Multiple Settings Infernal: Dirge of the Kingslayer [IC] [Closed]

[ciel.]

Calista looked at the unfamiliar faces that had now gathered. All of them seeming to know Amriel. She cringed a little as Kelly presented himself. ''It makes angels weep,'' she tried to control it, but surely her distaste for the succubus was visible, at least to Amriel and Kelly whom were closest to her so they could hear the slight sarcasm in her tone. She listened to Amriels words and nodded as a response. ''Perhaps I should talk to her about my dress for The Speech, if she's able to come up with something on such short notice. I don't have anything appropriate, for the occasion'' She said with a slight stiffness in her tone. She wasn't sure about this company. The natural fear of being outnumbered sank into her very being, and for a second she almost wanted to flee like Zaphiel had done.

''I need another drink,'' she announced. The dread of choosing another drink resurfaced and her eyes scanned the many bottles again. By the end of the week she'd have no feathers, purely from plucking them out in frustration. She almost missed the nickname for Amriel that was called out. Calista tried to suppress her laugh but covering her mouth, but the movement of her shoulders gave it away. The laughter almost chipped away at the fear of her surroundings.

She didn't mean to laugh. Amriel was still her superior, regardless of where they were. Still she could help the laughter that bubbled in her stomach.

 

[Nellancholy]

Oh wow, the Icon actually thought she had a good idea. Well, of course she did. Nephthys had placed her utmost effort into keeping tabs on everyone that so much as breathed in her district, and anything that didn't as well. And now her work was paying off. She felt...almost proud at receiving Arkan's agreement ("approval" might be a strong word). But Pride was...well, Pride. And there was no place for that here. "T-the Lower Waterfront. Of course." She gave a satisfied nod. "I've noticed an increase in the level of foot traffic in that area that doesn't match up with the demands of local businesses and transit. If there is...conspiracy afoot, I assure you Icon, I'll make sure to bust its balls before it ever gets in motion. As for the other matter..."

She could already see the fleet of hovering surveillance drones and the electronic monitoring software that would be covertly injected into every consumer electronic device at the start of the next quarter. "I must say that your decision was not one I expected." After all, someone like Nephthys was bound to their duty. But as committed to their domains as the Icons were, it was hard to call it duty when they were the absolute leaders. "Much of demonkind are creatures of unchanging nature, and I am hard pressed to find people who are committed to improving Dis at the cost of change." She stood up straight again, giving Arkan a slight bow. "Thank you, Icon. I shall not fail my duty."

Her watch had already counted off the hour, and as magnetic as Arkan's blazing presence was..."By your leave, Icon. I must get back to the office." Assuming Arkan had no further reason to keep her, she would already be off briskly, hand on her phone again as she fired off the orders to reroute the beat cops to the Lower Waterfront.

Infab

 

[Infab]

"By your leave, Icon. I must get back to the office."

Arkan nodded only once. "If any of your superiors ask as to why you were held up on your break, inform them that their Icon needed a word. And that they themselves will be hearing from me very soon." stated the Icon of Wrath, before allowing Nephthys to depart. As the administrator walked away, quickly drawing her phone out and beginning to rattle off orders into it, Arkan simply remained where she had been sitting on the bench. Returning her gaze to the street, watching the cars and pedestrians. Silent.

At least until she heard a chirp from a pouch on her side. Her cell phone, receiving a call from an unknown source. She reached down into the pouch, eventually grabbing the phone and drawing it out to look at its screen. It was the representative from the Reaper Corps, Mr. Blackburn. Usually, if he were calling her directly, it would be for something of dire importance. Otherwise, he'd have simply contacted the Royal Knights headquarters.

She tapped the answer button on the screen, then tapped speaker. "Blackburn." she simply said, her tone serious.

"Arkan. You busy?"

"No. I'm people-watching."

"You seem to do that often. Anyway, I wanted to fill you in on a situation we have regarding one of our Reapers. It might require putting your Knights on alert, but I hope it doesn't come to that."

"I'm listening."

---​

"O-oh! Mackenzie! It's... it's good to see you again!" Val said, her normally devil may care attitude suddenly laced with teenage awkwardness. "I didn't realize you were going to be here... not that there's any reason you shouldn't be! I mean, you live here, and... I mean not HERE here, but you know, here," she said, wildly gesturing about, "and uh... so uh, heh, guess it's not surprising the first thing I did here is go to a bar, right? So uh... what can I get you?" she asked, her brain rapidly ceasing normal function and engaging auto-pilot.

Mackenzie chuckled, shaking her head at the offer to get her something. "Its great to see you again too, Val!" she said, eventually leaning over and giving the demon a one armed hug. "Yeah, Kassidy asked me and Kelly to come see you two, and show you around during the week. I think this is the first time you've ever been to our universe, right?"

She motioned to the entrance behind them. "Not all of it is as urban as it looks. There's a bunch of different kinds of places scattered about all over the realm. Might show ya my house down at the beach at some point. Righteous little spot, overlooking where the Styx feeds into the Sea of Baphomet. We can catch some waves or barbecue or something."

Meanwhile, Kelly took note of Calista's tone as she spoke, narrowing his eyes slightly. He didn't voice any comments of his own on that, however, simply listening in as she shifted from the gates to needing an outfit for Foundation Day. "She's more than capable of finding you something on short notice, believe me." he finally said, as she finished.

Amriel had also noticed her tone and how she was acting. Quite a shift from before, when it had just been the two angels. The comment about needing another drink spoke more volumes on how she was feeling at the moment. And he was about to comment on it, but Val spoke down the bar from them. And there it was. The nickname he had come to be known by at the Helldiver. He winced slightly out of embarrassment, his gaze shifting back to Calista.

She was holding back a laugh. Barely. He smiled faintly. "Y-Yeah, I'm a frequent patron of their bar. The Helldiver. Sits between universes." he said, before pointing out Lucy. "She's the owner, Lucy. The other girl is Val, one of the bartenders there."

Afterwards, he tried to shift the topic. "You can trust these demons. I've known them for several years now. They're good people despite... you know... the uh..." he said, his voice trailing off as his gaze slowly shifted over to the demon next to him. And upwards towards the top of their head.

Kelly spoke up. "The horns, Ammy?" he said, giving him a sly grin.

---​

King Trezzen III was a sufficiently patient man, though that could probably be attributed to him being formerly an Icon of Sloth a few hundred years ago. The stout king stood quietly, apparently his mind elsewhere as Kassidy prepared the outfit she had brought in her suitcase. It was, of course, as suit. Foundation Day was a formal event for the leadership of Hell, including the Icons. They would be wearing their own special attire for the event. But she was tasked with preparing something for one individual. The King.

And once it was prepared, she got to work. Each piece of clothing put on in a select order, until the King's outfit was complete. Then, a towering gold accented mirror was brought over before him so that he could examine himself. And from his facial reaction, he seemed to like it. "Excellent work. I see that I made the right call in accepting Lord Octavius's suggestion." he stated afterwards, his posh accent heavily coating each word spoken. He brushed his salt and pepper colored hair back behind his large curling, ram-like horns, before adjusting the red puff tie that had been fixed around his neck.

