Rapture - The Slow Fall

by Uros Osium

With the truth of Extermination brought to bear the youngest Seraphim makes a choice; if her sister thinks Sinners and the overpopulation in Hell is a danger, then let's solve it. She concocts a plan in record time through desperation and hope. But said plan is mostly good intentions and a wish. And we all know where good intentions lead...

2. Chapter I

Chapter I

Hey Fanfiction. Sorry about this. I thought I had uploaded this story day 1 of the month but I had a bit of a brain fart! It is a week late, but hey, here is the other story I said I was going to upload.

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How could silence hurt so much?

A room full of screens, some holographic, some physical. All of it surrounding a table with so many papers you'd think that it would collapse at a second's notice. All work, but nothing got done.

In Heaven every day was supposed to be a happy day, but for some that was rarely the case. All of this? You could look at it, read all it said, and you'd see there was little happiness to be found here: Complaints, outrage, demands. And of the three, only the second was new. Complains were common every day, though rarely as brutal as what came on after that debacle. Demands? Regularly received and the needs satisfied, though the term 'demand' was more fitting of today's lot than the previous 'Requests'.

Outrage had to do with many souls that had family in Hell and did know they weren't the worst of the worst. Most of those, the person in front of all this mess knew, had lost that family member a long time ago. Some could still be lucky, though the newest arrivals were far more likely than the oldest to have nothing left in Hell.

Sera was overwhelmed.

In human, or human passing at least, form, Sera was a massively tall woman. Brownish skin, hip length curly, silver-ombre colored hair and a good number of white freckles were the more human looking parts of her. The halo? The white irises and bluish/gray sclera? The six wings? That dispelled the image. If she had her more natural and birdlike form, the illusion would be dispelled right away.

To say nothing of the many eyes she had everywhere. God liked to keep His attention everywhere, and a Seraphim's job was to help with that, as was every angel's duty.

Despite her face of frustration, Sera did her best to keep everything proper. That queen-inspired dress was as pristine as it should've been, though in a few hours the sweat and mounting emotions would've made a normal human attire either cling to her skin or…

Well, Sera had thought about throwing everything, EVERYTHING, out the window and yell 'Fuck it!' at one point. But that wasn't in her character. She had lived far too long and made far too many hard decisions for this to be the breaking point.

But it came close. Very, very close.

Heaven knew of the Extermination.

Because Adam had to have a brain fart. And say nothing of fucking Lute. If you think Adam, the First Man, and the one to NOT eat that damn apple, was bad, you knew little of his second in command.

In a way Adam was an ever innocent child (if massive douche, asshole and immature piece of shit… not that Sera would admit to this) that had been betrayed TWICE by the women meant to be his partners. He was MADE to fulfill a role by God and created more so by angelic intervention than The Maker Himself, though it was by His power that he was born. The middle men (angels) had been the perfect way to ensure there was NO relation between God, Adam and Lilith, then Eve. A way to keep all of them separated by ties beyond creator, creations and so on.

Adam was meant to serve a purpose, a role: The man. The protector. The procurer. The forceful. The dominant.

Lilith was to be the opposite: The woman. The life bringer. The caretaker. The planner. The submissive.

It was not a way to make one better and the other worse. It was a way to make two parts of a whole. Then again, as it happens with modern humanity, you don't create life and have it work as you want it to. You create life and hope for the best. But of course, coming from God and His angels, it was meant to work PERFECTLY as intended.

But we all know it didn't. Sera knew it didn't.

And even then there were those that thought this 'perfection' was both bullshit and boring.

Which is why Lucifer happened.

And from there we get to today and this mess. Why Hell existed, why humanity flooded the place with souls, why the Extermination was required for Hell not to explode with population itching to take revenge on Heaven and its ever constricting policies (out of sheer necessity, mind you), and why a supposedly well behaved but bloodthirsty warrior like Lute had fed Adam's desire for revenge on the women that hurt him.

And later on killed him. Not that it had been Eve's intention (possibly). Heaven never got a clear answer as to what happened after they were kicked from Eden. God had been understandably angry and had only kept a semi constant eye on them as He tried to find a solution to Hell and what lurked deep within.

What was done was done though. The problem now was finding the will to get all this crap shorted out. Sera just wished the other Seraphim wouldn't be so busy trying to help God get out of His slump to help HER get out of this mess. Being the only ruling head due to seniority was a pain in the a-.

"SERA!"

Also, there was Emily.

The much shorter and much younger Seraph had been… in a clear slump. A few hours could do a lot to many people, as the veritable mountain of basically hate mail on Sera's table could attest to. For Emily? It began with a broken trust.

And it was going to end with something else.

Emily was a more normal sized woman (with a few freckles like her sister) if you were to look at her with human eyes… Until you noticed the silverish skin, gradient periwinkle (with white tips) bangs of hair long enough to go past her butt, blue sclera, white (but with darker outline) pupils, purple eyelashes and a halo. Even then it was, at least to many former humans, much better than her more natural form. For some reason Emily was a bit more unnerving than the bird looking Sera when she allowed her divinity to be more apparent. Probably the lack of nose and many other features if the older Seraphim was to give her opinion.

Otherwise? Emily was a cinnamon roll that made everyone around her happy just by existing. She was a cute little thing that emulated her big sister by having a princess inspired dress to play of Sera's queenly appearance. It was a good balance; Sera was the more mature one that had to take the tough decisions and hide problems away from the population while Emily was a sugar ball ready to make everyone smile.

Not today.

Because Emily looked as devoid of happiness as could be. And for her? That was bad. It probably felt as if someone was clawing at her eyes if nothing else. Emily had never, EVER, seen a bad day in Heaven since her inception.

"Emily." Despite everything, Sera was happy to dislodge herself from work to see what was going on. "I… thought you didn't want to talk to me. At least for a while."

"And I don't." The coldness with which she spoke made Sera pause. It had been barely twelve hours. Of course Emily, being as emotional as she was, wouldn't have calmed down. "But I need to say something."

