Grail of sin chapter 11
Angels vs Demons
Charlie, Vaggie and Zefriel sat in the limousine as it drove speedily to its destination. Charlie tapped her fingers on the door frame as her eyes darted from one window to another.
"Are you afraid?" Zefriel asked, noticing her restlessness.
"Wha—? No, I'm not afraid. It's just that…'he' gives me the heebie-jeebies after what he did to me last time." Charlie said hesitantly.
"Don't worry." Vaggie said "We will be with you the whole time."
"Thanks for tagging along." Charlie said with a hint of a smile. "Both of you."
"It's my duty." Zefriel said "But out of curiosity, what did he do to you?" A hint of anger was noticeable in his voice.
"He…umm…licked my arm. Like, reeeally licked my arm. Creeped the fuck out of me. Three baths later and I could still feel his tongue on my skin." Charlie said. "He even tried to convince me to do 'shoots' for him. Yuck!"
"If he touches you again, I will bend that asqueroso bastardo knees in the opposite direction!" Vaggie said with an angry frown.
"I…don't think it would be a good idea to do anything to anger him." Charlie said.
"Why not?" Zefriel asked. "He will be in the presence of Hell's princess and two angels, one of which is completely impervious to any of his attacks. On top of that, I'm sure they are not blind to your father's shadow looming over them. You hold considerable power over them, going in."
"I…I understand that. But I do not want it to come to violence. I don't want things to get worse for Angel Dust." Charlie said.
"Oh, well. In that case I suppose I can hold him down while Vaggie gives him the 'Wet Willies.'" Zefriel said with a sarcastic smirk.
"Ha-Ha." Charlie said in deadpan annoyance. "Can we please change the subject?"
"Alright, hun." Vaggie said as she pulled Charlie in for a brief kiss.
"If I am not mistaken, you and your guests will be having your first seminar later today?" Zefriel asked.
"Yes!" Charlie said with a smile, seeming very excited about the prospect. "I have a whole lesson planned on the four magic words!"
"Four magic words?" Vaggie asked.
"Yes, they are 'Hello', 'Please', 'Thank you' and 'Goodbye'." Charlie said with a smile.
"Aren't those technically 5 words?" Zefriel asked.
"Shush, you!" Charlie said with a teasing smile. "I want to teach them about respect and politeness to create a stronger foundation on which our guests can build their Virtue."
"Interesting, I think you are on to something good." Zefriel said "Respect for others is considered to be an important virtue and I suppose that politeness can be seen as the practical implementation of that."
"I think it's a great idea, Charlie!" Vaggie said, sharing some of Charlie's enthusiasm "Let me know if I can help you with the seminar."
"Vaggie, thank you so much, but I would like you to rest when we are done with this meeting. You have already done so much for us this past month!" Charlie said.
"It's true, it's like you are on fire." Zefriel said. "What are we at? Thirteen sinners in one month?"
"Yeah, well—" Vaggie said.
"I know, isn't she amazing?!" Charlie said as she peppered Vaggie with kisses.
"Thanks, babe." Vaggie said as she blushed at the praise. "But, you know, I have a plan to make my work even more efficient."
"Really?" Charlie said "What's your plan?"
"I am trying to set up a network of informants. Vaggie said. "I want to recruit locals to be on the look out for newcomers…for a finder's fee, of course. These sinners would be located strategically around the city, but especially around Heaven's embassy."
"Sound tactic. I think that would be bound to pay off." Zefriel said. "But, remember we are not accepting just anyone."
"Yeah, I know. There have already been a couple I refused to bring to the hotel because they gave me an…aerie vibe. Not sure how to explain it." Vaggie said as she rubbed the back of her neck with a sad expression.
"Instincts, pure and simple. Make sure to trust them, so far they have proven to be very reliable." Zefriel said.
"I…just feel horrible that we are picking and choosing like this." Charlie said sadly. "I wish I could let anyone join, who is willing. We only have fourteen rooms occupied with hundreds more to fill."
"Charlie, we have to be pragmatic and focus on the quality of the candidates, not the quantity of them. You are making excellent progress on Samantha—"
"Raven." Vaggie corrected.
"...and hopefully, soon, on Angel Dust as well." Zefriel said.
"But—" Charlie tried to protest.
"At the rate that Vaggie is finding new recruits, the hotel is bound to be filled up in a year or less." Zefriel interrupted. "The last thing you want is to have to ask people to leave the hotel."
"Charlie, I think he is right." Vaggie said. "The way we are doing things now might have a slow start, but it would have more sinners redeemed in the long run."
Charlie leaned back in her seat with a sad expression, seeming unable to offer a counter argument. She felt the limousine begin slowing down, and then stop. They had arrived at their destination.
Zefriel was the first to exit from his door. He quickly scanned the surrounding area for danger before holding the door open for the girls to exit with grace.