"Thank you, my lord. I consider it one of the finest outfits I have ever had the pleasure of crafting." she responded, backing away and folding her arms behind her back. Making every effort to contain her flood of intense happiness inside. "Would you like for me to prepare you anything else, my lord? I believe I can provide a cane to match the outfit, should you wish."

The king raised an eyebrow, pondering the thought for a moment, before nodding. "That would be perfect. I did feel that it was missing a little something to complete the look."

"Understood, my lord. I shall deliver it to you before the end of the day." she responded, bowing.

Within minutes, the King had changed back into his more royal looking garments, allowing Kassidy to return the outfit to the suitcase. The case itself would be left there, in the care of the butler as well as the Royal Knights of the Castle. Meanwhile, she would have to return to her shop and come up with a proper looking cane for the King to use with it. Her mind was already racing with what type of wood to use, what kind of gemstone she could fit onto the end, what color it should be, and a myriad of other things as she finished putting the outfit away.

Outside, in the hallway, she handed the suitcase off to the butler. "The King requests a cane to go with the outfit, so I shall be returning before the end of the day with it. Please, take care of this." she stated.

The butler bowed in response. "It will be handled with the utmost care." he stated, before straightening up and turning about. A moment later, he walked away, leaving Kassidy to herself as she moved back through the castle.

A portal was waiting for her in the greeting hall, shimmering yellow against the lavish accents of the interior of the castle. She didn't hesitate stepping through, emerging from another portal outside the castle in the parking lot near her vehicle. A metallic blue sporty looking car, quietly waiting for her return. Once inside, she was finally able to let it out. "YES YES YES YES YES!" she said, rapidly slapping her steering wheel with her hands. A wide grin adorning her face. She had done it! She had done what she had set out to do oh so long ago, and soon enough she'd have hundreds of famous clients clawing at her door. Waiting for her to do what she did best.

She had to go see the others, before she went back to her shop. They needed to know, and she needed to figure out just how they were going to celebrate once she had delivered the cane.

 

[ciel.]

She wasn't comfortable in these surroundings whatsoever. It was drastically different from what Calista was used to, being alone at the gates to being around demons. She did notice how relaxed Amriel was around them, which did make her feel slightly better. She could feel Kellys eyes on her while he spoke. She nodded in response and cleared her throat, ''Good to know.'' Calista smiled a little at the tone in Amriels voice, she could also swear that she could feel him wince beside her. She looked over at the others, giving them a slight smile as Amriel praised them. If Amriel trusted them, so could she. Right? Calista still wasn't sure about it, but she definitely trusted Amriel.

She followed Amriels gaze to the horns on Kellys head. She had never really been close enough to a demon to get a good look at their horns. She'd never admit it, but in their own way they were delicately beautiful. Without realizing how close she got, she leaned in closer to Kelly and inspected the slight dips and creases in his horns. She was almost tempted to reach out and touch them. It wasn't until Kelly spoke up she realized what she was doing.

''I'm very sorry,'' she said feeling the heat in her cheeks and plopping back in her seat. ''I'll have the same that he had.'' Calista motioned with her head to Amriel as the bartender walked past them behind the bar. The bartender slid the glass of scotch towards her, switching out her empty glass of champagne. Swiftly she raised the glass to her lips and gulped down the liquid in it.

A bit aggressively she placed the glass on the counter and shuddered.

 

[Breadman]

"Yes...the horns..."Lucy repeated what Kelly said with a sarcastic tone. "I just had mine polished in preparation for the festivities." She looked at Amriel with a smirk suspecting what he was about to say before the other demon cut him off. "Do you know how scared horn groomers get when they have to work with gold? Ridiculous." The demonette took another sip of her drink "Its not like I'm about to disembowel them on the spot if they mess up or Abyss forbid, chip them." She paused for a second. "No, I'd probably do something worse. These are solid gold and take a while to even out in growth." She hadn't considered just how much she prized the two marks of demonhood protruding from her head.

"But yes, as far as demon and angel relations go, we're on the nice list. At least for this Heaven." She picked up the glass in her hand letting the remainder of her drink slosh around a bit. Trying to get back on the topic of those around her instead of just herself. "I'm not allowed in my native Heaven due to...complications. How does that work with you by the way?" She asked Calista directly "Do you have a list or do they just trust you to know who to let in?"

 

[PatriasLover]

Great. Spectacular. Wonderfull. Yet more angels entered the establishment. Specifically, a four-winger. And simply lurking, talking to no one in such a large crowd of conversationalists was a great way to draw attention. and so, Marianne would have to mingle. something that they had never been good at. they almost attempted a forced grin, but decided against it, meandering over to the bar. the grey halo would be a bit of a tip-off, but they found that if they concentrated and kept their hat on, they could make that disappear. the grey wings would stay, but they would be pulled close... not quite so visible. not being hesitant around the angels was the best idea. there were a few other fallen angels kicking around the hells, and angels wouldn't usually just outright kill a fallen for no good reason in a crowded area. they had reputations and lies to maintain.

Marianne slid into a seat at the bar, beside a pale-haired demon with gold horns who seemed to be familiar with the three angels as well as a couple of demons. this one... Marianne had seen her. she worked at that... bar. Mari had had a meeting there recently. after all, it is hard to acquire non-detectable long-range acurate weapons capable of killing a king deamon. hopefully, the recognition would not be mutual. with one hand tapping out a beat in four-four time on their thigh, casually eavesdropping as they ordered a water. just water. they were lightweight and the ethical issues of consuming Tears of the Damned repulsed them greatly.

five days. apparently, one of the conversationalists was a seamstress. they would have to discern whether the fabric was bulletproof or not. aparently, it was to be their big debut, their breakout piece. shame it wasn't going to be for the reason they would have liked. marianne's tapping sped slightly, as they took a sip of their drink.

 

[ciel.]

She asked Calista directly "Do you have a list or do they just trust you to know who to let in?"

Calista looked at Lucy with a raised brow, was this demon actually asking about her job? And actually seemed somewhat interested? She nodded, ''something like that. It's more like a ticket we get, you know? A run down of who they were, how they lived their life. How many dogs they kicked and so on. Essentially if they were cruel, they wouldn't be deserving of going through the gates.'' She yet again thought about the angel probably sitting at her desk right now.

She shyly smiled, ''We sometimes get souls slip through that somehow managed to enter Heaven, but get denied at the gates. Don't ask me how, but every blue moon or so, it happens.'' Calista leaned over the bar towards Lucy while she shielded her mouth on the side Amriel was on, ''They're kinda enjoyable to witness, and it makes somewhat up for it being such a lonely job. As well as your even rarer demon trying real hard to get through uninvited. Now that gets messy.''

As she finished her sentence her eye caught some movement, but she wasn't really focused on what was happening behind her, and who just entered the bar was.

