How could he be so cruel?
How could he do this to me? To them?
How can my father move up the next extermination to six months?
Lizzie hasn't slept a wink since Charlie gave her the horrible news. And the fact that it's going all around Hell that the next Extermination is happening in six months broke Lizzie's heart. She knew Adam can be a total asshole, but she didn't think he would pull something like this.
Charlie and Vaggie tried to go inside her room to console her, but she turned them away and claimed she wanted to be alone. To the other guests, they didn't understand why Lizzie was so upset. They assumed it was the extermination but that's only half of the truth. Lizzie tried to understand why Adam would act that way toward her. He used to be so proud of her. So, when Charlie said he hated her gift it crushed her. It was although she was just another sinner to him. Adam raised her and now he doesn't give two shits what happens to her. Lizzie wasn't sure if he was trying to put up a tough act in front of the other angels, it had to be some sort of misunderstanding. Isn't it?
Her eyes were dried from crying all night. She didn't even bother going to bed. She sat on her chair in front of the vanity mirror with her head against her forearms. When she brought her head up her eyes gazed at the rubber duck Lucifer gave her as her parting gift. Her delicate fingers rubbed the top head as she let out a shaky breath.
She wondered if Lucifer would act the same if she left Hell. If all this "catching up" is just some charade because he didn't want another kid. He already had a family before she came along, Whose to say he wouldn't be happy if she returned to Heaven?
"You wouldn't leave? Would you?" she muttered to no one. As much as she loved being in Heaven with her mother and Adam, she felt more at home, in Hell, with the Morningstars. She heard someone appear in her room. Assuming it was Charlie, Lizzie waved her fingers toward the pillow to levitate it before throwing it at the assailant. "Charlie, I said get out!"
The shadow moved out of the way before saying, "Well, that's one way to say hello."
Lizzie's eyes widened before she turned to see Alastor, who was fixing his coat. "Shit, I'm sorry, Alastor. I thought you were Charlie." As much as she loves talking to the radio demon, Lizzie didn't want any visitors. Yet, she didn't want to be rude. "What are you doing here?"
Alastor pretended to be dumb, but he saw how Lizzie was upset last night. He didn't care the slightest, although, it did pique his interest as to why Lizzie was so saddened after Charlie returned. There's no way it was about the Extermination. Otherwise, she would have been shocked and surprised like everyone else. And she retreated to her room before the news even showed, interrupting their commercial.
"We were all worried about you last night," he said.
"I appreciate their concern but I'm fine. And I'd like to be alone for now. If you don't mind."
Alastor teleported to stand next to Lizzie. "Awe, what's the matter?" He grabbed her chin and tilted it up so they looked at each other's eyes. "I just hate to see you not smiling, my deer. Doesn't really suit you."
He snapped his fingers and Lizzie found her outside on the balcony with him. They were sitting across from each other on the table when Alastor made two coffee cups appear. His was red with 'Oh Deer' written on the front while hers was gray with 'Heavens Sake' on the front. Oh, the irony.
"I swear, it's nothing you have to worry about," Lizzie declined the nice offer. "It's a me thing."
"Yes, but it sounds like you need someone to talk to. Someone other than family," he tried to push. He took a sip of his coffee. "It might be a bit more refreshing to get an outsider's point of view."
Lizzie took a breath as she wrapped her hands around the mug. It was still hot and anyone else would yank their hands away, but Lizzie wanted to feel something other than sadness. Alastor tilted his head when he noticed the front of her hands turning red.
"Alastor," Lizzie started slowly. "Be honest with me? Do you think I belong here?"
Alastor thought about the question. "Hmmm." He knew he was getting somewhere and needed to dig a bit deeper. "I haven't really seen you sin, but you volunteered to help with the hotel."
"I'm not talking about the hotel. I'm talking about here, in Hell. Do you think I belong in Hell?"
"Well, you're certainly here for a reason, my deer!" Alastor laughed.
"I guess you wouldn't understand," Lizzie spoke softly as she took a sip of her coffee. She burnt her tongue on the hot liquid, but she welcomed it. Lizzie wanted to tell Alastor about her banishment, but...she couldn't bring herself to. "What I'm really asking is...do you think I can be redeemed and go to Heaven?"
"You mean that silly little dream? What exactly would you have accomplished by going there?"
