11:57 A.M.
It's almost time.
You put your cell phone back in your pocket, and gaze out over the Pentagram City skyline.
You stand alone on the hotel's rooftop, surrounded by countless buildings and skyscrapers, no doubt filled with demons and sinners alike just casually going about their day.
Completely unaware that in just three minutes time, the fate of the hotel and perhaps all of Hell itself will be decided.
You close your eyes and breathe a heavy sigh.
What a shitshow you've gotten yourself into.
The only good part about this whole thing is that it sounds like Heaven might actually be on your side here. If this "Grand Executioner" guy really did go rogue.
How powerful even is he, anyway? After all, he was able to literally freeze your body in place, when he attacked Charlie earlier.
What gives him his power? Does he even have any weaknesses?
Can he even be stopped?
"Hey, honey..." Charlie's voice gently calls from behind you.
She joins you up on the rooftop, greeting you with a soft peck on the cheek.
"Hey Charlie." you give her a smile. "Is everything ready?"
"I think so... we evacuated all the hotel guests to the basement, so they should be safe if things get out of hand."
"Good, glad to hear it." you reply.
"Yeah, me too..." she says, with a soft smile of her own. "What time is it right now, anyway?"
"He'll be here any minute..." you answer.
She gives a small gasp of surprise at your words. She doesn't immediately say anything, but her expression clearly shows you that she's nervous.
"H-hold my hand...?" she asks.
"Of course, sweetie." you reply, before taking a gentle grasp of her hand and intertwining your fingers with her own.
"...thanks, (Y/N)." she whispers, already appearing more relieved by the gesture.
Ignoring the strange parallels between this and the nightmare you just had, it actually reminds you of something else.
Something a lot less traumatic.
You softly chuckle before saying "Just like the day we met, huh?"
"What do you mean?" Charlie asks.
"You asked me to hold your hand, when Reggie first showed up at the hotel."
"Oh yeah, I remember that!" she smiles. "Our first customer..."
"Yeah..." you say, thinking back to the occasion. "It kinda blew my mind, honestly. Getting to hold hands with the Princess..."
"Heh heh..." she giggles. "I guess I just... needed someone to be there for me at the time. I was just so... nervous that I would've fucked the whole thing up, somehow."
"Well I can assure you, you didn't fuck anything up." you say. "And... I'm glad I was able to be that 'someone' to make you feel better."
Charlie lovingly gazes into your eyes, and you swear that you can almost see tears beginning to form in them.
"Th-thank you, (Y/N). For everything. I... I love you..."
You gently cup your other hand against her cheek. "I love you too, Charlie..."
Slowly closing your eyes, you lean in toward her as she does the same to you, and you press your lips to her own.
That seals the deal for you. The two of you will come out of this whole thing in one piece. Everything will be okay.
You just know it will.
"Um... am I interrupting something?" you hear a familiar voice ask.
You reopen your eyes and turn to your side, seeing your new angel ally, Xander, look between the two of you in confusion.
Yes, Xander. You are, in fact, interrupting something.
Giving him an uncomfortable smile, Charlie says "Oh no, o-of course not!"
Reluctantly, the two of you break off your embrace. "Yeah, uh... what did you need, Xander?" you ask.
"I wanted to help you guys capture the Grand Executioner!" he says. "Everyone else is downstairs with the guests, so I wanted to make sure you'd have some backup."
"Oh, uh, thanks!" Charlie replies.
"No problem, Princess!" he smiles. "Plus, this way I'll be able to bring him back up to Heaven and-"
There is a sudden, deafening crash of what sounds like thunder, echoing all around you.
And now standing before you is the same intimidating, robed figure from the day before. That terrifying, and ironically demonic grin is still on his face.
"And do what, exactly?" he asks.
----------------------------------------------
The Grand Executioner, back in all his menacing, executioner-y glory.
His enormous bright white wings are outstretched to his sides, and they slowly furl up toward his back.
"Ah, Xander... filling our little demon friends' heads with lies and deception, I see?"
"The only liar I see around here is you!" he shouts.
Extending an arm out to his side, a bright green-colored magic spear forms in his grip.
"Grand Executioner, you are under arrest for deserting your post and betraying the Holy City." Xander says.
The angel scoffs, rolling his eyes to the sky. "Desertion? Betrayal? Is this a joke?"
Redirecting his attention to you and Charlie, he continues. "I was merely taking a vacation day, to let our friends down here know of the Lord's interest in their hotel... thing."
"Yeah, after nearly killing the fucking Princess!" you angrily accuse him.
"Oh, come now. I've already explained to you that that was completely unintentional."
"Unintentional or not, you still wanted us to murder one of our own employees." Charlie says. "Xander told us that God didn't have a deal like that in mind."
"The game is up, dude." you say. "So just surrender. This doesn't have to end in bloodshed."
"Come with me, Grand Executioner." Xander commands, pointing his spear at the angel. "The senate will decide your fate."
Ignoring his commands, the Grand Executioner continues to focus his attention on you. "You fools... he's using you... as a means to take my position as Heaven's lead angel."
"You and I both know that's not the case." Xander says. "Now let's go."
Xander raises up his other arm, and it begins to glow a bright green magic color. A magic portal begins forming where he is pointing.
"Oh, I don't think so..." the Grand Executioner mutters.
