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-The morning after Extermination Day, the once-bustling streets of Hell are now eerily silent. The air hangs heavy with a mix of regret, anger, and the lingering scent of gunpowder.
The aftermath of the night before is scattered about like the discarded husks of insects, their significance lost on the denizens who now stare at them with equal parts fascination and horror.
Everyone gathers around the couch on the main floor of the Hazbin Hotel. Lucifer sits, eyes fixed on the floor, his expression a mixture of anger and understanding.
His wings twitch uneasily as he tries to process what has happened. Lute stands nearby, hands clasped tightly behind her back, head bowed in shame. The air is thick with tension as they all struggle to find the words to express their feelings.
"I don't know what to say, Lute," Lucifer finally manages, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I'm angry, I'm hurt, but I also understand why you did it. You were trying to protect Vaggie, just like Vaggie was trying to protect you. It's just that... your methods were wrong."
He pauses, taking a shaky breath before continuing.
"But I can't just let this go. Charlie was my daughter, Lute. And what you did... it was the hardest thing you could have done to me. I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that."
Lute looks up, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "I'm sorry.." she whispers, her voice barely audible over the sound of her ragged breathing.
"I never wanted it to come to this. I just wanted to protect her, and I wanted her to be happy. I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing."
Lucifer closes his eyes, taking a deep breath as he struggles to find the words.
"I know you did, Lute," he says finally. "But you have to understand... killing is not the answer. It never is. Vaggie would have found a way to protect you, too. She would have found a way to make this all right."
His voice cracks as he continues, "But you took that choice from her, just like she took the choice from Vaggie. And now we're all left here, trying to piece together the mess you've made." He pauses, taking a long, shaky breath before looking back at Lute. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that."
The air in the room grows thick with tension as the others in the room exchange glances. No one dares to speak, unsure of what else to say or do in the face of such devastation.
Lucifer looks away, his expression distant. "For now, everyone should just go back to their rooms and try to get some rest. We'll figure out what to do about Vaggie's body later." His voice cracks slightly as he says this, but he manages to maintain his composure.
"And as for Lute... I'll need some time to think about what to do with her." His wings twitch uneasily as he forces himself to meet her eyes.
The silence that follows is deafening. No one dares to challenge Lucifer's words, knowing that they are true. As they all begin to disperse, each going back to their own private torment, a sense of profound loss and despair hangs heavy in the air. For now, there is only the pain of their loss and the knowledge that their lives will never be the same again.
