It was difficult to find a semblance of calm in these times and Vaggie took the moment to sit on the bleachers and watch Artyom and Lucifer practice. The ruler of the Dark Realm was swift and assertive with his cane while the inexperienced investigator tried to keep up. Fighting in close quarters would be an added benefit to everyone at the hotel as it meant the Exterminators wouldn't overrun them in the first five minutes. Still, she wondered if it was enough to make a difference if they all were approaching Heaven.
She saw Tony appear in the doorway to her left with his helmet underneath his arm. He kept himself close to the wall and approached the sinner from her flank. Meanwhile, the woman glanced at the sparring match to see the king and his apprentice increase their fighting pace. The last time she saw him was when she looked over the last two phonebooks to find people to help him reach his goal. "So, who's kicking who's ass?"
"Aren't you supposed to be busy looking for people to help us?" She asked, wondering if he was being lazy or taking a break.
"I just did but I didn't have any names worth a damn. That and Alastor seemingly ate a quarter of the people the department found useful."
"They don't call him the Radio Demon for nothing." Vaggie remarked as the Heavenly servant took a seat beside her and leaned forward. There had to be a reason he came here. "Why come here of all places?"
"The Gendarmes are good fighters compared to most people down here. Even your overlords ain't going to stand toe-to-toe with them. Now, when you pit my boys and girls against Exterminators that changes the equation by a lot. If things go well when we pass through the other side, sooner or later, we're all going to come back in force." Tony seemed to be trying to make a point, one that would be relevant to the conversation. Just where was he going with this?
"What kind of plan do you have for us?"
"Hell has a business specialized in selling holy weapons to its customers and I intend to tap into that," That raised an eyebrow from the sinner. There were rumors of an arms dealer running behind the scenes; however, she doubted that anyone would leak the information, "We're going to need stockpiles of their stuff and I know just the person to help us."
Hearing his intentions made her widen her eyes with surprise. She was sure the man had good information on most folk living in Hell but to learn there was a key supplier in Pride who could help had lifted her mood. "So, you're going to find this person and convince them to come around and supply your department?"
"Me? Who said I was going to be the only one looking for them? I need a volunteer to accompany me and you're it."
"W-What?" She stammered.
He turned his gaze upon her. "Yeah, I found the main location of said overlord. I'm going to make a deal with someone there and things will get better on our behalf."
"Why would I need to come with you?" None of this made any sense. Was he trying to hit on her in some weird way? He had other options if he needed company. She crossed her arms and was skeptical of his decision. "Couldn't you have looked for anyone else to help you out?"
"As much as I would like to believe those zealots left the city, I have a feeling they still have some stragglers running about. It would be nice to have someone watch my back. Sure, there's Alastor but he's the sort who'll stab you in the back or his ego is big enough to be a problem. I'm also banking on the fact that you're quite competent and level-headed compared to everyone else."
This had to be his way of giving a compliment because she felt good, knowing Tony would pick her over Alastor. Oh, if only the Radio Demon heard about this, would those beady red eyes look upon her with a tang of jealousy? "So, who exactly are we looking for?"
"An overlord by the name of Zestial. He's powerful but not the actual reason I'm looking around. He's always accompanying a woman by the name of Carmilla. Those two seem close to the point I'd call them roommates since their relationship is so obvious." Hearing their names granted a cold shiver down her spine for those two were considered some of the more powerful overlords compared to everyone else in Pentagram City. Both carried a reputation of importance but also have carefully kept the media attention off their backs.
"Those two aren't going to be easy to find," She admitted, knowing the lengths they would have to take to succeed in meeting those two, "Are you sure we can afford to do that right now?"
Tony chuckled and smiled in her direction. "You forget that I work for the Department of Purgatory. We always have placed marked down here. All we have to do is knock on the right doors and ask the right questions."
The sparring match between Artyom and Lucifer seemed to intensify with the loud clash of metal. Soon the duo turned to see the King of the Dark Realm unsheathe his cane sword and clash against the investigator's zweihander.
"While we're out there, both of us will get to be alone and I feel that we need to have a one-on-one conversation."
"Why do you want to be alone with me?" Vaggie grew suspicious of his intentions as he let out a deep breath.
"I've been keeping this secret close to my chest and always wanted to tell you but I've never had a chance until recently," He took a deep breath, "It's one of those things that has to be revealed privately, and a decision that only you could make."
