Work Text:
“Vaggie… if you don’t want to, you don’t have to come,” Charlie said.
“But I do,” Vaggie said insistently. “I can be a witness for the scope of the Extermination, I was an exorcist for years. They’ll listen to me.”
“We’re technically only going to redeem souls through the Hazbin Hotel,” Charlie said weakly, wringing her hands.
“But we are going to blow the lid on this whole Extermination thing though, right?” Vaggie asked.
When Vaggie had confessed everything to Charlie, begging her forgiveness, she’d been scared that her life was over. But Charlie had understood, had given her a second chance, and not having to keep it a secret had been such a relief.
And, open disclosure had provided some benefits. Vaggie had told Charlie about how, as an exorcist, she hadn’t been allowed to discuss the Extermination with other angels -- that in truth, it was one of Heaven’s deep secrets.
Vaggie wasn’t naive enough to think that the information alone would stop the Extermination, but if they could cause enough controversy among the angels… maybe, hopefully, someone high enough up could step in.
Hopefully.
“Thank you for agreeing to come with, Vaggie,” Charlie said softly.
Vaggie grasped Charlie’s hands. “Always.”
Heaven was just like Vaggie remembered it. Clean, shiny, bright. White clouds, golden gate.
It was all she’d known when she was created and she’d liked it then, but after spending so long in Hell, the difference was stark. The lack of dirt and grime almost made the place feel surreal.
She wasn’t sure she liked it as much anymore.
“Hiya! Welcome to Heaven!” Saint Peter greeted cheerfully. Vaggie resisted a sigh. Who kept that cheerful when their job was watching over a gate most of the time? He was magically immune to fatigue, but still.
Despite Saint Peter not having Charlie’s name on the list, two Seraphims came to greet them and bring them into the meeting. Highly-ranked -- they probably already knew the truth. Not their targets.
And yet, Charlie was practically buzzing, ready to put their plan into action.
Vaggie gave her a tiny head shake. Not now.
And Charlie, for once, listened. It wasn’t until they were past the pearly gates and rather far into the street, surrounded by people, when Charlie acted.
“You know, I am so glad that we have this meeting, I was really hoping to be able to save some of our people from the Extermination,” Charlie said loudly.
“Extermination?” The smaller Seraphim, Emily, frowned in confusion as the older Seraphim’s eyes widened in alarm. “What’s that?”
“Oh, you know, when a bunch of angels come down and kill a bunch of demons once a year,” Charlie said. “It’s horrible!”
“What?” Emily said. “That can’t be true!”
Emily whipped her head around to look at Sera, but Sera’s regretful face said it all.
“It is true! How could you do this?” Emily asked.
“It was a difficult decision,” Sera said. “They were uprising-- it was for the security of Heaven--”
At this point, small crowds were beginning to form, overlooking the heated argument between the Seraphims.
“Those are souls, human souls--” Emily started.
“I’m sorry, Emily, but the decision has been made,” Sera said. “Please, we’ll talk about this later. We have to have a different meeting with these demons now.”
Emily’s wings twitched. She turned towards Charlie.
“I am so sorry princess,” Emily said. “I’ll do whatever I can to make this right.”
“Thank you,” Charlie said, tearing up.
“I’ll show you to your hotel room,” Emily said. Sera moved as if to stop them, but Emily sent her a glare fierce enough to melt iron.
As the three of them made their way towards the room, a path appearing for them between crowds of gawking angels and winged humans, Emily began asking rapidfire questions under her breath.
“Who’s responsible for this? Who’s sending these angels?” she asked.
“It’s Adam-- Lute is his lieutenant,” Vaggie said.
By the time they arrived, Emily was well-briefed on the situation.
“And they want to do two exterminations this year?” Emily asked. “But why?”
“We don’t know,” Vaggie said.
“Adam kind of implied maybe it was for fun?” Charlie said hesitantly.
At that, Emily looked ready to explode.
“I’ll exercise every bureaucratic avenue at my disposal and convince as many angels as I can,” Emily promised. “Just keep safe. We’ll be in touch.”
“We’ll be in touch?” Charlie asked, surprised.
Emily made a shh motion with her finger. “Keep that part a secret.”
“Oh! Okay!” Charlie said.
“Good luck at the trial. I’m rooting for you,” Emily said.
The trial went somewhat as expected. Adam and Lute (those two, Vaggie internally growled) condescending to them, Charlie providing evidence…
Angel Dust’s star moment in the trial of standing up to Valentino was somewhat unexpected, though. Vaggie felt warmth bloom in her chest.
But most noticeable of all was the tension in the courtroom.
Emily hardly looked at Sera, as Sera sent Emily pleading looks. Sera was increasingly short with Adam’s interruptions in the courtroom. The angels in the audience looked incredibly uncomfortable, and kept sending furtive glances between the parties involved and whispering among themselves.
