Living rooms that belong to the survivors of natural disasters might have a calmer atmosphere than the living room at M 's apartment. Sitting next to the woman she hates more than anyone else in existence, Jill crossed her arms and legs to control her anger. The 'other woman', Martha, mimicked her body language, only baring her sharp teeth. Moxxie and Millie, however, were standing on opposite sides of the TV watching Lincoln pace the floor. The aforementioned boy had just gone over what happened with the chess pieces; he coated them with his blood and when he pulled them out of his hat during the mission, he was searching for something to help and his magic gave him the pawns, and how they got in their current predicament.
"We became your 'Pawns'?" Martha questioned. "Just how in the fuckin' Hell could that happened!?"
"Put simply, when you made contact with the pieces they were absorbed into your Sinner bodies; or in Martha's case, it became part of you when you died." Lincoln motioned to the newly deceased. "What really confuses me is how I summoned you here."
"I don't give a shit how!" Jill pointed to Martha. "Just tell me what to do to get this whore out of my life!"
"You think you've got it bad!" The woman with a missing eye retorted. "You're the deranged bitch who tried to kill me cuz' you can't please your man!"
"Why you-" The former teacher was going to say something back, but she lost her voice.
"Quiet!" Lincoln stopped them, keeping either of the women from saying a word. "Now listen, I don't how this happened, but there must be some way to fix it."
"Princess Morningstar!" Moxxie suggested. "She might know."
"Good idea, Mox!" Millie congratulated her husband. "But we don't have the book."
Lincoln thought of solutions. "I might be able to open the portal now, but it may take some trial and error." He turned towards Jill and Martha. "I'm going to try to help you, but you two can't tellanyone about IMP or demons going to Earth. Okay?"
The two women took a moment to share an intense glare, then nodded in agreement at the boy.
"Okay."
Not having anything on him to write with, Link asked M if he could borrow a pen. Millie got one from the kitchen and handed it over. After giving thanks, the devil-tailed boy jammed it through his palm; while Jill reacted in horror, Martha smirked and giggled. The pen became magic, and Lincoln wrote the portal spell on a wall. Allowing the women to enter first, Link thanked his hosts and lefts.
"I hope he'll be okay." Millie worried.
"Don't worry, Mills. That young man is more capable than anyone realizes." Moxxie tried to ease her nerves.
"Thanks, Hun... Moxxie, do you remember what he called us before he fell asleep?"
This made the male imp tense up. "I do."
Millie only made a small smile and went to get ready for the day.
Still early in the morning, the hotel was quiet when Lincoln and his Pawns arrived. Leading the two upstairs to Charlie and Vaggie's room, the boy looked around for anyone else who might be awake. Giving the situation, he felt it was better to not have word getting out about his chess pieces. The three stopped outside the leading couple's door and Lincoln knocked.
Charlie yawned from the other side. "One minute." She opened the door.
"Good Morning, Charlie. Sorry for waking you, but I have a little issue to discuss." Lincoln spoke, bowing before he looked up. "Uh... your Highness?"
Staring down, Charlie Morningstar bit her lip while holding back tears. " WHY ARE YOU SO CUTE!" The royal dropped to her knees and hugged the boy tightly.
Forgetting his attire, Lincoln remembered that he was wearing his IMP uniform, accept after it got soaked in his black blood during the dungeon, it was completely white to match his skin. Vaggie got up and saw the demonstration and laughed at her girlfriend's response. Meanwhile, Jill and Martha struggled to contain their anger; despite fighting the urge, both Sinners wanted to nuzzle the adorable child. After struggling to get free for several minutes, Lincoln brushed himself off and adjusted his hat before speaking.
"Charlie, I'm here because I have pressing news." He gestured to the Sinners behind him. "This is Martha and Jill, it would seem I've entered a... unforeseen predicament."
"What's the problem?" Vaggie asked.
"Where to begin... you remember the chess set at the bar?"
Charlie woke everyone and asked them to report to the downstairs fireplace. The rest of the hotel was happy to see Lincoln was back; Niffty squealed when she saw his new look while Sir Pentious went doe-eyed while introducing his egg boiz. When everyone got assembled, Lincoln explained how his powers turn the chess pieces into... cursed items, that gave him control of Jill and Martha. However, he made sure to keep sensitive details a secret.
