Good Intentions

by Shaneman17

Paul was no stranger to evil, having spilled enough blood to flood cities. Still he had done it with good intentions, to protect the innocent and create a better tomorrow. However after falling into hell he realizes that just killing the bad guys may not have been enough, maybe redemption was the way to go. Maybe with the help of the princess of hell he could change everything.

3. Reservations

Hi there fair readers. So, I know it's been more than a year since I updated this story but I had a valid reason. I didn't know what to do with it. Look, as much as I wanted to write a good story for you, I didn't want to go against the lore of the world, which is hard not to do since the show only now came out. Thankfully I binged the entire series and am ready to go. Read on!

Chapter 3: Reservations

Crowley General Hospital

Blitzo was not a happy demon. That was nothing new as he was almost perpetually angry, with the only things putting a smile on his face being Loona and making other people miserable. The problem here was that his daughter and employees were currently undergoing surgery and there was no one he could hurt to make himself feel better.

With his face in his hands, Blitzo was desperately trying to keep himself calm, with minor success. He wanted to get out of his cheap uncomfortable chair and do something, anything to save his family. Yet there was nothing he could do. He was a killer, not a doctor. He could cut a man to the quick but putting the people he loved back together was beyond him. He briefly thought of getting revenge on the human who did this, but that was quickly dashed. Even if Paul Herpes was somehow still alive, finding him without the book would be impossible.

"How did this go so wrong?" He mumbled to himself.

"I was just wondering the same thing."

Looking up from his hands, Blitzo's eyes widened as he saw the tall owl demon that was Stolas, prince of the Ars Goetia, Blitzo's backer and fuck buddy.

"What are you doing here featherlight?" Blitzo insulted him, though without any real heat to it.

"Oh well I was just home with my family when the strangest thing happened. A human of all things just appeared in the middle of our dining room. If that wasn't odd on its own, he somehow had my grimoire with him." Stolas was still smiling and talking happily, but there was a frostiness that Blitzo had never heard from him before. "So, tell me Blitzy, what happened?"

Normally, Blitzo would gladly embellish and exaggerate his deeds while also trying to be as annoying as possible, but now he just didn't have the energy. So, he told the prince the truth. About how multiple people had hired I.M.P to kill this Paul Herpes (though Stolas assumed Blitzo had forgotten the real name), how it had quickly fallen apart and he, Millie and Moxxie were forced to flee back to hell. He had to hold back some tears as he described the beatdown that he, his employees and his daughter received at the hands of the human.

Stolas was quite surprised to hear how badly the demons had been hurt by the human. Yes, hellhounds and imps were considered to be at the bottom of hell's pecking order, but Blitzo and his companions were a cut above the rest, managing to punch above their weight class. It was one of the things that Stolas found attractive about the imp. Yet despite their skill it seems that the only reason they were all still alive had been more because of last ditch acts of desperation and dumb luck. And then Blitzo got to the part about how he saved his daughter.

"He stabbed my grimoire?!" Stolas shouted and several of the florescent lights flickered and some of the shadows in the hall started to boil before going back to normal as the owl calmed himself.

"Yeah, next thing I know there is this freaky lightshow and poof, the fucker disappears. Aaaand then my office burnt down. Again." Blitzo said.

"That explains a few things. My grimoire is a powerful thing, so to be able to damage it would take more than just an ordinary blade. What did his weapon look like?"

Blitzo shrugged. "I don't know, it was kind of twisty and weird. It kinda felt wrong and dark, which is really fucking strange because it's a sword."

Stolas narrowed his eyes at that information. "Twisty and wrong huh? Let me take a look."

"The fuck you mean by tha-" Before Blitzo could finish the question, Stolas grabbed him by the face and suddenly his brain felt like it was on all the uppers and downers possible with a joy buzzer thrown in for good measure. Stolas on the other hand saw all that had happened to the imp. The fight, the struggle against the human and the impalement of his grimoire. His infernal eyes widened as he saw the weapon the human had wielded and the vile light that his grimoire had produced when it interacted with the blade. The shadows twisted at its touch and Stolas could feel the echoes of power even through the memories. A dark and vast power that he could not understand, but one he had felt before.

Removing his hand from Blitzo's head, the imp fell back into his chair clutching his head and groaning. "Damn it I thought I was used to hangovers. Never do that again."

"Stop talking Blitzo."

Blitzo stiffened and stared at the no longer smiling owl demon. Stolas had rarely ever called him by his real name, usually just his pet name. That was not a good sign.

"What's wrong?"

"A great many things. Bring me to your associates and I'll have them back up in a jiffy. As soon as I'm done you all need to track this human down and get my book back, no matter the cost. I don't care what you must do or whether or not you kill this Paul, just bring me back my book. Before it's too late." Stolas said grimly.

"Um, you sure he's still in hell? Plus, why can't you do it? I mean you're a prince and I know you can open a portal to your own book, I've seen you do it before. Also, he's just a human, what can he do with it?"

Stolas frowned and unflinchingly met Blitzo's eyes. "Answering in order, yes he is still in hell, the grimoire can't jump dimensions while damaged, and the grimoire is no longer connected to me. When it was impaled, it was severely damaged and attempted to teleport back to me so I could repair it. It just so happened that the human came along for the ride. Also, when it was damaged, it entered what you could call a factory reset and disconnected from me. Reconnecting is a simple matter of a few drops of blood, unfortunately whether it was accidental or by design, I watched the human cough up blood right on its cover. As useless as it may be right now, its still connected to him. And as for him being a human?"

Stolas turned away from the smaller demon, no longer wanting to meet his gaze. He didn't want the man he cared for to see his fear as memories flooded his mind.

"Most humans don't believe in us, not until they get down here. Those who do don't truly understand what we are or how we work. That's one of the reasons why your business was successful, because they didn't know you existed. But the humans who do understand, who learn how heaven and hell operates? They are dangerous. A man named Solomon taught me that. Now, let's go see to your pals and after that I'll be off, things to do and all that."

"Yeah, like what?" Blitzo asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Like making an appointment to talk to the arrogant pricks that are the Von Eldritch family and ask them how the fuck this human can wield their magic?"

…-…

Elsewhere

"What?! You have got to be kidding me!" I yelled, briefly getting the attention of the nearby demons before they went back to ignoring everyone.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Charlie said a bit confused.