Charlie stood in front of Valentino's studio, taking a deep breath. "Alright, let's get this show on the road." she said as she mustered all her courage, proceeding towards the entrance. "I called ahead, so he should be expecting us."
Inside, they made their way past the filming crews, hard at work, seeming to be actively shooting a scene.
A small sinner ran in a great hurry while carrying a box labeled 'porn stuff'. The box was filled to the brim with sexual paraphernalia, causing the sinner to spill a large pink dildo onto the floor as he ran.
"Sorry, pal." The small sinner said as he stopped in front of Zefriel to pick up his lost could only muster a disgusted grimace as he watched the sinner run off again.
Vaggie stayed close to Charlie as she walked past two thugs that appeared to be twins save for the color of their hair. One had red, while the other had blue. Both of the sinners were two heads taller than Vaggie and twice her width. Vaggie's eyes narrowed in anger as the blue haired twin gestured at her by putting his fingers to his lips in a V shape, quickly running his tongue up and down in a simulated act of oral sex.
Charlie made her way to the front to find Valentino sitting next to the camera that was transfixed on a male and female actor, busy performing for the camera. The female actress bounced up and down rapidly, in 'cowgirl' position, before she stopped abruptly.
"God dammit, Val, he came early!" yelled the porn actress "Fuck, I would kill to work with a professional for a change."
"Sorry, Val, couldn't help it." The male porn star said. "This bitch is tight like Hell!"
"You are damn, fucking right I am." yelled the actress as she got off the stage.
"Ugh…" Valentino said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Bitch, go get cleaned. You have 10 minutes." Valentino yelled at the actress. "In the mean time, someone juice him up again and put a cock ring on him this time, for fucks sake!"
"On it boss!" Yelled the small sinner as he rummaged through his box, of paraphernalia
Charlie made eye contact with Valentino, waving at him while wearing a very nervous smile. He in turn grinned in joy at the sight of her.
Valentino pulled out his gun and fired a shot into the ceiling, getting everyone's attention.
"Take five people…I've got something to deal with." He said as he stood up and made his way into his office, closely followed by the twin thugs.
Charlie, once more took a deep breath, but was startled as Zefriel placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be afraid, you have to remain confident. We are with you." Zefriel said.
"Right, let's go." Charlie said.
She entered Valentino's office to find him sitting at his chair, resting his head on his palm. In contrast, the two twins stood behind him with their arms crossed, attempting to look as imposing as possible.
Vaggie and Zefriel stood behind Charlie, ready to act in an instant should the need arise.
"Princess! What a pleasure it is to have you back at my studio." Valentino said. "Please, have a seat. Perhaps you have reconsidered my proposal from the last time we met, hmm?"
"N...no. Thank you. I don't think that my father would approve of me doing…pornography." Charlie said nervously as she took a seat.
"Oh, come on my dear. Sex work is an increasingly normalized thing. I say, a girl of your beauty would be extremely…popular." Valentino insisted.
"She said 'No', you estupido cabrón!" Vaggie yelled as she clenched her fist at Valentino.
Valentino gave Vaggie a terrifying death stare, but hastily changed into a smile as he realized who she was. "Ahh, you must be the Señorita that shares the bed with our lovely princess! You know, we could shoot a scene between you two. Lesbian action is really 'in' these days." He said he formed a rectangle with his fingers and pointed it at the girls, seeming to be trying to put them both in an imagined camera lens.
"No…thank you." Charlie said as her eyes began to narrow in anger.
"Oh…well. Our loss then my dear. But, my office is open should you ever wish to reconsider. Now, if that was not why you were here, then to what do I owe this pleasure?" Valentino asked.
"I was hoping that we would be able to discuss some important business." Charlie said.
"Oh, but I am all ears my darling." Valentino said.
"I would like to offer you a lump sum of five million souls in exchange for Angel Dust's freedom from your bind." Charlie said confidently.
"Five mill—" Yelled the red haired thug.
Valentino raised a surprised eyebrow. "Tha…that is a very generous offer for a single sinner. Even for one of the royal family." He sat silently, seeming to genuinely ponder the offer made. "Five million souls would be a considerable boon to our little operation. But…I must refuse."
"Six Million." Charlie said.
Vaggie and Zefriel looked at her in surprise, but quickly regained their composure.
Valentino cast a sly smile. "She's desperate." He thought to himself.
"There…is something that would make me accept parting ways with my 'little bottom'." Valentino said. "I would like a little favor from our lovely princess…and 7 Million souls."
"Not this again…" Zefriel thought to himself as he rolled his eyes.
"A…favor? No doubt to have me star in one of your filthy productions!" Charlie yelled as she stood up in anger.
"No-no-no my dear, I can get the message. We can make a caveat that the favor would not entail any sort of…performance on your part" Valentino said with a smile. "I would not have you do anything that would make you uncomfortable..."
Charlie was silent, seeming to seriously consider the offer made.
"Charlie, the bastardo is lying through his teeth!" Vaggie yelled. "Don't accept it under any circumstance."
