My friend Hooty_is_a_bug is my new co-author. They helped me with the next chapter. Also because I'm starting my spring semester in college, the stories are gonna be slowly updating. Please understand, that I'm not abandoning my stories; my classes will take up a lot of my time. I will try to update whenever I can but I need you all to be patience.
By the next morning, everyone in the hotel was packed up for the trip. Lucifer handed everyone a crystal so that once they stepped through the portal, they would activate their human disguises. Nifty volunteered to stay behind and look after the hotel; also because Niffty would have gone on a full cleaning spree seeing the streets of New York. One by one, the group stepped into an unremarkable New York backstreet. No one saw them step out of Hell with their suitcases.
A towheaded woman, hair stark in a long Dutch braid, stepped excitedly through a portal that tore through the alley. The desolate alleyway, gray as it was, stood no chance to her kaleidoscopic self if the hellish red portal hadn't already disrupted the environment enough. Angel had finally convinced her to wear more color than red under the pretense of a "human disguise". Her dress shirt, a silky gold satin, and matte bordeaux red trousers. The woman, Charlie's skin had tanned though she was still shockingly pale. She also had blue eyes instead of her red eyes.
Vaggie followed her girlfriend, placing her hand on Charlie's shoulder, the other grasping her unclasped pocket knife, better received than a spear on Earth. Opposing Charlie, her skin had vastly changed to a darker olive with plum brown hair in an effortless ponytail all tied with her bow. Her eyes were a lovely shade of hazel. Her outfit was simple, like her hair: a purple jumper, satin-like Charlie's top, practical and breathable for fighting while still cleaned up. A part of her hair covered up her face where her eyepatch was on her right eye. Both girls wheeled in their suitcases behind them.
The spider twins came through next; plus for the first time in New York due to a new era, Angel could finally wear a dress without all the hate and criticism. Angel or Anthony donned a bubblegum pink slip dress with his classic black high-heeled boots on his feet. His disguise hid his extra sets of spider arms. He had sunglasses on his head under his blond hair with pink frosted tips. Angel had about five suitcases with him. "Tony, you were supposed to pack light," Arackniss said from the other side of the portal.
"I did." Angel argued, "These are all my outfits that aren't too sexy."
Molly wore a blush shift dress, and hot pink heel shoes and had her blond hair all tied up. Both siblings (and Arakniss) had references for their living forms. The twins' faces have matching deep brown eyes; minus one of Angel's eyes being blue and their pale faces splattered with freckles like stars. "Tony, even I didn't overpack," Moly said, gesturing to her two suitcases behind her.
"Oh please, that's your standard packing on vacations," Angel argued.
Lucifer, Cherri Bomb, Arackniss or Armani, Husker or Henrik, Sir Pentious or Edward, and Alastor left the portal next vanishing it in their wake as if the door to hell was never there to begin with. When Pentious stepped out of the portal, his tail instantaneously turned to legs in a blinding but quick light and he stumbled quickly to the ground. Arackniss rushed over and helped Pentious up offering a hand and a shoulder. "Head over heels for your man, Edgelord?" Cherri asked, teasing Pentious.
"Not funny. I've spent decades as a snake demon in Hell so I never formed legs." Pentious stated, trying to stand.
Arackniss held onto Pentious, supporting his loving boyfriend even though he was shorter than him. Arackniss wore a black pinstripe suit like his usual one, his hair espresso brown and skin olive and clear, the only feature tying to his siblings being the eyes they all got from their mother, brown. Pentious had long silky uneven black hair and was ghastly pale his emerald green eyes sparkling at the new industrial environment to explore. He still wore his top hat and suit but he had black pants on and he was wearing dress shoes. Arackniss had the suitcases for the both of them.