 

[PixelSymphony]

A squeak of surprise was squeezed out from the demonic bartender as Mackenzie crushed her in the hug, and if one looked carefully they would see a tinge of pink forming on the apples of Val's cheeks. "O-oh, that was nice of her!" she finally got out, her speech pattern straining to return to normal, "I still need to thank her for patching up the outfit I'm going to be wearing; I'm... not much of a clotheshorse I admit, so it was the only outfit I had on hand that doesn't make me look like a bartender, go figure." She shrugged at her admission of wardrobe failure and took another sip of her drink, the ice cubes now having watered it down to a smoother, albeit weaker sensation on the tongue. "But yes to answer your earlier question this is the first time I've been to your universe. and honestly I have to say other than the absolute abomination of a vehicle my boss decided to cart us here in I'm quite a fan of the place. It's got enough familiar elements of any other city to feel familiar and accessible, while possessing a certain edge to it that keeps things interesting. If I wasn't basically just sleeping in one of the Helldiver's coat closets, I'd be tempted to find a place of my own. Though with my financial state, I'd probably need a roommate..." She stared into the distance as she trailed off, her eyes unfocusing momentarily before she shook whatever memory plagued her away. "A beachside cottage on the Sea of Baphomet sounds cozy," Val said, not caring to comment on her earlier distraction as she took another drink. "And I'm always down for barbecue, though much like clothing I'm a far better consumer than producer. But hey, no worries, I'll bring a thirty rack to make up for it. Hope you like cheap beer."

Amriel's mention of her name caught her attention and she turned away momentarily from the muscular Mackenzie to respond. "Yes indeedy, your dear Amriel here is single-handedly keeping us in the black I swear. I'm left to wonder what all you guys are putting him through up there on cloud nine. You guys should look into getting some more benefits from your jobs; maybe form a union?" She chuckled at her suggestion, knowing full well that was about the furthest thing from possible, given some of the things the higher-ranked angel had mentioned in the confines of the Helltaker. "But yeah, I like to think I'm a good people. You know. Even with the..." She flicked a horn to complete her sentence. "Though boy, I have to say, it makes finding a hat that fits kind of a pain in the ass."

"Come to think of it," Val shot off as Lucy mention her own horns, "how in the rapidly inaccurate nine hells are you just sprouting precious metals from your skull? Are you just pounding saturated aqua regia?" Val joked to Lucy, finishing her drink and pushing it back across the counter. "Because I mean, if that's a process any demon can learn, I need to figure out how to start spicing up my drinks with a little somethin' something, you know?"

"So, anyway," Val changed gears with as she returned to Mackenzie, while behind Lucy another angel sat, their ashen halo prompting a few questions in Val's head, "tell me a bit more about how Foundation Day tends to go around here. I'm assuming there's gonna be like a pre-show gathering, maybe some nice hors d'oeuvres and champagne going around, before the big guy comes and and does some kinda speech thing? And then what? Mosh pit? Para para routine?" She winced as she already regretted what she was about to suggest. "... square dance?"

 

[Breadman]

"That explains one person I bumped into already." Lucy didn't want to mention Nigel. The man was working the front desk, likely illegally and hinting that he was to a gatekeeper would likely end with him dragged up to Heaven. Somehow that was a bad thing for him. She noticed another person walk in and Lucy gave them a glance followed by a squint. She instantly recognized them from the Helldiver. Who they were, she didn't know as the demon didn't serve them while they were there. Either Precila or Harry took care of that business. Her attention was drawn back to Calista, not wanting to be rude to Ammy's friend. "Sounds like your Heaven is set up similar to mine. Boring pencil pushers at the top giving the mundane tasks to you and others like you to fill out. Awfully strict on who gets in too." She shrugged. "Wonder if that other angel that walked out of here a minute ago was one of them." She glanced to Calista for a second "Oh, if he's your boss or something, just blame me for anything unsavory being said. I have that effect on people." A slight smile formed on her lip "Stay away from Lucifaria neophytes, she's a corrupting influence." Lucy imitated an angel she heard centuries ago. "Don't believe them. I'm about as influential as the drink you're holding."

Come to think of it, how in the rapidly inaccurate nine hells are you just sprouting precious metals from your skull? Are you just pounding saturated aqua regia? Because I mean, if that's a process any demon can learn, I need to figure out how to start spicing up my drinks with a little somethin' something, you know?

"Oh, I never told you did I?" Lucy quickly turned to Val. She hesitated for a second given she just played aloof of why she was banned from her native Heaven a few moments ago. Ah what the hell, who would care?. She shrugged again and let it out. "By-porduct of mom being an angel. Can't have both horns and a halo. So the golden disk that's meant to hover over my head got melded with the bone." She clinked her right horn with a finger to signal it was in fact made of metal instead of bone "

 

[ciel.]

"Yes indeedy, your dear Amriel here is single-handedly keeping us in the black I swear. I'm left to wonder what all you guys are putting him through up there on cloud nine. You guys should look into getting some more benefits from your jobs; maybe form a union?"

Calista gave Val a questioning look. '' 'You guys'? Benefits?'' she replied, ''I put him through nothing, either he puts himself through it or it's the archangels. I barely see him, and when I do I keep my head down. There can't be a union, and benefits? I'm left alone, that's my benefit. Most of the time...'' She trailed off as her index finger brushed across the scar under her left eye, ''They don't allow that. Trust me, I've tried.'' She realized she had raised her voice at Val.

''Sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice, unless I have a deathwish I wouldn't dare even think about it.''

She glanced to Calista for a second "Oh, if he's your boss or something, just blame me for anything unsavory being said. I have that effect on people."

Calista listened intently, ''Barely know him if I'm honest.'' She shrugged and looked behind Lucy's shoulder towards the elevator. She wondered what room he was in, and if she could get the guy at the front desk to tell her. She fell silent and just kept listening to Lucy, a little surprised at the fact Lucy had angel blood in her. ''You'd look nice with a halo though. But then again I'm a little biased'' she motioned to her own halo that was permanently placed above her head.

 

[Infab]

Amriel gulped down more scotch from his glass, before speaking in regards to Calista's comments. "Yeah, the archangels put me through most of the crap. I just delegate things, and try to make it less hard on those under me. And of course, the archangels aren't a fan of my methods but... eh. At this point, I honestly don't care how they feel about how I do my job. As long as its done, and people aren't more stressed than they already are." he stated.

He then shifted his attention to Kelly, whom was reaching up to touch Amriel's halo above his head. "...Did you forget the story I told you before about the last time someone touched my halo?" he asked, "If a demon touches it, it'll burn their fingers off. It's like touching the surface of a star. If a human tries to touch it, their hand phases through it without harm. We angels can touch it and move it around."

Kelly froze, and slowly lowered his hand back down. "Eh...right." he said, with a bit of a smile on his face. He glanced to Calista, before reaching up and thumping his horns. "Ours are just bone, unlike Lucy's. Mine are painted, and the silver tips are just silver caps."

"So, anyway," Val changed gears with as she returned to Mackenzie, while behind Lucy another angel sat, their ashen halo prompting a few questions in Val's head, "tell me a bit more about how Foundation Day tends to go around here. I'm assuming there's gonna be like a pre-show gathering, maybe some nice hors d'oeuvres and champagne going around, before the big guy comes and and does some kinda speech thing? And then what? Mosh pit? Para para routine?" She winced as she already regretted what she was about to suggest. "... square dance?"

