Prelude

Eons ago, before Earth was even a thought, there was The Creator. The Creator had his servants, the Angels, and they were faithful. However, The Creator imbued his creations with emotion, both positive and negative. While pure at their creation, by the pure hand of Adonai, they could be found with iniquity. One day, the most beautiful Angel in Heaven, the Morning Star, grew prideful. His beauty was without comparison or competition. His light touched all of Creation. He was as powerful as the infinite light he commanded. He was intelligent and high ranking. So he thought… why should I not lead?

Then he rebelled.

He took with him one third of all Angels in his rebellion. Among them he selected his generals who each took on one of the extremes of negative emotion. As such, they earned the name 'Sin', for they had truly missed the mark in their service to Elohim: Asmodeus of Lust, Beelzebub of Gluttony, Mammon of Greed, Nael of Wrath, Belphegor of Sloth, Leviathan of Envy. And at the head of this demonic cohort was the sin of Pride himself, Lucifer. With this cadre, and an army half the size of Heaven's, he sought to overthrow The Creator.

The fool failed. And his army was cast down, down into the depths of the abyss.

But the war was not over in a night. For The Creator hoped that his wayward progeny would see the error in their ways and return. Finally, with furious anger and great sorrow, he smote them all, sealing away the generals and banishing his armies, but only after eons of conflict. Enough time for the demons to propagate and spread and multiply until they matched Heaven's numbers, and even exceeded them. Beelzebub had the most progeny, but it was Asmodeus whose bloodline remained the purest. And the absolute purest among these was her first born daughter.

Lilith.

Being her heir, Lilith was forced to endure her mother's 'teachings' in the ways of pleasure. Made to suffer every vile and depraved thing her mother could imagine to the point of being forced to enjoy it. And her mother had an infinite wealth of knowledge. So it was, when the Armies of Hell were defeated and sent to the Abyss, without her mother's presence Lilith was made the Queen of all succubi and one of the Baron's of Hell. But Lilith did not rule alone. For she had herself a 'consort.'

The Angel of Retribution. His name was lost to history, for no one bothered to remember it. An instrument of Jehovah's Divine Fury, he was an exceptionally powerful member of Heaven's elite warriors. However, he ultimately had a good heart. So when Lilith took an entire legion of angels hostage and demanded his surrender in exchange for setting them free, he obliged. He became her toy, her plaything, her pet. She corrupted him the best way a succubus knows how. From the end of the Rebellion to about 4,000 years ago, she would regularly have her way with him. But it wasn't just pleasure for her or torture for him.

She bore children.

Four in total, the first three the vilest demons you could imagine. The oldest was her pride and joy. A strong son she named 'He who will smite the Heavens'. She sent him to become an elite warrior, a Spear of Hell. The training was brutal: either get tough and adapt, or die in disgrace. He succeeded, becoming one of Hell's premier soldiers in their fight for souls. But he was a male. He would only ever be a warrior, not a prince. And while he was the apple of her eye, the 'paragon' of his family line, he was never the favorite.

The second was her true heir: her only daughter. A princess, and future queen. Named 'She who would dominate the Earth', she was a spiteful, vindictive, utter bitch of a succubus who became a Dart of Hell, the ultimate in magic and spells. She never liked her mothers plans for her, never got along with her family, and grew entirely too prideful. In order to keep her bloodline 'pure', Lilith arranged her marriage to her older brother. No affection, not even physical intimacy between the two of them, and certainly no children, in open defiance of her mother's wishes. She was and is, ultimately, a disappointment to Lilith.

The third son was planned. But with his limited strength, he was truly of no value to Lilith. He was therefore given the name 'He who is to sacrifice himself', because Lilith truly could think of no other use for him than a sacrificial pawn. He was never close to his family. He preferred the company of those races who had, in the interim, began populating the various dimensions and worlds. He even took a lover among the Fae, in open defiance of his mother. Thus, when the centuries long training came to an end for the eldest brother and he was required to prove his loyalty, the third son and his 'heretical' lover were targeted by the eldest. The third son survived, the lover did not. Thus he separated himself from demonkind entirely, pursuing his own goals and power to ultimately avenge his lover and humiliate his mother.

But it was not merely his choice of lover that caused his downfall. It was the birth of the fourth child. Made of the last vestiges of light that the Angel of Retribution possessed, he was entirely an accident. Born of a combination of his father's Light and his mother's Lust, he was born a Nephilim, an entity neither holy nor infernal. But he was still Lilith's child, a part of her bloodline, a member of her family. So it was when the other Baron's sought his death and destruction as an aberrant abomination, she made a decision that she would end up regretting forevermore, one that threatened the very world order.