Valentino stood up suddenly, once more eying Vaggie with his death stare. "Señorita, I have taken your insults long enough. Escort the lady and gentleman outside so I may deal with the lovely princess in peace." Valentino said as he gestured to his men.
The two thugs began to approach Vaggie and Zefriel. "Come on, time for you to leave. The boss wants some private time with the miss."
The red haired thug placed his hands on Zefriel, trying to push him out of the room, only to find him completely immovable. The other thug fared far worse as he didn't even have a chance to lay a finger on Vaggie before she landed a lightning fast kick, right into his jaw, instantly dropping him unconscious.
"Oh,…I guess we have a fight on our hands." Zefriel said to his adversary, betraying a little bit of amusement in his voice.
"I guess we do!" the red haired thug said as he swung his fist at Zefriel.
Zefriel simply ducked under the sinner's cross punch and grabbed him with a single arm chokehold around his neck. Despite being larger, the sinner was flailing his arms around in panic, seeming unable to free himself from Zefriel's overpowering grasp.
"No, guys, stop!" Charlie yelled.
Valentino unholstered his guns and aimed them straight at the two angels, seeming to be in surprised panic.
Before anyone could say a word, Zefriel's eyes emitted a bright flash of light just as Valentino's eyes met his gaze. This caused Valentino to stumble back, blinded and in pain, his moth eyes unable to handle the light.
Vaggie wasted no time as she vaulted over the office table, knocking Valentino onto the floor with a hard crash. He tried to aim his guns at her, still blinded, but she effortlessly knocked both guns out of his hands. Charlie could only look on in horror as Vaggie quickly landed several heavy punches right into Valentino's face, dazing him severely and breaking his glasses.
The sinner Zefriel was holding seemed to finally fall unconscious, causing Zefriel to drop him onto the floor. Zefriel then quickly proceeded to pick up the guns that Valentino had dropped.
Vaggie stared at Valentino, holding him by the collar of his shirt, with a furious scowl on her face.
"Let go of him, Vaggie!" Charlie yelled as she pulled Vaggie away, forcing her to drop her prey.
"Might be wise to put him out of his misery." Zefriel said. "Just say the word."
"W…what?! NO!" Charlie said as she held Zefriel back. "You need to heal him, right now!"
"Charlie, I thin—" Vaggie tried to interject, still glaring down at a dazed Valentino, quickly regaining his senses.
"Vaggie, we need to stop fighting and salvage this situation!" Charlie said.
Valentino took the opportunity to rise to his feet again, by leaning on his desk, as Charlie stood there with fear in her eyes as he did.
"Princess…at first I was willing to hear you out…but…now I'm going to make sure you never get your hands on Angel." Valentino hissed "I'm going to work him to the bone, and he will only have your friends to thank for that."
"Hijo de puta!" Vaggie yelled as she tried to go in for a second assault, but Charlie grabbed her by the arm and held her firm.
Vaggie turned to Charlie, only to be shaken to her core by angry red eyes staring back at her with an angry expression. Charlie quickly turned around and pulled Vaggie by the arm, out the door.
Zefriel followed the two girls, choosing to keep the guns he had picked up as Valentino glared at him with murder in his eyes.
Charlie stormed out of the building, dragging Vaggie by the arm, and only letting go when she reached the limousine.
"That could not have gone worse, fuck!" Charlie said as she rubbed her face in an attempt to soothe her nerves.
Vaggie stared at Charlie with an expression of utter dismay "Charlie, I had to defend myself!"
"No, Vaggie! You two just had to leave the room!" Charlie shot back. "I had a strategy"
"What do you mean you had a strategy?" Vaggie yelled back, with a hint of anger of her own. "You went from 5 million to 7 million and a favor. Charlie there was no deal on the table, he was just taking advantage of you!"
"I wasn't going to accept the deal he offered!" Charlie yelled. " Dad gave me 10 Million to trade for Angel's soul. I was going to offer the other 3 million instead of the favor." Charlie began to pace in frustration."Maybe he would have accepted, thinking that he was getting the upper hand, but now we will never know. Had he still wanted the favor, then I would have simply walked away!"
"Then, why didn't you tell me?!" Vaggie yelled "You didn't tell me you had any plan going in!"
"I assumed you would know I'm not stupid enough to accept owing a favor to a pimp overlord!" Charlie shot back as she gestured to Valentino's studio. "You jumped in because you thought there was a chance that I would have accepted."
"Well, you accepted Alastors deal!" Vaggie shot back. "What makes you think that was any way better?!"
"That…was different! I had to accept it to save our lives." Charlie yelled as she crossed her arms and looked away from Vaggie with a scowl on her face. Vaggie, surprised by the gesture, soon did the same to Charlie.
"There is no sense staying here." Zefriel said. "We should return to the hotel and think of something."
"I think I would rather get some air." Vaggie said as she spread her wings.