Pavel Morozov reached the perimeter of the Hazbin Hotel as his companions tried to keep up. The serpent inventor and his platoon of egg minions were always lagging but Sir Pentious was always alert at ferrying them to follow his lead. In the small moments observing the sinner's behavior, the man seemed to act more like a fatherly figure to his minion's child-like actions. If he had a file on him, perhaps he could figure out a piece to that strange puzzle.
The front of the building was a depressing sight. The burnt wrecks of the department's vehicles deployed to the hotel's defense remained, some even containing the charred corpses of his colleagues. Beyond them, the hotel's lawn was occupied by Hell's royal guards clad in crimson red plate armor while wielding fully automatic firearms. They noticed their arrival with a pair of Hellborn soldiers approaching them with their hands warning them.
"Halt! By the order of his majesty, you are to turn around and leave the hotel's premises." A woman shouted from underneath the steel helmet and its electronic speakers.
His superior better inform them about his current task. "I'm following orders under Tony to bring this sinner and his minions to the hotel."
"Wait right there, I'll have to check this in." She answered as Pentious and his followers caught up and waited patiently. Pavel stole a glance from them before returning his attention to the heavily armed soldier speaking underneath her helm, but the sound remained inaudible to him. "You're clear, move along."
The Russian led the way as his scaly companion slithered behind him along with a squad of eggs tapping against the pavement. Then they arrived at the front of the hotel building, the damage to the windows still reminding the Purgatory Investigator of a missed battle and bloodshed here. A pang of guilt resided in his heart that he was away while his peers laid down their lives trying to keep a rogue archangel and his army from kidnapping the Princess of Hell.
His eyes lingered on the doorbell button to the side and he was surprised that it even survived the onslaught despite all of the chaos that happened there. He pushed the button and an electronic ring echoed from the front and inside the building. Of course, he could have just walked in but even he knew that Hell hadn't fallen so low for guests to be rude to their hosts.
"I'm on my way, hoes!" A woman shouted from inside as the front door swung open and a one-eyed sinner stood in their way.
Pavel noticed Sir Pentious tense up around the corner of his eye. "Oh, hello there."
"You little shit!" She leaped forward and grabbed the snake sinner by the throat as they tumbled onto the lawn. Meanwhile, her free hand brandished a pink bomb with a skull emblem as she was about to plant the explosive into him. How? The investigator figured she would shove it down his throat. "Want a second ass-kicking, huh?!"
"Cherri, I-I'm not here to fight." He managed to churn out some words as the woman's grip grew ever-tighter around his windpipe. Despite her focus on trying to kill him first, the minions were eager to brandish their weapons of sidearms and blunt weapons to rescue their master from dying.
"Ma'am, I brought him here under my superior's orders. We need him." The Russian weren't going to let it happen since had a job to do and orders to follow.
Her head turned to him while the handheld bomb was ready to be thrown in Sir Pentious's direction. "Why in the ever-living-fuck do you need him? He tried to kill me and Angel Dust. Hell, he tried to attack the Hazbin Hotel on the same day!"
"I only know that he needs to be brought here. Don't know why but it sounds important and I can't let you kill him." If these two had a history, he would have to satisfy her concerns by hinting about it at a later time. "Not now but maybe another time."
"Why are you even suggesting that she can kill me? I thought you were being genuine with rescuing me?" The serpent seemed shocked about his reasons as disbelief fell over his damned existence of a face.
What he could only do to alleviate the mood of the two sinners was a joke as he smiled and chuckled at the sight of one being on top of the other. "I am not going to stand between you and a woman's scorn. Besides, you two deserve a little bit of privacy to yourselves if you like to be rough around each other."
Their eyes widened at the implication as absolute disgust took over with Cherri retracting her hand grenade and peeling off her victim. Meanwhile, Sir Pentious was being comforted by his egg followers as they helped him rise upright. The power of being associated with an embarrassing moment is far stronger than spite and rage. It comical truth in Pavel's line of work between Heaven and Hell.
"Well, let's see what the others are up to."
He walked into the building and found himself inside the main hallway as the dark red and purple corridors contrasted with the colors of Pentagram City. The investigator wanted to explore and get a look at Princess Charlie's home but the needs of his department couldn't be ignored. There was the other issue that it was his first time here and that he'd need directions on where to find his comrades.
A doorway to the right side of the hallway elicited the sound of laughter and the clinking of glasses among audible conversation. Curious, he made his way over and stood at the entrance.
