She had two free questions she could ask Alastor anything and he couldn't lie to her. It seemed pretty good, but with all the possibilities it was hard for her to find a question worthy of that deal. She didn't want to waste it on something trivial. And it had to be something she knew he would know. It would be a waste to ask about something he truly knew nothing about.

A sudden jolt shook her from her thoughts. Dust rained down from the ceiling. Did someone drop something heavy above her? A loud shattering sound came from the lobby followed by a 'thud'. She heard the sound of footsteps racing down the stairs. Ellen quickly wiped her hands dry and went out into the lobby to find one of the windows had been smashed, a large rock in the middle of the lobby the likely culprit. In a matter of seconds Vaggie, Charlie and Angel were in the lobby. Another window was shattered and Vaggie looked over and glared at her before her spear was summoned out of nowhere.

"Find cover, we'll handle this." And she and Angel made for the front doors.

Ellen looked over to Charlie who only shrugged at her. "It's fine, it's probably only a few crazy sinners." The building shook again and this time Ellen had to use the wall to keep herself from falling over.

"Maybe I should go check on them." And she quickly sprinted for the front doors.

Did she go back to her room? That seemed like a bit of a long run, maybe it was safer down here? And where was Lucifer and Alastor? Weren't they supposed to take turns watching her? Maybe it was bad enough outside that they needed all hands on deck. She looked over to the bar to find it empty. She pulled her apron off and went back to the kitchen, grabbing a cast iron frying pan. She didn't need a weapon, but she felt a bit safer with something. At least with a frying pan it could be used as both defense and offense.

She made her way to the front, hoping to be able to peek out and see what was going on, but when a bullet shattered the glass on the door she thought it may be better to keep her distance.

There were sounds of gunfire and explosions, something she never thought she would ever encounter. She just hoped everyone was safe out there.

"There she is!"

Ellen turned behind her to find some sort of pig person and shark demon emerging from the kitchen. She held up her frying pan. They didn't have guns, but they were still armed with knives.

Ellen had never been in a fight before. She used to rough house with friends when she was little but full on fights? No, she was very much outclassed. Though she knew she would fight as dirty as she needed to, to keep herself safe.

"Come on little lady. We don't want to hurt ya."

Ellen's heart was racing. If it were only one, she may be able to fumble herself to a victory, but two?

"Leave me alone."

"Can't do that I'm afraid. Boss promised a pretty penny to whoever can bring ya to 'em."

She was stupid. A stupid little girl that was going to get herself killed. She tried letting out a steady breath but it sounded more like a shudder.

"Then you'll have to take me by force." She hoped she sounded strong, confident and sure of herself, but that was a lot to hope for.

"It would be our pleasure."

The pig moved so quickly she wasn't sure she ducked his knife in time. She took a step back, but he kept coming forward, swing after swing. She dodged analyzing his swings, looking for a moment in time where she could counter attack. He nicked her arms a few times, but they were not deep enough to be a concern, even if they were, she needed to stay focused. Finally it came, a moment to strike and she swung as hard as she could, the reverberation in the pan making it hard to keep grip as a loud crack and "thwang" echoed through the lobby. He landed in a heap by her feet, unmoving. She grinned. Holy crap she did it! Her victory was short-lived.

She had spent all her time focusing on the pig, she didn't see the shark demon slip behind her until he pressed a knife to her throat.

"Drop it."

She did as she was told, dropping the frying pan.

"You gonna to play nicely?"

She nodded. How does one get out of this kind of situation? Her heart was racing a mile a minute. If her soul was valuable, they would want to keep her alive, right? She let him guide her back toward the kitchen, her mind looking for anything to use to get her out. He stopped by the door, the knife pressing closer to her throat.

"You make one peep and I'll cut clean through, got it?"

He had to be buffing right? She would need to be alive to have her soul taken. Unless she didn't? Shit. If she was going to die, she'd rather go out fighting. She quickly put her hands on the demon's wrist, pushing with all she had to move the knife away from her throat. The blade caught her arm, the steel sliced her flesh, but it would heal in time, her throat had too many delicate parts to risk damaging.