He quickly reaches a hand into his robe, before suddenly throwing something shiny and metallic in Xander's direction.
Xander leaps out of the way, narrowly dodging the attack. The magic portal fades away and disappears.
Shit, was that a throwing knife?
"Was hoping that we could... do this peacefully..." Xander says, trying to catch his breath.
"And have my life forever ruined, over your baseless and... false accusations!?" the Grand Executioner shouts. "Never!"
He then pulls out another blade from his robe; a serrated, jagged silver dagger.
Somehow, the very same one you saw in your nightmare.
"I've vanquished many a demon with this blade. Being in the underworld again, it seems rather... fitting, doesn't it?"
The Grand Executioner charges toward Xander, as Xander raises his spear up to defend himself.
A sudden burst of flame from something at your side makes you jump, as Charlie once again turns into her demon form.
"Enough!" she shouts, with an intimidating, demonic growl in her voice you've never heard before.
She raises up her arm and launches a fireball at the ground. It explodes and forms a fiery line that separates the two angels, forcing the Grand Executioner to stop.
The flames tower high into the air, extending at least fifteen feet up. There's no way for the two angels to go through them.
Hopefully, they don't remember that they have wings.
"You..." the Executioner growls, angrily pointing a finger at Charlie. "All of this madness, all of this chaos... is happening because of you..."
"Put the knife down!" Xander shouts. "Now!"
The angel ignores his words, continuing to slowly make his way toward the Princess.
"You're the whole reason that radio demon bastard is still alive. The whole reason he hasn't been made accountable for his actions. The whole reason... he hasn't faced atonement..."
You stand in front of Charlie, trying to separate her from the executioner angel.
"Back off." you demand. "Leave her out of this."
"Foolish mortal... you cannot stop me from administering my justice. I won't let anyone or anything stand in my way!"
"Fly back home. Final warning." you say.
The Executioner chuckles. "How do you plan to even stop me, hmm? You do remember how easily I bested you in our last encounter, yes? You weren't exactly a formidable foe."
"I do." you reply. "Watching one of my favorite TV shows last night gave me an idea for a weapon. One which I think even you might find... formidable."
"And now you're threatening me... adorable." he says, before raising his dagger up. "No matter. I suppose I'll just have to end you both!"
You quickly reach a hand into your pocket, pulling out your secret weapon.
"Pocket sand!" you shout, tossing the pile of sand at the angel's face.
"Gah! Dammit!" the angel shouts, the cloud of dust blinding his vision.
You kick him in the arm brandishing his blade, forcing him to drop it.
You quickly pick it up off the ground, leaving the executioner angel presumably unarmed.
"You son of a-" the angel mutters, wiping his now watery eyes with a hand.
You point your blade at the Executioner's throat. "Stand down."
For the first time, you can see genuine fear in the creature's eyes. It looks like you finally have the upper hand against him.
"You did it!" Charlie celebrates, changing back to her regular form.
The angel shakes himself out of his stunned and scared stupor, before a smug grin returns to his lips.
"A valiant effort... however, you forgot one small thing."
"And what's that?" you ask.
"This!" he exclaims, before swiftly raising his arm up as his hand begins glowing a strange, deep blue magic color.
Your entire form is immediately enveloped by his magic, and you can't move a single muscle.
You can't even breathe.
"(Y/N)!" Charlie shouts, rushing to your aid.
He leaps back up as you try forcing yourself to move, but to no avail.
You suddenly see a green-colored spear fly through the air, directly impaling the angel in his arm.
"You... you traitorous snake!" he furiously screams at Xander.
The magic surrounding your body suddenly disappears, as he redirects it to restrain Xander.
"Stand back." you whisper to Charlie.
She gives you a simple nod in response, and you charge up to the Grand Executioner, dagger in hand.
Time seems like it's slowing to a crawl as you near the angel's location. He slowly turns his attention back to you, his eyes once again widening with fear.
You think back to Charlie's words from earlier.
"There has to be a safer way to do this, where no one needs to die. Ending someone's life... it contradicts the whole idea of my hotel..."
You want to respect her wishes, but don't see how you can stop this power-hungry mad man by not killing him.
You then come to a sudden realization.
His halo.
It matches the color of his magic. It has to be the source of his power.
Maybe if you destroy it somehow... you can stop him.
It looks like it's made of glass, so maybe it'll shatter into pieces, if you hit it hard enough.
You raise the dagger high into the air, as the angel tries to redirect his magic back to you.
Swinging your arm down, the silver dagger strikes the angel's halo with great force.
A sudden, enormous explosion knocks you back, sending you tumbling to the floor. Shards of what looks like glass fly everywhere, surrounding your body as you lay on the ground.
Looking back up at him, you see the angel's halo is gone.
"What did- what did you do to me...?" he asks in astonishment.
He raises his arm up, clearly trying to use his magic against you once again.
Only nothing happens.
"No..." he mutters. "My powers! They're gone..."
He then locks eyes with you, bearing an expression of absolute rage.
"You... you'll regret doing that, you vile worm! I'll destroy you and everything you've ever loved-"
After a sudden punching sound, the Grand Executioner falls to the floor.
He's knocked out, cold.
And your girlfriend, much to your surprise, was standing behind him.
"God, that guy was getting annoying." she says with a smug smile.