Inside the room was what seemed to be a lounge of sorts while containing the hotel's bar. It was manned by a sinner who was a cat with wings, appearing like those old hustlers from the American movies about gangsters. Yet, he served three people sitting on stools, a flamboyant spider in pink and two fellow servants from the department who had dropped any pretense of a disguise. Artyom and Uhlman seemed to be entertaining their company while sharing drinks with those on this side of the Dark Realm.
The older of the two dead Polis Rangers took a quick swig at his glass before slamming it onto the wooden counter. Uhlman gulped and gasped for air as he turned to the sinner. "There was one time I had to go look for Artyom inside this bunker complex. You know what the fucker was doing? Playing golf with a pair of night-vision goggles."
"No, fucking way." Pavel heard the arachnid's reaction and leaned forward. "Okay, Arty, you got to explain what you were doing?"
"I was bored and my friend took his sweet time getting to me! I had just killed this spiderbug with a huge tail and its muscles were locked into place. So, I cut it off and used it to hit grenades into a goal I made out of tin cans." Said the younger Polis Ranger sitting between them.
"That's what we should do. Let's go break into a golf course and have some fun when this is all over."
"Ha, maybe we could turn it into a barbecue." Artyom replied while sliding his glass to the bartender and gesturing him to add more into a glass cup full of ice, "Maybe a couple of fireworks while we're at it."
The cat sinner reached under the counter and pulled out a white bottle before he gestured his head past the trio of drinkers. "I think we got company."
"Comrades, it's good to see all of you in a good mood!" Pavel announced as he walked over to his colleague and pulled off the bracelet hiding his true identity. Three Russian men in Kevlar armor and Altyn helmets began to hug one another.
"Who's this guy?"
Uhlman spun in his chair and addressed the newcomers in the room. "Gentlemen, this is Pavel Morozov. He and Artyom met a couple of times and almost tried to kill each other in life." He stopped and extended his arm out, pointing at the sinners. "The guy behind the counter is Husk and the gay pornstar is Angel Dust."
"I know who they are." The former communist replied, revealing his knowledge to everyone in the room. "Unlike you, I actually read the briefs."
"Like you already." Said the wing sinner as he reached underneath the counter and pulled out a black bottle. Then he popped the cork and began drinking.
The mood of the conversation began to shift as Pavel walked over to the older colleague. "Where's Tony? I came here with the VIP."
"He went out with Vaggie. Said that he needed to talk to an overlord when we do come back to Hell." Hearing the news wasn't demoralizing but he had to continue babysitting the snake he casually brought into the hotel. "Take the time to relax. All of us were planning to do some spin-the-bottle shit and talk about ourselves. Want to join?"
"Really, of all the times, now?"
"You'll find that a little bit of humor does a lot for people like us."
The two succubi hiding out at the Macho Machine had been glued to their phones on recent news. Since the building was officially closed, Verosika and Kiki resided in the office space where the ancient blood-fueled war machine would manage the popstar's finances. She laid herself on the couch while scrolling through her screen, looking at her social media to see how everyone else was holding up since the early extermination. Asmodeus and Beelzebub had been called to serve the ruler of Hell but Vortex managed to keep the rest of her gang from entering Pentagram City as much as possible.
She let out a relieving breath that her closest friends weren't in harm's way. The same couldn't be said about her boyfriend. The singer sat upright on the couch and thought about Railtracer's sincerity as the minutes passed. Her heart seemed to be encouraged by her continued feelings for him despite his mystery. Maybe she had been watching too many romance flicks but the novelty of having to live in one warmed up to her.
Her friend stood from a table across from her and expressed her annoyance. "Any more of those bagels and they're going to get to my hips. I'm going to raid the pantry, do you want anything while I'm there?"
"No, I'm good. Go treat yourself." Verosika answered as she watched her walk off to the door to her left.
Alone to herself, she focused her full attention on the phone and searched through the social profiles. Her mind sprang into action by going through page after page in search of her boyfriend's origins. Then she stumbled upon her ex-boyfriend's business profile since he was the owner of I.M.P. Blitzo and his employees seemed to have a connection with each other based on the way their profiles handled coworkers and close relations.
When it came to looking at Railtracer's information, all she had was a default page that people would only get if it was made up of scammers or they were too new at using technology. Even then, everyone had their personality when handling their information. This was different as she scoured for any other information about her lover's life. Yet, there was no quick summary explaining his existence at I.M.P, not even casual pictures of himself.