Charlie's expression quickly changed from anger to worry as Vaggie took off in a hurry.
"I…I didn't mean to…" Charlie said hesitantly, watching Vaggie fly off.
"You are both tense. It's best to get some space for the moment." Zefriel said as he opened the limousine door for Charlie. "We should get going."
Several sinners stood at the hotel gates, reading the signs, as they snickered amongst themselves. As soon as Charlie's limousine turned the corner, they scurried away hastily in various directions.
"Not again…" Charlie said as she exited the car. "It's been one month and they still haven't gotten bored of vandalizing the gate." She observed the scandalous insults that had been spray painted over her work.
'Liar!'
'Bitch!'
'Whore!'
Charlie held herself for comfort as her day seemed to be going terribly so far.
"The work of fools and cowards." Zefriel said as he joined her. "I will let Husk know to replace the signage." Zefriel flicked his finger and a spark of red fire shot towards the vandalized signage, burning it to cinders.
"I'm not sure if I did the right thing, any more. I thought they would all believe and cheer for the fact that they now have a chance to leave this damned place…" Charlie said as she pointed in the general direction of the city. "...but now they are even trying to sabotage our efforts. W…why are they like this?" Charlie asked.
"Some simply didn't believe you." Zefriel said. "While those that did, show resentment because the hotel is only accepting newcomers to Hell."
Charlie was silent for a moment, brooding over her current predicament. "We…we have to change our rules back. We have to accept all sinners again."
Zefriel let out a sigh before he rubbed his forehead in apparent frustration. "Charlie, we have already been over this."
Charlie leaned on the gate, the sadness she carried was plain to see.
Zefriel observed her quietly for a moment before he spoke. "Charlie, compassion can be a double edged sword. So much so that it has spawned an old proverb."
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Charlie said sadly.
"Exactly. The compassion in our hearts can sometimes force us to make decisions that are noble in the short run, but end up doing far more harm in the long run." Zefriel said.
"I guess…" Charlie replied.
"Can you imagine if we filled up the hotel with difficult to redeem sinners only to have easier cases, like Raven, roaming the streets?" Zefriel said. "Over time they would get worse and worse, making redemption on a greater scale take far longer than it should."
Charlie remained silent.
Zefriel was silent for a moment, observing her, before he spoke again.
"You know, when I arrived at the hotel, not long ago, I didn't think much of you…" Zefriel said.
Charlie looked at him with an uncertain look on her face.
"... but, as I got to know you better I recognized the immense compassion you have in your heart." Zefriel continued. "What's more, I had to admit, Vaggie was right. You are also incredibly intelligent despite your cute and cheerful demeanor."
Zefriel took a pause, before he walked closer to Charlie. "I know it's hard on you, I can see it in your eyes. But, don't let your compassionate heart become your Achilles heel." Zefriel said as he clasped her hands in his, wearing a serious expression on his face. "You have to be strong in your time of trial and understand that there is still hope for those sinners out there, even if we reject them. They don't have to stay at the hotel, they just need to follow your example. "
"Follow my example?" Charlie asked.
"Of course." Zefriel said with a faint smile. "You are bringing hope to these people and, with your work here, will shake the very foundations of Hell itself, leading it to a better tomorrow."
"You really think that I will be able to get that far?" Charlie said as her sad demeanor melted away.
"I would expect nothing less from an angel in waiting." Zefriel said with a smile.
Charlie's eyes lit up with joy, but before she could say a word her phone alarm began to ring. "Oh shoot, I'm late for the seminar. I'll see you later!" Charlie said as she ran into the hotel forecourt, but stopped abruptly.
"Thanks, I really needed that." Charlie said before she continued running towards the hotel.
"My pleasure." Zefriel said, well out of her earshot.
Charlie burst through the conference room door with great haste as she made a dash for the empty podium. As she reached it, she leaned on it, taking a moment to catch her breath.
"Hello, everyone." Charlie said, clearly winded. "Thank you for coming on this fine day and I sincerely apologize for being late. Traffic was terrible..." Charlie said with a chuckle as she tried to lighten the mood.
She made a quick headcount of the guests present and found that all fourteen were assembled in their chairs. Angel Dust sat dead center in front of the podium while Raven sat to his right. Her appearance had changed considerably in the past month as she had acquired several pieces of black attire and silver jewelry, giving her a more gothic appearance.
Charlie gave Angel Dust a sad shake of her head and he knew exactly what it meant, the meeting with Valentino was a failure. Angel Dust slumped backwards on his chair, dismayed at what this would mean for him. Raven gently placed her hand on Angel Dust's shoulder as a means of comforting him, a gesture that Angel Dust seemed to appreciate with a smile.
"So, before we begin our first seminar, I would like to introduce you all to Gran…who insisted we call her Granny." Charlie said as she gestured to one of the sinners sitting in the second row.
