Chapter Two: The Rescue
Vaggie took a deep breath, trying to control her rage. Her anger at Angel for betraying Charlie, the woman who'd been willing to give him her trust, who'd accepted him back when he came back high or drunk, the woman who'd sat with him three times a week working through his personal demons. But she could kick his ass later.
"Where is she? Right now where is she?" Vaggie asked." Her impatience and irritation was obvious. But she was staying relatively calm.
"She's at Val's club. Ah can take yah there if ya need…" Angel said, starting to sober up a bit.
"And then what? You'll stab us in the back like you did Charlie! She gave you everything! She trusted you! She gave a cum soaked whore like you a second chance and you threw it back in her face! I should kill you with my Angelic spear right now!" Vaggie snarled. Angel gulped heavily.
"I know. An' I wouln' blame ya if ya did. But let me try to help Charlie first. Then you can kill me if ya want. I know Val. I know how he works, even if I wish he didn't…" Angel said. Vaggie growled angrily, grabbing her spear and a sword that Charlie had. She said that it was Lucifer's originally and that he gave it to her. She handed the angelic sword to Lysander.
"Think you can handle this?" Vaggie asked.
"I've trained with Angelic weaponry to a degree. I'm hardly a master of swords. I became skilled with twin knives and guns, both of which I have." Lysander said calmly.
"Okay, shit… Is anyone else good with swords?" She knew Charlie was. But she wasn't here. Vaggie put the sword aside when nobody spoke up.
She went out with Lysander, Angel and Alastor. Angel was sure that even Alastor was angry at him. He knew that if there was anyone in the Hotel that Alastor cared about, it was Charlie. He was good at reading people and he saw that Alastor may not necessarily believe that Charlie could do what she claimed she could. But he respected her for trying.
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Charlie's face was bright red as she stared in disgust at the outfit that Val wanted her to wear. The only person she would ever consider wearing something like this for would be Vaggie. It certainly left very little to the imagination and even putting it on, knowing that people would be ogling her nearly naked body would be humiliating enough. Even more humiliating would be the knowledge that the whole Pride Ring would soon know what she had in her pants. Charlie was born with both a penis and a vagina. She'd not yet been intimate with Vaggie because she feared what Vaggie would say if she saw her.
She was afraid that Vaggie would be disgusted. Charlie shrieked as there was a knock on the door. A tall Demon with bright, striped orange skin and green eyes with curved horns on the side of her head poked her head in.
"Your Majesty… Umm… Val asked me to tell you to please hurry up. You were supposed to be on stage five minutes ago." The Sinner said timidly. She knew Charlie had a reputation for being a softie, but she was sure that it was exaggerated.
And whatever dirt Val had on her to get her to do this, Charlie was likely feeling very vengeful and the Demon didn't want to be the target of Charlie's viciousness.
"Th-thank you… Okay… Y-yeah… Hey, can-can I ask you a question? How did you do it the first time you went out on stage like this?" Charlie asked. The Demon sighed with relief.
"Well… I just told myself that it was better than being on the street. I guess that's not a problem for you. Whatever he has on you, just try to force that into the back of your mind." The Demon said.
Charlie nodded.
"Okay." She said, getting dressed, trying to will her penis to go down. She hated that she was rock hard right now. She didn't know whether it was the anxiety or the thought of being seen. Did that really turn her on? No. That was impossible. She wasn't like that. She trembled as she walked out onto the stage to cheers and whoops and lewd smirks.
She didn't really know what she was doing. But Val had assured her that he had dealt with newcomers many times and that the excitement that the patrons would feel would have little to do with her skill as a dancer and more to do with who she was and what she represented. He said that he would only need her for a month maybe while he finished training Angel's replacement. Until then, he would give Charlie some training, but for the most part, she would be able to figure it out from watching the other dancers.
