Chapter Text
The commons area was dead silent as The King of Hell disappeared in a flurry of red and gold shimmers. For several heartbeats, nobody could do anything but stare in the spot he left vacant. How could they? Micheal was stunned silent, Raphael and Gabriel were torn between shock of Lucifer’s anger, and sympathy for his fear, and the hotel residents were still reeling at what had just been revealed. Or at least, what they thought had just been revealed.
Charlie Morningstar, Princess of Hell, was the first to break the silence. In a careful voice, with a bit of hostile suspicion hinging at the edges, she asked: “what was he talking about?”
Micheal’s mouth hung open as he struggled to form a response, his eyes wide as saucers as he stared at the place the King of Hell had stood a minute ago. Those golden irises snapped to Charlie, and the shame there told her all she needed to know.
Still, she didn’t want to believe it. Didn’t want to believe she’d invited someone like that into her hotel.
“ What was he talking about?”
Micheal’s shoulders slumped. Guilt shone in his eyes, but that may be the one time Charlie didn’t try to offer any comfort. There was a dangerous, hot feeling coursing through her now. It was like all of her systems were locked, and until she got her answer, she could do nothing but stand there.
“I…” his voice broke, and he looked down in shame, “it was my job… to… carry out the fall of the Morningstar.”
Oh. Hell . No. Because after seeing those burns on his hands, the way he tensed up whenever Heaven was mentioned, and hearing everything that he’d just described, she knew what that meant.
Charlie scoffed, she could feel her hair coming unraveled, and horns beginning to grow on her head. Her sweet persona gave way to the overwhelming instinct to defend one of the people she loved most in this world. “You… what ?”
The Princess of Hell took a pace forward. Nobody stopped her. “You… you hurt him?”
“I’m sorry,” Micheal tried, but she no longer cared what he had to say. In a single breath, the thin rope of tension that had been pulled taught within the air snapped.
“You hurt him, and then you show up on my doorstep acting like you’re a friend? How could you do that?! To your own brother?! ” A deep, demonic growl rose up through her throat on the last word.
An anger she hadn’t felt since Extermination Day overwhelmed her. Zero mercy shone through her glowing red eyes as they narrowed, blazing with fury.
“ He never did anything wrong! At least, he didn’t mean to! He made a mistake, and you— ” Charlie choked on her words, tears forming in her eyes. Her father’s words echoed in her mind. Burn me. Bind me. Rip out my wings and feathers. Drag me up to Heaven just so you can throw me back down again. I don’t care! “ You tortured him! ”
There was no other word for that description. It was horrifying, and revolting ! How could anyone, especially an angel , ever put their own family through that much pain?
“And then you thought you’d just be able to get away with coming after Charlie like that?!”
The new voice shocked the Princess out of her fury path long enough to register Vaggie stepping up beside her. Charlie stood up even taller as her girlfriend's hand rested on her back.
“They’re right you know, Mickey. You had no right to lose control like that.” To everyone’s surprise, one of the other angels - Gabriel - scolded, crossing his arms where he stood.
Charlie looked over, taking in both him and Raphael, who was looking at the spot Lucifer vanished with a great deal of concern. That too served to sober her as she considered what her father must be going through right now.
The smaller angel locked eyes with her, and they shared a look of understanding before he too teleported away. Going to check on the fallen angel so Charlie could deal with the more pressing issue of her father’s punisher standing in her hotel.
“How did Heaven even allow ‘dat? Sure, you permitted ‘de exterminations which was pretty fucked up, but to order ‘dat on one of their own? Someone who dey’d known since the beginning of ‘da universe?! Shorty’s been nothin’ but nice since showin’ up here, how could anyone ever stomach doin’ somethin’ like ‘dat to him! I know it’s been t’ousand’s of years, but still!” Angel’s unique dialect dripped thick across his baffled outrage
Husk stood beside the spider demon, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed on the eldest angel. “You really fucked up didn’t you.”
“What if he’d never said anything?!” Charlie asked, her more demonic voice faded, but her rage was still clear and present. She also hadn’t lost the horns and tail. “Were you just going to keep strutting around here acting like everything was fine?! I— I invited you in! I have been kind and accommodating… and— and all this time…”
No wonder Lucifer had been acting so strange .
Why didn’t he tell me? The second Micheal walked in, why didn’t he say anything about what he’d done? How has he even been able to stand in the same room as this fucking dick?! They sat next to each other at breakfast for fucks sake!
Even as the thoughts crossed her mind, Charlie knew the answer. He’d done it for her, for the Hotel. Because he’d promised to be there for her. A small bit of guilt flared in her heart, but she pushed it aside. This wasn’t her fault. It was Micheal’s .
“If you think I’m just gonna let you keep staying here after finding out what you’ve done—”
“Charlie,” Vaggie murmured, her other hand coming to brush the princess’s elbow, “hold on a second.”
Red eyes snapped to the side, hostility lessening as Charlie looked at her girlfriend. Still, she raised a challenging eyebrow. “What?”
“We can’t just kick him out.”
“Why not,” the blonde scoffed, leveling a glare at the older angel as she asked.
Alastor was the one to provide an answer. “Who’s to say what the powers who sent him and his brothers here will do if you send him away. They may rescind the offer to consider this project altogether.”
“I don’t care!” Charlie argued, her anger growing once more, “he hurt my father! I don’t give a shit about the Hotel, he doesn’t just get to keep staying here now that I know what he’s done!”
“Charlie, you’re letting your emotions cloud your judgement, dear.” Alastor tsked, strutting over and standing on her other side.
“I’m not! If he had the ability to hurt my dad once, who’s to say he won’t do it again? To any of us?!” Charlie questioned.
“I wouldn’t—”
“Quiet!” Micheal’s attempt to interject was quickly shut down by both the princess and overlord speaking simaltatenously. The angel shrunk against the wall, and the pair went back to their conversation.
“It’s a shame what happened to his majesty, but from that latest display, I think we both know that’s not going to happen. Nobody is at risk here, it’s just a mildly uncomfortable arrangement—”
“Mildly uncomfortable?!” Charlie questioned, outraged.
“As much as I hate the sentiment, Smiles has a point.” Angel stepped in, deciding it may be time to try and put this conversation to rest before it got out of hand. Again. “Do you really think your dad would want you riskin’ your dreams for this?”
Now that was something that got through to Charlie.
Still, she couldn’t just let go of her anger. “But— but you heard what my dad said, he—”
“I know, hun, I know. And believe me none of us like the idea any more than you do, and it doesn’t change the fact that what he did is beyond unforgivable,” Vaggie directed another icy glare to Michael, who had the decency to look away, “but sending him away and letting Heaven reject the Hotel isn’t what your dad needs right now. Like it or not, we need this asshole's support.”
Charlie met her partner’s gaze, her inner conflict written all over her face before she finally sighed. Closing her eyes, she relented to the point her fellow hotelmates were trying to make.
“Fine,” she sighed, opening them again and glaring at Michael, “but if you take one more step out of line, you’re gone. Do you understand me?”
Immediately, the angel nodded, golden eyes snapping up to meet hers, “yes, Miss. Morningstar.”
“Good,” she hissed coldly, “now do me a favor, and stay the hell away from me.”
That was the last thing she said before she turned, and stalked out of the commons area.