Chapter Text
Alastor had been captured by Vox and had thus left his radio station at the hotel vacant. He hadn’t even used it since returning a month ago. Partly because Charlie had filled it with more up-to-date equipment and with modern albums and playlists.
Lincoln dusted the console. Something different to do now so much of time had been freed when the last of the hopeful guest handed back their keys.
‘Dang it, Charlie,’ Lincoln thought. ‘Why did you think the Vees would suddenly be helpful after everything they’ve done? The two tolerate Valentino, if not outright consider him a friend. That should have told you something. They’re bullies, plain and simple.’
Lincoln wiped the ON AIR SIGN.
He glanced at the audience. “A pity to let this all go to waste,” he tapped his chin. “It’s not the school news, but it’s similar enough. Although, Alastor might kill me if I use his broadcasting equipment without his permission. Should I?”
He took out a piece of paper. “Time sheet for songs,” he checked the albums and lists, and started noting things down. “What to talk about on the host segments?”
Charlie scurried after Vaggie as the former exorcist walked through the lobby with her arms crossed and a deep scowl. “Vaggie, please, what’s wrong?”
Vaggie continued to silently walk away.
“Vaggie, please,” she bit her lip. She looked around the lobby. “Where’s Lincoln?”
Angel’s eyes darted up briefly. “Why d’you wanna know? So you can just ignore his advice too?”
“What?” Charlie stammered. “I have always listened to my girlfriend.”
Husk focused on wiping his glass. “Like when Vaggie said not to trust the Vees? Or to be interviewed by Killjoy?”
Charlie flinched.
Angel crossed both his arms. “Twice in as many days Vaggie warned you not to use Vox and his companies. What happened? You used them, and your image and that of the hotel’s gets turned to shit.”
Husk nodded. “And now that Alastor’s become Vox’s new plaything we got no means to get our own voice out. The hotel’s fucked.”
Cherri glared. “Why the fuck did you not ask Alastor to do a radio broadcast about Pentious’s redemption before messaging the Vees?”
Charlie held her arms a slumped. “After his initial commercial I didn’t think Alastor’s promotional skills were what we needed.”
“And you don’t need him, Charlie,” Lucifer said. The King of Hell sauntered up. “Old Bambi didn’t want to be here.”
“Maybe not,” Husk said. “But he’d be safe and sound here.”
Angel nodded. “You really had to go and flick his switches didn’t you, Short King.”
Charlie blinked. “Dad, you drove Alastor out?”
“Charlie,” Lucifer said reaching out. “He wasn’t a good influence on you.”
Charlie stepped back. “Maybe you weren’t a good influence on me,” she ran off.
“Charlie!”
Charlie scowled, and flipped her father the bird. “Maybe that’s why Mom left!” and she slammed the door.
“Charlie!” Lucifer said running after her. “You can’t ignore me!”
“Why not?” Angel yelled back. “She’s been very good at it lately!”
Lucifer shifted. “I just reconnected to her,” his lip quivered. “I can’t lose her again,” he walked out.
Cherri sat up. “Still the Princess had a good question. Where is Lincoln?”
Angel Dust stood up. “I’ll go check his room.”
Angel Dust searched and searched. Cherri joined in the effort as did Vaggie and Niffty when they learned.
The party returned to the lobby and slumped on the sofa.
Husk raised an eyebrow. “The kid’s gone missing?”
Vaggie groaned. “I hope he isn’t doing someone stupid like Charlie.”
Angel sat up. “Stop getting you taco so twisted. The little snowball’s got some of the best street smarts I’ve seen. He’ll not come to any harm.”
“You really tried everywhere in the hotel?” the bartender asked.
“All except Charlie and Lucifer’s suites,” Cherri said. “And Alastor’s room,” Vaggie shuddered at that.
Husk raised an eyebrow. “And the radio tower?”
Vaggie sat up. “Why? Alastor doesn’t allow anyone in there.”
“He let Lincoln into the old one when he needed help adjusting things.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
Angel looked up to the celling. “The squirt must be up there right now.”