She took her son to the Mausoleum that housed the imprisoned generals, the Sins. And she sealed within him the power of the Sin of Wrath, so as to snuff out the light that threatened to lead to his destruction and her shame, ultimately saving his life. The Nephilim would be corrupted or killed by his power, and in the meantime Hell had a weapon that could rival most Angels in Heaven. Thus, she gave him the name 'he who will burn the sun'. And set into motions events she couldn't have foreseen.

With the Angel of Retribution now fully subservient and incapable of giving her more children, and with her status as a Baron preventing more common demons from courting and mating her, the other Barons refusing to breed with what they saw as the most arrogant of their number, her youngest would be her last child for the foreseeable future. So she put her all in making sure he had everything he needed to succeed, unlike his siblings who had to fight for their survival. Worried this might make him soft, when he came of age she threw him into the deep end: where her firstborn was a Spear of Hell, the ultimate soldier, and her heir was a Dart, the ultimate witch, she forced him to endure the 150 training to be a Blade of Hell, the ultimate assassin. She got what he wanted: her son was so successful an assassin, when he was required to kill his favored uncle, he instead slaughtered the proctors of the training themselves, ensuring his generation to be the last at Hell's disposal. As he did so before he earned a name, as was tradition, he was given the title of the 'Nameless Blade.'

With their newfound weapon having proven his edge, they sent him to corrupt a worlds chosen guardian. While he succeeded, he was confronted by Gabriel, the Archangel, who ultimately crushed him and forced him to submit. Under the threat of death, the youngest undid his work and destroyed the worlds guardian. For this he was marked a traitor to Hell and demonkind. Spending centuries among humans as a wandering mercenary and taking a name representing his amalgam nature, the newly christened Steel developed an affection for them and grew to admire them. It was after this Heaven opened to him and offered him the chance to become an Angel.

The Angel of Justice.

Steel leaned against the wall of Charlie's bedroom where she and Vaggie had brought him so he may share his story. Which he was supposed to do a week ago but Charlie had heard him mention being sick once then immediately demanded he seek treatment.

As expected, after batteries of tests and numerous 'medicines' of dubious origin, no one could help, leaving them to resume where they left off.

He looked on relatively disinterested as they processed this information. Vaggie looked simultaneously understanding and perplexed, resulting in a sort of constipated look on her face as the processed the information. Charlie for her part had both of her palms together in front of her face, blinking rapidly as she tried to digest exactly what was said.

Finally, Charlie managed to clear her throat. "W-Well… uh… You did say you'd tell me your story! And that is… quite the story…" She trailed off.

"I understand it is unbelievable to you, Miss Charlie—"

"Not just her." Vaggie muttered. "And unbelievable is the understatement of the century."

"—But our contract specifically states that I cannot lie to you. I can only tell you the truth."

"Contract?" Vaggie repeated, looking at Charlie rather… upset, to put it lightly. "Contract?! I knew you were going to make an offer to her but- Charlie! You signed a contract!?"

"Yeah? I read it, Vaggie, it was clear cut and fair." Charlie shrugged.

Vaggie went to protest some more but the snap of Steel's fingers caused the contract to appear in front of her face. "It's all right here, Miss Vaggie: I tell the truth, I tell her anything relevant I discover, and I defend the hotel—nonlethally, unfortunately— at her discretion. And in exchange she pays me what I need to do those things and gives me a place to sleep. And I am nothing if not a man of my word."

Vaggie looked over the contract. She had to agree: it was clear cut. No legalese or double meanings. It was a straightforward contract. But she still didn't like it. "Yeah, well…" she sighed. "I wish you would've consulted me on this."

"I'm sorry. I meant to tell you last night but things have been hectic." Charlie apologized softly, reaching out and squeezing her hand.

The scroll snapping away in a puff brought them back to reality. "Ladies. I appreciate that what I'm telling you seems entirely fabricated. But I cannot lie to you, Miss Charlie. Period. This does not extend to others, not even Miss Vaggie. If you ask me a question, I will tell you the truth, if I know it. And I am telling you the truth now."

"I appreciate that. But you have to understand that this whole…" She moved her hands about, flailing them as she tried to find a way to describe the situation. "Thing. Is turning my entire perception of reality upside down."