"You have never heard of Marty Robbins! That is a very big deal!"

Escorting Charlie had been a rather easy experience. We had been walking for an hour and had yet to run into any issues. The few demons I had thought would be an issue turned the other way when they saw Charlie and I together. My guess was that they didn't like their odds of taking on more than one person, probably looking for easier prey.

Charlie herself had also proven to be good company. She was rather cheerful and upbeat, and even reminded me of Veronica in a few ways. It hadn't taken long to start a conversation and it eventually led into a discussion about a topic of interest, music. Charlie, it turns out LOVED music. She loved music in all styles and forms, from ancient flute music to rock and roll. Then it got into favorite songs, with hers apparently being Singin in the Rain and mine being Big Iron. When I told her that, she had tilted her head and asked me what I was talking about. When I said it was by Marty Robbins, she had asked me "Who?"

That had devolved into pleading as I listed off other western artists. She hadn't heard of a single one. I of course couldn't understand how this atrocity could have passed, so I had to describe what western and country music was. That had then lead into what the old west and country actually was. She had then told me I was describing the Wrath Ring, which turned out to be a mix of farmland, frontier towns, deserts, and volcanoes. It sounded like an interesting combination, one I just might be able to see for myself. She told me that they had their own brand of music that she had always wanted to hear but had been told that it was "bumpkin shit" and not allowed in the Pride Ring.

"No Marty Robbins, no Kay Kyser and no Johnny Cash. God, this really is hell." I said with a slump.

"So you really are new?" Charlie asked.

"Yep, not even a day."

"That explains why you smell weird."

I raised an eyebrow behind my mask as I shot her a look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you just have this smell about you that just smells fresh and alive instead of the usual smoke and brimstone. It fades pretty quickly, but you still have it on you. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" She asked politely.

"I'm from the North American wasteland, what was left of the United States. As for city? Well I started out in the ruins of the former capital, but I eventually moved on to the other places, never really staying in one place for too long. I semi settled down in New Vegas and I consider it my home now, but I still go out explore. Well, I did, until winding up down here."

Charlie looked away for a second, her smile turning into a frown. "Oh, I'm sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it, life has a tendency of bludgeoning you over the head when you least expect it. If you're like me, you learn how to roll with the hits. What about you? Where are you from?"

"Oh! I'm from here actually. Demon born and raised." Charlie said with a proud smile that did not fit with what she just said.

"Really? You are…not what I was expecting. The other hellborn I've seen were much more uh…demony."

"Yeah well," Charlie brushed her blonde hair aside, letting me see that her ear was not like a human's, but pointed like the old cartoons. "You just need to know where to look."

She let her hair fall back into place and we lapsed into a comfortable silence. As we continued on our way, I was trying to rationalize that this nice girl was actually a demon that had been born in the depths of hell. Although it made a twisted sort of sense. If she were a sinner, she must have done bad things to wind up here and those who do bad things usually have bad personalities. But just like how bad people could come out of a good society, a good person could come out of a bad society. Someone must have done something right with her.

"How bad is it?"

"What was that?" I asked.

"How bad is it on earth? I have heard stories about earth after the Fall, but I've never talked to someone so fresh." Charlie said.

"Well, I'm not going to sugar coat it, It's pretty bad up there. Raiders, monsters, and limited resources make things hard for the people, but we humans are a stubborn lot. If there's a chance to survive, we'll cling to it with everything we have and we don't plan on going gentle into that good night. Plus, as bad as it is, it's getting better. Civilizations are making a comeback and people are working together to try and better their lives. I may be a bit biased, but the New America Regime have done a lot of good."

Charlie quirked an eyebrow at me. "New America Regime? That…doesn't sound nice."

"Yeah, the name sounds a bit sinister, but it fits. They went out and conquered the continent and united the wasteland. Sure, they used violence to do it, but it was mostly against psychotic marauders, so most people weren't complaining. Most towns were very willing to join up after being promised trade and protection at the cost of a few taxes. Granted the taxes were better than the shakedowns and massacres they were used to when dealing with raiders, so it was a no brainer. Plus, the few times some NAR generals attacked people unprovoked or abused their power, the higher-ups punished them accordingly. Nothing quite like a public execution to let people know you don't put up with those kinds of things."

"You sure do know a lot about them. Were you a part of this regime?" the demoness asked.

"You could say that. I did some work for them, and I wanted to make sure that the NAR was better than what had come before. Their king is also always trying work out the kinks and wants to make it as good a system as he possibly can. He knows the world will never be a perfect place, but that doesn't mean he can't try and make it better."

"If only others thought that way." Charlie said looking somewhat sad.

"Personal experience?"

"Kinda. Anyways I'm glad you're escorting me but are you sure it's fine? I didn't want to inconvenience you."

I shook my head in response. "No, its perfectly fine. To be honest I did have somewhere to be, but I am not in any rush. I don't need to be there today, plus this has been an enjoyable little walk."

As we continued along the path, the buildings suddenly stopped as we approached the edge of the city and we came to an iron gate that lead to a large hill with dark grass and barren red trees. There was a cobblestone path that looped along both sides of the hill and there near the top of the hill, a large pentagram had been scorched into the ground.

Further along the path and at the very top of the hill sat the strangest building I had ever seen. It was a tall building that looked about eleven or so stories high and if had to describe it with just one word it would have to be 'hodgepodge'.

The base for the building resembled an old hotel with plenty of red and yellow stained glass, including one shaped like a large wye at the top. The entrance to the building looked like it had been lifted from the front of a movie theatre, marquee included. A large carousel was sticking out of the left side of the second story roof while the front half of a cruise ship was sting out of the right side. For some reason, someone had taken the time to tie a mast with sails to the ship's last remaining smokestack. About a third of the way up the building, on the second highest roof sat a steam locomotive on an old bent railroad track that circled the building. The last major oddity was the radio station jutting out of the top right of the building that seemed to glow an ominous red.

What really grabbed my attention however was the very large and very bright sign that showed off the building name.

The Hazbin Hotel. A few discarded letters sat discarded to the side of the building. Two p's and a y. The letters need to spell happy.

