Thank you Conejo-Sama for editing the chapter 3

- Also , check out the other Adam fanfic I'm working on the side called - Just Want To Rock

I was planning to upload this chapter on my Birthday, the 18th of April, hahaha, since it's chapter 18, but decided not to torture you guys with the wait o.o

Thank you Luna and kar-main for looking through things, and provided feedback : )

I will be updating the chapter when conejo-sama does their editing magic on it : )

Since this chapter is loooong, I'll be posting up fanart I recently received and art that I've done recently in chapter 19 : o, since I don't think chapter 19 is gonna be that long

Warning: The chapter, second scene, has graphic violence

Before Reading

The second scene has a song I recommend peeps listening to while reading the scene. You won't have to read lyrics, the song is mostly background music. I placed the name at the moment you should start playing it : )

The following is the song you will be listening to:

"Welcome To The Jungle", Gun N' Roses

The Past

5-year-old Charlie closed her eyes after her mom gave her goodnight kiss, after which she was left alone in her room. She almost drifted to sleep until a scratch beneath her bed made her blink her eyes open in confusion.

Hearing the sound again, she sat up and leaned over the edge of her bed before peering underneath into the darkness in wonder. At first, she thought she saw nothing, but then her eyes adjusted to see a dark figure, a silhouette against the blackness, lying motionless with its back to her. A small faint red glow began to caress the figure that appeared to be of a woman, at least what Charlie believed to be a woman based on her shape. Long, jet-black hair was sprawled down to her ankles.

"Hi, my name is Charlie, what's yours?" Charlie asked innocently.

The figure continued to lay there still before it whispered, "Roo."

Charlie grew curious and was excited that the creature answered her. "That's a pretty name," she said.

The figure shifted, contorting its body until its head was facing her.

A twisted, painful, wide smile spread across its face, accompanied by large red glowing orbs that seemed close to popping out. Charlie felt a pang of sadness as she looked into the creature's unsettling gaze. Others would be terrified, but the little girl could feel something else coming from the creature.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly. "Are you hurt?"

The creature remained silent; its twisted expression unchanging as it continued to stare at Charlie with unsettling intensity.

"Don't be sad, Roo," Charlie said. "If you want, we can be friends. I don't have any, but I promise I'll be a good friend."

"Leave her alone," a soft whisper filled the room. Charlie sat back on the bed, gaze darting around the room, finding no one else there. With a shrug, she looked back under the bed, finding it completely empty.

The Present

"He's definitely here," muttered the leader, Jinet, his voice barely more than a whisper as he and a large group of sinners stalked through the underground labyrinth which lay just beyond the outskirts of the city, underneath the sharp-edge rocks terrain. Hidden from the prying eyes of the city and others above, countless caves lurked, with a sprawling network of winding passages and shadowed chambers.

Jinet's tall and lanky figure was obscured by the dim, red glow of the eyes that stared from the walls. Their footsteps echoed against the cold stone as they entered a wider tunnel. The air was thick with the foul smell of burnt bodies, needles, broken glass, and trash strewn along their path. The cave was usually teeming with life, but now it was eerily silent, without the usual wretched souls seeking escape by plunging substances into their veins and dancing until they dropped.

Jinet held a machine gun as they navigated the maze they found themselves in, his eyes scanning the darkness for their target. He was grateful that the labyrinth was almost indestructible, so any conflict would not cause a cave in. The others held swords and machine arms and followed closely behind, their flashlights darting around as they passed other darkened pathways. Unbeknownst to them, sharp, glowing gold eyes observed their every move from the shadows above before disappearing between the sharp-edged stalactites.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Monet. He had a shaky grip on his pistol as he walked close to Jinet. "Maybe he's hiding in the city again."

"Nah," replied Garry in his husky voice, his face marked with countless scars. "These are fresh." He gestured to the charred bodies fused to the wall.

"Come on out, little demon! We know you're there!" called out Jinet, his tone laced with mockery. "Don't be scared."

His words reverberated through the silence. There was no response for a moment.

"Welcome To The Jungle", Gun N' Roses

Suddenly, the wail of an electric guitar blasted through the passageways, reverberating off the cavern walls and assaulting their ears. More sounds joined in, adding to the melody, seemingly coming from all directions at once. Startled, everyone looked around in befuddlement. Some scrambled into side passages, just in case.

As the music continued to echo through the caves, they caught a subtle movement ahead in the shadows. Without warning, a massive fire blast erupted from the end of the path, forcing Jinet and others to jump into a side passage, narrowly avoiding the flames that consumed everything in the main path. But as quickly as it began, the inferno ceased, and everyone with assault arms stepped back onto the main passage, unleashing a storm of gunfire into the shadows as they pressed forward. Bullets tore through the air, the deafening roar of gunfire merged with the loud music like a thunderous storm.