"I don't believe it." Vaggie shook her head. "You basically made a deal... without even needing the other parties to accept, just because they grabbed one of those chess pieces."
"Just as I thought." Angel Dust remarked, stretching his arms. "Chess is a horrible game."
"I... don't think that's the lesson here, Angel." Charlie countered. "Lincoln, we know you wouldn't do this, but a deal... that's not something anyone else but you can break."
Lincoln stared at his backhand. "I don't even know if I can."
"Don't worry, Nephew." Alastor appeared next to the boy. "I'm certain you can turn this situation into a benefit."
"You think so?" The all white boy looked up.
"I know so like I know the wrinkles on my father's face." Alastor twirled his cane. "Tell me, you seem different some how."
While Lincoln left to speak alone with his relative, Charlie introduced herself to the new Sinners. "Hello, I'm Charlie Morningstar, and this is the Hazbin Hotel. A den of rehabilitation for Sinners who want to better themselves and hopefully ascend to Heaven." She offered a hand. "If you want, we would be pleased to have you as our guest."
Jill Mayberry looked at the hand for a moment; she was still angry, but she didn't want to be the person she's become since death any longer. With a hesitant confirmation, Jill accepted her hand.
Excited to have another guest, Charlie shook the ex-teacher's hand vividly. The princess turned to offer the same to Martha.
The newest Sinner made a deep sigh. "At least I'll have a roof over my head." She accepted.
"Something tells me you and I will get along like that." Angel Dust smiled while snapping his fingers.
Talking at the bar, Lincoln revealed to Alastor that he went to Earth, journeyed into people's souls, and how he saw people change afterwards. He also demonstrated his radio pistol by throwing up an empty bottle and firing at it in mid-air. Alastor kept his face frozen for a moment.
"You went to Earth?" He leaned in, speaking softly. "Best to keep this a little secret for now."
"I will, Uncle." Lincoln confirmed. "Oh, I am so excited! It was amazing, I actually saw people redeem themselves. I mean, it was miraculous!" When he thought of the father and kids, Lincoln's mind recalls something in his Inventory. "I'll be right back."
Although she's still the same woman as before, Martha should know the truth. "Martha, can we talk for a moment." The two left to speak quietly while the rest of hotel went about their day. "I want you to have this."
"Wow... what is it?" The woman looked at the jailer's ring with a key on it.
With a heavy heart, Lincoln told her the story. Every detail no matter how painful it was for him to speak. When he finished, Martha looked the young boy with an expression of complete flabbergast. She clenched the ring in her hands as she dropped to the floor. Jill saw this, and although she hates Martha; the former teacher also understands that she's inadvertently responsible for the family's death.
"I'm... and this is as painful as passing a kidney stone the size of a football to say. I'm sorry." Jill apologized.
Lincoln offered a hand to help her up. "It may not help, but if what I did really clean their souls, then I believe your husband and kids are in a better place."
Heartbroken, the grieving Sinner got to her feet and placed the key ring through the belt loop of her pants. "Okay, if I'm really stuck with you two, then fine." Martha scowled. "But I have one demand."
The boy looked up to face her. "What is it?"
"Take me to Earth, so I can kill the pig fuckers who blew up my family!" Martha demanded, furious.
Lincoln closed his eyes before speaking. "I'll take you to Earth, but you can't kill those officers."
"You're gonna justify what those fucks did!?" Martha questioned.
"No, but I'm going to make sure they face justice." Lincoln squinted. "But it won't be easy. I barely survived my encounter with your family, and you didn't have access to Class IV weapons."
"Hold it." Jill entered the conversation. "You're not saying you're going to start a fight with the police!?"
"No... I'm going to save them from themselves." The boy pulled out his pen. "But I can't do it as I am now."
This time when a portal opened up to Earth, it was on the shore of the lake where Martha's house was. Only the location that Lincoln and the other Sinners exited was on the opposite side. The child of the group returned to his human form, a little dishearten at losing his tail. When he came through, Martha followed, also turning into her former human self; except, this time she was missing her right eye. Jill came up from behind, a little surprised to be her old self again.