Sera knew that, whatever it was, it wouldn't be good. "Of course… What do you need?"

"Postpone the Extermination."

Well. Shit. That was better than Sera expected, but still bad. And she almost let that curse slip through her lips.

"I-Emily. I cannot do-."

"You can and you have done the complete opposite already." Emily crossed her arms. "Once a year was the deal. Do you think Lucifer isn't going to get involved if Adam goes for Charlie?"

Sera bit her lip. Of course Lucifer was in a slump, but this was one line Sera thought Adam wouldn't cross.

"Emily. There have been events that forced my hand. I have to-."

"You have to stop." Emily cut with a stomp that was far less forceful and more cute than anything else. Even angry she was yet to use force. It was not in her nature… But there was a chance that would change. "But if you won't? Then you have to change things."

That Emily didn't go on a rant for Sera to just flat out stop Extermination was at least curious enough for the older Seraphim to ask aloud. "What do you mean?"

"I have been busy, Sera." Emily crossed her arms in an angry scowl that looked more like a pout. "Angels have been meddling on human affairs for a while now. Demons too, granted, but supposedly we are 'the better people' here."

Sera didn't flinch, but it was clear Emily had only lost more and more faith in her as she checked on her past actions.

But Sera HAD to do what she did. Emily wasn't done just yet though. "You don't need to tell me there are souls on Earth that should never get to either Heaven or Hell, Sera. I have seen some of them. I understand that… some hard choices have to be made." And by the look of pain and disgust on Emily's face, Sera could see she had decided to dig up very worrisome data. Sure enough she had help from many disgruntled angels with the skills to do so. "But you cannot tell me you have been virtuous when doing ALL of this."

No, Sera could not. Virtues, at least as they were sold, could not always be maintained. Not when pure evil existed. Sometimes you had to be a monster so others would not need to do the same, or worse.

"If you understand, Emily." Sera finally got up to approach the younger Seraphim. "Why do you wish to stop this? I know it is far from a palatable idea, but…"

"I did not say to stop it. I know that asking, NOW, will do nothing." Although it was clear Emily was hurting as she spoke. "Hell is not meant to be a nice place. I never had illusions about that. But it was meant to be a punishment that perhaps, maybe, could make people see their mistakes. To wish to redeem themselves; to live again and have another chance if they ever felt true remorse." She clenched her fists so tight Sera thought Emily was going to hurt herself. "It was never said to be as brutal as humans make it, nor as heartless as a yearly Extermination would force the souls there to be. This nullifies whatever good could come of the place OR your actions."

"I'll admit to this being heartless, yes. But I was not lying, Emily: Hell is dangerous. Evil human souls ARE dangerous, more so than native demons. But that does not mean either are to go left unchecked." Sera let out a tired sigh. "Angels and Heaven expand very slowly, Emily. Hell has billions upon billions of souls, perhaps trillions. Our methods are nothing short of barbaric, but it is either this or allow Hell's expansion to be caught by its constant population boom. With no way to expand to the human world, where do you think they'd spill?"

"That still does not excuse this savagery!" Emily barely contained a scream. "Even the deal struck with Lucifer isn't respected! I know the hellborn are hunted too! It isn't like the Exterminators ever tried to hide what they did! We simply didn't know because we. Didn't. CARE."

Sera hid her surprise well. The hellborn, as a whole, should not be touched. It was the one thing, beyond Charlie being Lucifer's own daughter, that struck Sera as foolish on Adam's part. His own resentment, old stagnant anger, and Lute's drive for him to let it all out had played a part in that stupid threat he made.

But having born demons killed? If Lucifer ever got out of his slump he would easily kill every single Exterminator wholesale. Perhaps he was viewed as a 'Seraphim' by many, but members of his direct family and the few that still remembered the old days would tell you.

Seraphim he was called, if only to make him more personable and distance him from the 'Elders'. Archangel, however, was Lucifer's true being.

Humans were told Seraphim were at the top, if only because they were more likely to have Sera's position; the face of Heaven. Archangels, however, were far closer to God in many ways. How myth, legend and the lore given to humans had been tweaked to make certain things easier mattered little when humans themselves had made a mess of it all. What was important was Lucifer's power, and the very real danger of him getting wind of this.

Be it the broken promise or his daughter being in danger.

Sera didn't like doing this, but agreeing with Emily seemed a good way to de-escalate… for now. Though she knew it wouldn't end well. Emily was straying, and Sera could see, even if Emily didn't, many eyes opening behind the shorter and younger Seraphim.

*HE* was watching. Sera needed to act.

"Fine. We will postpone this. But we will not cancel." Sera spoke with finality. "We can't, Emily. The most powerful Sinners already have ways to escape our Exterminators. All we can do is weaken them… even if it means hurting the more innocent of those that fall down to Hell and are snatched by the bigger names. We cannot allow millions upon millions of souls to be hoarded by those dangerous elements."

"Then all the more reason I act on my own." Emily crossed her arms. "I am going down to Hell."

Sera made a pause.

"What did you say?"

"I am going to visit Charlie." Emily explained further. "If both angels and demons care not for the rules already, then why should humanity? There is absolutely no commandment on our end that makes us stay away. Only a 'suggestion' that tells us to allow humans to choose their own path." The little Seraphim huffed. "Well, I plan not to force anyone. I plan on showing them that there are consequences AFTER they are gone."

"Emily, that is-."

"That is the right thing to do." Emily cut her sister with a scathing glare. "How else do you plan on changing things, Sera? Sooner or later violence will beget violence. Or do you think that having a small number of souls join us, with an even lower number joining that little army you made in secret, will make up for all the demon souls in Hell? Perhaps you assume that everyone in Heaven is happy knowing the family they waited to see again for so long is likely gone forever? How long until they, both Sinners and Winners, realize we, natural born angels, are a spider and they are an ant colony constantly picking them off?"

Sera grimaced. Emily was more than right in that comparison. Sooner or later, if violence was the only answer, Hell would win in a fight. Demons were much weaker than angels, true, and there were more Archangels in Heaven than Hell, but numbers would ultimately decimate Heaven.

