Sorry for the delay, had I really busy week at work. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
CHAPTER 7
Adam was looking outside the window, or at least it was what looked like from an outside perspective. Instead, what he was looking at was his own reflection. His appearance was almost the same that he had when he died, aside from a paler skin and those two, ugly black horns that stuck from his head, in a grotesque parody of the mask he used to wear. But there was where the comparisons ended, because the cocky smile that was his mark wasn't there. And he wasn't sure that it would appear ever again.
"What the fuck happened to me?" Adam asked, once again, to Lilith, who was looking at the town under her herself. At first, she ignored him, but when he started growling with impatience, she answered.
"It is like I said. You have fallen. You are now like Lucifer, a fallen angel" she repeated for the umpteenth time to the first man, only for him to start screaming.
"That's fuckin' impossible! I'm Adam, the first man, I'm perfect! I cannot fall! What did you do to me, you wicked woman?! Surely it's something to do with you!". Lilith sighed. "And l told you that the fall was not something I could control, I just wanted your body to wake up and be my slave. Maybe destiny had other plans for you and that could have happened regardless of my intervention".
"That's bullshit, you fuckin' bitch!". Adam's voice boomed in the room as his eyes tinged with crimson, leaving only a small golden dot. Nails grew black on his hands as a long, thin, black tail sprouted from his back, whipping the floor with such strength that it cracked. Fire exuded from his nostrils as he pointed his hand towards Lilith, vomiting a torrent of golden fire that engulfed her form. His triumphant glare morphed into a surprised one when he saw Lilith emerging from the flames unscathed, a faint violet light surrounding her like a barrier. Lilith smirked, amused.
"Please Adam, do not kid yourself. I may be nowhere near my dear husband in terms of power but I am surely superior to you. Now, sit down". The last two words were said with a different, more serious tone and Adam's body complied with the order, feeling itself sitting on the floor despite his resistance.
"What? Impossible, I should not be affected by your damn voice! Fuck!". But Adam couldn't prevent himself from unceremoniously sitting on the floor like a trained dog. Lilith chuckled a little. "Now that you are fallen, my power can compel you too, and you have little ways to resist me. So If I were you, I would be more careful with my words, for they may be the last ones you pronounce with your foul voice of yours".
Adam growled but decided that answering wasn't worth the risk and thus stayed silent, his rage seeping through his very being. He already hated Lilith as much as he hated Lucifer for the part they played in condemning Eve and he to suffer on the Mortal Realm, but now that he had basically become her lap dog, his feelings were growing beyond hate. And the worst part was that he couldn't do a thing to change his position.
"What do you need me for, anyway? Why the fuck did you bring me back?". Lilith chuckled once again. "Why do you question your being alive? Don't you rejoice at the fact that you are once again able to breathe again?". Adam scoffed at those words. "What's the fuckin' point of being back if I am to be treated like a fuckin' puppet?"
It was Lilith's turn to scoff. "Please, Adam, as if you were free in Heaven. You were but a guard dog for a danger that was not really that, tasked to bring death to souls already condemned". Adam sneered. "Well, I do remember that you came to us when Hell population was going out of control and was threatening everything you had created in this shithole, especially since that dumb fucker Lucifer wasn't going to do a damn thing about it. And it was with me that you struck a deal so you could chill out in Heaven while I went down in this shitty place and slaughtered every sinner that I could find! So If I'm not really free, neither are you! ".
Lilith looked at Adam with contempt but didn't reply to his comments, preferring sitting on an armchair. "You asked me why I took my time and power to have you here, right? Well, first of all, as I said I did not mean for you to be fully alive, I just wanted to control your corpse along with the other exorcists, but that did not really happen, since your soul manifested once again. Although, I found it rather amusing that you fell. To put it in the simplest terms I could find, I need a distraction. And you and your commando of warrior will provide exactly that. So if you think that you would have a higher purpose, rethink that. You are but a means to an end, a pawn in my schemes and nothing more".
Adam raised an eyebrow: part of him hardly accepted that the sole reason he was brought back was just to be some distraction while she was executing who knows what schemes. The other part, however, was quite curious: why she needed a distraction, and who it was for?