Alastor, slightly shorter though still over a head above Lucifer had his natural chocolate curls back and almond skin, his mother's features, he refused to change his suit. His eyes were brown instead of the red radio dial eyes along with a set of glasses sitting on the rim of his nose instead of a monocle. Lucifer on the other hand was wearing a shirt saying "Quack-tastic adventures await!" With a crudely drawn duck beside it and bright red shorts. His skin, eyes, and hair match his daughter. "Can't you wear something less childish?" Alastor asked Lucifer scrutinizingly.
Lucifer turned to and scanned over Alastor with a glare, "Says the prick that's wearing the same stiff stuffy suit."
Husk had stubble and a messy flat cut of salt and pepper hair and dark skin. He wore a nice suit as well and to Angel, he looked like he stepped straight out of The Great Gatsby rather than the desolate mess that is Hell .
Cherri still wore her same clothes except the top was more of a real tank top. Her ponytail was now a platinum blond, her skin was pale and she had two eyes instead of one. No longer cycloptic, both eyes were a light grey. Angel was practically drooling over Husk's disguise. Cherri waved her hand in front of Angel's face, "Earth to Angie."
Angel snapped out of it, his face matching his dress "I'm awake!"
"Alright gang." Lucifer said with a joyful grin, "I got our place for the next few days. Grab your stuff and let's roll."
Most of the group started walking and following Lucifer. Angel was struggling to pull his five suitcases; Molly watched his struggle and giggled. Arackniss was helping Pentious walk while he had one of his bags in his hand and Pentious had his own bag in his other hand. "I told you so, Tony," Arackniss said with a smug grin.
"Yeah, yeah! I get it!" Angel groaned, "Just give me a hand!"
Arackniss just walked away with Pentious and Molly, telling Angel that he was on his own.
Meanwhile, at the Waverly Substation, Alex was in her room gathering up cans of fresh paint and brushes for her outing. The one place Alex loved to paint besides the school's art room was the abandoned subway tunnel known as The Freedom Tunnel. It was her sanctuary, a place where artists like her could create freely, expressing themselves on the vast, graffiti-covered walls. The tunnel held an unspoken camaraderie, a sense of belonging she rarely found elsewhere. She packed her sketchbook, flipping through its pages briefly to admire past sketches: cityscapes, abstract patterns, and more recently, dark, intricate spider-like figures that had crept into her drawings without her even realizing it.
As she reached for her bag, her eyes landed on the pentagram necklace lying on her desk from her dad's lesson about demons. She never really wore it; she didn't see the point. Yet, something about it today made her pause. She picked it up, feeling its weight in her palm, the metal cool against her skin. Sighing, she set it back down.
Then, something odd caught her attention. She lifted her handheld mirror and gasped. Her reflection was wrong. Instead of her usual brown eyes, two gleaming red orbs stared back at her; deep, blood-red like polished rubies. Alex frantically searched the mirror, leaning closer, hoping to find a glimpse of her familiar brown eyes underneath. But there was nothing—just crimson. A sudden ringing filled her ears, drowning out all other sounds, her vision flickering like a static-laden television screen. Her mind was filled with fragmented whispers, eerie echoes layered with broken radio signals that played on an endless, maddening loop.
A sharp pain snapped her back to reality as she recoiled, her face colliding with the edge of the dresser. She winced, touching her forehead just as an angry voice rang out. "ALEX!"
The scream pierced through the fog clouding her mind. There was desperation laced within the anger. Alex barely had time to register the second, louder yell before her door was thrown open, and Justin barged in, his face red with frustration. "CLEAN UP YOUR DAMN MESS!" he shouted, his eyes scanning the shards of broken glass scattered across the floor from the mirror she had just dropped.
Alex blinked, momentarily stunned, before muttering, "Yes, Justin..." But he had already stormed out, slamming the door so hard she feared the rusted hinges would give way.
Once she was certain he was gone, Alex took a deep breath and retrieved her wand from inside her boot. She decided against using a typical rhyming spell and instead chanted softly in an older, unfamiliar language; a healing spell she'd read about in one of her father's dusty old tomes. The warmth spread through her knees, sealing the cuts and easing the sting. With another flick, the shattered glass floated into the air and reassembled itself flawlessly. Alex stared at her reflection again. Brown eyes. Normal. She shook off the unease settling in her chest and forced herself to focus on her outing.
