Chapter Text
Sir Pentious stared at the pin in his hand. It gleamed up at him, just as bright and pristine as everything else in Heaven. The image of a trident with a halo shone proudly from his hand, proclaiming his new position with pride.
The Eggs clambered around the room, just as oblivious as usual, waiting for an order from their master. All of them had already congratulated him on his promotion, even if they didn’t really understand what it meant. What mattered was their support, so he didn’t mind.
A knock at his door made the snake-angel glance up. Tucking the pin into one of the pockets of his pristine light yellow suit jacket, Pentious stood and made his way over to answer the door. Taurence, Gideon, and Laura all grinned at him from the hallway.
“Well, if it ain’t the man’a the hour!” Gideon chirped, stepping forward to throw an arm around Pentious’ shoulders. “Shit, man, congrats!”
“I know we gotta keep it on the down low for now,” Taurence snorted as he and Laura dragged Gideon off their friend/idol. “But seriously. Congrats for real. As our first, ya definitely deserve the honor.”
Pentious felt the bubbling anxiety from earlier simmer down in the face of their encouragement. “Oh, well, thank you.” He cleared his throat. “I assume it’s time?”
“Yup!” Laura grabbed his hand and tugged him into the hall while Taurence rounded up the Egg Bois. “Come on! We’re gonna be in Her Highness’ office for this one, just in case!”
“Ah, won’t Miss Sera be upset about that?” Pentious inquired, though he didn’t fight the grip. He was just as excited for the day as they were.
“What the Big Boss Lady don’t know won’t hurt’er,” Taurence shrugged. “’Sides, we can just apologize and offer ta make it up to’er, so it’s no big. Gotta exercise those lessons Charlie gave us, even when we do kinda bad stuff, right?”
“Right,” his friends agreed, much to Pentious’ amusement.
The quartet (plus Eggies) made their way quickly to the Administrative Building where Sera’s office was. They didn’t have a moment to waste if they wanted to be there on time. Pentious paused to drop the Eggies off with Molly before continuing on the journey.
Over in the office, Emily flapped around the room nervously, wringing her hands. Big blue eyes were down-turned as she waited for the last of their number to arrive. It wasn’t that this was the first bad thing she was doing. Who didn’t do something bad every once in a while? It needed to be done to keep things running smoothly in Heaven, even if it usually didn’t have anything to do with Sera.
No, she was nervous because… well, it was the first time she would be seeing an Extermination. She knew that not even Sera had ever seen one before, so this was big. From what she had been shown and how… gleeful Adam and Lute had been about it, she knew it wasn’t likely to be a pretty sight. While she wanted to be kept in the loop of everything happening, Emily couldn’t deny how… frightening it was now that it was going to happen.
“Hey.”
A voice beside her made Emily glance over. Claudia gave her a small smile as she and Marcus flapped above the seraphim. “It’s gonna be okay,” Claudia reassured her. “We’re all here with you.”
“First Extermination is rough for everybody,” Marcus explained as he landed beside Emily. “I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, it’s gonna be hella violent.” Emily nodded, having expected that much at least. “There’s gonna be blood, people are gonna be screaming and crying and begging for their lives. The Exorcists are not gonna care.”
“Not even a little,” Claudia muttered with a slight shudder.
Emily took a shaky breath. She knew they were holding back details for her sake, but even what they had said sounded awful. “How could this happen?” she whimpered, clasping her hands to her chest anxiously. “And for so long? We should have been trying to find another way- We should never have started this in the first place!”
Claudia dropped to wrap her in a proper hug. “It only makes sense,” she pointed out quietly, stroking Emily’s hair. “We sinned. We were in Hell. We didn’t expect Heaven to really care what happened to us, and definitely didn’t expect’em to ever think of giving us a second chance…”
“But it’s gonna be okay,” Marcus continued. He reached over to place a hand on Claudia’s shoulder comfortingly. Both she and Emily glanced up at him. “Yeah, ya killed us for ages and that was a pain, but hey!” He opened his arms to showcase their surroundings. “What matters is someone is tryin’ now, and it’s workin’. We’re not just gettin’ killed down there. Charlie’s helpin’ save us, ya know?” He grinned and pulled both women into a bear hug, much to Claudia’s annoyance. “So no use bein’ down about it, bitches! We’re gonna watch Charlie and the others beat those Exorcist whores into the ground!”
Emily snorted softly, nuzzling against Claudia’s neck. She fanned out her wings to dispel Marcus’s hug and smiled, wiping her eyes. “Thank you.” The twinkle returned to her eyes and the pair internally patted each other on the back. “You’re right. We’re setting things right now. Thanks to Charlie, things will be better, for Heaven and Hell.”
“That’s the spirit, Em,” Claudia chuckled, ruffling Emily’s hair affectionately.
“Whoa, looks like we arrived in time!” a voice cut in.
The trio glanced toward the door and found the others coming in. Gideon practically dragged Pentious in, arm around his neck as he guided him into the office. Laura and Taurence waved excitedly to Emily and the others as they flapped in.
“You ready for your first Extermination, seraphim?” Taurence teased Emily.
“Uh, not really?” Emily replied with a shaky smile.
“You’ll do fine, lil lady,” Taurence snorted. He wrapped a wing around her shoulders with a grin. “Just remember to hide in the dumpster if ya see an Exorcist comin’ and if someone screams for help, they’re already dead!”
Emily cringed and Marcus punched Taurence’s shoulder. “Come on, man! We just got her spirits back up!”
“What?” Taurence huffed, though he wasn’t the least bit put off. “I was just impartin’ the basics on one’a our leaders. Can’t have’er goin’ into Extermination blind.”
Laura rolled her eyes and walked over to Emily. “Don’t worry,” she told the seraphim gently. “We’ll all be here for you. No one should have ta go through their first Extermination alone, even if they’re watchin’.”
“Yeah, that shit sucks,” a voice from the door called. The last of their number strolled in with arms laden full of snacks. Jesse peeked around the mountain of treats in his arms. “Trust me, as a guy who was alone for his first one, it’s a wonder I’m even here.”
“Well, we’re glad you are,” Gideon stated, moving over to help him with his cargo. “Who else would we send for snacks, am I right?”
“Hey, screw you!” Jesse laughed.
They arranged the snacks on a table as Emily watched. That was right. All of these souls had experienced Extermination and, by some stroke of luck, were still here. To that end, Emily had to believe in the souls who would be going through this next one. She would believe in Charlie’s ability to protect her people.
“Alright,” Marcus said while everyone got comfortable on chairs, beams, and beanbags. “Shouldn’t be too long until Extermination starts. It’s gonna be weird watching, but we wanna be ready for anybody else who might come up.” He sent them all a fanged smile. “We got this?”
“Yeah!” the group cheered.
Marcus gestured to Pentious with a flourish. “Awesome Hero, if you’ll do the honor-.”
Movement outside the door caused the group to freeze. The door opened and everyone tensed as Sera strode in. She blinked around at them all in confusion, clearly not expecting her office to be occupied. No one moved for a long moment until Sera sighed.
“Watching Extermination, I take it?” she inquired.
“Uh- um-!” Taurance glanced at Emily for any indication what to do. She gave him a quick nod and he returned it. Hesitantly turning back to Sera, he answered, “Yes?”
“I should have expected that,” the High Seraphim murmured. “Well, regardless, I’m here for the same reason. You may carry on.”
“Yes!” Gideon pumped his fist excitedly. “Even Boss Lady’s gonna join in! This is gonna rock! Any newbies comin’ up are gonna have a whole party waitin’!”
Laura ruffled his hair gleefully. “That was the entire point, Deo!” She flapped over and pulled Sera’s chair to the middle of the group. “Come and have a seat, Miss Sera!”
