Chapter Text
Upon trying to fly off and seeing that his once majestic, velvety crimson wings were now reduced to tatters, Overlord Valentino, his fellow Vees dangled in his many arms in a way that brought to mind the image of a father grabbing his insubordinate children, and made the tactful decision to make a run for it as discreetly as possible.
Unfortunately for the moth demon, subtlety was not in his nature, and neither was it for his business partner, Overlord Vox, who was responsible for everyone being in this mess to begin with and was very unhappy that his head had been removed, making his displeasure known as he shouted obscenities that were heard by everyone in a mile’s vicinity.
So it was very easy for Seraphim to locate the three fleeing criminals as she entered through one of her portals into the atmosphere of stinking sin and perhaps a wisp of hope for the future. Immediately the ethereal being who was older than the stars and planets that had once been thought of as gods gave the command for the exorcists to grab the perpetrators of the failed revolt.
At the head was Lute, the lieutenant a streak of silver in her haste to capture the Vees. They screamed, spat and shouted, the moth demon shooting pointlessly and the once powerful TV demon nothing more than a helpless screen that not even his allies wanted to watch, but in the end they were captured.
Sera made it explicit that these sinners were to be kept alive. In the past they would have been slaughtered without a second thought but things were different now. New possibilities had risen from the ashes of this rebellious plane that gave various options on how to handle the unruly, corrupted populace.
Clipping the wings of a few would make sure that the many knew that there would be consequences for trying to fly too high.
Heaven stood as it always had.
While its inhabitants were still shaken by the events that had recently transpired and even more so now that the beings responsible were here, waiting for their trials to begin, the realm was just as wondrous as the first time Charlie had laid eyes upon it.
Sugary treat stands dotted the roads where crack stands would have stood in hell. Crisp air filled her lungs with every breath she took, bringing in the scent of pine, sweets and even happiness if she sucked in hard enough. Winners were far friendlier than sinners and waved at her with all of their fingers instead of just the middle ones. The pathways and architecture were slathered with a layer of gold and all around buildings were colored with all the pastels and vibrancy of a child's nursery.
Charlie’s heart pounded and she felt the heat of her cheeks burning hot enough that the natural redness blended in. One of her hands, slick with sweat clung to her girlfriends, equally covered in slimy nervousness. It had been so long since she had been able to see Sir Pentious in the flesh and Sera had promised that she would be able to check in on the first of the redeemed. There was a comfortable silence between her and Vaggi that continued on the path that would take them to the Room of the Speaker of God. It was hard to miss with its high sweeping sides, glowing brightly under the sight of the sun.
Low chatter resounded though the air that sounded like a hive of bees before they emerged.
“Charlie!”
A familiar, missed voice exclaimed loudly. Rushing towards them (slithering would have been more accurate) was the divine Sir Pentious.
“Hello!”
Running, she closed the gap between them and threw her arms around him which he gladly reciprocated.
“Oh, it's so good to see you! How have you been? Do you like it here? Do they all treat you well? What about friends? Have you made-”
A warm, gentle, steadying hand clamped on her shoulder.
“Hon, let him breathe. Give him a second to answer, yeah?”
Charlie realized that she still had her friend in an iron embrace, so tight that Sir Pentious was unable to get a word out.
“I’m so sorry!”
Instantly she let go.
Next to her Vaggi smiled and patted Sir Pentious on the back softly.
“Glad to see you up here. After what happened you deserved to be welcomed to Heaven.”
Sir Pentious smiled back.
“Why thank you, Miss Vaggi, and Charlie. The both of you have been so very kind to me. Kinder than I deserve.”
He paused, a look of contemplation forming on his face. “It has taken some getting used to, but Heaven is growing on me. Emily has been a great friend, showing me around and even made me my Egg Bois!”
It was then that the princess and the fallen angel noticed that Sir Pentious was accompanied by what appeared to be a Heavenly version of the Egg Bois that still resided below at the hotel.
“That's great!”
Scarcely did she hear the sound of wings fluttering before being slammed into.
“Charlie! You're here, again!”
The divine visage of the angel Emily had her arms wrapped firmly around her. Her wings shivered with excitement. All of them were a soft dovey white, save for the golden prosthetic limb, a casualty of when Vox had been swinging his giant laser around Pentagram City like a cat owner with a flashlight.
“It’s great to be here again, though I wish it were under happier circumstances.” Charlie remarked.
Still her smile kept up, the muscles in her cheeks burning from the continuous effort. No matter how tragic the events of the past month had been she was willing to make the best out of it, being able to see her new friends up here in heaven and of course the once sinner who had sacrificed himself for everyone. Emily smiled back at her, though the tips of it looked slightly strained.
“I wish it were for happier circumstances too.”