"I don't know...maybe -Save. My. Soul." Alastor took a sip of his drink. "Never mind, why do I bother asking? You think this redemption thing is stupid anyway. And the only reason you're here is to watch everyone fail for entertainment."
"I do love a good laugh, won't argue there. Now, why do you want to go to Heaven? Your family is here in Hell. I'm sure Charlie will miss you."
"How can you be so sure? I'm just one person. Charlie as Vaggie, her friends, this hotel - people who need her here."
"That may be true, but there's nothing like a sisterly bond." He smiled at her.
"You're only saying that because you're my friend." Lizzie sighed. "Everyone knows I torture people who disrespect those I care for. But I'm just holding myself back. There are times I want to kill those fucking cunts. I don't because -" I still want to go to Heaven. If my mother and Emily find out I've killed demons for the fun of it, they'll be disappointed in me. "I - I don't want to corrupt my soul. There are many things I haven't done because of it."
While Lizzie was pouring her heart out, Alastor's face went static as he continued his little plot. He needs to push Lizzie so far off the edge that she'll make a deal without questioning his motives.
"Well, there's your problem," Alastor said with a smile. "You're not being your true self. If you want to kill and torture people to your heart's content, then do it! I'll even let you broadcast it during my radio show! Wouldn't that be fun for the both of us?!"
Lizzie shook her head. "I don't want to disappoint Charlie and Lucifer."
Alastor scoffed. "Who cares what they think?! There is no reason why you should be miserable for the sake of others." He leaned forward and rested his chin on the back of his hands. "I'll even help you if you like, deer."
"Why? Why would you help me?" Lizzie wondered.
Alastor tilted his head as his grin widened. "What are friends for? You can put your faith in me." He leaned back in his seat. "Now, what can I do to put a smile on your face?"
"Well..." Lizzie began until a big whooshing sound came toward them. The laser beam missed them by a hair and made a hole in the hotel's lower level. "Oh, what the fuck?"
"Show yourself Alasssstor," the snake demon, Sir Pentious, shouted. "Come and face -" He paused when he noticed Alastor wasn't inside the hotel. He scanned the area until he spotted him sipping coffee, unbothered by the attack. "Oh, there you are. Face my wrath!"
"Who are you?" Alastor asked with a confused look while Lizzie's mouth dropped.
"Who am I? Who am I? I am the great Sssssir Pentioussss!" Alastor glanced at Lizzie, who had her hand on her forehead while shaking her head. He had a sinister grin creeping up while voodoo sigils appeared behind him. He grabbed Lizzie's arm and teleported them to the ground, with Charlie, Vaggie, Niffty, and Angel coming out of the hotel. "Inventor, architect of dessstruction, villain extraordinaire!"
"A big pain in the ass is what you are!" Lizzie shouted. She pointed a finger at Pentious. "What in the fucking hell are you doing here, Penny?!"
Sir Pentious gasped as he gripped is chair. "Lizzzzie?! What are you doing here with my enemy?"
"I live here, you dipshit! Thanks for the hole in the wall, by the way."
Niffty appeared on Alastor's shoulder. "You know him, Lizzie?" Niffty asked dreamily.
Lizzie let out a breath. "Penny is one of my loyal customers. I always see him every three days."
Niffty got the wrong idea and had a suggestive grin. "Ooooooh, you love bad boys too?"
Angel Dust grinned as well and added, "I figure you were a tongue person."
"W - W - WHAT?!" Lizzie's face started to heat up at the accusation. "NO, NOT LIKE THAT! HE USED TO BUY WEAPONS FROM ME! DON'T ASSUME SHIT, THAT'S HOW RUMORS START! I DON'T CARE IF HE HAS TWO DICKS, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO FUCK!" I'm still a fucking virgin for shit's sake!
Even Sir Pentious shivered. "Assss if I would have sssex with my dealer?"
"She must have been disappointed then," Angel joked,
"I told you it's not like -" Lizzie turned toward Angel. He covered his mouth to hold back his laugh. "Nothing hap -" Angel's shoulders shook a bit. "Angel, I will fuck -"
"We doing it in public?" Angel teased her.
"Shut up!" Lizzie snapped.
Alastor tilted his head to the side while looking at Sir Pentious. "Strange, you'd think I'd have heard of you."