Vaggie stood up. “Niffty, you and Husk watch the door on the vain hope someone looks past the Vees’ bullshit and checks in.”
Lincoln’s hand trembled at the button. He took a breath and summoned his magic. He eyes glowed orange. “Listen up everybody.” Lincoln pressed the button and grabbed the mic.
All over Hell radios turned on.
The first was the radio in the hotel lobby, the one in Alastor’s room, and indeed across the hotel’s PA system, the chasers stopped running at the noise.
Not only in Pentagram City, but in the other cities of the Pride Ring.
Prince Vassago Goetia felt the need to turn his radio on.
Cloistered in her bedroom, Princess Octavia Goetia opened a radio channel tab on his phone to drown out her mother and uncle’s laughing and gloating.
Elsewhere in the Gluttony Ring the Queen Bee’s party speakers started playing.
And tied to the chair in the Vees Tower, Alastor’s eyes blinked into the dials, set to the channel, and his teeth glowed. “Someone’s pirating the air waves,” he managed to say.
The message, passed through the bedside radio, and woke up Vox and Valentino up from a post session nap.
Music started playing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqZiflILSmM
The red light blinked, then remained on.
Lincoln began, “Hello to all you listening. Call me L-A-L, and I bid you welcome the first tester instalment of the Hazbin Broadcasting Service. Since Alastor is current indisposed I decided to fill the gap in this domain’s entertainment. Now I get the feeling Alastor will go spare on me when he gets out of his current predicament.”
Vox scoffed. “Yeah, right,” he glanced to Val. “Do you hear this. Dandruff Boy think he can fill in for Alastor? Ha!” he wiped a tear from his screen eyes. “That’s rich.”
“Well, to begin the show,” Lincoln continued. “This song is dedicated to my absent friend. It’s certainly after your time, Al, but I hope you can appreciate the sentiment. I give you a rock music classic, Radio Ga-Ga by Queen.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWxQ55EsOVs
Alastor grinned at the lyrics while Vox started sneering.
Outside the door to the broadcasting chamber, Cherri lightly bopped her head. “Not a bad starting piece. The kid’s got taste.”
Angel shrugged. “Probably got it from his rocker sister.”
As the song faded Lincoln recommended the commentary, “I understand the word Hazbin might be a turn off to you unfortunate listeners, especially after the smear campaign the Vees did to Princess Charlie. If you don’t want to listen turn off now. Because I’ve got a few things to say about Princess Charlie.”
In the office of the Vees Tower the trio, with Alastor in tow, listened.
Vox rolled his eyes. “Here comes the pity puppy dog eyes bit,” he muttered with mocking jazz hands.
Lincoln took a breath. “Charlie Morningstar is overly-sheltered, naive, out-of-touch, and too soft-hearted for her own good.”
Everyone paused.
Charlie listened in her room, wrapped in a blanket. She sobbed. “You to Lincoln?”
“And if you’re listening, Charlie,” Lincoln continued, “If you think I’ve become a Judas or Brutus, I do not apologise for speaking what see as the truth. Sometime tough love is the only thing that gets through.”
Vaggie nodded.
“But,” Lincoln went on. “I don’t believe Princess Charlie is a dictator, and she absolutely wouldn’t harm a person without good reason. Her issue is not being able to properly identify the situation, and how to act accordingly. Often she sees the world through rose-tinted glasses, that obscures her vision and make her believe reality will just conform to her ideals. Well, I’ve not been Hell for too long compared to the Sinner around me, but I have it rough on Earth. I’m pretty much the case study for middle child syndrome. Back home I’ve been rough-housed, lied, tricked, bullied, beaten, and swindled, and my dad and sister would say with their love of British slang I’ve been properly mangled.”
Velvette gave a small laugh. “There’s more a Northerner turn of phrase, luv.”
Lincoln continued, “And to a Sinner, it must be six hundred and sixty-six times worse. Unless, your one of the Overlords who managed to claim success. How dubious that success is debatable.”
In the corridor outside Charlie’s room Lucifer sighed. If humans on Earth could treat such an amazing boy like Lincoln so poorly it was just more evidence that he should’ve never given Eve that apple.
