Chapter Text
Charlie felt like shit.
She had thought that... that fighting against Adam and his Exorcists was the best course of action she could have taken after the disastrous trials and errors that were her attempts to solve things peacefully between Hell and Heaven, that she could resolve the thousand-long years of conflict between demons and demons without bloodshed.
How foolish
Oh, how foolish she was.
She failed.
Complete and utterly failed.
And now, they all have to futilely pick up the pieces after she had inadvertently unleashed an even bigger monster than Adam and his Exorcists could ever hope to be.
"Good afternoon, dear citizens of Hell, or whatever is left of your motherfuckers after the fucking big ass trouble that the Princess of Hell and her ragtag group of dumb bitches in her shitty hotel brought to our doorstep!"
Katie Killjoy's distorted voice could be heard from a pile of salvageable TVs that the surviving Sinners managed to gather from the ruins of Pentagram City.
Not only the TVs in the now destroyed metropolis, but basically all televisions available in every Ring now reported the same news that shook Hell at the core.
The infamous female reporter's image was distorted on the broken screen. Yet, some still could make out notable details like her missing arm, torn iconic red dress, and a smile that was even more crazed than usual.
And there was no accompanying "And I'm Tom Trench" line they always heard whenever they opened the 666 News channel...
"Now, two weeks has officially passed since the total annihilation of 76% of souls in the Pentagram City by Michael, damn right folks! THAT MICHAEL, the very one some of you fucked-up losers ironically prayed to when you were still alive and kicking, decided to crash at the Morningstar Whore's place and duked it out with the Devil Himself. And as you can guess, things fucking got biblically accurate, dear viewers!"
The screen cut to the image of Michael during the battle, revealing the angel with three torn wings and a massive X-shaped scar over his right eye. Yet, his maimed state did nothing to dampen the malice in his grin that sent shivers down every damned soul's spine.
Moments later, the image was subsequently changed to a collection of obviously candid photography, judging from its low quality and blurry focus. Nonetheless, no one could mistake the figure covered in gold who was being hastily carted off the ambulance car into St. An hospital in the Sloth Ring.
"Lucifer Morningstar wasn't only defeated, probably for a second time, but who gives a damn about that?! Rumors said our sorry excuse of a king was badly mutilated! Three of his wings were reportedly RIPPED OFF by You-Know-Who! But as we all agreed, dear Sinners, that good-for-nothing loser and his bitch of a daughter, who still has yet to crawl out of the hole she put herself in, fucking DESERVED WORSE THAN THAT—"
Charlie could not make out the rest of the distant gaggle of curses as she curled into herself and sobbed.
It had been like this for two whole weeks.
Weeks of hate, all directed towards her.
She was used to disdain and mockery. Hell, she had been hearing it ever since she was nothing but a child, first from the noble Hellborns who snubbed and jeered at her for being too soft, too nice, and too stupid to be the worthy heir to the throne, next from Sinners who did it in a much more blatant way at they laughed at her and her Happy Hotel.
But for them to change to hatred and outright hostility?
Try as she might, she could not get used to this.
She did not want to get used to this.
But alas, reality never cared about what you wanted, as a flash of silver and beating sounds of wings from just outside the window reached her senses.
For only a day after the disastrous Extermination Day, not long enough for anyone to pick up the pieces or make sense of the current reality before them, a video has been sent to every news channel available in Hell, a video that featured a now dreadfully familiar face to demon-kind.
"Uh, hellooo, is this recorded? How does this thing even work again? What? Which button? This one? Oops, my bad… Shut up, Gabe. I AM the supreme commander of Heaven. I'm perfectly capable of turning this thing on MYSELF. Just give me a sec... or two.. maybe three... AHA, here we go!"
The once pitch back screen now flickered to life, revealing the angel with bright green eyes and blonde hair.
"Alright, good morning, dear citizens of Hell, Sinners and Hellborns alike!"
Michael immediately retreated from the camera and propped down on an elegant, red, velvety sofa that was placed right at the center of the camera setting. A smug grin could be spotted on his face as the man pretended his little fumble with the recording device never happened.