I stopped in my tracks as I realized that this large building that looked like had been the product of an architectural orgy was the hotel I was looking for, even if I had obviously been renamed. The place where sinners were supposedly trying to redeem themselves so they could get into heaven. It was an odd feeling to know that something so important was taking place in a building that had come out of a fever dream. Then I remembered who owned the building.

Slowly turning towards Charlie, I saw that she was staring back at me and looking extremely nervous as she fidgeted in place.

"Is everything all right? You are ah, you're kind of freaking me out."

"Your name is Charlie."

"Umm, yeah?" The demoness said look more confused than nervous now.

"Charlie, short for Charlotte. You're Charlotte Morningstar." I accused.

"Oh, um yeah, yeah I am. Surprise!" Charlie said trying to force herself to sound cheery only to fall short as her smile looked a little strained.

I blinked a few times behind my mask, trying to clear my thoughts. Forget what I thought about how strange it was for a hellborn demon to be so nice, it didn't seem possible that the girl I had spent the last hour chatting about music with was the daughter of the god damned devil. The worst part was I felt disappointed that the daughter of the devil was nicer than the vast majority of people on Earth. That hurt my human pride a bit.

I let out a chuckle as I realized that my strange luck proved itself once again. "Oh, this is just perfect. First day down here and one of the first things I do is 'rescue' the princess of hell from some muggers. The very same woman I was coming to see. Hey God, is this some kind of practical joke?" I asked looking up at the crimson sky.

"You were coming to see me? Why?" Charlie asked with a tilt of her head.

"I just told you I had somewhere I wanted to be, right? Well…" I let my words hang as I looked towards the hotel.

Charlie looked at me oddly for a few moments before her eyes widened in surprise. "You were coming to my hotel?" she asked in disbelief even as her mouth curled into a smile.

"Yep."

I had barely gotten the word out of my mouth before Charlie turned into a blur and slammed into my chest plate, almost knocking me down. I wasn't surprised when I felt her arms wrap around me, I figured Charlie for a hugger. What I was surprised about however was that she managed to lift me off my feet and swing me around with a squeal of joy. Apparently, her slim frame didn't mean anything when it came to strength and I had to remind myself that Charlie was not human, no matter how cute she looked.

Setting me back down, Charlie quickly backed away and looked incredibly embarrassed at what she had just done.

"Sorry about, I got a little overexcited there."

"Ah don't worry about that; I take it you don't get much business?" I asked.

"Not really, no. We haven't really gotten any in the last two weeks, but now you're here!" she said happily.

I smiled at seeing her happiness. She really did wear her heart on her sleeve. My earlier concerns of this being a trick were mostly gone. Charlie seemed like the kind of person who couldn't lie to save her life. Or she may be a master manipulator and I was being bamboozled, but I doubted that. I had gotten good at figuring out if someone was feeding me bullshit, and Charlie seem completely genuine.

"Now come on! I'll get you all set up and on the path to redemption!" she said marching up the path with a new pep in her step.

My own smile turned a bit sad as I followed her towards the hotel. She really seemed like a good person, I hated that I was going to hurt her when she found out it was a way out of hell I needed, not redemption. I still wasn't sure about where my soul belonged, and you couldn't redeem what wasn't yet damned.

Still, no need to spoil the girl's dream. not yet.

…-…

Walking into the Happy Hotel, I wasn't sure what I was expecting but I was somewhat reminded of Tenpenny Tower. Only more ornate and with red wood, wallpaper, brass rails, and stained glass rather than refurbished marble and large chandeliers. It was also more personalized with various paintings and portraits hanging on the walls instead of cold stone.

There was a large single staircase up ahead that lead deeper into the hotel while the lobby had a fireplace area to the right and a check-in desk…that also seemed to double as a bar. Not sure if that's the best choice for a place trying to redeem sinners but hey, it's no skin off my nose. Behind the front desk was a demon that resembled a large gray and white cat with red wings. He wore a red bowtie around his neck and a tall black and red top hat on his head. I also noticed that he had the symbols of the playing card suits on his feathers with several hearts on his body. He was also chugging a bottle of alcohol like Cass would just before starting a bar fight. From the smell it I guessed it was the cheap kind.

Charlie took one look at the winged cat man and marched up to him with a smile on her face. The demon glanced at her without lowering his drink as she got closer, and I saw him roll his eyes at her approach. Apparently not even her own employees respected her. These demons were really starting to piss me off.

"Helloooo Husker~!" Charlie said in a sing song voice as she leaned on the counter.

"What cha' want girly?" the cat asked in a deep husky voice.

"Oh nothing, just a room for our new guest here." She said a voice equally parts smug and happy.

Husker briefly choked on his drink as he finally noticed me standing in the middle of the lobby. I flashed him a quick peace sign. His eyes moved up and down my body as he took in my appearance, his gaze lingering on my pipboy for a few seconds longer than it should have before moving on to the rest of me.

"Well shit, you actually got someone to bite? Color me still not impressed. You sure he's not just here to blow the place up? Guy looks like he commits war crimes for fun." The cat said before taking a sip of alcohol.

"Husker!" Charlie said sounding embarrassed. "I am so sorry about this Paul."

I let out a chuckle as I approached the desk. "Don't worry about I get it. Besides I don't think you guys need my help in blowing this place to hell."

"Too late." Husker said as he finished the bottle and tossed it over his shoulder where it joined a pile of empty bottles in the corner.

"Right, can't use that phrase anymore. So where do I sign to get myself set up with a room?" I asked.

"Fuck paperwork, just tell me where you want to stay. It's your choice." He said reaching for another bottle only to have it snatched from his paws by Charlie who was trying to give him a 'I'm disappointed in you' glare only for it to come off as more of a pout instead.

"Husker, what did I tell you about drinking while working?"

"Blah blah don't drink blah blah. I wasn't what you would call listening." Husker answered as he pulled out a flask from underneath the desk and took a swig.

"I don't have to sign any papers or contracts?" I asked Charlie and she turned towards me.

"Nope! Most people don't like signing their names down here because of all the stories of devil deals and all that which it not only racist, but untrue…most of the time." Charlie said mumbling the last part. "As for choosing a room, well we have plenty of spare space because you're, well, you are our first official customer."

I gaped behind my mask as I heard that. I knew this place wasn't doing well but I did not think it was that bad. Honestly, I couldn't understand how Charlie could put up with trying to help the idiots who didn't want to help themselves. I guess she was just a better person than me.

