We laid Baxter down gently. His breathing was a bit ragged but I could tell he was going to live, even if he may never walk again. Angel Dust and Wership tended to his wounds as well as their own while Vaggie pulled me off to the side. She nodded her head up to the sky and I followed her gaze. Turning up to the Pentagram above, I saw that the explosion from the angelic bomb had worked better than I could have hoped. Since the explosion was detonated early, the ship that had been carrying the weapon had been torn to shreds: segments of enormous white wings fluttered in the sky, slowly falling down to Hell, and one of the rings that made up the body of the vessel had been blown away with such force that it was embedded into Heaven itself. The circular structure was impaled lengthwise into the celestial body, giving the illusion that Heaven itself was a judgmental eye, watching over us all. As I peered closer I also noticed multiple black specks rising from all over the city and flying towards the sky. Vaggie answered me before I could even voice my question.

"The Exterminators must have been called back to assist with damage control. Guess the purging has been called off… or at least delayed."

I nodded, still frowning.

"Yeah, but we're not done yet…"

Vaggie placed her hand on my shoulder, and as I turned to look at her I saw pain in her eyes.

"Ego, we should fall back, go back to the junkyard before going after Alastor…" I looked at the ground, refusing to meet her line of sight. Maybe she was right… I couldn't formulate a response before Id did one for me.

"We both know that Ego and I are the only ones that stand a chance against ol' static-lungs. It would be better if you all stayed here and tried not to die."

Vaggie scowled down at him, her face turning red.

"Why, you little piece of-"

"He's right, Vaggie." I said, my frown deepening. "Although I would have phrased in more politely, I don't want to let anyone else get hurt."

Angel Dust spoke up from a few feet away.

"Vaggie, we're all too beat up to go… I trust Ego."

I could see Vaggie's conflicting emotions, her turning the options over in her head. Eventually she let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed her temples in frustration.

"Okay, fine. You're right. Just…" I saw her expression crack for a moment, that same sadness seeping through. "...Just make sure Charlie and the Hotel stay safe, okay? Oh, and take this, since your sword is Satan-knows-where." She handed me her spear reluctantly, the blood of two Overlords still wetting the tip. I just nodded and gave a final look to my friends before walking towards the Hazbin Hotel.

It would be hard to explain the dread I felt walking towards the Hotel. The place I had only recently called home now loomed above me like a goliath. I approached with caution, my every nerve on edge, yet the hectic battle before had given way to an eerie silence. It was as if all of Hell was lying in wait, wondering when it would be truly safe to move again. Only the hum of the great beam broke the silence, cutting through Heaven as easily as it did the atmosphere.

I paused about 20 feet from the front door, wondering how I should approach the situation. It was possible that the entrance was trapped, in which case I could fly up to the roof. I furrowed my brow, realizing that I had no real way to figure out where Alastor and others were, or if they were even in the same place. Then I noticed the gleaming limousine parked nearby. The ruffled gold and glittering red paint gave it an air of opulence, and the mark of the Royal Family only exaggerated its value. Working on a hunch, I approached the car, running my fingers gently over the hood. A scowl crept onto my face as I saw my ragged reflection in the crimson surface. Lucifer and Lillith Magne. Charlie's parents. The former was Alastor's associate, working to bring the Immortal Demons back to power, while the latter worked against him, helping the Overlords maintain control. After learning the truth of the monarchs I wondered how they stayed together. Maybe it was true love? Maybe they did it for their daughter's sake.

Yet looking at the disgusting display of wealth before me, I realized it was always about power. They couldn't give less of a damn about Charlie, or her dream, or the lives of any demon in Hell. Everything they did was to keep us all under their control. Sneering, I spit onto the grinning skull hood ornament and moved to the passenger's seat. Trying the door handle out of courtesy, I found it was locked and promptly decided to forgo the pleasantries. Rearing up the spear, I bashed the window in with the blunt end before opening the door. My goal was to find any sort of clue that might tell me where in the Hotel everyone was. I checked under the expensive leather seats, inside the glove compartment, under the arm rests. Nothing. I was finally considering just storming in the front door, but stopped when I noticed a bit of paper sticking out from the overhead blinds. Opening the flap and grabbing the paper, I felt that for once my luck might have finally turned in my favor. In my hands was a formal invitation, written in golden calligraphy on sterling red paper, addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Magne. I scanned it quickly, ignoring the formalities and getting to the specifics. Apparently the royals had been invited to the Hazbin Hotel as 'a relaxing getaway', and were welcome to 'ride out the extermination in luxury'. I nearly vomited at the lack of decency, but kept reading until I found what I needed. It was to be an 'elegant brunch' on the roof of the Hotel, with 'a pleasant viewing experience' of the demons below being slaughtered. I grimaced upon reading that, not just because of the cruelty, but that it was certain that the demons inside had seen every bit of my battles. They knew I was coming. Noting that the letter was signed by Alastor himself, I ripped it to shred and backed away from the car. Id looked up at me with a devilish grin.