"Now, I believe you all heard of my victory against your beloved king. If not, then go watch the news now because, honestly, I'm quite proud of how it turned out. Just the right amount of fanfare, drama, and collateral damage, don't you think?"
The Taxiarch flashed a beaming smirk, leaning back comfortably against the luxurious sofa. Noises of warbling and coos that sound oddly like a wordless melody were suddenly echoed from the background, seemingly agreeing with the prince's words of mockery.
"Nah, but whatever, that's pretty old news now since I got a new surprise for you all," the supreme commander declared dramatically as he snapped a pile of golden papers into existence.
"Ahem, since I'm sure you're all aware by now, the old treaty between Heaven and Heaven had been rendered void. And we're unable to hammer out a new one yet due to the comatose state of Lucifer Morningstar, so we have to indefinitely postpone the negotiation meeting until Lady Belphegor, the Sin of Sloth herself, declares him fit to leave and continue his kingly duties."
The angel spoke in such a matter-of-fact tone that this would be a perfectly formal official announcement from Heaven... if it were not for the messy doodle of ichor-covered Lucifer lay dying on the ground, two X marks in place of his eyes, complete with the chicken scratch writing of 'Long Live the King' as the final nail in the coffin of the Devil's reputation.
"Well, this should be the part where I say goodbye and wish you the best of luck. Unfortunately, I'm not quite done here yet." The prince then gingerly picked up one paper before clearing his throat and announcing loudly, "Due to the involvement of Charlotte Morningstar, the Hellborn Princess of Hell, in the rebellion. We couldn't help but begin to question... the trustworthiness of Hellborn demons."
Silence descended upon the scene, and upon every demon, from a Goetia born of the bluest of blood and the lowest of imp, who would soon listen to this recording with bated breath, tension was so palpable it could be cut even with the dullest of knives.
"Therefore, as the supreme commander of Heavenly Host, I sincerely regret to inform you that both Sinners and Hellborns... are now fair game to Heaven."
The Michael in the video paused as if waiting for the receivers to digest the words he had just uttered, of what it would mean to not only the damned souls in the abyss, but also those who had no choice but to be born in it as well.
Yet, before screaming and mass panic could begin throughout all Seven Rings of Hell, the Founder of the Extermination mercifully continued.
"But that would be a shame, wouldn't it? To let a single bad apple spoil the whole barrel." The Prince of Heaven chimed merrily, standing from the sofa casually to pace around it. Yet, the angel never left the frame for even a second.
"After all, it'd never been in Heaven's interest to bring harm to any Hellborn, because, frankly, what use we'd gain from that? Besides THAT one time involving the Fall of the Lightbringer and the Disgraced First Woman of course, Heaven is perfectly fine in leaving the Infernal Realm in the hands of the Seven Deadly Sins and their trusted Ars Goetias, knowing full well you all are more than capable of keeping your kingdom up and running without the need from us angels," Michael stated evenly, his eyes seemingly getting brighter and brighter with each word he spoke.
"After all, haven't we angels and Hellborns always been nothing but peaceful neighboring kingdoms to each other? Haven't we let the Ars Goetias conduct their business on Earth, answering their summons from mankind, and oversee their duties on Earth without interfering for millennia? Haven't we been fine with allowing incubi and succubi to go off and feed off the Sin of the Flesh from humans and collect it to nourish Lust Ring, their own very home? And recently, we even permit a trio of imps and a hellhound to roam the human realm and make a living by killing living, breathing men on Earth because, ahem, 'as long as the souls of those imps' victims remain intact enough to be deliver to their respective afterlife, I see no reason to put a stop to their little business,' said Prince Azrael, the angel of Death himself. But whatever, pretty sure those of us in Heaven are all aware of the saying 'an extra soul a day keeps Azrael happy and the Creation at peace,' anyways."
The last sentence was heavily laced with sarcasm as the Taxiarch sacrificed a little of his composure to grumble in irritation before picking up another paper and reading it out loud.
