Once outside the Registration Department building, your nose instantly scrunched up, the stench of death being an unpleasant surprise. Everything surrounding you seemed to be decaying, including the citizens. How could anyone stand to live here? They must've gotten used to the odor of decomposing flesh...or maybe they enjoyed it? Whatever the answer may be, you certainly weren't staying around long enough to find out! The plan was to reach the hotel and make your way to Heaven. Short, sweet, and to the point. Directions in hand, you had everything set! Taking a deep breath, you moved your foot to make the first step of your short journey through Hell.

That plan was short-lived, however. 

Two cars has sped down the street and crashed right in front of you, the explosion shockingly not utterly destroying you. Nothing came out of the cars apart from smoke and flames, worrying you intensely. Others on the sidewalk ignored the accident and continued on with their day as if nothing had happened. Does nobody here have any empathy?! The fire from the wreck quickly died down, you assumed it was from the lack of non-polluted oxygen in the air. After everything had calmed down, you had (for some reason) decided to peek at the destroyed vehicles. Nothing moved. No sign of life came from the two, your heart sinking with dread at the thought that the same thing could happen to you. You could die, and nobody would care.

Not like it would be the first time that had happened...

Pushing that thought out of your already overloaded mind, you started to follow the directions on the paper. Taking a turn left, you followed the stretching sidewalk, avoiding any seriously damaged cement that stuck up. It was going to be a while until you reached the hotel, that was for sure. So, in order to try and calm your heart, you looked around at the scenery. Sure, most of it was rundown, old, crappy buildings, but there were also unique traits you never suspected would decorate eternal damnation. Far off in the distance, you could see tall structures with flashy lights and bold letters. One read "PORN STUDIOS", to which you scoffed at and redirected your attention to other, more tolerable attractions. Casinos, bars, strip clubs, you name it, Hell has it. All of these high traffic stores and shops made your stomach churn. It was truly unimaginable how a silly little "curse" could have landed you up here among true despicable beings.

Skies were comprised of violent pinks and menacing reds, the constant exposure of these colors making your eyes ever so slightly tired. The gigantic pentagram in the sky practically burned itself into your mind, the intimidating sight making you shiver as you imagined what Lucifer himself looked like. You couldn't wait to get out of there. Nothing could prevent you from at least trying to escape, even if you had to crawl your way out, it didn't matter. Passing by and huge pile of wrecked and decimated vehicles, you took a right, quivering at the thoughts that wreck gave you. Of course, the souls that had died in the accident were more than likely a bunch of assholes, nevertheless did it haunt you. That idea had brought upon a series of confusing questions, unsurprisingly. Could you truly die after death? If so, where do you go? Is there a second stage of Heaven and Hell? Were any of questions going to be answered?!

Well, that last question could be easily answered: no, they wouldn't. But, wasn't that itself contradictory? Bah, nevermind...you already had a slight headache due to all of the conflicting ideas circulating your mind, so why add anymore than necessary? Turning to distract your wounded brain, you yet again observed the stuffy and oppressive atmosphere. Grungy, beat-up-looking citizens walked by you, their expressions grumpy or strangely pleased with themselves. One female demon strolled by you, a baby carriage in her claws, as she whistled a tune unfamiliar to you. As soon as she was past you, you quickly turned around to see what was in the carriage, doubting it had what you thought it had in it.

You wished you hadn't.

Picking up your pace, you slid your way past strangers until you could take a left. The paths you were taking seemed to lead to the more desolate and disgusting side of the city. The further you walked, the more the bright building lights faded into the distance. You had no idea why, but you had a sick feeling in your stomach about this area, even more so than you had before. Something about how barely anyone walked there and how quiet it was made your insides twist and turn, trying to get you to turn back. Still, the feeling didn't discourage you, as you were determined to reach that hotel no matter the situation. You just wished there was an easier, more comfortable way of reaching it.

After a while, you finally saw a sign of life. A relatively small building with a ton of flashy lights assaulted your eyeballs, the words on the sign almost impossible to read. Somehow you managed to read it, your cheeks burning red after realizing what it said. The Skinned Leopard was it's name, underneath it were three big Xs. This definitely wasn't the place you were looking for. You must've taken a wrong turn along the way, your mind being so scrambled it made things as simple as following directions impossible. Nearly panicking, you gripped your flyer and struggled to remember which way you might have made a wrong turn. Glancing all over the crumpled page, your brain couldn't register anything being presented to it. Burn out, supposedly. 

Now you were in complete hysteria, looking all over the place for some sort of sign, something that could possibly get you back on track. Frantically asking any demon who passed by, albeit sparse. They either ignored you or laughed at your pathetic state. Would it kill a demon to be anything other than cruel for one singular minute?! The more you were dismissed, the more you started to give up hope. This place wasn't any different than back in the living world. In fact, it was slightly better, but that was only because nobody had physically hurt you. Though, you assumed that would be a matter of time. Still, you continued to ask (well, more like beg) for assistance from anybody who would listen.