Granny stood up, seeming to be an old, overweight lady with shriveled up skin. She sported disheveled white hair and a pair of cracked glasses on a crooked nose. "Hello everyone." she said in an old and raspy voice.
"Granny here is our latest guest, who joined us just yesterday. Please give her a warm welcome." Charlie said.
Several of the sinners gave less than enthusiastic welcomes.
"What did you do to end up in Hell?" One of the sinners in the rear row yelled.
"I cursed and said 'damn' in 1958 when I saw my husband get shot in the head by that rotten burglar." Granny said.
"That…seems a little bit unreasonable…, I don't think you should be in Hell for that." Charlie said.
Angel Dust and Raven exchanged incredulous expressions.
"Ok, so. Our goal here at the hotel is to give you a pathway for redemption by reducing your sin and increasing your virtue." Charlie said as she pulled a whiteboard towards the front of the stage.
"In our first seminar, we will be focusing on politeness." Charlie said as she wrote on the whiteboard. "This will create a solid foundation for your redemption efforts because politeness can be seen as the practical application of the important virtue of 'respect towards others.'
"Why is respect important?" One of the new sinners asked from the rear.
"Great question!" Charlie said as she enthusiastically pointed at the sinner. "To respect someone means that you recognize that he or she is important and deserves to be treated well! This recognition helps us build positive relationships with others as well as foster understanding and promote cooperation. Making 'respect of others' important, if not vital, for creating a healthy and harmonious society…or joining one. Like Heaven."
"Damn, she's really been hitting the books." Angel Dust whispered to Raven, who nodded in agreement.
"As such, allow me to introduce to you the four basic words of politeness. 'Hello', 'Please', 'Thank you' and 'Goodbye'." Charlie said as she wrote the words on the board.
One of the sinners raised a hand.
"Yes, I know it's actually five words." Charlie said.
The sinner lowered his hand as several sinners began scribbling on their notepads.
"Alright, now. Let's try some practical examples. Ordering food from society's most disrespected workers at a fast-food restaurant!" Charlie said with a smile.
When Husk took it upon himself to replace the vandalized signage, one month ago, he did not expect it to become an almost daily chore. Despite this, he labored diligently yet again, choosing to do what little he could to help the hotel in its time of need. He spent two hours of his day, painstakingly painting new signage and attaching it to the entrance gate.
As he worked, he could feel their eyes staring at him from the distance, safe in their hiding places, waiting for him to leave before they assaulted his work, yet again. Undaunted however, he refused to surrender to them, vowing that he would perform this task as many times as he had to. Having finally finished, he dusted his hands, collected his tools and returned inside for a well earned drink.
But, much as he had predicted, two sinners watched him leave from the safety of their alleyway, snickering amongst themselves. As soon as he was safely inside, they dashed across the street with spray cans in hand and began defacing the signage as quickly as they could, unaware of a looming figure that approached behind them.
Suddenly, and without warning, one of the sinners was startled by a loud crunching slam as he was sprayed by all manner of blood and gore.
He quickly realized that his companion had been completely crushed under what seemed to be a metallic spider's leg belonging to a green jester, towering over him with a menacing grin.
The sinner tried to make a run for it, but was also crushed beneath the spider's leg in the blink of an eye.
Mammon walked up to the front door of the hotel, having returned to his normal form. He knocked forcefully with one hand as he held a package, wrapped in colorful paper, in the other.
Husk opened the door and was surprised to find the green jester, staring down at him.
"Sup my little man." Mammon said as he pushed Husk aside and entered the hotel."You might want to go out there and clean that mess at the gate. Some assholes were fucking with your signs, but I took care of them for ya'."
"Yeah, I figured." Husk said as he observed the trail of blood under Mammon's feet. "Thanks…I guess."
"No biggie, my man. Say, have you seen my niece? I have something for her." Mammon said.
"Yeah, I think she's finishing up with her seminar." Husk said as he pointed to the stream of sinners exiting the conference room. "She should be out soon."
Charlie was the last to leave the conference room. "Ok guys, remember to do your assignments. We will meet again in one month to check your progress. If any of you need anything, my office is always open." Charlie said to her guests who made their way to their lodging.
As soon as her guests were gone, she let out an exhausted sigh.
"Sup, kiddo." Mammon said as he approached her.
"Uncle!" Charlie yelled with a smile on her face when she saw Mammon. She ran in and hugged him with all her strength, seeming to be very happy to see him.
"Hello, sweet pea." Mammon said as he gently patted her on the head. "I heard you were making progress on your little project."
"Some areas more than others, but we are chugging along." Charlie said as she let go.
"Well, good thing I brought you a gift, to cheer you up!" Mammon said as he handed her the gift he was holding. "Hope you like it. Took me a while to get it, just for you."
"Oh…thank you so much! You really shouldn't have—" Charlie thanked her uncle but quickly realized that he seemed to be in a world of his own, staring at something behind her.
She turned around to find Zefriel slowly descending the lobby stairs, eyes firmly locked on Mammon's.