"Will you give me some fuckin' details or will you keep your goddamn secrets until it is time? I might need some fuckin' prep time, you know?".
Lilith stayed in silence for a long time, pondering whether to reveal his plot to Adam or not. In the end, she decided to disclose some of the facts. "You and your army shall have the task to entertain my husband away from the Hazbin Hotel, as long as you manage. I do not kid myself thinking that you will last more than ten minutes but they may suffice for my plans to succeed" the woman said at last. That drew Adam's attention.
"Wait, that stupid Hotel is still up? Why hasn't it already burned to the ground? I already demolished the place, that bitch still hasn't learned the lesson?".
"Lucifer rebuilt it, bigger and better than before, nullifying your destruction. And now he is almost always there, although he takes frequent travels to Heaven because you had the brilliant idea to hurt my daughter who, being a hellborn, was excluded from the Extermination. It seems you got your retribution for that". Adam scoffed once again. "As I cared about that". Then, he turned to Lilith. "So, I take that while I duke it out with that motherfucker you are going to kill your daughter? Is that the plan?"
Lilith averted her eyes, apparently focused on something else. "Sort of". Adam tilted his head, a genuine curiosity on his face. "Why that?". This time, the Queen of Hell took her time to look at his former companion. "My motives are mine alone. You shall not dare to ask me anything else in that regard!". Once again, the words she uttered carried her power, compelling the First Man to silence. That didn't stop Adam from flipping her off and turning around, using his now grey wings as a cover while he laid on the ground.
Charlie had been able to enjoy the lunch, despite Alastor's antics, but now that the table was cleared she couldn't help but feel down, and the reason was very apparent: she couldn't believe that her mother, her own blood, could be involved in the attempt on her life. Granted, it wasn't really sure, all she had were the speculations of his father, who himself admitted that he could be very much wrong. But something inside her, a primordial feeling, was telling her that the figure of the Queen of Hell was present, somehow. She didn't know why she had that particular feeling, and that was leaving her on edge, so much so that when she felt a light touch on her shoulder she jumped on the armchair she was sitting on.
"Wow, easy down Hon, it's just me". The soft, low voice of Vaggie caressed her ears, lowering her heart rate. Charlie turned to her girlfriend, who was looking at her with sincere worry. "Are you ok? You look…scared". Charlie couldn't help but smile at the angel, just being near her was enough to soothe her. "Sorry, I was lost in thoughts, that's all". Charlie was convinced that those words alone weren't enough to calm Vaggie and, sure enough, she stared at Charlie with a thoughtful expression. Vaggie gently took her head between her hands and put her forehead on her own. "We'll get through this, Hon, I swear" she said in a low, comforting voice. "You got me, you got your father, you got Angel, Husk, Cherri, Nifty. Hell, you got Alastor even. And you also got that stupid assassin".
Charlie managed to chuckle a little. "Yeah, like you didn't have any fun with him, did you?". Vaggie laughed. "Oh, that I did". In fact she and Wicken, while they were clearing the table, had a little fun on their own, throwing forks and knives to a target Charlie conjured; it turned out they were pretty much even on that department, since both of them were unable to throw away from the centre, showing great precision (though Vaggie admitted that she was able to do that only with throwing weapons and not guns). It was, at the end, a friendly competition, one that was cheered on by almost all of the present. At the moment, Wicken and Cherri were looking interested as Husk was showing his ability in throwing cards while Angel and Nifty had disappeared in the kitchen to wash the dishes. Alastor had once again disappeared to do something he didn't disclose but assured that he would be back soon.
"We'll get to the bottom of this, Hon. Together. Like we always do. So stop with the brooding, it doesn't suit you. It's more a me thing". Charlie smiled at the statement. "Aww, but your smile is so cute!". It was Vaggie's turn to smile. "I know. But yours is the cutest". They both laughed for a while, then looked at each other with pensive looks.