“Life’s tough all over,” Lincoln continued. “But for me it wasn’t a parade of misery, it was the School of Hard Knocks. And people can do such wonderful things. Mankind is a trying and contrarian species. We can have great inspiring figures to emulate like Queen Elizabeth II, or bullies who cause great suffering, like Hitler. And to any Nazis listening to this, if you haven’t fallen prey to the Exterminators, and I run into you, expect a hard kick where the sun don’t shine.”
Angel sniggered.
“Even right there,” Lincoln said. “I openly expressed my own deep dislike of a fellow human being. I know I’m flawed, I’ve made mistakes, caused sadness, injury, damages. I can be spiteful, selfish, and mean. Yet I always strive to be the best version of myself, a kind, smart person. But the line has to be drawn somewhere. Bullies need to be confronted. We need to defend ourselves against the people attacking us.”
Vox grinned. “The kid’s actually pretty smart.”
Charlie winced. “But I don’t want to become the bully.”
“And to those who are worried about becoming the thing you hate, remember this, a bully is someone who, regardless of what excuse they can scrape together, picked on those who have done nothing truly wrong. Believe me, I’ve had my more than my fill of those. Any negative consequence they suffered are because they invited it on themselves by being bullies. Have things really changed so that just standing up to someone who’s hurting you or someone else who can’t defend themself, gets you called a bully? It’s because you can, and will stand up to bullies when the need calls for it, that I could never believe you’d become a dictator. That being said, Charlie, you often end up becoming a doormat, and the Vees have wiped their feet all over your face.”
Charlie pulled the sheet off her head as she thought about those words.
In the tower, the Vees burst out laughing.
Velvette started tapping out. “Oh, I am so getting fan art of that image made. Credit where due, the kid’s got a way with words.
“You could describe the next song as my feelings on the matter. Land of Confusion by Genesis.”
Cherri grinned. “Oh, now we’re talking!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C19InkgElIE
Octavia sighed. ‘That’s an appropriate song.’ She made a note to find it for playlist.
Velvette rolled her lips. “The twerp’s already making the tops on social. Searches and download of those songs are up.”
When the song ended Lincoln spoke again, “Charlie, I’ve seen you act as you should. Not needlessly violent, but calm, collect, upright, and defiant. When Vox smugly asked if you thought he could get redeemed, you simply reiterated your belief that any Sinner can be redeemed. Not that Vox would, or ever could get redeemed, but that any Sinner has the capacity within them. You stared a harsh reality in the face with your own expression saying, ‘I understand this, I can see the world for what it is, Every day I see the suffering that those around have to endure, for no reason, no consideration of right or wrong. But I refuse to accept things have to be this way.’ That’s, again, I believe you’re never going to be a dictator as the Vees claim you are.”
Charlie smiled.
Vox and Val scoffed.
“I’m reminded of a scene from Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather. Near the end of the book the mentor figure explains to his granddaughter, that justice, mercy, and duty are concepts. There is no atom of justice, no molecule of mercy, no Higgs-Boson particle of duty. Beyond Earth, in the expanse of outer space, the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Andromeda Galaxy are on a collision course. Stars explode and wipe out solar systems, asteroids plough into planets, killing thousands of creatures in a single stroke. And yet humans believe there is some ideal order and rightness in the universe. And the mentor drives the point home.”
Lincoln cleared his through, lowered his voice and, with the aid of the voice modulator, gave the best impression of the voice a granite tombstone might have, “‘You need to believe in things that aren’t true. How else can they become?’”
Charlie grinned and held up her hand with a fist.
“Yet,” Lincoln added, catching Charlie off-guard. “That same drive, if not controlled and tempered could also lead to trouble. You’ve done it before Charlie, rushing in, determined to make everything right with blind disregard. You can’t just force or expect us to change on a whim. You can’t protect everyone from the pain of this literally godforsaken place. Let us make our own decisions. Even if you’re ideas are the better ones, that doesn’t mean you can ignore our free will.”
Lucifer sat himself down against the wall. “Damn, that was actually profound. The kid might be a new Solomon.”