"I understand that, but from my perspective it shouldn't be something that causes quite so much strife. But I am a 4,275 years old angel, and you are not, so perhaps my view is skewed, or I may be jaded." He shrugged.

They both stared at him when he said his age, wide eyed and blank faced. "You're how old?!" Vaggie finally snapped out of it. "That's—That's ancient!"

"You must have seen so much!" Charlie chimed in, a bit giddy as she bounced up and down in her seat. "The Akkadian empire, Abraham, Joseph, Egypt—"

"I was… busy for a while. But yes, I witnessed most of it. From the birth of Israel to the rise of Rome to the Dynasties of China all the way to the founding of America, the abolition of slavery, the 'modern' wars of last century through to today. Remind me to tell you about Thermopylae at some point, or Fimbulwinter when the volcanic ash covered Europe. I had my hands full then."

"Right. You say you're an angel." Vaggie interjected, leaning forward in her seat. "Can you prove that?"

"Not presently. At least, not well. My powers are being suppressed by a poison specifically tailored for Angels. But…" He simply flexed his shoulders and two black wings sprouted from his back. Feathered and massive, they took up nearly the entire wall behind him. He gently stepped forward and knelt, offering one to the ladies. Vaggie recoiled a bit, put off by their color and size, but Charlie was immediately interested, leaning in and running her fingers through the feathers. "Softest down you'll ever find. But they can still block any bullet or even artillery shell you can imagine. They also make a fine salt lick for dragons."

"That's… weird." Vaggie said, rubbing her shoulder.

"I just wanna wrap myself in these." Charlie said, giggling like mad as she rubbed her face into the feathers. "So soft."

"Well, if you'll let them go, I'd like to tuck them away." Steel said, noticing Vaggie's discomfort. With a soft whine, Charlie reluctantly acquiesced and Steel pulled his wings back, the appendages disappearing and leaving a few feathers. "If I may, Miss Charlie. I told you my story. I'd like to hear yours. The story of your world. See how our histories differ."

"Oh! Uh, sure! Yeah, I think that'd help." She said, getting up and going to her nightstand to retrieve a book. She gently nudged Steel to sit down as she opened the book and began retelling the creation story. As she did, Steel made notes and internally discussed some of the key points with Nael, but mainly he just sat and listened intently. After a bit, she finished and he was left with a neutral expression and crossed arms. "So, um…" Charlie cleared her throat. "What… what do you think?"

He took a moment to think, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "… I think your mother is exceptionally powerful." He finally settled on. "To found and rule this entire realm."

Charlie smiled sadly and nodded. "Y-yeah, you're right… she is." She sighed, looking away.

Steel raised a brow but Vaggie leaned over and explained. "She hasn't heard from Lilith in seven years." She whispered. "It's… painful for her."

"I can see that." He whispered back. He could commiserate but he couldn't relate: his Lilith was far from the loving mother. He cleared his throat and stood up, stepping up to Charlie. "I'm sorry for bringing it up. I didn't mean to cause you sadness."

"No! No, you were just trying to be nice." She smiled, shaking her head. "I just… she cared about this realm, for all its flaws. So I do as well. This was her kingdom. And now it's mine."

"And you're trying to do what you think is best." He nodded. "I don't agree with it. I'll tell you that right here and now. It's not the way it works, at least not in my world. But it's a different world, with a different history, different rules, apparently. So maybe it might work out."

She chuckled and sighed. "Yeah, I get that… but it could do some real good if it works. And I think I owe that to them."

"Well…" Vaggie stood up and stood next to the two of them, smiling at Charlie. "You're not alone. And I have faith in you."

"I believe if that's a way, you'll find it." Steel agreed, giving a small smile.

Charlie smiled wide and hugged them both. Vaggie hugged her back, while Steel did so halfheartedly. He wasn't totally convinced yet. But it felt… nice. He didn't feel alone.

Unfortunately, their short moment of camaraderie was interrupted by a knock on the door, Alastor opening the door and peeking his head in. "Sorry to bother this tender, touching moment!" He announced loudly. "But I have something to show you all! Please gather in the common area around that noisy picture box of yours! Oh, and Steel, your custom suit is hung outside the door!" With a wiggle of his fingers, he ducked out, leaving the three of them to follow.

"Ooh, oh!" Charlie said excitedly. "He must have the commercial done!"

"That was quick." Steel noted. "I didn't think he'd get it done in my absence. Think it's any good?"

