"Huh? N-now?"
"Yeah, just got a call from him. He said it was really important."
"Well, I think we have time. If you're okay with it."
"Why wouldn't I be? This is a friends stuff now, I don't really need to get mad at him for getting on my tail like before."
"In that case... I wanted to inquire something you said this morning."
"Like what?"
"The whole 'going to the Human realm for the sake of it' thing."
"Oh... that. Yeah, I think we gonna figure that out really soon actually."
Collin stared with befuddlement towards the Hellhound, unsure what she meant by those words. The wolf was relieved to finally be away from Alastor. The meeting with the Radio Demon was... unexpected was an insane understatement. Despite the accident with the elevator, Alastor, while initially interested on mundane aspects of the Hotel functions, coarse him into the subject of Heaven. Collin never thought he would be going into such detail about that subject with the likes of Alastor but, what worried the wolf the most, was that the Radio Demon was very familiar with certain aspects of Heaven, which was awfully suspicious. Yet, when Collin was about the question Alastor's knowledge of such, the conversation quickly deviated to how Collin got to Hell and what had he done since, which would hardly seem to entertain the likes of him, yet... the Demon seemed very interested on his story, which Collin wasn't sure what to think of. Thankfully Vaggie pestered the Demon with enough phone calls for him to address the damaged property, allowing Collin to leave earlier than expected. Collin later found Loona at their room, although she seemed to be on a rather poor mood, not interested on talking much about anything, at least until Blitzo called her on the phone regarding a particular issue of his that he wanted help with.
"So, how did things went with Belle?" He asked out of curiosity, not feeling like prying further on whatever Blitzo wanted. Loona snorted.
"Like you can imagine. She's being a bitch about anything that won't go her way, not like I care. Charlie will get her to dispel the contract and I will be free for good. Her problems won't be mine."
Collin frowned. There was a clear indication the Belle's reaction back at Gluttony highlighted a personal issue of hers they weren't aware of. He felt the need to address that to better understand what was happening between her and Beelzebub, even if that came at the cost of dealing with Belle's erratic personality. Yet, such ponderings would have to wait, especially now that Blitzo was asking for their aid on a matter of his own.
"I would not disregard her so easily, she could be an important person to aid with Charlie's cause after all, even if you two don't see eye to eye." Collin replied evenly, not wanting to give Loona a reason to think he was taking any kind of sides. The Hellhound huffed, unwilling to discuss the matter any further. "So, what does Blitzo wants?"
"Something about a sister of his." She replied morosely. "Not that I know much about her. Only saw pictures at best. Blitzo... never talked much about his family to be honest." She said slowly, filled with uncertainty. "I guess everyone has their own private Demons. And no, I don't mean Stolas." She added with a frown. Collin shrugged.
"Speaking of him anyway, think we should call Octavia? It has been a while since we invited her to anything." The wolf suggested, which seemed to improve the Hellhound's mood a bit.
"Sure thing, she's been wanting to go to the Human realm anyway. I will give her a call and figure out when she's free to go while you pick the door." Loona said with a cheeky smile before grabbing her cellphone from the kitchen counter.
"Pick the doo-"
Collin was interrupted as the sounds of knocking came from said door. Loona chuckled, pointing a finger at her own nose as to indicate her source of future wisdom. Collin huffed, feeling slightly embarrassed for not having yet tried to use any his natural skills. He made way to the entrance, his nose finally picking the scent of...
He sighed heavily while turning the door knob.
"Well, look who's here! Been few hours since our last brawl!" The unmistaken shape and voice of Sir Pentious greeted them from across the doorway, at his side the cheerfully awkward presence of Charlie, followed by a heavily annoyed Vaggie.
"What is this?" Collin merely asked, not feeling like even bothering to make a proper reaction. This day was having far too many surprises.
"Weeeellll, I just found out during our last meeting that Sir Pentious is quite handy with all sorts of engineering and mechanical affairs. Soooooo, I thought it would be great to offer him a position in the Hotel as our maintenance team. Oh! His eggnions will be the rest of the team obviously!" She added with incredible excitement.
