Pentagram City, Hazbin Hotel...
The roar of an engine is heard as it speeds closer to the hotel.
A black and red Mustang drives up to the hotel garage before stopping. Inside is, Ryuji, in the driver's seat. In the back seats are Charlie, and Vaggie. Both of them are back there instead of one of them in the front because Ryuji is still covered in demon blood from the scuffle he got into earlier, and also because Vaggie doesn't trust him enough to sit up front with him, or have Charlie sit up front with him either.
"Do one of you have a button for the garage door? Or is there one on the side of the wall somewhere?" Ryuji asked.
"I got this," Charlie said.
She snapped her fingers, and the overhanging garage door began to rise.
"Thanks," Ryuji said.
"You're welcome!" Charlie said with her innocent smile.
Ryuji drove the Mustang inside and parked it in an empty spot. Afterward, he turned off the engine, and the trio left the vehicle. They entered the hotel where they saw Husk, and Niffty still in the lobby with the TV on for background noise. Yet Alastor wasn't around this time, and someone like Vaggie doesn't care as long as he's gone.
The two sinners notice the state that Ryuji is in.
"What the fuck happened to you?" Husk questioned.
"Got into a little death battle during my walk, and it didn't end well for my attackers... I also got a new car out of it!" Ryuji answered, sounding joyful at the end because of the car he got out of it.
"What kind of car is it?" Niffty asked.
"A black and red 1967 Ford Mustang." Said Ryuji.
"What? You're joking." Husk said, not believing it.
"Nope. Got it parked in the garage. Just needs to be cleaned out." Ryuji said.
"I'LL CLEAN IT!!!" Niffty exclaimed excitedly in her hyperactive tone before zipping away towards the garage.
"DO NOT SCRATCH IT!!!" Ryuji called out, though he was unsure if she heard him or not.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I need a shower after the whole ordeal," Ryuji said simply.
However, just as he's about to leave, and take said shower, the news comes on.
"We interrupt this program for this shocking news announcement!" The news program said.
"Ugh. Another one?" Husk groaned.
"Hello everyone, Katie Killjoy here with another shocking announcement!" The demoness news reporter said with a creepy smile on her face.
"Great, what's this bitch bitching about now?" Vaggie groaned in annoyance.
"A human has been spotted in Hell!" Katie said suddenly.
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock, except for Husk, who spat out his drink.
"You heard right! A human has been spotted in Hell, and he appears to have demonic powers!" Katie reported with that off-putting TV smile.
"She's not talking about me, is she?" Ryuji questioned, a little worried.
"Here's exclusive security footage we received from a business building in the city!"
The footage shows someone in a dancing outfit with their bandana up, and they have a group of other humans beside them. Two on each side of them. The others appear to be from Japan. They all stood by the elevator doors, and as soon as they opened, they scared the secretary out of the elevator before entering.
Ryuji: No way! is that...
Later, we see the security footage on the ground floor and the supposed human with the other humans exiting the elevator. The other humans gave glares at anyone who got too close. The human in the strange outfit turns to look back to be sure they're not being followed and sees a security guard rush from behind. The human suddenly summons what seems like a demon and sets the demon on fire, and they collapse on the floor writhing on the floor in agony. The human then turned back around as he marched toward the main doors of the building. However, that's when the footage pauses, and zooms in on their face. The video gets enhanced and shows what he looks like.
"As you can see, there's a human in Hell, or at least what appears to be a human. It's also confirmed that these are the same humans that were with the monster that took on Vox and Valentino, and won! Is there a connection between the human, and the monster? Are they the same? Who knows?!"
Katie is soon interrupted by someone handing her papers.
"What is it now?! Can't you see we're live?!" Katie spat irritably.
"Just take the damn papers! It's more info on the human!" The co-worker spat, not in the mood for her bullshit tonight.
Katie snatched the papers from his hand, and he walked away while muttering "fucking bitch" under his breath.
"I HEARD THAT!!!" Katie yelled angrily at him.
She began to view the papers, and her eyes went wide with shock. Even more so when she looked at the second paper before returning her attention to the camera.
"We have just received some shocking info on the human!" Katie said with her usual smile.