It was as if he was just a blank slate.
Kiki returned and came through the door while huffing for air. "Verosika, we have a problem."
"What's going on?"
"I was just about to head into the kitchen but there's a bunch of armed humans out front." She answered while shutting the door behind her. As she locked it, a loud shatter of glass echoed from downstairs, "We have to get out of here."
The succubus was used to the way of life the ancient war machine established. Yet, V1 also knew that it wouldn't be around to protect her so her adoptive father installed secret rooms where they would be protected until it would return. It wasn't exactly a comfortable place but safety was its own form against danger. "Follow me, we can hide in here."
She stood up and got her friend to walk after her as the pop star turned to her right and walked to the other side of the room. Three sets of bookshelves were placed against the wall before the duo came over with Verosika remembering which was the mechanism to open the hidden door. Tugging a book out of place, the center shelf shifted out of place and revealed a room full of video screens.
They quickly ran inside as the secret entrance returned to camouflage itself into normalcy. Once locked into place, the succubi ran over to the series of screens to their right and took a seat in plastic chairs. The first detail that grabbed their attention was a group of six human men in military gear walking through the front door's shattered window. The sound picked up the crackling of glass they proceeded to search and check the rooms on the first floor.
"I just want to know, is this place soundproof?" Asked a concerned Kiki.
Verosika looked over to a scared companion and acknowledged with a nod of their head. "Dad made sure I wouldn't get myself caught if I started screaming in terror."
The two returned their attention to the camera screens in silence. Each masked stranger in black balaclavas looked around but from the way they searched, they weren't rummaging through the cash registers nor did they make a run for the safe. It looked less like they were trying to rob the most dangerous coffee shop in Hell. What other reason did they have for coming here?
A thought finally occurred to her that maybe they weren't looking for something. Instead, the intruders were trying to find someone.
One of the armed humans soon began to make their way up the steps onto the second floor. "You sure the intel's good?"
"I'm sure. One of those Purgatory guys was guarding those girls instead of joining the others at the hotel." Another man answered as they searched through the office space that Verosika and Kiki once occupied. The only obstacle between getting found and caught was one shelf and a single book. Then he continued talking. "Lucifer got that place locked down and I figure Graves would like to know what Azrael's department is doing next."
"What if we don't find him and find the Hellborn instead?"
"You know how it is. Interrogate and neutralize. Can't spare any witnesses but any bit of information counts." The leader of the squad casually answered. Images of what the man meant by neutralized would have been terrible if her imagination had been wild.
She looked over to her friend, who retreated underneath the desk where the camera screens were set up. The pop star raised a finger before her lips, gesturing Kiki to be silent while she watched the security footage focused on the men.
"Fuck, this can't be it. They got to be somewhere around here."
"If this goes well, shouldn't we link up with Archangel of Judges in the Badlands?" Another asked, seemingly worried about their predicament.
"No can do. We all missed the exfil and Adam would raise Hell if we left behind a trail. He might be a chill dude but no one wants to be on his bad side." Then the intruders began to rummage through the cabinets and drawers. An insidious feeling of being found was enough to try and plan her eventual discovery. "Don't worry, I heard that we've taken refuge in one of the old condemned buildings around these parts. We're using the sewers to get around and avoid the Crimson Guard."
Soon, they approached the book cabinet and its secret button. She turned around and saw a closet, it wasn't a place to hide but it did have a useful item within. Verosika quickly walked there and opened it, revealing a collection of potions her father produced on her behalf. If the worst fate of being found came to be, V1 had an invisibility vial that would hide her in plain sight. She grabbed two and gestured for her friend to come over. "Drink this, we'll be able to hide in plain sight."
"Are you sure this will work?" Kiki scrambled forward as they both held their vials together.
"I don't know but it's better than nothing." The succubus turned to the cameras and saw the armed men run through the books one by one. "Drink up and don't make a sound.
They popped the cork off and quickly dumped a clear but horrible-tasting liquid into their gullets. It was the most unholy vile aroma that she had ever consumed as the sound of mechanisms clicked and goosebumps fell upon her. Now was the moment that she prayed to someone, anyone, to come and save her.
The entrance to the secret room opened as the two girls held hands, a small moment of comfort between friends as the six men in black uniforms and Kevlar entered the room. Their barrels were raised as they carefully walked inside, red laser sights peering at what they found. Heads looked around and turned on a swivel, scanning the room before one of them walked over to the cameras.