"So… what do we do now?". Vaggie's question was more than legitimate. But that only made Charlie groan. She didn't know what to do. They had too little information about everything to think about what to do next. "We can only wait for dad to come back here and tell us what news he found". That solution didn't really sit right with Charlie but the more she raked her head about it the less she could focus on it. Having to wait around and do nothing was one of the things Charlie hated the most.
"Easy there Hon, no need to fuss about it too much. Why don't we sit on the sofa and you lay down for a moment? You had a rough morning and maybe a few minutes of rest will do you some good". Vaggie saw that Charlie didn't really seem convinced by her idea and smirked. "You can use my legs as pillows" the fallen angel proposed. That drew Charlie's attention, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. They quickly stood up from the armchair and sat on the sofa; Charlie kissed her girlfriend on the cheek, murmuring a thank you and laid her head on Vaggie's lap, quickly falling asleep. Vaggie tenderly smiled and started to delicately stroke Charlie's blonde hair, lost in observing the sleeping face of the woman she loved the most. She was so transfixed by Charlie that she barely took notice of the others, who gathered around her.
Husk unfolded a blanket and covered Charlie, a small smile on his feline face and sat on the other sofa with Cherri and Wicken. Angel and Nifty appeared from the kitchen and sat on the armchair previously occupied by Charlie, with Nifty sitting on the armrest. "Thanks for the blanket, Husk" Vaggie murmured, grateful. Husk nodded in response.
"She's still very tired, these last days have taken a toll on her, on top of everything else, she is sleeping a lot" Angel Dust commented. Wicken raised an eyebrow.
"Why, what else happened?" the assassin asked. Angel looked at him, deadpanned. "What, aside from you assaulting the hotel and bringing here an Overlord with a deadly curse attached to her, you mean?". Wicked raised a finger but then lowered it. "Touché, Dusty-Boy".
"There's no need to be antagonistic, Angel, the question was legitimate and Charlie would answer, even if she would need a little push. When do we start? ".
"Should we discuss it here and now? Wouldn't you rather let her sleep?" Wicken asked, looking at Charlie. Vaggie shook her head. "She is a heavy sleeper, if we keep the tones down she won't hear a thing. So, as I was saying…".
Vaggie started to recount all of the events of one month prior: the decision from Heaven Exorcist Army to attack the Hazbin Hotel, the desperate fight for their life, especially when Adam had been able to dispatch Alastor. The conversation grew heavy when Vaggie told about Sir Pentious' sacrifice, something that Wicken noted seemed still fresh in everyone's mind, since he could clearly see the sorrow in their eyes, especially in Cherri's. He quickly looked around the hall, identifying the big painting of the serpentine sinner, a solemn look in his face.
"Must have been a great guy, if his passing is affecting you still now".
"Yeah, he was. He's the one who believed Charlie's dream the most. That's why she took his death the hardest, she still can't forgive herself for his fate, even if it isn't her fault in the slightest". Wicken sighed.
"That's what happens when you go to war. You survive, someone else doesn't, and you will forever live with the guilt of being the one that made it and that you don't really deserve it. That… is something I can relate to" the assassin said, while unconsciously clutching the locket on his chest, a gesture that Vaggie was quick to notice.
"Did you lose someone? You seem to know the feeling". The others perked their ears: since the moment he was forced into the Hotel, everyone was a bit curious about his past. Especially Angel, who still was thinking about what Husk had said to him a few hours before. Now that he could have a closer look at him, the spider demon could clearly recognise in his eyes the signs of someone whose decisions led to having immense amounts of regrets, and that was something he understood very well. However, he was still hesitant to ask him to open up because he knew how hard it was to do that.
"I'm an assassin, Hot Stuff, and you do not become one if you don't experience loss after loss. That is something that hardens you when you decide to start taking life" Wicken said matter-of-factly.
"Jeez, and I thought I was the one fitting the alcoholic depressed stereotype here" Husk retorted, crossing his arms.
"But there's no use asking me things about my past. Partly because there are things that I want to die with me, if I ever find a way to bypass my particular condition. And partly because I don't remember some details. Probably all that attempted suicide scrambled with my brain or some shit like that, I don't know".
