'Dead' The word echoes in my mind, and suddenly everything snaps into place, the flashbacks, the pain of the truck hitting me, being crushed under the wheels. The feeling of my gem trying to knit me back together until finally things went dark and I woke up here… In hell.
I hear screams and the sound of plaster cracking, but it all seems so far away as the word dead replays in my head on a loop, I'm dead and I was such an awful person that I had been sent to hell, I was such a monster in life that I was going to be punished for eternity
My mind refocuses on the real world as eldritch green chains wrap around me, my own pink energy lashing out against the chains as someone tries to restrain me. I focus on it lashing out harder, sending energy back along the chains a yell comes from the shadows as Alister is thrown out of them flying through the wall glad for the distraction, pushing everything else to the back of my mind and scaning the room.
"Steven calm down!" Angeldust yells at me and I look over to see Angeldust hiding behind a couch, phone in hand and a shattered green dome falling away from around him
"Not again." a deep voice groans and I look towards it seeing the cat hiding behind the bar, a single eye peering at me from within a vent, hearing shifting rubble behind me I turn to look at the hole in the wall, just in time to see Alastor walking back slowly, his body growing and shifting sickening cracks echoing as his horns begin to grow, his face elongating as he smiles wide revealing sickly yellow teeth as sharp as razor blades.
"Boss calm down, he's brand new he can't control himself yet." the cat yells, hiding behind the wall.
"Don't make me fight you," I warn him, wanting the fight but afraid of how my powers have changed with this new form and how they will react to a fight, dark energy forms in front of me and I bring all four of my arms forward forming a prismatic shield black and green tentacles meeting pink light before they rear back falling apart as Alastor sneers.
"Light? how disgusting." I pull the shield apart into four pieces sending two of them towards Alastor keeping my eyes on him as he teleports away time seems to slow down as I speed up, a spark of green energy forming in the air behind me Alastor appearing from it, i bring another shield forward slamming it into his chest launching him back and forming another wall behind him to keep him from breaking another wall spikes starting to form at the edges of it moving towards the middle before I dissipate it.
"Stop it!" "What are you two doing?!" Charlie and Vaggie yell at the same time and I realize I have been moving towards the stunned Alastor, pink light forming in my hand, i quickly banish it stepping back and looking at Charlie
"I freaked out, Alistair tried to protect the hotel," I say trying to take the deserved blame.
"Bullshit." says the barcat from behind the bar as Vaggie and Charlie come to stand between us.
"Explain now," Vaggie demands a spear at her side ready to be used at a moment's notice like Pearl
"Give the kid a pass," Angeldust says climbing over the back of the couch to stand in front of me.
"Kid died a few hours ago, he's entitled to a freakout."
"A few hours?" Charlie asks sounding so sad.
"I do apologize for my lack of decorum, in the spirit of the hotel I will give you one warning and one warning only, if you raise a hand against me again I will Fucking eat you." And with that, he vanishes
"Is Alastor a cannibal?" I ask trying to distract myself and the group shares looks.
"He is." husk says pouring two drinks, walking over and shoving it into my hand.
"You need this kid, this is the kind of day that calls for a drink." I sit down hard on one of the couches finding it way too short and my knees up by my face.
"I thought I'd share my first drink with my dad," I say softly before bringing it up to my lips taking a drink, and coughing as it burns for a second before my body quickly processes it.
"Are we sure this is the best idea? Giving the newly dead seemingly powerful demon cheap booze?" Vaggie asks.
"The kid's is only Eighteen Vagina, he needs a drink." Angel defends me, and I down the rest of the glass setting it on the armrest.
"I'm very large now, and probably made of magic. One drink is not going to be near enough to be an issue." I try to calm Vaggie down, running a hand through my hair and pushing it back.
"So… I'm dead? I've gone to hell?" 'push it down, Steven do what Pearl did..' I think as my hands start to glow pink.
"All the good I did in my life and I'm condemned to an eternity in hell." I bury my face in my hands, a long-fingered coming to rest on my shoulder and I look up to see Charlie sitting beside me, comforting me.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you, I wish there was a way to make this easier."
"I'm not even religious, the closest thing to a deity I had was the moon goddess and I have no clue what she even does!" I force myself to stop spiraling and focus on the moment.
"So I'm here forever?"
"Yes.." Angel dust and husk say at the same time.
"That's actually the reason I built this hotel, I'm trying to change that. The Hazbin hotel is designed to help a sinner redeem himself and make it into heaven."
"So it is possible? It's been done before?" I ask, hopeful.
"Not yet, but I believe in my heart that it's possible," she says and I can see it in her eyes, and hear it in her voice that she truly believes in her goal.
"I believe you, Anyone is capable of change if they are open to it." Charlie stands up tears in her giant eyes.
"You believe that?"
