A Close Encounter - A Hazbin Hotel FanFic

Part Seven - Birthday Wishes

A few more days had passed. It was only a short week away from the dreaded Extermination. Yet on a more light-hearted note, it was Singe's fifteenth birthday.

Singe woke up in excitement. She quickly got dressed, and rushed out so fast that she forgot to put on her eye patch. It was a tradition ever since she was adopted that Lucifer would fly her throughout the Pride Ring.

Singe always had fun on these flights with her grandfather, and it was some bonding time that they rarely got.

“Is breakfast almost ready yet?” Singe rushed into the lobby at lightning speeds, bouncing on her toes like a kid on a sugar high.

“Your parents are making something special for your birthday breakfast. Smells like it's almost ready, kiddo,” Lute was sitting on the couch on the other side of the lobby. Her expression softened at the sight of Singe so excited to celebrate her birthday, but it quickly darkened again when she saw Singe's face without the eye patch. Her empty eye socket was on full display.

Charlie and Vaggie came out with a stack of pancakes. They had quite a bit of chocolate chunks in them. It seemed like the pancakes were more chocolate than pancake. This was another yearly tradition that Singe was excited for. It almost made her forget about the Extermination coming in just a week. Almost.

“Happy birthday Singe!” Charlie exclaimed excitedly.

“Fifteen years. How does it feel?” Vaggie continued, taking note of the fact that Singe wasn't wearing her eye patch.

“Lucky,” was all Singe had to say. She was extremely lucky to still be alive after all these years.

There was a bit of small talk through the family as they ate. Lute watched from the couch on the other end of the lobby. She really had thought that Adam cared about her, yet that thought was swiftly disproven when he threw her away the moment she became an inconvenience.

Lute craved the familial bond that Singe, Charlie, and Vaggie had. Yet she had no one, and being a Fallen Angel, there were few that would accept her. She looked on with a soft smile. Even after what she had done to Singe, she had seemed to start caring for her.

Singe finished up her chocolate chunk pancakes and took her dishes to the sink. She washed them herself, wondering what she and Lucifer would see on their flight.

“What do you think Grandpa Luci will show me this year?” Singe had directed this question at Charlie, but as if on cue, a burst of flame filled the kitchen, and as it died down, Lucifer could be seen standing beside Singe.

“Why not a bit of everything? I say you're old enough for a fly-over of the entire Ring.”

“Really? You'd really take me all throughout Pride?”

“Of course, why not?”

Singe's smile only grew. She put a sweater and her shoes on, and waited at the door for Lucifer. Lucifer didn't head over to Singe at first, though. He started over to the couch where Lute sat.

Lute tensed up slightly. She had always been slightly afraid of Lucifer, and that fear was only amplified after her Fall, “Greetings, your majesty.”

Lucifer chuckled slightly at the formal greeting, “No need for that. I see you and Singe have grown closer. Even to be called ‘friends’?”

Lute's cheeks flushed red at the mention of the two of them becoming closer, “Friends, yeah.”

Lucifer could tell that Lute saw Singe as something more. Not quite romantic, but more protective… though he chose not to comment on it, “Well any friend of my family is a friend of mine.”

Lute nodded, the red tinge on her face fading away. Her body relaxed slightly, but was still tense. Lucifer waited for a moment before continuing, “Would you like to come with Singe and I on our flight? You never know when you need extra protection.”

Lute thought for a second, then nodded, “Yeah, I'll go. It's been a while since I've flown anyways.”

“Good, let's get going.”

______________________________________

The air was warm as the breeze hit Singe's face. The sensation of the wind flowing inside of her empty eye socket was a weird one, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. She clung on to Lucifer tightly. She knew that her grandfather wouldn't drop her, yet she still held tightly out of instinct.

Lute flew beside the duo in silence. Seeing Singe happy after all she had been through sent a warm feeling through her body.

“Wow… Hell really looks so beautiful from this high up. Almost makes me forget about what goes on down there,” Singe looked down in awe, taking in the bright lights and intricate design of the Pride Ring.

“Yeah, it really does, doesn't it kiddo? Makes me happy to rule over it.”

…

“Hey, Lucifer?” Lute spoke up for the first time, “What do you think Emily will do?”

“The young Seraphim? What about her?”

“Now that she knows about the Extermination. Do you think she'll try and stop it? Do you think she might get hurt for speaking her mind… like I hurt Singe?”

Singe spoke up before Lucifer could even think of an answer, “She's doing her best. And if she gets hurt for doing so… if The Angel of Joy gets hurt for speaking her mind, that would only reflect on how awful Heaven is.”

Lute thought for a moment. She again realized how poorly Heaven treated her. How Heaven treats all the Exorcists. She never really thought about it too much. She thought that it was the norm, but now she sees that people in Hell live better than some people in Heaven. It's a stark contrast, and she knows that Heaven's corruption needs to be put to an end ASAP.

Lucifer looked down at Singe. For a fou-... fifteen year old girl, she was mature beyond some in their forties. He saw the footage of her argument in the trial in Heaven, and how she reacted when her eye was gouged out.

Lucifer then reflected upon how Singe had welcomed Lute. Took her in, cared for her, protected her. Even though it would have been completely justified and even expected for her to shun her away, and leave her to fend for herself.

Singe was also deep in thought. She was wondering about the upcoming Extermination. Adam had mentioned targeting the Hazbin Hotel. The residents… whom she considered all to be her family, would all be in great danger.

How would the Exorcists be coordinated? How many would there be? How would we defend ourselves?

How do we end this war?