Sinner's Sin

She was tired.

Charlie lay in her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Usually, she would have been the first to come down, the day's activities already planned and prepared. But today, she felt no urge to leave her bed. The hotel was nearly empty, and nothing was pressing to attend to.

She turned her head to the left, where Vaggie usually slept. The spot was empty. Cherri had left the hotel early in the morning before anyone else was up, probably to check on things or help around. The loss of Sir Pentious had hit everyone hard, but Cherri seemed the most affected.

Charlie had tried to help Cherri, but it had gone poorly, to say the least. Vaggie had told her to leave Cherri to grieve, saying that some things require time. Charlie didn't know if that was true, but she trusted Vaggie. Her girlfriend seemed to be speaking from experience.

Angel Dust, probably out of concern for his friend, wanted to go look for Cherri. Fearing for their first hotel resident's safety and the possibility of Valentino trying something, Vaggie, and Husk had gone with him.

Nifty was off somewhere doing Nifty things.

Alastor was nowhere to be found. He had just disappeared the day after the battle. Charlie had looked everywhere for him but to no avail. Husk said he didn't know or care. "The further away he is from me, the better," he had told her.

Charlie was afraid that Alastor might have been deeply affected by the loss. The constant replays of the battle on screens across Pentagram City and the ads Vox had put up certainly didn't help.

"There was no shame in losing to the Head Exorcist," Charlie would have said to him. It really wasn't. Even Charlie almost lost to Adam. Though, that was probably the worst thing she could say.

The reminder of Adam made her groan. She grabbed the pillow and shoved it over her face, trying to block out the world and her thoughts, but it was no use. The weight of everything pressed down on her, making it hard to find any peace.

Memories of the battle with the Exorcists flooded her mind. It had been two weeks ago, but the events felt like they had happened yesterday. Charlie didn't regret protecting the Hotel. It was her dream, her hope for redemption for the souls of Hell.

But she hated that it had come to violence. She didn't actually think they'd have to kill each other. She thought that maybe with the barrier and the weapons, the Exorcists would... go home?

She wondered if there could have been another way. If she could have negotiated and found a peaceful solution. But she knew deep down that the Exorcists had not come to talk. They had come to exterminate, to destroy.

Adam made that very clear.

The Exorcists had attacked relentlessly, and they had fought back just as fiercely. The hotel had been damaged, and many of its residents had been injured. Sir Pentious had been killed, a fact that still weighed heavily on Charlie's heart.

Charlie might've been too if her dad didn't arrive in time, and beat Adam. At that point, she dared to hope that maybe now that he was defeated, Adam would call off the Extermination.

He didn't, and before they knew it, Nifty's knife stabbed through the back.

Adam was dead.

Charlie sat on the edge of her bed, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions. Adam was dead. The man who had caused so much chaos and destruction in her life was gone. He had been crude, and vulgar, and had insulted her and her parents.

He had made Vaggie's life a living hell, literally.

Every year he had slaughtered her people, his own descendants, while laughing about it.

He had even tried to kill her and destroyed her hotel.

He hurt Alastor.

He killed Sir Pentious.

And yet... Charlie still felt horrible that he was dead.

She couldn't explain it. Despite everything Adam had done, despite all the pain he had caused, there was a part of her that felt a twinge of sadness at his passing.

Maybe it was because she thought that deep down, he was just a lost soul, consumed by his own anger and hatred.

Maybe it was because she believed that everyone, no matter how far gone, deserved a chance at redemption.

Maybe it was because she didn't want to be the kind of person who wished death upon others, no matter how much they had hurt her.

Or maybe it was simply because she was tired. The battle with the Exorcists had drained her, not just physically but emotionally too. She was tired of the fighting, tired of the pain, tired of losing people she cared about. The cycle of violence and death in Hell seemed endless, and it appeared to be present in Heaven as well.

After the battle, she asked her father how Heaven would react. He told her he didn't know, but the frown on his face made it clear, he had a suspicion or two.

At least one Seraphim opposed the Extermination, and Charlie clung to that hope. She believed that Emily could make the others see reason, to show them that there was another way.

It was a fragile hope, but it was all she had. Despite her exhaustion, Charlie knew she couldn't give up. She had to keep fighting for what she believed in, for her friends, for all the souls of Hell who deserved a chance at redemption. 