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"Beat it bitch! Before I sick the bouncer on ya!" the gruff manager of the strip hissed, holding Angel by the nape of his neck. "Get your grubby cum-stained hands off me asshole!!" Angel Dust antagonized further, both sets of his arms scratching the much bigger demon's arms, trying to break his grip. In any normal circumstance, his legs could easily break him out of there, but they too were being held together by the manager. He could've went to any local bar in the area and yet he chose this dump. Angel always thought he had a good taste in strip joints, but this certainly was a brick to the spider's confidence. "I thought I told you to keep fights to a minimum and what do you do? What do you fuckin' do?!" the manager spat in his face, furiously awaiting his undoubtedly stupid response.

Angel just crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, knowing he wouldn't let go until he coughed up an answer. "I sets a dude on fire..." he quietly replied, about ready to blast some holes into the fucker's head. It was a surprise he didn't do so already, the only reason being that if he did so he'd loose his best dealer. "You sets a dude on fire..." he repeated mockingly, the demon highly irritated by the mob member's accent. He shook his head in acknowledgement before harshly throwing the lanky male onto the sidewalk. "Ey, and don't think for a second that I'm gonna still be all chummy with you next week after this little stunt! Expect a sharp raise in price, Dusty..." he jeered, slamming the front door shut. "Hey, I'm the only reason you guys get any business!" he replied, though his comment couldn't be heard.

Groaning, the bruised demon stood himself back up, dusting dirt off while cursing rapidly in Italian. "Y'know I usually like being thrown across the floor and bruised up but Christ..." he joked to himself, attempting to switch his mood from homicidal to possibly violent. Once he hit a sore open wound with his hand he growled in sheer pain, his emotions telling him to not just set that guy on fire but everything on fire. Quelling his mind of murderous thoughts, he went over to the front wall of the building, snatching a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it. As he leaned there, he thought out loud. "Maybe I should head back to the hotel? Nah...Vaggie would just scold me for getting into another fight. Screw it. I'll just hang here until something comes to my mind..." he whispered, watching his cigarette slowly burn. The way small bits of lit ash floated gently down like leaves in autumn calmed him, the ash then disappearing into nothingness. Just then, he felt a tinge of something he hadn't felt in a long while. Loneliness.

"Um, sir? C-Could you please help? I'm trying to-"

"Fuck off."

"Oh, ok..."

Angel heard a very distressed voice, although it was as quiet as a mouse. His hair flicked up, the attention now focused on the source of that voice. An odd little woman stood across the street, her posture slightly hunched and her demeanor one he had not seen in a long while. Her soft looking features were especially what stood out to him, as they seemed to hold a tender glow, making her placement in the grime filled streets all the more strange. She struggled to receive an answer from anyone she asked. He watched her glossy eyes glisten, it was almost as if she were about to cry. Definitely new to Hell, he guessed. The piece of paper she held in her small hands flew out of her grasp, travelling into the sky and out of her reach. "No no no! Please come back!!" she cried, desperately attempting to catch it. Sadly, it was too late. They both watched it fly away, Angel raising an eyebrow at how worked up the lady was becoming.

The small demon stood there in complete disbelief, her arms falling in defeat. It was the last straw for her, the girl dropping to her knees and covering her eyes with those trembling claws of hers. Gentle sobs came from that small, discouraged figure. While Angel couldn't hear them, he could notice of how her breathing affected the way her back moved. The spider stood there and watched, not knowing what to do next. He felt bad for the new little demon, but he seriously doubted he could do anything to help the situation. After all, he was just some rando on the street, simply walking up to her would more than likely give the girl a heart attack! Plus she might think he was trying to harm her in some way. Although, he couldn't just stand there and watch her cry... Angel had to do something, even if it was against his nature. Going against his better judgement, he flicked his cigarette onto the ground and made his way over to the poor woman.

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Faint cries of remorse left your frail body, the loss of your only salvation upsetting you. It was your fault it was gone, now you had no one and nowhere to turn to. Travelling back to Deborah was an idea that was quickly erased from your mind, as you couldn't remember how to get back to the Registration building. As if it couldn't get any worse, you were sobbing in the middle of the sidewalk, open for everyone to see. At this point, you just wanted to go home. You wanted to curl up in your bed and weep yourself to sleep. Alas, this was your new home. There was nothing left to do but mourn. Your ears picked up the sound of heels clicking against pavement, the noise being chalked up to just somebody walking past. Then, they stopped. "Hey kid, what're ya cryin' for?" a voice asked you. Flinching back from the sudden surprise, your eyes met the very long legs of another. They climbed their way up and up until finally they met their eyes. It was a bored-looking male demon. He was sporting eyeliner and a very pronounced chest, but it seemed to be more fluff than serious boobage.