Mackenzie chuckled. "Nah. Usually its a day of full of parties and such. Like, actual parties. Not the stuff you'd see the more rich types do. Good food, games, and other festivities across Dis. After the speech, the parties get a little more hardcore since the Icon of Lust here, Gremory, is over the entertainment. Supposedly he managed to cobble together a big concert or something. A bunch of different bands should be playing. Noël's supposed to be there with their band too, since the Icon managed to convince them to halt their grand Hell tour for the moment."

Kelly spoke up afterwards, glancing to Mackenzie. "Yeah. Foundation Day is taken pretty seriously here. Its honestly pretty fun, though I'd suggest avoiding the more seedy parts of Dis during the week. Lust demons make a killing this time of year, almost more-so than they do around Valentine's Day back in the mortal realm."

 

[Breadman]

You'd look nice with a halo though. But then again I'm a little biased

"I know I would." She gave the angel a mischievous grin " It's how I started a holy war back in the day in a world far away from this one." She then gave Calista a wink. The conversation then shifted to how touching an angel's halo would harm a demon. Lucy looked at her fingers for a few seconds and then to Amriel's halo floating ever so gently above his head. The half demon wondered if she would get burned by it or if her angelic side will offer enough protection.

Ours are just bone, unlike Lucy's. Mine are painted, and the silver tips are just silver caps.

"And they're stylish as ever, darling."

 

[ciel.]

A slight blush coated Calista's cheeks as Lucy winked, but followed Lucys eyes that settled on her own fingers and then Amriel's halo. She could almost see the gears turning. Calista's lips turned into a thin line, as to not laugh at Lucy's befuddled look. She held it together as she slowly reached up to flick the halo above Amriel. The ring gently bounced before settling into its previous position. ''I'm not sure what it would do to you'' she said with a lopsided smile. Before Amriel could even react she snatched the halo completely from its position, holding it delicately with both hands as if it would break at any second.

She then held it as far away from Amriel as her arm would let her, and let go. The halo delicately floated in front of her face, crawling up the male angels frame and gently placed itself above him. ''It's an interesting sensation,'' she spoke. ''For the both of us, for him it's a feeling of missing something. Like when you want to say something, but completely forgotten what you wanted to say, and for me it's tingly. Almost electric. Like some sort of vibration,'' she explained.

 

[PixelSymphony]

"Hey, drinks can be influential!" Val retorted with mock ire towards her boss. "Remember what I said that one time? About changing drinks and mixing lives?" She paused as her face screwed up in pantomimed thought. "Or maybe it was the other way around."

Quite amused at herself, a broad grin broke out on the demoness's face as chose to seize the moment and keep the levity going, leaning forward on the bar mischievously. "But hearing that you're a bad influence makes perfect sense. After all, before I came to work at the Helldiver I was just the perfect vision of piety, and now look at me." She snatched up Lucy's drink to take a swig, immediately breaking into hacking coughs and sputtering wheezes, before reaching into her vest to withdraw a cigarette. "Hey, anybody got a light, or am I gonna have to ignite this thing on someone's halo?"

A few puffs later, her demeanor back to normal (or some approximation of the concept) she hummed along as Lucy told the tale of her horns and their particular composition. "Son of a gun, well, guess we don't have to worry about what to do if the bar starts going into the red; we'll just use Orlo's cleaver and slice off a few coins' worth. It'll just grow back, right?" This time Val kept her mirth to a smirk as her eyes took in the particular sheen of the noble scion's headpieces, nodding appreciatively. "Man, I don't even want to think of the resonances involved in getting a divine and an infernal composition to play nice. You're lucky you just ended up with gold horns and not like... I dunno, wings made out of hooves or something." She tossed off a snort just as the angel down the bar piped up.

"Hey, easy easy," she ameliorated Callista's words with, holding up a set of hands, "I didn't mean you specifically, I was just talking about all you fine feathery folk. Though sheesh," she said, leaning back to the bar and withdrawing her cancer stick to gesture with, "sounds like you could all use a break; next time Ammy pops down to the ol' watering hole, you should join him, maybe unwind your own halo a bit." She shrugged. "And for what it's worth, if you ever want to take things up with who ever gave you that little gift," Val continued with, tapping under her own left eye, "... well let's just say I'm always open to conversation."

As Mackenzie spoke, Val spun on her seat to face her, a slight blush and a quick aversion of her eyes present as always. "Icon of Lust, eh? Take it he's an interesting one to be around; guess I now know who orders those 55 gallon drums of lube I keep seeing passed around the 'net. Still, concerts are rad, and any party where I can scarf down something fried is a party I want to be at." Val licked at her lips hungrily, now considering the possibility of getting a snack in the near future. "Besides, if Noel's gonna be there, I gotta rep for another Helldiver regular, ya know? How've they been, anyway? Other than busy, that is."

To Kelly's remark, Val actually gave a bit of a raise of her brow. "Wait hang on, aren't those your coworkers? Shouldn't you be drumming up biz for them?"

 

[Infab]

Amriel watched as his halo drifted back up to its original position, just above his head. "Yeah, its certainly an odd feeling." he said, "I've heard stories of an archangel actually being able to take your halo from you, but I've never seen it done. Supposedly that's how a fallen angel's halo is made. Its the 'ghost' of what they used to have, manifesting above their head where the real halo used to be. Might explain why they're grey. I heard Lucifer could do it too, even after they were cast out of Heaven... powerful stuff."

"And another way being the angel simply becomes corrupted enough to lose their divine light. Same thing happens, though. Halo leaves, ghost halo appears." he added afterwards, looking back to Callista.

On the topic of Noël, Mackenzie spoke once more. "They've good! They just recruited a new lead singer for their bands. Goes by the name Mephisto, I think. Parents were huge fans of the original Mephistopheles, whom loyally served as an advisor to Lucifer until they disappeared. He's a cool dude, really." she responded. "They're over at the old Morning Star Theater across the city. Its where Noël first started performing before starting a band. Pretty much serves as their usual hangout now."

"Wait hang on, aren't those your coworkers? Shouldn't you be drumming up biz for them?"

Kelly chuckled. "I'm more professional than most of my coworkers. The bottom of the barrel tend to get sleezy. Mother and the Icon may not care, but I, however, do." he said. "Be kind, courtious, and professional. Even in a field where you're tasked with being someone's special little toy. You get more returning customers, who are willing to pay far more than most. Act like a common streetwalker, and you'll get paid and treated like one. And this pretty boy doesn't roll that way."

As he finished, he glanced towards the main entrance to the building. And soon spotted someone rather familiar. "And here comes my sister." he said, turning a bit and waving in her direction.

Kassidy had just entered the building, quickly approaching the front desk, but spotted Kelly before she could even speak to anyone. The attendant at the desk simply motioned her on through, and she darted towards the bar where everyone sat. And as she arrived, the first words out of her mouth was "HE LIKED THE SUIT!"

"That's great, sis!" responded Kelly, opening his arms just in time for Kassidy to meet him for a hug. "Righteousness!" exclaimed Mackenzie, a wide grin appearing on her face. "Awesome, Kass!" was Amriel's response, leaning over and patting the demon on the shoulder.

