Hey Little Songbird

Chapter 8: Remember Me.

Most of that evening had been spent cleaning up the wreckage caused by the unexpected visitors. It would take a few months of their salaries to replace it all, but the demons were grateful that their new friend had saved Theodore and driven away the loan sharks. For now, things were as close to safe as they could be. It had been decided Molly could stay with them until she got herself settled down. A couch had been set up in their office area for the demoness to have some privacy as she slept. The couch was tiny but quaint.

Molly hardly slept a wink, her eyes looking into the evening sky to see the glow of heaven so high above this world of chaos and despair. Had situations been different, she could find peace living with Carlyle and Theodore. Much to her surprise, there were some decent souls in hell. This was not why she had been sent here for. She had a mission to do and was determined to see it through. The spider demoness pressed her hand against the glass while taking a deep breath before sighing to herself.

"Don't forget about me, mamma." She whimpered softly. A tear fell off her chin as her other hand reached up and touched her cheek. Why was Molly crying all of a sudden? Had it finally sunk in as to what she agreed to? Maybe it was because, for the first time in 70 years, she was alone. Sure, her new friends gave her some solace, but this was not the warm and loving world she had grown accustomed to. How did either of her brothers find the means to survive here for so long?

As much as she wanted to, she could not stay. Surely what happened with the loan shark will bring unwanted attention, and Molly couldn't risk her new friends being in danger. Although Carlyle warned of the nightlife being scary, it was late enough to where even all of hell would be sleeping. This was the hope anyway. Quietly, she used the computer in the office to find the address and directions for the happy hotel. It would be a bit of a walk, but it was manageable.

The spider demoness wrote down a letter for them to find in the morning on their table. The least she could do is give them some things to pay back the kindness that they had given to a stranger who had just fallen into hell. Molly hoped they would not be too angry at her for leaving, but she had no time to waste. The sooner she helped this porn star redeem himself, the faster she would be able to return home.

[Dear Carlyle and Theodore,

Thank you both for taking care of me while I was vulnerable and welcoming me into your home. Your kindness was not something I expected to find in hell. While I wish I can accept your offer of staying with the two of you, I cannot burden you further than I already have. I will forever be grateful for the two of you, and I will not be able to fully pay back what you have given me.

These recipes are something that was passed down to me by my mother, we used to make and sell whenever money was tight. I am sure that your customers will love these as much as people on earth did. Please use them in your bakery, may these give you enough profit so that the two of you no longer struggle. If you wish to find me, seek me out at the happy hotel. You will find me there. I hope and pray you shall find success in all that you do!

Sincerely,
Evie]

With that, Molly disappeared into the night without a word. She silently closed the apartment door and left with only the clothes on her back along with the directions written down on a scrap piece of paper. The spider demon had lost a day due to helping save Theodore and herself from danger. Once bustling streets harbored barely a soul, it felt like a ghost town compared to all the chaos from earlier that day.

Luckily, due to Theodore, she at least looked like she belonged there. Molly kept the directions hidden in her hands while walking down the street, crossing her arms against the fluff that peeked out from her chest. There was a sense of uneasiness and dread. Perhaps that was why there were vending machines of drugs and alcohol practically on every corner, to numb people from this constant feeling.

Although the spider demon had the directions written out and looked like she belonged there, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Her body language would give away how uncomfortable the world made her. This would be very noticeable to anyone truly paying attention, which unfortunately there was. What the angel wasn't aware of as she walked was that she had caught the eye of a very powerful overlord. Hidden away in his limousine, a pair of red eyes hidden behind heart-shaped magenta sunglasses watched her intently.

The overlord of lust and depravity is better known to hell as Valentino. The moth overlord took a drag from his cigarette, letting out the smoke slowly after a few moments. His driver had been circling the block for a while to wait on a certain doll to show her face and be picked up. As usual, Velvet had gotten distracted, much to the annoyance of the overlord, and was late. He was already in a bad mood thanks to Angel Dust making a fool of himself on television the morning after the cleanse.

"Aren't you just a pretty little thing?" The overlord said under his breath. An idea made him smirk as he began to blow his smoke out the window. This was a simple trick he did to lure in potential, the smell from his cigarette alone would make demons turn their heads. She looked new enough to not run away from fear, and that was all the advantage he needed. All it would take is some comforting words and a dash of charm, and he could add another weapon to his arsenal.

The sight of the smoke made Molly's eyes widen, how in the heavens was smoke such a vibrant red? Not only that, but it also smelled like cinnamon and cherries. This wasn't normal, and a chill of goosebumps had brushed down her spine as she turned her head to look around. Valentino's smirk grew slightly as he watched her turn and look around. Now he could see her face, and this little demon seemed to be what he needed to fill Angel's spot.

Granted she needed some polishing, but that hardly wasn't a problem for the moth overlord. There wasn't a demon in hell he couldn't make into a star, and she was just right to be his next bit of arm candy. Valentino chuckled as he tilted his head, oh the things he could do with this one once she was his. All he needed to do now was lure her in. The overlord began lowering his window before signaling to the driver to slow down so they could match her speed. He took a long drag to get her to stop in her tracks before a familiar face popped her head into the open window.

"Vallie!" The doll demon smiled, making the limo stop in its tracks. The ponytailed demoness blocked Valentino's view of Molly, causing the moth to growl.

"Babydoll, what have I told you about doing that?" Valentino asked, blowing his smoke in the opposite direction to not put it into velvet's face. His smoke wouldn't have worked on her, Velvet was too powerful for him to control. She was a damn firecracker who wasn't the type a demon wanted to piss off.

"I'm sorry." Velvet whined before opening the door and sliding inside, "I was getting selfies for sinstagram." She smiled widely as she began showing them off. Val couldn't care less about her hobbies, his eyes darting around to see where the spider demon had gone. By the time Velvet popped in, Molly had turned down a corner and out of his vision. Damn, out of all the rotten luck. He would have to send his boys out to track her down. Valentino was not the type to give up something he had an eye on.

"Whatcha looking at Val?" Velvet had interrupted his train of thought when the demoness noticed he hadn't been looking down at her phone.

"Nothing Velvet," Valentino muttered in response. He looked down at her phone and raised an eyebrow, "What the hell is that?"

"This is the crime scene where Ace and his pack got beaten up! Isn't it cool??" Velvet snicked while smiling gleefully, "The gorgon did a number on them. Vox's video feed he sent me to post is number one on trending!"

"Gorgon? What kind of stupid fucking name is that?" The moth overlord barked as he rolled his eyes. "Just what we need, another wannabe overlord." His eyes looked down at the video velvet had pulled up.

It wasn't a very good view of the action, though Vox didn't have many cameras in Imp City. He watched the gorgon fight off the group as his eyes narrowed slightly. His smile and eyes began to glow as his interest peaked. This small thing took out a group of armed muscles with only their hair. Possibilities began to form in his mind, perhaps this was why Vox wanted it posted. Having an overlord under their control may be useful. He snapped his fingers and the driver began to speed off toward their next destination.

Voxtech Industries.