"Um...I, uh..." you stuttered incoherently, the appearance of the guy making you at a loss for words. The fact that he so easily towered over you made your stomach uneasy, not to mention that he also had another set of arms?! "What? Are you preparing a monologue for me? Speak, sister!" the impatient male asked, crossing his first set of arms while he put the other set on his hips. Flinching at his sudden explosion, a part of your hair slid down and covered one of your eyes. He raised an eyebrow at your reaction, puzzled by how timid you were. Looking across the street and watching you was very different than actually interacting with you. Taking a moment to calm his irritation, he heavily sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Angel was quickly regretting his decision of trying to help you out.

"Look, you must be new here..." he started, finally cool enough to speak. "Everything around here seems scary and shit, me just walkin' up to you has got ya shaking like a leaf!" he added, waving his hand at your current state to prove his point. Still crumpled into a tiny, sorrowful ball, you intently listened to the stranger. It was strange to watch him. His eyes refused to stay focused on you for more than a second or two, yet he was able to analyze everything about you perfectly. "I was watchin' you from across the street. Not in a creepy way, okay? That paper that was in your hands...what was that all about?" he asked, blowing out a huge cloud of smoke from his tiny cigarette.  Surprised he even cared to ask about the flyer, you cleared your throat and tried to explain the story. "W-Well...I was trying to find my way to a, um...hotel. Thing is I was so concerned about everything that I...kind of got off track..." you explained, embarrassed of your lack of awareness. 

"So you thought askin' around would help?" he asked, looking down at you. Not wanting to speak anymore, you just simply nodded your head. A chuckled came from the spider, which was soon followed by a sigh of amusement. "Ooh boy, you sure are new. Not only that but stupid as well!" he taunted, making your face turn a slight shade of red from the mockery. You should've known better than to tell a stranger about your troubles, let alone one that seemed interested in your failures. Getting up, you walked past your rude acquaintance, done with the ridicule coming from the heckler. "Hey hey hey, wait a minute!" he followed after you, racing in front of you and blocking your path. Huffing in annoyance, you patiently waited for the determined stranger to move out of the way. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything! Believe me, if I did you'd be totally red with anger right now." he attempted to apologize with a joke, but as he took another look at your face it was apparent that it was indeed completely red. 

"Please move." you said sternly yet politely, trying to maneuver around him. Angel was at an advantaged due to his second set of arms, quickly blocking any path you tried. "Ugh, will you just stop!" he finally hollered out, grabbing you with all four of his arms, making you stay in place. You were over this dude, your expression sour with aggravation. "Sister, calm down. You're lucky I don't have any ill-intent towards you." he said, his grip on your arms and shoulders not easing up. "Let me go!" you shouted, struggling with all your might to get out of his grasp but to no avail. "You don't even know where you're going!" he shouted back, his irritation growing. "I don't even know who you are! You just strolled up to me and I'm just supposed to trust you??" you continued to verbally fight back, wiggling around in another attempt to break free. He was about to object to this point, but then he realized you were actually right. While you persisted on bursting away, he stood there and tried to process what to do next, a wide eyed look on his face as he did.

Tired of struggling, you just stood there in defeat, your head tilted back in exhaustion. The stranger finally released you from his clutches, but you were too tired to try and make a break for it. He cleared his throat, readying himself for his next sentence. "Uh...I'm Angel Dust." he introduced himself, extending his hand and smiling awkwardly in an attempt to make amends. You just looked at his hand and then his face, a confused yet wary expression was held as you did so. "Are you gonna shake my hand, or are ya just gonna look at it?!" he suddenly angrily asked, as you then rushed to shake it. Then it was just silence for another minute, the air tense and awkward. "Aren't you gonna tell me your name?" Angel asked, bored. "Oh I uh...kinda forgot to do that, didn't I? Heh..." you blithered out, mentally hitting yourself in embarrassment. "My name is (Y/N), it's nice to properly meet you." you said, shaking his hand again with a crooked nervous smile.

"So, now that we got that out of the way...where exactly were you going again, Toots?" Angel Dust asked, crossing his arms. "I was heading towards a hotel." 

"Well, yeah but which one?"

"R-Right right! I was going to The Hazbin Hotel, if I remember correctly..." you replied, gripping and twirling the bottom of your shirt in self-consciousness. "Pfft, what? Why're you all the way out here then?" he inquired,  flabbergasted. "B-But I was just following t-the flyer! I was given instructions on how to get there!" you protested, worrying over what might have happened if you didn't loose it. He shook his head in disapproval. "Well, whoever gave you those directions is a complete moron. The hotel is on the other side of the hellscape." he stated, pointing in the opposite direction of where you two were. Confused and upset, Angel snapped his fingers in front of your face before you could think another displeasing thought. "There ain't one single reason to dwell on it now. The good news is that I've just so happen to know how to get there!" he announced, looking oh-so smug. Your eyes sparkled with amazement as your heart sang with excitement. "Really..?!" you asked, astonished.

