Chapter Text
A whistle. Constant, sharp, and fucking annoying. He could feel the hard ground against his skin and the taste of iron in his mouth from his blood. His back itched. Soon the whistle began to descend gradually, allowing Adam to hear other sounds around him. Were those footsteps?
The damn cannibals, he thought. Damn it. He had to move, and he had to do it fast. He just needed to get his damn eyes open.
A sharp pain suddenly filled his being, originating from the center of his stomach. Right, that weird creature had stabbed him repeatedly. Shit. He bit his lips to muffle his groans of pain while listening to someone approaching him.
He heard a nasty laugh echo around him, and suddenly he was overwhelmed by the sensation of hands turning him face down. Oh, God. He felt as if a sharp rock was going down his throat, directly to his heart. As his chest rose and fell rapidly in rhythm with his breath, Adam realized that he was feeling nothing but fear.
With this revelation, his breath failed him, and he perceived a warm sensation on his cheeks. His body was still numb, and he was growing increasingly desperate. God, no. Don't let this be his end. God. God.
He felt the sensation of an object cutting into his skin near the base of one of his wings, and his heart began to beat faster. No, no, no, this couldn't be the end. What about his girls? It couldn't be the end.
Meanwhile, the cannibal twisted in sick happiness. This meal is so gourmet!, he thought. He was going to start with the wings. Oh, how he loved wings! He eagerly pressed the knife in harder, not caring to hear the desperate cries of the angel under his hands. He was happily humming when suddenly, a bright golden light erupted from where his knife was cutting the wings, causing him to quickly cover his eyes and fall back on his rear.
It was Adam; his wings were glowing! The numbness surrounding his body vanished, and despite the heat emanating from his wings, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time washed over him: survival. After finally managing to open his eyes, his wings instinctively unfolded completely, and he took off into the air, leaving a crowd of astonished cannibal citizens behind.
He let his wings guide him through the infernal sky, soaring high and catching the attention of several demons. He flew over the streets, leaving behind a trail of golden feathers, straight toward the Heaven Embassy. God, thank you. He would breathe a sigh of relief if everything didn't hurt so damn much.
He descended directly toward the embassy gates. Adam didn't realize, but some sinners tried to shoot him intending to harm him; however, the golden light emanating from his wings disintegrated the weapons before they touched his body, keeping him safe. Soon he entered the building, making sure to close the main door, and carelessly landed on one of the nice sofas in the lobby, staining it with blood.
"Fuck that hurt," he muttered.
Some sinners outside began to surround the building, shouting for revenge; however, as they approached to touch the walls, their skin burned. Adam relaxed his shoulders while growling. He knew that anyone lacking divine blood would be burned if they tried to pass through those doors. It would keep them away long enough for him to regain his strength.
Soon, he let the sound of the shouting fade into the background like a distant hum, as his mind drifted back to thoughts of his team. His girls, he knew none would survive such brutality. All destroyed, turned into mere meat for those monsters... God, how he hated sinners. They were the most despicable wretches to ever be born of his lineage in history.
"Hmf." Oh, right. His wound.
At that moment, as he adjusted himself on the sofa, Adam longed for Raphael's healing ability. It would surely speed up his recovery. He quickly the upper portion of his robe and, with determination, ripped it in half, leaving himself shirtless. He started to feel uncomfortably warm, so he had to take off the lower part of his robe until he was only wearing his boxers. At least now he had more fabric to use for bandaging.
He took the lower part and tore it to make a large strip. With it, he began to bandage his dorsal area. Damn, that little fucker had really done a number on his back. How the fuck could he even straighten up? Oof.
After he finished bandaging his torso, he let out a small sigh of exhaustion, only to be interrupted by a sudden pain in his head. "Ow, damn it! What the hell?" he exclaimed as he clutched his head with both hands. The pain was unbearable. He stood up abruptly, forgetting the wounds from the stab wounds, and took a few steps before collapsing to his knees on the floor. He could feel his nails growing at an alarming rate, and he desperately dug them into his newly emerged horns. "Shit!"
An intense pain in his lower back invaded him, as the skin opened up to make way for a newly formed appendage. He screamed in pain as he dragged his newly emerged claws from his head to the floor, desperately gripping the surface as a new piercing pain penetrated his wings, causing them to writhe in agony.
The transformation that the first man was undergoing lasted a bit longer, until he finally let himself fall completely face down onto the ground.
"Ugh... what the fuck?" He murmured weakly before falling unconscious.
Later in the night, the residents of the renovated Hazbin Hotel were finally resting after a day full of activity. They were gathered in the living room, with Charlie about to give the last speech of the day.
"Alright, everyone. Attention!" The blonde clapped her hands, drawing the attention of those present. "Thank you! I just wanted to take this small moment, before we all go to rest, to thank you for your struggle today. I know it wasn't easy," she said, her expression falling. Vaggie gave her a supportive shoulder squeeze, helping the princess regain a more solemn expression. "I know we lost a lot today, but in the end, we managed to make the exorcists retreat. I couldn't have done it without your help. For that, I thank you. Our struggle is just beginning. This won't be easy, but we're definitely heading in the right direction," she concluded with a warm smile.
"It was nice to have a chance for once," Angel commented with a small smile.
"Yeah, kicking angel asses was fucking amazing!" Cherry grinned, sitting next to him, raising her fist in the air.