"Looks like this was a dead end. Fuckers must have run off." He said, disappointed at their discovery.
One of the men by the entrance lowered his rifle and seemed to relax his posture. "So, what happens now?"
"We link up with the others and provide a listening post. Let's go people, we've wasted enough time here."
Their heads nodded, acknowledging their leader's decision to move on. Soon, they turned away and began to leave, their boots clicking against the floor. One by one, they walked in a line as they proceeded to take their leave. It was the hardest few minutes that the girls ever faced as Verosika tried to hold her urge to pee in horror. She didn't want to speak at that moment until the intruders were finally gone.
Her gaze fell upon the multiple camera screens, watching and counting everyone making their way to the front. One by one, the succubus made sure that these six men got out. When the last one finally exited the shattered door, it seemed like he claimed a bagel with cream cheese and a cup of iced coffee for himself as they entered two cars and drove off.
A great relief fell upon them while Kiki hugged her without hesitation. Whoever, these men were, seemed to be chasing Pavel. Then she considered their conversation about archangels and departments. All it did was raise her suspicion about the relationship she and her friend had with their lovers.
Was Artyom truly a sinner?
Velvette took the wheel as Vox was beside her in the passenger seat while holding on to the handlebars. With her foot slammed hard against the peddle, the overlord of fashion sped through multiple traffic lights across Pentagram City. Plenty of distance had been covered in so little time; however, it wasn't enough to tell Valentino to stop. Lucifer's wrath would be swift and terrible if the third member of their power circle managed to kickstart a fight against the princess and her friends.
The Hazbin Hotel grew ever-closer and she hoped they would talk sense into their moth-like friend. Yet, the mood changed when an explosion erupted from the hotel itself. "Oh, for fuck's sake, the cunt starting his attack!"
Four cars were parked half-hazard out front as gunfire was exchanged between the gangsters using their vehicles for cover and the hotel's inhabitants. As the shooting continued, bullets swept across the front lawn with shooters from the windows directing their fire on them. Velvette was petrified in her seat when the engine block was riddled with shots and bullet holes trailed toward her. She was taken by surprise when Vox lunged for the wheel and managed to swivel their Camaro out of the line of fire. She regained control and parked behind their gang's defilade.
Her head turned to Valentino and his guys huddling behind cover while automatic firepower flew overhead. She unlocked her car and crawled out of the seat as the television overlord did the same; yet, he seemed to struggle out of his seat belt with a hand clutching onto his shoulder. He got hurt trying to help her as they both crawled over to the moth. For now, it looked like the blood was being stifled by compression and cloth alone.
The moth in charge rallied his men as it seemed like the shooting from the hotel slowed down. "Light'em up, boys!"
All the gangsters stood up and hosed the building with their rounds. Glass was shattered by the impact of the bullets and carefully cut shrubbery had its branches clipped. Velvette peeked over to see the dark silhouettes shirk from the openings and take cover. As the magazines of assault rifles and submachine guns ran dry, the organizer of this attack knelt to one knee to reload.
"Surrender Angel Dust to me and I'll be on my way!" He shouted before looking back to notice his fellow overlords present. "Hey, are you guys here to help?"
Vox uttered his annoyance and pain as his head glared at the porn star director. "What the fuck were you thinking? We got to get out of here before the King of Hell shows up."
"Ah, quit your bitching and watch me reclaim what's mine. It's just one small request. It's not like I'm trying to put a hit on the princess."
"Running so soon?" This voice was filtered, almost similar to Vox's tone but there was a sadistic satisfaction to the statement. She turned around and felt petrified that the Radio Demon had ambushed them from behind.
"You!" The electronic overlord of cameras and television said as if he was accusing him, "If you're here for a second round, I'll be sure to kick your ass."
"Oh, I do wish to see you try but maybe we can schedule another time."
"Then why the fuck are you here?!" Vox demanded from his rival standing over the hunched-over gang.
"Consider this a lesson in humility. Had it been any other time, I think this attack would have been daring, I say. Unfortunately, all of you have made a grave error to perform a raid on the princess' home." She didn't know what he was trying to say but it sounded ominous as he continued, "I wonder what his majesty would have to say about that since he's paying my boss a visit."
She widened her eyes in horror. Lucifer was here and if that was the case, it wouldn't take long for them to be in the world of trouble. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, we need to get out of here!"
"Look up!" One of the low-ranking gangsters hollered out.