Jinet sprinted alongside the others, entering a vast chamber where the music played even louder, stones scattered across the floor.

"Up there!" one of the men shouted, prompting a flurry of raised weapons as they aimed towards the ceiling. A crimson figure darted and leaped between hanging sharp stones, evading their gunfire with ease as it moved further ahead.

"You idiots, stop! Save your ammo," Jinet snapped just as another, larger fire blasted at them from an angle. He and the others dove behind large stones, while a few were unlucky, Monet among them. Their agonized screams were swallowed up by the inferno and the relentless pulse of the music. The air crackled with intensity; the unbearable heat made the rest feel as if their lungs were burning with each breath.

The fire abruptly halted, leaving their skin slick with sweat, the air too hot to breathe. Jinet's men scattered in all directions, doing their best to remain behind the stalagmites. They resumed firing wildly at the creature, Adam, who was now flying with lightning speed between the looming stones.

As Adam maneuvered through the cavern, tendrils of fiery energy flickered from his outstretched claws before he unleashed fireballs, each one hurtling towards his targets the moment he flew past their exposed backs. The sinners were engulfed in searing flames, their flesh blistering and charring in the intense heat.

Jinet could barely hear the screams and the gunfire, his irritation mounting due to the music drowning most of the sounds.

Meanwhile, Adam landed on top of a large rock in the center of the cavern.

Jinet and the remaining four men emerged, opening fire at Adam, who summoned a shield of fire to envelop his entire body. Bullets exploded on impact, sending molten shards of metal scattering in all directions. Everyone continued shooting with frustration while they watched their bullets disintegrated against Adam's defense. Eventually, everyone ran out of bullets.

Instead of the shield vanishing, it blasted across the room, prompting Jinet and the others to hide behind the scattered stones again. Adam stood unscathed, dark amusement flickering across his face as he summoned countless tiny fireballs around him, hurling them in a frenzied attack. The chamber erupted into chaos as the fireballs slammed into anything in their path before Adam abruptly stopped. The smoke thickened.

Four men stepped out of their hiding spots, unsheathing their swords before running at him.

Garry lunged first, his sword slicing through the air. However, Adam effortlessly blocked the strike with his sharp right hand. Drawing his wings close, Adam continued to deflect Garry's attacks. As the sinner aimed for Adam's left, limp arm, Adam caught the sword with his right claws, the blade doing nothing as if it were made of steel. He then yanked the sword from Garry's grasp and thrust it right through Garry's head, blood spraying before the body slumped to the ground.

The other three charged at Adam. He sidestepped the first swordsman's strike before slicing the man's head from his shoulders. Spinning around, Adam grasped the second swordsman, who had tried to strike from behind, propelling himself upwards towards the ceiling with his attacker in tow. When they were high up, Adam hurled the swordman down, unintentionally impaling him with a stalagmite upon impact. Diving fast, Adam descended on the last swordsman, his wings slicing through the air as he tackled the man to the ground and smacked the sword out of the man's hands.

Grasping the man's throat, Adam flew low, dragging him across the jagged floor. The sharp stones tore at the man's flesh, leaving a trail of blood in their wake and causing the man to scream in agony all while he tried to break free from Adam's grip on him. But Adam pressed on, a sadistic gleam flashing in his golden eyes until the man's head was impaled by a long, sharp stone along the path.

Just as the music came to a close and silence filled the air, Jinet stepped out of his hiding place. The acrid scent of burning flesh assaulted his nostrils as he took in the lifeless bodies of his men scattered in the chamber and blood staining the floor and stones. His gaze locked on to Adam.

For Jinet, it was a moment of grim irony. The creature before him had once been an angel: Adam, the first human. But now, it stood with long, sharp, curled horns, black claws extended like daggers from its fingers, black wings clinging to its back like the night, and its red fur stained with blood, painting the creature exactly how some people had imagined the worst of Hell would look like.

Meanwhile, Adam turned to face Jinet with a disappointed look; he was not happy that he didn't kill all the sinners right before the song ended.

He released the lifeless body of the last swordsman and began walking over to Jinet.

"'Little demon', seriously?" Adam scoffed. "Have ya not seen me in the news? I ain't no midget, you fuckin' dumbass. And are y'all damn stupid or somethin'? You really thought you had a chance against me? Fucking idiots."

Jinet pulled out a pistol from behind before pointing it at Adam.