The taller and older sister couldn't do more than gulp in fear as she saw the eyes behind Emily glare at both of them.

There was no winning choice for her on this one.

"What is your plan then?"

*** Hell - Hazbin Hotel . Charlie's Room ***

Within the topmost room of Hell's most singular hotel, the one and only 'Hazbin' Hotel, lay Charlotte (Charlie) Morningstar in her large (circus tent looking) bed.

The most (and only) depressed princess of Hell.

Peppy, happy and positive would usually fit the bill when describing the two centuries (and counting) old woman that, for Hell, acted more like a child than anything else most of the time.

If you were a human and found yourself in front of Charlie, you wouldn't think her to be human at first glance. That is, of course, if magic was not a factor. See, Earth had magic, but not that much. Most people couldn't see things as they 'were'. Now, after you went to the afterlife, be it Hell or Heaven, you'd see that Creation had a lot more magic than you'd ever dream of. More than the living world did as of late, that is for sure. On Earth everything was boring and grey, but after you got yourself a ticket to the other side? That changed: Pastel colors everywhere, with Hell being darker and Heaven being lighter.

Charlie? Charlie was the brightest in Hell. And with magic thrown into the mix she'd be able to somewhat pass in the living world.

From the front, and fully clothed, Charlie looked like a very light skinned, borderline white, human girl… with a snout on her face, hooves on her feet (if you ever saw her barefoot), yellow sclera on her eyes and red irises that only made those doll like red cheeks stand out more. To say that her black lips, fangs, her two tone blonde hair, the always short (but always sharp) claws and her six feet and half of height were the more normal and 'passable' aspects of her persona if she were to go undisguised to the mortal plane would be 'putting it nicely'.

And you know what? Her friendly attitude would make a lot of people ignore everything 'wrong' with her.

But not today.

Not now.

Feelings of failure were one thing. Charlie was used to those. No matter what she did or what she tried, Charlie always failed. It was synonym with Hell, after all; Failure was not only always an option, it was almost guaranteed. You had to be a right bastard, or at least extremely sly, competent or powerful, not to mention usually amoral, to get your way.

Charlie was the closest thing to a pure cinnamon roll in Hell. And that usually fucked her over something fierce.

But being lied to by those she held dear? That fucking hurt. And to have her girlfriend omit that she was an angel for THREE FUCKING YEARS stung. An Exterminator, no less.

Charlotte would've accepted it if Vaggie told her when they met. It would've been… difficult, but it would also have made them connect sooner. Or so Charlie thought. Vaggie had decided to not take part in Heaven's cruelty, perhaps not from day one, but the moment she was told to go too far. Many Exterminators likely didn't give the faintest shit about it all.

Vagatha chose to lie. To hide it. Not like Charlie would notice. Despite how much shit everyone gave her, Vaggie had always been aggressive and very capable with a weapon. Nothing new in Hell, if you lived more than a year there I mean. She never got wounded or hurt or anything, and when they were… intimate, there wasn't anything special about what happened. Well, except, you know. But that wasn't what Charlie was thinking about!

Angel blood was golden hued. Demon was black. Living blood was red. Sinners, the humans that populated Hell, varied, usually depending on how 'corrupt' or how long they had been down here.

Charlie had never seen Vaggie bleed. She had always protected her girlfriend one way or another, just as much as Vaggie protected her. So of course there wouldn't be much of a reason to suspect a thing, right?

Except Vaggie's missing eye hadn't had that large X when Charlie found her. A missing eye would've either grown back after death, when the soul form turned into a Sinner, or it would've had a natural Death Mark (The cause of death for all to see in Hell) over it. But no. Vaggie's eye did not get replaced, or covered. Instead the X appeared after she was given that eyepatch. Charlie couldn't fully remember whether it was there before or not, but her girlfriend could all but control that thing as if it was a normal eye.

It hadn't been possessed or anything beforehand. But who would care or tell? Demons always affected everything close to them, including clothes, new or old. An 'X' was a normal thing.

But not if it wasn't 'born in' with your body. Much less one that could work as if it was part of you, not that quick, not that naturally.

Charlie hid herself deeper into the covers of her bed. She didn't want to dwell on it, but both topics invading her mind were equally bad. One because she had failed those she tried to help, the other having to do with lies and betrayal that made her doubt her girlfriend for the first time since she met her.

And so Charlie cried. Her two little bodyguards, Razzle and Dazzle, two demons that resembled the more common Baphomet, with a few key differences, tended to her. The lizard-like tail was a good hint at what they hid, and their horns, unlike almost any natural Baphomet, didn't help. Paired with a few other visible cues, and a little deduction, you could easily tell what these little demons were hiding.

After all, you don't think the royal family would protect its only princess with two little plushie looking demons and that was it, right?

The 'goat boys' were far more than they appeared to at first sight, but one thing had always remained true: They cared for Charlie, now and until the end. That was why, with little fear, the two little demons turned to face Alastor, The Radio Demon.

A deer. A prey animal. In the mortal world at least, and, if you saw what strange things magic and certain forces did with them, you may be on guard when it comes to deer when you are alone and the dark falls.

Alastor was a perfect example of what a little bit of cursing and a little bit of magic can do to an 'inoffensive' creature.

A red suit. A dark suit. A smile going for miles. Teeth sharp enough to render steel. From gloves to boots, from that living cane and microphone combo to his own voice, all of Alastor was a constant act and a danger to match. Red hair with black tips, deer ears covered under that well kept hairstyle, dials on those red eyes of his and a sharp nose that some'd say could smell fear.

The tall, lanky figure of Alastor was as cocksure of himself as could be. How could he not? He only needed to adjust his monocle, offer that smile of his and approach the woman lying on that bed, distraught and wishing for help. Alastor would provide, of course. He just needed to see how far he could push, what buttons to press, and just how willing Charlotte would be on her end. The Radio Demon needed a favor out of her, a willing one, and if he had to twist the dagger a little bit… Well, it wouldn't be the first time nor would it be the most cruel of his acts.