Collin stared, unsure to take her words for granted, or if she was under the effects of something, or if this was just a strange dream.
"This is just a terrible idea." Vaggie added her predictable two cents about this whole thing. "I don't mean to insult you Charlie, but you cannot take this creep, egomaniac, deluded, obsessed weirdo onto a serious job!"
"Please! I'm more than overqualified to run this junk of a building!" Sir Pentious proclaimed, nonbothered by the insults. "I could make this rusty, overglorified maze of nothingness into the greatest engineering marvel of the nine rings!"
"How much you're paying him again?" Vaggie flatly asked, seemingly done with the snake Demon. Charlie laughed nervously before addressing Pentious with a bit more seriousness.
"I'm sure you understand we need to make sure the place is running to the minimum standard. No need for extra machinery unless to improve the structure we already have at disposal. Make sure that whatever noisy equipment stays at the basement. We want discreet functioning. This is an Hotel, not a factory. Let's try to keep it that way." She said firmly, to which Sir Pentious seemed slightly less excited about.
"Fine! A mundane thing it will be then. Urgh, I cannot believe I have to sink to such levels for some recognition!" He replied dramatically. "And you! Don't have to worry about moi, I have not forgotten what that wh-
He paused as Charlie actually slapped the back of his head, a heavy frown on her face. He exhaled indignantly before correcting himself.
"- that Hound of yours did to my greatest invention yet." Sir Pentious resumed with far less energy. "I will try my best to ignore her presence during my stay here. That much I can guarantee for the sake of professionalism! This is my farewell then."
Collin raised an eyebrow as Pentious slowly turned around to leave, but made sure to avoid Vaggie as much as the hallway would allow him room to move around her. Once the snake Demon was out of sight he focused his attention back on the girls.
"So... how did you do that?" He asked with a sympathetic smile, realizing how aggravated Vaggie was looking at that moment.
"Oh! Was easy actually. I get he was angry with Alastor, Angel and Loona, so I kind of suggested for him to, you know, work here under me. Which would make him respected not only by a lot of Demons, but my father especially. I think the power trip thing of his talked louder. It's not like the idea of being highly appraised by Lucifer wouldn't be appealing for someone who seeks that kind of respect." She replied with a grin on her face. "It took some convincing, but I think that, and the salary... helped to sway his opinions a bit."
Collin had to admit how cunning, but incredibly smart that move of hers was. Yet, Vaggie didn't seem to share that sentiment.
"Are you okay Vagatha?" The wolf asked with a knowing smile. Vaggie was partially stunned out of her anger, looking at the wolf with a bit of surprise.
"I thought you wouldn't remember calling me that." She admitted, seemingly uncomfortable. "Shit like this drives me crazy. Angel was already a pain in the ass, I cannot even fathom what kind of trouble Pretentious will cause now. I think I will tell Niffty to keep her eye on him just in case."
"It will be fine." Charlie assured them. "Pentious knows that causing trouble will put him at odds not only with us but da- Luficer. He won't want that at all." Vaggied let out a chuckle.
"I tend to forget who your family is at times. I guess I am worrying too much, even if I don't fully agree with your crazy ideas." She replied amiably. She then turned her attention back to Collin. "When you have time... I wanna speak with you, privately. No, it's not about the Hotel."
"Huh, sure thing." Collin replied hesitantly, not expecting such invitation from Vaggie. "So, is this introduction the reason for you three being in this floor?"
"Well, not really. Mostly, yes." Charlie started, crossing her arms with visible anxiety. "I'm unsure of how to deal with Belle at the moment. I've heard Beelzebub has contacted my father to find out where she went. Needless to say I asked him to not tell Beelz anything. Of course that's not a easy thing to ask. Still, between daughter and best friend, he decided to come here to find out what's going on."
Collin blinked for a moment, his mind slowly registering what she said about her father coming to the Hotel.
"Lucifer... is coming here?" He said evenly. Charlie nodded. "And... you want me to do what exactly?"
"So, that's the thing. I don't want him to know about you yet. You think you and Loona maybe can go out for a bit? Just so until the whole ordeal with Belle is cleared out. I will give you a call when he's no longer around." She somewhat pleaded, which Collin found it humorous.
