Love and Destroy - HAZBIN HOTEL

Chapter 1: Dreams come true

1

Sitting in his spacious control room plastered with monitors of every shape and size, Vox pressed his index finger on the mute button while snapping his jaws loudly.
The screens were broadcasting thousands of different images, from every single corner of the city downtown, including the so-called Hazbin Hotel, showing its newly rebuilt exterior and its surroundings. The countless cables sticking out from behind his skull- in the very shape of a television- made Pentagram City dominated by his watchful gaze.
As his head was kept down still, he abruptly looked up with bloodshot eyes at the image right in front of him < ... >
A violent electro-static fist, right against the surface of the desk, was what suddenly broke the silence in the whole room. Anger, frustration, impatience, and more pent-up emotions were driving him mad. A whirlwind of hurt and hate kept him on the edge, especially since Alastor, that asshole, was back and everything seemed to turn out almost perfectly in his favor. Not even the deadly wound Adam left him had succeeded in wiping him out.
And so he just stared, while his still tense body was coursed by several electrical spasms, throughout those interminable seconds as he tried to analyze his every emotion. Then he slowly and gradually started to tremble out of a low chuckle that got louder and louder by the minute as a weary huff escaped his mouth. Then he shifted his shoulders and leaned back against the chair in an attempt to get rid of whatever turmoil was stirring inside him while keeping him awake for weeks now.
< I can't go on like this, for hell's sake... my..my body will fail eventually... > he snapped, filled with rage as he clamped his jaws violently again...< ..that damned fucker.. > He was wearing his usual attire, the best jacket he had with the red bow tie as tight as he could around his small neck while the hat, from which the antennas were sticking out, was perched on his so-called head. Below, the red and black striped vest was straining around his torso with part of the shirt visible from the neckline.
< He can't...he just can't die, can't he?... > he added in a new burst of anger as more static started running through his cables until they reached the connection of the screens which, in a split second, all tuned and focused on the Hotel's different areas, rooms included.
With a sudden stretch of his arms, his fingers began to frantically tap on the controls keyboard < Where.. the fuck.. are you!? > he growled, as his eyes roamed over the many screens following the images, including those of the well-known hotel guests while they moved around... < Where are you, Alastor..? > he seethed lowly as his every gesture started to feel more frantic and desperate.
And there he was while he froze and his breath hitched for a second while his heart skipped a beat at the sight. He was in his room, alone.
< You still haven't recovered yet, you cowardly old dog..? > he maniacally laughed as soon as he regained control over himself, losing red drool from the wicked smile that moved him < ..did Adam hurt you that bad..huh? > he mocked then, while his gaze increasingly widened and his irises sizzled like nervous sparks.

Meanwhile, Alastor was still there unmoving, sitting on an antique armchair placed at the foot of his dark wood canopy bed in this master bedroom. The room itself looked older than the rest of the furniture with its brown and red aesthetic and walls covered with various objects, most vintage or old-looking like radios or branches of deer antlers with the bathroom just on the right of the main door.
But rather than sitting, one could say that the Radio Demon was leaning forward as his bony shoulders and frame were curved on himself, with his right elbow resting on one knee while his face was hidden in the palm of his hand while his red and black hair concealed the rest of his features making it impossible to see his expression.
Most of his clothes were off, jacket and stick haphazardly tossed on the bed, with only his trousers on while the red shirt hung slightly open off his chest, without the usual bow tie. Even his pointed shoes were off, cast aside without care and making his deer legs perfectly visible to whoever would enter the room.
And while Vox stared, drooling at Alastor's figure on the main screen, out of the corner of his eye he saw Charlie's image moving in another, walking from the main hall and leaving Lucifer and Vaggie behind, to go up the stairs and enter the spacious corridors in the direction of the Radio Tower.
Alastor's ears, which were resting flat on the back of his neck up until now, vibrated a second before the quiet knock on his door, making them immediately stand at attention while his face lifted slowly, making his sharp red eyes peeking out from the slits of his fingers.
< Al..? It's... it's me, Charlie. Can I come in..? > The blonde's high-pitched voice echoed from behind the closed door, slightly muffled and hesitant.
< .. > Alastor faltered slightly as the only thing that came out of his still-covered mouth was the noise of a broken radio interference.
< You ..you can come in..now > he attempted to say then, while he fixed his posture and straightened his back, ready to welcome her with his signature wide smile.
At that, the door opened to reveal a tall female figure with blonde long hair, golden eyes with red irises on a gentle face with way too soft features. She had on her usual red jacket, paired with black trousers and small heels that echoed with every hesitant step she took while entering the room.
< Is.. Is everything okay? How do you feel..? > she asked, genuinely concerned while clutching her hands against her chest with apprehension.
< Oh, I'm... I'm perfectly fine, dear ~ > he started.. < I'll recover soon..don't you wor...- > he was about to add but words died in his throat as his voice came out painfully distorted, only interrupted by a choked gasp that made him hunch forward as his shoulders sank again, while his claws gripped his side shakily. Charlie's steps sped up as soon as she what was happening, alarmed and worried by the change in Alastor's behaviour, kneeling in front of his legs the moment she reached him.
< Alastor! > she urged in distress, placing one of her hands on the one that was clutching at the wound.