"Oh-ho! You totally are a dumb cunt." Adam laughed as he shot a quick fireball right at Jinet's hand, forcing him to drop the pistol painfully. "Awww, that's embarrassing. I bet you wish you'd stayed home now, huh, you little bitch?"

"Oooh, I can't wait until Valentino gets a hold of you," Jinet spat.

Adam rolled his eyes in boredom before tackling Jinet to the ground and bashing his head with his right fist, cracking the skull. With each blow, Adam's eyes flashed fiercely, his frustration and anger that he had tried to suppress that day boiling over. Each strike seemed to drain him, leaving him panting as he tried to let all his pain and anger out. But try as he might, his chest continued to be filled with rage, and he failed to realize that he had been striking the solid stone floor for a while now; the sinner's head had been reduced to a bloody mess of bone and flesh strewn across the ground.

"Good morning, Hell! This is Katie Killjoy," Angel heard Katie announce on the television screen before him while Nifty and Husk sat next to him on the couch, with Vaggie walking into the room behind them quietly.

"And I'm Tom Trench, welcome back to another broadcast of 666 News."

"Today's headline: chaos reigns supreme as our favorite troublemaker, Adam, the Totally Fuckable Bad Boy, strikes again," Katie declared, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"That's right, Katie. Reports are coming in that Adam has left yet another warehouse burnt to a crisp last night, along with a trail of…well, let's just say it's not pretty."

Katie leaned closer to the camera. "And if that wasn't enough, we've got exclusive footage of Adam in action. Roll the clip!"

As the video played, showing a shirtless Adam soaring away from the inferno, Angel and Husk took in Adam's thinner state and what they believed to be his full demon form.

"Ah, there he goes. Our very own pyromaniac heartthrob," Katie said in amusement. "Isn't he just electrifying, Tom?"

"Uh, yeah, that he is indeed, Katie," Tom chuckled.

"And to make things interesting, there are growing whispers in the darkest corners of hell that our dear Adam isn't just content with burning down warehouses and bodies," Katie continued. "There are rumors that he's got his sights set on a much bigger prize."

"You don't mean…"

"Oh, but I do, Tom," Katie confirmed, her smile widening. "Rumors have it that Adam is eyeing Lucifer's throne."

"And the guy is no joke. He's one of the strongest demons we've had recently. If anyone can manage to overthrow the King of Hell, it would be him. Only time will tell, I suppose."

"And we'll be here to bring you all the juicy details," Katie said to their viewers. "But for now, let's bring in our special guest for todays-"

Angel turned the television off.

"That dumbass is still not eating a thing," Angel grumbled.

"I liked him better when he was bigger," Nifty said in a childish whine.

"Cherri texted me that she might know where he's staying. I should make him a couple of smoothies and have her give them to him." Angel and Husk had tried looking for Adam, but the fallen angel always seemed to be moving or hiding.

Vaggie remained silent. She heard the main entrance open followed by Lucifer's voice. She quickly left the room and spotted Charlie, holding a couple books, walking across the lobby with Lucifer chasing after her.

"Charlie, please," Lucifer said to her desperately. "Let's talk about this."

Charlie completely ignored him as she walked up the stairs, not even bothering to look at him nor anyone else.

"Ouch," Angel said out loud once Charlie was out of earshot as he and the others joined Vaggie. "Can't say I blame her, but damn."

Vaggie looked down at the ground, growing angrier at herself, just like she had been for the past few days. Meanwhile, Lucifer just stood there, his chest feeling like it was crumbling apart.

Charlie was mad, to the point that she was ignoring everyone. He had never seen her like this before, and in a way, it reminded him of Lilith any time she found herself so enraged by someone.

However, having Charlie give him the cold shoulder was eating away at him, but at the same time… He had to remain strong, reminding himself he only did what he did to protect his daughter.

For now, he had been trying to find a way to connect with Heaven – he had to reach Lilith somehow if she truly was there – but for some reason, even his own magic wouldn't let him create a portal there.

Charlie locked herself in her room, as she had been doing for the few past days - the space was cluttered with countless books and scattered papers.

Seated on her bed, she began reading through one of the books – studies conducted by sinners on the 'science' behind soul-binding deals. She had spent days trying to find a way to break the deal her father had with Adam, or at least find a workaround, but unfortunately, after finishing the book, she once again found herself unable to find the answers she sought.

"I'm afraid that there's really no way to break a soul binding deal, my dear." Alastor suddenly appeared by her bed, smiling at her in glee. "Soul-bound deals are forever, unless both parties agree to break it. Trust me, other than that, there isn't really anything that can be done here. You would be better off stopping this foolish effort and just accept the fact you won't be able to talk to your dear 'uncle' ever again."