“So none of you know what gets someone into Heaven?” Charlie asked impatiently. “Angel did everything you asked!”
“But if you really want,” Vaggie said. Her chest tightened-- she hadn’t expected to decide to pull this card, but with how everyone was reacting to the news of the Extermination-- “If proof of someone in Hell doing good isn’t enough evidence that people can change, how about someone in Heaven doing something bad?”
“Someone in Heaven doing something bad?” Adam said, laughing. “That’s impossible! You’ve got it twisted, bitch!”
Vaggie stepped forward in front of the crystal ball, and looked out across the angelic jury. “I was one of you once.”
Adam’s smile dropped. “Wait. Shit.”
“I was an angel,” Vaggie said. “An exorcist.”
The crystal ball behind her morphed into a picture of her in her angelic form.
“It was a typical extermination. I went down to kill the demons, but then-- I found one, and I just couldn’t do it. He was so small, and he was crying--”
Even as Vaggie trailed off, the mirror behind her continued. Her finding the small sinner, telling him to run, being caught by Lute…
“Sinful filth like you has no place in Heaven,” Lute said.
Lute’s brutal attack, resulting in Vaggie losing her eye and wings.
Adam taunting her, watching, and pulling off her halo.
The murmurs in the angelic audience turned to audible gasps.
“Adam! Lute!” Sera’s voice thundered across the courtroom. “What is the meaning of this? Attacking another angel--”
“And for showing mercy, no less!” Emily said, slamming the table in front of her.
“I had to! She deserved it!” Lute snarled. “She’s a traitor! She let that piece of filth get away!”
“And why didn’t you report this incident?” Sera asked.
“I knew you would disapprove,” Lute sneered. “You’ve always been too soft, your highness. You say you’ll do what’s necessary, but you’re too scared of the means!”
One of the angelic jury stood. “This is outrageous! What has Heaven come to?”
“Severing the wings of one of our own--”
"Lute just left her like like that?!"
“Has she been trapped in Hell this whole time?"
“I think I might be sick…”
“Enough,” Sera said. “I have made my decision. This court finds that the idea of redeeming a soul through the Hazbin Hotel… requires further investigation before a verdict can be reached. Adam and Lute. Meet me in my office in twenty minutes.”
Adam looked taken aback, visibly gulping. Lute scowled deeper, but turned on her heel without another word.
Sera and Emily flew down towards Vaggie and Charlie.
“I’m so sorry,” Emily said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” Vaggie said, giving an awkward half-smile.
“I’ll have to soon send Princess Morningstar back to Hell, but-- Vaggie, is that right? -- there’s room here for you here in Heaven,” Sera said, countenance more patient than it had been at all during their visit.
“I can’t, I’m F-Fallen,” Vaggie stumbled over the last word.
“No,” Sera said, frowning. “You may have lost your wings, but someone only becomes Fallen when their connection to Heaven has become untethered. I sense yours has not. No simple injury to wing or halo can make an angel Fall.”
“Oh,” Vaggie said.
That was… strange. She’d always thought she’d Fallen for protecting that sinner. For contradicting the will of Heaven. Even though on a logical level she knew that Lute and Adam didn't have the authority to make another angel fall, she'd still thought that them tearing apart her wings and halo... counted, for lack of a better word. Everyone knew that fallen angels didn't have halos.
“So you’ll stay?” Emily said, perking up.
“No,” Vaggie said, recovering a bit. “I go where Charlie goes. We’re a package deal.”
“I’m afraid we can’t allow the daughter of the Morningstar to stay in Heaven,” Sera said sadly.
“Wouldn’t it be better to let them both stay?” a new voice said. It came from a small blue feathery angel who had been on the jury, who'd had the bravery to approach the group. “Even if the princess is a demon, she seems to be good and kind. And we can't just leave an angel stranded in Hell.”
“I’m sorry, but there are rules for a reason, Hahasiah…” Sera said.
“Rules this, rules that--” Emily started.
“I wouldn’t want to stay in Heaven long-term anyway, I’ve got to get back to my people,” Charlie said, graciously breaking up the argument.
“Neither would I,” Vaggie admitted. “Everything here-- it’s too perfect. Too idyllic. It feels like it can’t be real, like something bad’s going to happen. Hell’s more my speed.”
The three angels looked deeply sad at this.
“At least stay another day,” Emily said, grasping Charlie’s hands. “We can talk more about your Hazbin Hotel! And Vaggie can get her wing injuries looked at.”
“They were already looked at,” Vaggie said flatly.
“But we have angel magic and really good doctors here!” Emily said. “Pretty please?”
Vaggie looked between Charlie and Emily and sighed. “Alright… fine. One more day.”
“By the way…” Charlie said. “What will happen to Lute and Adam?”
Emily and Sera’s faces both suddenly became furious.
“Nothing good,” Sera said, with a stormy expression. Emily gave an energetic nod.
For the first time Vaggie got to Heaven, she smiled.