She cried out in pain and threw her hips back as hard and as quickly as possible. She managed to push the knife up over her head and quickly let go, the demon shoving the knife into his own face from her sudden lack of resistance. Then grabbed the closest thing to her, a cutting board, and bashed his head with it, letting out an angry cry. He hit the floor, after knocking a few things off the countertop on the way down. His body twitched a few seconds before becoming still. She could see the pool of blood forming around the head. Her knees gave out and she crumpled to the floor. She just killed someone. This guy was dead. She kept her gaze away from the body. Her stomach felt nauseous. Had she just sealed her fate? Was she destined for hell now? It was self defense. Surely that meant something?

After taking a few seconds to collect herself she found another frying pan and made her way out the back door of the kitchen. A quick peek showed there was no one out there. She stepped out, slowly making her way around to the front of the building. She peeked around the corner and watched the chaos.

She didn't know Vaggie had wings, though now she was in the air diving down and skewering demons with ease. Angel and Husk were working closely together. Angel with each arm holding a Tommy gun. Wait, he had six arms? He didn't always have six arms did he? Husk was throwing cards so sharp they cut flesh like a knife. Even little Nifty was running around with a little knife stabbing anything she could reach. And then she found him. Although he was hard to miss.

This had to be Alastor's full demon form. He was half the size of the hotel, body larger and limbs longer. Even his neck seemed to have extra joints. He had many large black tentacles that thrashed and took out many demons in one swing. His antlers, a rack larger than she'd ever seen, stretched out creating a magnificent display any hunter would be envious to have hung on their wall. She could hear his laughter as he easily toyed with his victims, periodically devouring a few in a single gulp. This was child's play to him, something to keep him entertained, though she did notice the red 'x' mark on his forehead. Maybe she'd ask him about that later.

She had wondered if the sight would frighten her, but if she was honest with herself, she was amazed. He was the perfect balance of deadly, confident and powerful. Did she approve of the bloodshed and limbs being torn apart? No. God no. But he truly was something to marvel over, not that she would tell him, his ego was big enough as it was.

"There you are."

She turned quickly swinging the frying pan with all her might, she was not going to get tangled up in another situation. It was a direct hit, the person crumpling to the ground. She looked down and froze. Shit. She had just taken out the King of Hell.

She quickly bent down putting her fingers to his neck. He had a heart beat. She moved her finger to place them under his nose. A small rush of warm air, still breathing. She looked around trying to figure out what to do with him. She snapped her finger in his face hoping she could roust him awake. Poor guy was going to have one nasty headache when he woke up. He was out cold. Shit. She peeked around the corner again to find most of the crowd had been dealt with, maybe she could just hang out here.

A glint of light caught her sight. Up on one of the buildings a good distance away was a small glint that flashed for a second. That was a movie thing right? Snipers didn't do that in real life right? Wait…snipers. Could you get sniper rifles in hell? Who would they be aiming at? If you only had one good shot she would take out the biggest threat. That would be… her eyes widened. She left the King of hell knowing he would be fine at the moment. She sprinted around the corner, eyes darting between the sniper and its target.

She passed Vaggie but kept going, not answering her question. "Ellen? What the hell are you doing out here?"

Did she call to get his attention? It would be a distraction the sniper could use. No. She didn't even think this through, what was she going to do? Tackle him in his full demon form? No. She skidded to a halt and turned back.

"Vaggie I need you to drop me onto Alastor's shoulder." She kept her eyes locked on the sniper. A slight move upward, they had exhaled to steady their breath before inhaling again to focus their shot. She had maybe fifteen seconds.

"I'm sorry what?"

Ellen pointed. "There is a sniper up there with a shot lined up to take out Alastor. I give them ten seconds before they're ready to take that shot."

With her frying pan in hand she was pulled from her feet. "I'm going to have to throw you. I won't be able to catch you, but I'm fairly positive Alastor may."

The next few seconds seemed like time had slowed down. She was sailing through the air with the possibility of falling to her death from this kind of height. She took a quick glance at the sniper then to Alastor, if she could grab his lapel she might be able to… She found her mark grabbing just under his lapel, her frying pan swinging with the momentum. A gunshot rang out and just over where his heart would be, her frying pan made a 'clink' and the bullet ricocheted off the pot, nicked her side and disappeared out of sight. She hissed from her pain but she would deal with it later, her hand losing its grip. She hadn't thought it through properly, her damaged arm was now holding her full weight, and it wasn't holding much longer. She watched as her finger slipped from the fabric, now falling. Her fall was stopped suddenly. Alastor caught her in his hand.

Her gaze went back to the sniper to find Alastor's tentacles had put an end to them. Good.