Charlie's fingers dug into the book cover as she slowly looked up at him with a cold, silent gaze, causing Alastor to regard her inquisitively. He expected her face to contort in sadness or lash out, but instead, she gave him a determined look, showing she wasn't going to back down on her mission to help Adam. Her resilience intrigued him greatly.

Alastor chuckled, interested to see what she would end up doing, before melting into his shadow and vanishing from the room.

She leaned against her pillow, disliking the fact that even Alastor had been plotting behind her back to get rid of Adam. Everyone had been against her, and her heart clenched as she thought about the revelation that her own mother had helped Adam grow strong to kill their people.

Truth be told, at first, she believed Adam was lying. But when he was running his mouth, boasting to Lucifer about how her mother chose him over her dad, she couldn't help but believe every word he said.

Did her mom stop loving her dad?

She recalled, when she was a child, all three of them were so happy, but for some reason, one huge argument between her parents had caused a huge rift between them. Her mom would keep her from her dad, especially when he looked so lonely.

Then her mom began acting strange with most of their people, only getting along with a select few before retreating to her library for hours almost every day.

And of course, seven years ago, she vanished, only to be revealed to have been in Heaven this whole time.

Not only did her mom leave her dad, but also her…

Charlie pressed her lips into a thin line, tears welling up in her eyes before she closed them tight.

There were moments she found herself angry at Adam for being cruel to her dad, mocking him about how her mom had been by his side these past few years, but then again, she reminded herself what her dad had done to him… and how everyone had betrayed her.

She struggled to breathe as her world seemed to be falling apart after learning of her mom's betrayal, her abandonment of both her and her dad, and doing everything that she didn't believe her mom ever capable of doing.

She tried telling herself that her mom wouldn't leave them, that she loved them deeply, but hot tears continued to stream down her cheeks as Vaggie continued to hold her tightly.

Then, she heard the window open and looked up just in time to see Adam shooting into the sky.

For a long moment, she stared wide-eyed, then something in her chest pushed her to her feet. Breaking free from the embrace, she raced to the window, but she was too late, Adam was nowhere in sight.

She tried leaving the room, but her dad caught her arm. "Charlie," he tried to say, but she struggled to break free.

"I need to go after him," she said desperately, tears running down her face.

"After everything he's done to us? Seriously, Charlie?" She didn't bother arguing. She knew her dad and Adam despised each other, and convincing either of them to give the other a chance was in vain. She eventually pulled away, ready to leave, but her dad's word stopped her in her tracks.

"Adam won't be able to ever step back into the hotel," he said a grave tone. "And he won't be able to talk to you anymore."

She slowly turned to him, confusion turning to seriousness. "What…did you do…?"

Lucifer stared at her. "What I had to."

Her mind trying to make sense of his words, realization dawning on her.

No… it couldn't be….

"You… what did you do?" Her voice rose in anger. She then glanced at Vaggie, remembering she had seen her step out of the same portal with Adam earlier. "Vaggie, what did he do?"

Vaggie glanced to the side, guilt written across her face. "He… took Adam to the new Garden of Eden," she admitted.

"He did what?!" Charlie exclaimed in shock, her eyes wide as Vaggie continued.

"He forced Adam make a soul binding deal." This time, Angel and Husk stared in disbelief. "The moment Adam stepped out of the hotel, he wasn't able to be near you. He won't be allowed to step foot near the hotel, but your dad won't leave him in the new Garden of Eden, either."

Charlie was frozen, her heart racing due to this information.

She met her dad's eyes, which held no regret.

"How… how could you've done that to him?" Charlie's voice quivered. Now she understood why Adam had been so shaken up after stepping out of the portal. She couldn't believe her dad was capable of doing something so cruel to anyone. "Why would you take him there? You… you knew what it did to him, how much he suffered there."

"I did it to protect you, Charlie," Lucifer said.

"Protect me from what? From Adam?" Charlie echoed her disbelief. "Dad, Adam hasn't been a threat to me at all. If anything, he's been terrified of upsetting me."

And that was the very thing she had noticed about Adam lately. He was obedient, only to her. She had seen him tense up around her, looking terrified at times, but also desperate to be on her good side. It had hurt her to think he believed she wouldn't keep her promise to not abandon him.

"He's just scared… and hurt," Charlie continued, recalling everything she had learned about Adam.

"Charlie… he laughed at us, both of us, in regards to how your mother left us," Lucifer said. "How she helped him grow strong to kill off our people."

"He said those things because he was mad, dad!" Charlie yelled with frustration. "He was lashing out. He was mad at you for forcing him back to a place he was terrified of. And then you made him make that deal!"