Sera gave the group a wry smile and settled among them. Marcus gave another flourishing gesture toward Pentious. The serpentine angel smiled bashfully and cleared his throat. Straightening his tie, Pentious dramatically lifted a hand and snapped his fingers. Before the group, wings swirled together to create a transmission orb for them all to view. It zeroed in on the front of the hotel where a massive army was waiting outside.
“Whoa,” Claudia muttered with a frown. “Looks like they’ve been busy.”
“Ya think they decided to build their own army after last Extermination’s success?” Taurence asked, chomping into some chips.
Sera stiffened at the mention of an army and heads turned to the High Seraphim. “Aw, come on,” Laura snorted. “Ya can’t seriously think we’d see how effective fightin’ back was and not at least try ta protect ourselves?”
“Better’n gettin’ slaughtered without a fightin’ chance,” Gideon laughed. He tossed some popcorn into his mouth. “No harm in just keepin’ ourselves safe, Boss Lady.”
Emily floated up to pat her sister’s shoulder. “They don’t want to attack us,” she murmured gently. “They just want to protect themselves, Sera. To have a fighting chance at what Charlie’s trying to do.”
“I… understand.” Sera took a deep breath. “Old fears die hard, that’s all.”
Emily smiled. “Well, we’ll put them to rest. One redeemed soul at a time.”
She floated back down and the group cheered as Vaggie stepped out of the hotel to join Charlie. The princess faced the army and the redeemed souls leaned forward eagerly. “It’s time!” Charlie called to the troops. Her voice was steady and she looked much more sure of herself than she had during Vox’s footage of the previous Extermination Day. “Today, we aren’t just going to fight for our home, we’re protecting our people. We’re gonna go out there and show Heaven they can’t push us around anymore!”
“That’s the spirit, Princess!” Claudia whooped as the troops all cheered. “Fuck those Exorcist bitches up!”
Gasps rippled through the room as Vaggie created portals in front of the different sections of the army. “She can do that?!” Laura exclaimed.
“All angels can,” Emily pointed out in confusion. “You didn’t know?”
“Of course not!” Marcus sputtered. “We thought that was a seraphim thing or some shit, like the summoning and teleportin’ and shit! She’s never done that before!”
“Perhaps she only recently discovered the power?” Pentious tried, watching the orb curiously. “I had no idea others could do it, either.”
Sera blinked in utter shock. “How many angels have no idea they can do these things?” she breathed to herself. “I’m going to have to instate an entire introductory sector that lets them know the power at their fingertips for being God’s divine chosen…”
“Something for later.” Emily couldn’t help but laugh at her sister’s minor turmoil. It was definitely an oversight on their part for assuming angels would just assume they could do these things. Sure, some things were seraphim-only, but not everything.
At last, the time had come. The group held their breath as the timer ticked down the last few seconds. Gideon held Laura and Jesse close, Marcus and Taurence tensed in preparation for the barrage. Claudia stayed close to Emily and Pentious, the former sinners keeping their wings around the seraphim in a hug as they all watched the countdown. Sera remained poised on the outside, but even she wasn’t immune to the nerves in the air as they all waited for the slaughter to begin.
Three.
Two.
One.
The former sinners stared in confusion when the massive portal didn’t open. Instead, a single smaller one opened near the hotel and some white-haired rat-looking woman flapped out. “Who the hell is that bitch?” Jesse muttered.
“The new general of the army,” Sera explained. “Lute.”
“She don’t look like much,” Laura snorted, eyes narrowed at the orb as Manager Vags approached the white-haired angel.
“Sick arm, though, amirite?” Taurence barely paid attention to what the general lady was saying to Manager Vags, eyeing the metal arm curiously. “If I was still in Hell, I’d steal it from’er.”
Marcus patted his shoulder. “We’re better than that now,” he chuckled. “But yeah, it’s pretty damn sick. Probably better than any’a the ones we got down there, that’s for sure.”
As the group listened to Vaggie and Lute go back and forth, snickers filled the air. “Manager Vags ain’t on whatever this bitch got,” Laura snorted, passing a bag of chips to Gideon. “Wonder what their bad blood is.”
Sera flinched slightly, knowing exactly what the bad blood was. Emily glanced up at her sister in confusion and Sera shook her head. A silent indication they would talk about it some other time. Assuming, of course, it didn’t come up over the course of this Extermination.
“My only mistake was leaving you with one eye instead of taking them both.” Lute’s voice came from the orb and everyone tensed.
“And yet, you still failed to take it six months ago,” Vaggie retorted.
“Wait…” Jesse muttered, lowering the bag of chips he was munching on. “You mean…?”
“That… wench is the one who removed Vagatha’s eye?” Pentious hissed furiously, eyes narrowed as his hair fanned out. “I thought it was some sort of accident with her spear!”
“So did I!” Taurence snapped. “If I’d known this bitch took it, I’d’ve beat’er ass while she was still up here!”
“Hush, guys, it looks like they’re finally gettin’ serious!” Marcus called.
Everyone waited with bated breath as Lute lifted her hand and summoned the portal. Or… portals. “Wha-?!” Laura jumped up, wings flapping frantically. “I thought they always came from one big one! Why all the tiny ones!”
“Probably to make it easier to focus their attacks,” Gideon grumbled, chomping angrily at some jerky. “Bloodthirsty bitches wanna get as many lives as they can to make up for the loss, prolly.”
“Yo, check it out!” Jesse gasped. The orb zoomed in on some of the more muscular sinners hefting massive artillery. “Looks like Carmine stepped up her fuckin’ game this time!”
“Those guns look fuckin’ sick!” Taurence exclaimed, bouncing excitedly. “Looks like they can rip into an angel in no time flat!”
Sera’s wings fluffed slightly as she watched She knew Princess Morningstar would never even think to wage war on Heaven. That did not stop the worry about what the average sinner might do with machines like that, capable of tearing angels to pieces without any effort at all. Taking a deep breath, the High Seraphim kept herself calm.
Everyone was silent as they waited for either Lute or Vaggie to give the order to begin. Gideon huddled close to Laura as Claudia and Pentious hugged Emily for comfort. Taurence and Marcus flapped up to keep close to Sera in their own form of comfort as Jesse just leaned forward in anticipation.
“ATTACK!”
The group jumped slightly as Lute’s shout rang from the orb. Emily shrank as the Gatling guns immediately opened fire. Pentious squeezed her hand to help ground her as Exorcists were torn apart before their very eyes. The other sinners had no qualms with voicing their excitement, happy to finally see those murderous whores get their comeuppance.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!” Jesse cheered, lifting into the air and pumping his fists. “Teach those bitches they can’t fuck with us anymore!”
“Hell yeah!” Laura shouted as the streets ran gold. “Make’em regret comin’ back!”
The cheers of encouragement and triumph continued, even as the shooters finished their ammo and the real fight began. Sure, demons were getting slaughtered left and right, but everyone was more coordinated this year. Instead of running around in panic, they had leaders, it seemed. They were prepared for this fight this time around.
Marcus suddenly choked as he noticed something among the chaos. “Whoa, whoa, hold on!” He pointed at the orb shakily. “Z-zoom in! W-what’re they doin’?!”
The orb shifted to showcase what he had spotted. A shiver rippled through the group as they watched Exorcists use their weapons to attack buildings. Demons screamed and panicked as debris rained on the streets. Anyone caught in a building was just as exposed as those out on the streets now.
“What-?!” Claudia’s voice caught in her throat, eyes wide at the carnage.
“They can’t do that!” Taurence screamed, wings fluffing in panic. “That’s not fair!”
“There’s still Hellborn in some’a them buildin’s!” Gideon exclaimed. “I thought there was rules against that shit!”
Emily spun on her big sister frantically, all six wings fanning out in her worry. “Sera, if they keep this up-!”
“There’s nothing we can do about it right now, Emily,” Sera told her in a hard voice, lifting her phone.