"Well, he IS a showman." Vaggie relented with a shrug. "Let's hope so."

It really wasn't. As Charlie and Vaggie watched the commercial end, Steel (out of his armor and in the custom ballistic paneled suit Alastor graciously commissioned for him) stood behind the couch rubbing his temples, Charlie was flabbergasted, and Vaggie was… well, pissed.

"So!" Alastor asked, turning to them. "What do you think?"

Before Vaggie could get her dander up, Steel gently stepped around the couch and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alastor. I appreciate your attempts at humor. Really, I do. I'm sure Charlie does as well."

"Y-yeah!" She agreed hesitantly, nodding. "It's just, and don't get me wrong, I'm so glad you did this for us, the tone is… off."

"Bad." Vaggie huffed. "The entire thing makes us look bad."

"I know this is for your own personal entertainment…" Steel sighed. "But in order for that to happen, people have to want to come here. I don't believe Miss Charlie's plans will come to fruition either, but I'm not going to sabotage her. And if you want your 'entertainment', you won't either."

"Hmm." Alastor thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. On one hand, he knew Steel was playing to his eccentricity to manipulate him. On the other hand, he wasn't lying in doing so. "I suppose you're correct. I did have a little fun with it because it's on this inferior contraption." He said, whacking the TV with his staff. "But if it gets in the way of my good time, then perhaps I should tone it down a bit."

"You did say you'd help run it." Vaggie pointed out. "And if you publicly say you think it's a waste of time, no one is going to want to come."

Angel cleared his throat and raised his hand. "You, uh, you could use the one celebrity endorsement you got, ya know." He said, pointing at himself as he retrieved the bottle of alcohol next to his couch.

"You're a porn star." Both Vaggie and Steel said, looking thoroughly unamused.

"Afamousone. I'll have the horniest of horny sinners knocking the walls down to get in."

"First of all, we're not doing a porno." Vaggie scoffed. "Second, I'd go with the incubus before I go with you." She jerked her thumb at Steel. "At least he can get more than just the men."

"Ouch!" Angel said in mock offense. "C'mon, sex sells! A clip of me going at it with Mr. Fancy and Talky would have you rolling in participants for your little program."

"Never going to happen." Alastor scoffed.

"Angel…" Charlie began. "I'm glad you want to use your 'skills' to help us, but I wouldn't want to exploit you like that."

"He lives for exploitation, Charlie." Steel interjected. "That's his whole gimmick. So, you're correct to reject his offer if you want him to recover."

Charlie smiled at the support but then her eyes went wide when her phone rang. "Ah! This is my dad! Hold that thought, I'll be right back!" As she stood up and rushed off to answer the call, she left the other four alone.

"So, uh, I got a question." Angel said, raising his hand again. "If freaky face is so powerful, why can't he just make people stay here?"

"He could." Steel answered, stepping over to Angel.

"Oh! Easily." Alastor chuckled darkly.

"But that would defeat the purpose. It's no fun if the play doesn't have willing participants." The Nephilim explained, much to Alastor's delight.

"Holding a cracked mirror up to my twisted soul." Alastor sighed. "You may be a brute but you're certainly no fool."

"Loaded, too." Husk said, setting another polished glass down. "Alastor may have brought me here but hey, if I'm getting paid, I'm fine with it."

Nifty popped her head up from behind the counter and raised her hand. "I like being forced!"

"Keep that to yourself, Niff." Her feline fellow scoffed, sipping on a bottle of booze.

"Aw, and here I thought you just wanted to be here with me, Whiskers." Angel chuckled just to receive a smack to the back of the head by Steel.

"Don't antagonize, Angel." He admonished.

"Harder, daddy~" Angel smirked, causing the actual Angel to glower.

"Enough, you two." Vaggie sighed. "Steel is right: they have to be willing to be here if this is actually going to work."

"Well, I did choose to be here and even I think it's stupid." Angel groaned. "We're in Hell. That's the end of the line, ain't it?"

"Supposed to be." Steel agreed. "But just because no one has made it out…"

"Doesn't mean no one can make it out." Vaggie finished.

"But hey. Whatever gets you free room and board, right Angel?" The bodyguard taunted, crossing his arms.

"Oh, like your deal is any different."

"I work for it. I actually made a deal for what I'm doing. Meanwhile you're just a drug addled freeloader."

"Sticks and stones, leccaculo."

"Vaffanculo, figlio di puttana."