Silence hung heavy in the room for a moment as Lucifer's expression remained steady. Charlie's heart ached as she imagined all the worst-case scenarios Adam would find himself in outside of the hotel.

"Dad, please," Charlie begged, her voice trembling. "You have to break the deal. You can't do this to him. Please, he has to come back."

Lucifer remained silent, his features unreadable, frustrating Charlie further.

"Dad, please, please. Adam, he can't be out there, not after everything he's been through. Please, he's hurting, Dad, please."

"I'm sorry, Charlie," Lucifer said softly, "but I stand by my decision. I've told you before, nothing else matters to me more than keeping you safe."

Shock rippled through Charlie as she stared at her father in disbelief. Speechless at first, anger surged within her, her eyes briefly flashing red as she glared at him.

Before she could say anything, Vaggie stepped forward. "Charlie, your dad is just trying to protect you," Vaggie said gently. "If Sera and the other angels were to find out that you had taken Adam out of that place, and that he was here in the hotel, we would all be in danger."

"I knew you had somethin' to do with this," Angel said in annoyance. "You had to bring Charlie's dad into this? Really? You couldn't just give the dickhead a chance?"

Charlie slowly processed Angel's word. "Vaggie… what is Angel talking about?"

Vaggie looked even guiltier as she began to explain how she had planned with the others to get rid of Adam before feeling desperate and asking for Lucifer's help after Husk and Angel no longer wanted to assist. Tears welled up in Vaggie's eyes all while Charlie's chest felt as if it was shattering into a million pieces.

She backed away from Vaggie and her dad then bolted out of the room, ignoring Vaggie's desperate calls and Cherri's presence down the hallway. She ran to her room and locked herself in before collapsing to the floor, back against the door, arms wrapped around her legs. She sobbed quietly all while Vaggie knocked on the door, calling out for her.

Charlie opened her eyes, pulling out of the memory. Finding out how everyone had gone behind her back, betraying her trust, had really hurt her. Even though Angel and Husk had pulled out from the plan, their involvement, and the fact they didn't bother telling her a thing about it, stung deeply.

"It's okay, Adam," she murmured softly as his tears continued to flow, his frantic breathing giving away by broken sobs. "Just let it out. You're safe now. You don't have to hold it in anymore." She held his trembling form closer, caressing his head. "I promise… I promise I won't let you feel as alone as they did…"

Failing to keep her promise to Adam was crushing her. She honestly wasn't sure what she should do. She couldn't count on Vaggie, nor her dad, nor anyone else, it seemed. They all broke her trust. They didn't trust nor respect her decisions.

She knew people tended to look down on her and believe she was naïve. She had been underestimated for so many years, and honestly, she was growing tired of it all.

Why couldn't others just believe in her?

For crying out loud, her dad had told her weeks ago he was going to back up her choices. Was that just a lie?

Before resentment consumed her, Rosie's voice reached her mind.

"Isn't that silly hotel of yours all about redemption?"

Charlie felt her anger begin to fade away as she continued to recall Rosie's words from weeks ago.

"She's flawed, bye hey, who down here isn't?"

A sad smile made its way on her lips.

That's right… people were flawed, especially here in Hell.

Her own words replayed in her head too, the ones she had given to Vaggie days ago.

"You're learning, just like all of us are. Mistakes will be made, and that's normal."

And she meant those words, especially as she had witnessed people like Angel slipping back into bad habits over the past months but still showing significant improvement, much like Sir Pentious had done.

Life was never so simple…

Two steps forward, one step back, a motto she had learned years ago. Perfection… such a thing didn't actual exist. And she shouldn't expect it from those she loved. She understood those who cared for her were just doing everything to protect her, even though they were going behind her back. Everyone was capable of making mistakes and was redeemable.

She sighed, knowing that eventually she would have to speak to them again, though forgiveness wouldn't come easily. They needed to fix their mistakes and help her bring Adam back before something worse happened to him; she had seen some footage of him on the news and observed the terrible state he was in.

Her thoughts briefly drifted to her mom, causing her chest to twist, but she quickly pushed those thoughts aside. She needed to tackle things one step at a time. First, she had to confront her loved ones and friends and persuade her dad to break the deal with Adam so he could return safely inside the hotel walls. But before all that, she needed advice, and she knew just the person to ask.

Grabbing her phone, she scrolled through her contacts until she found Rosie's name, then dialed her number.