“Are ya serious?!” Marcus snapped. He glared up at the High Seraphim furiously. “Those are our friends! There’s a buncha imps’n hellhounds down there! And ya can’t do shit about it?!”
“We can’t interfere with Extermination while it’s happening,” Sera explained as she dialed a number. “There’s too much chaos. In the panic, we would be putting Hell Royalty at risk.”
The former sinners all fumed at that. A small distraction really might get Charlie hurt, but what about the other rules? What about the people who fought for the right to live through this Extermination?
Sera waited for a voice on the other end to pick up. “Hello, High Seraphim?” a chipper voice asked on the other side. The volume was loud enough for everyone to hear without speakerphone.
“Deerie, is everything in order?” Sera inquired with forced calm, silvery eyes glaring at the orb still displaying the carnage in Hell.
“Yes, ma’am!” Deerie affirmed. There was the sound of shuffling papers and she said, “Crimes are being documented as we speak. We’ll have the punishment ready when you give the word!”
“Thank you. Carry on with your work.” Sera clicked off and created a few more orbs to display Extermination. “There’s so much happening and I want to be informed of all of it.” Her eyes narrowed sadly. “I need to know just how much I’ll need to beg for Lucifer’s forgiveness.”
The group gave small whines and whimpers as they went back to watching the Extermination. Thankfully, a plan had already been implemented, with the Kaiju protecting buildings and making quick shelters for people, but still. It wasn’t supposed to be like that.
“Feels bad just sittin’ here watchin’,” Jesse mumbled, fidgeting with his hands anxiously. “I wanna be down there helpin’…”
“Maybe they don’t need it,” Pentious pointed out. When the others cast bewildered glances at him, the snake-angel gestured toward a few select orbs. Not just Alastor’s much larger form, but also what Rosie had transformed into as well as Zeezi’s own power coming into play.
“Holy shit,” Claudia muttered. “Even the Overlords are gettin’ in on this shit now. Never seen Rosie ever pull out her form.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think she even had more to’er,” Gideon snorted. “Just figured that was it. Been thinkin’ that ‘bout a buncha Overlords, honestly.”
Taurence and Emily gazed at the Vee’s trying to get themselves out of danger as well. Emily remembered the tall, moth-looking man from Charlie’s trial. She wasn’t sure how to feel about him fighting for his life, but she supposed every soul deserved the right to at least try to survive. No matter how deplorable she found them. Taurence, on the other hand, was absolutely thriving on Valentino’s panic.
“That’s right, you disgusting fuck,” he growled gleefully. “Fight for your miserable life. Put that fuckin’ smoke to good use for once. Find out how it feels to be us!”
He paused and glanced at Emily sheepishly. “Sorry. I know that’s not really good’n all, but… he’s done some hella awful shit ta so many’a us…”
“No, I understand,” Emily reassured him gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I may not know the extent of it, but thanks to Charlie’s trial and speaking with Pentious, I know enough. It’s okay to let it out. He can’t hurt you here.”
Taurence smiled and squeezed her hand, going back to watching the Overlords join the battle.
“Damn, Zeezi’s so fuckin’ sick,” Laura breathed as she watched the massive kaiju holograms shred into Exorcists like paper. “Never knew she had that much power.”
“Yeah, the top Overlords are a different breed, man,” Jesse chuckled. “Sucks Carmine hasn’t pulled out her form.”
“Nah, man, she’s too controlled for that.” Marcus tossed some popcorn into his mouth as he watched Carmilla Carmine plow through droves of Exorcists without breaking a sweat. “Ain’t nothin’ gonna make her pull that shit out. Just let’er work.” He glanced at another orb and cringed. “And, uh, don’t pay attention ta Zestial if ya’ve got a weak stomach.”
A few eyes flicked to the orb showcasing the Spider Overlord and immediately averted. Zestial was a category all his own. A frightening, horrifying, untouchable category to be avoided at all costs.
Suddenly a glow lit the open area of the room. Everyone perked up excitedly. A few figures formed from the glow and dropped gently to the floor. The three newcomers opened their eyes in confusion, looking around in shock.
“W-what the fuck?” one of them gasped. “Where are we? What’s goin’ on?”
“W-where’d my gun go?!” another gulped in terror. “Wha- where are the Exorcists?”
“Whoa, hey!” Marcus flapped closer to the new group. “It’s alright. You’re okay.”
One of the newcomers, a lavender ant wearing overalls with a rose on his chest where he had been stabbed, blinked at him in shock. “Marcus?! Dude, where’ve you been?”
“Holy shit!” someone else, a lanky silver woman with pink hair, three blue eyes, and crab claws for hands, huffed happily. “We thought you fuckin’ left, man!”
“Uh, yeah,” Marcus chuckled, rubbing his neck. “It’s not like any of us could really say goodbye, honestly.”
He gestured for some of the others to come closer and Laura and Taurence lifted their hands as they stepped forward. “We kinda ended up here before we could tell anybody anything,” Marcus went on.
Taurence opened his arms and fanned his wings out. “Welcome to Heaven.”
“Shut the fuck up,” the final newcomer, a tuxedo cat with small goat horns poking from her head, breathed in awe, gazing around her in utter shock. “We… we did it? Charlie was right?”
“Hella right,” Laura affirmed with a wide grin. “Sam, Odalia, Amy, welcome to Heaven. Congrats.”
“Fuck, Charlie’s gonna flip,” Sam, the ant, laughed.
“We’ve got a lot to tell ya,” Marcus explained. “But right now, we’re watching Extermination and waiting for anybody else to come up. Wanna join?”
The trio shared baffled glances and shrugged. “Sure,” Odalia, the three-eyed woman, motioned for them to lead the way.
The rest of the group greeted the newcomers and shuffled to give them room to settle in. Emily squealed quietly at more souls having made it to Heaven. Charlie’s hotel really was working! Everyone went back to watching the orbs, much more pumped now that they knew more souls would be coming up today.
Sera noticed a few angels hovering near Morningstar Palace in the background of one of the orbs and called a smaller one to hand anxiously. She knew Lucifer was going to be at her throat about this. She just hoped he would only target those attacking him rather than bringing his grievance directly to Heaven. If nothing else, perhaps she would be able to plead for forgiveness during their meeting… For now, she would keep an eye on his mood. If it looked like he would intervene, she would need to shield Emily. Unlike them, Lucifer had no qualms getting his hands dirty…
“The hotel’s still standin’ strong,” Gideon muttered as he watched the chaos on the hilltop. Everything seemed to be going fine, but he didn’t like his buddies being in danger and being unable to help them. He was originally excited for this, but fuck, man, watching without doing anything was making him antsy.
His eyes widened as one of the Exorcists grabbed Charlie. “Fuck, one of’em got the princess!” he growled, crushing his soda in his grip. All eyes zeroed in on Charlie and Emily’s hands flew to her mouth in horror. Sera was suddenly feeling much less sure of Heaven’s safety as all orbs switched to watching Charlie’s plight.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Pentious gripped his hair worriedly as Charlie and the angel struggled with one another. “She’s going to get hurt! Someone needs to do something!”
“They can’t shoot!” Claudia whimpered, covering her eyes. She peeked out and immediately flinched. “They might hit Charlie if they try!”
“Shit!” Pentious wrung his hands, red eyes focused entirely on Charlie’s fight. “Please… please…”
Gunshots rang through the air and the group tensed as both Charlie and the Exorcist dropped. Emily, Laura, and Pentious clutched each other anxiously as Charlie clung to the roof before slipping off again. Sera’s jaw clenched tightly enough for her teeth to creak. Charlie managed to grasp a window, but that didn’t mean she was out of danger.
A sickening crack! filled the air as Charlie finally just broke the Exorcist’s neck. An audible sigh permeated the air. Charlie could hold herself up just fine. She wasn’t at risk of being dragged to a horrible injury.
“Oh thank goodness,” Emily breathed, sinking against Pentious shakily.