"Ingles o Español, cabrones." Vaggie growled, pinching her nose.

The insult match was interrupted as Charlie approached, happily nodding as she talked on the phone. "Yeah! I can totally do that! I'll head over right away! Okay! Love you!" She hung up and jumped for joy. "YES!"

"Everything's good, I take it." Steel asked, stepping closer with Vaggie.

She grabbed the two and dragged them into the next room. "My dad just told me the leader of the Angel Army wants to meet!"

"W-wait, but the extermination! They just got done—!" Vaggie was clearly confused.

Much to the shared chagrin of the two angels… she started singing. "I can do this! Somehow, I know it—"

Steel gently placed his hand over her mouth. "Miss Charlie. I know your father was the Angel of Music, but please. Just talk normally. For the sake of my growing headache."

She looked a bit dismayed but she shook it off. "We-well, look, they want the meeting NOW so I have to go!"

"Charlie. Hold on." Vaggie said, stepping up and placing her hands on her girlfriends shoulders. "It's a meeting. With their leader. This could be bad."

"Cheer up, Vaggie! If I can bring them around to my plan, then this could be the best day in Hell's history!"

"I'll be with her." Steel offered, placing his hand on Vaggie's shoulder. "I'll keep her safe."

Vaggie sighed and threw her hands up. She knew she couldn't stop her. "Just don't sing to them."

"I'll make sure of that too." Steel chuckled as Charlie practically skipped to the door. As he walked away, though, Vaggie grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Something wrong?"

"Look, when you meet the leader, you cannot let on about me. Okay? Or that you're… what you are."

"Worried for my safety? Or hers?"

"All of ours…" She sighed. "They're leader is Adam. His right hand is named Lute."

"Adam as in—?"

"The first man, yes. Lilith's ex, biggest horndog bastard in Heaven. Please, I am begging you, just keep things calm. Yeah?"

"I'm a consummate professional, Miss Vaggie. I'll keep your secret."

"Yeah, that's another thing, why haven't you told Charlie yet? You're compelled to tell the truth right?"

"The contract stipulated I cannot lie and I inform her of things I discover. Things I already know… well. She has to ask."

Vaggie blinked and scoffed with a smile. "You did that on purpose."

"Like I said, Miss Vaggie." He smirked, giving her shoulder a small punch as he moved to join Charlie. "Consummate professional." He stepped outside and joined Charlie. "It's not too far to the tower. Walk or fly?"

"Ooh! I wouldn't mind flying with you! Those wings are really soft."

He chucked, two incubus wings spreading from his back instead. "Sorry, Miss Charlie. Feathers would probably get me shot at."

She pouted but sighed. "Fine…" Her own wings spread as her appearance changed to match it. "Won't let me sing, won't let me dance, won't let me touch your wings. It's like you enjoy being a buzzkill."

"Well, sometimes a bodyguard is a babysitter." He laughed, amused. She reminds me of Vitae. He thought to himself as they took flight. Maybe that's why I feel at ease with her.

The trip was quick by wing, the two of them avoiding the traffic and the debauchery below. They landed outside of the embassy and tucked their wings away. Steel stepped forward and opened the door for Charlie, who peeked in. "Hello!" She called, receiving only an echo in response. She stepped inside, followed by her wary bodyguard. "Hello?" She repeated as she approached the front desk. "Creepy…" She muttered.

"There's no one here." Steel said firmly. "Not upstairs, not down. I don't hear any heartbeats and I don't smell anyone."

She looked at him with a mixture of admiration and revulsion. "You… smell people?"

"All angels have preternatural senses. Demons, too, if they train them well enough." He explained as they came to a stop at the desk. He examined the bell before gently tapping it. His eyes caught movement instantly and he reached out and snagged a scroll and quill that appeared.

"Whoa!" Charlie exclaimed, surprised. "That was… fast."

"No it wasn't. Not to me." He muttered, unfurling the scroll. "How… corporate." He sighed before snapping his fingers and signing their names. As he did, the doors nearby opened up to reveal the meeting room.

"Uh, is anyone there?" Charlie asked, entering the dark room behind Steel. The lights came on suddenly, revealing two angels at the end of the room. One thin figure about the same height as Vaggie wearing one of those damn masks, this one with swept back and curled horns. The right eye was an x, to Steel suggesting a mockery of Vaggie's injury. And next to her was a man, either very fat or wearing very large robes, with a bright glowing halo and a golden mask with even longer horns. Compensating for something. Steel thought in amusement.