"I've seen it," I tell her, images of the diamonds flashing through my mind, of their change for the better once called out and showed a better way. I feel Charlie slam into me, hugging me with surprising strength in her arms and I find myself wondering if she could crush my gem before I force that away.
"Thank you," she says so softly and I hug her back, glad for it,
"Sounds like you've got one hell of a story to tell kid." The cat demon says from the bar.
"I've got stories that would knock your socks off."
"Babe, You need to let go eventually," Vaggie says and Charlie lets go dropping to the floor taking a step back and clearing her throat, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
"Right sorry, I was supposed to be consoling you."
"It's fine, I understand." looking around I see the cracks in the floor and the hole in the wall.
"One moment," I say standing up walking over to the center of the cracks, licking my hand, and kneeling, pressing my hand to the crack pink energy spreading along the cracks and repairing the damage I caused. Standing back up I turn to see everyone staring at me.
"You sure you died today?" Angel asks and I shrug.
"Fairly sure, my phone didn't come with me so I can't say for sure," I say with a shrug.
"Does hell have phones?"
"Voxtech sells phones, I can take ya out to pick one up tomorrow I need a new case anyways."
"Is five hundred dollars enough for a phone?"
"Won't get ya top of the line, but it'll get you a phone."
"I can give you some money, part of the hotel is making sure you have everything you could need on your path to redemption," Charlie adds.
"I can work to repay you." Charlie goes to respond but Vaggie cuts her off.
"Just use youre weird pink magic to fix that wall the next time someone breaks it and we're even."
"Deal," I say and see some of them flinch.
"Just an agreement, no deals." Charlie corrects.
"No prob Bob," I say giving them four thumbs up Charlie gives me one back, and Angel yawns across from me.
"Sorry husk, I need to sleep. Raincheck on that drink?"
"Sure thing kid."
"We should be getting to bed too," Vaggie says looking at me and narrowing her eyes.
"Don't break anything else."
"I won't do it on purpose." I deflect
"Gilipollas." She says under her breath.
"Fine fix anything you break then," she says exasperated.
"Cosa segura," I say with a smile and she narrows her eyes before she and Charlie start to walk toward the elevator.
"Goodnight," I call after them.
"Night," Angel says, walking towards the elevator too.
"Goodnight," Charlie calls back, taking Vaggie's hand as they press the button entering the elevator with Angel Dust joining them and heading to their floors
"Want another drink kid?" husk asks.
"Sure." I agree, turning and walking over and kneeling on the floor by the bar, and that's where I spend the rest of the night drinking and talking with Husk about nothing in particular.
I hear the elevator ding and lift my head from the bar looking to see Angeldust walk out of the elevator and towards me.
Morning." i great
"How's the head?" he asks me
"Apparently I'm immune to alcohol."
"Well, that fucking sucks, wanna try crack?"
"No thanks." I wave him off.
"Your loss, let's get some breakfast and then we can head out into the city and get you a phone."
"I'm not really hungry, but I'll come with you. Should we wake Husk?" I say leaning forward to look at the passed-out barkeep.
"Nah, let him sleep he's earned it." I stand up from the bar following Angel the two of us walking into a large dining room and finding a large table full of chairs along with a pillow on the floor.
"That for me?" I ask Charlie who is sitting at the head of the table Vaggie by her left.
"It was the best solution we could find for your height, we hope you don't mind."
"No it's perfect, thank you." I look around wondering if I need to serve myself.
"Alastor will serve breakfast when it's ready, please sit." I nod walking over and sitting crisscross on the pillow still towering over the table.
"Why do people get hungry in hell?"
"It has to do with the punishment of hell, all of the worst parts of life suffered for eternity," Charlie answers the question.
"Do you know a lot about how hell works?"
"Oh you don't know huh my dad is Lucifer the sin of pride, I probably know most of anyone in this circle besides him and my mother."
"That's neat, are there a lot of aliens here?"
"Aliens?" Charlie asks confused.
"Like the Gems or one of the other sentient species throughout the cosmos?" everyone blinks seeming confused.
"We have no idea what you're talking about," Angeldust adds.
"Aliens have been on earth for nearly six thousand years, there is even a city called Little Homeworld built right beside Beach City."
"By ocean town?" I nod.
"Yeah that's the one, little homeworld is a thriving town but if none of you heard of gems maybe they don't have souls?" Images of the cluster cross my mind, millions of shattered minds trapped together for eternity, never to be freed, never to be whole.
"Breakfasts ready," Alastor calls from the kitchen delicious-looking food appearing on the table in front of everyone but me. Alastor appears in a chair with a bloody dead deer skull and leg in front of him.
"Uh Alastor, you forgot Steven."
"No, I didn't." He starts cutting his meat bringing a piece of bloody meat to his mouth and I decide to channel Amythest and be petty spitting across the table grinning as it lands on the deer's head a pink glow engulfing it as it starts growing a pink body the flesh still on the deer becoming perfectly healthy again, the glow stops and the deer stands staring at Alastor.