Marcus and Claudia watched in awe as Charlie simply walked down the wall. “I didn’t know she could do that,” Claudia muttered.
“She’s so badass,” Marcus nodded.
Sera, meanwhile, kept her eyes on the small orb in her hand. The angels heading for Lucifer were finally making their move. She knew Lucifer could handle himself. The same chaotic energy that caused his fall from grace lent itself as an advantage in battle. Still, with the Exorcists being set on utter destruction and the knowledge that angelic weaponry harms angelic beings as well, Sera was worried her brother may actually get hurt.
“Oh, shit,” Laura gestured to one of the orbs excitedly. “Looks like Carmine’s daughters have joined the fight!”
“They were supposed to be in a bunker underground!” Amy exclaimed. “Manager Vags told us they wouldn’t be fighting cause their mom was so protective.”
Laura snorted and elbowed her. “It’s Hell. Since when do people do what they’re told?”
“Check out Charlie and Manager Vags,” Jesse chuckled, pointing to the orb he was watching. A few heads turned to watch the lovers fight together and Claudia cooed excitedly.
“They’re so damn cute together,” she squealed as Vaggie swung Charlie around to knock the Exorcists back with her shield. “Of course they even have coordinated attacks!”
“Angel and Husk, too,” Taurence agreed from where he was watching the duo in question light the Exorcists bitches up. He smirked as Husk used a wing to deflect a sword heading for Angel. “Glad to see they’re still gettin’ closer ta each other. Wonder if they’ve confessed yet.”
Emily, meanwhile, kept her eyes on the orbs displaying the city’s fight. All those demons, falling to angelic weapons. Protecting each other. Fighting to keep going another day. It was commendable, but it was also heartbreaking. They shouldn’t have had to fight like this. They deserved a chance to prove themselves, but not like this.
Pentious reached out and gently placed a hand on the younger seraphim’s shoulder. Emily looked up at him and the snake-angel wiped at the tears in her eyes. “It’s going to be alright,” he told her softly. “Even if we can’t help all of them, the proof that we can save any of them is all around us.” He gestured to the group, and to the where a few more souls had entered. Some of them weren’t even from the hotel. “We can’t do anything now, but we will, once the dust has cleared.”
“Right,” Emily agreed, wiping the last of her tears away. “We’ll focus on helping anyone left. Just like Charlie. This is already immense progress.”
The pair tuned back into the battle just as Lute released a golden attack across the entire city. Demons and Exorcists alike fell to the beams as they were launched indiscriminately across the city.
“What the FUCK!” Gideon roared as the golden light on the other side of the room opened once more. Monica and a few others dropped from it in confusion. “How the FUCK does she have power like that?!”
“It’s the power afforded the general of the military,” Sera huffed, multiple eyes opening on her halo and wings. “It is not meant to be used in that manner.” Her main pair of eyes narrowed furiously as even their own soldiers were caught in the blasts. Did Lute have no shame? Not a shred of forethought? Or was it all just vengeance in her mind?
“Ah, Manager Vags is definitely gonna do somethin’ stupid to get at that bitch,” Monica muttered, staring at the orbs. She’ll focus on the Heaven thing later. Right now, she needed to know all their efforts weren’t gonna be erased in an instant.
“She’s definitely gonna pull a dumb move,” Sam sighed as he passed over some popcorn. “She never thinks clearly when Charlie’s dream is in danger.”
“What d’ya think she’ll do?” Taurence asked, voice tinged in worry. “Manager Vags is strong, but even with that cool fire she’s been usin’, she can’t just go out and fight that bitch. Not in this shitstorm.”
Apparently she could, though, because the second she got an opening, Vaggie threw her helmet right at Lute’s head to stop the rain of figurative fire.
“Manager Vags has no fuckin’ fear,” Gideon chuckled, passing out drinks and snacks to the watching newcomers. “Woman is a beast!”
“All squad leaders. Use the marbles I gave you.”
The group perked up at Vaggie’s command. All over the city, the orbs showcased marbles smashing against the ground or walls. Bright purple flame covered the city in seconds. Emily and Sera gasped in horror, only to stare in awe as the flames only hurt the Exorcists.
“They… the demons are… still alive?” Sera whispered, confusion and relief battling in her gaze.
“That’s Manager Vags’ fire for ya!” Odalia laughed happily. “It doesn’t hurt anybody she wants to keep safe.”
“But it fucks up anybody she hates!” Sam snorted. “Alastor sure can attest ta that!”
Cheers filled the air as the city forces regained their breath and renewed the battle. Emily shared a stunned glance with her sister, both seraphim utterly perplexed by the show of power. “Did you know angels could do that?” Emily breathed.
“It’s something I would have expected of seraphim,” Sera responded with a shake of her head. “I had no idea regular angels could conjure such power. Perhaps Lucifer has taken to training her.”
Emily clasped her hands happily. Vaggie would be able to stand as an equal with Charlie! She could protect the hotel and the sinners seeking asylum there. And she could stop Lute’s stupid attack in its tracks! That was amazing!
Monica, Claudia, and a few others focused primarily on Vaggie’s fight with Lute while everyone else kept watch on what was happening throughout the rest of the city. “Holy Hell,” one of the newcomers whispered in shock. “Vox is a giant fucking TV. This motherfucker should’ve stepped away from the screen in his life.”
“He’s too much of an insecure, overcontrolling dumbass for that,” another snorted. “Good to see he’s actually putting all that screen time to good use now, though.”
Everyone calmed a bit now that Lute’s attack had been halted. Extermination wasn’t close to finished, but at least they had a proper fighting chance to survive again. That was all any of them could ask for amidst all the chaos.
“I swear to fuck I always knew you were a fucking failure of an angel!”
A few heads turned toward Lute and Vaggie’s fight at the banter coming through from the fighting pair. Growls and hisses filled the air as barbs flew back and forth between them. “This fuckin’ bitch is really pissin’ me off,” Taurence grunted as he crushed a bag of chips between his claws. “I’m gonna fuckin’ whoop her ass when she gets the fuck back up here.”
“That’s if Manager Vags don’t kill’er first,” Claudia snickered.
Marcus handed some chips to Pentious as he listened to the banter. “Sounds like this bitch had a thing for Manager Vags, honestly,” he muttered, sipping a soda. “Thought she was into that Adam asshole, but she’s kinda…” He gave a wave of his hand and looked around. “Right? It’s not just me?”
“Not just you,” a few voices chorused.
“Manager Vags has been spendin’ way too much time around Angel,” Laura hummed, perfectly content with the current trajectory of the banter. Their manager was laying that bitch out and humiliating her. All was right in the world.
“You’re wrong.” Everyone froze as Lute’s resolute voice filtered from the orb. “There’s still one last thing I can take from you.”
“FUCK!”
The entire room lit up in panic as Lute readied her sword and threw it. Right at Charlie!
“Fuck, fuck, shit, fuck, fuck!” Gideon, Taurence, and Laura flapped into the air in terror, Claudia’s wings fluffing up and Jesse leaping to his feet. “Shitshitshit! She’s gonna get Charlie!”
Several eyes opened on Emily’s wings as she fanned all six of them out in horror. No, no, no! That wasn’t allowed. Charlie was supposed to be untouchable! She was supposed to be safe, even if she was out there fighting! They weren’t supposed to be able to attack her.
Attacking Hellborn, but especially the Royal Family was grounds for war! Lucifer wouldn’t hesitate to march on Heaven! They had to do something!
“Manager Vags can make it!” Monica shouted, pointing at Vaggie’s diving form. “Sh-she’ll stop it! She can move Charlie outta the way!”
All transmission orbs zeroed in on Vaggie’s descent except the one focused on Charlie. No one breathed. No one moved. All eyes stared in heightened anxiety. Waiting to see the outcome. It was only seconds, less than a minute of time, but it felt like eternity as they all waited.