For a long moment, Adam stood before a broken mirror, gazing at his thin, red, fur-covered frame—a state he had tapped into since the violent assault on his life during his first night outside the hotel, enraged at the audacity of insignificant creatures attacking him. He doubted Lilith would even recognize him now, and he couldn't blame her. Disgusted with himself, he felt ashamed to resemble the fictional being some humans on Earth had made up: 'The Devil.' He wondered how Lute would react if she saw him like this. Of course, he felt worse, the dark feeling growing in him, when he thought about her. She'd most likely have a hateful reaction.

Closing his eyes, he couldn't bear to look at himself any longer. The red fur vanished, exposing his grey, pale skin. At least now he could also make his claws disappear, leaving black nailed fingers. Exhaustion and frustration wracked his body; he was so very tired of the ongoing battles. There was a time when he would have relished more of them, but after five days of constant fighting, he felt on the verge of collapse and started feeling numb. His refusal to eat only added to his drained state and caused his stomach to constantly feel as if it was being carved from the inside out.

Thoughts of Charlie lingered, though he knew they were meaningless. There was no way he could go back.

He sighed in annoyance, his hands twitching, missing Charlie's comforting touches. However, her grief-stricken face just made him feel angrier at himself.

Why did he have to open his big mouth about Lilith like that? And worse, why did he have to be a dick about it in front of Charlie?

He shook his head, trying to stop the thoughts from eating away at him, stuffing all the shitty memories in the dark depths of his mind, just like he had done for years. He told himself he didn't need anyone. After all, he had been alone for thousands of years once upon a time, and he could endure it again if he had to.

He was Adam; even though he was a fallen angel now, he was still powerful. He had nothing to worry about, and there wasn't anyone in Hell who could defeat him.

Well, Lucifer was probably stronger than him, but whatever.

And at least he wasn't isolated in some dimension; better having people around him that hated him than being utterly alone.

He almost felt the anxiety that sometimes dared to overwhelm him, crawling into his chest and mind, but he quickly shoved it all down as he picked up a large shirt and threw it over himself.

"Adam…" An amused whisper reached his ears. His body grew tense as he turned, yet he saw nothing but warehouse equipment around him.

Just as he dismissed the voice as a trick of his imagination, his heart skipped a beat as the red, glowing smile emerged from the shadows between two massive machines. It caused fear to grip Adam's heart for a fleeting moment, but then anger surged through him.

"What the fuck, Eve?!" he called out. "Is this what you do now? Fuck with people like a fucking creep?" He strode over to the red smile. "I'm getting sick of you messing with me!"

The red smile widened, stretching impossibly wide.

Adam froze, his heart pounding and every fiber of his being urging him to get out of there that instant. But he could barely move as he watched the smiling creature convulse unnaturally before vanishing, just like it had in the hotel room.

As Adam stood there, his heart still racing, he tried to calm his frantic breaths. There was no way that creature was Eve, which only made the situation worse, as he was now being haunted by something evil.

"What are ya looking at?" a voice asked behind him, causing Adam to jump. He turned to see Cherri standing there, holding a joint between her fingers, smoke curling around her. A grocery bag was held in the other hand. "You look like you saw a ghost or are ya finally losing your shit now?" she remarked, a smirk playing on her lips.

Adam's gaze darted to the shadows as he gathered himself, not wanting to appear foolish in front of someone like Cherri. "Didn't I tell ya to fuck off?" he managed in exasperation, his voice slightly shaky. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, but the stench of smoke from Cherri made his nose scrunch up.

"Still mad about the beer, huh?" she asked. "Come on, it wasn't that bad."

Adam found it surprising, but Cherri's annoying presence at the moment was doing well to distract him from what he had just seen.

"That shit tasted like piss," Adam said, recalling how disgusted he was when he had taken a sip from the beer Cherri had given to him. He had instantly spat it out and threw the can off to the side before he had snapped at her for 'tricking' him into tasting something terrible. He would have thrown it at her, but his body didn't allow him to hurt her because of the stupid deal he was forced to take. It seemed Charlie and Cherri were friends somehow. "I don't get how anyone would like that shit."

"You've tasted piss before?"

"No, why the fuck would you say that?" Adam shot back, before muttering under his breath, "ya dumb bitch."

Cherri snorted, amused by how dumb Adam could be.

"So, I heard you've been causing a ruckus in the city this week," she started, offering him the joint.

"Of course, everything is always my fucking fault," Adam grumbled, stepping away from her in disgust at the drug. He headed up the ladder to the makeshift bed he'd made in the far corner with many blankets surrounded by scattered speakers. Cherri followed after him as he continued ranting. "Been getting jumped left and right every time I step out. Thought I'd catch a damn break after all the crap I've been through lately, but nooo. Everyone has to be a fucking dick and try to fuck with me."