Still, if I had my choice of rooms, I wanted one with plenty of isolation. I would have to start experimenting with things to try and figure a way out of hell and I couldn't just do that with other people around for various reasons. I didn't know what would happen if it got out I was a human, but I knew it wouldn't be anything good. From the outside it looked like there were plenty of options for rooms, but they were all next to each other like a standard hotel. I'm pretty sure the station was already occupied, so the next best option would probably have to be somewhere in the middle with little chance of neighbors.

"Is there an isolated suit with a view-" The keys were flying through the air before I could finish my sentence and I had to react quickly to grab them.

"Knew that was going to be the first to go. Everyone always wants a view. Like feeling the rush of being big shots, looking down on everyone down below." Husker said with a roll of his black and orange eyes.

I blink at the odd, but also accurate statement. Wait, he was obviously a gambler and somewhat reminded me of an old world magician. That plus his comment might mean…

"You from Atlantic City, Reno or Vegas?" I asked.

He quirked an eyebrow at that. "Do I look like an Atlantic bitch? Vegas born and bred."

"Hah, knew it. You from before the war? If you are, did you choose the interior design for the hotel? Because it kind of reminds me of the Lucky 38."

"What!? Is the damned thing still standing?" he asked with disgust.

I gave him a nod. "Yep, I take it you're not a fan of the place?"

He sighed before taking another swig. "Not so much the place as the asshole who owned it."

"You had a beef with Mr. House?" I asked as I leaned on the desk, now very curious.

"How the fuck do you know about him? He died like two hundred years ago."

"Uh no, actually he's still around. When the bombs dropped, he plugged himself into some machine that kept him…I wouldn't say alive, but it did keep him from this side of existence." I said, making sure to not divulge the fact that I had usurped control of Vegas from House after unplugging him from his database.

I never really had anything against Robert House, in fact I could respect the man. It had taken some digging, but I had eventually learned his history. A young orphan who was cheated out of the family business and fortune by his brother Anthony, how he went to C.I.T. and eventually started RobCo industries. He took his new small business and grew it into one of the most successful and powerful companies in history. He had been a mathematical and engineering genius, the fact that most of his robots were still functioning two hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse was proof of that. Hell, he even had a hand in designing the Pipboys for Vault-Tec. Then there was the fact he managed to predict the Great War almost to the hour, and he still managed to save most of Vegas even after not being able to set up all his countermeasures. He also such a good business man that he almost convinced me to work for him in securing Vegas. Almost.

Still, as much as I respected the man for his intelligence, it was his lack of wisdom that drove me into betraying him. He saw Vegas as his property and didn't really see people as people, just customers, employees or obstacles. Then there were his plans for the Brotherhood of Steel and the Kings. I could understand wanting the Brotherhood gone, but he didn't even consider a potential truce or the fact that he could use their technological expertise for himself. As for the Kings, well he was planning to take over all of Freeside and didn't want the Kings alive to get in his way despite all the good they did and could do. Finally, was his decision to give power to the Omerta's, formally a tribe called the Slither Kin who were infamous for their viciousness and had a reputation of betrayal and backstabbing. Trusting a tribe known for betrayal was stupid beyond belief, and House even told me the only reason he did it was because they reminded him of the Old World gangsters that used to operate in Vegas. Predictably they were planning to betray House for the legion before I got involved. I never regretted kicking the Omerta's out and handing Gomorrah over to the Kings. One rebrand and some needed deep cleanings later, The Gomorrah was gone, and The Palace emerged from the ashes. It rivaled the Tops in the entertainment department and from what I could see, the competition was good for both sides. It kept things interesting. The biggest issue I had with Mr. House was that he had been so focused on restoring Vegas to what it had been, that he overlooked that it could be made into something even better.

Brilliant man, horrible common sense.

Of course when I eventually took over, I had the opportunity to kill the man, but it just seemed like such a waste of brilliance to kill him while he was hooked up to the Lucky 38 mainframe. So, I let him exist until I could figure out what to do with him. Thankfully my answer had come to me in the form of the Think Tank of Big Mountain. They had the means to live on even as just brains in jars and Mr. House wasn't using his body anymore anyways, so the decision was obvious, or at least it was to me.

I brought him to Big Mountain where I transferred his brain into a spare mobile tank for him to use. After poking around in his brain for a bit, I managed to erase most of his recent memories, basically everything after he learned Benny had stolen the Platinum Chip. House came to his own conclusion that Benny had been the one to disconnect him and the memory loss had been a byproduct of that betrayal. I was more than okay with letting him believe that.

After that it was all as simple as telling him half truths about me wanting to get revenge on Benny and stumbling into the Lucky 38 where I managed to discover his technology and continued his plans. As far as he was concerned, I had been nothing more than a competent opportunist.

He was of course pissed to learn that he no longer had any control of Vegas and that I was not willing to hand it over to him, but he was smart enough to know bitching about it would do nothing and that the Think Tank had promise. Save for Dr. Klein and Dr. 0, the rest of the brains had been rather accepting of Mr. House. Dr. 0 had of course been adamant in not working with his 'rival', but I had explained to him he could use this as an opportunity to prove himself better as well as allowing him to 'stress test' anything House built. He begrudgingly accepted the deal. Klein on the other hand just didn't want anyone more competent than him around and refused to accept him in any way. It had taken threats of unleashing Dr. Mobius on him to get him to accept. One week later and I had been informed that Mr. House was now in charge, having been elected as the new leader of Big Mountain after Klein had been mysteriously locked inside of a broom closet. With no hands to turn the knob and deemed unable to properly lead the Think Tank from his makeshift prison, House stepped up to the plate. Save for the occasional bouts of screaming and threats, the rest of the think tank were quick to forget Klein had ever existed.

Husk didn't seem to like my answer and took a longer swig while his frown turned into a scowl. "Of course the bastard is still around. He cheated all his life, why wouldn't he cheat death? Ah forget about him, how is Vegas doing?"

I really wanted to dig into that little nugget of information but now wasn't the time and I doubted he would tell someone he just met his life story. Still, it wouldn't hurt to answer his question. "It's currently the capital of a continent spanning empire, so pretty well."