White arms grabbed Charlie and spun her out of the way. Angel Dust put up his arms to protect himself. Vaggie landed in front of him protectively.
The sword speared right through Vaggie’s chest.
“NO!” Emily shrieked. Her true form burst free as all her eyes honed in on the orb.
“VAGATHA!” Pentious screamed, tears pouring from his eyes as he watched two of his friends get injured by that charlatan’s sword.
Taurence, Jesse, and Claudia all lifted into the air in panic. “It got Angel, too!” Jesse yelled. “We gotta help’im! We gotta get down there!”
Taurence threw his head back with a wordless roar. His wings fluffed up furiously. “Lemme at’er!” he shouted. He clawed at the orb in blind rage. None of his attacks made a mark and that only seemed to make him angrier. “I’m gonna kill’er! I’m gonna skin that bitch alive!”
The newer souls huddled together and Monica patted the heads of some of them to keep them calm. “It’s gonna be okay,” she whispered to them despite the chaos. “Manager Vags is strong. She’ll bounce back from this no problem.”
“Angel?” one of the other sinners muttered skeptically.
“He may be a spider, but the asshole’s more like a cockroach,” Monica snorted reassuringly. “He’ll be just fine. We… we just gotta wait.”
Angel being fine, the group could believe. But they all knew a fatal wound from an angelic weapon was something even angels couldn’t survive. Vaggie… Vaggie’s life was basically forfeit.
“Whoa, whoa!” Marcus called into the havoc the room had turned into. Heads turned toward him and he motioned to some of the orbs. “Everybody down there is goin’ berserk, but we gotta keep our cool here, okay? With all the trouble down there, we’re bound ta get more people comin’ up this way. We can’t let’em come in ta us all…” He waved his hand noncommittally. “Like this. Right?”
“It ain’t fair!” Jesse whimpered, clutching his head anxiously. “Angel don’t deserve this shit. He’s already gotta deal with Valentino, and he was workin’ so hard at Charlie’s hotel!”
“And what about Manager Vags?” Claudia added in a small voice. “She got that sword right to the gut. What… what’s gonna happen ta her?” Pentious lowered his head into his hands and she wrapped her arms and wings around him.
“Vags is strong as shit,” Monica huffed again. “She’ll pull through. Ain’t no way she’s leavin’ Charlie and the hotel.” Her lip quivered and her voice broke as she added, “She can’t. She and Charlie are a team… They need each other.”
Gideon cleared his throat. “Uh, I ain’t got much on Manager Vags, but, um… the Carmines all just went ballistic on that rat bitch’s ass.” He pointed to the orb showcasing Lute and Carmilla Carmine was indeed beating her ass like no tomorrow. Before long, Clara and Odette joined their mother, all three of them working as a team to bring the pain on Lute. “So, um, there’s that, at least.”
“I hope they kill that bitch,” Laura muttered in distress. She made her way over to the new arrivals to help keep them calm with Monica while Taurence paced through the air to try letting off some of his steam. His eyes never strayed from the orb where Lucifer was now trying to heal Vaggie
Sera and Emily watched in intrigue and mild horror as the Carmines actually managed to keep Lute on her toes in a fight. As Adam’s second-in-command and being arguably more bloodthirsty than any other Exorcist, Lute wasn’t one to hold back in a fight. Yet three sinners were giving her a hard time. Even without angelic weaponry, they were stopping her from causing further devastation. It was both incredible and terrifying.
“They’re utter monsters,” Sera whispered, eyes glued to the fight.
Marcus scoffed as he kept pace with Taurence in an effort to help him keep calm. “The Carmines have always been a special breed, sure, but this is justified, man. He basically just killed one of their own.”
“Sh-she’s not dead,” Claudia pointed out, rubbing Pentious’ back. “She’s still alive! A-and Angel’s getting help, too!”
Marcus and Gideon shared a glance, Jesse avoiding eye contact. All of them knew there was no way for Vaggie to survive a wound like that. Not from an angelic weapon.
The orb in Sera’s hand lit with Lucifer’s voice and she lifted it frantically. “I don’t have time to play around with you anymore when your boss decided to do the one thing I explicitly said not to do.” Sera’s heart twisted in her chest. That did not sound good. Lucifer was livid.
Taurence’s fists clenched as he watched Lucifer struggle to get Vaggie stable. It wasn’t fair. She gave them another chance. Instead of killing them all because of Valentino’s stunt, she gave them a choice. A chance to change! She saved them and now she was gonna die because of some dumbass monochromatic bitch with a dumb hard-on for her dead boss!
Emily wrung her hands as she kept her eyes on Charlie. It wasn’t much, but she’d seen the way Charlie and Vaggie had been at court. She’d heard from Sir Pentious how they patched things up after Adam revealed Vaggie’s secret. It wasn’t right for this to happen to her, to them. They were so happy, even in a place like Hell.
Tension swirled thickly in the air. Some watched Lucifer’s attempts to revive Vaggie, hoping the King of Hell would be the one thing that could negate someone dying by fatal angelic wound. If anyone could save her, it would be a form Heavenborn seraphim, right?
A few people continued watching the fight between the Carmines and Lute. None of the Carmines had angelic steel on them, but that wouldn’t stop them from beating the rat-like woman’s ass. They almost hoped some angelic steel would present itself just so the Carmines could finish the bitch off entirely.
Anyone else still watching focused on what was happening in the city. Demons weren’t holding back their true forms anymore, and even some of the Hellborn were going berserk on the Exorcists. None of them had come up yet, but the group would remain vigilant for anyone who was transported up to Heaven in the middle of the mayhem.
Sera paced around the area, hands clasped behind her back as she looked on at the carnage. She knew Exterminations were brutal, but she hadn’t considered just how far Lute would go knowing this was the last one. It was a severe oversight on her part for not putting more restrictions in place beforehand. She had intended to end them entirely, so the restrictions hadn’t seemed necessary. Silvery blue eyes glared at the orbs showcasing Lute’s fight with those Carmine demons. Just one more thing for her to grovel to her brother for. If Lucifer even let her get a word out after this disaster.
“The Carmines are gettin’ tired,” Gideon muttered worriedly as he watched the three women wear down. Unlike Exorcists, who seemingly had a never-ending supply of energy, sinners could still tire, even ones as strong and resilient as the Carmines. “Fuck, where’s Big Daddy at? I coulda sworn he and Lady Carmine had a thing…”
“They totally do,” Amy spoke up beside him, eyes flicking between all the transmission orbs, tail twitching in agitation. “Don’t say anything about it in front of’em, though.”
“Knew it,” Gideon snorted, though it lacked any mirth as Lute began getting the upper hand.
“Dammit!”
A few heads turned at Lucifer’s exclamation. Hearts pounded as the King spiraled. “W-why did he stop?” Emily stammered desperately. “H-he can’t stop! He has to save her!”
“Lucifer isn’t as proficient at healing as I am,” Sera told her sadly, eyes also focused on her brother’s devastated expression. It twisted her heart, remembering the last time she saw him look like that. The last time she saw him in person…
“He can’t just give up!” Pentious’ hair flared out, eyes wavering. “Vagatha wasn’t a sinner! If we lose her, she’s-!”
“Don’t think like that!” Laura persisted, wringing her hands worriedly. “Maybe there’s something else he can do!”
“If I had the ability, she wouldn’t be like this! But we don’t have anything to help her, Charlie! She’s-!”
Silence filled the room, the other orbs seemingly muted as everyone registered what the king had said. Vaggie wasn’t going to make it. After everything she had done to help them, after all the work she had put in to help Charlie, after everything… She was just… gonna be… gone.
Pentious watched Charlie somberly. It was clear the princess was not taking the news well. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he watched the woman who saved him break apart right in front of him. And he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t extend a hand like she had. He couldn’t help her stand, or support her, or sing to her to lift her spirits. The moment one of his dearest friends truly needed him, he couldn’t even be there for her.