He then looked to Calista. "Calista, Kassidy." he said with a smile, motioning to the new arrival.

 

[Breadman]

"Oh no! I am not taking these things off like that." Lucy patted her horns with one hand in response to Val's suggestion. The prospect of willingly breaking them to pay off any debts made her stomach churn. "If we're ever in the red, me and Jazz have methods to get us back in the black, don't worry about it." She winked to her bartender. "If anything, it would make the big boy exited." She looked at Kelly after saying that "Not in the way you'd like, hon." The contingency plans the Helldiver had for its survival in the multiverse were many and varied. From working for the Plumbers, doing Izzy some favors to downright plundering her father's treasuries. If worst were to happen, she had other places to fall back on.

The demon listened to the conversation continue. Halos and fallen angels is a topic she's heard many versions of and each somehow very different. Another Mephisto she had to remember if they were going to hang out with Nöel. At least some good music will be on the program if their band is playing. Kelly announcing his sister's entrance made her turn around in her seat and Kassidy was practically beaming.

HE LIKED THE SUIT!

"Oh Abyss YES!" Lucy responded as she practically leapt out of her stool, the glass left on the bar spinning. "I told you! I told you were meant to make it big!" She moved in to give her friend a hug.

 

[PatriasLover]

the conversation shifted, marianne eavesdropping as one of the speakers proposed a union, though the angels quickly dismissed the ideas. perfect. this was oh so perfect. Val, a demon, had brought up the idea, Calista clearly had had a bad experience with one of the massive pricks tyrants running the show, based on the scar. if anything, she had tried before, it would seem. Amriel didn't like the archangels, but he seemed more the type to keep his head down. of course, before the fallen angel could say a word, the conversation shifted to the nature of halos and horns. the half-demon half-angel mentions how her potential horns and halo had fused, and frankly, Marianne found that fact interesting. of course, one cannot get distracted from what must be done. then, of course, fallen angels were brought up. Marianne couldn't help the flinch that overcame them, at the mention of how the halos of the damned were ripped away... they had their own halo has taken, the action the worst pain that they had ever felt. and yet... the ghost halo still remained, a heavy physical reminder of what was no longer there.

that isn't to imply that Marianne wasn't glad to no longer be assosiated with tyrants, but nonetheless... "grey halos cause emotional pain to any angel who touches them..." and to fallen angels. they muttered, voice quiet but unwavering. then again, perpetuating oppression was worse. Marianne had nothing to lose but their halo, just as all angels had nothing to lose but their chains. "Humans feel the hurt too..." Marianne would be a human, then. being openly fallen was suicide... they will simply claim to have encountered one of them. "Name's Leon. Dead." they gave a curt introduction, daring for a moment to meet the eyes of the others.

(and yeah... they did chose the false psudonym after the anarchist who shot McKinley. they were a preacher of Propaganda by Deed. and that musical was a bop.)

 

[PixelSymphony]

"Geez, ripping a halo straight off you?" Val returned back to leaning on the bar and whistled lowly. "Not sure whether I'd prefer that or the same to one of my horns." Her eyes glanced over to the fallen angel that had sat nearby but remained silent, her eyes again running over the shadowy remains of the halo that had once been there. Wonder which of the two it was then...

Mackenzie's voice prompted Val to crane back around to where the rippling mass of muscle sat. "Huh? Theaters let you do that; just hang around after you make it big in them? That's kinda cool." Perhaps it'd be nice to go visit Noel and see the band off-camera at some point if time permitted; that said, she still wasn't a hundred percent sure just how much of her trip here was to be business and how much was pleasure, hence the thoroughness of her packing. "Man, some times I wonder what my life would have been like if I'd focused on my singing instead of the... other pursuits I ended up taking. Maybe I coulda become a star too, living the high life. I used to be quite the chanteuse back in the Citadel, you know, and I'm certainly no stranger to major spectacles." She sighed before continuing, "But no... now it's just karaoke nights at the Helldiver and open mic sessions at the few cafes I go to. Not a lot of glamour in those, sadly."

Still looking for something to drink, she grabbed a nearby pitcher of water and began to pour herself a small cup, desperate to wet her tongue on anything as conversation roiled about her. "Be kind, courteous, and professional?" She let off a small stifled laugh. "Well now, there's a phrase I've heard used in an entirely different context." She motioned towards Kelly with the disposable vessel she held. "Personally, I think I prefer this one." She took a sip and then a gulp, a satisfied ahh coming from her lips quickly thereafter. "Well, anyway, I catch your drift; I'll just stick to wherever Lucy and you bunch drag me, lest I be set upon by lustful plunderers with a taste for... uh... self-deprecating alcoholic quarter-demons."

Thankfully, her quickly deflating attempt at humor was quickly cut short by the grand exclamation from a rapidly approaching Kassidy. "Hey hey, it's the girl of the hour; well done! Truly a champion of the cloth you are, though I can't exactly say I'm surprised, given the other stuff I've seen you come up with. Here here!" she cheered, before turning to the bartender, prodding him exuberantly to bring Kelly's sister a drink.

It was then that the fallen angel from before finally spoke, catching Val by surprise at cold remarks they made as the area about them swelled in celebration. "Hm. All right Leon Dead, you picked a great moment to pipe up. Come, grab a drink and let's raise a glass in honor of Kassidy here!"

 

[Infab]

"Hm. All right Leon Dead, you picked a great moment to pipe up. Come, grab a drink and let's raise a glass in honor of Kassidy here!"

"The more the merrier, really." said Kelly, motioning the fallen angel over. Amriel, however, found himself eyeing this new individual. Regular angels and fallen ones were not known to exactly get along. With so many Reapers and others moving about, however, no one would dare to cause an incident.

He glanced back to Calista for a brief moment, giving her a shrug, before looking back to Kassidy as she was hugged by Lucy. "So what now? Did they give you something, or..." he finally asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kassidy shook her head. "I'll be getting all I want after things are said and done with. This was mainly for publicity, though it has always been a dream of mine to craft something for the King himself to wear. After seeing my work, I'll have people rushing to my doorstep for their own custom works!" she explained, reaching over and taking a glass from the bar that the bartender had set down near her. A glass of rum, from the looks of things.

She sipped from the glass, before continuing. "His outfit needs a cane, though, which is what I was intending to head back to the shop for after I checked in on you guys."

Kelly chuckled. "A cane?" he asked, "What did you make for him, a pimp suit?" He grinned at his sister, who cut him a look.

"No, it's not a pimp suit. He's not a lust demon." she replied, "And he requested the cane." She straightened up afterwards, taking another sip of the rum before speaking once more. "Once I get the cane and bring it back to him, I think we should go celebrate. There's a nice restaurant over on 5th Avenue that I really think you guy's should--"

Her words came to a sudden stop when the hellish sounds of police sirens started growing louder and louder. Coming closer to the building, before eventually stopping outside. She, as well as the others, found themselves drawn to towards the front entrance of the building, just as the doors were almost literally ripped open.

And in stepped Arkan, along with almost a dozen heavily armed Royal Knights. Arkan's sword was drawn, and her gaze was leveled squarely at the people standing just on the other side of the front desk.

