Author note - welcome back readers, sorry for the delay. These chapters are taking me longer to post, but only because I want them to be the best as possible for you. Welcome to my new favorite and three new followers (wow, almost up to 30, I'm so grateful!), I'm happy to have you along! Enjoy the chapter as I hash out the next dealmaker job, it's gonna be a doozy. Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 39: Forgive and never forget.
Taylor sat in the lobby, flipping half-heartedly through another book on pyromancy as they manned the front of the hotel by themselves. Charlie and Vaggie had gone out to try to recruit more guests, Angel and Alastor were gone for work or business, Niffty was busy cleaning somewhere, and Sir Pentious was working on something in his room, with the sounds of clanging resounding loudly enough for Taylor to stay downstairs. Seeing as things were slow, Taylor offered to take over for Husk so he could sleep off a hangover, so they had the run of the place.
Taylor had gotten the all-clear to resume normal activities and the freedom was great after a week of being cooped up in their room. In front of everyone they put on a happy façade and joined in on redemption activities as required, but inside they were wracked with self-hatred. Guilt and shame clung to them like a parasite, sapping any scrap of happiness from them, as the images of carnage and destruction from that night replayed in their head on repeat. As a result, they hadn't slept much, with nightmares plaguing them every night.
Adding to the pile of their worries were the increasingly insistent messages and phone calls from Antonio and Melanie asking for explanations about that night and why they were being iced out. Now almost on instinct, they would silence or ignore the missives, still not knowing how to break the news without sounding unhinged.
'Hey Antonio, Melanie, so sorry for leaving you in the dark. Yeah, the job went great, mission accomplished there. Things got a bit dicey when another Overlord showed up, but I took care of him. What did I do? I have no idea! Oh, and that fire that burned down a whole section of the town and killed thousands? I was responsible for that too! But I don't remember part that either. No doubt you saw my handiwork, it was all over the news! I wouldn't worry about it though, it's not like it'll happen again, right? Oh god dammit.' They thought wearily as they rubbed their eyes and slumped in their chair.
Their musings were interrupted when a knock at the door got their attention. Not expecting anyone to actually pass by, they hastily went to the door and put on a smile to greet a possible new resident. Upon opening the door their face fell; standing outside was an annoyed looking Antonio and a concerned Melanie. The German Shepard demon glared at them.
"I can't believe it took us coming over to get some fucking answers out of you!" He snarled as he pushed his way inside, with Melanie scampering in right after him. Taylor stood aside numbly as they closed the door behind the two dog demons.
"I told you; I've been sick." They reminded him impassively.
"Bullshit! It took you three days for you to let us know you were even alive, now you've been avoiding my calls for a week! What the hell is going on?!" Antonio shot back angrily.
"Antonio, please." Melanie chimed in quietly to calm him down. She turned to the fire demon. "Taylor, we need to know what happened, we're worried." They could see her face was clearly troubled.
Taylor sighed and rubbed the back of their neck. They wished they had more time to figure out what to say, but now that they were here, there was nothing left to do but try.
"Okay. Let's go somewhere more private and we can talk." They replied in a resigned tone before they locked the front doors and led them toward a more secluded part of the hotel.
Once they arrived in a back room they knew Niffty didn't frequent, Taylor turned on the lights and threw a flame into the fireplace to warm up the space before indicating to a couch for the two to sit. Taylor sat down in an armchair and laid their head on their fist. They took a breath to try to calm their nerves and looked at their friends.
"What do you want to know?" They started dispassionately despite their heart starting to beat faster with their rising anxiety.
"Our contacts said you knocked out the target and then they waited for you to show up. What happened? Did you manage to finish the job?" Antonio asked intensely.
They nodded solemnly before they replied.
"Yeah, that part went to plan. Problems arose, however, when Overlord Caesar showed up-"
"What a minute. Another Overlord showed up on a job? How'd that happen?" Antonio interrupted, flabbergasted.
"He said he noticed a discrepancy in the scheduling, put the pieces together that something was up, and was waiting for us. In short, he and I got into it, and it was bad." They looked away and tensed as they recalled the attack.
"I didn't stand a chance. He could control and shoot sharpened antlers using the decorative mounted skulls around the place. He ran me through several times and managed to pin me down before long. He was a fire-user too, but my abilities did nothing but slow him down at best. By the end, I couldn't move and was utterly helpless."
Melanie gasped before Taylor gave a ragged breath and their eyes stung as they remembered being at the Overlord's mercy. They paused for a moment as they tried to settle their pounding heart. They heard Melanie timidly ask.
"And then what? How did you escape?" She said with a small tremor in her voice.
Taylor swallowed dryly before they answered.
"I don't remember."