"Mammon, archdemon, prince of greed. To what do we owe the…intrusion?" Zefriel said as he walked up to Mammon.
"Right, uncle Mammon, I would like you to meet Zefriel. Zefriel, I would like you to meet my uncle Mammon." Charlie said as she introduced the two parties.
"Riiight, nice to meet ya pal! Put it there!" Mammon said as he extended his hand for a shake.
Zefriel raised an eyebrow, making no attempt to shake Mammon's hand.
"Hah!" Mammon laughed, seeming amused by Zefriel's lack of respect. "What was I thinking, an archangel wouldn't stoop so low as to shake the hand of an archdemon."
Mammon began to circle Zefriel, seeming to inspect him.
"Umm…uncle Mammon, you are here just to visit…right?" Charlie said with a nervous smile, not sure where her uncle was going.
"Huh?...Oh yes, of course sweat pea!" Mammon said with a smile "I didn't come here to cause trouble for ya'. But, I'll admit I was very curious to meet your friend here."
Mammon walked back to Charlie. "I have to say, I'm kinda' disappointed, for being Satan's replacement, he's kinda…unimpressive."
"Ahh…word got around it seems." Zefriel said with a hint of a smile.
"Oh yeah. Honestly, Satans kinda pissed." Mammon said. "If I were you, my man , I would leave Hell in a hurry,…ain't worth the trouble."
"S…Satan's not coming here…right?" Charlie said, visibly concerned.
"Oh shit, I hope not." Mammon said. "But, this guy is practically a live bait for him. You should probably ask the archangel to leave your hotel Charlie."
Charlie began nervously fidgeting, seeming to be in a world of her own.
"Charlie, is everything alright?" Asked Husk as he returned inside.
Charlie gave no answer.
"If Satan shows up, he will find me to be a worthy match." Zefriel said.
"Hah…is that a hint of pride I detect?" Mammon said as he closed in on Zefriel's ear. "Cause you sure as fuck don't look like a Michael to me."
"Clearly an opinion as a direct result of your faulty intelligence." Zefriel said as his eyes narrowed, irritated by Mammon's words.
"Heheh…easy there…boy." Mammon said with a grin.
"Uncle, please stop this." Charlie said as she got between Mammon and Zefriel.
"What? I was just sayin'!" Mammon said. "Sayin' what all the other archdemons are thinking."
"Alright, I get it. You don't want the archangel near me." Charlie said as she pulled Mammon away by his arm.
Husk walked up to Zefriel "Try not to let the big demon monster get angry, ok? He left a huge mess out there."
"No promises are ma—" Zefriel tried to reply, but stopped short. His eyes began to track something moving at high speed around the lobby that Husk could not see.
"Charlie, dear. We're seriously worried about your…friend over there. All of us. Your aunt Bee is having trouble getting info on him which is putting us all on edge. What's more, I wasn't joking, Satan might actually burst through that door." Mammon said as he pointed to the front door.
Zefriel began to shimmer, transforming into Mammon.
"Wait, you can shapeshift?" Husk said in surprise.
"Sure can my man, pretty good at it too!" Mammon's doppelganger said.
"Hey, knock it off Asshole!" Mammon yelled from across the room.
"Who are you calling an asshole, asshole?!" the doppelganger yelled back.
Mammon bared his teeth at his doppelganger as it began to dance, gyrating his hips and kicking randomly making sure to seem as foolish as possible.
"Zef, knock it off. Uncle please remain calm." Charlie said.
"Pumpkin, we are all keeping Satan in check but you know how unpredictable he is. He literally wants that guy's head." Mammon said as he pointed at his doppelganger.
The doppelganger materialized a tiny bicycle and began riding it in a circle around Husk, grinning to the fullest.
"Are you trying to provoke him?" Husk asked as he facepalmed.
"I'm a jester, not a clown!" Mammon yelled at his doppelganger.
Charlie pulled on her uncle's arm, gaining his attention again.
"If you do care about him, then you have to ask him to leave. Hell, I would offer him a kings ransom if he would just get the fuck out!" Mammon yelled.
"Wait, what?!" Zefriel could be heard in the distance, returning to his normal form in a shimmer. "You would actually offer me money to leave?"
"Ummm. Yeah…" Mammon said with a raised eyebrow, seeming confused.
"Finally! I thought you would never figure it out." Zefriel said as he quickly approached Mammon, putting an arm over his shoulder. "I think you and I can get to an arrangement. For the right price, I could go back to Heaven and say that Satan and Mammon fought me off. How does that sound?"
"Wa…wait. Seriously?!" Mammon said with glee.
"Yeah, but it has to be real money." Zefriel said with a sly smile."I don't want any of that monopoly money you guys are using down here in Hell. I want actual Dollars. American. Make it 10— no 15 Million and I will get out of your hair."
Husk raised an eyebrow.
"Really, It would be that easy?" Mammon said with glee.