Alastor placed her by the hotel doors, out of harm's way, As soon as she was free, she sprinted back around the corner to check on the King of hell. She moved a lot slower with the pain in her side, but she made it all the same. There was just one thing she had to pick up first.

When she rounded the corner she found him sitting up, clutching his head.

"Hey. So um you remember your name, status, and where you are, right?"

He looked up at Ellen. "You're a fighter, huh?"

Her face heated. "You should have seen the other guys."

He chuckled, still holding his head. "I'm sure you put them into place."

"I didn't concuss you, right? I'm so sorry, you snuck up on me. I already had a knife to my throat today and I just…"

He waved her away. "I think you can handle yourself moving forward. Just don't tell Bambi you took me out, he'd never let me live it down."

"Bambi?"

He sighed. "Alastor."

She laughed before gasping at the pain it brought to her side. "I bet he hates that nickname."

"That's why I use it." He grinned.

She helped the King to his feet.

Everyone collected back into the lobby, Ellen made a show of clutching her side, though she was fine, Lucifer had a hard time walking straight but his pride kept him from appearing like he needed help. The amount of prideful men in hell was ridiculous. When the two wandered in, the others were all around the pig demon trying to figure out how he made it in and who took him out.

"He snuck in from the kitchen, him and his buddy. You can find the other one in the kitchen." All eyes found her when she announced her presence. Lucifer made a portal and left without another word. She straightened up, not bothering with keeping up the image.

"You took him out?" Charlie gestured to the body on the floor.

"Yeah, it surprised me too. But he got it easy compared to his buddy." She twirled her frying pan, smiling at it. "Not bad for someone who's never been in a fight before right?"

"How'd you know about the sniper?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, No one said anythin about snipers." Angel looked at Vaggie in disbelief. Vaggie just pointed to Ellen. All eyes were back on her. She just shrugged.

"If I only had one shot, you take out the biggest threat. Out front that would be the overlord." Her gaze turned to Alastor. "People focus on what's in front of them, makes it easy to take a shot from a distance. Smart attack plan if you ask me. No one suspected it."

"How'd you know?" Vaggie repeated.

"I saw the glint."

"But you were accurate down to how many seconds it would be before he took his shot."

"I've used guns before, I just recognized the breathing techniques."

Everyone just stared at her.

"What? I've only ever shot at targets on a range, but the principles are the same."

"Why not go for a headshot?"

Ellen shook her head. "In a fight, the head moves too much, that shot would be luck, or someone with decades of experience. Chest is a bigger target, easier to hit, and doesn't move as quickly. You watch the head to anticipate the next move. Where the head goes, the body follows. Much easier to line up a shot that way. Plus the chest can be just as deadly." She shrugged like it was common knowledge.

There was a moment of silence, all eyes just staring at her in disbelief.

"Well, what the fuck was she doin in here then?" Angel threw a thumb in her direction. "Wit a fryin pan no less."

Alastor was standing in the back, eyes never leaving her. He probably wasn't happy that she had essentially just saved his life. Not something he wanted to owe anyone. She wouldn't ever expect him to return the favour, but she didn't think he would just let it go. Shame he felt everything came with a cost. She would have done the same for any one of them. He just happened to be the target. When she finally met his eyes he just glared before disappearing into the shadows. Her chest panged with disappointment.

"You're hurt!" Charlie must have just noticed.

Ellen looked to see if anyone else had gotten hurt. Of course it was just her, everyone else would heal quickly, she on the other hand would take time. She waved Charlie away. "It's not bad, just a graze."

"But your neck."

Ellen put a hand to her neck, there was a thin line of blood on her hand. Guess the shark Demon did get her. "I didn't even notice it. It's fine."

"Holy shit! Remind me not to piss off Ellen."

Everyone turned to the kitchen where Husk and Angel had moved to. No doubt they found the other demon. The others moved to the kitchen to see, but Ellen took the chance to make a run for it. She made it to the stairs making her way up to her room. The elevator dinged at the top floor and she stepped out heading to her door. Once she was in her room she finally let out a breath. Then she was pinned to the wall by her neck.

Alastor had appeared from the shadows, pinning her to the wall. "What favour are you trying to gain from me?" His eyes were black, antlers grown out and his smile wicked.

Ellen kicked but her feet were no longer on the floor and the grip on her neck tightened. She could feel the panic building in her chest as it started screaming for air.

"What do you want from me? Why are you here?"