"Interesting." Lincoln noted. "I suspected that because you're my Pawns, you can travel to Earth. Even your clothes changed."
"This is somethin'." Jill looked at her reflection in the water. "I almost forgot I had green eyes."
Martha was silent, as across the lake she could see the ashen remains of her home. The woman steeled her nerves. "We're here now. What's the next step?"
Looking into the distance. "Second lesson of being an assassin: Disguise"
If they were gonna be on Earth, they would need to have disguises to not draw attention. The problem wasn't what they were wearing, even if Lincoln thought his clothes were funny. The problem was that all three of them, although the boy couldn't confirm, are declared dead and if someone recognizes them it would raise questions.
Unfamiliar with the area, Jill and Martha took the led on heading towards the town. It wasn't too indistinguishable from most small towns, although the older buildings gave indication of being in the southern states. To his fury, Lincoln spotted a few Confederate flags on their way into town. The first place they went to was a secondhand clothing store; the boy instructed the ladies to wait outside while he went to get their outfits.
He didn't want to gain too much attention, so Lincoln asked a woman working in the store to pick out a couple of outfits and accessories for his 'aunts'. Link picked out some clothes for himself and went to pay for both his outfit and the ladies with some money from the 'bank'.
"Have a wonderful day, Young man!" The saleswoman was very courteous.
"You too, Miss." Lincoln returned.
A few minutes later, the group went to change clothes in a gas station restroom. Lincoln finished changing in one single-user restroom while Martha changed in the other. Finishing early, the boy exited wearing a red, yellow, and blue baja hoodie, cargo shorts, red tennis shoes. Since none of them had any breakfast, the boy went inside and bought some food.
"Is this all?" A teen at the counter asked.
Lincoln pulled out some money to pay. "Yeah, just this." His eyes turned to a pair of yellow sunglasses, a passible disguise. "How much are those?"
Rejoining the others outside, the boy wore his new sunglasses while wearing his hood up. He spotted his blonde associates waiting on a parking block at the edge of the gas station. Jill was wearing her hair down to cover some of her face; her disguise included a red flannel shirt with faded overalls and blue flats. Martha covered her missing eye with a bandana and wore hair in a ponytail; her clothing consisted of an old jersey with jeans and leather sandals. Now with them, Lincoln handed out the food.
"Now we won't be hiding in the woods." Martha smiled. "Where to next?"
"Next?" The boy took a bite of a donut. "I'm going to need a toy store."
"This is stupid." Waiting in the alley of the local toy store with the women she hates, Martha vented. "I came up here to kill the bastards killed my kin! But he has me going toy shopping with you!"
"This isn't how I pictured my afterlife either." Jill responded, checking the area. "But if that boy has any idea of how to make those police face their crimes without killing them, I'll trust his judgement."
"Oh, someone is suddenly thinkin' straight."
Jill looked away. "He said somethings that... really hit hard."
A moment of silence followed until Lincoln came out the toy store carrying a few bags. The boy set down his bags and crossed his legs on the ground. The first item he pulled out was a solider costume pack and threw it to Jill; he then pulled out an identical one and tossed it to Martha. Both women looked at them with confusion.
"How the actually fuck is this going to help us!?" Martha wanted answers.
Lincoln pulled out his special knife. "If my powers work the way I think it will, you'll see."
The boy made a deep laceration across his palm a focused on his connection with Martha and Jill. His blood floated from his hand circled around the two women. The droplets slowly formed into tiny orbs of light until they illuminate all over them. Once the lights died down, Jill and Martha were revealed to have changed into soldier attire. Each of them wore a white, black, and orange camo uniform with matching cap and orange boots; On their persons was a submachine gun, semi-automatic pistol, a grenade, combat radio, binoculars, a canteen, compass, and a black watch on their wrists.
"Damn!" Martha admired herself, then unfasted her top button to reveal some cleavage. "There, much better."
"This is crazy." Jill was unsure. "Are we really going to use this?"
"Almost." Lincoln reached into the other bag and pulled out some toy medieval gear. "You each get a helmet, shield, gauntlets, and shin guards, but one of you gets the axe, and the other gets a spear."
