Lute had served as Adam's faithful right hand for as long as she could remember. Sure, she wasn't completely sure if she'd been human or if she was heavenborn but ultimately it didn't matter. She was an exorcist, and her job was to wipe out the filth that were the denizens of hell once per year. A task that she never once questioned or failed at.

That was until three years ago when she woke up for training and Adam pushed a new recruit toward her. "Lute good news we got a new recruit and since you're my number one I thought you could make sure she doesn't fuck up."

"Of course sir, what is her name?"

He beamed before slapping her back. "Vaggie, named her after the best thing ever. Anyway, make sure she's trained and ready." with that he flew off and she was left to train Vaggie.

Thankfully Vaggie knew how to take orders and use her spear. In the six months she trained her she even developed what could possibly be called a friendship with her. When Vaggie off handedly mentioned Adams' name for her wasn't the best she only slapped her once before telling her "I'll let that slide once Vaggie" instead of running her through with her sword. Something Vaggie seemed thankful for.

Even when she put her in her place during their training matches Vaggie only swore she'd get better. But while her relationship developed with Vaggie developed her one with Adam seemed to stagnate. Whereas in the past he'd gladly allow her to tag along when he went to greet new winners or to report to Sera it soon stopped after one day. In hindsight it had been her mistake but when Sera asked her why Adam needed more angelic steel, she had no choice but to tell her that some exorcists simply leave their weapons in Hell. He'd punished her for that but what did he expect? Sera had ordered her to tell the truth and when a Seraphim orders you, you obey. After that he took a personal interest in training Vaggie while she was simply told to make sure the others were ready.

Then came the big day. Adam opened the portal, and they flew down ready to see who could get the top score.

Almost immediately Lute felt pride seeing Vaggie cut down sinner after sinner doing her job without a moment of hesitation. She felt pride seeing her use all the skills she'd taught her.

But for some reason, as the hours passed, Lute felt something was off. First because Adam didn't seem his usual self, yes, he was cheering as the sinners died but he seemed off. Every so often he'd check his watch which confused her as they had a whole twenty-four hours.

Secondly because he seemed more critical of her. Something that truly confused her as she was the definition of loyal perfection. "Your wings are a mess" and "Your form is way off" when she trained became his constant complains. Each time she'd look herself over but find ever feather in place and her form was picture perfect. For a moment, for a very brief moment she wondered if Adam was planning something. That idea however was quickly pushed aside as she knew Adam would have told her.

Sadley as the last couple hours drew near her suspicion turned out to be right as he told her to track down Vaggie. Gone was his usual cockiness, now it was stern and direct. This was an order.

Obeying his orders she saw her trainee chase a small sinner into an alley and flew down to get her. Only to her horror to see her letting him go. She saw how her spear was trembling as she muttered "What did I just do?"

Lute's wings were silent as she floated down her shadow envelping her.

"Vaggie, what in Heaven's name are you doing?"

Vaggie instantly saluted rightfully looking guilty. "Lute sir..I...I..."

It was in that moment that Lute for the first time in decades put aside her loyalty to Adam. This was her trainee, a person she'd come to see herself in. Her eyes locked with Vaggie's seeing her chest rise and fall as she awaited her punishment. Can't believe I'm about to say this.

"Not worth the points."

"Wha?" Vaggie was sure she misheard her.

"That sinner, to small and barely worth any points. This close to the end you should let your first mission end with something worthy. I believe there's even a whole gang trying to put up a fight nearby. You can kil them before heading home."

Vaggie's eyes widened as she quickly nodded. "Y-yes sir! And thank you sir."

"Whatever, now come on Adam wants you. " she'd just spread her wings when she felt her instincts kicking in. She saw the light reflecting in Vaggie's eyes before she felt a massive pain in her back before she was blasted into a wall. In the few seconds before impact, she saw her wings going in two different directions before she hit the wall.

Due to her training she managed to get back up but was horrified by what she saw. "s-sir?"

Adam stood there smirking his hand still glowing. "A shame Lute, you were my best. But you let Vaggie here fuck up, and as her mentor her mistakes are your mistakes. Now by that logic you'd assume your mistakes would be my mistakes." making a finger gun he blasted her wings to ashes before blasting her again. "But I don't make mistakes."

Body aching and ears ringing Lute tried to think of what to say, what to do.

Adam however was already on her ripping halo off causing more pain to shoot through her body as he turned to Vaggie.

"Congratulations Vaggie you just became my new right hand. And your first order is to join in punishing this fallen angel."

"-Yes sir." the first jab came grazing her rips and causing her to kneel over clutching her side feeling as her blood spewed out. Adam's chackling hurt nearly as much as the wound. "Fucking A Vaggie, now end it."

Vaggie raised her spear, and Lute caught the brief apologetic look flash across her face. It's what possibly gave her the burst of strength to disarm her and throw her spear at Adam. Yes, all it did was graze his mask causing half to break off, but it did its job and angered him enough for him to blast her. In her mind it was better to die by his holy blast then pierced by Vaggie.