"Our concern is, and will always be, lying with Sinners. The mistakes born of the unfaithful, those who refused the teaching of the Lord, those who picked mere hollow joy over the eternal paradise, to rot forever in this pit for the temporal glee they gleaned from the suffering of their own kind when they were alive, and those who'd dared to throw away the key He had bled and died to forge for them and let the gate be shut in their face for all eternity. Therefore, it's only fitting for them to reap what they sowed, to experience the same agony and despair they put others through. THAT'S simply a matter of fact, the way of life, how it's always been. It's the peace we've always maintained between those born of light and those who roam in the darkness. You've never needed to concern yourself over such trivial matters like the life or death of such an alien species before. So, may I ask, why start now? Why would you need to risk yourself and your family to get pulled into the mess caused by a girl who's never left her ivory tower, who's never once cared about the fruit of your labor and sweat you lost in maintaining the kingdom your king and queen left you behind with? The girl who risked you, all of you, your soul and your very existence, for the 'people' she deluded herself into seeing as something worth more than dirt, more than trash that was thrown away, more than rabid dogs waiting to be put down?"
The Taxiarch now stopped pacing around, opting to simply stare into the camera, into the souls of those who were watching this message.
"Wherefore, after much debate and consideration from the Elders of Heaven, which included ME, we've decided that adding Hellborns to the list of Extermination because of the whim of a stupid kid would be a tad bit extreme. However, we can't exactly let you off without a hook, either, thanks to your beloved princess's role in the latest temper tantrum, causing a bit of an uproar in the council regarding the credibility of you Hellborns. So, as a compromise..." Michael trailed off, sitting back down on the couch before picking up a new paper and showing it to the camera, which zoomed in at once for all to see the intricate letters delicately crafted on its surface.
"Starting from today onwards, until notified otherwise, no demons of any rank are allowed to leave Hell nor make any contact with living humans in any circumstances, and those who are already in the human realm as we speak right now must be called back to their respective Ring in seven days... or else I can no longer guarantee your safety as when Silver Sentinels are deployed to oversee the Order in Hell and retrieve all angelic steel carelessly left by the Exorcists. Moreover, some of the Sentinels will be sent to scout the Earth for possible demonic activities. And by that time, they'll receive permission to forcefully dispatch any demon on Earth, and those who still keep in contact with their human worshippers or business partners. This isn't advice, a warning, or a negotiation. This is a command from Heaven. I repeat, this is a command."
The last words were void of any mirth or chill that the prince seemed to always retain in his tone. Instead, it was entwined with something dark that the prince had never used before in the entire time he had been talking.
"While I couldn't careless about the filth up in the Pride Ring, and I suggest you Hellborns to do the same as well, I'll make sure my Sentinels do their best to avoid the harm against Hellborns... as long as you cooperate with us and don't put up any kind of resistance to us and our line of work." Michael finished with a slam of his foot on the ground, making the video shake for a few seconds before returning to its stillness once more. His emerald eyes were narrowed as the right side of his face became darker and briefly flashed a large X over his eye, as if wanting to make it even clearer to the demon-kind that this was no jest.
"Alas... until we meet again, dear infernal citizens."
At long last, the message finally came to an end as the prince switched back to his carefree smile and voice, even tilting his head a little in a mockery of a bow before all went still.
...Yet, the video still went on as the Taxiarch abruptly, and not so gracefully, dashed to the side and out of sight of the camera as the goddamn actual giggles could be heard.
"How did I do? How did I do?! See, Gabriel? I told you I got it all in control. Oh, dear Father in Heaven, Luci is so gonna not bump back from this, not with my poetic and Machiavellian art of his glorious defeat!"
The Taxiarch then broke down into a full-blown laugher, like a goddamn child who just got a candy for a job well done and not a genocidist who had just fucking threatened to wipe out all and every species of demons a moment ago. It appeared that no one in the studio was unaware of the fact that the camera was still on as the prince was soon joined by another burst of laughter, this time belonging to a woman.
"You got that right, little bro! Oh Em Gee, how I wish I could see the expression on that scoundrel and his spawn right now. I totally would've snapped a shot and have it displayed in the middle of the town square for all to see in Ambitious Sphere!
"Ohhhh, make sure to give me a copy too. I'll definitely finally have a good night's sleep in... well, forever if I get to stare at Luci's idiotic, horrified face before bed every single night!"