The winged cat actually put his bottle down and looked extremely surprised to hear that. His mouth even hung open slightly. "Wow, I uh, I don't think I can even sass about that. Damn."

With that said he turned away and picked up his booze again, though I noticed he wasn't taking as big of gulps as he had been.

Turning away from the concierge, I moved back to stand beside Charlie who looked slightly confused about the conversation I had just had but decided not to pursue it. Instead, she walked over to a black phone on the wall and picked it up.

"Hey Vaggie, could you come down here please…Why? Because we have a guest!" she shouted into the receiver. "That's right… yes Nifty aught to come too. Okay see you in a bit, bye."

Hanging up the phone, Charlie made her way back to me. "I'll introduce you to the manager and maid when they get down here. You can just give them a call if you need anything during your stay."

"And their names are Vaggie and Nifty?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, not that Charlie could see.

"Vaggie told me it was short for Vagatha and Nifty, well she just like things clean and orderly." She said as we lapsed into silence as we waited.

We didn't have to wait long as I heard a door open somewhere upstairs, along with plenty of yelling.

"Look, all I'm say'in is if you let me set up some cameras and do a few shows you could get more people down here, even if just to see me. Let me do my thing and this place will be hopping more than the strippers at Bunny Bitches." An accented male voice said. It sounded similar to some of the gangs I had met in Old York.

"For the last time, NO! That is literally one of the last things this place is supposed to be known for! Now how about you get your head out of your culo and either help me welcome the new guest or go away." A woman's voice said with a faint Spanish accent.

As I waited for the people to show themselves, a watched as a blur of color sped down the stairs and stopped in front of me. I almost reached for Lil Devil before stopping myself as I realized just how small the figure was.

She stood barely four feet tall, forcing me to look down at her. She had bright red short hair and wore a red and white maid outfit that I couldn't help but notice had a few red spots on her chest. The thing that really caught my attention was the happy fanged smile and the large single eye that looked up at me.

"Hi! I'm Nifty! It's been so long since we've had a proper man around." She said as her smile widened just a bit too much for my liking.

"What? I don't fucking count?" Husker asked from the desk.

"Nope!" Nifty said without taking her eye off my mask and her smile continued to widen. Okay now it was just getting uncomfortable.

Before I could say anything to the little cyclops, I saw the owners of the two other voices I had heard walking down the stairs.

At the front was a woman of about average height wearing a red and grey blouse with a black skirt and dark grey leggings and fingerless opera gloves. The one accessory that didn't seem to fit was the bright red bow with long ribbons on the back of her head. She looked human save for the purplish gray skin and the eyepatch with the red X over her left eye that I could somehow see even through her long white bangs. It was probably demon magic of some kind, something I would have to investigate later. Her white and gray tipped hair fell down to her knees and made me wonder how she managed to take care of it.

Based on the semi formal outfit I hazard a guess that this was Vaggie the manager. The…I'm guessing man? The man behind her was an odd one.

He stood a couple of feet taller than me, but as was common with the other tall demons I had seen was almost unhealthily thin. I couldn't pin down what creature he was supposed to be based off of as he had two sets of arms and seemed covered in white fur from what I could see of his skin. His outfit seemed tailor made to be attention grabbing with his black thigh high boots, white and pink striped shirt that showed off chest fluff similar too how a woman would show off cleavage. He also had on long white gloves on his lower arms with a hot pink ones on his upper pair. The last thing I noticed was his pink irises with the sclera of his left eye being black, giving his face a mismatched appearance.

Something tells me this guy liked being the center of attention. Whether that was a good or bad thing probably didn't matter.

As they got to the bottom of the stairs, I noticed Vaggie stiffen for a moment as soon as she saw me. Her one good eye wandering over my body and narrowing slightly when her gaze landed on my sidearm. Her posture changed as she squared her shoulders and her fingers curled like she was ready to grab a weapon, though that was all she did. She was the cautious type then; I could respect that.

"Vaggie," Charlie said stepping closer to the gray skinned girl and motioned towards me. "May I introduce you to our newest guest, Paul."

"Hello, this is a nice place you have here." I said, giving them a nod.

"Yeah, we work hard to keep it running, so don't do anything stupid." Vaggie said with a growl.

"Vaggie!" Charlie said sounding surprised.

"Charlie, we talked about this. There needs to be an entrance interview, otherwise we might let in people who'll only use us for free housing and no interest of redemption." I noticed that she briefly glanced at the fluffy demon as she said that. "Plus, I don't like having someone so obviously dangerous around and we don't know how quick he is to pull a gun."

"Excuse me," I said cutting into the conversation. "But I like to think I have a good head on my shoulders so the pistol stays in the holster unless someone does something stupid. Plus, I can show restraint, just ask Charlie."

Vaggie turned to Charlie whose smile looked a bit nervous and didn't meet the manager's eye.

"What's he talking about?"

Charlie gulped at the question. "W-well, you see, you remember how you told me how going to hand out flyers by myself was a bad idea and I could be attacked? You were kinda sorta possibly right. But don't worry! I had it under control when Paul stepped in. Not only did he help me, he also did it without killing them. Sure he may have…well…"

"The idiots decided to take up arms against their princess, so I took those from them. Now that I think about it sounds a bit poetic." I said with a chuckle, causing the demoness to narrow her eye at me.

"So, you're a maniac that likes cutting people's arms off? Is that supposed to make me feel better about you?"

"First," I said holding up a finger. "I didn't cut their arms off, I shot them off. Big difference in skill level. Second, they were harassing your boss and I had every right to give them bullet lobotomies if I wanted, but instead I decided to be merciful. Plus, they were all insects so they had limbs to spare, like mister fluffy over there."

"Hey I ain't no bug metal face." The white and pink demon said. As if to prove his point, a third pair of arms emerged just below the first two and with black gloves this time. "I'm a spider, you know the kind that's eats bugs, and a few other things if you're interested."

I don't know how he managed it, but somehow despite the mouth full of sharp teeth, he was able to give one of the sleaziest smiles I had ever seen. It was equal parts impressive and repulsive.

"Sorry, you'll have to find food somewhere else. One, not into guys, and two, VERY much not into tarantulas." I said, talking a small step away from the demon.

"Your loss babe." The fluffy spider said as the third pair of arms disappeared back into his torso and grabbed a bottle from Husk's desk.