It then switches to show two images taken by Verosika Mayday. Each showed a human boy, but in one image it shows a five-year-old, and the second shows a teen.
Charlie gasped when she recognized the image of the five-year-old.
"Oh my god, IT'S HIM!!!" Charlie exclaimed with joy, stars in her eyes.
"'Him' who?" Vaggie asked.
"The human has been confirmed to be named Ren Amamayia, thanks to these posts made by Hell's most popular succubus popstar, Verosika Mayday, and it appears it's not his first time down here in Hell," Katie explained.
Vaggie's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't heard that name in a long time.
Ryuji: JOKER?!
Everyone turned to Ryuji giving him a look for the name.
"Joker? What type of name is fucking Joker?" Husk said.
"It is him!!! It's him, it's him, it's him, it's HIM!!!" Charlie said excitedly while shaking Vaggie.
"I know, hun, I know! You don't have to shake me!" Vaggie said, trying to calm her down.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it!" Charlie said, still overly excited but did stop shaking Vaggie.
"I can't believe that that's the same sweet little boy all those years ago! He shouldn't be out there where he could get killed! Especially now that Hell knows his name, and what he looks like!" Charlie said with worry.
"Calm down, Charlie, we'll get him back... somehow," Vaggie said reassuringly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Ryuji was still in the room, and he couldn't help but get an odd feeling about this. He's not sure how to describe it any other way at the moment. So he decides to just walk away, and head up to the room he checked in for so he can get himself cleaned up. Once he entered the elevator, he began speaking with himself.
"I can't believe this, is this where Joker's been for the past weeks?! damn it if only my phone worked down here...but...their reactions for when Joker was shown...what was with that?" Ryuji asked himself.
"Without a shadow of a doubt. Something didn't feel right." Ryuji said to himself.
"I've gotta get to him and find a way to get us out of literal hell"
...
Meanwhile, Pentagram City, Three V Studio...
*BANG!!!*
*BANG!!!*
Gunshots rang throughout the studio. More specifically on the floor where Shadow Yosuke had blood eagled Joker's abusive uncle, aka Velvette's brother. Max's body had been shot with two rounds of holy bullets from a blessing tipped gun.
Speaking of Velvette, she's the one who delivered two bullets into his lifeless mutilated carcass with a blessing tipped pistol in her hand, and stood over his body with a cold uncaring glare.
He may be already dead, and this would be unnecessary because of it, but he would eventually regenerate at some point. However, since his body, his dead body has been shot with holy rounds... he's not coming back... EVER.
"You get what you fucking deserve, asshole." Velvette spat.
She simply kicks his head as if she were walking by, and kicking a pebble. She walks back to the elevator and presses a button to head back down to the main floor. She's also carrying a duffel bag full of weapons and ammo for the search for her son.
Once she is back on the floor, she exits the elevator. The main floor hasn't changed since Joker's partners in crime went on a rampage and killed Vox and Valentino before departing from the premises. The only difference is that the fires from the aftermath are put out.
She walks past the two bodies of Vox and Valentino, and over to a table where Angel Dust, Cherri Bomb, Summer, and Dia are waiting.
"You done with what you needed to do?" Angel Dust asks in a bored tone.
"Yes. Now let's move. With his monster friends, he could be who knows how far, and I don't want him to get any farther than I want him to." Velvette said with a serious tone.
Which is odd coming from someone like her.
"Summer. Dia. Remember to watch over the place until I get back, or until one of the two idiots respawns." Velvette ordered.
"Hold up. If those two tried to kill your kid, why do you want them back?" Cherri asked.
"What?" Velvette questioned.
"Didn't Valentino try to shoot him but fail, and didn't Vox electrocute him but only resulted in giving this Shadow Narukami guy a little bit of energy?" Cherri questioned.
Velvette arched an eyebrow as she thought about what Cherri said. It didn't take long for her to conclude.
"You know what... you make a good point." Velvette said.
Before anyone could react, Velvette whipped around and began shooting the corpses of Vox and Valentino.
*BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!*
Once she had finished unloading the magazine, she blew the smoke from the muzzle of the gun, took out the empty magazine, and reloaded the pistol with more holy bullets. She turns back around to see the shocked faces of four demon girls.