Everyone's attention shifted to the skies as a skinny figure in a white suit and hat lept out of the window from the higher floors. The jumper descended upon the group with great haste. Just as the stranger was about to land, white wings sprouted from his back, flapping and slowing his descent as he gracefully with his black boots finally touching the ground among the Vees and their followers. Velvette heard shouting from the hotel but couldn't hear any audible words as the guns fell silent.
The latest arrival exuded a confidence rarely seen in people but she knew better than to mock the theatrics of Hell's highest authority. Lucifer, the ruler of the Dark Realm, stood among them while his wings dissipated and he adjusted his bow tie. Then he summoned a cane with an apple on top.
"Does anybody here care to explain why you have the gall to attack my daughter's hotel?" He asked with a hint of disdain in his voice.
All sinners were silenced by his question and the fashion overlord couldn't come up with a decent explanation that wouldn't result in her death. Her eyes glanced over to her peers with Vox keeping himself together from his gunshot wound and Valentino dropping his special cigarettes from his lips. The animosity from the monarch of the Dark Realm revealed the terrified souls, sweating within his presence.
"Explain, now."
"My name is Valentino, "The porn directing overlord began as he lowered his Tommy gun and identified himself, "One of the souls I own is currently living with your daughter and I'm trying to get him back."
Velvette couldn't explain the atmosphere but she could feel the heat emanating from his majesty. "And you think your best option was to attack her? After my daughter had been attacked and almost kidnapped by the Archangel of Judges and his army of exterminators."
"Well, sir, it does look bad when you put it like that."
"Your contract with this soul, hand it over." The moth overlord was taken by surprise as he reached into his shirt from the collar and produced a magical parchment of someone's soul-binding name. Then he passed it to the king of Hell as he began to inspect the contract and the name at the bottom. "Angel Dust, am I right?"
He nodded his head and acknowledged the man whom the trio had once tried to collect a while ago. She saw a brief smile from Valentino as he revealed a question. "It's just him. That is all I want from the hotel."
"If my whispering agents are anything to go by, this is not the first time you have tried to reclaim him."
"Yes. He has managed to escape from our grasp and if it weren't for those meddlers trying to protect him, all of us would be on our merry way."
"I see." Lucifer looked at the speaking overlord for a brief second until his hands ripped the contract in two. A green flame burned away the paper as he tossed it into the air, leaving behind, only ashes.
Velvette watched as her friend expressed his absolute shock by trying to latch on to the dissipating soot. "What did you do?"
"I removed the only reason that brought you to Charlotte's hotel. Can't have a reason to come back here if that is what caused this mess in the first place."
"B-But, I own him," Valentino dropped his gun on the ground as his draught was revealed, "He was mine?"
The king approached the sinner as they were face-to-face. "Was being the key word. Due to an unfortunate situation, I am not privy to tell, I can't have you interfere with my affairs and this Angel Dust is now my concern. Any further attempts to accost and harass him will result with an immediate execution. If my daughter wasn't watching me, I would have killed you on the spot. Now, all of you will leave before you incur my wrath."
"You heard him, people. We are getting out of here." The fashionista ordered as the Vee gang retreated to their cars and began to drive off. Meanwhile, she helped the television overlord back into his seat, checking if he was alright. "We'll go to a hospital first before we head home."
Vox smiled before grimacing with his wound. "Yeah, it sounds about right. I'm just glad that Val didn't go ahead and get all of us fucked."
She returned to the driver's seat and put on her safety belt before looking ahead of the vehicle to find Alastor standing beside a fuming ruler, smiling and waving them a farewell. It was hardly genuine and the Radio Demon was enjoying their shame.
"Next time, old man. I'll wipe the smug off your face."
Two souls sat quietly in a car to stake out for an overlord. In the meantime, they had parked one of Charlie's many sedan cars into the street beside what seemed to be a factory complex. It was a waiting game but Tony was willing to pay for some fast food as they quietly ate and drank in their seats. Vaggie bit into her chicken fingers while stealing a glance from her companion scanning the front entrance of a series of elevators ahead of the group.
She had heard about Zestial, a powerful overlord accompanied by dangerous friends. It was a reputation the average sinner would respect but the sinner didn't know his extensive history as well. All she knew was that he met with the other major heads of Pentagram City and made decisions behind closed doors. Beyond that surface-glance knowledge, the moth didn't know what to make of him.