"Sup." Adam said nonchalantly, chowing down on his rack of ribs. Steel had to admit: the idea of Adam eating ribs was funny.

Charlie, having been surprised, was ducked down behind Steel before she peeked out and nervously waved. "Uh. Hi." She stood up and dusted herself off, putting on an embarrassed smile before leaning over to Steel. "You said no one was here."

"Because they're not." He said, in a flash taking a knife out of his suit jacket and throwing it at the pair. It would've hit Adam right between the eyes, but it phased right through him.

"Aw, way to ruin the surprise." Adam jeered.

"Wait, you're not even here?" Charlie was equal parts confused and offended when she asked that.

"No. Why would they be? This is hell. Why go into the 'office' when you can sit in the comfort of your home and telecommunicate while gorging yourself on your favorite food?" Steel explained, sounding unsurprised and unimpressed.

"Now, see? He gets it!" Adam chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the vibe, and the music, but it's a downer fest. Not to mention a total bore, ya know?"

"Well, either way." Charlie said, stepping forward. "I'm glad we got the chance to meet, I have a project I want to—"

Adam held up his hand. "Ah, ah, slow down, babe. We got time. Why don't the four of us get to know each other a little first? You hungry? I got you." He offered her the plate of ribs. "My personal favorite."

"Uh… sure. Thanks." As she went to go grab a rib, Steel gently pulled her back. "What are you—oh. Right."

"Ugh. Total fucking buzzkill." Adam muttered.

"Charlie. Meet Adam." Steel said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Wait, Adam? Like—"

"Yes. The first human. The first man. And consequently the first dick. In both senses of the term."

"How can someone be such a stick in the mud and yet understand me so well?" Adam chuckled. "I mean, does he or doesn't he?" He asked, looking to Lute. She just nodded.

"That… explains a lot." She muttered, taking her seat at the end of the table. "Look, Adam, I know you want to get to know each other. Which probably means you want to talk about yourself."

"Oh, fuck yeah, I love myself, like everyone should."

"And you seem like a… stand up guy."

"Uh huh." He said, finishing his rib before picking his teeth.

"And you're the leader of Heaven's armies. So you must be a real go getter, a big thinker, a revolutionary genius!"

"Hey, you said it toots, not me."

"Who would probably love getting the ability to slap his name and branding on something."

"Oh, yeah, absolutely! Love doing that, it's the best shit ever."

"Well, I have a solution to our biggest problem here in Hell that YOU would get to take all the credit for!"

"Wait, you can cure herpes? That's amazin'!"

"Uh, no? It's the other big problem we have in hell."

"All the ugly people? Uh, math? Global Warming? No, wait, Earth has to deal with that." He seemed genuinely confused, which just made Charlie upset. "We talking about the paying for dates thing? Cause I mean I could rant on that one for hours—"

"Overpopulation." Steel groaned. "She means overpopulation. She knows you kill a bunch of sinners every year and since they're her subjects, she feels the need to try and spare them that pain. She has a plan that would, in her mind, render them obsolete."

"Uh… yeah, what he said." Charlie said sheepishly.

"I mean…" Adam shrugged. "I'unno. The Exterminations already do a good enough job of that. Lute, how many did you get this year?"

"275, sir." She said with a hint of pride.

"Whoa, nice numbers! Badass. Pound it!" He said, offering his fist. She gave it a bump. Rookie numbers. Steel thought, rolling his eyes.

"Uh, no, not badass! Like he said, those are my people!"

"Yeah, I can see how that'd suck for ya."

"Look! Those are human souls out there! Same as the ones in Heaven."

Lute growled and spoke in a cold tone. "Nowhere near the same. The sinners here had their chance."

"And they squandered it." Steel agreed, looking at Charlie before looking back at them. "But one soul is not worth more than the other."

"And besides! Not all of them just squandered it! They made mistakes, but everyone does!"

"Angels don't." The angelic 2IC scoffed.

"If you really think that, Miss Lute, you're as foolish as your fashion sense." Steel glowered.

Lute got angry and approached the end of the table but Steel met her halfway. "Whoa, okay, that's enough." Adam interjected. "Much as I'd love to see the fight, I don't think we have time for it."

"The only reason Hellborn like you are still alive is because her daddy got you all a pardon." Lute said in a low tone. "How does that feel? Knowing how little you all matter?"