Without a second thought, she left the necklace behind. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, she grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl, ready to sneak out before Justin could lecture her again. The substation was busy enough with customers that she could blend in, slipping past unnoticed. Or so she thought. "ALEX!"
She groaned, already knowing who it was. Justin emerged from the back, arms crossed with that usual self-righteous look on his face. "You need to get ready for your shift," he scolded.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Justin, I can't. I'm meeting up with some friends for an art project."
Justin scoffed. "Yeah right. You? Working on a project? That's a first."
His snark grated on her nerves, but instead of snapping back, Alex simply flipped her hair dramatically and walked out, calling over her shoulder, "Enjoy running the place without me, Justin!" She smirked as she heard him groan behind her.
With her sketchbook under her arm and paint supplies in tow, she made her way to the Freedom Tunnel, the lingering image of red eyes and spider-like figures still haunting the edges of her mind.
Lucifer entered the apartment first; he had picked it out after all. The space was modest by human standards, but for a crew of demons used to Hell's chaotic luxury, it felt almost comically small. Alastor, naturally, had to make an entrance, picking an argument with the landlord over what he called "the suspicious lack of vintage charm." So, the trip was already off to a rough start. Lucifer sighed and tried Charlie's breathing exercises, silently vowing to ignore the grinning nuisance.
The lock was stubborn, taking thirteen tries to open, each failed attempt earning snickers and stifled laughs from the group. When the door finally creaked open, Angel burst through with dramatic flair, leaving five of his oversized suitcases in the antechamber but keeping a purse-like one clutched to his chest. "I am not trusting my essentials to the unknown," he declared, striding inside like he owned the place.
One by one, the rest of the group poured in, dropping their respective luggage onto the floor with varying degrees of enthusiasm and exhaustion. Charlie, ever the responsible one, took charge. "Okay, listen up! Since we have limited space, I'm assigning roommates. Vaggie and I will share a room." She smiled warmly at her girlfriend, who gave a nod of approval.
She assigned Arackniss and Pentious to be roommates which they didn't mind. Angel rolled his eyes at hearing that; he was still mad about Arackniss dating Pentious. Molly and Cherri were sharing a room together. Husk nearly had a stroke when he heard that he would be sharing a room with Angel. "Is it too late to bunk with Alastor?" Husk asked.
Angel grinned, slinging an arm around Husk. "Oh come on, Whiskers, it'll be fun! Just you and me, cozy as can be."
That left Lucifer and Alastor as roommates, a pairing that made Lucifer visibly ill. He groaned but ultimately caved to Charlie's pleading look. Everyone dispersed to their rooms. Once inside their room, Alastor wasted no time setting up a full recording station with a microphone and assorted podcasting equipment. Lucifer raised an eyebrow, "Did you have to bring that stuff?"
"Yes," Alastor answered plainly, as if traveling with a mobile studio was the most normal thing in the world.
Lucifer sighed and unzipped his overstuffed suitcase, rubber ducks spilling onto the floor in an avalanche of squeaky toys. The pile grew until it nearly reached Alastor's knees. "Did you have to bring all that stuff?" Alastor echoed with a smirk.
Lucifer shot him a glare before summoning a portal and dropping a pile of ducks over Alastor's head. "Charlie didn't say I couldn't be petty," he said smugly, watching Alastor shake off the rubber onslaught with an eerie grin.
Meanwhile, Husk cracked open his own suitcase to reveal only a few outfits and a large stash of whiskey. "Travel light, live right," he muttered.
Angel, on the other hand, had enough luggage to stock a department store. Husk eyed the pile incredulously. "You packing for a vacation or raiding a mall?"
Angel flipped his hair. "I need options, Husk. Options."