All of that remained irrelevant as the thought of Tony's earlier conversation with her at the hotel bothered her. Since they were settled down and waiting, now was the time to ask him about the topic. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Yes. I've been keeping this close to the chest ever since the department revealed themselves to you." He turned to her, his head encased in a mask and helmet with two red glowing eyes peering into the woman's soul. The investigator let out a deep breath as he continued. "For the longest time, have you ever considered why you ended up in Hell?"
"I mean, there were a few times that I thought about it but not too much into it. Why?" Where was he going with this?
"You were never meant to be in Hell in the first place."
"What do you mean?" His tone sounded ominous and she didn't like the implications. "I'm in Hell. Doesn't that mean I'm a sinner?"
Tony shook his head, revealing a truth that she hadn't anticipated ever since she was sent here. "Not every person sent to Heaven is a Saved and people sent to Hell aren't always sinners. If things were so simple, my department wouldn't have infiltrators trying to find lost souls and sending them where they needed to be."
"And I'm one of these lost souls?"
"The one I was supposed to bring to Heaven."
The whole world froze and Vaggie couldn't tell if he was telling her a white-faced lie. It was hard to take that truth seriously now of all times. "Bullshit. If I was meant to go to Heaven, why didn't you take me there already? Why wasn't I told in the first place?"
"One day, when I was tasked to bring you Heavenside, I watched you from afar and saw two girls laughing and enjoying their intimacy. You and Princess Charlie were happy then and still are today. What right did I have to take that away from you?" The Department of Purgatory had been watching her all along and did nothing to save her soul. Yet, she was surprised that his real reason for refusing to be taken was much more… human.
"Couldn't I be with her and still have the right to be in Heaven?" There must have been something keeping him from doing so. "Why tell me now all of a sudden?"
"I didn't want to break her highness' heart. She's too pure to have a loved one ripped away from her, never to be seen again. While you do have the right to enter Heaven without going through the trials of redemption, you will never be able to return to Hell. It's a permanent residence. Regardless of how you think of me, you deserve to know the truth."
That was why he was acting weird with her. Vaggie didn't know what to make of Tony after he revealed this. She wanted to punch him for having her suffer through the pain of living in Hell; however, the saved soul had to respect his willingness to try and be frank with her. Ever since he showed up on the hotel's doorstep, he was always trying to offer assistance. It was hard to find a reason to hate him.
"I'm sorry that I didn't do my job if you want to blame me." He deserved more than pity.
A loud commotion erupted from the front as sinners ran past them along the sidewalk. She looked ahead and saw a tall and dark figure stride across the street while passing bystanders fled from his presence. Her neck felt a cold chill down her spine despite being in the safety of the vehicle. Then a click from the driver's side deactivated the car's locks.
"That must be Zestial."
Both stepped out of the car and walked past the fleeing low-ranking sinners brushing the duo aside. It wasn't uncommon to meet with other overlords but Vaggie hoped that her protection as Charlie's girlfriend had to count for something in Pentagram City. The black spider overlord had crossed the road and was about to enter the building along the left side of the road before he stopped at the entrance and gazed into the camera above the entrance into the factory complex.
Tony raised his hand and waved at the stranger before he raised his voice and called him out. "Overlord Zestial, I presume?"
"Oh, who is't art thee?" The intimidating sinner asked before he turned to address them. "Few dareth approach me."
"I don't want a complicated conversation but I need to speak to someone and I think you know where she is." The courier stated with blunt honesty.
"By conv'rsation, doth thee cullionly assassination 'r art thee genuine?"
"You are very lucky that I actually understand what you are saying." He said amusingly, referring to the overlord's speech. Vaggie caught up and stood by his side, receiving a brief glance from Zestial's green eyes. "It's the latter. I've got a business proposition for your friend if you'll let me and Vaggie through."
He mused to himself before his hand extended to the elevator entrance underneath the camera. "To has't a royal's lov'r as thy companion might not but imply thy relation with a pow'rful ranketh. I'll ent'rtain thy requesteth and alloweth both of thee seeth Carmilla in p'rson."
"Thank you, sir." She finally spoke to him as his gaze fell on her. "It's going to be quick since neither of us wants to impose our time on either of you."
"Let us go."
Author's Note: This was supposed to be posted at least a week ago but real life got in the way. I need to make an update since my story-updating schedule is going to shift by a fair margin. My posts are going to be smaller thanks to a new job I've been taking, which will decrease my pace in which I type out these chapters.