"Probably about the same as knowing just how replaceable you are." He shot back before walking through her to approach Adam. "Sir. Miss Charlie has a plan she'd like to lay out for you." He turned to Charlie and indicated for her to approach.

"O-oh! Right, yeah." She summoned a stack of papers to the table and rushed them to the other side opposite Steel.

"And don't sing." Steel sighed.

"I wasn't going to!"

"Yes you were."

"Yeah, I was…" She sighed, shaking her head. "Okay, look, you guys fly down once a year and fuck shit up."

"We do like doing that." Adam admitted, Lute moving back behind him and glaring at Steel.

"Well, I have a plan that gets rid of that chore so you don't have to bother."

"It's no bother, like I said, we love it." Adam shrugged.

"W-well either way, we—I have a plan involving this." She said, putting down a few diagrams. "A hotel."

"A rehab center for sinners." Steel added.

"That will allow them to repent, do good, and—"

"And… what? Just float on up the ladder and cross the pearly gates?" Adam scoffed, unimpressed.

"Um… yes?"

"Yeah, I'ma stop you right there, sweetie. You realize this is Hell right?"

"Uh—"

"And that they already had a chance on Earth. Right?"

"Yes, but—"

"Well, then you know you can't just snap your fingers and change their fates. Hell is forever, darlin'. They had their chance, they lost it. They're down here, suffering, because they deserve to."

"Okay, I get that, but—"

"Then what's the dilemma?"

"Why kill them?" Steel finally interrupted.

"… what?" Adam asked, confused.

"Why. Kill. Them? If overpopulation is a thing in Hell, then that's good for you. It means that the sinners and demons alike suffer more. This Hell is very finite. If people need to eat and farm and subsist off the land, more sinners drives out the demons maintaining the rings, who end up inevitably in conflict with other demons. Bada bing, bada boom, conflict and punishment for eternity."

Adam and Lute looked at Steel as if he were the one dumb friend who finally said something smart. But that quickly went away as Adam sputtered. "L-look, I don't expect the princess' boyfriend—"

"Bodyguard." Both he and Charlie corrected.

"What the fuck ever! I don't expect you to understand the finer points of Celestial Politics, but—"

"It's… a good idea, sir." Lute said stiffly, clearly trying to prevent Adam from showing their hand. "More sinners, less resources, and the Hellborn will come into conflict with them. It… checks out."

Adam caught on and scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, well… Look, I can see where you're coming from, but it's just—"

"Dangerous." Steel surmised. "Because what if they don't fight and then try to unite against you."

"Which! Wouldn't happen!" Charlie insisted, coming around Steel and standing in front of him. "Angels are immortal, indestructible warriors, after all!" Steel knew that was a lie. "Any sort of rebellion would end before it began!"

"Which is what the Exterminations are for." Adam insisted. "Look, I can see where you're coming from. I really can. But if we skipped the extermination for even one year, those Sinners would end up getting it in their heads we're scared of 'em, and we'd have to fuck them up anyway! The extermination cuts out the middleman."

"But with the Hotel—!"

"It wouldn't work, sweetie." Adam scoffed. "Hell is Hell, Heaven is Heaven. There's a divide. You can't just cross it just because you act less like a douchebag."

"Well, you're there so apparently level of douchiness doesn't matter!" Charlie finally snapped, much to the surprise of everyone. Steel gently grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away before she could snap further. "Self-righteous, misogynistic mother—"

"Charlie." He chided quietly but firmly. "Emotion won't help you here. If you give them an excuse, they will shut you down immediately."

She sighed, nodding. "You're right. I'm sorry. Look, I know you don't agree with my plan, but you're… you know. Can't you talk to them?"

Steel sighed, looking over at the two whispering angels. "I can. But I don't promise anything, Charlie."

"I know. Just try. For me."

He took a moment to consider before he finally nodded. "Step outside for a moment. I'll smooth things over." If I don't snap myself.

Once she left, Steel sat down at the other end of the table. He regarded the two of them, and they regarded him. No one 'in the room' really trusted the other. Finally, after a minute of silence, he spoke. "You're never going to agree to her plan."

"Gee, what gave it away." Adam snarked, scoffing.

"The exterminations. They're not just a show of force. You're keeping the populace pacified."

"Yeah, I literally just said that dipshit. Thought you were the smart one."

"Oh, but I am." He said, leaning on the table. "Smart enough to know your angels are vulnerable."

They both froze at that, Adam leaning over the table in an attempt to be menacing. "Excuse you?"

