when they decided to give you that shiny necklace that almost killed you, so I would revisit that. You may owe them much but certainly not your life". Alastor's words struck too close to home for Velvette, her eyes crimson with rage and (but maybe Charlie was once again imagining things) sadness. The overlord stood up and started to walk out of the dining room, but stopped halfway through, looking at Angel Dust. "Thanks for the food, it was delicious". She then turned heels and stormed out.

Angel stood there, his fork still risen.

"What was that about? She almost seemed nice". He then heard a little growl coming from Charlie, who was looking at Alastor with a frown on her face.

"That was uncalled for, Alastor. I know that you have history with the Vees but she is now our guest until things settle down, so can you please tone your aggressiveness down a notch?".

"Oh darling, I wasn't being aggressive, I was just being a realist. That's why she had felt the need to escape". Charlie sighed.

"Well, at least try to speak with a bit more kindness. She is still our guest and you, as personnel, should treat our guest with respect, regardless of their origin!". A heavy silence fell into the dining room, everyone looking at each other. At last, it was Angel Dust who broke the silence.

"Sooo… who's up for seconds?"

I hope you like these developments, the story is starting to get into action now. As usually leave a kudo and a comment, it helps me a lot. See you next chapter!