"Well, kid, here we go. Ready to crack some skulls?"

I didn't answer him and looked up to the roof high above, bent my legs, and leapt into the air.

The floors of the Hotel zoomed past me. I readied myself for anything, expecting Alastor to be waiting on the roof with bloodied teeth. Yet as I crested over the edge and landed with a crash, assuming a fighting stance with land firmly gripped, I was caught off-guard by the scene before me.

A large dining table was set out on the roof, adorned with fine china and glittering silverware. Cups of tea steamed away on saucers while small biscuits sat half-eaten. Yet I hardly took in any of that, instead focusing on the people present. No one was hiding, or getting ready to fight me. Instead, Charlie sat in between her parents, glancing at me occasionally with panic in her eyes. The other royals were much more relaxed, eyeing me up as a tiger might view a lamb. Lillith spoke first, in a supple and menacing tone.

"My, my! Your entertainment certainly knows how to make an entrance, Alastor!"

"Yes, he does, doesn't he?" That voice nearly made me bust a blood vessel. There, at the head of the table, was the Radio Demon himself. He beamed at me, raising a teacup to his lips without breaking eye contact. I just stood there in shock and anger, unsure how to even proceed. Alastor snapped his fingers and spoke. "Oh, Niffty? More tea, please."

I watched in shock as the demoness I loved more than anything walked in from the roof access door. She was dressed to impress, wearing her maid uniform with poise. She began to speak before entering.

"Of course, sir. Right awa-"

She topped dead in her tracks upon seeing me. We looked at each other in shock before I saw tears in her eye. I knew my Niffty. I knew she wanted to run over to me, wrap her arms around me and we could finally embrace again. Instead Alastor snapped once more, a bit more forcefully, and she turned to look at the ground. "...Your tea, sir." She said. I heard the quiver in her voice and nearly leapt at Alastor right then and there. Instead I tried to compose myself and control the raging bile in my throat.

"Alastor… you piece of shit…" I seethed, tightening my grip on Vaggie's spear. Lucifer spoke up for the first time, chuckling.

"Quite the tongue on this one, Al. Shouldn't you punish him?"

I eyed him with contempt. Here was the ruler of Hell, a being that was older than anyone I had ever known. I could only think of a single thing to say to him.

"I smashed the window on your car, dickhead."

In an instant the room shifted tone. Charlie froze up, staring at her plate like a statue. The smile on Lucifer's face dropped, and a cold frown replaced it. Lillith glared at me and reached around to pat her husband's shoulder. Alastor spoke up a moment later, contempt mixing with the joy in his voice.

"Ah, Ego. You always did have a way of being so crass. I do believe it's time for your act, is it not?"

I scowled at him, raising my spear for him to attack. Instead he snapped his fingers again.

"Husker? Escort our young impish friend away, if you please."

The entrance door opened and Husk walked in. He was dressed as nicely as I had ever seen him, and for once he didn't have a bottle of booze in his hand. Yet his expression was as sour as I had ever seen him, and he glared at the back of Alastor's head with murderous intent before speaking in broken sentences. "Yes… Sir…"

I watched in horrified awe as Husk approached me, but quickly regained my senses and held my hand up to him.

"Husk! I don't want to fight you! I don't know what Alastor has on your to make you do this, but-"

With a flick of Husker's wrist I felt a stabbing pain in my hand. I yelled out and examined my palm to find a standard playing card embedded in it. Husker spoke up again.

"If Mr. Alastor wants you gone, I have to obey." He said with no emotion. Yet as I looked at my feline coworker, I saw that his expression was twisted into a mix of anger and sorrow. It was clear he didn't want to fight. Another two flicks of his wrist and two more cards embedded themselves in either of my shoulders. I screamed out in pain, realizing that talking wouldn't do much. Instead I grunted and pulled the cards out of me, standing up and raising my spear.