Her body hit the wall before he blasted the wall above her causing debris to fall on her. As the rubble fell, she saw Vaggie pick up her sword before following Adam into the sky.

She blacked out after that. For how long she wasn't sure but when she opened her eyes, she saw her arm was not only pinned beneath rubble, but her bones were broken and protruding through her flesh. Then there were what was left of her wings. She nearly vomited seeing the golden stumps but held it in thinking they could hopefully heal. Looking around she saw a small enough gap to crawl through...leaving her only one way to freedom.

And with her sword gone there was only one way she could sever her arm. Closing her eyes she positioned herself as best she could using her legs for leverage before pulling.

In those eighty seconds it took to free herself she was sure nothing could ever be as painful again as she screamed in pain in anger. It was nothing short of a miracle she didn't die of blood loss the moment her arm finally pulled free, though with the amount of golden blood spewing out that was still an option. Losing blood with ever move she crawled her way free of the rubble just as a pale demon came into view no doubt drawn in by her screams. She heard their footsteps growing closer but by the time they were within striking distance her strength had left her, and she closed her eyes. "Oh my god are you...an angel!?" their voice was full of surprise, but she knew surprise would soon turn to anger or joy finding a defenseless half dead exorcist after the extermination.

So, this is how I die? Killed by a vengeful sinner after being betrayed. So be it then.

But instead of pain she felt her arm being put in a tourniquet and being picked up. "... huh?"

"Shhh don't talk I'll get you someplace you can recover. Oh, and I'm Charlie by the way, Charlie Morningstar." that was all she heard before blacking out again.

She wasn't sure how long she was out this time. She did know that when she woke up, she through for a brief moment it had all been a horrible nightmare. That maybe all the years of slaughter had just manifested itself as a very vivid nightmare and she'd open her eyes and find she was back in her private quarters and the pain she was feeling was just because she'd slept on her wings.

That hope was quickly dashed when she saw she was in a dark red bedroom instead of the exorcist compound and there were two floating red goat demons changing the bandages around the stump that was now her left arm. Looking more she found most of her body was covered in bandages and from the trash can filled with golden stained bandages she'd been her a while. While next to her asleep in a chair still holding a first aid kit was the demon called Charlie. Even in her pained state she recalled how she'd called herself Morningstar. Knowing of only three Morningstar's she realized this was the princess of Hell. In that moment the realization of everything fully set in. She'd been betrayed by Adam, lost her wings, arm, sword and halo and had been saved by the daughter of the two people that had doomed humanity.

And yet right now Charlie was the only reason she hadn't bled to death in an alley. It confused her, infuriated her! But more than anything it pained her. She should be dead! No, She should be back in Heaven right now enjoying the post extermination party!

And yet here she was only alive because a demon had...what? Shown pity? Mercy? No, she knew demons and sinners were beyond such things.

Looking at her stump and then up to where her halo once sat, she actually felt herself starting to cry. It started small and silent with just tears but as she thought about what she'd lost she began to cry out her voice becoming chocking gasps.

Which must have woken Charlie as the next thing she knew she heard. "Your awake? Oh gosh your awake! Wait your crying... Did your wounds open back up? They must have! oh I'm sorry I've never properly bandaged anything before." through her tears she saw Charlie rummage through her little kit pulling out bandages and what looked like a bottle of booze.

"W-why?" she wheezed out.

"Shhh don't talk, you need to conserve your strength."

But Lute still needed an answer and after quite painfully pushing herself up asked again. "Why help me?" it hurt to ask, and she was sure she really had opened up her wounds, but she had to know. Was this all just some long game? Wait till she's healed then kill her? Lure her in with fake kindness so she sells her soul?

Charlie stopped what she was doing and looked at her oddly. "Why? Because you needed help of course."

The way she said that, like it was the most obvious thing in the world shocked her. "You...I..."

"You need your rest, and to have your bandages changed. So, Razzle and Dazzle are going to change them." Lute eyed the floating demons and their no doubt deceptively cute expressions. Seeing her gaze Charlie asked, "Unless you want me to?"

She let out a pained groaned before nodding and allowing Charlie to put a few pillows behind her. Yes, it hurt when they made contact with her back, but it did mean she didn't need to use any strength to sit up.

"..eeeehh yeah you opened up your wounds all right." as she went about taking off her bandages Lute just felt numb. Here she was being treated by one of the three people she'd sworn to kill. When the bandages fell Charlie saw her bare chest and quickly blushed before moving to her back.

Even if it was for a moment seeing Charlie react like that made her feel something. Suppose I still have some worth.

But whatever she might have felt quickly died when Charlie let out a groan seeing her back.

"h-h-how...ba?"

"How bad?" Charlie finished.

Lute nodded and Charlie looked uncomfortable looking from her back then to her face her expression shifting to one of sympathy. "I'm sorry... but when we found you, they we already..." she nearly gagged recalling seeing what they'd looked like before. Back then they'd been covered in blood but not that they'd healed. Well now they honestly looked much worse. Even calling them fleshy stumps would be generous, exposed bone, peeling skin, it was hard to even imagine she'd had wings before.