Besides, what were friends for. Right?

However, the moment he made to take a step it happened. A 'fwoom' echoed in the room as a bright, golden portal appeared not far from Charlie's bed. Even Razzle and Dazzle, usually ready for everything, were startled. Worse were the effects on Charlie and Alastor; the former all but yelped, fell off the bed and hit her head, not that it'd do much, but the latter bathed the room in a dull green glow as holy energies came through the portal.

Alastor was rarely scared, but he could hardly put it past Adam to go the extra mile and get her not only earlier, but also directly into Charlie's room. All of it out of pettiness. And if that happened? Even he would get screwed, no matter the result.

But it wasn't Adam who crossed the portal, quickly closing it behind. It was a petite, six winged angel.

"Charlie! Are you alright?!"

Few things could scare Alastor. A Seraphim? You can bet Al's hoard of souls that such a creature WOULD make The Radio Demon more than nervous. Even one as petite and apparently nice, or in this case, worried about Charlie face planting on the ground, was enough to make ANY demon run for the hills.

Hell, her power could probably be felt from ANYWHERE in Hell right now.

Which is why it came as no surprise when a much shorter white being, with Charlie's cheeks, the same blonde hair, much smaller stature and a ringmaster white suit (Plus tophat with golden snek on it) came through a portal of his own.

Lucifer, apple cane on hand, had the most serious expression one could expect of him. And while Alastor had no positive thoughts on the man, he did appreciate having his power between him and the non fallen angel in their shared presence.

Emily herself was more than a bit taken back when said cane lifted her chin so the little Seraphim had all her attention placed on the short king.

"What are you doing here?"

To be honest Alastor, even Charlie, had no doubts that, if there was a fight, Lucifer wouldn't come to support his daughter until the last moment. Despite what Alastor wanted to think, the Sinner was well and truly aware that this was, partly, because Lucifer was wholly aware that he'd MURDER, or erased, whoever was trying to harm his daughter. It was likely that Charlie knew too, and she probably knew just as well that it would take a very special case, or very deep words, for her to stop her father before she did away with whatever soul, alive or dead, had hurt her.

In a way Lucifer helping his daughter in such an event would likely open a much wider chasm between them at the time. Even now, after having a 'quick patch', it would do catastrophic damage.

So it was nice, for Charlie at least, that her father didn't start throwing punches.

"Wait, dad!"

Charlie was half trapped under the covers of her bed and, honestly, couldn't move beyond crawling around like a maggot. It was what the scene needed to peel away any seriousness. More so when Charlie managed to crawl/snake her way onto the bed for her head to be shown.

She was trying to get untangled, but right now the appearance was enough to discombobulate almost everyone.

"Char Char? What are you doing…?"

"No commenting on this situation, dad!" Charlie's face flushed beyond what was supposed to be physically possible. At least her previous sadness was gone, and the embarrassment was quick to leave as Razzle and Dazzle went to help her with her predicament. "We have visitors! And Emily! Why are you here?"

Alastor let out a sigh internally. His chance was gone. Well. At least he had a first row seat for whatever was going to happen. So why not get involved?

"Why, yes. Please, do tell us, dear angel." Alastor's radio filtered voice made itself noted as he came closer to the group the moment Charlie was freed from her restraints.

Lucifer, upon noticing, gave him the most unamused glare he could muster. "And what are you doing in my daughter's room, Alastor?"

"Why! I came to check on Charlie here! Everyone is keeping their distance down in the lobby." Alastor hardly cared if Lucifer didn't approve of his 'visit' to his daughter's private chambers. He had a purpose here, after all. "Either worried sick about Heaven's little proclamation or, in the case of our dear Vagatha, unsure of what to do after she was caught in such a lie."

"Lie?" Lucifer looked at Emily first, with the little Seraphim looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Alastor could attest at the accuracy of such a claim. But the King of Hell quickly ignored Emily and focused on his daughter. "What lie, Charlie?"

His daughter could only let out an exasperated huff. "Vaggie is an angel, dad. An Exterminator."

Of course this didn't face Lucifer. "Oh… I thought you knew?"

Charlie was another thing. "What do you mean 'I thought you knew'?!"

Lucifer, for his part, just pointed at himself, then at Emily. Even Alastor had to admit that had been a stupid thing to ask.

"Oh… yeah…" Charlie rubbed the back of her neck. Of course her father knew the moment he noticed Vaggie. "I mean… is it common for fallen angels to wind down here?"

"Or sometimes on Earth." Lucifer shrugged as if it was normal. The look of shock on Emily's face told Alastor and everyone else that it shouldn't have been. "I mean, your uncles and aunts WERE angels, sweetie. And if someone fails a mission on Earth they tend to get banished, and over time they do 'fall'. There are a lot of Fallen Angels that have taken to living on Earth as normal, or semi normal at any rate, people after getting kicked out from the penthouse."

"But that is horrible!" Emily didn't seem to care about her predicament with Lucifer next to her. The surprised face on Hell's monarch told him he had expected it, but not the sincerity behind her words. "I thought that wouldn't be true!"

Before anyone else could say a thing, Charlie approached Emily. The click clack of her naked hooves on the ground calling the small Seraphim's attention.

Ah, yes. Emily hadn't noticed the more inhumane and far more demonic and natural traits on Charlie, had her? In fact there had been a bit more than just surprise when Adam had brought up all the anger inside Charlie back upstairs. Then again, there had been very little time to dwell on that.

But that was unimportant right now. "Emily. Not that I am unhappy about this visit, but… why are you here? Yesterday wasn't… exactly great."

"I know." Emily looked down and away from the princess of Hell. "And… well. For you it has been a few hours. For me? A few months."

Charlie arched an eyebrow before her father chimed in. "Remember the time warp spell?"

Charlie's face lips made an 'o'. "But that is a small bubble, right?"

Alastor knew the spell itself. Useful to keep yourself, or someone else, isolated for a while. That is, of course, depending on the 'mode' the spell was on. You could either speed time, or slow it down. At least for a novice that was the case. A more adept magic user could make the time inside go faster while the time OUTSIDE went slower. You could even combine the fields in various ways to make that bubble a literal minefield for any living, or unliving, being.