The sound of Lincoln taking a deep breath came through the speakers.
“I think now is the time to calm down, unwind and take our minds away from the big issues. It’s also a good time to move away from the flashy but hollow in your face spectacles the Vox and his cronies make to entice, ensnare, and entrap.”
Vox snarled. “Hollow!” he glitched.
Alastor chuckled. “Seems to me, young Lincoln has your down to a tea.”
Vox recovered and brushed himself down. His smile returned and his sauntered up to Alastor. “Let him slander. I’m perfection. It’s not like the cotton swab can get past my iron grip on the media with just one measly radio show. He’s only got old songs and opinions.”
Lincoln carried on aware. “I think this contemplative instrumental is a good mood cleanser. Chi Mai from the movie The Professional, later used as the theme for the BBC historial drama, The Life and Times of David Lloyd George.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vWlVuRCmKM
Seemingly, all of Hell went quiet as the music flowed over them.
Valentino took Vox’s hand and they started slow dancing.
Velvette looked something on her phone. “Who the fuck is David Lloyd George?”
Vassago leaned back into his chair and embraced the melody.
Octavia shed tears.
Charlie clutched her hands to her heart with starry eyes.
Lincoln sighed with contentment. “I don’t know about what you thought, but I remember home. The fun with my siblings, just living life. Just for a moment everything felt peaceful. But, nothing can last, even oblivion must come to an end someday. We just got to make the best of it. How about we move onto lighter fare? During Princess Charlie one-sided interview the other day Katie Killjoy wasted time by asking Charlie why the hotel is named as it is. But, before she could get a real word in, Killjoy interrupted and went on any pointless ranting tangent for Charlie to stumble against. Which I think pretty much sums up that entire mess, doesn’t it?”
Charlie rubbed her arm.
“Before I say more, can I just indulge a little further? If you’re hearing this Killjoy. Charlie is bisexual. Love is love no matter who its between as long as it’s consensual. Homophobic straight up means the hated of gay people, so get your facts straight. My sister is bi too, and dating a great girl, so I’ll say this for her, bog off and get stuff before you put you foot in it and offend Velvette, who just by looking at here the other day, I can tell is a total lesbian. Which may I say, more power to her in that regard.”
Velvette blinked and smirked bemused with her hand on her hips. “This kid is just plain bonkers.”
“Anyway, back to the hotel’s name. Since it’s just me here for the moment I’ll tell you what’s up with that. Originally Charlie intended to call it the Happy Hotel, which I’ll admit is a little uncreative and saccharine.”
Charlie pouted.
Angel Dust and Cherri sniggered.
“When Alastor offered his services to the hotel he made an executive decision, while not being an executive at all, to rename the place. Given his recent contempt I get the felling he was at the hotel unwillingly, and decided to rename it out of spite.”
At the suggestion that Alastor was forced to be at the hotel, Alastor flinched, with a stray static crackle.
Vox leaned in. “Oh, ho, that’s interesting. Working for someone our we, Alastor? What happened to being a lone operator?” he grabbed Alastor cheek. “Were we being a hypocrite when you laugh at me for wanting to share the glory?”
Alastor gritted his teeth. “I have no obligation to say anything.”
Velvette smirked. “We’ll take that as the yes then.”
“Also,” Lincoln continued. “Not to dampen spirits after that masterpiece. But there was just something interesting I picked up from Charlie’s interview. Killjoy said the Exterminations only started seven years ago. That got me thinking. Alastor and Queen Lilith disappeared just before the Exterminations began. That can’t be a coincidence. I don’t know about Alastor, but Her Majesty was an inspiration to Sinner, so Charlie tells me. But not long after she vanished, Heaven institutes an abhorrent genocide campaign with the moral breaking tag-line that Hell is Forever, so there’s nothing Sinner can do to stop the Exorcists. I don’t know about you, guys, but I wonder if Heaven had something to do with Lilith’s disappearance.”
Charlie’s eyes widened, and her pupils shrunk. She rushed to the window and looked up to the Heaven star.