"Did... did you just-?! Because I think you did!" Angel Dust said in shock.
"YOU FUCKING SHOT THEM?!" Dia and Summer exclaimed in shock and horror.
"Yes. I did." Velvette stated firmly with a cold glare.
"Ok... not that I care about those two, but why would-?"
*SLAM!*
Cherri is interrupted by Velvette slamming her hands on the table everyone is sitting at, startling them, and staring Cherri down with wide eyes and furrowed brows. The look she's giving her would be called wild, crazed, and angry rolled into one.
"Because I said that if anyone leaves a scratch, or hurts my baby, I'd tear this city apart until there's nothing but ashes. That includes attempts to do so, and if anyone ever does, THEY WILL DIE BY MY HANDS!!!" Velvette yelled suddenly in anger at the end.
"Any more comments?!" Velvette dared angrily.
No one said another word.
"That's what I thought. Now let's go find him." She said.
Before they left, Velvette got a notification on her phone.
"UGH!!! Picked one of the WORST TIMES to get a notification!!!" She spat irritably.
She pulls out her phone to see what it is.
Her eyes go wide when she sees a news notification with the headline reading "Human in Hell?!"
"What the hell?!" She exclaims in shock.
She clicks on the notification, and it takes her to a news video.
"Hello everyone, Katie Killjoy here with another shocking announcement! A human has been spotted in Hell!" The demon news reporter says a portrait of what the human looked like appeared on the side of the screen.
Velvette was about to blow a fuse.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!"
...
Meanwhile, somewhere in the city...
As Joker walked the side his outfit suddenly turned back into his Phantom attire.
Joker: aw...
Joker's POV:
I've been walking along the sidewalk to... nowhere. I have no idea where I'm going. I'm just walking further, and further away from that damn studio. Away from the overlords that lay dead, away from my FUCKING ABUSIVE DRUG MONEY LOVING UNCLE!!!... and away from my damn mother.
... Fuck 'em all!
At least I'm not walking alone. I got Mitsuru, Chie, Ken and Korumaru, Yukiko and Shadow Narukami with me.
'Thinking back to what happened back there?' Asked Shadow Yosuke.
"How can I not? I was fucking around the building like I was infiltrating a palace, and then I snap the moment I found out my dead biological family is in the damn place. You should know, considering you see what I see."
'I do know that, and I took immense satisfaction in giving that bastard an old Viking torture method. Especially when I went crazy on Vox and Val. Shame that-'
"DON'T. Say. Her. Name." I warned bitterly.
'Easy, kid, relax. I wasn't gonna.'
"'Kid?' Why are you calling me kid? Aren't you technically younger than I am by like five years?" I asked him.
'I... honestly don't know. I think it's because I sound older, or that I was born from... you know.'
"Yeah. That."
'Anyways, I was just saying it's a shame she hid like a coward during the whole thing.'
"But then the fuel tank ran low, and we scrammed."
'Hey, it's better than sticking around that place any longer, right?' Shadow Narukmai asked.
"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't true."
'So what's the plan now? Just keep walking until something convenient or inconvenient happens?'
I take a deep breath and sigh tiredly.
"I'm honestly not sure. I'm still set on grabbing that damn book from the chicken coop, yet I don't know how. Besides even when we're fully charged, it'll only last a few minutes until we're fucked like a sitting duck. Next thing we know, we won't be able to get out of hell. Ever." I explained.
'I suppose you're right. We've been lucky so far, so it's best not to test it.'
"By the way, how long have we been down here? I honestly forgot during each chaotic event that keeps happening." I asked.
'Three days.'
"THREE DAYS?! You mean to tell me all of that shit happening to us was three days worth?!" I exclaimed in shock.
"Or something like that..."
I've been losing track of days because holy shit!
'The only time you've had any actual sleep was after you got brought back down here, and the day afterward you've met the succubi again, as well as the angry birds. Any other time you've fallen asleep was when you got tranquilized. The third day was when you woke up at the studio, then... well, all this shit happened.' Shadow Narukami explained.
"For fucks sake, seriously?"
'Yep. I've been counting the days, and within those days I've emerged twice.' He said.