Charlie squeals launching herself at the deer hugging it and petting it.
"I am not opposed to live food," Al says his audio screeching as his mouth splits opening far wider than it has any right to as Charlie puts herself between Al and the reanimated deer.
"Don't you dare," Charlie warns.
"Hey, Charlie can we get that money you mentioned?" Angel says and Charlie shoves a wad of money into his hand glaring at Alastor.
"Let's get out of here." Angel stage whispers to me and I nod standing following after them feeling eyes following me as I go. We walk through the hall into the lobby and out of the hotel.
"Okay, first things first do not accept any deal offered to you without reading it very carefully, and do not sell your soul nothing is worth that."
"I understand, thanks for the advice Angel." he leads me through the city pointing out a few landmarks until we arrive in front of a phone store, angel walks in and I duck under the doorframe crawling into the store.
"Welcome to our store, how can I help you?" the demon at the checkout asks enthusiastically.
"What's the biggest phone you have?" she points to the corner of the store finally looking up, her eyes widening when she sees me before she looks back to her phone texting very quickly. I crawl over to the shelf with Angel following after me.
"Damn those are big." Angel mutters
"Are they big phones or small tablets?" I ask the employee.
"Oh uh, big phones for people with bad eyesight."
"Neat."
"Charlie hooked us up, pick whatever you want." Angel says leaving me alone and going over to a wall of phone cases as I start to look through the selection, reading through all of the features in the available phone, finally deciding on one.
"Can I get this one in pink?" I ask and she walks over her phone in hand.
"Sure, can I get a picture of you?"
"Uh.. sure," I say, giving her a sharp smile and she takes the photo pocketing her phone and opening the case, grabbing the pink one and Heading me over to the register.
"Phones 799 for the phone and 109 a month plus tax for the unlimited plan." She puts a contract on the table and I reach for it but Angel grabs it from her.
"Let me look it over first." he says, reading it over very carefully.
"Looks safe, here ya go." he hands it to me and I read it over too, setting it down and grabbing a pen.
"We have enough right?"
"Yep, here ya go." he counts out what i need and hands it over and i sign the contract and she activates the phone handing it over to me.
"Thank you for trusting us with your entertainment."
"Have a nice day." I tell her crawling out of the store finally being able to stand on the street.
"See you in a month." she calls out to me as we start to walk down the street.
"So, probably should have warned you before we went into that store but watch out for the V's ."
"The V's?" I ask confused.
"Vox Valentino and Velvette, the overlords of technology, porn, and fashion."
"Overlord?"
"They're the big dicks of pentagram city, powerful demons who have amassed territory, power, and souls."
"So they run hell?" Angel laughs.
"Not even close, Lucifer rules hell an overlords power only goes as far as he allows but sadly he allows a lot." he rubs his arm laughing sadly.
"Oh, they're not good people are they?"
"No, not at all. But you've already fought Al so you might be safe, good for you by the way."
"I feel bad, I shouldn't have attacked him."
"Al's a cannibalistic overlord Steven, don't feel too bad."
"Al's an overlord?" I ask.
"Yep, smiles is the radio demon he's crazy strong ?"
"Radio demon, do all overlords have a Shtick"
"Yep, no clue why it works like that tho.."
"You think Charlie would know?" I ask curiously.
"You can never know with that girl, one moment she's talking about the way the universe works the next she had no idea what a koala is and then after we explain it she starts crying."
"They're so cute though, eating a plant with no other use high in their trees." Angel snorts at my opinion.
"Yeah, she said something similar hey sorry to do this but i have a few errands to run, would you be good getting back to the hotel alone?"
"Sure, it shouldn't be that hard."
"Sweet, and if Charlie asks we spent all of her cash."
"I don't think she'll ask" I deflect, not promising anything.
"Probably not, hey before I go let me put my number into your phone." I hand Angel my phone and he inputs his number sending himself a text."
"There ya go, try not to have too much fun without me."
"I'll head straight back to the hotel, I have what I came for," I say showing him my bright pink phone. And with that, he waves goodbye walking off leaving me alone on the street, I am about to walk back towards the hotel when my phone pings in my pocket.
''Angel just left," I say to myself pulling the phone out of my pocket and finding a text from a number that's not Angel dust.
'You owe me' I read and then it pings again a video appears on my screen and my stomach drops as I recognize it, pressing play security footage of me destroying a storefront a second video arrives and I press play starting security footage of all of the windows on a street shattering.
A third message appears with an address and a time, looking to the top of my screen I realize that the time is half an hour from now, pressing the address my phone opens its map app giving me directions to a building twenty-five minutes away by foot in the opposite direction of the hotel, steeling my nerves I crouch down jumping into the air in the direction of whatever being I managed to piss off on my first day in hell.