"Of course! It's not like I want to stay here in Hell." Zefriel said. "What angel would want that?"
Charlie carried a very worried expression as she nervously rubbed her hands. "Zefriel,…you would leave…just like that?"
"I want a cashier's check made out to my name." Zefriel said, seeming to ignore Charlie
"Holy shit, you bet!" Mammon said as he materialized his checkbook, pen in hand. "15 Million dollars payable to?"
"That's Zefriel, spelled L-I-C-K-M-Y-B-A-L-L-S" Zefriel said.
"Right, right! L-I-C-K-M-Y-B— " Mammon said, beaming with excitement, as he wrote in the checkbook, only to stop halfway though the name, looking at what he wrote.
Charlie's expression betrayed her utter exasperation while Husk was trying to hide his snicker.
"See? Faulty intelligence." Zefriel whispered into Mammon's ear.
"ARE OUT OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!" Mammon yelled as he transformed into his spider form.
"Oh oh. Mammy's angry." Zefriel said with a sly smile as he quickly backed away.
"Why you little shit!" Mammon yelled as she tried to slam spider leg into Zefriel.
Zefriel stepped out of the way of Mammon's vertical strikes, seeming too fast for Mammon to land a hit. This irritated the archdemon greatly who increased the intensity of his onslaught, causing Husk to run in front of Charlie to make sure she was not harmed.
Zefriel moved in for a counter attack, a sly grin on his face. He quickly slid in under Mammon's carapace, seeming to enter a blind spot under his spider-like torso.
"Wow, wow, wow, what the fuck?!" Mammon yelled in a panic, having lost sight of his opponent.
Suddenly, a golden chain wrapped itself around Mammon's spider legs, gathering them all closely like a giant bundle of sticks. This caused Mammon to lose balance and topple over, landing face first into the floor with a loud thud.
"Uncle!" Charlie yelled, concerned.
"What the fuck is going on!" Mammon yelled as he lifted his face from the floor and looked at what had his legs in a bind.
"Zef, let him go!" Charlie yelled as her horns protruded in anger.
"I will as soon as I get this little spider outside." Zefriel said as he dragged Mammon by the golden chain.
"Thank you for stopping by. Please give my regards to Beelzebub, but I think she already knows." Zefriel said as he flicked his finger, casting a small spark of red fire into a seemingly random spot on the wall above the exit door.
"Hey, man, let the fuck go!" Mammon yelled as he was clawing at the floor in an attempt to stay.
Zefriel passed the main entrance of the hotel, pulling Mammon's enlarged form through the front door and dragging him onto the porch.
"Feel free to visit any other time, uncle Mammy. Bye-bye." Zefriel said as he slammed the front door shut.
"Why you little shit, just wait till I get the fuck out of here!" Mammon yelled as his phone began to ring. Mammon pulled it out and answered. "What?! I'm fucking busy!" he yelled.
Mammon could hear laughter in the background of the phone call and recognized the voices as belonging to Beelzebub and Belphegor.
"Just transform back, Mammon, the chain will fall off." He heard Asmodeous say over the phone.
"Oh…yeah…I knew that." Mammon said as he transformed back to his normal form, freeing himself from the chain.
"That is what we call an intelligence failure…" Asmodeous said as the other two arch demons began to laugh hysterically once again.
"That's it, you overgrown feather duster!" Mammon yelled as he stood up and transformed into his spider form once more. "Wait till I get my hands on you!"
"Oh shit, he's mad. Drive, drive, drive!" Asmodeous could be heard yelling on the phone.
Mammon exited the hotel grounds just as a van began to drive away in a hurry. Mammon gave chase, yelling obscenities as the van sped off, even going so far as throwing his phone in the direction of the fleeing van.
"What the hell was that?!" Charlie yelled, clearly furious at Zefriel's behavior. "First you insult my uncle and then you manhandle him!? What is wrong with you?!"
"Charlie, there is a perfectly good reason why I did what I did." Zefriel said. "First of all, Mammon wasn't just here for a cutesy get together with his niece. He was also trying to distract me from Beelzebub."
"What? Aunt Bee wasn't even here!" Charlie yelled.
"No, but her little fly was, trying to set up a little spy network no doubt." Zefriel said.
"What?" Charlie said in surprise.
"Charlie, Beelzebub is known as the lord of flies for a reason. She uses literal flies on the wall to spy on her targets." Zefriel said. "We have known of her techniques for literal centuries. Even suspect her of being your fathers spymaster."
"B…but why would she…?" Charlie asked.
"No matter how you cut it, she was trying to spy in your hotel. Regardless of any deeper reason, I will not allow her to." Zefriel said as she pointed to the spot on the wall where he had cast his red flame, leaving a small scorch mark.
Charlie was silent, staring at it as well, seeming to ponder the possibilities.
"Charlie, I would like to make a request." Zefriel said. "No archdemons on the premises.
"What? Why?" Charlie asked with a frown.