With a deep breath, Charlie pushed herself off the bed. She had work to do, a dream to fulfill. And no matter how tired she was, she knew that she couldn't stop now. Not when there was still hope, however small, for a better future.

Charlie sat up abruptly, her face contorted with determination. She raised her hands and delivered a couple of sharp slaps to her cheek, the sting jolting her senses. It was a way to cast away any lingering doubt, to shake herself out of her exhaustion. 

With newfound resolve, she stood up, her movements swift and decisive. She raised her arms in the air, a defiant gesture against the weight of despair. Taking a deep breath, she yelled into the empty room, a primal scream of defiance and determination.

"I won't give up!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "I won't let the darkness win! I will fight for what I believe in!"

Her yell faded into the silence, leaving her feeling strangely invigorated. The exhaustion was still there, but now it was overshadowed by a renewed sense of purpose.

Charlie went to her desk, her mind buzzing with ideas. She grabbed a stack of papers and crayons, eager to bring her plans to life. With a clear sense of purpose, she began planning the activities of the day, all of which she believed were connected to redemption in some way. And to help her concentrate, she needed music! 

She grabbed her phone, put in her earphones, and hit shuffle.

 "SOMEBODY GET ME THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE! I CAN't-!" 

Charlie quickly stopped the music, looking at her phone in alarm. "Hehe, forgot I had those..." She quickly changed it to a more fitting song. "Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun." With a nod of approval, Charlie quickly put the volume to the max.

First, she decided they would start with a game of "Pin the Tail on the Demon." In her mind, this game symbolized the act of finding and confronting one's inner demons, a necessary step on the path to redemption.

The ground suddenly shook, and Charlie grabbed the edge of the desk and continued. A small Hellshake was not going to stop her muse.

Next, she scheduled a scavenger hunt for lost souls in the hotel. This activity represented, obviously, the idea of seeking out those who were lost and offering them guidance and support, a gesture of compassion and redemption.

A blindingly bright light streamed through her window. Charlie sighed, closing the curtains and switching on the lights without looking up from her masterpiece.

As she scribbled down her ideas, a new thought struck her. Why not have a puppet show? She could create puppets for the hotel's residents and put on a show for everyone. This, she thought, would symbolize the power of storytelling and how it can help us understand and empathize with others, leading to redemption through connection.

For a moment, Charlie thought she heard a knock before she waved it off as the beat of the song.

"Baby, du du du baby.." Charlie whistled with the song.

Finally, she planned to end the day with a tea party. She would bake homemade treats and decorate the hotel's common area, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. This, she believed, would symbolize the importance of community and coming together, finding redemption through unity and friendship.

"And done!" Charlie exclaimed, grabbing her papers and standing from her seat. With a swirl, she leaped onto her bed, raising her plans into the air. "This is going to be the most productive da-!"

Before she could finish her sentence, the door exploded, broken and torn out of its hinges.

Vaggie lowered her leg down and rushed into the room, her spear raised in preparation and an expression of fear on her face. Her sole eye settled on Charlie, and her body sagged with relief. "Charlie! thank goodness you're okay," she exclaimed, lowering her spear.

"Vaggie, it's okay," Charlie reassured, jumping down from the bed and rushing over to her girlfriend. "What's wrong?"

"I saw the feed outside, and I thought....." Vaggie's words cut off as she held Charlie, her head falling down.

"Vaggie,... you're really starting to scare me," Charlie spoke.

Vaggie focused her eye on her and spoke. "Adam's back. He's alive and rampaging in the Wrath ring."

Charlie's eyes widened in shock. "Adam? But... how? I saw him die. Nifty... she..." Charlie's voice trailed off, unable to finish the thought. "Can....Can Heaven resurrect people?" 

"I ....don't know. Before Camilla did it, I never actually heard of an angel dying." Vaggie shook grimly, her breathing ragged and body shaking. "I don't know, I don't know...but he's causing chaos down there. We need to do something."

Charlie looked at Vaggie, her eyes widening in realization. Vaggie, usually so strong and composed, looked small and afraid. Without a word, Charlie grabbed her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she dialed her father's number. Each ring felt like an eternity, but there was no answer. She tried again, her heart pounding in her chest, but still, there was no response. "Come on, dad. You said you would try..."