And it only got worse.
“Screw faith.”
The roar of flames drew all eyes to Charlie’s transformation. Jaws dropped all over the room as Charlie changed into practically a completely different person right before their eyes. Sera felt faint as the princess’ form grew and warped, becoming something far more terrifying than even Lucifer’s wrath.
Emily shrank against her sister’s side, terror radiating from her at the sight of someone she considered a comrade becoming so… monstrous. Charlie was sweet and kind and soft in a way Emily would never have expected from someone born in Hell. This thing… this wasn’t any of that. It was huge and scary and gruesome. That thing wasn’t Charlie, not the way Emily saw the princess.
“Zestial’s got the Carmine daughters,” Odalia gasped, pointing a claw at the fight with Lute. “That bitch got them with her sword, but he’s on it. Now it’s just her and Carmilla.”
“Dunno if Carmilla even needs ta fight’er anymore,” Taurence pointed out as the image of Charlie drew closer to the fight. “Looks like Charlie’s fuckin’ pissed.”
“She better get there fuckin’ fast,” Laura squeaked. “That bitch’s got’er sword ready!”
Eyes nearly popped from their sockets as the hulking shape of Charlie slammed into Carmilla and hefted her out of harm’s way. She didn’t even hesitate when throwing her aside and focusing on Lute. “Holy shit,” Marcus swallowed nervously. “Charlie’s not fuckin’ around anymore. I dunno if anybody’s gonna survive this…”
“I-is she gonna be okay?” Emily whimpered, turning frightened blue eyes on Sera. “I-I mean… demons turn into their full forms all the time… r-right? She’ll be okay?”
Sera bit her lip. “That depends on whether or not she’s been getting trained in this form. There’s the possibility it could… take a toll on her if she doesn’t get it under control.”
Several of the watching eyes cringed as Charlie released lava into the city trying to hit Lute. Jesse paced in the air, muscles twitching. “She better get it under control fast or Marcus is right. Ain’t nobody survivin’ this shit otherwise.”
Screams of terror and agony from the Exorcists rent the air much more frequently now as they tried to bring Charlie down. None of them could so much as touch her with the lava barrier she had around her. It provided some form of relief, but at the same time, it worried the guests. They were of the same mindset as Emily. That wasn’t their princess. As badass and terrifying as the form was, their Charlie was the Charlie who hated hurting people. The Charlie who depended on others to keep her safe because she hated being the one to incite violence. The Charlie who could stand on her own two hooves in a fight, but wasn’t the one to initiate a fight. This thing wasn’t their princess.
“My good man, I’m going to need you to move.”
A few heads popped up curiously at Alastor’s voice. Lucifer seemed to be guarding Vaggie from him. Why? What was he trying to do? Was he going to eat her?
They all understood, though, the second Alastor pulled a marble from his pocket. The same marble that had helped everyone during Lute’s earlier blitz attack. If he had one of those, that meant he had Vaggie’s purple fire, too. Maybe… maybe he could save her.
“Can’t fuckin’ believe I’m trustin’ that fuckin’ deer with somethin’ this important,” Marcus grumbled as he turned his attention back to Charlie’s rampage.
“Alastor has been my greatest foe for some time,” Pentious pointed out, wringing his hands, eyes glued to the marble on Vaggie’s chest. “If anyone can help in this hopeless situation, I hate to say it, but it would be him.”
Nothing happened for a few seconds after the marble was placed on Vaggie’s chest. Then, a golden light suddenly appeared on the other side of the room. Heads turned expectantly, waiting for the new arrival to come through. The light flickered like a faulty bulb, and everyone frowned in confusion. Pentious’ gasp drew the group’s attention back to the transmission orb.
Violet flame had engulfed Vaggie’s body, surrounding her in a beautiful cocoon of fire. At the same time, the light that usually signaled a new arrival completely disappeared. It wasn’t hard to draw a conclusion based on the events.
“Holy fuckin’ shit.” Gideon and Claudia sported massive grins as everyone watched the general drop from her massive flame cocoon. “No fuckin’ way, man!”
“THAT BITCH IS SO HARDCORE!” Jesse screamed, pumping both fists as Vaggie opened her eye. Completely healed.
“That’s our fuckin’ general!” Monica whooped happily. “Fuck yeah!”
Sera’s eyes widened in shock. From what she knew, Vaggie was fallen. She had declared her allegiance to Hell. Ignoring that she hadn’t known regeneration was possible for angels, Vaggie’s regeneration should have happened in Hell, not Heaven. Did that… did that mean Heaven still found her worthy? And what did that say of the Exorcists? What did it say of Adam?
Emily sank onto a beanbag, clutching her hands to her chest. Vaggie was back in the game. She would be able to calm Charlie down. They would get the Princess of Hell back to herself and then this entire mess could finally be finished. There was nothing Charlie couldn’t do with Vaggie by her side, including end this Extermination. The younger seraphim took deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
“Oh man!” Sam laughed, his antennae twitching as he threw an arm around Pentious’ shoulders. “That was a fuckin’ rush! Seriously, never a dull moment with Charlie and her girl, amirite?”
Pentious reached an arm around him and pulled him into a hug. Tears pricked his eyes as he watched Vagatha rocket off to join Charlie. She was okay. She hadn’t followed in his footsteps. She was safe. “I am so proud of her,” the snake-angel sniffed, using his free arm to wipe his eyes. “Go get her, Vagatha!”
The transmission orbs suddenly distorted as a ringing screech filled the air. From the static-y blurred images coming through, it looked like Charlie was… screaming. Her scream was causing interference with the transmission.
“She can do that?” Laura exclaimed as Charlie’s roar finished. The transmission orbs cleared as if nothing had happened, but now, several Exorcists were noticeably without their helmets. “She totally fucked up their gear!”
“As Princess of Hell, Princess Morningstar has a lot of the same abilities as her father,” Sera murmured, watching the orb with Charlie. “Some of it, though, is purely her demonic heritage. I think that may have been all demon.”
“Charlie’s really been holdin’ out,” Taurence chuckled between bites of chips. He scowled as the angels started leading his princess further into the city. “Oh, but this, uh, this might be bad.”
Shots from all over the city showed demons mobilizing in an attempt to get away from Charlie’s incoming form. If they got caught in her fight, their lives were forfeit too, after all. It was the best course of action to head to the outskirts, even if it provided less cover.
“It’s no big,” Claudia said. She pointed to where Vaggie had caught up with Charlie. Like the force of nature she was, she took out Exorcists without even breaking a sweat. “Manager Vags has got Charlie’s back. With her backin’ up the princess, those bitches don’t stand a chance.”
“I wonder if there are ways to fortify the outskirts,” Pentious muttered. “Perhaps as a way to offer protection, even outside of these Exterminations. Small shelters… or bunkers like what Madame Carmine created…”
“It would probably solve some’a the problems for homeless imps,” Jesse piped up, also checking on the group on the outskirts. “Nice ta see the Vees bein’ useful for once, though. Don’t think I’ve ever seen any of’em work so hard before.”
Gideon eyed the fight between Charlie and Lute. “Much as I like seein’em finally work for somethin’, they prolyl won’t gotta do it for much longer. Charlie’s got the rat bitch on the ropes.” He squinted, nearly dropping his cookies in shock. “Since fuckin’ when can Charlie fly?!”
“Right now, apparently!” Emily laughed, taking in her comrade’s white back wings. “They’re clearly underdeveloped, but with a bit of time, they’ll catch up to her size. She’s doing well for a first time flyer, isn’t she, Sera?”
“She is,” Sera agreed. She watched the way Charlie’s body swung unnaturally and nodded. “Lucifer will have to give her lessons, and it’s clearly adrenaline helping her stay in the air, but she’s doing very well.”