Velvette looked between her feed and licked her lips. “Oh, this is gold. The snowball’s rolling a conspiracy theorist’s dream! Everyone’s demanding the queen be returned.”
Vox cackled. “This’ll bring so many to our resistance. The twerp’s doing our job for us. Won’t even matter if it’s true or not!”
“But,” Lincoln continued. “Let’s not dwell on the past too much. To lighten the more share my immediate thoughts after Charlie explained the history of the name, combined with how the original hotel was more ramshackle than the current building. It can be summarised by this song from The Great Muppet Caper.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOIFlcrX_Tg
As the song light-heartedly mocked the hotel’s faults while assuring its friendly nature, Vaggie smirked. “Yeah, that’s pretty much the old hotel in a nutshell.”
Lincoln put on a voice as he returned to speak, “You are all weirdos! To quote Sam the American Eagle at the end. Side note, the National Galley line was different in the actual movie, Zoot, the saxophonist says Rembrandt, not Monet, in the movie, the drummer, Animal, yells out ‘RENOIR!’ presumably to correct Zoot. I’m pre-empting the pedantic Sinners who are down here. I’ve got nothing else to say for the time being so let’s keep the fun going with another song, this one is a lot more recent, part of the Electro-Swing craze in the run-up to the new twenties, you have invitation to start dancing to the Swinghoppers with Wolfgang Lohr, immediately followed by Jamie Berry.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iep8Dcb1QE
In there respective places, Vassago and Beelzebub danced and rocked. Despite being tied, Alastor’s feet twitched at the desire to do the Charleston. Vox meanwhile tapped danced on the desk in front of Alastor with a smug grin.
The next song followed immediately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A14jDgnyxE
“This experiment hour is almost over, so I have one last thing to discuss. I think Vox is getting over confident about his recent victories.”
Vox’s screen glitched to an offended face. “Excuse me?”
“Think about it,” Lincoln explained. “The last two times with Charlie was because she invited herself to the humiliation by charging in without thinking. And Vox only won against Alastor this time, because Alastor was, and still is injured from his fight with Adam, and had his two business partners backing him up. And despite the best efforts of Niffty and a seriously unprepared Husk, Alastor essentially surrendered. Small shout-out to Husk by the way, good effort in the circumstances, I loved the stage magic combat. All three win was more or less gifted to Vox. So, to that, the title of this next song will serve as my response.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIgK3zOk0zg
Cherri really started bopping. “Can’t beat a classic!”
Velvette smiled and shook her head. “Blimey, I’m have a nostalgia flashback.”
Valentino shrugged. “Eh, he could play something a bit more racy.”
Vox grumbled and drummed his claws. “Worst thing is I actually like the Q-Tip’s spunk. It’s good taunt.”
“Before I sign off on this tester, I would like to encourage listeners to phone in. Requests for songs from your life on Earth, shout out you want. I have rules however, nothing an Earth radio station would deem inappropriate, or at the very explicit. Tough ask I know in this location but I, like Princess Charlie, am wanting to create a better environment. Call the studio on 0666 121608. Meanwhile to finish I think something a little of kilter for this place is needed. An Evening Hymn.”
Vox burst out laughing. “And just like that, the kid blew it.”
Velvette tapped away. “Tell me about it. He’s as out of touch as the princess.”
“I admit, I’m not overly religious, but maybe just a little faith can go a long way. Vox might think he’s the best thing since sliced bread, but there’s at least one thing in existence greater than he’ll ever be. This is L-A-L handing over to choir of King’s College, Cambridgeshire, with The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYZCOvRr-xo
Velvette paused as the music. She examined the chat feed. “What the fuck? Some people are okay with this?”
Vox flinched. “Seriously?”
“One fucker writes, 'Still better than hearing those screams.'”
Lucifer crossed his arms and grumbled, with a his eyes welling up.
The hymn finished, and the ON AIR light went off.
Alastor’s teeth stopped glowing. He sighed. “My, my, perhaps I should have made young Lincoln more of an apprentice.”
Suddenly his shadow started twitching and squirming.
Vox raised an eyebrow. “The fuck are you doing?”