They clenched their jaw as their lie made their stomach clench painfully. The dog demons looked bewildered at each other before Antonio cut in.
"What do you mean, you don't remember?" Antonio asked incredulously.
Taylor shook their head as they tried to keep their voice even.
"Exactly that. I remember Caesar looming over me, then… something happened. The details after that are fuzzy. Next thing I know, I'm here and felt so sick I had to recuperate for three days. Once I felt well enough, I messaged you." They answered carefully as they tried to will their stomach to stop churning.
There was a tense moment of silence as the two took in the explanation. Antonio broke the quiet.
"You've always been good at thinking on your feet, it's gotten you out of worse jams before. So I'm not surprised you got out before the Overlord or the firestorm got to you. Hell, it might be what saved you in the end, like that aquarium we didn't plan for. What's important is you're safe." He said in a conciliatory tone.
Taylor flinched at the last word as their breathing started to quicken.
'Safe? Yeah, I suppose I was. But what about all those other people?' they brooded as their anxiety rapidly shifted to anger. Needing some air, they got up and moved toward the fireplace and tried to focus on the fire burning as they tried to push down their bubbling ire and self-loathing before Antonio continued.
"But, it still doesn't explain why you've been avoiding us."
And there it was. The thing they didn't want to admit, the source of their inner turmoil. But they had to know. Taylor took a deep breath through their teeth before they spoke quietly.
"Because it was me." They said in almost a whisper.
"What was that?"
They spun around to face them as their vision blurred with furious tears and they shook violently.
"Because it was me, Antonio! There was no freak firestorm that hit Pentagram City that night, it was all me!" They shouted, startling the other two demons. They took a heaving breath as they went on.
"I didn't get away from the Overlord. I somehow ended up breaking all his chains and did who knows what to him after that! That's why I was sick, I was intoxicated!" They ran their hands through their hair in their agitation, "And then I apparently went out and burned down the west side of town!" They stared intently at them both. "I killed innocent people, murdered them in cold blood!" Their yelling devolved into wracked sobs as their hands shook and the fire behind them blazed bright in the hearth.
"And you know what the worst part is? I can't remember any of it! I had to hear about all of it on the news! I can't stop hearing the screams, seeing the destruction I wrought when I close my eyes!" They seethed. They barely registered their friend's shocked faces as they looked down guiltily.
"How could I face you after everything that I did?" They whimpered.
Taylor's anger dissipated as they dropped to their knees and held their head in their hands and wept, letting out all the shame and pent-up emotions they'd been holding onto for days. They sat there bawling for a moment before they felt arms pull them into a side hug.
"We know." Melanie said soothingly.
Taylor flinched as they looked up to see Antonio crouched in front of them smiling comfortingly and Melanie at their side.
"We just needed to hear you say it." She finished as she hugged them tighter.
"W-what do you mean, you know?" Taylor sniffed, thoroughly confused.
"Well, we didn't know about the Overlord and the not remembering part, but the contact waiting outside saw you leave the gambling hall. They knew it was you, despite you looking and acting all different." Antonio explained.
Taylor started to freak out at the mention of the contact. Antonio saw their distress and answered quickly.
"They're fine, don't worry. Said you looked them straight in the eye and then left them alone. So you must have been in there somewhere."
Taylor sighed in relief as they remembered part of their deal. 'you can't bring harm to my friends and associates during those times.' They shuddered at the thought of what could've happened if not for that stipulation. But something still bugged them.
"Why are you so calm about this? I razed a part of the city and massacred people!" Taylor asked in disbelief. Antonio gripped them by the shoulders and spoke frankly.
"It's like you said, you weren't yourself. Maybe a survival instinct kicked in and you got carried away after taking in all that energy. Who can say? We know you wouldn't do all that normally." He reassured them. Melanie released them from her hug and chimed in.
"And did you forget this is Hell? Those people might take some time to come back, but they will. It's not like you used angelic weapons or special magic." She said pragmatically.
Taylor wasn't so sure, not knowing what their patron was capable of, but they nodded before they wiped their tears away with their sleeve.
"But what if it happens again?" They said shakily, thinking of the still present threat of a second possession.
Antonio extended a hand to Taylor and the three stood up together. The German Shepard demon suddenly brought Taylor in close, with Melanie wrapping her arms around their back to form a three-person hug around the fire demon.
"We'll just have to work on making sure you don't get into such dire straits that you need to go all firestorm mode again. You're not alone in this. We got your back, kid." He pledged. They could feel Melanie nod behind them.
Taylor shook and nearly dissolved into tears again, so moved at their friend's continued trust in them after the horrible things they did and could still possibly do in the future. It was as if a weight was lifted from their body, and they felt genuine joy for the first time since they found out about what they did while possessed. As quickly as it had happened, Antonio broke up the hug with a blush as he stepped back.