"Of course, I'll make sure to wrap it up nicely before sending it to you! Oh right, maybe give one to Uriel as well. Father knows she'd certainly come up with a creative way to desecrate the Mighty King of Hell and his offspring's picture. Heck, it might even become the newest talk-of-the-town throughout all Nine Spheres! Now come to think of it, I haven't got one in ages. Oh my gosh, I just have to go down there and snap a photo myself ASAP!"
Crashing sounds could be heard from the background as the supposedly "Gabriel" was probably darting around like a mad woman and preparing whatever equipment she needed before heading down to Hell.
"Hey, hey, let's not act rashly, shall we?" Michael gently chided, his voice shifted back to a calmer tone as he seemingly adapted the mask of the Taxiarch once more.
"Be sure to include the princess's so-called 'Hazbin Hotel' in your article as well! That's the most hilarious joke I've ever heard in the last few centuries!"
...Before changing right back to his infuriatingly giddy voice as he brought up her project.
"Oh, please, don't let me get started with her. Sinners? Innocent? They just made mistakes? The same as Winners we have up here? What a vacuous idea!"
"Precisely! Not to mention she recruited, I swear to Father, cannibals to fight my Exorcists, and let those worthless ants eat them alive. And that girl still had the nerve to babble about redemption as if she hadn't just shown us all how much of animals they were!"
"Pfff, seriously? Isn't redemption supposed to be, I don't know, repent for their sins or something? And she just keeps making them worse! Encourage a former mafia to go on a mad killing spear? Let an arsonist bomb as many people as she likes? And let the cannibals, who couldn't care less about getting redeemed, an angelic feast? Not a single braincell in that pretty head of hers."
"Blonde all the way."
"What a dum dum."
"Like father, like daughter indeed."
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
The duo proceeded to have another burst of giggles, wheezing as if they had a hard time breathing from all the laughter. This was going on for nearly a minute before either of them managed to collect themselves.
"Sweet Heaven, my stomach hurts. Let's put this to rest for now. Oh, and hand me that camera your deputy is holding. I need to go down and prepare for the shot of Luci and the princess when they saw this for the first time."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, sis. Sabrathan, come here."
At that command, a high-pitched note, sounding oddly like an affirmative chirp, could be heard, as the camera suddenly was being shuffle d forwards, briefly catching the image of Michael grinning like a fool and a flash of long, honey-blonde hair of a female angel from behind before the camera panned to the floor.
"Hey, Gabe, what does this button do?" Michael asked out of the blue. The video rattled a little as the prince shifted the camera to show it to his companion.
"Hmm? Oh, the green one? That's the 'send' button. Dang, totally forgot you were struck with Father for the past thousand years here," came the murmuring reply.
"Really?! Ohhhh, can I be the one who presses it? Please, please, please, pleas—"
"Ugh, sure. Why not? Just let me edit it fir—
"Here we go!"
"What are you...? No, nononononono, I didn't mean right no—"
Then finally, so fucking finally, the video went dark and silent.
Thus, the demons were spared from hearing the ear-piercing roar of pure fury as Gabriel proceeded to beat the shit out of her brother with the said camera, accompanied by the yelps from Michael as he protested while running away, "But you said I could press it!"
After the (unedited) message was aired throughout Seven Rings of Hell, chaos was well and thoroughly set in.
Wrath Ring had pretty much turned into an anarchy, as half of the Imps residing there had become more violent than ever. Killings were never an uncommon sight in the Ring of Flame. Yet, it seemed to get significantly worse as whatever semblance of order Satan had painstakingly for centuries seemingly broke overnight, while the other half flocked to their Sin's temples in hope of an answer or a resistance from their lord in the form of the declaration of war. Some of them would rather die in a battle than submit to the will of an angel. Lust Ring was in a full-state panic as Succubi and Incubi began to riot and plead their sovereign to take action. Because without the sin of the flesh harvested from humans, they would soon starve. And the Baphomets in Sloth were more awake and active than they had ever been as the unexpected war was closing in from the horizon.
Sadly, all they received from their respective rulers was silence.