"Yes." Lucifer ignored Alastor's musings. "Usually at least. For a powerful enough magic user, like a Seraphim? You could easily engulf a city with such a thing. For a short while at least." He then pointed at Emily. "This little one probably concentrated her power in a specific room."

Emily looked slightly bashful. "How can you tell?"

Lucifer made a face. A mix of disgust and mirth. "You smell."

Well, that was brutal. Alastor had to try not to chuckle.

"Oh…" Meanwhile Emily was blushing something fierce. "Sorry… Me and the souls that helped me were… busy. We were searching for a lot of information. For how strict Heaven is, I am still surprised we are allowed to connect to Earth's internet."

Charlie frowned at this. "Why would they let you do that?"

"Considering how little we are told and how we are expected to spend our days in bliss or serving our duties?" Emily frowned with a face that told everyone she was trying to hold anger back. "I suppose it serves the purpose of 'distraction'."

"And espionage." Lucifer cleared without a single prompt. "Hell isn't the only one keeping tabs on humanity."

"Yes. I have noticed. A bit too late, but I have." And so more and more anger and resentment were made clear on Emily's side. Alastor made sure to file that for later. "But that is not all. There is a lot of information stored in Heaven that anyone could access. And you know why? Because NO ONE cares to do so! Everyone is so busy being 'happy' that no one seems to remember to check on anything unless it is their obligation."

"Don't feel too bad." Lucifer chimed in, by now far more relaxed in the presence of the little Seraphim than he originally thought possible. He could find himself sympathizing with Emily. "It was the same back then. You have a task; you live for that task. When you don't have to do your task? You enjoy Heaven's 'perfect' environment. Father-" And that word was said with no little venom in it. "-made sure to give us all we could ever want. Practically no one had any personal desire or ideas outside what was needed of them, or offered to them."

"Yes, I am guilty of that too." Emily felt less anger and more embarrassment now, but one of a different kind. It was more akin to shame and self loathing. "Look. Point being: I spent close to a month in a cell of my own making with a few angels that were just as angry as I am about this all. Heaven has kept us in the dark about the Extermination for far too long."

While Alastor already knew this, courtesy of Vaggie, Lucifer seemed surprised. "Wait. You telling me this deal I made to try and keep MOST of Hell safe was just… a secret? I wasn't told they'd keep all this on the down low!"

"Yes, well, it doesn't seem like Heaven is big on sincerity after all." Emily gritted her teeth as she spoke. "Ironic, considering anyone could find all of this if they checked. But again! We never did."

That made Alastor laugh. Every eye was now on him.

"Ironic?" The Radio Demon's smirk was as wide as it could ever be. "No, more like… fitting."

Charlie frowned at the words. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, please, Charlie. I thought you'd have seen the light by now, as it were." Alastor rested his body on his cane as he pointed at Emily as gently as he could. She was a dame after all, and very innocent. Alastor had a soft spot for those. "Our dear angel here has served you the answer in a literal golden plate, no silver anywhere on sight."

"I don't get it." Charlie's look was one of confusion. "What should I see?"

"That Heaven and Hell aren't too different? Perhaps they are even the same!" Alastor let out a laugh at the idea. "Sinners, even natural born demons, do not spare a single thought about each other when they have their vices and desires scratched and fulfilled here in Hell. Why would any of them do otherwise? A pit of suffering this place may be, but you also have the chance of achieving ALL you could ever dream." And Alastor's voice, usually with that filter of his, had lost its effect. It was generally a sign that told anyone within earshot that he was speaking without lies or acts. And this time? He was very much sincere. "As for Heaven? Oh boy. It seems like there is no pain, suffering, enslavement or anything like that… But if you give the masses all they ever want. Why do you need to hide anything? They all do as you want. None of them care for what happens outside of their little bubble. It is a smaller, and more 'perfect' version of Hell."

Various faces met with Alastor's words.

Lucifer's was the clearest and most expected; unamused, perfectly knowing that Alastor, or 'that fucking asshole' in Lucifer's mind, was right. It was oh so easy to do as you were told in Heaven because you always ended up happy… if you toed the line that is.

Charlie's expression was, admittedly, hurtful to Alastor. He didn't mind torture and manipulation, but he had to admit that making Charlie any less bright was… disappointing. Painful even. And here Charlie, already aware that Heaven was not all she had made it up to be, only realized just how similar to her home realm it truly was. A pit of decadence in a much neater bow and with nicer smells and a brighter coat of paint

For some reason it was far more painful to see the blank face of Emily. Alastor had just met the girl and he had to admit, robbing someone of innocence, like this, was sometimes fun. But when said innocence was pure and genuine? It left even him with a bad taste in his mouth. If it had been another schmuck or asshole it would've been not only easy, but satisfying and gratifying in equal measure. For the poor girl that had likely lived sheltered to a point that made Charlie's own early life look hard and difficult? Well, perhaps Alastor had been a bit too harsh.

But he shook those thoughts away. He had spoken no lies on this occasion. There was no need to feel anything but satisfaction. Heaven was, after all, not all it was chalked up to be.

"He is not wrong." Emily was the one to break the silence. "We already saw there were few differences when you came for your meeting, Charlie."

Charlotte, for her part, could only squeeze her eyes shut. Razzle and Dazzle had either not understood, or did not care, about the implications before. They were there for their mistress and that was it. The little goat boys had simple minds but big hearts.

"It shouldn't be." Charlie muttered as she folded on her knees, finally sitting on the ground and against her bed. Both Razzle and Dazzle were on her in a second. Even her father wanted to go, but he backed down at the last second. "There is so much happiness in Heaven! But… I wonder how much of it is genuine now. How much happiness is achieved just through lying."

Lucifer rubbed his brow in apparent mental pain. "Ignorance is bliss, Charlie. While you can check on what is going around you, as is your right, the more you look, the more you worry. Why? Because there is always something bad going on."