"And?"
'Nothing. I just felt like pointing it out.' He said.
"Regardless, it's still baffling. By the way, while I do appreciate the extra security, won't the others attract too much attention?" I asked.
'Hmmm... I suppose that's true. I do sense that the longer they're out, the more energy I feel being drained from us.'
"Why didn't you say anything about that?" I asked.
'The energy usage was too slow for me to notice. I guess that they don't take up as much energy as we do when our abilities are active.' Shadow Narukami explained.
"Do they gain energy themselves when they eat or drink?" I asked.
"Yes." All four shadows confirmed at once.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot that I could understand the four of you." I apologized.
"It's alright. If you're so concerned about us drawing too much attention, why not just make us disappear?" Chie suggested.
"I'm not sure how to do that. It was Shadow Narukami who summoned you." I pointed out.
"Plus, won't that just... I don't know, erase you, and replace you with a copy?" I asked with worry.
"I don't think so," Chie said.
"How about testing it to be sure?" Ken suggested.
"I guess... Hey, Shadow Narukami, wanna do the honors?" I asked my partner in crime.
I felt Shadow Narkuami take over my body, but my body didn't change.
"Can do. Just a second. Uhhh, eeny, meeny, miney, Mitsuru." He said.
He suddenly snapped his, I mean, our fingers and Mitsuru dissipated in a cloud of red smoke.
"Ok, now respawn." He said, snapping our fingers to make Mitsuru reappear in a cloud of red smoke.
"So, Mitsuru, what do you remember?" Shadow Narukami asked.
"Trashing the studio, as well as executing whatever demon I could get my hands on, and then you poofing me away. A little warning next time, will ya?" she said.
"God I want you..." I whispered.
'CAN YOU FUCKING STO-' Shadow Yosuke yelled before cutting back to Shadow Narukami
"Well, at least we now know you're not a copy. So it's safe to say that you can be summoned when needed. Catch you four later." Shadow Narukami said, dissipating the four familiars in four clouds of red smoke. At the same time, we felt some energy being restored in my body.
I felt myself regain control of my body before I spoke up.
"Well, that's convenient. But why did I feel a minor surge of energy?" I asked.
'Since they are beings made of energy, it probably gave us a boost. Well, only enough for us to stand a fighting chance against whoever we might run into.' Shadow Narukami explained.
"But not enough for Shadow mode?" I asked.
'Correct.' He confirmed.
"Dammit."
I then felt and heard my stomach growl.
*Growl*
"Double dammit, now I'm hungry," I grumbled.
'Shit. I didn't account for this. The only times we ever got food was when we were under the roof of whichever demons took us. Millie, the Goetias, and... uh, you know who.' Shadow Narukami explained.
"Then what do you suggest? I have my wallet, but I don't know if they accept the same currency down here." I asked.
'Fuck. That's true. However, on the small chance that they do, I'd recommend NOT going to a restaurant. Just somewhere where we can get in, and get out. Simple as that.' He explained.
"I doubt it'll be that simple."
...
Later...
No one's POV:
Joker kept walking until he found a cafe that didn't look sketchy... or at least one that looked the least sketchy. However, he's being watched once again.
While Joker stood in line behind other demons and kept his face hidden with his mask, he continued to mentally talk to Shadow Narukami.
'You know, Narukami, I just realized something. Why didn't we just break open some wiring, and absorb energy that way?' He asked mentally.
'Fuck... I didn't think of that.' Said Shadow Yosuke.
'Neither did I until now.' Joker thought.
'Next time we're by a lamppost, let's slice it down, and get a recharge that way.' Said Shadow Narukami.
'Why not a building?' Joker asked.
'It'll draw too much attention. A simple lamppost on the street wouldn't be a big deal.' Shadow Narukmi explained.
'Makes sense to me.' Said Joker.
Eventually, it was Joker's turn to order.
"What can I get you?" The barista asked him.
"I'll have a-"
"Wait." The barista interrupts him.
The barista squints her eyes at him like she's studying him. Her eyes go wide when she realizes something.
"Oh shit, you're the human from the news!" She exclaims out loud, pointing at him.