"Okay, that's enough of that. We got to start thinking smarter so no more Overlords catch wind of our plans and give us grief." Antonio contemplated.
Taylor laughed at the German Shepard demon's bashfulness, but then they remembered something and winced.
"Oh, right. About that…"
After Taylor told the two about them possibly becoming the newest Overlord thanks to Alastor's nomination, they had another heated discussion on what it would mean for their work and how to make it look like Taylor had a network of contracted souls under their control. Once the initial plans were hashed out, Taylor promised to start back up with work immediately and the two dog demons were led back to the hotel lobby. After they left and Taylor shut the door, they walked back towards the parlor and gave a relieved sigh before they heard Husk call out from the bar.
"Well, it's about fucking time!" He shouted in annoyance. Taylor hadn't realized he was there and jumped before looking to him in confusion.
"Looks like you finally got what's been botherin' you off your chest. You weren't fooling anyone with the fake cheeriness bit." He said gruffly. Before Taylor could respond, the grumpy cat demon cut in.
"Don't try to deny it, you've been moping around the place, bringing the mood down, and you wouldn't 'fess up to anything, no matter how I tried. So I cleared the hotel out and got Angel to get your boss to get over here and talk some sense into ya." Husk smiled his crooked grin at his craftiness. "Feeling better?" He asked.
Taylor was astonished Husk would go this far for them but smiled and nodded in response. They hadn't fully come to terms with what happened, but they were on their way and glad for the support.
"Yeah, I'll be okay." They said gratefully before they quirked an eyebrow at the winged cat demon in feigned indignation. "You seriously ratted me out to my boss? That's pretty lame of you." Husk stared back surprised at the comment before Taylor chuckled. "Thanks."
When the others returned to the lobby from their business either within or outside the hotel, they were greeted to a livelier Taylor chatting and laughing at the bar with Husk. They apologized for causing them to worry once again and promised they were feeling better for real now. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully and before they knew it, they had found themselves ready for bed. Without any tormenting thoughts in their mind, they drifted off to sleep with a content sigh.
They felt a soft breeze on their face. The air smelled crisp and fresh.
'Hmm, feels like home.' they thought dreamily as they made to take in a deep breath to fill their lungs. But despite their efforts, their breathing came in small, shallow breaths and they started to feel a tinge of restlessness settling in. A flash of panic came on as they thought they were in danger, and they opened their eyes.
Once their eyes adjusted to the brightness, they saw they were in the golden promenade from their last time, but they weren't alone. They looked up and around, seeing a multitude of angels of different appearances all perched above them as they observed with harsh glares or looks of contempt. Taylor turned their eyes forward and saw Lucifer standing tensely in front of them with his back turned to them. Beside Lucifer was an unfamiliar woman who towered over him with long blonde hair with honey-colored streaks that flowed in the breeze. She radiated poise and determination when she turned to the side to glance at the rigid Lucifer. Taylor gasped in recognition; despite lacking the regal attire, makeup, and horns from her portraits in the lobby, they recognized the violet eyes and long eyelashes that was a tell that before then was Lilith, Queen of Hell and Charlie's mom. The first woman reached down and grasped Lucifer's hand comfortingly, making him flinch before he faced her and smiled adoringly back at his love. Taylor couldn't help but feel the devotion between the two, making them feel like they were intruding on a private moment. While they felt the gesture was sweet, their body's stomach clenched before it huffed and looked away.
There was a sudden flash of light and a booming voice above them that drew their eyes upward.
"Greetings to all, citizens of Heaven!"
They saw a tall and slim woman with chocolate colored skin, white freckles, hip-length curled silver hair, and long purple eyeshadow and eyelashes slowly descend toward them as her six lavender wings flapped gently. Below her halo was another that was more akin to a crown, with spikes and blue circles that looked like gems along the bottom. Her lavender-gray gown had a high-frilly collar, bouffant sleeves, and white detailing with diamond designs along the hem. She gave off the impression of regality, which made Taylor apprehensive at what was going to happen. The seraphim outstretched her arms and spoke to the crowd.
"We are gathered here to pass final judgment upon one of our own and his compatriots for their acts of disobedience." She finished her descent and gazed toward Lucifer, Lilith, and them with a stonily.
'Final judgment? Oh no.' Taylor thought with dread as they realized what was happening.
"Lucifer Morningstar, my fellow seraphim, you stand before us charged with recklessly introducing evil unto Earth."
Lilith interceded to defend her love.
"It wasn't just him. I'm equally to blame, Sera!" Her melodic voice shot in angrily.