"Four of your soldiers got wounded." He explained, with more than a hint of pride. "One got her chest caved in after having her weapon shattered. Two got pinned to walls by spears and then knocked out. Their sergeant, lieutenant, whatever, got the worst of it: she took a trident to the wing and then got electrocuted and tortured." With each recitation of fact, he could see their 'eyes' go wider and even though they were already pale, he knew they were getting even whiter.

"How could you possibly know that?" Lute growled quietly.

He stood up and placed his hands on the table, leaning to match Adam. "Because I'm the one that did it." He smiled cruelly, the image of their pained faces and mangled bodies in his mind bringing a sick sense of pleasure.

Strife. You're overplaying your hand. Nael warned.

It's a calculated risk.

It's a foolish risk.

Steel ignored him as he began pacing about the room. "You see, I was… curious. Why would you give a damn about some 'worthless' sinners and demons? Then I remembered: they were vulnerable. To me, at least. Which tells me your image of strength is an illusion. Which you don't want them to find out about." He stopped at the head of the table and turned back towards them. "So here's the deal… you don't interfere with the hotel. You give it a chance, skip the extermination. Give it a one-year trial run. That way, your soldiers won't have to get fucking torn apart."

Lute scoffed and let out a laugh of pure disbelief. "Please! There's no way you could take on our entire army!"

Adam, however, was less than confident. He was prideful, but not a fool. He looked Steel up and down, before snorting dismissively. "You're strong. I'll give you that. But she's right. You couldn't take us all on. Even if you won, it'd be pyric."

"You really want to test me?" Steel growled.

Strife, arrogance got us into this mess! Don't allow it to get us into another!

Shut up, Nael. You're not in charge here. He growled back. He could feel the anger at that but he ignored it. "Well?"

"No deal." Adam said with a sense of finality. "The exterminations continue. And that little hotel of hers can burn for all I care."

"Fine. Then go ahead and fuck off." He said, flipping them off as he went to the door. He heard their holograms fade as he did.

Strife. You're a fool.

Never thought I'd hear you be a coward, Nael. They're weak. Disposable.

So are solitary ants! But in numbers they can kill even scorpions!

Enough of your prattle, old one. I grow tired of it.

Mark my words, Strife. You will regret this.

Steel just scoffed as he shoved the door open. "Let's go." He told Charlie.

"Well?" She asked hopefully "How'd it go…?"

As they flew back, Steel had to explain that they had rejected the offer, much to her sadness. His arrogance broke as soon as he saw how dejected she was, his heart aching. "Sorry." He apologized as they opened the door, though he knew it wouldn't be enough.

"No, you were right." She sighed, stepping inside. "They wouldn't have gone for it anyway."

Steel may normally have been of two minds most of the time, with one winning out over the other. Now he was of only one: the demonic one. But even the demonic one took a backseat when he saw just how genuinely sad Charlie was. As Vaggie approached, he asked himself one question.

What have I done?

"Hey, you two! How'd, uh, how'd it go?"

"Oh, they heard what we had to say! But…"

"Oh, oh! Hold that thought, we have something for you! Vaggie grabbed Charlie's arm and dragged her over to the rest of the group over by the TV. Steel kept his distance. "Alastor pulled some strings and it's about to come on!"

"I pulled a few limbs too!" Alastor said with a laugh.

"Wait, you mean the commercial? You made a new one?"

"Yep!" Angel confirmed, flaunting his body. "One of my best performances if I do say so myself."

Charlie went from moping to beaming, the tears actually flowing now. "That's… amazing. Thank you all."

"Shh, shh!" Angel shushed, pointing to the TV. "It's starting!"

The commercial started, Vaggie talking on the TV before it was interrupted by a breaking news report, much to the chagrin of everyone else. Katie Killjoy and Tom Trench appeared, with Katie starting it off. "Breaking news in Hell today! We have just received word from the Heaven Embassy that the next Extermination is happening sooner than ever before. Do you know what that means, Tom?"

"No! What does it mean, Katie?"

"It means we're all royally FUCKED!" She shouted, her eye twitching. Screaming could be heard as everyone looked out the window to see the clock rapidly shift from 358 days to 176.

"Wait, what?! Why?" Angel shouted, clearly panicked.

As Steel looked on in horror, Nael could be heard chuckling darkly. Actions and consequences. Pride before the fall, Strife.

Steel sat down on the nearby chair to avoid hitting his knees. What have I done…?