"I certainly don't wanna be in the same building as Lucifer. Rest assured about that." Collin replied with severity, to which Vaggie snorted, fully in agreement with his feelings on that particular matter. "Huh, will he be here this night? It's sort of late and I could use some sleep. I mean... Loona is... anxious about it." He couldn't help the intense flush on his face. Vaggie snorted while Charlie smiled sympathetically.
"Not this night, no. Just make sure to be hasty before the next night. As for Belle... hmmm, I will see if that other Hound, Pinklie, can provide enough of a distraction to ease her out somehow. We don't need the likes of her and Angel, nor Pentious, getting into an argument of any sort." Charlie sighed heavily. "To be fair I'm feeling a bit spent aswell."
"No surprise, you haven't slept for three days." Vaggie said with clear annoyance. Collin raised an eyebrow.
"Three days? Is that... okay for you? I'm not sure how well folks in Hell can handle that kind of depravation." He asked carefully. It never occurred to him to think how much something mundane as sleeping could affect such beings. Heaven folk never really slept, just rested on a meditative state. Charlie shrugged.
"Well, I've spent way more time without sleep than this, just not with this unusual amount of... expectancy." She said slowly. "Anyway, better we get going. I left the task of showing the Hotel to Millie and Niffty. These two are getting along really well!" Charlie added with a smile. "Glad to know they are so easily sociable. There's... quite some personalities in this place. Hopefully things will run smoothly. Now, I haven't forgotten about the kitchen staff. I will see about it with Pinklie and Belle. Night Collin!"
"Night, both of you." He replied with a smile of his own, earning a nod from Vaggie before she followed Charlie towards her summoned portal. Without the elevator they found enough excuse to just move around with their own spells. He sighed while closing the door, relieved for the day finally coming to an end. At least until he turned around, seeing Loona coming out of the dorm room dressed only on her underwear.
"... what about the dinner?" He asked meekly, fully aware where this was going to end. Loona shrugged with a devious smirk.
"Care to help me prepare it?"
"Oh, Lord."
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"I know you and Charlie already discussed this, but I need to be sure I can trust you fully. No bullshit. Just the honest truth."
"I... don't really have a reason to lie, nor intent. I'm not sure how I can even try to explain this to you in a way you can actually believe it."
"I need to be sure Collin. I... urgh, care to keep a secret?"
"I will. No matter what you tell me. It is my duty, and a blessing, to behold the confidence of others as one of the greast-
"-est of tests, to value my whole being. It shall firm the faith from another's trust."
Collin stood speechless, his eyes found Vaggie's quickly. The shock of finding someone else who knew part of the rite of ascension of the Guardian Angels, in Hell no less. It was just impossible.
"H-How you..."
"Sacred testifying during an Guardian Angel ascension is something one of the Seraphim attend with great honor. Usually they are accompanied by their own selected guard." Vaggie paused, a huge sigh leaving her lips as she frowned at the memories. "I was one of the Holy Guard for one of the Seraphim many years ago."
Collin felt his jaw hit the floor, almost in a literal sense. How could this even be? The Holy Guard were among the most prestigious across the entirety of Angelarium. The Holy Guard being almost as highly respected as the Seraphim themselves, although nowhere near as proficient with spell casting and rituals, they were still considered part of the elite of Heaven's Fighting Corps.
"How...how did you end up here?!" Collin asked, completely baffled by this reveal. "No one would ever fathom about one of the Holy Guard falling."
"Because, just like you told Charlie, you didn't know about the exterminations or the exterminators and... neither did I. Until I became one."
Collin's eyes widened, perplexity and confusion as he stared at Vagatha in utter astonishment. She nodded, fully understanding the bewildered look on his face. She felt the anger in her heart spike as she recalled the days back then.
"I was requested by a particular powerful individual. One that I... never expected to see during my time in Heaven, nor had any reason to believe he would be there." She said slowly, her words carrying a clear amount of tension. "Did you... ever heard of Adam?"
This time Collin's confusion was quickly replaced. Turning into a stoic expression instead, which surprised Vaggie.