Molly's luggage was a bit more reasonable, though still impressive, while Cherri's consisted of clothes and a suspicious amount of mini-explosives. Arackniss and Pentious were more practical, unpacking neatly on their bed. Pentious carefully unrolled several blueprints, mumbling about engineering restrictions, while proudly holding up a tiny egg boi keychain-sized contraption. "Penn, you sure about bringing that?" Arackniss asked warily.
"It'll be fine, Nissy! This one's just for show."
Once everyone was settled, they split up for some well-earned leisure. Husk, predictably, found the nearest casino and settled in for a long night of poker. Alastor, ever the showman, disappeared to a dive bar to sing karaoke, perfectly replicating Ernie Hare's classics. Meanwhile, Vaggie and Lucifer took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep, Charlie opting to stay nearby while chatting with Niffty, who enthusiastically described her beetle novella over the phone. Cherri and Pentious' absence wasn't noticed until an explosion rattled the alley outside. "Please don't tell!" Cherri pleaded, while Pentious simultaneously shouted, "Charlie!"
Meanwhile, Molly and Angel dragged Arackniss outside, eager to revisit some of their old childhood hangouts. The streets of New York still felt oddly familiar, even though so much had changed since they were younger. But in some places; some memories had a way of staying the same. Their first stop? The bakery. A tiny, unassuming corner shop that had once been their go-to spot for the best cannolis in New York. As kids, Molly and Angel used to beg Arackniss and their parents to bring them there. Molly and Angel practically bounced with excitement as they approached the familiar storefront.
"Just like old times, huh?" Angel grinned, stepping up to the counter and ordering with the confidence of a seasoned customer. "I swear, I've missed these cannolis."
Arackniss stood off to the side, arms crossed, trying to hide his amused smirk. "You guys really can't go anywhere without some kind of food challenge, can you?"
"You know we can't," Molly shot back, winking as she grabbed the bag of fresh cannolis from the counter. "We've been craving these since, like, forever!"
With the bakery stop out of the way, Molly and Angel exchanged a look, and both of them immediately turned to Arackniss. "Time for our next stop!" Angel declared with excitement in his voice.
Arackniss groaned, already knowing what was coming. "Let me guess—shopping?"
Molly gave a dramatic gasp. "How could you possibly know?!"
Lucifer had given them some real human money for their vacation, and that meant Molly and Angel were about to go on a shopping spree, and Arackniss was going to be their unwilling bag boy. The clothing store was their next stop, a place where they had spent far too many hours as teenagers, trying on absurd outfits and dreaming about a life outside Hell. The moment they walked inside, Angel's eyes practically sparkled. "Look at all the options, Nissy!" he cheered, already headed straight for a rack of neon-colored jackets.
Arackniss raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? You're still into this... bright stuff?"
Molly, having found her own treasure of a chic leather jacket, gave Arackniss a teasing look. "Don't knock it till you try it, Nissy."
For the next hour, Molly and Angel moved with the precision of experts, pulling various clothes off the racks and tossing them onto Arackniss, who was rapidly becoming a human clothes hanger. His arms were weighed down with an absurd number of shopping bags, and he couldn't help but groan as the pile seemed to grow by the minute. "Okay, okay, I get it, I'm the pack mule," he grumbled, glaring at his siblings. "But you're really going to buy all this?"
Molly laughed, tossing a dress into Arackniss's pile. "Why not? You're the one with the muscles to carry it all." She grinned playfully, adding,
Angel chimed in, grinning ear to ear. "You can't say we didn't warn you, Nissy. This is what it means to be part of the family."
By the time they finished their shopping spree, Arackniss had bags hanging from every limb. His siblings, both grinning ear to ear, could barely contain their excitement. "You're the best bagboy ever," Molly teased, smacking Arackniss on the back as they left the store. "I'm starting to think I'm your personal shopper," Arackniss muttered under his breath. "Should I get a uniform, too?"
"Maybe a nice pink one," Angel snickered, nudging him with an elbow. "You'd look great in it."
Arackniss shot him a glare, but even he couldn't suppress the grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I'm going to get you both back for this."