Suddenly the small angel quirkered her head and the pupils of her eyes blew wide.
“Oh, we need to hurry! The trials are beginning soon.” Emily began to lead the trio towards the House of the Speaker. While they hurried along Charlie made sure to catch up with Emily and find out some more extensive information about Sir Pentious' stay in Heaven so far.
Silence reigned in the Room of the Speaker. It was a room of glory and gold, rows and rows of seats filled with the holy. The best way a human might think of it was the Colosseum of the Roman's but where the trials held were just and through instead of a mockery used for entertainment.
At least that was the intention.
Still some of those present were getting a sense of satisfaction that these lowly sinners that had threatened their eternal serenity were going to get a foreboding comeuppance. Charlie and Vaggi had been given their own little box, a recent addition that was helpfully labeled with ambassadors on it.
Emily waved, Sera gave a small nod, and Lute scowled.
Vaggi glowered back but did little else. Charlie didn’t have the heart to ask her to smile instead. It must have been hard for her girlfriend to be back here, in her lost home. They had had a conversation about that following Adam’s attack on the hotel.
Vaggi insisted she preferred spending her eternity with Charlie and would follow her anywhere and support her in anything. At that declaration she couldn’t help but cry tears of joy. In her last serious relationship, Charlie could barely get her boyfriend to meet up with her for a date, much less encourage her dreams.
In fact he had choked on his food when she had brought up the idea. Redemption of sinners had just been in its planning stages then but she had been determined. Seviathan had cackled. It was the last straw in an already unraveling relationship and she was embarrassed looking back on it now at the memory of how she had thrown her entire meal in his face and drenched the envy native with her drink, storming out of the restaurant in a huff.
Yes, Vox, she was classy enough for Dante’s Inferno.
Not long after her mother had gone missing and all contact had ceased between her and dear old Sev. Still, whenever her hotel was mocked his peals of laughter penetrated her skull like a persistent migraine. At that moment there was a great blaze of gold and soft breeze swept through the room.
The being that appeared had to be the Speaker of God. She was indescribably beautiful, birdlike in a way that reminded Charlie of a more pure version of the Ars Goetia. Though she appeared demure and delicate, the Speaker of God was in no way fragile. Calm and gentle like a breeze on the beach, directing but not destroying.
The quiet was as stifling as the hottest day in Hell as they all sat in anticipation, waiting for her to speak.
“Let the trial commence.”
Instantly Charlie was filled with an indescribable wave of calm. The pounding of her heart that had not seemed to cease for months came to a stop, and the bunching of her shoulders smoothed out. Similarly the angry look on Vaggi’s face morphed into something purely neutral.
“You all very well know the reasoning for this meeting and the subsequent punishments that we are doling out. While familiar, this situation is also singularly unique. For these three beings-”
At that moment three sinners rose up from somewhere beneath the main floor of the amphitheater, each possessing gleaming chains the color of the sun, molten and hot to the touch. The TV demon had regained his body at some point, hastily slapped together so that he could stand for his crimes and fall all the harder when he received his punishment. Spite racked his digital features and if looks could kill they would all be dead. Double dead for some of them.
Scowling at the floor was Velvette. Her outfit was still the same as the one she had been wearing at Vox’s celebrate-way-to-early-and-jinx-the-win-party. After enduring wear for several days the garment was now slightly rumpled. Towering and glowering was the moth demon Valentino. His fingers kept going to the pockets of his dress (also from Vox’s party) and then abruptly stopping with a violent twitch.
“have already been sent to eternal punishment for their sins on earth. But what to do for the already damned. Death would be too easy and is too dangerous. To kill them would make them martyrs for their failed uprising. And beyond all that we are trying to heal our relationship with hell.”
A gesture was made in the direction of Charlie, who flushed, and Vaggi, who looked down.
The Speaker of God clasped her resplendent hands together.
“My proposition is to take away the powers of these sinful overlords and remind them of their lost humanity. Clearly they cannot be trusted with the powers of their sinner forms at present and in time they can earn them back through redemption.”
Horrified gasps sounded through the atmosphere.
Stunned, Charlie sat up straight in her seat. While she did think anyone could be redeemed, she was unsure how she could even begin to unpack and fix whatever was wrong with the Vees.
It was true that they needed to be punished though. She gulped and steeled herself for what was going to be a very trying time.
The Speaker of God raised her hands high. “ I sentence Vincent Thomas Whittman, Jan Valentino Cardona and Kelly Louise Turner to the punishment of reliving their humanity.”
There was a flash of light that made everyone duck their heads. When it cleared away and the spots in her vision went away Charlie sat forward and stared, slack jawed. Where once there had been a trio of indignant overlords stood a sight she had never seen in the flesh before.
Human beings.
The three Vees, returned to human flesh.