He sat on the mattress, rubbing at his tired eyes. He would have tried to nap a bit, but he didn't trust Cherri.

"You know, can't blame everyone trying to get their hands on ya," Cherri began to say, but Adam completely tuned her out, not wanting to hear a word from her. He couldn't kill her or force her out of the building, and he was way too tired to find another place to crash in. He thought, maybe, if he ignored her long enough, she would eventually leave him alone.

He stared at nothing in particular for a moment, letting out a tired yawn. He was finding it harder to keep his eyes open. To try and keep himself awake, he picked up the iPod he had stolen. He began playing "Shoot to Thrill" by AC/DC to test the speakers – he had dropped one accidentally while leaving the caves.

Just when the vocalist began singing, Adam blinked in confusion as he heard Cherri's voice chime in, perfectly matching the rhythm and words. He glanced up, caught off guard, before abruptly halting the song.

"Hey, dickhead, I was listenin' to that," she said with a frown.

"How the hell do you know that tune?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's a bloody good song." Cherri retorted casually, as if she were explaining something simple to a child.

"You're into AC/DC…?" Adam's voice betrayed a hint of bewilderment, as if his mind were struggling to process the information.

"Yeah, I'm a fan. Been one for ages. They were massive back when I was alive. Used to hit up their shows whenever I could."

Adam paused, staring at her intently. "Which tours did you catch?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Cherri was surprised by the question, but she decided to respond. "Um…Let There Be Rock, If You Want Blood, Highway To Hell, and Back in Black. Hold up… don't tell me you're a fan too…"

"The first time I saw 'em live was during their Blow Up Your View World Tour, '88, in Sydney, Australia," Adam disclosed. "They played songs from different albums. It was epic. But man, I wish I could've gone to the years prior when their first albums dropped."

"Wait. You were on Earth in the 80's? The fuck? How?"

"A buddy of mine smuggled me down in '85, and I managed to stick around for a solid 12 years before everyone else found out and dragged me back. Saw loads of bands in the flesh, like Boston, Queen, Guns N' Roses."

"Guns N' Roses? Damn, I'm fucking jealous. I was long dead before they were even a thing."

"When did you die?"

"1980."

"You fuckin' loser, you missed out on some badass shows in the 80's and 90's."

"Dick. I didn't exactly plan on blowing myself up." She rolled her eye. "So, you're saying you're into rock too?"

"Not just a fan," Adam scoffed. "Had my own band, was a rock god up in Heaven." A grin appeared on his face. "Played many gigs. Did covers of all the classics, threw in some originals. Had to book venues big enough 'cause everyone wanted a piece of the action."

"Bullshit," Cherri snorted. "I don't believe you. There's no way you were actually cool."

Adam shot her a glare. "I am cool, you bitch. And I'd prove it if my left hand wasn't busted." He looked down at his left hand that still painfully ached if he dared to move his fingers.

"Ya like metal too?"

"Fuck yah, but I rarely played any of that up there. I was eventually planning to, though."

The room then fell into an awkward silence, Adam unable to believe he had something in common with a whore like Cherri.

Cherri eyed him before she leaned against the rails after she placed the plastic bag by her feet and took another drag from her joint. She also found the situation kind of uncomfortable, especially as her mind kept playing the image of Adam blasting Sir Pentious into nothing. She closed her eyes, savoring the sensation, feeling herself relax as her mind drifted about her last years on Earth and the concerts she had attended, being in awe while the lead guitarist went all out during their solo. The music had spoken to her in ways that nothing else had in her existence.

"Used to dream 'bout playing the guitar," she began. "But my old man would've flipped if he caught me back on Earth 'wasting' my time with it."

"What's stopping you now?"

Cherri shrugged. "Gotta find someone willing to teach me first, and I doubt anyone will want to."

"Sounds like an excuse," Adam grunted, earning a frown from Cherri. "I taught myself while I was on Earth, just watchin' others play."

"Yeah, whatever," Cherri retorted. "You're just full of it."

"You know… I could teach ya." Adam offered, though he wasn't sure why he did. Sera's face of disapproval suddenly appeared in his mind, making him feel a bit anxious.

Was he actually so lonely that he was willing to force himself to get along with the whore?

Cherri did a double take before snorting. "Come on, ya fucking with me."

"I'm serious," Adam said, straightening up. "I'm one hell of teacher. Taught a few back in Heaven, even Lute." He paused, recalling how Lute had taken the lessons seriously, mastering the basics quickly, but struggled to relax to play certain songs. The memory made him long for the days when he was in his room with her—teaching her and, at the same time, teasing her—wishing that everything was just the way it was before he fell. "But you'll have to wait 'til my hand is better, and we'll need guitars."