She breathed a few words, laced with raw, burning rage. The group, from where they sat at the bar in the next room, couldn't make them out. But they soon knew exactly what the response would be from the human at the front desk. A finger, leveled in their direction.

What the hell is going on? The singular thought popped into most of their heads, as they watched Arkan's head swivel about. Eyes locking onto them. Then, she marched. Sword gripped tightly in her hand as the Royal Knights rushed by her into the room. Weapons pointed squarely at one person.

Kassidy.

"Kassidy van Victrius, daughter of Caius and Selene van Victrius, I hereby place you under arrest for the murder of our lord King Trezzen III." spoke the Icon as she arrived, stopping just a few feet from Kassidy. "You will be taken in for questioning. Your cooperation allows you to keep breathing."

A look of complete shock washed over the face of Kassidy as well as the others. She looked to Kelly, then Amriel, and even to Lucy. "M-Murder? The King?!" she managed to get out, "Why in Lucifer's name would I want to kill him!?"

"That's what I intend to find out." stated Arkan, before her head slowly shifted to look upon Amriel. "You are to come with me as well. I wish to know Heaven's part in this heinous act." she said, pointing to the supervisory angel.

"What?!" he nearly spat. Some of the guns of the Royal Knights shifted to him, while others shifted to a new target.

Lucy.

"You as well, hybrid. I know of your history, and I intend to find our what part you play in all of this as well." said Arkan. And as she finished, the Knights moved in. One of each cluster brandishing a special pair of handcuffs meant for supernaturals. Courtesy of the Reaper Corps.

 

[Breadman]

"Ah, now I have a name to put to the face." Lucy said, letting go of Kassidy to grab her drink again. "Come on and join our circle, dear." The half-demon motioned to Leon with her hand as she toped off her glass to celebrate some more while she listened to the conversation. A thought about the Helldiver being their destination for an afterparty crossed her mind and she was going to suggest it as soon as Kassidy was done talking when their mood would soon sour. The knights broke their way in, being led by the Icon herself.

Lucy placed the drink down and got up from her seat. She figured that the Icon is out for blood, that much is obvious, but nothing prepared her for the accusations leveled towards Kassidy. Murder? Of the king? Her? Somehow through some twisted logic Amriel was also blamed for it.

"Both of them are incapable of harming a bloat fly!" She spoke up "What evidence do you even have to put the fucking tailor at the top of your list and..." She was cut off as the knights pointed their guns towards her.

You as well, hybrid. I know of your history, and I intend to find our what part you play in all of this as well.

"Are you out of your mind, Icon?" This arrest was an outrageous farce. "My part to play is to make your upper class look like a discount renaissance fair." She snarled, while looking towards the knights "Put those things away. You shoot me here, I'll materialize again in my own Hell and then you've lost your 'lead'." She then turned her attention back to Arkan. The Helldiver proprietor wanted nothing more than to burn the bitch right now. Its not like she couldn't get a hex off before the knights would get involved, but she had to suppress any violent urges she had as any spark would be used as an excuse to make it worse for Kassidy and Amriel. Staring daggers into each other would have to do for the time being. All the better that Val was here instead of Jazz. "Watch the merchandise." She finally relented with a frustrated sigh after a few tense moments and presented her hands to be cuffed. "The material is worth more than your toy soldier getup." She snarled towards the knight again.

 

[PixelSymphony]

"Pshh, lucky devil, that's an endorsement I bet people would kill to have," Val teased Kassidy with before ordering a second drink from the bar, "Just make sure you don't forget us little folk on your rise to stardom, all right? A few shoutouts to your favorite bar would go a long way, just sayin'." A new glass slid over in due time and Val quickly took hold of it, sipping idly as the demon siblings went back and forth. As the topic of dinner was mentioned, Val piped up. "All right, now we're talking. Was wondering when we were gonna get something to eat; clearly miss future moneybags should be treating us all to-"

The all-too familiar klaxon of approaching police sirens alerted her heightened senses and instantaneously her training kicked in, the drink disappearing down her throat as quickly as she herself vanished from sight. In actuality she had posted up in the back hallway of the pub, her brows furrowed in concern as she now identified the sound as coming to station itself just outside the front lobby, having arrived at entirely too great speed. As a demoness who looked to be the very definition of angry stormed into and through the hotel without an ounce of hesitation, each footfall louder than the last as she strode straight for the bar she'd just been sitting at, Val's curiousity began to stir uneasily. What the hell is going on? Why is this chick sauntering around like some kind of LARP jock? Just then, the more conventionally armed members of the whatever force she'd brought with her swarmed the bar, leveling their suite of weapons at Kassidy. And why in the infinite harmonics of the fundamental waveform are they pissed at HER?

"Kassidy van Victrius, daughter of Caius and Selene van Victrius, I hereby place you under arrest for the murder of our lord King Trezzen III." spoke the Icon as she arrived, stopping just a few feet from Kassidy. "You will be taken in for questioning. Your cooperation allows you to keep breathing."

Oh THAT'S not good. Val could feel her hands already reaching for the back of her skirt, and she had to actively fight off the urge to go dynamic. Kassidy was in grave danger here, and any sudden movements would end with her friend being absolutely ventilated with high-velocity rounds, never mind the rest of the bar. I get the feeling that sword this woman is waving about isn't just for show either... For the moment, she would have to wait and observe, and as she watched not only was Kassidy bathed in the light of implication, but so were Amriel and- Oh what the HELL they're dragging Boss into this too? What kinda dragnet malarkey is this? Her hands clenched into fists as she continued to hold position, her eyes narrowing at the guard forces that were now clapping her friends into irons. True to form, Lucy gave as much as she was got but eventually complied, and Val suspected it was much for the same reasons she herself had held off.

With nary a moment to waste, Val began to put some things into action. She slinked back into the darkness of the hallway and drew her commo unit, tapping out a quick message to Jazuzu. [Boss caught up in a scheme by the locals. Lock down the servers and shut down the entry portals, NOW.] Last thing they needed was this place's CIT using Lucy's arrest as an excuse to start digging through the clientele at the Helldiver, more than a few of whom definitely would be residents on their "persons of interest" list. Then, it was time for her to start earning her salt; quickly but quietly she slipped out the back of the bar and began to circuitously make her way to the front parking lot, where the distinctive red and black insignia of whatever police force this was presented itself on several heavily armored trucks. Situating herself some distance from all the commotion lest all her effort be for naught, the commo unit came out again to take picture after picture; insignia, license plates, identification numbers, the whole nine yards. Sorry Lucy, this is all I can do for now, but I promise you, I'm coming for you.

 

[Infab]

"Put those things away. You shoot me here, I'll materialize again in my own Hell and then you've lost your 'lead'."

Arkan spoke up near immediately. "Not quite." she said, smoothly sheathing her sword after a simply flourish. "I've already taken the liberty of alerting the Plumbers as to your presence here. They advised to inform them in the event something were to happen while you were here. Which I did before I entered this building. If my Knights shot you and you returned to your realm, the Plumbers would simply seize you."

As Arkan finished, she glanced over towards Kelly. Whom had been awful silent through the ordeal. "Have you anything to say, succubus?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. They were arresting his sister after all.