Vaggie was unsure if he was telling the truth or not, but didn't want to press the issue further, knowing far too well what did it mean to have demons of their own and be willing to keep them secret as long as possible; she just hoped that he'd be willing to open up, someday, like everyone did at the Hotel. She turned back to Charlie, who still was blissfully unaware of the conversation: keeping secrets from her almost ruined their relationship, but now it was stronger than ever. She wondered whether she had to discuss what Wicken told her in the kitchen but, for the moment, she decided that she'd better rest because if they were right in any capacity she'd need any energy that she could muster.
A tall figure clad in red and white, with thunderbolts signs all over his shirt, was patiently waiting in the short line, feet comfortably on a floor made of clouds. When their turn arrived, the figure advanced, finding themself in front of a tall, golden structure, on top of which they could see an angelic figure with short, blond hair and a fair skin. The angel briefly looked at the register, an annoyed look in his noseless face. "Name?" he said curtly, without even looking at them.
"Ehm… Bartholomew J. Garryck" answered the figure with a male voice that sounded quite high pitched. St. Peter skimmed the register and quickly found the name on it. "All right, there are the gates, Welcome to Heaven!". The newly welcomed angel by the name of Bartholomew looked puzzled and then followed the direction, quickly disappearing through the golden gates of Heaven.
"What? No song?" a voice said from his left. St. Peter quickly turned, looking quite annoyed at Lucifer, who was sitting on a chair, boots rudely on the counter. Lucifer wasn't looking at him, too interested in a videogame he conjured out of nothing, whose volume was quite high.
"That was a one-time thing, and keep your feet off the counter!". Lucifer ignored the angel's request and kept on gaming. "Well, that's a shame, I was looking forward to it". growled in frustration. "What do you want, why are you here?". Lucifer talked, without averting the eyes from the videogame. "Same thing as the last time. And the time before that, and…well, you know the gist".
"And Jay kept telling you that Milady Sera is busy. A High Seraphim such as her has no time to lose with lesser beings". The gatekeeper hoped that offending Lucifer was enough to send him away, or at least make him react so that he would be forced out. However, Lucifer wasn't fazed by his harsh words. "This time is different, my noseless friend. I won't get out until that dumb idiot won't see me in person, should I stay here all the time". At this point, 's rage exploded, a third eye opening on his forehead, while a long golden quarterstaff shaped like a key appeared in his hand and slammed on the counter with a loud "thud" sound that shook the register itself.
"You better watch your mouth, fallen angel, the High Seraphim commands your respect!" shouted in a distorted booming voice. The other angelic personnel working around the gates looked worried at the display of the gatekeeper power: St. Peter wasn't an easy person to anger, but when he did he could be very frightening. This, however, did not apply to Lucifer, who kept on playing, undeterred by 's aggressiveness.
"Careful, Petey, the last mortal soul with too much angelic power that took a swing at me didn't end up well".
"Of course, you killed Adam!". This sentence made Lucifer look up from his video game, a sour look on his face.
"No, I humiliated Adam, a pint-size housekeeper killed him. Big difference here. And for the record, as I keep saying to your bosses, your pal was the one that broke the deal, so he asked for it. So stop with the bravado and fetch me someone I can talk to, I've been here for hours and I start to lose my patience".
St. Peter, at this point, was quite literally fuming, but before things could escalate, a calm voice echoed through the entrance. "Hey hey, calm down, there's no need to work yourself up, relax everyone". The figure of Jay appeared in a spark of light, lightly touching the clouds as he moved lazily towards the two. St. Peter calmed down, his third eye and weapon disappearing as he took a deep breath.
"Sorry for this unsightly view, I let my anger get the better of me". Jay put a hand on his shoulder. "You are a bit on edge. Why don't you just go to Judas' for a while? Take a break, no souls are going to arrive for today. Go, the boys miss their vocalist". Peter nodded and flew away, leaving Jay and Lucifer alone.