“For once, Vox,” Alastor grunted. “I’m as ignorant as you,” he flinched and leaned back screaming. The Vees backed up.
From Alastor’s shadow a clawed arm emerged, the shadow crackled like static within a sickly green glowing outline of fluctuating sound bars. The talon reached beyond the shadow’s extent and into the light. A second arm appeared and followed.
The Vees backed away further.
The sound bars settled into Alastor’s green threads. The first claw grabbed some, the shadow faded into smoke within the light, leaving an arm in a greyish purple opera glove with finger holes for the talons. The hand tore the threads apart, pulling the shadowy static. The figure was a shapely woman in a body hugging black corseted dress, and orange sash around her hourglass thin waist. Her face was obscured by both silken black hair and a black lace veil, but one red sclera and violet iris eye stared out from a parting. Dragon like horns grew on either said of her pillbox hat, draconic wings sprouted from her shoulder blades, and a spiked dragon’s tail slithered out from the hem of the dress.
Alastor’s shadow frowned with its mouth wide opened before a bladed tip slammed into its face. The blade, with the distinctive shine of Angelic steel formed the tip of an umbrella, making her resemble a gothic Mary Poppins.
The figure stood straight, looming over the Vees, a head higher than Valentino’s top hat.
Velvette blushed and took a photo.
Vox shuddered and clasped his trembling hands together, his screen glitching, as she approached. “Madame Harriet. What a pleasant surprise. I, I, wondered if Alastor made you vanish. I couldn’t make your scream.”
“Stand aside, Vincent,” Harriet said, with a voice as penetrating and ringing as a church bell. Her opened mouth displayed vampire like fangs. “I want to speak with Alastor. Alone.”
Vox frowned. “Now hold on. Alastor’s now my pet, you can’t just-”
Harriet waved her hand, and Vox’s voice disappeared, but he still ranted. Meanwhile his feet become stuck to the floor, as he tried to step forward, but couldn’t. The Television Demon summoned an electric charge. Harriet jammed her brolly into the floor, and the accessory instantly transformed into a scythe, the shade turning into wings which overcast Harriet and Alastor. The blade and pole channelled the attack, earthed it, and shocked both Vox and Valentino, missing Velvette as she sat on the desk.
The wings of the scythe fulling enclosed, cutting off Alastor and Harriet from the rest of Hell. “Now you’re my captive audience, so you shall hear what I say.”
Alastor smile turned fractured. “How did you get out of my grasp?”
“My family bloodline’s magic,” Harriet whispered. “When Lincoln’s magic was channelled through the radio signal it became an escape rope for me. Know that I’ll be endeavouring to free the others, because while they were screaming in pain, agony and despair, I was silently focusing and refining my powers. In a way I should be thanking you. If you had just swallowed your pride, and done as Rosie instructed,” she smiled in satisfaction as Alastor’s eyes widened. “You have a two-way radio system, Alastor, we who were trapped within your sub-frequencies could hear everything,” she explained, “If you heeded Rosie’s words, and remained at the hotel you might have achieved Rosie’s special task.”
Alastor flinched. “What was the task? I must know!”
Harriet pressed a finger to his lips. “Nah ah, I’ve no obligation, need, or desire to tell you. Besides, if you know exactly what to do, you wouldn’t be act out of selflessness and a service.”
“Ha!” Alastor snapped. “Rosie? Selfless, kind, and servile? You, my dear, must have gone senile under my captivity.”
“I’ve learned things while you held me captive, Alastor,” Harriet replied with a low, round authoritative lone like an organ pipe. “Rosie is but a façade for a greater being. One with great and terrible plans. Plans that I shall ensure my great-grandchildren, the prophetised successors of the Loud family legacy, do not become tools for their completion. You always wondered why Rosie ordered you to capture a newly recognised Overlord. Well, like you, I possessed phenomenal powers before I expired. I became an Overlord only a couple of years after my arrival here. For perspective on the time-frame, Lincoln was a toddler, and Lucy was born the day I died.”
Alastor’s eyes widened.