Kelly shrugged. "She's innocent. You'll see that in due time." he said. He was surprisingly relaxed in his tone. "Amriel and Lucy are innocent as well. And while you're doing your little police thing, with the overt show of force, I'll be doing some investigations of my own."

Arkan shifted her attention to Mackenzie next, who's expression had shifted to one of total seriousness. No words were exchanged between the two, but Mackenzie's unwavering gaze spoke volumes on the entire situation. This was wrong.

Arkan eyed her for a few moments, before turning about. "Let's go. And someone get me in touch with administrator Nephthys. We need to have a chat about a possible reassignment." she stated, motioning for the tactical team to follow as she walked away. They did as ordered, bring a now cuffed Kassidy, Lucy, and Amriel along with them. Leaving Kelly, Mackenzie, and Calista alone at the bar.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Kelly slipped off his seat. He then looked directly to Calista, giving her a rather serious look. "Amriel's a friend of yours, correct? You likely believe the same as I. He's innocent in all of this, and is simply caught up in a frame job." he stated, "We'd appreciate your help. But if you'd rather stay out of this, I'll understand. I'm sure Amriel would understand too. I know how Heaven gets on sensitive issues." Afterwards, he drew something from his pocket. A simple business card, which he handed to Calista. "If you do want to help, however, you'll want this. Our apartment address and phone number is on the back. Good way to keep in touch, right?"

Mackenzie stood as well, also glancing to Calista briefly, but looked afterwards to Leon. "...Sorry you had to witness this madness. Really not the best first impression, eh?" she said, shaking her head gently as she spoke to the fallen angel. She then looked about. Wait, where did Val go? She scratched her head, soon walking away in search of the demon. Kelly took note of her walking off, and took that as his cue. He gave Calista a two fingered salute as a goodbye, before strolling after Mackenzie. "Hey, wait up Mack!" he said loudly, trying to get the big wrath demon's attention.

He already had a place in mind to visit first. The theater. Noël needed to know what had just happened. Maybe they could help out.

--- --- ---
​

"Mr. Blackburn, the suspects have been arrested and are being brought in for questioning. I trust you'll be present for the interrogations?"

"No need, Arkan. I simply need to have an Investigator Reaper present. He can detect the traces of Reaper magics on them. If no trace is detected, then perhaps your suspects may be innocent in all of this."

"Perhaps."

"This is a rather serious situation, so I will attempt to visit at some point soon. I'm sure one of the Archangels will also wish to be present to show solidarity with Hell."

"An Archangel in Hell? Doubtful."

"Anything's possible. Your king was just suddenly beheaded in his own dressing room. Has the public been notified?"

"No, but the other Icons have been informed. They're taking the news as expected."

"Of course they are. They'll soon be rushing to tend to their underlings once the news gets out... and it will, because news like this doesn't stay private for long."

"Of course not."

"Anyway, the Investigator Reaper will arrive within the hour. I shall be informing the Archangels of what occured, and see what they plan to do. In the meantime, Arkan, please take care. It's on you to keep a handle on things in Hell. You're its police and military leader after all."

"I shall do as I have always done, and what Icons of Wrath before me have done. Try and maintain order."

--- --- ---
​

The main headquarters for the Royal Knights, a rather short drive from the King's castle, was a place Kassidy had driven by countless times. Either for work, or just driving around town for pleasure. A towering fortress of a building, constructed of pure concrete and stone in brutalist fashion. Few windows markes the outside of the structure, and its base was surrounded by oddly sharp obstacles. Concrete spikes and blocks. Most believed they were relics of an older time, when the structure actually did serve as a fortress of sorts. It was from here that the Icon of Wrath often dwelled, controlling her civilian and military forces from within its thick walls. As the Icon of Wrath had always done, unless they were leading an army into battle.

As the armored van stopped, the trio of Kassidy, Lucy, and Amriel managed to get a peek through one of the bulletproof window slits in the side of the van. There were dozens of police vehicles around the base of the structure, most geared up and preparing to disperse. Likely moving to different parts of the city in order to prepare for the news release. This would certainly be a fun afternoon for them.

 

[PixelSymphony]

Heads up, here they come. Spotting the Royal Knights and Arkan leading their prisoners out from the hotel's front doors, Val ducked low behind the car she was behind, unwilling to let even a casual glance betray her position. The approach of Lucy cuffed as she was made Val simmer with silent rage, but she had to fight down her emotions to focus for the next few seconds lest her chance be lost. Pulling her commo device out before her, she began rapidly scrolling through a series of less-than-entirely sanctioned programs she had come across in her years, selecting one and activating it with a press of a button. Then, carefully she aimed the top of the commo just at hip height of her boss, clicked said button again, and hoped for the best.

A beam of high-frequency signals shot out from the (again) less-than entirely sanctioned emitter incorporated into the electronic brick Val held, crashing into Lucy's pocket and flooding her phone with a deluge of signals. Before long her phone had been unlocked and her security settings decrypted, laying the internal operating system bare as a newborn. Sorry I have to hack your phone, boss, but given the alternative, I hope you'll let this one slide. Quickly Val began sending over command after command, and just before Lucy was frisked and stripped of her belongings, she would feel a buzz.

Soon after the clattering of industrial engines starting up slowly morphed into the fading bay of the vans being driven away, and some time after the Royal Knights had left Val would stand and brush the dirt off herself. The first steps of her hastily formulated plan had been set into motion, and now it was on her to make sure things kept rolling. To do that, she had to make sure she wasn't going to be fighting this war on her own; in she proceeded back into the hotel's front lobby, where no small number of administrative staff were furtively talking amongst themselves about the events they had witnessed in their very own establishment. For the moment she turned them a blind eye and headed straight back for the bar, this time less interested in the spirits behind the counter and more in the ones currently seated there.

Or rather formerly seated, as when she approached, it looked like Kelly and Mackenzie were already setting off on a task of their own, the muscled wrath demon being quickly caught up to by the more svelte succubus. "Speak of the devil... make that devils. Guys, this is kind of a crapheap; I don't know what ya'lls plans at this point were, but I intend to make sure my boss, my friend... and Amriel don't rot in some underground prison cell for the rest of eternity under a series of trumped up charges." When heading to the theater was mentioned, Val nodded, but then shook her head. "It's a good call, and I might join you there in a bit, but I have some groundwork I need to take care of first. Mackie, tell Noel I might be asking if I can join her little coterie in the future. Kelly, if your dad's worth his salt as a Pride demon, have him call up the scummiest lawyer he knows and have him start warming up in the bullpen." She hefted the luggage that had remained under the bar this whole time, stacking Lucy's comparatively smaller suitcase atop her behemoth storage trunk before beginning to wheel it towards the elevator lobby. "If the Creator gives me half a stroke of luck, I might have a target for them to sink their teeth into by the time I show up at the theater."