They all watched the fight in anticipation, wondering which of the pair will be victorious. A few people continued checking on Vaggie’s fight with the other Exorcists, and some of the group kept watch on the forces fighting on the outskirts of the city and on the hotel hilltop. Worried tension was so thick, it was almost suffocating as everyone waited to see which side would come out victorious.
Then Charlie’s paw grabbed Lute’s face.
“YES!” Pentious leaped up, startling several people. “Charlie has her! She can force her into a surrender!”
“That ain’t gonna happen,” Taurence snorted, patting his shoulder. “Charlie’s about to fuckin’ wreck that bitch, man. Ain’t no surrenderin’ in her cards.”
His statement was punctuated by Charlie slamming Lute headfirst into the ground.
“Maybe Vaggie can calm her down before that?” Amy tried, one white paw pointing to where Vaggie had just finished off the last of the Exorcists attacking her.
“If she gets to’er in time, she might have a shot-.” A pained scream cut him off and Pentious immediately covered Emily’s eyes, his own wide in horror and shock. “Oh shit,” he muttered, watching Lute’s arm bounce over the pavement. “Vagatha isn’t going to make it in time.”
Several of the group cringed as Charlie’s tail swung out at Vaggie. “Fuck, she’s gonna actually kill Vags if she doesn’t calm down,” Marcus breathed in terror. That would tear Charlie apart!
Emily bit her nails anxiously as she peeked over Pentious’ hands to watch what was going on. Likewise, Pentious’ tail flicked frantically as he waited to see how things would play out. The entire group was completely silent, all eyes on the princess and her girlfriend. Vaggie was avoiding Charlie’s attacks well, but if she couldn’t get the princess to recognize her, one of the attacks could land. Or Charlie might do something more drastic.
Claudia and Jesse grasped each other as Vaggie finally managed to attach herself to Charlie’s muzzle. One wrong move and Charlie could turn her into a rotisserie chicken. Thankfully, Vaggie was able to climb up the princess’ nose. The group leaned forward, waiting to see how Charlie would react to finally finding out Vaggie was okay.
Hearts exploded.
Coos and awes filled the air as everyone watched Vaggie reassure Charlie and bring her down from the high. “They’re so cute!” Emily squealed, leaping into the air happily. Tears spilled from her eyes as she listened to Vaggie coo to Charlie. They were such a sweet pair!
“I knew she could do it!” Pentious cheered, grabbing several other redeemed souls in a massive bear hug. “I knew Vagatha would be able to calm Charlie! They were made for each other!”
Marcus, Gideon, and Laura leaned against each other and released loud groans of relief. “Fuck, that was intense, man!” Gideon whined. “My heart’s gonna fuckin’ jump outta my chest.”
“I for sure thought Manager Vags was gonna bite it,” Marcus moaned, dropping his head into his hands. “That bitch has balls of fuckin’ steel, I tell ya.”
“These two go so fuckin’ hard,” Jesse laughed. His grin split his face as he watched Vaggie stop Charlie from continuing the beatdown. “No fuckin’ wonder the Head Lady over there’s scared’a Hell rebellin’. I’d be fuckin’ shittin’ my pants if these two were leadin’ an army!”
Sera sighed with a wry smile and shook her head. “While I do still feel the smallest bit of unease, I will at least concede to my fears being unfounded and irrational, at least now that I’ve seen what Princess Morningstar can do.” She sent a meaningful look around the room at all the redeemed souls. “With the princess and her consort in Lucifer’s line of succession, I imagine it will remain an irrational fear for quite some time to come.”
“Don’t worry, Boss Lady,” Gideon told her, patting her hand reassuringly. “Charlie won’t let anybody march on Heaven. She’s tryin’ ta get us up here the right way.”
“And for that, I am grateful.” Sera gently patted his hand as well as everyone turned back to continue observing the orb. Just in time to see Lucifer brandishing his sword at Lute’s throat.
“This battle is over. Surrender.”
“Boss Man is not playin’ around,” Laura whispered in awe.
“But this bitch ain’t goin’ down easy either,” Taurence growled furiously, claws curling. “She’s such a fuckin’ piece’a shit!”
Sera wouldn’t vocalize her agreement, but she was in agreement. The least Lute could have done was honor the code of war. Instead, she even refused her own soldiers the opportunity for a reprieve. It was inexcusable. Really, it was deplorable the lengths she was willing to go to for her own hatred.
“No.”
“WHAT!” Everyone perked up angrily as Vaggie vetoed Lute’s execution. “Manager Vags, what the hell!” Claudia shouted.
“I want her alive to see her plan fail.”
A shudder rippled through the room, all of the redeemed souls shrinking closer to the pair of seraphim. Something wasn’t right in their general’s voice. None of them had ever heard Manager Vags sound like that. Sure, they knew she was a force to be reckoned with, but that force had never been turned on them. Hell, she’d never even released it in front of them before. Just like with Charlie’s earlier transformation, the woman speaking now was no longer their general. It was an aspect about her that… terrified them.
“I-I didn’t think Manager Vags could get scarier,” Odalia whimpered quietly.
“She’s so casual all the time,” Jesse muttered. “It’s so easy ta forget she used ta be a Exorcist, too. She never lets that side of her out.”
“Well, she has now,” Sam gulped. “I almost feel bad for the last’a those Exorcists. They’re dealin’ with somethin’ way scarier than their boss now.”
Gideon shivered. “If she treats the rest’a those bitches the way she treated us, they are so fucked.”
Marcus barked out a laugh and heads snapped to look at him in bewilderment. “If Manager Vags treats those bitches like how she treated us, then there ain’t shit ta be scared of.”
There were murmurs of hesitant agreement at that, the others not quite catching on to what he meant. Eyes returned to the transmission orbs. Right as Lucifer snapped his fingers.
Silence filled the air.
Another snap rang through the air and another Exorcist disappeared. Sera cringed, her wings pulling against her back in shame. She had forced her brother to get involved, even though he had warned her exactly what he would do. She could only be thankful he wasn’t turning that power on Heaven… or on her.
“What the fuck?” Amy whispered. “The king can just… snap people outta existence? We’ve been mockin’ a dude who coulda just fuckin’ obliterated us?”
“Are we fuckin’ stupid?” one of the other souls breathed in horror.
“Kinda?” Gideon muttered.
“Let’s see if Manager Vags is gonna do the same,” Jesse hummed, curious to know what approach his manager would take on this.
“Hey, Vags?” Everyone perked up eagerly at the sound of Angel Dust’s voice. Emily’s wings flapped curiously, wanting to know what Charlie’s first guest had in mind. “Any’a the rest’a them Exorcists friends’a yours?”
Gasps rang through the air, much to Pentious, Emily, and Sera’s confusion. A few of the souls who hadn’t been at the hotel blinked in puzzlement as well. “That motherfucker!” Monica laughed, giving a giddy little clap. “He remembered!”
“He fuckin’ remembered!” her companions cheered.
“Let’s fuckin’ go!” Marcus pumped a fist in nothing short of jubilation. “Time ta see if any’a those bitches are smart enough ta follow in our footsteps!”
Murmurs of excitement filled the air as everyone listened to Charlie and Vaggie give their ultimatum. “Come on, come on…” Jesse whispered, getting shushed by the others.
A resounding cheer shook the air as four Exorcists flew through the portal. “YEAH!” Taurence screamed. His voice grew hoarse and he didn’t even care. “IT WORKED! IT FUCKIN’ WORKED!”
“LET’S FUCKIN’ GO!” Claudia roared, zooming in a circle through the air. “THEY DID IT AGAIN!”
“I’m so confused,” Pentious finally spoke up.
“Bro!” Marcus grabbed him around the shoulders and began to excitedly explain. “When Valentino first sent a buncha’a us over ta the hotel ta attack the place while Manager Vags was dealin’ with her transformation, she came back, right? Sure she killed a bunch’a us with some spears from the Carmines, but not ta, like, do it permanently.