"Lucifer's already there. He's the one fighting Adam," Vaggie said, her voice barely above a whisper. "...He's not winning."

The words hit Charlie like a ton of bricks. Her father, the most powerful creature in Hell, was struggling against a foe that should have been no match for him. The news filled her with a sense of dread she had never experienced before. "Dad is fighting him?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper, disbelief and fear creeping into her tone.

"You said that it's broadcasted outside? Angel and Husk?"

Vaggie nodded tiredly. "They're downstairs. The screens are everywhere... You have to see it to understand."

Charlie made a hesitant nod, and grabbed Vaggie's hand, descending quickly to join the others. Charlie took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "Okay, we'll figure out a plan. We can't let him hurt anyone else."

As they reached the reception hall, Charlie found Husk and Angel Dust waiting there. The spider sinner was nervously biting his fingers, while the bartender had a bottle of liquor in his hand.

"How bad is it?" Charlie asked as she approached them. "Vaggie told me he's in the Wrath ring."

"Try the Gluttony Ring," Husk replied with a low voice as he stood up, gesturing for them to follow him. "It's looking bad, Charlie. Your father and Satan are barely keeping up with him."

Charlie's heart skipped a beat, her blood running cold. She hadn't realized her father was there, and the news filled her with dread. "Uncle Satan is trying to stop him, too?"

"More like trying and failing not to get his shit kicked in alongside Beelzebub," Angel quipped before taking a deep breath to calm himself. He rubbed his temple. "Sorry, toots... It's just...I'm about to shit myself here."

"Let's go." Vaggie gestured to Charlie.

Charlie opened the hotel's front door, the sound hitting them like a physical force. The entirety of Pentagram City seemed to be alive with cheers, curses, and laughter as they watched the screens projecting the chaos.

Charlie was shocked by the sinners' cheering. She raised her head to look at one of the screens. There, amidst the chaos, was Adam, alive and laughing as he fought against her father, Uncle Satan, and Aunt Bee.

Charlie could only watch in a stupor.

Satan's draconic body was trapped in golden chains that grew from Adam's arm, flapped his wing, and twirled in the air. "SEMA!" With a thunderous roar, her uncle unleashed a colossal torrent of golden hellfire.

 The inferno surged toward Adam, but he only smiled wider, raising his bloodied hand for the attack. With a casual flick of his wrist, the searing flames veered off course, disintegrating into sparks around him.

Seizing the opportunity, Aunt Bee fired a beam of red reflective light that shattered the chains, freeing Satan. Before Adam could retaliate, her dad teleported above Adam, unleashing a twisted violet pyramid spell that struck the First Man, causing the entire Ring to shake violently and launching Adam towards the ground.

As Adam plummeted, Satan and Beelzebub followed after him, unleashing a barrage of attacks as they circled him. Adam spread his arms wide, then brought them down, causing Satan and Beelzebub to be flattened on the ground as their spells detonated, engulfing the area in a massive explosion of flame and dust. The screen flickered with static as the shockwave hit the cameras.

From the dust cloud, Adam rose at lightning speed toward her father. Lucifer unfurled his wings. Charlie's heart sank as she counted only three instead of the proud six she was used to. He pointed his palm down at Adam, conjuring a three-layered magic spell that released a rainbow-colored beam.

Adam, with a grin on his face, sent two circling spheres of holy light and demonic darkness towards Lucifer. The attacks met in a resounding explosion, the force of which shook the very floor beneath her feet.

The screen went black for a moment, causing thousands of curses to be hurled at it. It flickered back on a second later to show her father being snatched by the neck by Adam. The king of Hell struggled to break free as Adam grabbed his left horn and, with a sickening crunch, snapped it off.

The scream her father released made Charlie's heartbreak.

"Dad!" she cried out.

Finally, with a raging screech, her father summoned a rotating vortex of ice blades that freed him. His leg hit Adam in the abdomen, sending him flying at Mach speed. Before he hit the ground, Adam's body disappeared.

"Above you!" Her uncle's warning echoed, the only reason her father managed to move out of the way as Adam reappeared from a portal above her father, his momentum carrying him forward. Yet as soon as they passed each other, a golden chain erupted from Adam's sleeve and circled around her father's torso, dragging him down.