"They could be a danger to your guests." Zefriel said.
"Because my aunt wanted to keep an eye on me?" Charlie said defiantly.
"You assume that is the case, but who knows for sure?" Zefriel said. "I am not truly convinced that they really support your project, their attitude would change considerably as your project becomes more successful."
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"Charlie, remember how I said you would shake the foundations of Hell with your work?
Your success would undermine their power. This means that, at a certain point, they might choose to try and sabotage your project, if not worse." Zefriel said. "We would be better off if they were not allowed on hotel grounds."
Charlie was silent for a moment as she glanced at the scorch mark once more. "Ok, fine. But, my father is allowed. He is the one I would trust with my life!"
"Fine." Zefriel replied after a moment of contemplation.
"Answer you little piece of shit." Valentino roared into his phone as he kicked the head of his dead bodyguard, lying on the floor. "When I get my hands on you, you little fucker, I will make you wish you were never born!"
"Yo this is Angel, can't answer the phone right now. Leave a message after the beep if you are over 8 inches long and want to get freaky!" Angel Dust's recording played over the phone.
"Where the fuck are you?! I want to see you in the studio, RIGHT NOW!" Valentino yelled into his phone.
As Valentino Yelled, a drone flew through the smashed window, before it began to project a live feed of Vox on the wall.
"Val darling, you have to calm—" Vox said as he tried to calm down Valentino.
"Don't fucking tell me to calm down!" Valentino yelled at Vox. "They came to my damn studio, pummeled me, humiliated me and took my fucking guns!"
"Yeah, we saw." Vox said.
"What? How?" Valentino asked.
"What? You think I don't keep tabs on my best friend in the whole of Hell?" Vox said with a grin.
"Oh, whatever." Valentino said disinterested. "Maybe you can use your drone to capture the snuff film that I am about to make, starring Angel Dust!"
"Oh, fuck no you will not!" A female voice came from the drone. Velvette pushed Vox out of the way and took over the projection. "Don't you dare pluck a single hair off his head! Do you have any idea how valuable that fucker is now that we know the princess wants him so bad?"
"I don't give a fuck!" Valentino yelled. "I just want to make him suffer to send a message to that bitch and her dogs!"
"No, Val!" Yelled Vox, shoving Velvette out of view again. "Listen, she is right. Do not do anything to damage the goods! There is no telling what we could get from her in trade for Angel! As it stands, he is a huge chip in our stack! You can get back at her by having her grovel on her knees, begging!"
Valentino began to calm down. "Yeah…that would be nice. Having her on her knees and…"
"Right…right." Vox agreed, realizing that he was getting through to Valentino. "Besides, what happened wasn't Angel's fault. Why should he be the one to suffer? Why damage your own property? No, it's the princess's fault, so let's put her through the wringer…together. What do you say?"
Valentino calms down. "That…would be nice. But I want her dogs to pay, most of all. Especially her Angel bitch of a girlfriend."
"Oh trust me buddy, we'll think of something." Vox said. "But this gives me an idea. How about me and Velvette take you out shopping. Get you a nice pair of guns, made of angelic steel, to replace the ones you lost? You know, the ones that can hurt and kill angel's like the princesses girlfriend that attacked you?"
Valentino expressed a wide smile. "Oh, Voxxy. You always know how to cheer me up."
Late in the evening, Charlie sat at her office desk, seeming to be fully absorbed by the contents of the book she was reading. 'The nature of Virtue', 'Teaching for Dummies' and 'What great teachers do differently' were just some of the books that formed the large stacks of books on her large desk.
She let out a tired yawn before she closed her book and slumped in her chair, exhausted by her day. Charlie looked at the stacks of books on her desk with an expression of dread on her face, but amongst the books she noticed Mammon's yet unopened gift.
As Charlie reached for it, she failed to notice her office door opening slightly. Someone was spying on her, peering through the gap.
"Please don't let it be something extravagant." Charlie thought to herself as she opened the package. Her eyes widened in surprise as she gently pulled out a large Velvet box.
"Oh, god. Don't tell me this is what I think it is." Charlie opened the box to reveal a golden Tiara covered in precious ruby gemstones. "Come on uncle Mammon, can't you just get me a simple shirt for a change?" Charlie thought to herself, as she sighed. She gently closed the box and walked to her safe in the wall, behind her desk.
As Charlie was opening the safe, she was startled by the sound of the door being gently closed behind her, causing her to drop the tiara's box. She quickly turned around to see Vaggie, leaning on the door with a sad expression, looking away.
"Vaggie! I'm so sorry!" "Charlie, I'm sorry!" Charlie and Vaggie said respectively, speaking at the same time.
They stared at each other for a moment before they quickly approached one other, embracing and kissing without another word being exchanged.
Vaggie held Charlie tightly as she spoke. "We have to get Angel away from Valentino."
"I know." Charlie said. "We have to think of something, and quickly."
End of Chapter 11.