"...I'm getting us out of here. You, Niffty and Charlie. You can bet on it." I heard the royals laugh, with Alastor joining them. Husk just frowned and moved his hands at blazing speeds, flinging a barrage of cards at me. I was done standing still, and I wasn't running away now. Instead I pulled my wings in front of my body and charged forward. The cards pelted me over and over, embedding into my wings. I could tell by the pause in projectiles that Husk was surprised at my move, but I wasn't going to wait long enough for him to react. Instead I yelled at the top of my lungs and rapidly opened my arms. The cards stuck in them flug out at his speeds, scattering across the roof. Two of them hit their mark, landing into Husker's knees. He bent over in pain, screaming bloody murder. His next mistake was looking back up at me. I hadn't stopped running, and with him bent over, his height wasn't an issue anymore. He looked up at me just in time to see my knee colliding with his jaw. A sickening crunch rang out, and he flew backwards, landing on his back with a thud. I winced at my actions, but still didn't stop running.

"Sorry, Husk! I'll buy you as beer when this is over!" I shouted to him as I ran, but he was already unconscious.

Still I sprinted towards the table. The royals and Alastor watched me with interest as I approached. The Radio Demon spoke up again.

"It's so hard to find good help these days… Niffty, would you pick up where Husker failed?"

That made me grind to a halt. My love looked at Alastor, tears streaming down her face.

"Puh… please Sir, don't…" Alastor glared down at her, his eyes alight. He tapped his Radio Staff twice on the ground, the eye on the front glowing brighter.

"What was that, maid?"

Niffty seemed to shut her mouth without her control, and turned to face me. Tears streamed down her face as she raised her hand to me. Suddenly flames erupted from around my feet, encircling me in fire. I screamed as they burned into me with supernatural heat. Still I stayed put, thinking before rushing in. A single thought ran through my mind over and over: how was Alastor controlling Niffty and Husk? What was he doing to them? I watched as the eye on his staff grew brighter still, and the flames became hotter and hotter. As I felt them etch into my skin faster than I could heal, I knew I had to make a move. So I acted on a guess and lunged forward, gripping the end of the table with two hands and flipping the entire thing upwards with all my strength.

That must have caught the partygoers off-guard, because they all yelped in surprise. I pushed onwards, sprinting as fast as I could under the airborne table, my body still alight. Time seemed to slow down as I moved; crumpets and teacups fell around me as I dashed at full speed before meeting my target. With blazing anger I crashed into Alastor's chest and plunged the spear clean into his right wrist. As I'd hoped, he let go of his staff in panic; unfortunately not as I'd hoped, he reacted quickly and grabbed me around the throat with both hands. Blood trickled down onto my body from his sliced wrist, and I could only struggle or breath as he choked the life out of me. His face was inches away from mine, and his expression was one of murderous bloodlust. The familiar otherworldly symbols floated around his head as he spoke.

"You little rat. Actors are meant to know their place, and you've stepped out of line…" His grip tightened and tightened, and I felt myself begin to lose consciousness. Suddenly a clattering sound came from my left, and both Alastor and I looked over to see Niffty holding the Radio Staff. Alastor's expression shifted immediately to panic, and he let go of me. I crashed to the ground on my hands and knees, gasping for breath and watching as the Radio Demon approached Niffty. He spoke in a calm tone, trying to defuse the situation.

"Now, Niffty… give me back my staff, Niffty…" He inched closer and closer. Niffty scowled at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Alastor… you were always a terrible boss…" With that she slammed the staff's head onto the hard concrete roof. Alastor lunged towards her, but was too late. The microphone at the top shattered, unleashing a powerful wave that sent us all flying backwards

My ears were ringing and I felt my body creak and groan as I tried to get up. I looked around to see that the party was in shambles. Splintered wood and broken glass lay all around the rooftop. To my far right the royal family were scattered. Lucifer and Lillith were huddled together, obviously clinging to one another as the explosion went off, leaving Charlie to fend for herself. Like always. Still I wasn't going to wait around for people to start getting up. Struggling to my feet, I shambled over to where the explosion had happened. As the smoke cleared I saw to my horror a black and white dress-clothed body lying amidst the rubble.

"Niffty!" I shouted, moving as fast as I could towards her with my fractured bones. I reached her and got to my knees beside her body. Gently I knelt down to her chest and listened for a heartbeat. To my relief it was there, but faint. Picking her head up with my arm, I tried to shake her awake.

"Come on, Niffty… come on, sweetheart, come back to me…" Tears started dropping from me onto her cheeks, but she eventually woke up. I laughed in joy, tears still flowing.