Adam raised his hand to strike before her aunt crashed into him, her jaws clamped down on him. At the same time, her uncle's claws shattered the chain before he flew after Beelzebub.

The main camera turned away from the fight to focus on her father's hovering form. It showed his battered body, his left hand covering his face. He slowly removed it to inspect the blood on his hand, revealing his tiredness, sweat the gaping, and bleeding wound on his forehead.

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Then Charlie's ears were nearly ruptured by the roaring cheers of those surrounding her.

"Yeah, rip him apart, Adam!" one sinner hollered, his voice filled with bloodlust.

"Look at him bleed! He's not so tough now, is he?" another jeered.

A demon near the front shouted, "I've got ten on the next hit taking an eye!"

"Fucking Beelzebub whore! Stay the fuck away! I've got my son's life on Satan going down first!" a gaunt demon yelled, shaking his fist at the screen.

"Mommy!?"

"Not now, Timmy!"

"Fuck Lucifer's bitch ass! Show me Bee's fat tits again!" Some pervert howled like a wolf, and hundreds of others did the same.

Charlie turned around in shock, the very people she had tried to save were cheering as the man who had tried to kill them all was hurting her father and family. The crowd's jeers and insults filled the air, mixing with the sounds of the ongoing battle. Some were even throwing recommendations and making bets about what would break off next.

"Rip his tail!"

Vaggie's growled next to her. "These fucking pieces of shit!"

"Don't those morons what's gonna happen if Adam wins?" Angel gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Stop spamming the same fucking move, you dumbass lizard!"

"Fight back, you short cocksucker! My money is on the line!" a female demon hissed, her voice dripping with malice.

"BREAK HIS COCK!!!" another cheered, his voice hoarse from screaming as he tore his shirt.

Charlie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in horror as she saw the expression of pain and anger on her father's face. The sound of the horn breaking and the sight of the blood was too much. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched her father's people cheering for his misery.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched Vaggie's arm for support. These were the same people she wanted to help, so why? These were the people she considered her own. Her vision blurred as she saw their jeering faces, the same faces she had hoped to save and redeem.

Her sadness quickly gave way to rage, her demonic features began to show. "Vaggie, fly me," she growled, her voice low and dangerous.

Vaggie looked at her, startled by the expression of hatred on Charlie's face. Before nodding, she grabbed Charlie from her armpits and flew her several meters into the air, stopping in front of one of the screens and blocking the view.

Insults were hurled at her instantly, telling her to get the fuck out of the way. "Move, bitch!"

"Enough!" Charlie roared, silencing them all. Her voice echoed with a power she rarely showed, her demonic features glaring down at the crowd. "What the hell is wrong with you all?" she shouted, her voice seething with fury. "You think this is a game? Do you think it's fun to watch my father suffer? To cheer for the man who tried to kill you all?"

She pointed at the screen, where the brutal battle continued. "This isn't entertainment! This is Hell tearing fighting for its survival, and you're all sitting here like it's a fucking sport!"

Her eyes blazed with anger as she continued. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? By cheering for Adam, you're supporting the destruction of everything we have left. You're cheering for chaos and death! Is that what you want?"

One demon dared to mutter something under his breath, but Charlie's glare shut him up instantly. "You think this is a joke? Lives are at stake! My father's life is at stake! And you're making bets on how he'll die next?"

She took a deep breath, her anger radiating off her in waves. "This isn't about redemption anymore. This is about survival. If you don't want to help, then the least you could do is shut the fuck up. But if you care at all about this place, about anyone here, then start acting like it. Because if Adam wins, none of us will survive!"

"Who the fuck are you?" a voice from the crowd yelled, dripping with defiance and scorn.

Charlie looked at them, her eyes blazing with a mixture of fury and determination. "I'm the one who still believes in you," she shouted back, "I'm the one who hasn't given up on you, even when you have."

Murmurs of confusion spread through the crowd.

"...who?"

 "I'm the daughter of the man you're watching suffer," she shouted back, her voice cutting through the noise of the crowd. "I'm the one who opened this hotel to give you a second chance."

A murmur rippled through the onlookers, some faces showing surprise, others skepticism.

"Are you gonna fight Adam then?" another voice shouted, filled with doubt.