She felt tears prickle in her eyes as the grip tightened even more. Maybe he was a little more than pissed about owing a life debt. He dropped her and she fell to her hands and knees gasping for air, her hand grabbing her neck.

He took a few stumbling steps back, his hands gripping his head pulling at his hair, eyes panicked and smile ever present. "I can't just kill you. I can't take your soul."

She took a couple more breaths before sitting up. "Bit of an odd way to thank me for saving your stupid life." She took a few more gasping breaths. "I have nothing to gain from you Alastor. I don't plan on coming back here after dying." She noticed the small spot of blood by his hip, the part of his wound she hadn't healed.

"It splits anytime you use too much of your power." She mumbled it herself but he must have heard. His gaze moved to follow hers to the blood spot. She looked down at her wrist, the knick from the knife she had forgotten about. It was bleeding enough to get a few drops. She looked back at him. "I can close it. It won't be a problem anymore."

He glared at her. "No."

"If I make it back to earth tomorrow, you will forever be stuck with it. Stop being a prideful ass and just let me help. God why is it so hard to just accept help."

"I don't need it."

"Fine." She glared at him. "Then get out and let me look after my own wounds. And here, in case you wanted to see it." She threw the bullet down at his feet, the one she had saved him from. "you're welcome. For saving your stupid life." She turned to her bathroom slamming the door behind her.

When she finished cleaning up she waited for a few minutes, not wanting to open the door to find Alastor still in her room. She didn't want to pick another fight today, heck she just wanted to go home. Hell wasn't too bad but she hated that seeing Alastor panicked bugged her. The night before she thought maybe there was some decency under all that showmanship. But no, it was a lot more confusing than that.

She opened the door to find the room empty, the bullet remained where she left it on the floor. With a sigh she picked it up, twirling it in her fingers to get a look at it. She clutched in her hand and made her way over to the bed falling into it. She set the bullet on the table beside her and let out a long breath. So maybe there was a reason she was extra keen on Alastor. Maybe instead of debts and favours she wanted his time, attention. Of all the guys she's ever fallen for, he was the worst. He killed for kicks, he was egotistical and prideful beyond belief and yet…she groaned. She didn't really like him did she?

Movement caught her eye and she followed a shadow to the corner of the room. She rolled her eyes. "Fuck off Alastor."

Out of the shadows stepped…another shadow? It looked like Alastor, but it had a fuller rack of antlers and it was…frowning?

It gave a little wave and she gave it a little hesitant wave back. "Are you Alastor's shadow?"

It nodded.

"You can just, freely go about on your own?"

It moved its head side to side.

"You don't speak." Another head nod.

"You were looking for me?" Another head nod, this time closing the gap and laying down on the bed beside her, head in its hands and feet kicking.

Her face deadpanned. "He's not looking for my help is he? I swear if he thinks he can just…" The shadow started to vigorously shake his head.

"Okay well…good. So why are you here then?"

Its grin widened as he pointed at her then made a heart shape with his hands then pointed to himself.

She forced a laugh. "I like Alastor? He sent you to get information out of me, did he? Hate to break it to you, though I'm sure you know better than I would, but he's not capable of loving anyone but himself." She rolled on to her back looking at the ceiling. "Even if I did like him it would probably end in flames. He had a good shot during the open house though." She turned to look back at the shadow. "Until he went selfish again and drank him silly instead of accepting my help."

She sighed. "Don't you go telling him all this now. I don't want him to be nice out of pity."

Alastor's shadow repeated his previous gesture. You- heart- me.

"Why do you want to know?"

He shrugged.

She sighed again. "I don't know. A part of me does to some point I guess. I'm cautious I mean, you saw what he was like today, do I really want to get wrapped up in whatever that was? I saved his life and I got slammed into a wall and almost choked out for it." A frown fell onto the shadows face.

The two sat in silence for a bit. "He's okay though, right? Alastor?"

The shadow nodded.

Ellen smiled. "Well, you're welcome to stop by whenever you like."

There was a knock on her door.

"Hey Ellen! Tonight's a good night for drinks, don't ya think?"

She gave the shadow another smile before shooing him away as she went for the door.

Angel stood here with two glasses in his main hands and a bottle of booze in the other. "Come on, we're celebrating, you should join us. It'll be a social event." He winked.

Her grin widened. "Fuck it why not." She followed him down to the bar where Charlie, Vaggie, Husk and Nifty were already seated.