She'd seen Angel's videos of him dancing before. She didn't like to admit it, but she'd been curious, so she tried to do a variation on what she'd seen of him. She was sure it wasn't very good, but the crowd seemed to like it regardless.
Unfortunately, Charlie screamed in horror as she saw Vaggie, Alastor, Angel, Husk and Lysander walk into the bar. Vaggie was looking around, seeming like she was ready for a fight… Until she saw Charlie. The two were frozen, staring at each other. Charlie's heart pounded, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she stared at her girlfriend, a million ideas of what Vaggie must be thinking, all of them bad, all of them ending with Vaggie leaving her, disgusted by everything from her penis to her dancing like this for strange people.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Charlie was pulled off stage by two other performers, who went out and danced in her place. Charlie hadn't realized she'd been crying. The thoughts of Vaggie leaving her had driven her to tears. The thought of losing someone who had been so instrumental in her dream coming true. Someone who had supported her all the way. Charlie didn't know if Vaggie really believed in her plans. But whatever Vaggie personally thought, she'd been there for Charlie and supported her as best she could.
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"VAL!" Vaggie screamed, kicking in Val's door. Val looked up in mild surprise as his door splintered, practically shattering, sending shards of wood and glass all over the floor.
"You know, I do have a doorknob. Or you could have knocked. I always have time for a pretty woman such as yourself." Val said, recovering from his shock and putting on a more charming demeanor.
"Can it! You actually tried to turn Charlie Morningstar into a prostitute!" Vaggie demanded.
"Ohhh… Of course… I should have known. Angel has told me so much about you. Ms. Vaggie. He's told me how close you and Charlie are. How much she values you. Loves you. I'm happy for you. But Charlie made a deal with me of her own free will. I didn't force her into anything." Val said calmly.
"You drug her, kidnap her, bring her to your office and then have the nerve to say she did it of her own free will?" Vaggie demanded.
Val laughed.
"Well, yes. She had difficulty moving. The drug was still wearing off when we made the deal, but her mental faculties were fully about her and I've little doubt that she would have come back to her full abilities in very short order. Still, I made her an offer she couldn't refuse. I offered Angel's freedom in exchange for her service. Only for about a month while I train his replacement.
"She insisted that she would not act as a prostitute. She would not have sex with any of my patrons. However, as I'm sure you've seen, she's entirely willing to dance for the club's patrons and she'll spend the rest of her time here acting as a bartender and waitress, serving drinks and food to my lovely clientele." Val said.
"I assure you, she's in no danger. I wouldn't allow it." Val said. He knew he was on thin ice already with his deal with Charlie. Her father could easily destroy him and remove even the memory of him.
Or so Val had heard. Little was known about Lucifer for sure. It was known that he was once an Angel, that he was married to the Demoness, Lilith and that they had two children, though the elder child was less often spoken of.
"You're not going to get Charlie either. I'll take her place!" Vaggie growled. The rage and intensity in her glare told Val that Vaggie would be more difficult to push around. But he did enjoy a challenge.
"Now, now, Ms. Vagatha." Alastor said, stepping forward and sitting down in front of Val, who gulped. It was one thing to deal with Charlie, who was known to be a softie. Even to deal with another Sinner like Vaggie. But to deal with Alastor, whom even Vox was afraid of, was entirely another.
"What do you… Offer me?" Val asked. Alastor laughed.
"Let me see the contract you wrote up with Charlie." Alastor said, putting on his monocle and examining the contract.
"Hmmm… Yes… Yes… This all seems to be in order. Honestly, Vaggie… There's little we can do to negate Charlie's contract. As you've offered, you could take her place. But that would require a new contract. I would of course look it over to ensure that no fine print forced you into things that you didn't explicitly agree to, such is my esteem for Charlie. Or one of us could make Val an alternative offer in exchange for him releasing Charlie from her contract. Favors for favors, as it were.