“My rise was swift,” Harriet continued. “And I did so without harming or claiming any poor souls,” she shook her head. “But don’t worry. You are still the most powerful any Sinner Demon has and will ever be. Because hopefully, Lincoln and my descendents shall never find themselves in Hell once they die. And I hope to join them in Heaven someday.”
Alastor sneered and his grin gritted. “You genuinely want to check into that fool’s errand.”
Harriet smirked and sang, “But the fool on the hill, sees the sun going down. And the eyes in her head, sees the world spinning ‘round,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “If you didn’t care about the hotel, or at least some of its residence you wouldn’t have surrendered for Niffty’s sake, or made Vox back off from harming Princess Charlie and Lincoln. You’re too arrogant to see the truth, and how much of a hypocrite you are. Husk isn’t allowed to complain about being treated, and called your pet, yet you grumbled like an empty stomach about how Rosie openly calls you her pet.”
Alastor just narrowed his eyes.
Harriet shook her head and stood up straight and towering. “If you had been a more decent human being you could have risen far above what Rosie could ever think of becoming. But I suppose some people just refuse to be better. Enjoy the consequences of your decisions, Radio Demon.”
The scythe wings returned to the staff, which Harriet took hold off again and changed it back to the umbrella. She turned to Vox. “Alastor’s all yours now Vox. But I shall be back once I learn how to free my other imprisoned colleagues.”
Velvette rolled her eyes. “Great more fossils.”
Harriet shook her head. “I shall choose to ignore that,” she took out a pocket watch. Black metal, with dragon motifs, the stem for example looked like a dragon head and the fob hook resembled its horns. “Ah, thank goodness I retained this when Alastor ambushed me.”
She glanced to Vox once more. “Oh, and Vincent,” her eye darkened. “Listen to me and listen good. Do anything to harm my great-grandson, Lincoln Albert Loud,” her eyes glowed, fangs and horns lengthened. "You will have me and my friends from the greater beyond to answer to,” Harriet held the watch so the stem button pointed up. “To the Hazbin Hotel.” She tapped the watch three times and turned the stem button ninety degrees anti-clockwise.
Black and orange sparkles flickered from the watch, the flashing quickly travelled over Harriet and engulfed. Then she blinked out of the room in a flash of sparks.
Lincoln came out of the door and flinched seeing Angel, Cherri, and Vaggie.
“Um, hi guys. Did you, like the show?”
“Like it?” Cherri replied grinning, she pulled him in and rubbed her fist against his head. “That was fucking brilliant.”
“Yeah, kid,” Angel said, when Cherri let Lincoln go, the spider Sinner ruffled the boy’s hair. “Could’ve at least played some Sinatra, but hey, there’s always next time.”
Vaggie just leaned against the wall. “Not too bad, Lincoln.”
“Lincoln!” a familiar voice shouted. Charlie came barrelling up, slid on her knees and hugged the boy rubbed her cheeks. “That was beautiful, Lincoln. I am so, so, so, sorry I wasn’t listening before. Can you and Vaggie ever forgive me?”
Lincoln glanced to Vaggie, his expression annoyed. “Charlie,” he said, capturing the Princess’s attention.
The Loud Boy took a deep breath. “I meant word I said during my broadcast as I was venting. Right now I can’t bring myself to just forgive you when all you’ve done is said sorry.”
Angel nodded. “He’s right, Charlie. You can’t just keep saying sorry every time something shitty happens to any of us. You ain’t learned fuck all if you keep causing it.”
Lincoln pulled Charlie’s arms off of him. “You need to step up and start proving you can be better about these thing,” he held up his hands. “I’m not saying you should suddenly change direction, just be a bit more caution about the circumstances.”
Lucifer walked up. “Lincoln Loud, I’ve got some things to say about your choices in music.”
“Dad,” Charlie groaned.
Suddenly Husk yelled from downstairs, “WHAT THE FUCK!”
Vaggie turned around. “Husk!”
Lincoln and Angel set off running, with Vaggie overtaking with her wings and spear.
When everyone reached the lobby, they found a new person sitting at the bar talking to a bewildered Husk, who was assembling a cocktail. “I’m sure Alastor has some plan in mind,” the refined female voice said. “But frankly I can’t be bothered to waste my time figuring the narcissist out.”