"So, who was that?" I asked Charlie.

"Oh, that's Angel Dust! You may be our first official guest, but he is our…uh I guess you could call him our trial run. One that still needs a bit more work." She said glancing at the spider as he drank a bottle of whiskey while apparently flirting with Husker. Husker for his part looked so beyond done I thought he might try to kill himself to escape the fluffy menace.

"Yeah, I think you are going to need more than a bit. So, anyone else I need to meet before I settle in?"

Charlie looked very nervous before putting on her smile again, though a bit more fake than normal. Then she stuck two fingers into her mouth and gave a sharp whistle. Only a few seconds later the air on either side of Charlie was filled with smoke and I could smell sulfur even through my mask's filter. As the dark clouds dissipated, out stepped two small identical demons. They resembled bipedal goats with black curved horns, small bat wings sticking out of their backs and spear tipped lizard tails lined with black scales. They also wore small red and gold bellhop uniforms with hats that sat between their horns. The only difference I could tell between the two was that the one on the left had dark pink fur while the one on the right had red.

"Oh my god." I said reaching down and picking the pink on up by his underarms. "You are…adorable."

The goat demon didn't do anything for a moment before his face broke out into a smile and his tail started wagging, almost like a dog's. Charlie who I saw had been watching me relaxed her shoulders and seemingly dropped whatever was left of her guard. I also couldn't help but notice that the red one was frowning in disappointment only to break out into a smile when Charlie started patting the top of his head.

"I'm glad you think so. The one you're holding is Razzle and this one is Dazzle. If you need anything, just whistle and they'll help you with whatever they can." She said as I set Razzle down. He also shot a smug look at Dazzle who just rolled his eyes.

I took one more look around at the hotel and other than Nifty's intense gaze, I felt satisfied that I had made the right choice. The people here were eccentric but surrounding myself with normal people just didn't sit right. I was the kind of guy who made friends with junkyard dogs, super mutants, hardened soldiers, and friendly killer robots. Normal just didn't appeal to me anymore. Of course, I was still in hell so I still had to be cautious, but maybe I could let down my guard at the hotel. At least a little bit.

"So, if there is anything else?" I reached up to my helmet and undid several seals with a small hiss. I felt the pleasant air brush my face as I tugged the helmet off and shook my head to get rid of my helmet hair. "Do you mind if I go get settled in?"

As I lifted my gaze, I quirked an eyebrow as I saw the others' faces change to various levels of surprise. I swear I saw Charlie's already red cheeks darken a shade while the smile on Nifty's face grew to unnatural levels. For some reason I couldn't explain, Vaggie seemed to pale and her single eye widened in shock. Angel Dust on the other hand…

"Oh with a face like that I could have treated you right. You're missing out buddy!" he called out before taking a swig from a bottle, only for husk to swoop in and snatch it from him.

"Oh, um sure!" Charlie said shaking herself out of her starring, which did not go unnoticed by Vaggie who stepped in front of the princess while glaring at me with so much hate it was a miracle I didn't spontaneously combust. "I'm sorry about that I just wasn't expecting that to be a mask or for you to look so…human."

Hmm, that was the second time someone made that comment. Looking at the two human looking girls I realized I did stand out. Vaggie's skin was an lavender greay while Charlie's was white as fresh snow, so I'm guessing natural flesh tones weren't common in hell, if they even existed at all. Looks like I would be wearing my helmet at all times when I go out. Shame, the mask could get rather stuffy.

"Not the first time I've heard that, probably won't be the last. Now would care to lead the way, preferably after calling off your attack dog." I said motioning towards Vaggie.

I had barely finished the words when I felt my instincts scream at me. I had long gotten used to listening my instincts, that primal warning system that so many people ignore and usually get killed for it. It had saved my life countless times in the wasteland, from realizing I was being watched to knowing when someone was trying to get the jump on me. My gut was rarely wrong and now it was shouting at me that something was behind me.

Grabbing Lil Devil from its holster, I spun around and shoved the barrel into the smiling face of the demon who I somehow knew had appeared behind me.

If I had to describe the man in front of me using only one word, it would be 'red'. Red suit, red pants and shoes, red hair and red glowing eyes watched me from their sea of dark red sclera. He was the usual tall and skinny combination I had seen throughout hell, though I got the feeling he was far more dangerous than his frame suggested. I was a bit curious about why he had small antlers and deer ears poking out of his head, but I could figure that out later. I was more worried about his fang filled smile being directed at me.

"My what good instincts you have. Not many folks figure out I'm around until I want them to." He said in a jovial tone, though it sounded wrong. His voice had a buzzing undertone that sounded like he was speaking through an intercom or a radio. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight. He also didn't seem to care about the large caliber pistol currently poised to blow his head off, in fact his smile just grew wider.

"Not the first time some predator tried sneaking up on me thinking I would make a good snack." I said without breaking eye contact, though I did notice the others in my peripheral beginning to look worried.

"Oh, I'm a predator am I?" he said straightening up and tapping a staff that I had just noticed on the floor. The head looked like an old microphone, so I'm guessing he did have some sort of connection to radios. "By that comparison, wouldn't that make you prey?"

"It makes me makes unimpressed. Charlie, who is this asshole?" Charlie stepped forward and pushed my gun down, though not without me hesitating.

"This is Alastor, my business partner and backer. I know he doesn't seem the most…trustworthy of people." As she said that Alastor's sclera turned pitch black and there was the sound of white noises for a few seconds before going back to normal. "But he has done nothing but help us since we got here. In fact, the hotel wouldn't look half as nice without him."

I holstered my pistol with a scoff. "All from the goodness of his heart?"

"Ha ha heavens no!" Alastor said pushing Charlie to the side. "That useless thing shriveled up and died centuries ago! It's actually fairly simple. I want to watch the dregs and the hopefuls work to better themselves so they can try and escape hell, only to fail and fall back down to hell knowing this is where they belong. And I'll be there watching with a bag of popcorn in hand. Oh' you just can't fake that kind of entertainment!"

Oh. Wow, I did not realize I could hate someone this fast, but there it was. The need to put a bullet through this guy's skull was strong. The only reason he was still standing was that it would only inconvenience him for a bit before he came back.