"Okay, this is-" Before the more reasonable woman could finish talking, Martha interrupted.
"Dibs on the axe!"
It was quiet outside the police station. There was no signs of people recognizing the group as they stood outside. Both the Jill and Martha had changed back into their previous disguises.
"Can't we just go in and start somethin'?" Martha questioned.
"The fake request I called in will take some time." Lincoln explained. "We can't just enter unless we make sure the cops from last night are in. I made sure to stress the importance that the officers who blew up your house come in for questioning." The boy altered his voice to sound more gruff. "Good thing the FBI wants a report on the use of missiles by local police."
Jill caught sight of officers entering the station from behind. "I think their in."
Link returned his voice to normal. "Let's go."
There was six officers that came in for questioning; they gathered in one of the interrogation rooms, waiting for the FBI agent to arrive. Walking in the front door, into a station filled with cops and pedestrians, Lincoln and the girls went to the reception counter to speak with the Desk Officer.
"Hello, what seems to be the problem?" The officer asked.
Jill and Martha stood on either side of Lincoln, waiting. The boy opened his mouth. "Dunjon Link!"
Compared to the first time, when the white-haired boy activated the dungeon a key manifested after everything went gray. Lincoln grabbed it and turned the key to start. The police station dungeon was different; instead of a forest trail, the party appeared on the outskirts of a medieval fortress. The landscape was craggy and fertile in grass; and the fortress was a mountainous and had the word, 'POLICE', painted on it in big letters. Lincoln and party were a fair distance away and there was no mobs attacking.
"Holy Shit!" Martha commented on everything happening. "Did this happen when you were with Ralphie and the kids?"
"Not quite." The boy admitted, using Inventory to change in a flash, before handing the dungeon key over to Martha to put on the ring. "Theirs was more of a journey with defenses. This is just a simple walk and there's no mobs."
"It could be because nobody here considers you a threat." Jill deduced, changing like Lincoln. "I mean, we haven't don anything to provoke them. Also, and no disrespect for your kids Martha, your family did a lotof horrible stuff. Compared to law enforcement brutally killing murders, I bet these people haven't committed any serious sins."
"None takin'." Martha changed. "You know, as shitty it is to have been killed, a lot of stuffy is easier than before." She commented on how she and Jill also have an Inventory, only it can contain a smaller mass of items.
Lincoln was using binoculars to survey the front when Mac appeared. "Heya Boss!" The tiny imp floated. "Ready for another asskicking!?"
"Who is that?" The one eyed woman asked.
"Oh~ It's so cute!" Jill tickled Mac, causing the guide to laugh.
"You girls can see them too?" Lincoln felt a little peaceful knowing he wasn't imagining voices. "This is Mac. Think of them like... a tutorial with thoughts."
"Tutorial?" This gave Jill an idea. "Mac, if you know so much, how do we break whatever curse Lincoln placed on us!?"
While their guide explained, the group walked leisurely towards the fortress. "Curse?" The sprite pondered. "Oh, you mean being a Pawn? It's easy, you just have to say you want out, and Lincoln has to accept your leaving. But just a heads up, if you give up your piece, then you surrender all the powers and blessings that come with it!"
"Powers and Blessings?" Lincoln asked. "What could being an actual Pawn have to offer?"
Mac opened a screen like the one their boss uses. He opened up an explanation page titled Pawn, and below was a list of what that offered:
POWERS
[Major Physical Form]
BLESSINGS
[Game Piece Body] [Game Piece Mind] [Extended Storage (1,000lbs)] [Respawn]
"Hope that will answer your questions." Mac disclosed the answers. "You have any question, Boss?"
Lincoln chuckled. "No thanks, I rather play the game."
Soon, the party arrived at the gates to the fortress. Instead of a berserk maniac as a gatekeeper like before, the mobs keeping guard was two knights with oversized batons. Lincoln was taking lead when one of the guards interrupted them.
"Halt!" He said. "What business do you have here?"
"Me and my friends are here to speak with the officers that were on scene at the cannibal house last night." The boy pointed to his team.