Before a full-blown riot could break out in all Rings of Hell, Michael stepped in to make good on his promises first.
A week later, the Silver Sentinels were sent down.
Their appearance surprised many, especially the surviving Sinners, as they had expected something more... humane after centuries of seeing the Exorcists and their annual Extermination.
Unfortunately for them, this time, instead of a bloodthirsty yet human-looking Exorcist, they got monsters.
An army of creatures resembling small wyverns with pointed wings and a long feathery tail, only a little bigger than Hellish horses from the Wrath Ring, and possessed a head resembling a falcon with their sharp, curved beak, silverly and pure white feathers instead of scales. Yet, the feathers themselves might have been an imperishable armor with how weapons, both normal and angelic ones, bounced harmlessly from every inch of their bodies.
And with them, the head of the demons who had been on Earth and refused to return to Hell, down from the plebeian Imps and Hellhounds to the Goetias who were either young or stupid enough to think they could ignore the command of the Sword of God with no consequence.
At that moment, it was clear to the demons that there was nothing they could do about it.
These Sentinels might seem angelic and majestic enough at first glance... if it was not because of how alien they felt.
Because, unlike the Exorcists, they did not speak, or at the very least, not in a language any demon understood.
The tones and sounds weaved together as some kind of foreign, wordless song, made by chirps and coos akin to the melodies of a nightingale. However, sometimes a sound of a lyre or unknown musical instruments could be heard from their beak instead, creating a mesmerizing yet eerie succession of musical tunes of an unnamed hymn.
It was a terrifying symphony to listen to, to say at least.
Because occasionally, it felt like they could almost understand what these creatures were communing, yet the warbling was too bizarre and out-of-world for the demons to make sense of, giving them a sense of primal dread of the unknown instead.
And that dread would only be intensified further the longer the Sentinels make home out of the Infernal Realm.
As it turned out, their way of 'collecting' the scattered angelic steel was to devour them whole.
Their beak was revealed to be not really a bill, but a jaw.
While the upper neb remained normal enough, the rest could not be said the same. For from the lower beak down to the epigastrium, they could be split opened in the middle, turning the neck of those beasts in to a gigantic jaw with rows and rows of teeth deadly enough to snap an angelic spear in half with no effort along with the hands of the poor demon who did not react fast enough, terrified into shock as the jaw closing around the weapon and taking half of his arms with it.
Still, he was luckier than most, as most of them did not just lose a limb to those beasts.
Needless to say, the impending riots died out quickly as the demons were quick to find shelter from the beasts.
Still, he was luckier than most, as most of them did not just lose a limb to those beasts.
Needless to say, the impending riots died out quickly as the demons were quick to find shelter from the beasts in the sky.
But before long, they would never truly be a safe place in Hell as the Sentinels were quick to spread out, patrolling the realm for a potential rebellion and tracking down every single angelic steel down to the deepest Ring of Hell.
And that was the root of the sound that currently caused Charlie Morningstar so much vexation.
A Sentinel was perched just outside the window, ruffling its feathers a little before settling with staring at her.
It had been like this for a week.
No matter where she went, no matter which Ring she was, the shadow of a Sentinel always trailed after her.
It did not take a genius to know that they were ordered to keep an eye on her, likely by that man himself.
And it was not just her that was being monitored.
Angel Dust, Husk, Cherri, Niffty , and Alastor , who turned out to have survived his fight with Adam after all, were being followed. And even after the Angels had confiscated all angelic steel they had on them, they still did not allow them to roam freely.
And the worst part was it might actually be a blessing in disguise, as it dissuaded other Sinners from harassing them out of fear of the winged shadows that were always tailing after her friends.
Following the announcement from Michael, it might not be as intimidating as Heaven had hoped for, thanks to the additional (and unintentional) behind-the-scenes. It still achieved precisely what the angels aimed at.
A campaign against her.
Every single statement and every word, even if the Taxiarch had gone a great length to specifically mock Lucifer and his defeat by his own hands, were calculated to place the blame on Charlie alone.
Michael had ensured of that.