"But Heaven doesn't have any of that." Charlie frowned, almost digging her head in between her legs as she tried to fold on herself.

"Because they ignore everything on the outside." Emily admitted, fully aware of how things worked now. "And everyone is guilty of that in Heaven. I mean, I have been there for MANY souls that made it past the Pearly Gates. Some of their stories… I did my best to just help them, not dwell on the usually horrible details."

"I'd expect nothing less." Lucifer nodded, but quickly made amends when he saw his daughter and Emily looking at him with varying degrees of guilt. "Look. I was here when Hell first came to be. I spent a lot of time with the few friends that Fell with me, with my… With Lilith." That last part hurt more than Lucifer wanted to admit. "It is easy to try and ignore what hurts you, you know? To close your heart and your mind. In Heaven you are meant to enjoy life for as long as the AFTERlife allows you. It should be FOREVER." Lucifer let out a sigh. "But we both know that, sooner or later, that isn't the case. More so if you truly worry about others, if you try to bring change or truly help. And as a reward? You aren't only hurt by Heaven, you are warped by their abandonment. Me and the other Deadly Sins are just an example… and none of us remained as helpful and caring as we were when we Fell. Some even lost their way completely."

Charlie almost said something, but she was sure that, if nothing else, her father was mentioning Mammon with that last remark. Of all her uncles and aunts, of those that Fell, Mammon was the one to let himself go the most.

Luckily for the trio, and for Alastor's entertainment and unending curiosity despite many of these spoken words having barely any effect on him, or driving any interest, the little Seraphim had things to say. Oh, and she did say quite a lot with so very little.

"That is why I told Sera that I am helping Charlie."

Now that drove everyone to nearly crack, in Alastor's case quite literally, their necks to face Emily.

"Hell and Heaven both try to meddle with the lives of mortals." The young Seraphim said with a frown. "This was forbidden on all levels. And you know what? No one cares. Just like with everything else." And Emily looked just so done as she said this. "There is no real rule that tells us NOT to appear in front of humans. Only rules about us not meddling with their lives. If no one cares, then why should we?"

Alastor could only humm as he heard the small angel speak those words. "What are you trying to say, my dear?"

"I plan on revealing that the afterlife exists."

Again. Few words. Huge impact.

"Do you, now?" Alastor's smirk was sharp. "Please, do share the details."

"There is a lot of suffering in the living world. I know it is impossible to stop that. Unlike Heaven and Hell, everything in 'Creation' is limited for a reason. Life must be a struggle… at least after Eden's departure." Emily began, a more solemn voice she had never used. "Heaven and Hell have allowed humans to go on thinking that there will be no consequences for said struggles. Oh yes, they have their own morals and laws and all that, but for all intents and purposes they don't care about what comes after."

"Why would they?" Alastor smirked, knowing where Emily was going with this. "There is so much misery already. If you have to struggle to be happy, then so be it. You make the decisions that make you smile in the end."

"But that smile doesn't last!" Emily had the reaction Alastor had hoped. The young Seraphim all but burst forth in anger. "I am not opposed to mortals fighting to be happy. But they act like there is nothing AFTER their lives end. We, Heaven and Hell, have both stayed away to the point they Do. Not. Know! Everyone thinks that telling them the truth would control them, but that is not what I think should happen!"

"But…" Charlie almost interjected. Almost. She made a pause before finally voicing her thoughts. "Then what are you trying to do, Emily? I don't like people having to suffer as they do here, but opening up to the humans would mean they'd end with a binary choice."

"Sure, if it was that easy." For the first time Emily looked full of scorn, sarcasm and disgust. "But then again, no one back home knows how WHAT gets you into Heaven."

That made everyone pause for different reasons.

Lucifer hadn't been informed of that particularity, not that he had even asked (Or that he would've been given an answer if he did). Although he had to admit that, for as little as he focused on his kingdom, he had noticed that, percentage wise, more and more people were showing up every year.

Alastor was still intrigued as to how a place such as HEAVEN could have an entry so complex, or undecipherable, that its own wardens weren't informed on the 'how to' of its inner workings. Something stank there, though whether everyone else noticed or not was not his problem.

And Charlie? Charlie still couldn't believe such an answer. It was impossible in her mind. She hadn't always had the best ideas and hopes for Heaven. Hell, she was born down here. There were times she looked up and cursed the place, more so in her youth. There was a lot of misery here and not all of it came from Hell itself. So there had to be something *better* out there. She had to believe that.

"But the choice, it seems, was never binary." Emily cut the silence in twain with a very tired face. It looked like the little Seraphim was showing just how much sleep, meaning NONE, she had during the past 'month' on her end. "I do not wish to tell humanity as a whole 'be good and go to Heaven', or 'be bad and you go down to Hell'. No." She shook her head. "In a way I DO want more people to get to Heaven. I want to show everyone that your decisions and actions matter not only in the living world, but AFTER. In that way I DO hope to make humanity maybe not 'good', but nicer. To stop many of their fights… though from what I learned of mortals, they'll find something else to fight about at some point."

Alastor snickered a bit at that. "Pardon me for finding this funny my dear, but that is humanity for you. All thanks to this man right here." He pointed at Lucifer.

The King of Hell, for his part, made a face before speaking in the most deadpan tone possible. "What do you mean?"

"You granted humanity free will, did you not?" Alastor was very nonchalant, but he was also, surprisingly, sounding both sincere and grateful. "Freedom is one thing I treasure, my good man. That, at least, and if nothing else, I can thank you for."

"Fat load of good humans did with that gift." Lucifer snorted. "I just wanted them to have a chance to create, like angels do. To be able to choose what to do, unlike my kin. We are given a task and that is almost all that we are." He sent an apologetic look to Emily, though the young Seraphim didn't seem to have a way to fight against such claims.

"Nonetheless, we are what we are in part thanks to you." And it was hard to know if Alastor was complimenting Lucifer or dishing him on that one. "But yes, back to the point: Humans will find more things to fight and divide themselves with. It is part of who we are as a species."