Joker's eyes go wide as he feels his blood go cold. She had blurted that out loud in front of everyone, so he had to quickly deny it, and play dumb to it.
"Uh, no I'm not." He said.
"Yeah, you are!" She insisted.
She then pulled up her phone and showed him the security video of him with the others.
"See?"
"That could've been anyone. You can barely even see the face!" Joker pointed out.
But then the video pauses, zooms in on the face, and clears up to show that it's Joker.
"You're Ren Amamiya, right?" The barista asked.
Joker looked around to see that all the customers were staring at him. Either in shock or as an easy potential for them with predatory grins.
'Dude, bail! Bail! BAIL!!!' Shadow Yosuke said in a panic.
Outside the cafe, Arsene burst through the large glass window with a crash, and pieces of broken glass littering the ground before Joker lands and begins running down the street.
"Shit shit shit SHIT!!!" Joker cussed out in a panic as he ran.
'They fucking know! Everyone fucking knows!' Shadow Yosuke exclaimed in Joker's head in a panic.
"I KNOW!!!" Joker shouted out loud.
He rounds a corner to the right but soon skids to a halt when a demon woman jumps down in front of him and points the tip of a machete at him.
"Hold it!" She demands.
"SHIT!" Joker exclaimed.
"Well well well, if it isn't the little critter." A sinister southern accent said.
Joker heard this feminine voice before. It wasn't Millie, her sister, or her mother.
Joker soon recognized this demon woman, and to his horror, it was another one of the demons that were obsessed with him.
She's a sinner demon. Meaning she was once human before dying, and having her soul sent here.
She has pale red grey skin, long but wild medium grey hair, a pair of dark maroon red curved horns on her head, a big single eye with a pinkish red sclera, pale yellow iris, a black slit pupil, sharp teeth, big breasts, wide hips, black claws on her fingertips, dark grey skull earrings, black lipstick, dark grey jeans with tears on the legs, a dark maroon red spike wristband on her left hand, a faded dark red top with the shoulder straps on her arms with black heart-shaped skulls on it, and a black machete in her right hand.
"Of fucking course I just had to meet another one of these Obsessed freaks..." Joker cursed himself.
"Though the little critter, ain't so little anymore." She said.
"Martha," Joker growled as he backed up slowly.
"Awww, you remember me~," said Martha, pretending to feel touched.
"Don't flatter yourself. Who could forget the psycho cannibal that everyone stupidly called 'hero,' and her damn cannibal family?" Joker spat.
Martha frowned at him disapprovingly.
"Seems you know more now than you did the last time we met." She said, sounding annoyed.
"Really? Ya miss ya little darlin' servant that much?" Joker rhetorically asked while talking in a mock Southern accent.
"Oh don't be like that, darlin'-"
"Don't. Call me. Darlin'!" Joker warned with a threatening tone.
"Oh ho! Someone's got a bite!" Said, Martha.
"My bite is as bad as my bark, bitch." Joker spat irritably.
"We'll see when you come back home with me, Darlin'." Said, Martha.
Then another female voice rang out from the left. One that Joker didn't recognize.
"NOT WITH YOU, HE WON'T!"
The two turn to look at who shouted, and suddenly, a hot cup of coffee splashed onto Martha's face, scalding her.
"AAAAH!!! COFFEE!!! COFFEE IN MY EYE!!!" Martha shrieked, trying to rub the burning caffeine drink out of her eye.
She's then struck with a metal bat and falls flat on her back.
The demoness who intervened resembles a school teacher or librarian with purple skin, red eyes with yellow pupils, long greyish white hair with a black bandanna, a long thin tail with an arrowhead spade at the end, a pair of purple goat-like horns with thin red stripes on them, reddish pink rimmed glasses, pointed ears, digitigrade legs with hooves, a black dress that appears tattered along the bottom edges, a long-sleeved maroon red shirt with light red stitches all over, a red circular jewel with a golden point making it look like an upside-down teardrop, dark purple eyeshadow, and black lipstick.
"Who the hell are you?!" Joker questioned in shock.
"No time to explain, just go! I'll catch up with you later!" She says.
"Uh, no you won't. See ya!" Joker says before he takes off running once again.