The reason the Hellborns were placed on a scrutiny, that they were banned from going to the living world, a job that the livelihood of several demons might as well depended on it and the death that was brutally enacted on those that refused to bend to Heaven's will, was all on her... hence the reason for all the hatred and why her name was being dragged through the mud from all sides here.
And judging from how swift the Prince of Heaven had acted, it was evident this was planned from the start...
Based on Michael's words to her after he dragged her father's broken body to her, Heaven had likely prepared for her rebellion since the moment Charlie presented her ideas of redemption to Adam six months ago.
A dead Exorcist, killed by Carmilla Carmine herself, the first since the Extermination had been instituted two thousand years ago, must have pushed the Founder of Extermination himself into action.
And ever since then, he had been watching.
Waiting for a slip, an opportunity for him to break the contract that prevented him from getting involved with the Extermination.
For six months, Michael had watched, holding onto a slim chance that there might be a crack to sink his claws in the broken realm and the brother he sought revenge on.
And Charlie had pretty much handed that chance to him on a silver platter herself.
And sadly, the princess herself was not the only one who came to this conclusion; the video had made sure of that.
As a result, Beelzebub proposed it would be in everyone's best interest for Charlie to relocate to Sloth Ring for a time being while her friends were to be moved into the Morningstar Palace for the time being, given how aggressive the Sinners in Pride had become out of rage and fear as they were hell-bent on taking it out on the ones responsible for their devasting situation.
At first, Charlie wanted to refuse, to insist that she must stay and help her terrified people, but even she had to admit that her assistance would not be welcomed right now.
And she was right.
How funny, she had never thought there would be a day she hated being right.
And here she was, sitting just outside the hallway where the room holding her girlfriend was, with her father's new one being located at the end of the same corridor.
After her father's panic attack that destroyed the wall of his old room and much of the garden of St. An's Hospital, Aunt Belphegor reassured her that his condition was stable for now, though she did not say if his wings would grow back or not... which gave her a vague idea about them, to say at least.
As for Vaggie ...
Her Vaggie ...
Buried deep beneath the ruins of the Pentagram City after being hurled down from the force of the barrier placed in the sky of Pride, but she was alive, she was still breathing by the time Charlie managed to dig her out.
But that's where the good things ended.
The Fallen Exorcist's injuries were so much worse than her father's.
While his wounds were terrible, as a Seraph, he managed to recover well enough to regain consciousness within days. But Vaggie was not a Seraph; she was just an angel, the lowest in the hierarchy according to the Sin of Sloth herself.
Nearly all her bones were broken, and the ones in her arm had nearly been turned into mush with how hard that monster had crushed her limb that day.
But the worst part was her spine... Vaggie's spine was outright snapped the moment she collided with the barrier, and the subsequent fall only served to worsen the wound.
Aunt Bel ... she said that it was unlikely that her lover would regain sensation on her lower body ever again.
And it was all Charlie's fault.
The princess fought down a sob, pulling her legs up and resting her forehead on them, hiding the ugly tears that spilled out of her bloodshot eyes even though there was not a single soul around her.
She had lost count of how many times she had been crying, and she would likely lose track of time of this one as well if she allowed herself to cry once more.
So, she inhaled deeply and exhaled, and did it all over again to collect a shell of her composure.
It did not help much, her eyes were still watery and her hands trembling, but at least she managed to silence her sobs now.
She could not visit her father... Belphegor did not think it was a good idea right now, given how violent he had been when he first "came to." So, only Beelzebub was with him right now until her father was mentally stable enough to not flinch at everything that was moved too suddenly.
It had shattered her heart to see him like this, the King of Hell, broken and terrified as she cried in Beelzebub's arms.
But it broke her more to know she was the cause of his sufferings, of everyone's sufferings.
Still, at least... at least she could still be by Vaggie's side, even if her partner had yet to regain consciousness ever since the battle.
And may never will —
Shooting down that thought as soon as it flashed into her mind, Charlie steeled herself and forced her body to move as she reached for the doorknob to Vaggie's room.
She would be there for Vaggie ... be with her when she woke up. That's the least she could do for all the pain she had pushed the love of her life through.
Pushing the door open, Charlie immediately froze when she took in the inside of the patient room.