"We are well aware of your role in this, Lilith." the seraphim replied coldly. She raised her voice to address the group once more.
"Despite our efforts to contain the damage, your act of rebellion has led to the manifestation of a new realm, one of darkness and sin. Furthermore, because both Adam and Eve partook in the fruit of knowledge, we had no choice but to cast them out of Eden. Now they and their descendants are condemned to suffer and work tirelessly for the rest of their lives." She said with an edge to her voice.
They felt a musical voice come from their throat as they shouted back.
"Then help! You need not abandon them! Look what they've done in such little time, it's amazing how-" they began with ardor.
"Nim, that's enough. They won't listen." Lucifer said stoically without looking at them. They felt their breath catch in their throat before slumping a bit at the reprimand. Taylor heard murmuring of several voices behind them, but they didn't turn to see who it was.
The seraphim sighed before she approached the group steadfastly. She paused before them and spoke in a soft tone.
"Despite your actions, you are still beloved in the eyes of Heaven. As an act of mercy, the Council has seen fit that you rule over this novel realm and watch over the denizens who do not pass divine judgment. Moreover, you shall only bear witness to the evils that come from humanity's time on Earth."
Lucifer didn't react to anything that was said as he kept his prideful stance and stared back with a hand clasped with Lilith. The seraphim suddenly glowed as she levitated, and her appearance shifted. Her humanoid features became more owl-like as her pupils turned blue with gray sclera and her wings turned white and spread wide. Her halo grew to float above her head like a tiara. Most ominous was the multitude of celestial looking eyes that opened around her shoulders, wings, and forehead. Taylor shivered at the menacing sight before them.
"I, Sera, High Seraphim of Heaven, hereby pass judgement. Lucifer Morningstar, you and your group of rebels shall henceforth be cast from Heaven and spend the rest of your eternities in the realm of evil you created! Farewell!"
They heard a choral tone and a large yellow portal opened at their feet with a red vastness far below them. Panic slammed into Taylor as their heart pounded in their ears and their body looked up at Sera and Lucifer briefly before they were pulled down forcefully into the crimson landscape below.
They spun around in free fall as they tried to right themselves. The rushing sound of wind was deafening as their body looked around to spy a few other angels plummeting down alongside them. They finally spied Lucifer nearby, clutching Lilith and shielding the woman with his wings as they both fell headfirst. They saw the two become encircled by a veil of fire as they picked up speed. Suddenly, Taylor felt searing pain rip across their whole body as they caught fire and they shrieked. As their body scorched from the heat and their muscles spasmed violently, Taylor tried to force themselves to wake up. They managed to peek an eye open to see the ground rapidly approaching and they scrunched their eyes closed and braced for impact.
'Please be one of those dreams you wake up from before you hit the ground!' they hoped as they waited for the inevitable.
They awoke with a groan as their body shook their head and got up to their knees. Taylor startled as their clawed hands were no longer black but orange and covered in a downy layer. They felt themselves pat their body with their hands and they felt long, thin limbs and their disembodied rings and fire were gone. They looked around where they stood in search of something. Despite the heavy impact, the ground was flat where they crashed, with the dirt scorched in places with embers burning around them in a concerted circular pattern. They traced the glowing etchings with their eyes and then they widened with realization: they recognized part of the circles, curves, and crisscross lines that resembled a labyrinth. The same ones that were carved into their back. They felt like everything stopped as they were drowning despite being able to breath freely.
They were pulled from their floundering when their body heard a painful groan nearby, and when they turned, Taylor's heart nearly stopped at what they saw. In another patch of circular embers and scorched earth, a swirling mass of black kept shifting from one thing to another as if it couldn't settle on one form. The monstrous creature kept changing and they saw several animals appear one after the other briefly before their body's gaze was torn away by a lone white top hat across the way.
Ignoring the inky creature, their body ran towards the familiar hat and found Lucifer holding an unconscious Lilith, who was bleeding from their head where horns now sat.
"My lord, are you alright?" They heard themselves cry out desperately.
Lucifer looked up at the call and he too had changed their appearance. His pained face had teeth that were pointed and sharp, his six wings had a red undertone to them, and his pupils were yellow with red sclera. He now had a black tail and long pointed horns with a flame blazing in between them. As they ran up, Taylor noticed he was producing fire from his mouth as he exhaled in quick bursts.
"Who're you? Never mind, doesn't matter. We need to focus on Lily here!" He replied with concern as he tried to gently shake Lilith awake.
They felt their body flinch back, grit their teeth, and pick up the top hat carefully. They approached and crouched next to the two as they replied solemnly.
"Of course, my lord. As you wish."
Taylor had one thought in their mind as they awoke abruptly clutching their throat.
'My patron is a fallen angel.'