"Oh sure! It's not like I've been livin' there for about a year and a half or anything..." he sarcastically replied, only to be pulled down by the lapels of his suit. "Please take me there!" you pleaded desperately, face to face with him. "Uh..." Angel was left speechless by your actions. Your big puppy dog eyes practically stared into his soul, his heart starting a fight with his mind. He badly wanted to say no, what was left of his better judgement was screaming at him to say no. But the closer he got to throwing you off of him, the more he'd find himself getting trapped in those glossy eyes. He sighed, knowing there was no way he'd be able to win that battle. Defeated, he removed your hands from his suit and grumbled out a response. "..Fine, I'll take you to the-"

"Thank you thank you thank you!" you interrupted, jumping up to hug him. Flustered, he quickly removed you from his body, making sure you stayed planted off and away from him. "Don't do that kid, I have a reputation to uphold, ya got it?" he said, brushing himself off while feverishly looking around to check if anyone saw them. Looking down, you hummed, slightly ashamed of what you did. It was an impulsive form of appreciation you always had to remind yourself of to control, alas the scolding did nothing to prevent them. Angel took out a hot pink flip phone, the charms dangling from it jingling. He appeared to be calling a taxi, or at least somebody he knew who could pick you both up. "Hiya there, handsome~" he started out, his voice artificially sweet and seductive. The other demon on the line could be heard, but the voice was garbled and you couldn't make out one bit of what he was saying. "So, I kinda need someone to come pick me and some broad up off these streets, you think you could help?" he continued, a smirk plastered on his face with those sharp needle-like teeth of his. Giving him a scornful look at the term "broad," he turned away from you to focus on his call.

"Pay? Ooh don't you worry about it babe, I'll give you somethin' better than a wad of cash for your service~" he purred into the phone, the comment sending you reeling back in mortification. Was...was he a sex worker?? Or was he just lying so he could get out of paying the driver? The second he hung up the phone, a old looking red car skid to a stop right in front of you, the screeching of the tires made your ears nearly bleed. "About time..." Angel mumbled out, shoving his phone back into his pocket. Still stunned by the sudden appearance of the vehicle, you kept quiet. The tinted window rolled down, revealing a slick-looking two headed demon, both sharing one horn opposite to the other's. "How's it going, sweet cheeks?" started the first head, the second head finishing the latter half of the question. Angel just blew out a cloud of smoke, seemingly bored of the driver already.

"Who's your little friend?" asked head number one, locking eyes with you. "A plus one? More like a plus two!" the second one cackled as he stared at your chest. Feeling completely invaded, you scrambled to cover your chest from the eyes of such shameless perverts. It only made them howl with laughter. Angel rolled his eyes, moving around the car to the other side. He met with the two cab drivers, flicking his cigarette behind him. "Up close and personal, just the way we like it!" they giggled, licking their lips with their forked tongues. He gave them a smile, opening their car door in a dainty fashion. "Hey hotshots, mind steppin' out for a teensy-weensy moment?" he asked, his voice sickeningly sweet to the point it made you want to gag. Entranced by him, they didn't even question his request. Once they had gotten up and out, Angel gently held both of their chins. "Ya know...it's a shame the two of you are this dumb. You were almost cute."

"Huh?"

Angel took out something from behind his back with his free set of arms. Two Tommy guns had magically appeared in his hands while they were distracted. Before they could react, Angel pistol-whipped them, their body thumping to the ground. "Keyword, almost." he added, the guns suddenly disappearing into thin air. As he dusted off his hands, your mind completely froze, horrified at what just transpired. "They're not dead...look!" he clarified, kicking the body to prove it. The knocked out demon groaned, the proof not doing anything to calm your current panic. "Just get in the car..." he growled, face-palming. Still shaken, you slowly got into the vehicle, Angel following suit. The engine roared as he slammed down on the pedal, your seat belt not even on yet. Thankfully once he saw how shook up you were, he eased up on the gas. 

"Um, s-so how dangerous are you again..?" you fearfully asked, looking at him instead of the road in an attempt to take your mind off the sudden jolt. "Well I wouldn't exactly call myself dangerous, more or less-"

The sound of screams and glass breaking prevented his sentence from being finished, a giant fire erupting from behind the car. The building where Angel had left from had somehow caught aflame, smoke pouring out everywhere. A relaxed but evil snicker could be heard coming from Angel, his eyes not leaving the road. "...clumsy." he finished with a wicked grin. As you watched the fire grow smaller and smaller into the distance, you pondered if you'd get out of there alive.