Helluva Deal

57. Hotel

Eight hours earlier.

Alastor sighing rubs his forehead.

His headache is killing him...

Having talked with Blitz last night...did both of them well. But it also set his gears working non-stop again. This usually mostly only happens when he's been practicing too many new voodoo spells. But this time...

He sighs again.

His mind has been working so hard to figure out what to do once he's back in Pentagram City. Should he actually go looking for Husker, like Blitz advised him to?

Would the other sinner even want to see him? Probably not... He'd pretty much think that Alastor only called him for the usual – because of their deal, because of his debt. And Alastor knows that he won't be able to actually say that there are other reasons. That he's looking for...a sinner-friend because...

„...I can't have my hellborn-friends around... But I can't just replace them either. That's absurd!" Alastor groans and slams his head down onto his arms, resting on the desk in his guestroom, mumbling into it, „Husker appears nice enough, but still... I can't just..."

His rambling gets interrupted by a low knock at his door.

His ears prick up and he immediately gets himself under control again, clearing his throat and then calling with a gentle smile in his voice, „Do come in!"

The door gets opened and Ozzie, Fizz and Bee step inside.

Alastor doesn't know them particularly long yet, but he immediately notices the usually cheerful deadly sins' serious and slightly worried faces, as well as Fizzarolli's nervously twitching tail. He stands up from his chair and eyes them, „What's wrong? What happened?"

„We need your help, I guess..." Bee glances at Ozzie and Fizz, then she explains, „One of Ozzie's employees apparently saw Stella in the Wrath ring. Maybe it's just a hoax, but..."

„We definitely need to check that. I'm coming with you," Alastor nods at once, snapping his fingers and changing himself from his comfortable clothes into his usual signature suit, including his microphone stick.

„We hoped you'd say that," Ozzie smiles wryly, „Neither Bee nor I are much of fighting strategists. And we're likewise bad at recognizing hoaxes and traps, I guess..."

The radio demon nods, then he looks at Fizz, standing between them, looking from one to the other with huge, worried eyes.

„Fizzarolli. I know it's hard, but you mustn't tell anyone about this. Especially not Blitz."

Fizz winces lightly, „But..."

„No. He's still much weaker from birth and everything that has happened, than he lets on. And if he hears Stella might be alive, he'll move heaven and hell to hunt her down and keep his family save. He wouldn't survive that in his current condition!"

Fizz wraps his tail around himself, looking at Alastor, swallowing hard, „But he knows he can't risk his life like this. Stolas and Astrea need him!"

„Fizz, you know him since he's been a child. He's hotheaded. Especially if he's worried," Alastor's voice is gentle but insisting.

„I think he's right, Froggie," Ozzie puts a soothing hand on his boyfriend's back, „Maybe, all this is just a misunderstanding after all and it wasn't Stella. Blitz still needs rest and to recover, not even more stress and to fear for his family. Especially not if maybe for no reason at all. If it really should be true...we'll think of something. Okay, Fizzy?"