“Can’t say I blame ya,” Husk replied as he started shaking the mixer.
Lincoln softened, his eyes widened. “That, that voice. Could it be?”
The newcomer stirred and turned on the stool. Upon seeing Lincoln she smiled. “Gasp, I must be seeing visions of the future,” she said with a playful tone, before she knelt down and held her arms out.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “Who the fuck is this?” he asked with a twirl of her fingers.
“Guys,” Lincoln said, slowly. “That’s my great-grandma.”
Harriet glanced up to Charlie. “Harriet Loud nee Eldridge, at you service. I’d like to check in as a resident, and fill in Alastor’s abandoned position. If you want me,” she then looked back to Lincoln. “Lincoln, sweetie, don’t you want to give G-G Hat a big, welcoming hug?”
Upon hearing Luna’s private nickname for their paternal, the doubt finally ended. The floodgates opened, and he rushed into her, and buried her face into her shouldered, a muffled wail escaped him. Harriet slithered her arms around her great-grandson and rocked gently and shushed and whispered to him.
Charlie quietly approached and placed a hand on Harriet’s free shoulder. “Of course we’ll have you,” she smiled softly and stroked Lincoln’s hair.
For Lincoln, he might not fully remember Great-Grandma Harriet, but she was his family. While his friends at the hotel had become a found family for him, was finally holding someone from the life in Royal Woods he missed so much. A piece of it, though greatly filtered through Hell, had returned when didn’t realise he needed it so much.
Morning arrived in Royal Woods.
Luna yawned from her top bunk and stretched, as she recovered a smile graced her face. She grabbed her diary from under the pillow and wrote a long string of thoughts down.
While going through her morning routine for a Saturday morning, she paused at the room in the eastward side of the upstairs corridor. Still smiling she sighed.
The Loud family rocker walked into the dining room. The sisters were setting up or having their breakfast. “What up this morning, folk?” she grabbed a chair. “Everyone’s looking chipper today.”
Leni smiled. “Like, so do you.”
“Well,” Luna said leaning back. “Last night, Mr Sandman brought me a great dream.”
“Totes,” Leni replied. “I had a dream about Lincoln, and he was fine wherever he was.”
The other family paused and glanced at each other.
Lori spoke up next, “My dream literally had Lincoln in it too.”
Lilly clapped her hands. “Linky! Linky!”
Luan raised an eyebrow. “I bet it didn’t include the Muppets.”
More eyes darted.
Lana and Lola shared a look. Lana nodded, and Lola asked, “Did Lincoln mention names like Princess Charlie, the Hazbin Hotel?”
“Or Alastor, Vox, Velvette, and Katie Killjoy?”
A long pause followed.
Lisa adjusted her glasses. “Most peculiar. I have never heard of, much less examined a shared dream.”
Lucy spoke up, spooking everyone, “Maybe it wasn’t a dream, but a vision. Lincoln might be reassuring us he’s still okay where he is.”
Lynn Junior rubbed her arm. “I don’t know guys. From what he was saying it sounded pretty nasty. I mean, what’s an Overlord? Sounds like a mob title or something.”
Rita Loud and Lynn Senior walked in, holding hands and looking equally put out. The Loud Father added, “I recall Lincoln mentioning Sinners and Exterminations. That’s trouble too. I know this is strange, and we’re all worried about Lincoln, especially with him being missing for so long.”
“But,” Rita followed on. “Whatever happened last night tells us Lincoln so far okay, and is still the wonderful boy we love. He still remembers and misses us. We’ll see him again. Last night only reassured that for me.”
The family smiled and nodded.
Luna leaned back in her chair and chuckled. “Gotta say, Link’s got fun taste in songs.”
Lynn Junior rolled her eyes. “Of course you’d say that.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”
“Lincoln mentioned you twice. So, you must be thinking your his favourite.”
Luna got to her feet. “You’re playing with fire, Lynn-sanity.”
Rita and Lynn Senior glanced at each other. “I’ll get the mop and bucket. You get the dust pan and brush.”