Alastor seemed to notice my mood and continued to smile at me though with a bit more self-satisfaction. "Struck a nerve, did I?"

"More than one. I'm currently considering whether or not you're worth the bullet." I growled.

Alastor let out a laugh as he took a couple of steps back to give me a bit more space. "Oh aren't you just a treat. A real tough cookie if I ever saw one. Definitely a cut above the usual thugs, bruisers and scoundrels that try to act like they are top dog. But you? You don't look like much of an actor, no you're the real deal."

With a that smile still on his face, the red man leaned forward and stuck out his hand. "Alastor, the radio demon at your service."

I didn't move to shake his hand and just raised an eyebrow. "You named yourself tormenter?"

Alastor blinked a couple times before letting out an exaggerated laugh as he retracted his hand. "An educated fellow I see. No, my mother decided to name me that, maybe she knew what life had in store for me? Now, tit for tat my goodfellow."

"Paul." Was the only answer I gave.

"Really? You look more like a Saul to me. Now it's been nice greeting the fresh meat, but I must be off. I have a show to host after all. Toodles!~"

With that, the radio demon made his way up the stairs and shot me an over the shoulder glance before disappearing into one of the hallways.

Everyone stood in silence as they watched him leave before turning back to me with various looks of surprise on their faces. I just crossed my arms and let out a huff.

"I do not like that guy. Anyways, you were going to show me to my room?" I said letting the keys jingle in my hand.

…

"I cannot believe you didn't even flinch when Alastor appeared behind you. I mean, he's the radio demon!" Charlie said as I followed her up a spiral staircase that led to the tower.

"Yeah, well I didn't even know he was a big deal, plus as bad as he is he's far from the worst I've ever dealt with."

It turns out that the red obsessed prick was actually an Overlord, and not some small timer either. If what Vaggie had told me on the way here was true, Alastor was not someone to take lightly. Hadn't even been in hell a month before he went on a massacre of overlords so brutal, he became a legend in hell. Though she also explained that he hadn't been all that active for the last two centuries and a complete no show for the last seven years. Still seen and well known but not doing much beyond running his radio show and a killing every now and then. Then he comes and decides to help Charlie with her hotel because it seemed like the best way to entertain himself.

I smelled bullshit.

I hadn't even talked to him for a minute, and I could tell that he had a hidden agenda. I had gotten good at judging people, something one needs out in the wastelands, and I could already tell that comparing him to a predator probably wasn't far off. Most predators relied on stealth and ambushes, they had to be clever because their prey could usually put-up a fight in a direct confrontation and the same usually applied to serial killers. And oh, Alastor practically had serial killer written on his forehead. Still, he seemed more like a Vulpes than a Lanius, only striking when he knew he could win, and that meant he was working on something behind Charlie's back.

I would have to keep my eye on him going forward.

As we got to the top of the stairs and entered a hallway, we stopped in front of a bright red wooden door, with an orange crystal shaped like an eye embedded near the top. I held back a shiver as I thought about that thing being able to watch me. Hell was no place for the paranoid.

Charlie stepped aside to let me pass as Vaggie followed behind, mostly silent during the walk here. I inserted the key which unlocked the door with a small click, and it silently swung open. What greeted me was a room that reminded me of the Lucky 38's presidential suite, only a window and a glass door that led out to a balcony. There was a dark green couch in the center of the room and had a small table and large tv across from the couch and against the wall. I also noticed that the tv was devoid of any company markings so I'm guessing it hadn't come from Vox but it was best to be careful around that thing before I could confirm it. Off to the left was a small dining table meant for about four people and several potted plants that sat next to a staircase. The plants themselves looked like a mix between a thorn bush and cactus with bright red points. A glance at the upper floor and past the railing revealed the sleeping area, a closet and a door leading to what must have been the bathroom. Then with a flick of a switch, the room was bathed in a warm light from a black and yellow crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling.

The three of us stepped into the room and I let out an appreciative whistle. "Damn, this is a nice place. You sure I can just have it? It looks more like a suite than a regular hotel room."

"No, it's all yours," Charlie said. "The hotel was mostly slapped together with leftover buildings and magic, so most rooms aren't standardized. Are you sure you're okay with it?"

I was surprised to hear the nervousness in her voice, she had seemed so confident earlier, but I suppose she hadn't had anyone outside of her colleagues give their opinions on the place. "Charlie, the room is phenomenal, in fact a lot of people on Earth would literally kill to have a place like this."

The elation was almost instant as Charlie broke out into a large happy grin and I swear I saw her eyes sparkle. I also noticed how Vaggie glared even harder at me and scooted closer to the princess. Huh, I wonder if she had a thing for Charlie or just over protectiveness. Either way, best to keep an eye on her as well. The last thing I needed was getting my throat slit by the manager just because she thought something was going on with her boss.

"Alright, you can get settled in and if you need anything just whistle for Razzle and Dazzle. If they need they'll come get Charlie or me. Enjoy your stay." The one-eyed girl growled, and shot me one last glare before walking out the door, leaving just Charlie and I.

We both just kind of stood there, neither of us really knowing what else to say. It started to get a little awkward before I faked a cough.

"Well, I better get settled in. I just want to say…thanks. Thanks for letting me stay Charlie. It really means a lot to me."

Charlie once again showed off her brilliant smile at hearing my words. "Of course Paul, I want to save as many demons as I can and I have to start somewhere. I'm glad it could start with the man who wanted to save me. Oh, and uh, I really like your eyes, not many demons have that bright green, so maybe that makes you special." She said before literally skipping out of the room and closing the door behind her as she did.

That just left me standing alone in my new room. I couldn't help but smile to myself, talking to Charlie was like talking to a ray of sunshine. Again, how did the devil's daughter turn out like that? Although her parting words were stuck in my head. She was right, I hadn't seen any demons with green eyes on my way here, mostly just different shades of red and yellow with the occasional blue. Just another thing to make me stand out and have to be careful about, although the bright part didn't seem right as dad had always told me they were the same dark forest green as mom's…unless…

Quickly making my way upstairs and to the bathroom and flicking on the lights, noting that it was mostly the same red and black color scheme as the rest of the room only with red tiles instead of carpet. The colors didn't matter to me however and was entirely focused on the mirror hanging on the wall. It was a simple oval set inside a brass frame and lacked the dust and scratches that most mirrors on Earth had collected over the years. In the mirror's reflection I examined the man starring back at me was in fact me without any significant changes, save for the bright green glowing eyes that stared back me.