"Oh thank Satan, Niffty, I was worried that…"

Suddenly I heard a fire start up behind me. I looked for the source, only to see that it was none other than Husker. In horror I watched as his wings began to ignite, ashes billowing up to the sky above.

"What…" I said aloud, only to feel Niffty's hand on my cheek. I looked down at her to see that she was crying, but had a smile on her face. I could only sit there as I saw my love. As the tears rolled down her face, they became blackened by ash. Small wisps of dust began to drift off of her. The tears began to flow faster for both of us.

"N-Niffty! What is…"

She coughed slightly, ash erupting from her mouth. My love spoke to me, her usually beautiful voice slightly marred by smoke.

"Alastor… never told you how I really started working for him, did he?" She sighed sadly, more ash billowing. "He was always a liar. He never told you that he owned my life. Probably told you that he burned a building down for me. Haha…" Her sweet laugh was filled with ash. "Truth is… he saved me from burning in exchange for a life of servitude. That Staff was his way of keeping contracts…" I watched as more and more of her started to drift away. Sobs began to escape me as I felt her getting lighter and lighter.

"No… no, stay with me Niffty, we can fix this… I'll get Baxter to help, we can-"

She raised her finger weakly to my lips, and I could taste the soot on her hand. She sobbed lightly, her tears blackened with fate.

"Ego… I'd existed in Hell for a long time… but it wasn't until I met you that I felt like I could live. Out of all the demons I have met, you were the only one that didn't want to use me... " I saw her body crumble and collapse beneath her dress. "I love you more than anything, Ego. I want you to know that… you being the last thing I see… couldn't make me any… happier…"

Those were her last words. The woman I loved drifted away on the wind, her body nothing but ashes, scattered over a city that didn't deserve her. The last thing to go was her hand, which lingered on my cheek. Try as I might to clutch it, it just crumbled away between my fingers. All that was left was her outfit, fluttering in the breeze. With shaking hands I reached down to it, gently picking it up.

"No…" I sobbed, tears falling onto the cloth and staining it with my sorrow. "No… no, no no…" I gripped the fabric in my hands, hoping that if I gripped hard enough she would come back. Dreaming that if I believed enough I could have her in my arms again. Anger slowly crept into my despair and I pounded the roof with balled fists.

"No! NO NO NO!" I felt my blood boiling, my fists cracking the asphalt with a painful rage. It was in that moment, when all hope had abandoned me, all my emotions at their peak… that a blackness consumed my mind, and I fell to the ground.

I was again in that void. The mirror of myself extended in front of me, and Id looked back at me from across that fragile barrier. The crack in the boundary had become much larger, as if at any moment it might shatter. Id looked at me with a knowing grin, and spoke to me from behind that blockade.

"So. This is it, huh kid? We finally reached that point"

I sobbed, feeling pain in my heart. "What… what do you…"

Id just shook his head and chuckled. "Such a crybaby. Although I guess that's who you are, huh? All the good that was left. All the positive emotions, the healthy sadness, the empathy and compassion. You got all that, while I carried the hatred. The lust. The drive to kill…" He looked back at me with a stern expression. "I guess we both had our fair share of burdens, huh, Ego? Split right down the middle… two halves of a whole person…" The crack in the boundary grew slightly. I sobbed once more, stepping forward in panic.

"Id! What… what is going on?..." He looked back at me with a knowing expression.

"What should have always been, Ego. The undoing of a madman's experiment…" The boundary cracked and splintered. He reached out his hand to it, brushing it with his fingertips ever so gently. He laughed slightly before closing his eyes.

"...Becoming whole again…" With that he pushed on the glass, and the boundary between us shattered, bathing both of us in a rainbow of colors as the shards fragmented.

Darkness. All around me was darkness. In the distance I heard a rumble, the sounds of screaming and shouting from afar. Then, from closer, the sound of wood and bricks moving. A grunt. A shuffle of clothing. Then a voice, filled with anger and static.

"Damn… She was useful… I suppose it truly is hard to find reliable help these days…"

Footsteps. Drawing closer. Shoes on broken glass. Drawing closer.

All at once I felt the puzzle pieces finally mesh together, the parts of my mind locked off for decades finally interconnected. Memories of running from a factory, of fighting, of anger and murder, flooding back. To meet them were memories of happiness, of compassion and remorse. The symphony in my mind was finally in tune. I was whole at last.

