Crimson Hues (Alastor x Angel of Death!Reader)

Chapter Three: Something Darker than Demons

A creeping chill settled its way over the streets, desolate and overrun with the shadows of sinners trying to make it to the next corner without being mugged or shot at. There was always that strange intimate connection between them all, despite their bitter dispositions. Not that they would care if the other suddenly dropped dead, but they were at least all under the understanding that they were there by their own faults. Anyone who thought otherwise was simply a fool. However, even in the depths of Hell, serial killers were not well regarded...

The Radio Demon found himself satisfied when his mere presence was enough to clear out entire streets. Provided he allowed his presence to go noticed. There were many times he could slip through without being seen, like a dark looming snake. And even then, the air he left behind him would suddenly grow cold and uncomfortable. As if people knew that death had just passed them by.

And he loved it.

But then there were the rare breed of people like AngelDust, who regrettably didn't seem to get the memo...

"Hey, deer pimp!" The voice obnoxiously called from behind and it was all Alastor could do to keep from snapping his head 360 degrees and glare at the fallen mobster.

But he stopped, held up his best 'I'm going to kill you one day' smile, and turned around. "Angel! What a surprise. I assumed you would be wasting away in some stranger's bed right about now."

The fluffy humanoid spider grimaced, then gave a sly smile. "Yeah, yeah, very funny. Probably wishing it was yours instead, huh?"

Alastor reflexively recoiled a bit in disgust at the idea. "For once just spare me your 'humor' and tell me what it is you want."

"Charlie sent me to find you. Looked real... nervous, actually." Angel said, glancing back at the direction of the hotel. The sign's glow could be seen faintly through the fog, and despite the cliche and stupefyingly ridiculous name, it actually provided some eerie light to its surroundings.

Alastor raised a brow. "Nervous? My dear Angel, we're in Hell. Drugs, assaults, and exterminations occur on a regular basis. I hardly call being nervous an emergency."

Angel crossed his upper arms, the lower two resting on his hips. "Oh yeah? Well I think it constitutes an emergency if she actually sent me to find your homicidal ass to help."

The tall demon stopped, thinking this over. Loathed as he was to admit it, Angel had a point. Typically minor concerns would be for Vaggie, whom was far more trusted than himself. As naive as Charlie was, she was suspicious of his motives for wanting to help her as of now crashing and burning project thrive. His curiosity was peaked.

"Very well, but I'll have her know that I was in the middle of a very peaceful walk just now." Just as he said that, a scream sounded faintly in the distance. Probably some guy getting beaten half to death over drugs. Alastor's grin seemed to widen slightly, as if to emphasize this.

Angel rolled his eyes. "Yeesh. There's somethin' wrong with you. And that's coming from me."

The two turned towards the hotel and started walking. Rather than running ahead, as Alastor had internally been pleading he would do, the kinky monster walked alongside and drew out long, unnecessary, annoying conversation. He tuned him out, but every now and then would catch bits of inappropriate phrases and statements that practically butchered the English language and proved without a doubt that Angel had no shame whatsoever. Alastor walked faster.

When they finally made it to the hotel, he flew through the front door and slammed it behind him, right in the face of a surprised Angel.

Charlie was spotted immediately at the front, hunched over a stack of unorganized letters, notes, and files. Strangely, Alastor had the feeling that she wasn't even reading them, she was simply staring at them while her mind was lost in the depths of some other matter. He coughed to get her attention, surprised that his slamming the door hadn't gotten it  first. She looked up just as Angel was coming in.

"I was told you needed assistance, my dear."

She gave a nervous smile. "Well, yes and no... I wanted to notify you both of a certain 'visitor'."

"A visitor? Seriously? That's it?" Angel asked, crossing both sets of arms and looking unusually annoyed. "Just an hour ago you looked like you were on the verge of hyperventilating!"

"It was the shock, that's all..." She assured, but still looked rather shaky and uncertain. "This visitor is... different. Not your typical sinner or druggie."

Alastor studied her. She seemed more fearful of this 'visitor' than of him, something he wasn't entirely sure he liked. He decided to pry for details.

"My dear, you're acting like this visitor is going to slaughter you. Might I ask who it is?"

She looked away. "I don't know who they are, exactly. I don't know their name. But my father received word from the 'big guy upstairs' that an archangel... a very specific archangel... is coming down to Hell to speak with me concerning my project."

The silence that followed her words was so thick that any noise which might have broken it would bring danger of a heart attack. An archangel? An angel on their own was one thing, and even that wasn't something to be wary of, but an archangel... that was an entirely different matter. An archangel hadn't entered the gates of Hell since the 1600's, and to put it simply, it hadn't ended well. They were dangerous, no, deadly. Powerful beings who had been given rule and domain over the basic forces of nature and existence. While the weapons or magic of normal demons or mortal weapons were like toys to Alastor, a weapon or power from above could actually do irreversible damage.

Even AngelDust seemed at a loss for words, shocking as that was, but he eventually snapped out of it. "Whoa, whoa, hold on a second! You- you can't be serious, right? This is some kind of joke."

Charlie's frown said it all, and Alastor was standing there trying to wrap his head around the information he just received.

1. A deadly being of great power was coming to visit for uncertain reasons. Yay?
2. Someone more powerful than him was entering through the gates of Hell with one of the FEW DIVINE BESTOWED ABILITIES THAT COULD KILL HIM FOR GOOD.

Alastor was not happy.

However, he collected himself and asked a question he felt would be important. "Which archangel is coming?"

Charlie was silent a moment, as though the words themselves were hard to speak, then managed to force them out. Soft, and wary.

"The Angel of Death."