"And what's the catch?" Cherri inquired, purely curious. "Nobody does squat for free. So, what do ya want?"

"Mmmmm… I doubt you got anything good, so I'll just enjoy seeing your face when you realize how fuckin' hardcore I am. Or maybe, once I teach you, you can start calling me Sensei."

"I ain't callin' you that," Cherri snorted with smirk. "But sure, why not? Prove to me ya ain't all talk." She couldn't ignore the way she felt uneasy yet casual around Adam.

Of course, she blamed how she felt on the weed. So, she did her best to shove the doubts that were filling in her head.

Meanwhile, Adam had fallen silent, looking at his left hand. Her eye lingered at his frame, thinner compared when he left the hotel the first night.

"Got something for ya," Cherri said. She reached into the plastic bag and retrieved two metal thermos bottles. "Angie's been worried about ya."

Adam's brows furrowed. "Who?"

Cherri rolled her eye. "Angel," she clarified. "He saw you on the news and wanted me to give ya this. Made ya smoothies, I guess. He even added some protein powder to help ya regain your strength. Not that you deserve it."

Adam fell silent. Memories of Angel's warm embraces crawled back to his soul, and he was back to wishing he was at the hotel again.

Slowly, he placed the iPod down, accepted the bottles, and opened one to reveal the familiar scent of the chocolate smoothie Angel had made for him before. His stomach felt so terrible when he took a whiff of the liquid meal.

He didn't understand why Angel even bothered to do this.

He almost asked Cherri how little miss butterflies and rainbows was, but he held his tongue, finding himself afraid of what he would hear.

Why did he even care about Lucifer's brat? Maybe because she was actually nice to him? Because he actually did miss her warm presence?

His fingers dug into the metal container, hating how truly desperate he had become.

He brought the thermos to his lips, feeling nervous as he remembered Sera's and Lucifer's words. He finally took a sip as he reminded himself Angel had prepared the meal for him. However, it tasted off. He reasoned it was probably because of the protein powder Angel had added. He remembered hearing back in Heaven that sometimes protein powders could taste a bit weird. At least the cocoa taste was strong, so he found himself still enjoying the drink. And of course, his stomach twisted with hunger, urging him to drink more and take large gulps.

For a moment, he felt better, but then, his stomach began to feel weird, a faint discomfort. He dismissed it as his stomach not being used to having something for days, but as he continued to drink, the sensation intensified.

He stopped drinking right away as a wave of dizziness washed over him, causing the room to spin and making him drop the rest of the drink. Then, he felt as though his stomach was being stabbed before it burned. Panic gripped at his heart as the agonizing pain grew worse, tearing through his body with each breath he tried taking in. His body felt it was getting incinerated into ashes, his muscles seized with spasms, making him collapse into his makeshift bed.

He desperately tried to pull out his demonic form, to get as far as he could from Cherri, when he realized what was happening, but his limbs were locked with violent tremors. Foam bubbled from his lips, choking him and preventing him from screaming in pain. His shaky glare locked onto Cherri, and her eyes met his with a cold indifference before she glanced away while she took another drag of her joint.

"Shouldn't have killed my arch nemesis, you prick," Cherri grumbled under her breath as smoke made its way out from her mouth and nose.

Adam couldn't breathe now.

He couldn't breathe!

The horror intensified as he was drawn back to that moment at Charlie's hotel, buried underground. He shut his eyes tightly, tears burning in his eyes as he wished it all to be a nightmare. The pain grew worse before he was met with nothing but a silent darkness, a red twisted smile waiting for him.

Author's After Notes

Welp, oh Cherri...
Note: adam's 'devil' look currently is a 'weak' version to what he's capable of

Next chapter, Charlie is gonna have a serious talk with her dad and friends... Some tough love

So, what ya peeps think of the chapter? From the first scene, Adam's rampage, Charlie's situation, and of course, the last scene with cherri and adam before, well yah... hahaha

Who knew what was coming when Cherri came into the picture? I honestly was going to the 'scene' differently but i liked this better

Those who played the music for the action scene, what ya think of the choice of song? I originally didn't plan the action scene to be that long, was going to be a bit of 'horror' element to it and kind of fast paced, but welp, while jogging, I paid attention to the song more and my mind was just like 'nope, u gotta include it now...'

But, not sure when chapter 19 will be up since the next 4 days I'll be busy due to bday stuff, but do please leave a comment since I'm curious what ya all think up at this point of the story, especially as this chapter marks the 200 page mark : O (Totally expected the whole story to be 200 pages... hahaha)