The footsteps drew within a meter before I opened my eyes. I was to my feet in an instant, aware of every part of my body, every cell of blood running through my veins. I turned to see Alastor face-to-face, and saw that he was surprised for a moment before his hate-filled grin returned.

"So. You're still alive, my former apprentice. And, seeing how our spectral friend is no more, I have to assume you've regained all of your senses."

I didn't need to look to the ground to see what he meant. Id was gone, absorbed into the form he had been split from for far too long. Instead I just glared at the Radio Demon in silence. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Oh? No cocky response? No promise of revenge? If I remember correctly you quite fancied my servant. It really is a shame she was disobedient in the end. She made good tea…" His expression became more stern.

"Don't begin to think you stand a chance against me just because my staff is gone, child. We both know you are nothing but a mistake, a failed experiment. You were always nothing but a broken tool, and it falls to me to finally dispose of you."

He raised his hand to try and attack me with some sort of spell, but it was fruitless. Faster than I had ever moved before I attacked him, my fist landing squarely in his chest like a sledgehammer. I felt his ribs snap under my fingers and the air escape his lungs, but I didn't give him time to react. Grabbing him with both arms I spun him around before sending him flying off the roof at breakneck speeds. I leapt into the air and flew just behind him, following him a few feet away as he crashed into the clock tower. He screamed out in pain, as the two hands had been warped and bent by the impact. They both now stuck out of his torso, each tick grinding him in the opposite directions. I just hovered a few feet away from the Radio Demon as he clung to life. Soon he stopped screaming, and his breathing fell into regular, ragged gasps. Then he surprised me for a final time and began to laugh. Moving towards him I grabbed him by the neck, pinning his bloodied head to the clock. There we were, a mirror image of the scene not more than a half hour prior. He still laughed, blood trickling down his jaw. I scowled at the demon that had taken everything from me.

"What do you have to laugh about? You've lost. I'm just waiting until the clock's hands rip you to shreds like the trash you are, Alastor."

Another minute. The hands creaked, and more blood spurted from his chest. Yet he laughed again and looked me in the eyes with a cold, hateful joy.

"I'm happy… because I was right…" Another wheezing cough, blood gurgling in his throat. He didn't break his gaze. "You will make… a fine replacement… for me…" He continued laughing, frothing blood covering his mouth as his lunacy overcame him. I simply backed away, staying in the air to watch as the clock that had spelled doom for all of Hell slowly and systematically tore apart the most powerful demon the underworld had ever known.

I flew back to the hotel. Below me demons were cheering, celebrating the defeat of the angels. For a moment they had all forgotten about their sins, and for a brief moment I hoped that maybe things could change. Yet as I looked down on the citizens of Hell, I knew that it was a temporary fix. They were made to hate. All of us, angel or demon, imp or Overlord, were still just driven by emotions. A sigh passed my lips as I returned to the Hazbin Hotel.

Landing on the roof I saw that Vaggie was consoling Charlie, who was sobbing onto her shoulders. Unsurprisingly Lucifer and Lillith were nowhere to be found, having no doubt scrambled back for cover. What was more surprising was Husker's survival: Angel Dust and Wership were helping him to his feet and addressing his wounds. Where his wings had been, two large wounds ran down his back. Upon seeing me he grimaced, but still raised the beer in his hand in salute. I just nodded back. Looking past them, I saw that Baxter was propped up against the wall, still unconscious. I considered walking to him and trying to wake him, but I knew he had done enough and needed rest. Instead I walked past the reunited, pained lovers. I moved beyond the wounded survivors, and left my friends to recover.

I kept walking, through the access door to the roof and down the stairs, into the familiar hallway. The carpeting felt nostalgic under my feet, but I knew that it just held memories for me now. Still I walked, and approached the door that once belonged to me. It was unlocked, and the handle turned easily in my grasp. Slowly the door swung open, revealing a room from a past life. The fading light from the world outside once again painted rainbows through the chandelier, bathing the room in color. I ignored it. Beauty was all but lost to me now. Instead I walked to the cabinet and undid the latch. Inside were some work documents, old clothes, some notes for chores. I brushed them aside, searching for the only thing I had left. Finally, there beneath memories and rainbows, was an old letter. It was somewhat tattered, and faded. But I could still read the words perfectly. Sitting on the bed, I read the lines over and over, memorizing the verses as best I could. Eventually tears started to fall, and I had to put the love letter to the side to preserve it.

She was gone. The only love I had ever known, reduced to ashes. I was truly alone then, with not even a shadow to comfort me. Finally whole, but entirely empty...

TO BE CONTINUED