Someone else was in there first.
It was not a nurse; she was absolutely certain she did not spot a single Baphomet walking past her and into her unconscious girlfriend's room.
And the one standing beside Vaggie's is definitely not a Baphomet.
They were facing away from her, but the princess could still make out the long neck adorned with green, brown, and golden feathers. She was almost mistaken them for a Goetic demon at first glance, but everything else about them quickly shot down the notion.
Six wings...
A halo floating on their head...
An angel...
An angel was standing next to the comatose Vaggie .
Charlie did not feel herself move. Yet, in the next second, she had her pitchfork out and immediately lunged at the angel as she let out a scream of pure rage that would have frightened her a few weeks back in the past.
"Get away from her!!!"
Just as the metal prongs were about to meet fresh, the angel vanished, and her weapon only managed to piece the hospital floor with a thunderous clang.
Whirling around, she pulled her pitchfork out and aimed at the intruder, who was now in the direction of the door, heart pounding so hard that she could barely hear the sound of her own ragged breathing.
She did not even see them move...
She... she could not defeat them.
Even with Adam, although Charlie managed to land a few hits on him, she still could not defeat him and would have died if it were not for her father's timely intervention. And with an opponent she could not even see when they had moved...
She was going to die...
Vaggie was going to die...
Gritting her now elongated fangs, she snarled at the green angel as she felt herself instinctively changing into her demonic form.
It doesn't matter... I just have to hold them back long enough for help to arrive... Aunt Bel or Aunt Bee will hear the commotion if I last long enough... I just have to hold them off long enough for them to arriv —
The princess's train of thought was abruptly cut short as she heard a quiet, nearly inaudible voice she pleaded countless times to hear again.
"Charlie..?"
Charlie froze one more.
It was as if time was standing still as she willed herself to turn around. The angel behind her was completely forgotten as she let her weapon fall to the floor.
A single, confused golden eye met her reds.
Shaking, she stumbled forward with her hands reaching out.
And to her disbelief, Vaggie was reaching back with the arm she was not supposed to be able to move again.
Once again, tears were welling in her eyes. But for the first time in weeks, they were out of joy and relief.
" Vaggie !" Charlie wept, lunging herself as her beloved to embrace her, thanking whatever deities that deigned to grant her at least this one mercy and did not take Vaggie away from her as well.
The former Exorcist let out a short, painful noise as Charlie pretty much threw herself on the bed. Yet, the latter could not bring herself to break away as she sobbed into her petite girlfriend's chest.
"Y-You're alright... thanks Satan you're alright. I thought... I thought I'll never get to see you again..." she mumbled almost incoherently as she bawled in relief.
"Charlie... where am I? Aren't we supposed to prepare the cannibals how to fight the Exorcists' new month..."
Vaggie's confused murmuring came to an abrupt end as her blurry eye landed on the third person in the room.
"Charlie... there-there's an angel here!" the smaller woman yelled, struggling in Charlie's grip to push herself and frantically looking for her trusted spear. And when she found none, she growled, trying to steer her girlfriend behind her in spite of how them being on the bed and she had just woken up from a coma, making it impossible to do so.
"Wait, wait! Vaggie , please don't move yet. You aren't even supposed to be able to move your legs, so how—"
The Princess of Hell's voice died in her throat as she connected the dots of how in Hell Vaggie had suddenly woken with her purportedly permanent injuries miraculously healed.
Slowly, she turned around to face the only one who could be responsible for her girlfriend's mind-bogglingly sudden recovery.
The angel was still where she last saw them, staring at them silently and making no attempt to attack them.
Now facing them directly, Charlie could deduce that they must be some sort of peahen with her dominantly green and brown feathers. Their—Her six wings were green with brown undersides, though they turned into striking crimson in the middle and down to the end of each of her feather...
The angel cocked her head at the two of them and blinked once, twice, before speaking in a soft, tranquil voice.
A voice that displayed no disdain or mockery like Adam's or Michael's tone.
"The name is Raphael," the angel began, gentle in a way Charlie had not expected, not after encountering the Sword of God. "We 've come to seek an audience with King Morningstar, the Monarch of Hell."