When he saw the figure of St. Peter disappearing, Lucifer turned to Jay. "So, are you here to say the same thing you said every time I walked here, Big J? Because this time, let me tell you, it won't cut it. I like you, but things are getting serious and I'm ready to move war to Heaven if I don't get any kind of answer". Jay looked at Lucifer: it was rare for him to look so involved in something. That told him that this time he wasn't really playing around.
"Looks like it. What happened, Big L?". Lucifer started to recount the event of the last two days and how someone with ties with Heaven could be involved. "That's why I need to talk to Sera as soon as possible, I have been away for too long already. My daughter is a very capable woman and is surrounded by good people that support her, but I can't stay calm thinking something is out there trying to kill my baby girl!". Jay perceived the urgency in his friend's voice; he quietly touched his halo, without saying anything else.
" I see. Sera will be here shortly, she had some things to sort out, but it won't be long. And this time, you'll be able to speak to her''. As if on cue, a blinding light appeared above and Sera descended from it, landing gracefully beside Jay. "I salute you, Lucifer Morningstar. May you forgive me for the long wait, I hope it was pleasant at least''. Lucifer got a good look at what was essentially his sister. "You look like you had trouble. What, being in Heaven is not that perfect?". Sera looked at his former peer, a shadow of sadness on her face: she had a soft spot for Lucifer, his enthusiasm had been very contagious back in the day. And he had always been very perceptive. She had decided not to disclose Sir Pentious' presence in Heaven with Jay and a reluctant Emily because she couldn't predict the reaction at the news, but she started to think that that was a bad idea.
"I had better days, Lucifer. So, Jay told me that you have been looking for me for quite some time. It's about what happened during the events of last month? Because a meeting had already been set up to discuss that. At this point, maybe I could ask you to join it, on behalf of Hell". Lucifer scoffed at the news. "I will accept only because I very well know what happens when I'm not around and you start to decide on your own. But this time, I'm here on more pressing matters, and I want your full attention or I'll start to f**k up the place if I won't get a satisfying answer!". Lucifer stopped talking and looked around for a second, confused. "Am I getting f*****g censored?".
"I am getting this way too much, either from your daughter or Emily, so yeah, we decided to put a spell in the air, so no cursing shall be heard. So, what did you come here about?". Lucifer looked at Sera with a deadpan expression. "Jeez, talk about petty. Anywho, I was exactly talking about that with Big J here. Someone that definitely has ties with Heaven wants my precious daughter dead so I came to ask you if you know something about that so I can redirect my rightful fury in a specific direction and try not to make a f*****g mess". Lucifer talked with a calm tone, but Sera could perceive a barely checked rage in them and she knew that in this case he meant business: he usually fooled around, but not when people dear to him were involved.
"And why do you suspect heavenly ties? It seems a rather far-fetched assumption" Sera replied. After all that happened she understood his suspicion, but she had promised herself that she would have worked on hard facts, and Lucifer's accusation was a rather heavy one to do without any proof. "Well, Sera, have you ever heard about the Command Word?". Lucifer knew that that was a rhetorical question and, sure enough, that got the Seraphim's attention. "What about it? Wait, you don't mean…". Lucifer nodded, confirming Sera's speculation.
"But…it cannot be. No one who got that power has permission to cross from Heaven to Hell without me knowing. It is just impossible! And I get that your daughter has stirred up much uprising here in Heaven with her actions, but after the events of the last Exorcism no one dares to move an attack. People are scared to go down there. No one would willingly risk their life for such a foolhardy action. I do not know who the perpetrator might be, and I understand your will to find them, but I can assure you, no one from Heaven has to do with any of this". Sera was panting, her emotions getting the better of her. Jay saw this and patted her on her arm.
"Relax, Milady Sera, no need to get worked up, I'm sure Lucifer gets your point. Big L, are you absolutely sure that people with the Command Word are involved?". Lucifer nodded in confirmation. "Positive, Big J, people are doing someone else's bidding with little to no regard for their physical well being. Memories are getting rewritten and scrambled, and they move as if the idea has been in their head forever. I can recognise the signs behind the usage of that power". Jay mused on Lucifer words, then turned to Sera. "Milady, we know of someone here with a particular grudge towards Lucifer's daughter, don't we?".