"And I will respect that." Emily had steel in her voice as she spoke. "But I have to believe that opening up will, at least, make them think long and hard about who they want to be. No longer will it be just 'fantasy' that the afterlife exists. No longer will it be a lie when you say that, by bettering yourself, there may be something, someone, waiting for you in the beyond. After they know that the afterlife exists, they will only have themselves to blame. I only hope it makes them think a little more before acting. But I also want them to see that things can change if they make mistakes."

Charlie hugged herself as she looked away. "It is hard to believe they'll trust those words, Emily. This hotel hasn't produced any results… We saw that my friends have gotten better, but-."

"But that is where you are wrong!" It was at this point that Emily regained much of the cheer Charlie had seen in her back when the pair met in Heaven. Emily was smiling wide and hopefully. "I just need to go meet with IMP!"

Alastor and Lucifer shared a look of confusion. She did know that there were a lot of Imps out there, right?

"Uh… Emily." Charlie had a strained smile on her face. She was trying to word this. Delicately. "There are a lot of Imps in Hell."

"Oh? Oh! No! My mistake." Emily cleared her throat. "I need to meet with I.M.P; Immediate Murder Professionals."

Alastor let out a chuckle. "That sounds like an assassination business my dear. I didn't think your plan required such specialists."

"Well, it doesn't, technically." Emily was a bit bashful as she reminded herself of what the Imps in question peddled for Sinners in Hell. "I mean, they ARE assassins. They go to the living world to kill people for Sinners that were wronged."

It was Lucifer the one to breathe out a very tired and dumbfounded. "Come again?"

"I know it is super illegal and wrong! That is not the point now!" Though Emily found herself surprised at those words. She had wanted to try and stop them after coming here, but she had also found out time was not exactly something she had much of. "I need to meet with them to learn where one of their old customers is!"

Charlie looked at Alastor, then her dad. She was clearly as confused as the others. So she asked the obvious question. "Why?"

"I need to talk with a certain 'Miss Sarah Mayberry'." Emily was clearly becoming more agitated the more she zeroed on the topic at hand. "She hired the Imps from I.M.P to kill the woman her, eh, 'ex husband' cheated her with."

Alastor grimaced. "Of course. That kind of thing has been more common as of late."

Considering his own interest, meaning NO interest, in all things carnal… Well, Alastor had a particular disgust and hatred towards adulterers. He already disliked sex. But if you go out of your way to cheat? Oh, disgust is just the first thing that crosses his mind. Desire to hurt comes soon after. The misery of such acts may amuse him, but as a gentleman (Cannibalistic, brutal and sadistic as he was), such people, be they men or women (one of those rare times when Alastor made very little if any distinctions there) were meant to suffer a great deal.

But back to the topic. Alastor looked at the little angel. "But what could this woman help you with, my dear?"

"Hers was a crime of passion." Emily decided to have this done and dusted as quickly as she could. "I found her by accident as me and those aiding me were combing through modern events. My time bubble was strained by that point, and I hadn't found someone that felt 'right' as a good example. Then I found Miss Mayberry." And despite the actions she took, it seemed that Emily had very sincere and high hopes for the woman. "Apparently she was, well, not a saint, but a very good woman; taught and loved children, didn't drink, smoke or sleep around. She was very giving, always positive and even took care of her mother by age fifteen after the older woman's addictions and general bad lifestyle got her partially disabled. By age seventeen she was basically made a single mother when her elder sister all but forced her unwanted son on her!"

Lucifer and Charlie both suck air through their teeth. Yeah, bad family life. They had their own shared history. Even Alastor had to admit this sounded bad enough to be unpalatable. Considering The Radio Demon's father and his poor mother's best attempts… well, a story for another time.

"By the time of her death, around twenty years after she was made to care for her sister's child, whom she named Jack, Sarah was in a very delicate mental state. Apparently common in her family, but little can be done about it. She was as happy as she could be and had high hopes. And all she wanted? For her husband to finally accept her proposition to start a family." Emily's face fell very quickly here. Disgust was as clear on her expression, almost as much as sadness. "What did she get instead? She makes a surprise call to her husband, since the man worked at home, to wish him happy birthday. And what a surprise it was! The man cheating on her IN FRONT OF HIS WORKING COMPUTER! A scene made to mentally scar every child in Mayberry's class, to be sure." Emily had seen a lot of crap this past 'month', but holy shit if the 'smaller' and more personal stuff was sometimes a worse mix of sad, funny, ironic and messed up than the bigger events. "Well, I mean, until… uh… Sarah drove home and did everyone in, or, well, tried to. She did kill herself after she took care of husband, but the other woman, Marta, survived. And, eh… yeah… the children did see it all; from Sarah arriving with a chainsaw and a shotgun to her own suicide."

Charlie rubbed the back of her neck. That sounded bad. Very bad. But it wasn't the WORST story for anyone to land in Hell. In fact it was quite tame. "Well, a crime of passion is, you know, far from the worst we have heard from some people down here. Though, poor children…"

"That is true." Lucifer hummed at the thought. Children and the kerfuffle in general aside, this was not the worst tale he had heard. "I don't doubt that woman was more than incensed enough for anyone to have her revenge fulfilled."

"As she should." Even Alastor had to agree with Lucifer there. "Such businesses should always have the right conclusion. Of course, had she a sound mind, I doubt she would have taken the easy way out afterwards." Or allowed the computer to remain online for the children to see. But that was a private thought for Alastor to enjoy.

"Yes, because she left someone behind that *I* want to help and that I know Miss Mayberry misses dearly!" Emily made everyone look her way again. "Her nephew is basically an adult now, but he has no more family and since the event he has been targeted by a lot of people! He is not a beacon of hope or anything, just a normal young man. But he is the perfect person to help us prove that Charlie's idea of redemption works! Sarah loved Jack, and a passion crime is usually done when anger is still fresh! I know there are many Sinners out there that don't deserve their fate, but Sarah may very well be one of the few we can help quickly enough to prove she can be redeemed."