Sir Pentious was shocked. "I attacked you literally last week," he tried to jog his memory. Alastor's eyes squinted in confusion. "We've done battle, like...20 times."
"Well, you must have been really bad at this," Alastor mocked.
Sir Pentious's eye twitched. "Silence! Now cower! For when I've ssslain you, the almighty Vees will finally acknowledge me as their equal."
Niffty appeared on Lizzie's shoulder. "Oooh!" she gushed but then looked confused. "Wait, who are the Vees?"
Alastor hummed, "Oh, nobody important."
Lizzie hasn't met any of the Vees but she's heard about them through Camilla. Lizzie's short version, the Vees: Vox, Valentino, and Velvet, are Overlords who think they're the shit. Camilla dislikes the Vees because of their attitudes. There's only one Vee who Lizzie hates and that's Valentino. The only thing she knows about the moth demon is that he owns Angel's soul and she doesn't like it one bit. Now, she doesn't interfere with Overlords, and whom they've made a contract with, but she loathes the way he has Angel on a leash.
"Lizzie, I think I know how to make you smile," Alastor said with a mischievous grin as a portal appeared below Sir Pentious's blimp.
Letting out a breath, Lizzie said, "Just don't kill him, please. He might be a bit annoying, but he is a friend."
"That's no fun. Oh, well!" Shadow tendrils soon shot out and wrapped around the blimp. Alastor then had the shadow shake Sir Pentious's blimp back and forth. Lizzie could hear Pentious scream as another shadow broke the window of the blimp. As much as she tried not to, Lizzie started to laugh at the scene, which brought a great deal of satisfaction to Alastor. "See there's that smile!"
The third tendril started to punch the blimp like a boxing bag. Alastor chuckled before he too laughed in glee. Lizzie's side started to hurt, so she leaned against Alastor for support. Sir Pentious tried to grab something that would stop him from falling but failed.
"Arrgh! Oh! Please! Stop!" Sir Pentious begged. "Lizzzzie, make him stop!"
"Um...Alastor! I think he's had enough," Charlie said from behind.
Angel shrugged and said, "Nah. He's got a few more hits in him."
Sir Pentious eventually fell out of the blimp and landed in front of Alastor, with his face on the ground. Alastor twirled his staff before saying, "Thanks for another forgettable experience."
An Egg Boi fell out and landed in Lizzie's arms. "Hey, Izzy," the Egg Boi greeted.
Lizzie sighed in annoyance. "How many times have I told you, it's Lizzie," she corrected.
"Yeah, I'm a bit dizzy." Lizzie let out another breath before dropping the Egg Boi, breaking him in the progress.
"Thank you..." Sir Pentious started before he used his tail to grab Alastor's suit. "...for letting your guard down! Aha! Yah!" He managed to tear a tiny part of Alastor's tailcoat. Alastor leered over Sir Pentious as antlers grew on his head, his eyes turning to radio dials. "Oh, shit...." Soon there was this massive green explosion. Sir Pentious went flying off to the city screaming as his body spun very slowly. "Waaaahhhhhhhhh!"
Alastor acted like nothing happened and said, "Well, it looks as though I need a visit to the tailor! Best of luck, chums." He started walking away before turning toward Lizzie. "Would you like to come, deer?"
"Um, I think I'm good," Lizzie chuckled while Vaggie glared.
"Wait, you're leaving?!" she asked angrily. "Alastor, we need your help! We need you to do your job."
Angel pointed to the hole on the wall. "We need a wall," he said.
"Of course!" Alastor exclaimed. "Can't let my new project fall into disrepair already. What would the papers say?!"
He snapped is fingers. Black ink demons appeared with construction tools. Alastor went to walk away but felt a pair of arms hugging him from behind.
"Thanks, Alastor," Lizzie's voice muffled. She gave him a light smile, which he returned. "And I'm sorry, I know how you feel about people touching you."
When she was about to pull away, Alastor quickly wrapped one arm around her shoulder and reciprocated the hug. "Just this once, I'll let it slide."
》》》》
A/N: I did mean to write deer instead of dear, before anyone tries to correct me. And I enjoyed writing this chapter so much, especially the very small banter between Sir Pentious and Lizzie. Besides Lizzie's scenes with Alastor, I'm really going to enjoy writing her scenes with Sir Pentious.