Charlie's gaze hardened. "I'm not here to fight," she declared, her voice steady and firm. "I'm here to stop this madness, to put an end to the senseless violence that's tearing our world apart."

The crowd fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in. Charlie took a deep breath, her resolve unwavering. "So, who's with me?" she challenged, her eyes scanning the crowd, daring them to stand with her against the chaos.

...

...

"Twenty thousand Souls this dumb bitch gets her neck snapped by the Dickmaster!!"

The crowd immediately went back to their frenzy after the last declaration words, their cheers and jeers blending into a cacophony of noise.

Charlie lets out a loud growl in response to their reaction, her demonic features contorting with rage. "Fuck all of you!" she roars, her voice cutting through the din.

Vaggie joins in, hurling a torrent of profanity in Spanish at the sinners. "¡Mierda de demonios egoístas! ¡Deberían estar avergonzados de sí mismos, hijos de puta!" Her words are filled with anger and disgust, each curse more vehement than the last.

Fuck this.

Charlie turned and nodded to Vaggie over her shoulder who nodded back in understanding.

Charlie's voice cut through the uproar, a fierce determination in her eyes. "Husk! Angel! stay in the hotel!" she yelled, her voice echoing over the chaotic sounds of the city.

As Vaggie lifted her into the air, Charlie glared at the crowd below, their cheers and jeers blending into a deafening roar. She clenched her fists, trying to block out the noise and focus on the task at hand.

"Let's go, Vaggie!" she shouted, her voice resolute. "We're going to the Gluttony Ring. I'm ending this madness now!"

As Vaggie flew them away from the chaos of Pentagram City, Charlie's mind raced with thoughts of what she had just witnessed. The image of her father, battered and bleeding, haunted her. She clenched her jaw, trying to push aside the fear and anger that threatened to overwhelm her.

'Just hold on a bit more, Dad.'

"The hole should be in that direction!" Vaggie's voice broke through Charlie's thoughts, guiding them towards their destination. They flew through the desolate outskirts of the Pride Ring, the once vibrant landscape now reduced to ruins.

Out of nowhere, an explosion ripped through the sky behind them, startling Charlie. Before she could react, a searing pain shot through her body as she felt something hard crash into them, the sound of her ribs cracking. Vaggie's hold on her broke as they separated.

As Charlie crashed into the ground, pain shot through her body, blinding her with agony. The impact felt like a thousand knives stabbing into her flesh, every nerve screaming in protest. She gasped for air, but the impact had knocked the wind out of her, leaving her struggling to breathe.

Through the haze of pain, Charlie barely managed to stand up and raise her head to look for Vaggie. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out the outline of her girlfriend's body lying several meters away from her, a figure standing over her. Her shaking vision stabilized a bit as she looked at the familiar outfit and white hair, then at the missing arm.

Adam's lieutenant was standing over Vaggie's body with her sword drawn out.

Rage bubbled in Charlie's veins as her eyes turned red, and her horns grew. She opened her mouth to scream and threaten Lute, only for her words to choke as she felt a heavy weight drive her knees to the ground.

As she tried to speak, she felt something cold and sharp pressing against her throat.

"When we finally meet, Spawn of the Whore and the Archtraitor," a soft, melodic voice whispered to her the sword in her hand breaking Charlie's skin.

Charlie turned her gaze upwards, her eyes widening at the sight before her. The first thing she noticed were the huge, majestic wings—six in total, exuding a divine radiance.

The woman- Charlie gathered from the shape of the armor and bellowing golden locks- was standing in front of her, almost twice her father's height, dressed in resplendent golden armor over white clothing that revealed nothing of her body. A helmet sat on her head and hid her face, intricately carved to resemble a lion's face, adding to her imposing presence. The armor gleamed in the dim light, numerous runes moving across it.

"I have always wished to meet you, Child of Sin," the archangel spoke, her voice commanding yet tinged with a strange sense of curiosity. "And now, the time has come for our paths to cross."

Charlie's heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to comprehend the situation. She was face to face with an archangel, and from the sound of it, she was not here to offer salvation.

"Rejoice, demon spawn. I have deemed you to be a fitting offering for the Lord's return." The archangel's words echoed in her mind.

"So please, do resist."