"I suppose… If the terms were agreeable enough… That I could be convinced to offer such a favor." Alastor said, sighing lightly. He could see Val wrestling with both excitement at the idea of getting such a good deal from a Demon as powerful as Alastor and fear of what it would mean for him, since Alastor was known to be an even more ruthless dealmaker than he himself.
"And what exactly do you offer? Val asked, testing the waters.
"Mmm… That's not for me to decide. Everyone has something they want. Something they hold dear to their little black hearts that they would be willing to deal for. Even with as much as you have, I'm sure there's always more to get… Isn't there?" Alastor laughed. Even Val shivered at Alastor's laugh. Val hesitated for a long moment.
"I've seen the kind of power that certain natural born residents of Hell can bring to bear.
"I want that for myself. My alchemy makes me powerful compared to the peons that populate the ranks of Sinners. I want the ability to use the sort of Alchemy that even the natural rulers of Hell would fear." Val said. Even Vaggie gasped at this. That was a scary thought.
"Very well. But in exchange, you must release Charlie from this current contract and may never seek to employ any other member or associate of the Hotel and may never use those powers to target directly a member or associate of the Happy Hotel or indirectly said members by targeting family, friends, loved ones, property that they own or anything else intended to bring such a member under your own sway." Alastor said.
He snapped his fingers and a contract appeared in front of Val. Val read through the contract twice, examining it for any fine print. It was quite a stipulation that Alastor made and it would limit how Val could use the powers, especially if he unintentionally targeted a member or associate of the Hotel. But it spelled out exactly what would happen. If he did try, his new alchemical prowess would simply not work on them. So ultimately it was a decent deal for Val. He pricked his finger and signed in blood. Alastor signed in blood as well, then they shook hands.
"And we have a deal." Alastor said, rolling up the contract and making a copy, giving one copy to Val and keeping the other for himself. He then went backstage, grimacing at what he considered to be the disgusting smells, sights and sounds of such a sexually charged environment.
"Charlie!" Alastor said, seeing that Charlie was in her vest and tie again. Charlie felt tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Just go… I know you're here to make fun of me…" Charlie breathed.
"Not at all! I made a deal with Valentino. In exchange for my service to him, he released you without condition and may never attempt to target any member or associate of the Hotel at any point in the future. You are free to go." Alastor said.
"I-I can't…" Charlie said helplessly, glancing at Vaggie, expecting to see anger and disgust. Instead, Vaggie hugged Charlie tightly, kissing her.
"Hon, it's okay. I know Val manipulated you." Vaggie said.
"W-wait! Val said you guys were dead! He said that he had to kill you and Lysander because you might have posed a threat to him!" Charlie exclaimed, just remembering that.
"He didn't kill us. Just paralyzed us. We were robbed, but of all the things that could have happened, at least we're still alive." Vaggie said.
"Charlie… I'm so sorry… I didn' mean ta tell Val where ya were goin'! He wormed it outta me!" Angel protested.
"I know, Angel. It's okay. I guess we can go home now. We've got a new member of the Hotel. Her name is Zarin. She's been in Hell for about 24 years." Charlie said, indicating the orange, stripe skinned Demon.
"Does your contract with Val include Demons who were not yet members of the Hotel when he targeted them?" Charlie asked.
"No it does not. I would have included a clause like that. But I am certain that Val would not have accepted if I did. No, the balance of power in this was too fine. I was already demanding a great deal from him in exchange for my service to him." Alastor said.
"What did you offer him?" Charlie asked.
"Increased alchemical power." Alastor said.
"It was nothing, and I think he'll find that it's not all it's cracked up to be. His knowledge of alchemy was primarily focused on poison. When you get into more powerful alchemy, it requires a greater infusion of personal power and energy, which I can assure you, Val does not possess in great enough amounts to fuel most of the Intermediate and Greater Rituals." Alastor said, taking the Hotel members home, including Zarin, who would quickly find that the Hotel was a better place to live than the slums she'd been living in.
The End