"Ah, yes. I did heard, saw and... 'dealt' with him previously." Collin responded evenly. "He's the one who appointed me for the Cherubs. Said I could redeem myself of my failure if I worked under the likes of Deerie. That I would learn to be more firm on my beliefs and not lead others astray during trying times." Collin sneered as he recalled those words. "He's full of it. Thankfully I never had to see him again. Nor want to."
"So you figured out he's got his head up his ass a bit." Vaggie replied with a bit of a smirk. Collin nodded.
"Yeah, but it's not a sin to be full of yourself, it's not really pride. Just too much confidence on his beliefs. Not that anyone would ever reprimand him. Adam has been a symbolic figure in Angelarium for millennia. Yet, he knows better than to cause sparks amongst the Seraphim. I've heard of him and Jesus having a debate many decades ago." The wolf scratched his chin ponderingly. "Not that we would ever know if that's true or not. Even in Heaven something like rumors is quite normal, it's not a lie, just a misconception based on unverified events. No one ever claims it to be truth, just that it was what they heard about."
"Woah, wait, what?! Jesus?!" Vaggie was now the incredulous one. "I never saw or heard of him in my time in Heaven. Where is that even coming from?" Collin shrugged.
"Jesus is not exactly a figure of presence. He comes and goes from time to time. No one really knows where he goes or what he does. He's been absent for decades from what I heard. Not that it should be surprising. God and Jesus do things in their own accord. It's not relevant for anyone in Angelarium to know about it. We already have been tasked with much. Surprises me you never heard of him though, he's a very highly spoken figure in Heaven, as it should be. Still, why did you bring up Adam?"
"Because he's the one leading the exterminations."
Collin felt a rise of panic for a moment. That Adam was leading the exterminations in Hell along, what was most likely, other Angels simply would go against a lot of rules, practices and patterns of behavior that Angelarium considers sacred. It didn't make sense that such has been happening for so long without anyone at Heaven taking notice of.
"I don't understand. That kind of... ill practice does not have the right to happen. To think there's several Angels that take part on it. Something's not right." Collin said, his words losing energy and he struggled to make sense of it all. His body felt heavy and tired. He wasn't sure what to think of any of what he's been told. It's clear that Vagatha was not in accord with the exterminations, which could explain why she stayed at Hell. But even something like the secret mass murdering did not warrant enough of an excuse to trade Heaven for Hell. "I understand you not wanting to take part of it, but what made you exchange Angelarium for this?"
Vaggie crossed her arms, giving him a bitter smile.
"Well, to be perfectly honest, not much different from your reason of staying around." She said somewhat mysteriously. Collin frowned for a moment until he quickly got at what she meant. She nodded at seeing the realization on his face. "Yeah, crazy what love can do with us, isn't it?"
That Collin certainly could understand. He smiled nervously in response, to which Vaggie chuckled before she spoke.
"Even is the darkest hours, amid the endless wasteland, there's someone worth to be found. Some light to be shed and hope to spark. Whenever I lose myself in the endless void-
"-where my faith may be blind and my words shallow, my heart will lead me to the right path." Collin ended solemnly. He smiled at his Heavenly sister, feeling immensely relieved to have someone he could talk to regarding his home without fear of ostracism.
Vaggie seemed fairly at ease now, laying her back to rest onto the couch. She gave him a sad look before asking.
"What has happened to our home? How come things came to be like this? At first I thought the purge was something that everyone knew about, some Holy duty of sorts that only the most mentally prepared could take on. Now, to realize it was all done under the carpet. Makes me wonder if Heaven is actually divided."
Collin couldn't help the grim look on his face. He glanced around the room they were in. Vaggie asked to meet him under her own disclosure. It was a room like any other on the Hotel, but she mentioned about tweaking the place to make sure they would never be eavesdropped by any kind of Hell denizen. The room still kept the same dark, moody and unsettling appearance of the original Hotel before changes were made by Charlie and Niffty. He was sitting across Vaggie in another couch with a small wooden table in between them. All the windows were shut for the sake of privacy and the lighting was faulty, so much so that only the kitchen light was working, which provided bare minimum for them to be able to see each other. It was as shady than those Mafia encounters he saw in old television shows from Human kind.