"You are talking about Lute? She definitely does, but she cannot be the one. She does not possess the power of the Command Word, nor has enough authority to be bestowed with it, even temporarily. Besides, she has been confined in Heaven since for now the Exorcists Army is forbidden to step into Hell".
"I bet she didn't like it" Lucifer commented in a monotone voice, unsurprised when Sera and Jay nodded at the unison. "That Lute chick is an aggressive one. She was friends with Adam, after all, she did get his behaviour. And his taste in music. Wait, that's a good thing actually. Anyway, she had to join at least three therapy sessions with yours truly to help her manage her loss and her rage, but she never showed up. I guess she didn't feel like it, but they weren't mandatory after all". Jay had actually met Lute years ago, in a meeting with other angels, but the only things he remembered about her were her constant frown and that she was basically overshadowed by Adam's larger than life personality. And that when he introduced himself out of courtesy, she flipped him off.
"The point is…" Sera continued, interrupting Jay, "...Lute could not have done anything, directly or indirectly, that is not within her means, so I am sorry for what you and your daughter are going through, but Heaven is not involved". Lucifer accepted Sera's reasoning, even if it was because he lacked solid proof. However, he had one more thing to ask. "Very well, then tell me where you are keeping Lilith". The question attracted both angel's confused stares.
"Wait, what? Is she not with you? She is your wife, after all". Sera looked genuinely confused at Lucifer's question. She turned to Jay, who maybe had some insight since she knew that the two of them used to hang around every so often , but he shook his head, equally surprised. Jay then turned to Lucifer. "That's new, Big L, you didn't tell me that your girl bailed on you, we thought she was still in your house, helping you with…your thing".
Lucifer lightly shook his head, a serious look in his face. "It's been seven years since she is missing from home and I haven't heard a thing about her. I scoured all of Hell and the Mortal Realm, but didn't find her. The only place in all creation that is precluded to me is Heaven, so the most logical thing is that she is here. Do you concur?". Sera and Jay looked at each other: his reasoning was flawless and they couldn't help but accept it, but doing so meant that some information was missing from them. Very important information.
"It seems that with all of your eyes, even you can be blindsided, my dear Sera. And here I thought that you were the one always careful and attentive. It's actually refreshing to know that you too can be slipped by". Jay wanted to intervene and interrupt Lucifer, but Sera shook her head: she really didn't want Lucifer to know her tribulation, especially those of the last month. She felt she actually deserved to be mocked and didn't really take offence in that.
"You said that, but even you are moving without hard facts. Yes, you may be right but have no definitive proof that Heaven is or was keeping your wife here". Lucifer stared at the Seraphim, rage in his eyes. "And you have no definitive proof that Heaven is not really involved in the attempted murder of my daughter since we've just seen that you can be fooled , so what are you gonna do in regards to that? Heaven is not my realm, it is yours!". Sera averted her eyes, deep in thoughts. "We are going to investigate that, of course. Jay shall be the one to report to you, if you allow him to visit Hell unharmed…". Jay interrupted Sera, showing his flip phone. "Already ahead, Milady Sera, I got his contact number, we exchange memes from time to time". Sera didn't comment further, as she had no idea of what a meme was. She took a mental note to ask Jay later. That same idea made her flinch, although she didn't know why.
"Glad we reached an understanding. Now, for the thing I've been pestering you for the last month, am I going to receive an answer or I'm condemned to the usual oblivion? You know, since it's the first time that you are actually here, it doesn't hurt to still ask". Lucifer, however, could not wait for Sera's answer, as his phone started to vibrate, stronger than any phone would be able to. The spell that advised that there was trouble in Hell! The King quickly unlocked it and his eyes widened with surprise and terror. "I gotta go, kingly duties!" he screamed, an urgency in his voice that was rare for him. Without saying more, he opened a portal under him and jumped in it, disappearing.
Hope you like it, don't forget to follow and favourite and, why not, make a review if you like the story, see ya (hopefully) next week!