“Anyway, before she switched over ta usin’er angelic spears, she gave us the choice ta either join the hotel or die. Most’a the people ya see here? We took’er up on the hotel offer! And she just gave them bitches the same choice!”
“It means there’s hope for them, too!” Laura squealed. “They might actually be able ta make up for all the shit they put us through!”
Excited murmurs continued circulating the room as several of the members continued their celebration, albeit quietly so that everyone could get back to watching the transmission. “Looks like Manager Vags and Charlie are tryin’ somethin’ new,” Marcus spoke up between bites on his snacks. “Think it’ll work?”
The answer came from several people around the room. “Hell yeah.”
A few people tensed as Vaggie and Charlie’s flames sputtered slightly. The Exorcists were playing smart, scattering around. Both leaders had been through a lot over the past few hours. Their energy reserves were probably bordering on empty. If something drastic wasn’t done soon, the Exorcists really would win-.
Bright red and violet light suddenly filled every single orb. It was like an explosion had gone off, originating from the two women flying above the outskirts. It was like a shining beacon of hope and vengeance, incinerating any fleeing Exorcist on the spot.
Suddenly, there was commotion outside. The sky outside the office danced with flickering colors. Several members of the group raced to the balcony in shock. Part of them had been expecting it, but it still stunned them to their core to see the same beacon down in Hell shining all the way up into Heaven. Instead of incinerating like the Exorcists, it just washed Heaven in warmth and goodness, like a fluffy blanket after a long day.
Sera’s pupils shrank in horror. They had managed to reach all the way to Heaven? If this attack had been directed at all angels, they would have obliterated one of the Clouds without even breaking a sweat. Everyone here would have been burned on the spot without any idea how, why, or by who. Breathing coming fast, Sera realized her fears might not have been as irrational as she had been beginning to think they were. Without wings, transportation, or even a military, Heaven would be a sitting duck-.
A hand grasped hers and the High Seraphim’s gaze snapped down. Silvery eyes met bright blue and Emily gave her sister a reassuring smile. “It’s not an attack,” she reminded her soothingly. “It’s not a declaration of war. It’s not a threat.” She gestured to the souls watching the flames in shock. “They don’t want to hurt us. They just want to keep everyone safe.”
Sera turned her gaze to the angels below. All of them were basking in the flames without any question. None of them were hurting. None of them were suffering. None of them were in danger. The flames weren’t attacking anyone. Sera released a shaky sigh.
“Right,” she breathed. “You’re right. I… almost panicked.”
“It’s okay,” Emily cooed, flapping up to wrap her sister in a hug. “I’d be scared if I didn’t know what caused it. But it’s okay. We’re okay.”
“Damn,” Gideon chuckled, lifting a hand to shield his eyes as he watched the flames die down. “Those two coulda done some serious damage last Extermination if they’d had this power back then. Fuckin’ wild.”
The souls all flapped around to release some of the energy granted them by the flames’ power. Buzzing around the office, they let off some steam while everyone reoriented themselves. Pentious remained out on the balcony a little longer, watching the spot where the flames had appeared. His heart swelled happily, knowing his friends were capable of such things. Even if he couldn’t be there to congratulate them, he hoped they knew how happy he was for them.
“Yo, Pentious!” Claudia called excitedly. “Come check it out! A line’s formin’ ta beat the shit outta the monochromatic rat bitch!”
“Oh! Coming!”
Pentious hurried back into the office as everyone sat to watch the show. The transmission orbs had all been consolidated into one big ball to view the scene more fully. Laughter filtered through the air at Lute’s misfortune. Sure, none of them could actually hurt her unless they directly attacked her wounds, but come on! Who wouldn’t want to beat the shit out of an Exorcist with no repercussions and no angelic weaponry in sight? Let the bitch have it.
“Looks like Boss Man is ready ta send the last of’em back up,” Laura mumbled between bites. “Gonna be home soon.”
Or not.
Some deer with fluffy wings flapped down to inform the angels that they were no longer allowed back in Heaven. They had committed too many crimes, they had knowingly broken the rules, and they had purposefully defied orders. They were banned.
There was silence in the office for all of a moment before everyone exploded. Laughter and cheering rang through the air as the group realized exactly what that meant. None of the Exorcists were returning to Heaven! None! Not even the ones spared got to enter those pearly gates again!
“NO WAY!” Taurence howled, head thrown back and fangs on full display. Guffaws shook his entire body. “They’re fuckin’ kicked out?! Fuck yeah, that’s the shit!”
“Now they’re fuckin’ stuck there!” Jesse cheered, slapping high fives with several of the others. “Sucks ta fuckin’ suck! Maybe now they’ll get a taste’a their own medicine, bein’ stuck in Hell!”
“Bet they’ll think twice about callin’ us scum now!” Monica cackled. She tossed chips to everyone excitedly and popped open a can of soda. “They ain’t no better than we used ta be!”
Cheers and celebratory whoops continued flowing through the air at the remaining Exorcists’ misfortune. After all these years of them looking down on people in Hell, they were now the trapped garbage they despised so much. Sure, they still had their angelic invulnerability, but that didn’t mean much now! It just meant Sinners didn’t have to hold back when showing disdain!
Emily chewed her lip anxiously at the turn of events. Forcing them out without a trial? Was that really fair? Glancing up at Sera, she asked, “Is that… really okay? I mean, kicking them out without even giving them a proper sentencing?”
“It had to be done in the moment to make them understand their mistake,” Sera told her calmly, her nerves finally beginning to settle. “However, I’m… open to giving them a proper trial for their crimes. We can retrieve them for a proper trial after tomorrow’s mee-.”
Just then, her phone went off. Amidst the continued celebration, Sera answered. “Councilman James, what-?”
She cut off as frantic shouting from multiple voices carried over the phone. It sounded like the entire council was together at that exact moment, and they were in a panic. Sera blinked and looked down at Emily. “We’ll, uh, be there in a moment.”
Hanging up the phone, Sera turned to her sister. “It seems the council is currently in a frenzy due to the day’s happenings. Are you up for a meeting after… all that?”
“It can’t hurt,” Emily shrugged. She swiped a bottle of water and unfurled her wings, following Sera out to the balcony. “The least we can do is see what the fuss is about.”
Leaving the rowdy group in Pentious’ hopefully capable hands, the sisters made their way to the council building. The room was already alight with colors and the air was filled with feathers as the council frantically flapped through the air. None of them seemed to even fully realize when Sera and Emily arrived.
“High Seraphim, what are we going to do?!” James, a pitch black figure with menacing horns and three eyes, exclaimed the second Sera flapped in. “Did you feel that attack earlier?!”
“Yes, I am aware of the-.”
Sera was cut off by Nicholas, a cyan bird with an aquamarine robe. “What if they use that attack again? What if it’s stronger?”
“I thought that Extermination was happening today!” Elijah, a pitch-black figure with pointed ears and golden wings, shouted. “How was Hell able to attack in such a manner when the sinners are fighting our military?!”
“Actually,” Emily piped up. “It wasn’t really an-.”
Just like Sera, she was cut off, this time by Luke, a silvery-blue bird with equally as pale wings. “What if it’s Lucifer’s retaliation?” he whimpered, holding the feathers on his head in terror. “What if he’s trying to find a way to come back? This could have been a test run! A way to ensure he could actually reach us!”
“What happens next time?” James gasped. “It could be more powerful! It could actually do damage!”
Sera and Emily listened as the council devolved into utter panic over something that hadn’t even hurt them. The sisters shared a glance. If they could get a word in edgewise, they might have been able to explain the situation. As it was, the council was too beside themselves to properly listen. Or even think clearly.
“This… might take a while,” Emily told Sera hesitantly.
“I’ll need to give Lucifer a call,” Sera agreed, already dreading that talk.