Charlie took a second to think. She did see the possibilities. Besides, it was a recent Sinner. In a way it would be much easier than changing someone that spent decades, or centuries, in Hell and going through their vices in a cycle of self destruction. "But what would that do? I mean, not like I am against helping people. But we don't exactly have much time…"

"No, we don't." Emily nodded quickly. "Extermination has been postponed to the-" The small Seraphim made a face, as if it hurt her to say this. "-normal timeframe. I am sure six more months should be enough, but we don't have that much time."

Well, that confirmed it to Alastor. His original plan was gone. But still… there were opportunities here.

Charlie was mercifully unaware as her eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh! Emily! Did you do that?!"

"Yes! Sera heard me out, though I think she expects nothing of it." And Emily was very much correct, even if she wanted to think otherwise. "But again, not important! She only gave me permission to do any of this if I can get Mayberry to agree. I needed to offer her a 'patient zero' for this and Sera latched on Sarah the moment I offered that name. I am not even allowed to go talk with her nephew otherwise, and I am sure by now she is checking on him so no one else does it either. Sarah must choose to give this a try or whatever happens, happens."

Lucifer frowned. "That sounds a lil bit ominous… What did Sera mean?"

Emily's smile became very nervous, perhaps frantic. "Sera made it clear: If I want to try, I am given one chance. If I fail? I will have to accept how she runs things and wait to see if Charlie's idea can succeed. And if it doesn't? Well… two Exterminations a year may just be the beginning considering how many more souls are going to Hell."

The King of Hell didn't lose that frown. And while Charlie gasped in horror, Lucifer wanted a proper answer. "That isn't what I asked, missy."

Emily gulped as she twiddled her thumbs. She was trying very, very hard to remain calm. "Jack may… uh… have a few problems of his own? In the head, I mean? As I said before, it is common in his family. Severe depression and stuff. His aunt was always there to make things much better, but after so long alone and with people bullying him and painting his only family as a monster…"

"He is going to do something stupid." Charlie was quick to finish for her. That is why Emily was this worked up. They probably had as much time, or less, than when the Extermination was still coming twice in a year. Probably less even. "You said you checked on him?"

"Yes." Emily nodded quickly. "We have a few machines we can use even in the time bubble I used. It… got me in trouble with Sera. It is why I am given only one chance. Those things aren't meant to be used but-." The little Seraphim shook her head. Focus! "But I know he was preparing something! I don't know, a video or a note or whatever! He may try something today! I need to see Sarah and convince her! And if we convince her, if she helps Jack, then I have permission to have anyone willing to lend a hand get to Earth, even you, Lucifer!"

Lucifer looked surprised. "Me?" He asked as if he couldn't, because he really couldn't, believe it. "Why?"

"I… I am sure Sera doesn't think anything can come of this. She conceded a lot very quickly." Emily felt hurt at those words. But she was also emboldened. Sera wouldn't stop her. "But after helping Jack? I want to make people aware of the afterlife, like I told you. I-We can find a way to let everyone see how Sarah makes progress towards, I don't know, making up for what she did? To explain and seek forgiveness? Whatever we do will be better than nothing! I am sure that'd get her redeemed! And, and, and, if it at least help Jack, and helps others become better, if only a little bit, then maybe more souls will end in Heaven and Hell will suffer less from overpopulation and violence!"

Well, Alastor had to give it to the little Seraphim: She had conviction. And a lot of energy. Perhaps too much energy and far too much innocence and hope to fight the fear and apprehension she was clearly coated on, but she DID have gumption, that was for sure.

Hmm… The Radio Demon DID see opportunities indeed.

"Well, I think it is a marvelous idea." He spoke, surprising everyone around him. "Of course, let's not mince words here. I think it is perfect to entertain me with. This sounds like a completely insane plan after all!"

Charlie placed a hand on the now slumping Emily. "Alastor! Come on!"

"Yeah, don't be a dick here." Even Lucifer thought Alastor could've toned it down a little. He was of the same mind, just, you know, not the same words. He didn't want to make his daughter sad again after their last conversation. "You don't know if it won't work!"

"Oh, whether it does or doesn't is not the problem. Besides! I said it was a good idea, didn't I?" Alastor rested on his cane again, looking at a pouting Emily that had all the air sucked out of her. "In any case. You want to make everyone on Earth aware of what comes after? I have a good friend that could help you with that. Perhaps even help Miss Mayberry come to terms with a few things. Rosie, the leader of Cannibal Town, has a way to work not only with rocky relationships, but she is a great people's person. Partially because you have to understand people to eat them, partially because she likes to keep her cannibals in good spirits and as sane as can be… which isn't much, but that is how we like it!"

Emily made a face. Well, that was better than nothing?

"I… wouldn't be adverse to meeting her and discussing this?" Emily gulped. Was it a good idea? Really? Probably not. "But first we need to find Sarah. Time is of the essence and if Jack does… something… Sera will come and take me back and Jack will end as a Sinner."

That was a conundrum, yes. And Alastor had to give credit to that Sera woman. So cruel and cold. A true mastermind to be sure. She all but gave her own sister the key to her downfall. Desperation on a Seraphim was a destructive force, to be sure.

Lucifer and Charlie both seemed intent on such force to remain well and truly away from Emily however.

"Okay, I got it." Charlie had been checking her phone for a hot minute. If they needed to be quick, then she wanted to know where to go. "I.M.P has its headquarters in Imp City."

"Unsurprising. Hand it here, sweetie." Lucifer went from serious to babying his daughter before she handed him the phone. "Ap, ap, ap… here."

The King of Hell made sure to check for the location on ' ' before snapping his fingers. A portal opened a second after.

"Imp City Express everyone." Lucifer chuckled as Charlie tried her best to get her shoes back on her hooves. The rest of her usual clothes were forgotten as her father made the portal bigger. "Let's hope the boss at I.M.P doesn't give us any trouble now, eh?"

… Somehow that made Emily and Charlie's hairs stand on end. This was going to be a shitshow, and Alastor couldn't help but laugh internally at the thought.