"Sorry, but no-" The guard had his head lopped off with an axe before he could finish.
Jill and the white-haired boy turned to a smiling Martha. "What? They weren't gonna let us in."
Before the remaining guard could attack, Jill speared him in the neck, causing the sirens to wail as the gate opened. "Looks like we're doing this." Lincoln commented ran in with his raid team.
On their way to the heart of the fortress, armed guards tried to kill the group. At first, they tried to use the magic guns but it turned out those were less affective than melee weapons or Lincoln's sonic pistol. Using his superior range, Link sniped the serious threats from a distance while letting Jill and Martha handle the incoming mobs. The reward drops were minimal compared to last night's, but the women weren't concerned with that. Outside the boss door, the group took a moment to rest before charging in.
"Okay, I don't know what we'll find in there, but the most important thing is this." Lincoln explained. "The goal is to free the officers of their sins so they can face justice for their actions. That's why when you see a glowing orb, I'll handle it."
"Sounds like a lotta hassle." Martha tossed a grenade in the air. "How are about we just go in and finish them!?"
Before she could react, Lincoln fired a blast past the woman's ear. "We aren't here to kill people. I could have easily killed your husband as well as Dash and Julie, but I didn't because they had the opportunity to improve themselves."
Martha looked at her grenade. "How were they? In the last moments they had, how were they?"
Link looked away. "The blast was sudden, I think the kids died quickly. Ralph... he suffered. He told me to be better than a murderer. So that's why I'm going to try to save these cops' souls." The boy got to his feet. "Let's do this."
With a single push, the party were able to opened the gate to the Boss room. It was well lit in the center of the room but dark surrounding. The group ease in, back to back, until they were in the center of the light. A loud rumble came from the darkness, followed by a slithering.
"FREEZE!" A search light hit the group, followed by five more.
Appearing from the shadows was six eyes, each attached to a giant tentacle leading to a fleshy sphere with a giant eye in the center above a large mouth filled with rows of teeth. It was a Beholder. From one of the eyes, a bolt of magic was fired that would have caused serious pain if the group didn't separate. Again and again, the eyes would fire bolts of magic whenever it caught sight of one of the intruders. The party tried to kill the beholder using ranged attacks, but the eyes were too quick to fire back.
"FUCK!" Jill swore, hiding in the dark with Lincoln. "That damn thing won't be killed like this!"
"You're right." The boy agreed. "Unless we can kill up close... that gives me an idea." Link mischievously smiled.
Mystifying the Pawns, Lincoln charged towards the monster, and jumped into it's gaping maw. The two women stared in shock at the kids 'seemingly' foolish action. Once she realized that the monster wasn't attacking while it chew, Martha yelled to charge and the two of them went at the tentacles with their weapons. A moment later, the beholder began trembling, and then a long blade protruded through its center eye. Not long later, several other blades pierced from the inside, reducing the beholder to nothing.
While the boss died, Lincoln reemerged with numerous blades shooting out from his body. Showing that the boy allowed himself to be eaten so he could attack. When the battle was over, Lincoln shed the blades to allow his wounds to heal and his clothing to repair itself.
"Boy, you are insane!" Martha yelled in glee. "No wonder my kids liked you!"
Jill squeezed the child tight while the rewards appeared. In the center of the room was an large, elegant treasure chest. Once Lincoln was feeling more like himself, he opened his hands to reveal that he retrieved the souls of the officers from the inside while he was attacking. After he released them, instead of appearing before the trio, they shoot up towards the sky and left the dungeon.
Hopeful that he helped those people, he went up and opened the chest; manifesting from the box was six rewards levitating: a domino mask, a vial of red potion, a glass eye with an eye patch, a piece of paper with a sigil on it, a recursive bow, and a green egg with a pink vertical stripe.
"Interesting loot, but I was expectin' something more... glittery." Martha was unimpressed.
"Looks can deceive." Mac came out, now that the fighting was over. "If you want, I can explain what each item is."
"Go right a head, Mackie." Lincoln gave the sprite a nickname.