"I... wish I had a response. At first I thought I was at fault for the things that happened with me. Now? I'm almost certain that we have not led ourselves astray from the path of truthfulness and goodwill. The question is... who really has forsaken what God expected us to be?"
Vaggie rewarded him with a look of skepticism.
"How can you even be sure what God wanted? What if killing Demons is something he actually demanded? What if I'm the one who's a dissident? God is not all forgiving, we have seen it before. Go ask Lucifer."
"I'll pass on that one. And what about the Seraphim? Wouldn't they have a clearer idea of what has to be done?" Collin questioned, his doubts feeding his growing fear of Heaven corruption.
"I don't know what the Seraphim think of it. Not that I really ever talked with one about it. By the time I had my first trial as an Exterminator, I was already abandoning all that I spent years believing it to be the path of righteousness. It's not... easy to see everything you held so dear to be the right way of things to be tainted by same old characteristics that run across the dark side of Humanity and Hell."
"Perhaps we will have to try to inform them of the folly that occurs, otherwise it will only get worse with time. If we find a way to contact them of course." Collin suggested without much hope. It was unlikely for them to get any links to Heaven from Hell. He was not expecting for Vaggie to actually know of a way.
"Actually there is a way. Limited but it works. Not that we will be able to do it without Charlie knowing about it though..." She lamented with a heavy sigh.
"You will have to tell her eventually. It's no good to keep secrets if you want a healthy relationship." She huffed, clearly frustrated but aware he has a point.
"You don't keep anything from Loona? Not a single thing?" She asked with a bit of incredulity. Collin shrugged.
"I will tell her anything she asks, but if she doesn't... not necessarily, unless I feel it helps to strength our bond. We... became very close in a very short time. She is a person as much as any other intelligent being out there. Where she comes from does not define her, but her life experiences were terrible. I'm... astonished she remained strong this far. Thousands of Humans have faltered with far less. I will remain loyal to her as long as I live, that much I promised her and myself."
"Damn, you didn't really change much since coming here, making me feel bad about myself." Vaggie joked with an eyeroll. "But, yeah. There's folk down here that deserve better, which is why, despite not fully agreeing with everything she says, I stuck by Charlie. Someone like her should not be in Hell, not by a long strecht. I believe her cause, just not all the structure of it. She tends to be very naive at times, which could cause unecessary danger. Girl floats over the ground more than necessary." Vaggie said affection and concern. "You been doing well by being honest about her expectations and needs. Keeping her grounded is the best chance we have to make something out of this. Now, I don't know about going back to Heaven. What about you?"
"I... don't think I would go back to Heaven. But Hell is not for me either." Collin said with a solemn look that Vaggie could sympathize with. "I was actually pondering about going to the Human realm. There's enough space there for just a few of us to live peaceful lives."
"Even if we are not allowed there unless on specific ocassions." Vaggie reminded him with a narrowed look. Collin was undisturbed by the reminder of the sacred rules.
"If I don't mess with the Humans it's not really ground breaking on any sense. I'm not going there to cause trouble, just to be on my own space away from everything. If Heaven thinks so poorly about it then there's an issue with both."
"Perhaps." Vaggie gave the idea some thought, but it was impossible to see herself without Charlie at her side. The Morningstar would never abandon her home. "Do you... still make prayers?"
Collin's ears picked upwards. It has been months before he heard someone ask him of such. He couldn't recall the last time he did so. It was hard to him to think of it as a daily ritual anymore. He was not certain if God would be on his side regarding everything he did.
"I mean, not really. Do you..." His silent question being reacted with a silent nod of hers. Collin sighed before dropping down on his knees as Vaggie imitated his actions, both raising their hands together as they stared at each other with plain looks.
"Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will."
Vaggie's eyes widened for a moment, surprised but comprehensive about his choice of pray. She followed on his lead without question.
"Incline my heart to that which is good. Turn it away from all that is evil."
"Direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long."
"Amen."