"And stabbing them!" Nifty maniacally added. Lucifer, who was next to her, looked at her in consternation and took a step in the opposite direction, unintentionally moving closer to Alastor in the process. The stag's eye twitched at the sensation.
"Quite a busy day, no doubt," the one in the red suit commented without losing his smile. "Although something has been intriguing me. Dear Rosie told me that no traces of that first man were found, hm."
"What?" the king beside him blinked, finally distracted from Nifty. "Adam?"
"Who else, your 'highness'?" Lucifer glared at him.
"He couldn't have survived… Could he?" Cherry remarked, unintentionally squeezing Angel's legs resting on her lap. The spider sat up straight to look at her with concern.
"If something happened, the news probably has it. Those bastards have been recording everything all day," the ex-exorcist responded grimly, approaching the new television in front of the lobby living room.
Meanwhile, Charlie smiled nervously as she played with her fingers. A tic she had never been able to correct. "Surely, it's nothing we should worry about, you'll see."
Soon, the news channel filled the living room.
"Breaking news! Reports of a golden light crossing the skies over Pentagram City." A fast-moving video appeared in the corner, showing a diffuse golden light crossing the sky, just as the presenter mentioned. "Sources indicate that this light originated during the recent clash between the exorcists and the infernal royalty. Do you realize what that implies, Tom?"
"No, Katie. What does it imply?"
"It implies that this light is potentially one of the exorcists. And the sinners know it! We're receiving reports of attempted invasions at the Heaven Embassy." The corner video changed, now showing some citizens trying to storm the place and catching on holy fire in the attempt. "They're fucking failing, of course! If they want a ticket to a slow, painful, fiery death, go and touch the Heaven Embassy's gates! It's a free ticket!"
"That's how I lost my brother…"
"No one cares, Tom!"
Vaggie turned off the TV. She turned to see everyone in silent shock.
"It can't be," Charlie whispered, removing the hands that had covered her mouth when she heard the news. "Well, that's bad. What are we going to do?"
"Us? Nothing." The white-haired one immediately responded. "It's not our problem."
"But it is! Vaggie, we have to bring him here to—"
"No, Charlie! He tried to kill us! He must stay away from us."
"That's why we have to bring him here. Out there, he's a danger to my people!" Her voice rose. Vaggie paused. "You know it's true, Vaggie. If we struggled, the sinners won't stand a chance! We don't know how well or ill he is. It's better to have him here to keep an eye on him."
"Ahem," a voice cut through the heavy air. "I can bring him here, girls," Lucifer offered as he raised the hand that wasn't holding his cane.
"Are you okay with that?"
"My girl is right, bellhop." Alastor felt one of his ears twist with distaste. "Adam is spiteful, and once he recovers, he will seek revenge and won't care about the destruction he leaves in his wake. It's better to watch him now while he's vulnerable."
"Would you do that, dad?"
Lucifer looked at his daughter, who looked at him with gratitude. He felt warmth surround his heart. How had he pushed her away for so long? He felt a tender smile emerge from him. "Of course, Charlie. Prepare a room, I'll be back."
The king disappeared with a snap of his fingers, leaving the lobby in silence. Cherry fidgeted nervously, looking down while Angel hugged her from the side, and Husk tried to comfort her with a warm touch on one of her shoulders.
"I'll go prepare the room!" shouted the smallest of the group before running off.
Vaggie approached Charlie, who wrapped her arms around her torso. "I'm sorry for reacting that way," she said, one hand touching her opposite arm. "You're right, Charlie. In the long run, it's for the best."
"It's okay, Vaggie. I know you only want the best for the hotel," Charlie smiled, freeing herself to take her girlfriend by the shoulders. "I'm sorry we have to bring him here, but I really don't want him to cause more problems. You don't have to like it."
Vaggie shook her head as she grabbed Charlie's hands on her shoulders to hold her. "I understand why, it's okay. I don't like it, but it'll be fine."
"Well, I don't like it either," Cherry commented from the couch. "He killed Pentious."
Vaggie winced as the princess looked down. Pentious was a painful subject.
"We should go rest. Come on, Cher, let's go to sleep," Angel encouraged, guiding her to get up.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she spat before disappearing with Angel and Husk toward the rooms.
Back in the embassy building, Lucifer appeared inside with a snap. He searched the area for the angel for a few moments, ignoring the furious crowd that was buzzing outside. His eyes fell on the golden blood spilled on the floor in front of the couch, but he couldn't see Adam anywhere. Where had he gone?
The king started to feel a wave of anxiety wash over him. He quickly started searching the place, his heart beating faster and faster. Where on hell had Adam gone? He checked every corner of the embassy: the meeting rooms, the bathrooms, everywhere. The angel was nowhere to be found.
Lucifer felt his body go cold. He was sure that light had been Adam's. He just knew it. Could it have been that he went back via the elevator? But it takes a lot of paperwork to be able to ascend. You can't just press the button that takes you to Heaven. Even descending to Hell was a pain with all the bureaucracy. He would know, Adam used to whine a lot about it in meetings before the holograms were implemented.
So, where was he? He was badly injured; it was a miracle he even made it here from the hotel. Did he teleport somewhere else? But where? This might have been one of the safest places for him to stay safe from the sinners shouting for vengeance, as no one other than those with golden blood could enter— Wait.
Only those with celestial blood could enter the embassy. His gaze returned to the golden liquid on the ground.
"Celestial blood… Oh, heavens."
Someone had gotten ahead of him. Someone had taken Adam.
The question was who.