Mac began with the mask. "This is an Amnesia Mask, perfect for disguise. While you wear it, nobody will be able to tell you are unless you tell them, regardless of how obviousit is." They started. "Up next is a Potion of Iron Skin; when you drink it, your strength and durability will greatly increase while your speed and agility will slightly decrease. Then, we have the 'Eye of Medusa'; while you look at someone with this eye, they will gradually cease being able to move until they leave your line sight, even if you blink. It even comes with a cool patch." Mac noted how the dark eye patch had cool design of a snake. "Next, we have... I'm not sure, but it looks cool."
Lincoln didn't know what it was either, but it looked similar to the same sigil he found in the last dungeon, the one that gave his blood the power to make blades.
"Any way, here is 'Ghost-piercer'; this bow will give any arrow it fives the ability to turn intangible until it can hit its intended target. Be warned, you'll need to keep a stock of arrows." Mac giggled. "Finally, this is a Blessed Beast egg. Keep the egg close until it hatches, and when it does it'll bring out a magical creature whose friendly to you and will obey you without question."
The three of them looked at the loot, fascinated. "This was a group effort, I say we each get two." Lincoln offered a compromise.
Jill and Martha looked at each other for a moment, then shook their heads in agreement.
Going first, the devil-tailed boy took the mask and the sigil; when he touched the paper, it turned to ice and melted in the boys hand. He tested his new power and found it gave his blood the power to draw heat from whatever it or his body touches, then turn his blood into an explosive. Furthermore, he used his blood to combine the mask with his sunglasses, transferring the disguise capabilities to the glasses and change their shape into a mask.
Following the leader, Martha chose her two, the red potion and glass eye. In one swallow, she downed the potion despite it tasting like rotten fish. Then, the woman painfully inserted the magic prosthetic eye into her empty socket. When she tested them both out, Martha put a crater in the floor and petrified Jill until she put eye patch on.
Lastly, Jill was left with the bow and beast egg. Lacking an arrow, she put the bow in inventory and carried the football sized egg in her arms.
"Alright, Team, let's make our way out." Lincoln faced the ladies. "Martha, if you would?"
Accepting her role as a doorman, the woman in an eye patch used the dungeon's key to open the portal home.
There is something about watching justice in action that lightens the soul. After Lincoln and his little team made their return to the real world, everything went as hoped. The officers involved in the incident with Ralphie, Julie, and Dash confessed their crimes and were promptly arrested by the proper authorities. Apparently, their were a few other crimes the officers were involved in; however, in exchange for reduced sentencing, the officers would testify in a separate trial.
It wouldn't bring back the man and his kids, but justice was served today. As she watched the police station from across the street, Martha reminisced on her time with her family. She didn't regret what she'd done, but the former wife and mother understood that her husband and children had a change of heart. And although she's confined to Hell, she's a little happy her little ones are in a better place.
"Everything okay, Miss?" Lincoln asked the woman.
"Yeah, life goes on, even in death." Martha joked. "Are we headin' back to Hell? I could use some sleep."
"Wait!" Jill stopped the two. "Before we leave... I need to do one thing."
In another, less developed section of the town, there was Puppies Junior School. Being a school that specializes in teaching children who were underperforming in state required curriculum, it was smaller than standard schools. Also, needing to depend on grants and private donations, the school was underfunded and hadn't gotten new technology in decades. Jill Mayberry had taught at this school for a few years until she died; and now that she's returned, the woman found it difficult to walk down its halls.
"Maybe this is a mistake?" She looked down. "What would I even tell them?"
"It'll be easy." Martha brushed off. "I talked to them and they handled it well."
Jill glared at the other woman but softened when Lincoln grabbed her elbow. "Just say what feels right. You'd be surprised how people can react."
The three stopped outside the classroom and Jill knocked. The new teacher answered, a tall woman with round glasses and ginger hair done in a ponytail.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Hello, can we talk to the class alone for a little while?" Lincoln spoke, asking politely.
"I'm sorry, but there are rules and..." She stopped talking when she saw Lincoln pull out some money.
"$5,000, and you just take a coffee break." He responded, less enthusiastic.
The teacher looked at the money for a moment, then at the three members of the group. "If you will excuse me?" She quietly took the money and left the room.