"We left them but at this rate it might be best to..." she made a snipping movement with her hands unable to meet Lute's gaze.

Taking a painful breath Lute tried to move what was left only to let out a shriek of pain as something tore. "Shit! Don't move I'll wrap them up." But Lute was barley listening. Her mind was to focused on one thing.

Wingless... unable to even attempt to fly back. Not that Heaven would take me back. Not that Heaven would even know I'm gone. Fallen, even if they could heal would they be the same? Or would they be black? Or worse leathery like a demon? No...NO!

"They could get better so maybe-

"-ove them."

Charlies had snapped up. "What?"

The look on Lute's face was unreadable but the tears running down her cheeks told her everything. "...just re-move them."

In all her life Charlie had never heard such a broken voice before. "Are you sure? With time they could-

"Do...it...please." Lute hated herself in that moment. Beggin a demon to remove what was left of her wings. She deserved to lose them, deserved to fall and die here.

And yet as Charlie signaled to Razze and Dazzle who flew off she felt her hand on her shoulder. "It'll be quick I promise. "Opening her mouth to speak she found she didn't have the words. Instead, she just sat there and cried as Charlie held her hand. She still didn't trust her but even if her kindness was fake, it was the only thing keeping her from completely losing herself.

Lute barely heard them return. Didn't see them either, instead she simply felt the bed shift and the sound of a blade being unsheathed.

"I'm sorry."

Aim for the neck. Is what she wanted to say, instead what came out was "thank you." before the blade made contact and in one thankfully clean cut felt what was left of her wings leave her body. "Ga..gfccuukkk!" she screamed before blacking out again.

When she woke up again, she heard Charlie's voice.

"Dad I'm fine...no I'm not coming back...because it's my dream!...dad...dad!...just...just give me a chance. Yes, Razzle and Dazzle are with me!... Alright fine I'll talk to you later." she ended the call before groaning and plopping down in a nearby chair seeing Lute staring at her. "Sorry If I woke you up."

"-is fine."

Once more Charlie changed her bandages and while she did that Lute once again asked the question. "Why?"

Chari's hand stopped as she looked up at Lute. "I know what you are, what you did." Lut felt her breath hitch as Charlie locked eyes with her. This was it; this was the moment she showed her true self. She'd get angry and scream at her or threaten her. This was where Lute saw why she and her lot deserve death.

"But I also saw what happened. You chased that other exorcist into the alley and stopped them from killing that sinner and were punished for it. That's reason enough to save you."

Lute blinked not sure of what to say. In the past she would have angrily corrected her. Told her exactly what she thought of sinners and the royal family. And yet Charlie had shown more kindness in what she guessed were two days then Adam had in two hundred years.

To say she was confused would be an understatement.

"What now?" she asked flatly.

"Well, I think breakfast then seeing about finding you some clothes, your old ones were covered in blood and pretty torn up. Oh, and maybe we-"

"No" she said a bit sternly. "About me being down here? What do you want?"

Charlie looked confused before it dawned on her and she shot up looking frantic. "no no no no I don't want anything I swear! Oh geeze, you must've thought that I wanted...I'm sorry I should have told you earlier...uhhh well first of all I don't want your soul." Lute's expression was of firm disbelief.

"I don't, really! I'm good on the whole money and power thing and I've never thought about owning someone...Okay how do I say this without you misunderstanding?"

"..."

"..."

"Uhhhhh Oh! I... well... Okay, I want to rehabilitate sinners and try getting them into Heaven so we can stop the extermination. I know it's a long shot, but I'd like to save people instead of just you know...killing them. So maybe and feel free to say no, you could possibly and I'm serious about this. Just say no and I'll drop it. You don't owe me anything buuuuuttt maybe since you're from Heaven, you could help me? Or just kind of tell me what gets someone into Heaven? I'd pay you of course. Like a job, not a favor or debt or anything just you help me, and I help you. You don't have to but well I am the princess and kind of rich soooo...oh and of course I'll give you a place to stay for free. I've got an old hotel, and I could give you any room you want."

In that moment listening to Charlie fail to come up with the words Lute realized two things, the first was that Charlie was serious and wasn't playing some game or long con. Secondly was that she now owed Charlie. Not only had she saved her life but was of offering her a place to stay and an honest job. And she'd be damned, twice now, if she didn't repay her. Even though she'd been cast out she was a solider and Charlie was technically her superior officer now. Sure, the idea of serving a demon made her skin crawl but at the very least she'd be serving royalty instead of some mortal sinner.

Fuck my life she thought already regretting what she was about to say.

"Lute...my name is Lute." the words were out before she could think it though.

"Like the musical instrument?" Charlie asked a little bit amused.

She opened her mouth to correct her. To tell her it was short for lieutenant. But seeing her eyes filled with curious amusement all she could do was painfully sigh. "Yes, like the instrument."

"That's adorable!" Charlei shrieked before extending her hand. "Welcome to Hell Lute. I promise you're going to lov- er..not hate it here."

"Yeah" Not that I have anything left to lose.