"Oh shit." I cursed before lifting up my pipboy. Switching over to the stats tab, I looked at the health monitoring system and cursed again.

The pipboy was a marvel of technology with plenty of tools hidden inside its casing, one of which was a system that monitored the wearer's body and documented anything wrong with it. It could tell if your bones were broken, your blood toxicity and what I was more concerned with right now, radiation levels. My time in the wastelands and exposure to all kinds of mutagenic substances had twisted my DNA in so many knots it was a miracle I was alive and probably no longer counted as human. Still, I had won the genetic lottery as most of the mutations had become major boons rather than burdens. Emphasis on most. One mutation in particular I acquired after stepping into the control center of Project Purity. There had been so much radiation that even outside of the room, Sarah Lyons had been knocked unconscious and barely survived even with round the clock medical treatment for several weeks. I on the other hand should have died, hell I knew I would die stepping in there. Yet, I survived and after only a couple of weeks in a coma, I was back on my feet kicking Enclave ass better than ever. It was only later did I find out about my new mutation, one that while harmless to me proved extremely dangerous to everyone else. After dozens of experiments, I found only one way to hold that mutation back, if only for a time.

Switching my pipboy back to inventory, I scrolled over and down until I found what I was looking for. With a flash of green, I was holding a small plastic medical bag full of a dark yellow liquid. In a minute I had the bag connected to a long rubber tube that ended in a now sterilized needle. Rolling up my right arm sleeve, I slipped the needle through my hardened skin with little issue. I had learned a long time ago to use a custom saturnite needle as the regular kind usually just broke on my flesh. Once everything was in place, I squeezed the bag and watched as the medicine flowed into my veins.

Rad-away was not the most pleasant of medical treatments, in fact it was beyond irritating. It made my entire body itch and I do mean my entire body. I would rather get shot than experience the bizarre feeling of wanting to scratch my blood vessels. Still, it was a better alternative to radiation poisoning.

Looking in the mirror, I watched as the green glow went from lime green to dark emerald. I sighed in relief. One destructive flare-up averted, for now at least. Though that brought to light a whole new problem. Glancing at the inventory, I let out a small curse. I only had about a dozen Rad-away's, the rest of my stock had been locked away in my now destroyed cabin back on earth.

"Fuck." I said as I pressed my forehead against the cool glass.

That wasn't good. I was stuck in hell, which hopefully meant I wouldn't be exposed to more radiation, but I wasn't going to hold my breath. I wouldn't put it past it to suddenly develop an entire region more irradiated than Camp Searchlight just to screw with me. The last thing I needed was that mutation popping up at random.

I moved away from the mirror and as soon as I took a step into the bedroom area I stumbled, almost collapsing to the floor, but I managed to catch myself on the bedpost. It was only then that I finally realized just how tired I was. I had been hunting all day out in the cold, fought demonic hitmen, got blown up along with my cabin, accidentally got transported to hell, thrown subjected to painful rapid teleportation, and apparently made friends with the princess of hell. All in a single day. Even for me this had been a crazy day, and I had once led a small-scale rebellion on an alien mothership.

Needless to say, I was completely exhausted.

With far mor effort than it should have taken, I slipped my hands underneath my armor and undid several latches and watched as the black armor fell to the floor with a heavy thud. Then came my belt full of equipment including the damned book that started the whole mess was placed on the nightstand. I shrugged out of my yellow long coat and managed to take off my boots which both joined my armor on the floor. When I was down to just my black short sleeved undershirt and cargo pants, I let myself collapse into the bed without even getting underneath the covers. I was out before my head even hit the pillow.

…-…

Lucas Simms had made two mistakes that day.

When we both confronted Burke in Moriarty's Saloon, we did so with righteous fury burning in our veins. Burke had wanted me to rearm the atomic bomb in the center of Megaton and condemn the entire town to a fiery death for a few hundred caps. The man was evil and as far as I was concerned, he deserved to die. Yet I wasn't confident in my abilities back then, so I had gone and gotten help from the sheriff.

We were about to march the man off to a prison cell when it happened. The first mistake was that Simms had tuned his back on Burke, something that any wastelander worth their salt should know never to do. The second had been trusting a fresh faced vault dweller to protect him should Burke make a move.

I wasn't able to do anything as in the blink of an eye, Burke had whipped out a suppressed pistol and put three bullets into the sheriff's back before turning it on me. I managed to pull out my own 10mm in time and put two bullets into his skull, though not before a bullet slammed into my pauldron, thankfully doing minimal damage.

It was over in an instant and the entire saloon was in an uproar. I stared like an idiot at Burke's body for several seconds before rushing over to sheriff Simms. I needn't have bothered. The man was dead before he hit the floor because one on the bullets had struck his heart.

I had failed Lucas Simms and now a good man was dead. As horrible as that was, the thing I regretted the most was that now a young boy was all alone, forced to grow up without a father.

…-…

My eyes shot open, and I had to resist the urge to bolt upright, stopping myself only because I felt the tip of a blade pressed against my adam's apple. A glance down revealed a broad silver spearhead connected to a long black shaft. My eyes widened slightly as I saw just who it was that had me at spearpoint. My mind had instantly jumped to Alastor, but I was very surprised to see the one eyed manager, Vaggie was the one threatening my life.

I open my mouth to speak only to close it when I felt her press a little harder.

"Quiet!" she hissed. "Don't speak unless it's to answer my questions. Now, tell me WHY you are her?"

"To get redee-"

"BULLSHIT! You think I don't know who you are? What you are?"

I swear my heart actually stopped as she said the words. She knew? How?! I'm pretty damn sure I hadn't done anything to give myself away and as far as I knew not even Charlie realized, and considering she was the princess of hell she should have known before anyone else.

"Y-you know?" I asked, and I hated the fact that I stuttered.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Of course I know what you are," she leaned in close to my face. "Angel."

…

…

…

What?

…-…

Duh duh, duhhhhh! Just what could Vaggie mean by that? Well you have to find out next chapter although for those who hav't watched Episode 6, spoilers~!

Now you all have a good day and please leave a review.