It was time; Jill took a deep breath and entered the room. Her class was still seated like before, and that one boy was still sitting in the corner with his dunce hat. The children looked at her, feeling the strange woman was familiar but couldn't place how. Jill couldn't say a word, she didn't know what she could say to express her remorse.
Suddenly, the girl with the pink bow got up from her seat and slowly approached the former teacher. Now with a closer look, the girl's eyes widened in surprise. Catching the girl's shock, Jill fell to her knees and softly sobbed.
Seeing the woman cry, the girl had one thing to say. "~We love to do our homework~" She sang in a soft ballad. "~And we love our teacher, too!~"
Jill Mayberry raised her head to meet the girl's gaze, and sung along. "~Then, when I throw out these questions, you should all know what to do~"
One by one, the rest of the class surrounded her. "~Okay~"
"~Two plus two is~"
"~Eight~"
"~And behaving good is~"
"~Great~"
"~And now, Class, tell your teacher what is the time of day and date~"Jill addressed the class with a soft smile.
"~It was nine in the morning~" The girl bow answered first.
"~It's past January 8th~"The ginger boy follows.
"~The sun was out shining~"The blonde boy in a jacket sang next.
"~And we're glad that you're okay!~" The class sang in unison, giving the woman a strong hug from all sides.
"We missed you so much, Mrs. Mayberry!" The pink bow girl hugged tightly.
Crying tears of joy, the Sinner returned the gesture. "I missed you all... so much."
From afar, Lincoln and Martha watched the moment unfold. "As painful as it was, I think this moment made everything I went through worth it." The boy smiled, softly crying.
Martha felt a tear run down her face. "As insane as it sounds, I can't argue with that."
After a long and exhausting day, both physically and emotionally, the trio return to the Hazbin Hotel. Walking in as everyone doing their own thing, Niffty was the first one to notice the group.
"Hi-ya Friends!" She scuttled up. "Whatcha do today?"
The three looked at each other before Lincoln answered. "We just went a walk through the city."
"Oh~, That sounds fun. Do you wanna kill bugs with me!?" Niffty presented her giant needle with sadistic glee.
"Kill bugs?" Martha laughed. "Why not?"
"Yay~, it's so much fun to kill with friends!"
Martha picked the little demon up. "Ha, I think you're gonna be my favorite here."
"Wait, HERE!?" Jill stopped. "You're not actually gonna stay!"
"Are you going to stop me?" Martha mocked.
"We won't." Lincoln spoke up. "You two are free to stay or leave if you want. But remember this, being here means you're gonna try to redeem yourselves the old fashion way. As my Pawns, you have to obey my commands; so it's either stay and follow orders, or leave. If you want to give up your pieces, just say so?" He reached out.
"Give it up, no way!" Martha turned down. "It is literal Hell out there. If I leave, I'll just be another cow for slaughter. If my soul remains owned by you, I get a better living than most demons can dream of."
"I'm staying too." Jill agreed. "You helped me make amends with my students. Besides, I truly believe in this place."
Lincoln smiled brightly. "Okay, Team! Our next mission, get you two room assignments! Let's go find Charlie!"
As the devil-tailed boy took the lead, a certain duo was watching them from the bar. "He seems... different then we he left earlier." Hush commented, fixing Alastor a drink.
"Indeed, Old friend." The Radio Demon took a sip. "He's growing... and a pace I couldn't have predicted."
"Doesn't it worry you, Boss?" Husk expressed mild concern. "I'll admit, the kid is strong, but there are powers in play that... even a Sinner can't compete against."
Alastor laughed. "Oh, Husker, that's were you fail to see the big picture..." An image flashes through the Radio Demon's mind, to the sight of a young girl reading a book next to him. "As Dear Harriet would tell you, 'There are swans that never fly, not because they can't, but because they were never taught'."
"You lost me?" Husk responded.
"The heights that some can reach are not met because it's impossible, but because there are no good teachers to show them."
"Why don't you?" The winged-cat sated a simple idea. "You definitely have the power."
"Perhaps you haven't been paying attention, Husker." Alastor's smile rises higher. "There is someone who can be a better teacher than I can... and if the course of fate goes in the lad's favor, they may just meet again."