---

On any other day, the sight of a grand lounge and a gorgeous view of the grand plaza would have been a site for sore eyes. As it was now though, Val pushed her way into her and Lucy's suite with nary a nod towards the outside, in fact rapidly closing all of the windows and blinds and cranking the air conditioning up a few notches. Things were about to get a little heated in here, and she needed to make sure things would be running in peak condition. The stylish suitcase that was foreign to her was delicately stuck in a corner of the main room, while from Val's trunk a bevy of equipment straight out of the Citadel's Central Archives made its way onto various flat surfaces. The dining table, constructed of mahogany and inlaid with rich cherry and oak panels, would quickly become completely covered as it become the center of the small computing cluster she would set up, and various coffee and end tables impressed into service to support her needs. Screens and wires and what not all linked together in a semicircular arc before her, until finally before her sat an ecclesiastic organ of technology, just waiting for her to conduct it in service to the Fundamental Waveform.

And conduct she did, as her hands began to move before her on the various keyboards, code and command weaving on the screens before her like measures and stanzas of a hymn. If one were to listen, they would hear a small song coming from the quiet breaths she took as she underwent her work. Fingers flew and keys clicked in rapidly accelerating tempo as the song wove itself into a fever pitch, and then-

Yea I pray to the Creator: let my code compile itself into a harmonious rendition of the Wave.

-she pressed enter. Cooling fans spun up as her system's cores shifted into overdrive to begin running her programs, and as a symphonic chord began to filter into existence in the room, glorious and magnificent, Val reached into the slightly emptier trunk, withdrew a small robotic looking drone, and with the slightest crack of the patio door, flung the object into the outside air. Right on cue, its propellers sprung to life and lifted it far, far into the air, to disappear into the clouds, not to return until it found that very signal Val had activated on Lucy's phone but a little while ago. Godspeed, little dragonfly. May you be swifter than those who might wish to cause you harm.

 

[Breadman]

At the Helldiver bar
"So are you going to do anything or are you just gonna sit there?" one of the bartenders tapped her foot as she looked at Jazuzu. The demon sat in his chair and sipped a glass of wine made from wrath grapes as he read a magazine. Bitter and leaves a sting, just the way he liked it. He was also the only person who drank the stuff. "You heard Val! The boss could be in deep shit and..."

"I can't." He said as he flipped the page.

"What do you mean you can't?" She was stunned and left almost speechless. "You're her bodyguard aren't you?"

"And if I step in uninvited, I'll be an invading demon bodyguard, who's marked for death. Now if Lucy were to summon me through some ritual, I'll be there in no time, but I don't hear any alarm bells, see markings on the wall or smell sulfur." He answered calmly as he read the headlines "Speaking of, we haven't heard anything from the boss herself either, so I'm just doing what Val said and holding down the fort here."

"She said to close the place down."

"Right...can't do that either." He flipped another page after getting bored with the current one. "We'd have to break the sigil stones that connect the place and if you or I do that, boss will make sure we don't see any afterlife after that." He looked at Precila, who was staring at him in disbelief "I mean it. Those things take forever to get and cost a small fortune each. She'd eviserate our souls if we do it without her say so." He snapped his fingers "Just like that. No heaven, no hell, not even a purgatory. Gone for good."

"So...what can we do then?"

"You will continue to serve the patrons of our fine establishment and I'll make sure we don't have trouble." The hulking demon took another sip.

"By sitting on your butt and reading Men's health?"

"This version has demon stuff in it." He answered as he showed her the page he was looking at "You see this guy's tail? He's on the juice. I know it." Precilla could only stare at him for another five seconds before sighing and returning to her place behind the bar. She could only hope that Jazz was right and both Lucy and Val were alright.
---
Somewhere at Plumber's HQ

​

The communication center for the Plumbers was buzzing with activity as always. That meant that the worlds were spinning and that life was going as normal. Rows of desks with advanced consoles on them streaming different types of data depending on which department was handling what. Teams were being dispatched to any incident in space and time that needed fixing all the while conversations about the latest happenings around HQ were being held.

The director of operations in this sector flipped though the reports and desperately tried to enjoy his coffee before having to read about the next cosmic horror wreaking havoc somewhere. But something caught his eye. Lucifaria. The owner of the Helldiver bar had apparently caught herself up in a assassination of one of the many kings of the infinite number of Hells. He couldn't say that he was surprised that something like this happened, but what did surprise him was that this Lucifaria would stick her neck out for a high-profile assassination. Something wasn't right here.

"Oi, who here is assigned to our girl, Lucy."

"Right here, sir." A man called out from behind his station. Calling him bookish would be an understatement as the difference between him and a shrimp had diminished from the amount of time spend bend over a console. He never did learn to listen to his supervisor about maintaining a proper posture or taking a break. "She's been clean for a while with barely any infractions. This is the first major thing since the incident that got her our attention in the first place."

"That's what I thought." The director looked over his shoulder to one of the other desks "How's the stream looking there, lads? Anything we should know about."

"Getting a read on a Hell is hard as being in one, boss." One of the men sitting at that set of consoles piped up. "But if we're reading anything, nothing is outside the norm. Timeline is flowing fine, space isn't unraveled and nothing is displaced. That reality is intact."

"Alright, things are starting to come together, I think." The director turned to the third group next "What about you? Anything we should know."

"Precogs are showing at least 4121...4144 ways this can go." The woman looking though the data stream answered without tearing her eyes away from it. "Events are very much in their beginning and are yet to fully develop."

"Right. Call me if it goes in the double digits." The director finished off his coffee and made a pained sigh. It didn't go down so well. "Despite what the, what was it" He looked at the report again "Icon of wrath...fucken 'ell."Another sigh followed, this was one out of frustration. "Despite what she says, this is none of our business unless an invasion starts or reality starts taking a beating. Have one of our agents stand by as a consultant, but that's it." He squeezed the bridge of his nose after giving that order. What did those damn demons do this time?
---
Lucy was silent as she was being frisked and searched. Only staring holes into the officers that looked her way. Some felt better not looking in her direction as as result. Good call, they might not land on her shitlist once this farce was over. A brief buzz from her pocket send another wave of annoyance. Really? Someone was texting her now? Not like she could do anything, but the question of who it was would be nagging her for a while.

"Is an armored van really necessary?" She glanced back to the Icon before being shoved in "Is this model called the Compensator?" Before her head went in, her grin could be seen to all who were looking.

Wherever they were being taken to, the journey was going to be calm at least. Gave her time to think. Why her in particular could be a number of reasons. From her heritage to her status and her connections. But the other thought still lingered in her head. Why Kassidy? She makes clothes for a living. The deadliest thing in her possession is a pair of scissors. Amriel is a clerk. What can he do? Write them up? Finally where did Val go off to? Lucy didn't expect her employee to stay and fight, but the ghost act was something she didn't think she'd just do either. Probably for the best. She could avoid any of these wind up toys and head straight to the bar and warn...

JAZUZU AND ORLO MIGHT TRY SOMETHING STUPID! She realized that her two bodyguards might flex their arms instead of their grey matter for some prison escape and make things worse. Lucy held her head in her palms as she thought about it before regaining her composure. There's no way. Even they're not that caught up with bullshark testosterone fueled fantasies to try it, right?

"It doesn't seem like it, but we're getting out of this." She spoke up during the ride. "I promise we're getting this shit fixed." Whether she was trying to calm down her friend or herself is besides the point "They don't have anything worth shit to stick to any of us."