POV Charlie Morningstar
My mood today is just fantastic! Despite Alastor's not-so-great advertising, I was literally beaming with happiness. I ran down the street, humming something cheerful, waving my arms and evoking mixed feelings in passersby. But I didn't care. Today was my day!
Dad called in the morning – a rarity in itself. And an even bigger rarity – the reason for the call. The leader of the angelic army had scheduled a meeting. A meeting I'd been dreaming of for years! Dad had some important business (well, of course, as always), so he asked me to fill in for him. I, of course, agreed, nearly jumping to the ceiling.
Mother always tried to talk me out of it. Said that you can't negotiate with angels, that I was wasting my time. But I know it's possible! You just have to approach the issue correctly. And now I had a chance! A real, actual chance to prove to everyone that Hell isn't hopeless! That sinners really can be redeemed! Honestly, I felt like I was about to take off with joy. After cheering up Vaggie, I headed to the meeting.
I only stopped at the Embassy of Heaven. The snow-white building with golden accents towered over me, exuding a pure, almost aggressive grace. Even the mere sight of it made my ears pop. This place was protected by powerful magic, and no one entered without permission. They say if someone tries to break through by force, golden golems, invulnerable to ordinary sinners, will emerge from the doors... I swallowed and took a step forward.
The door opened easily, which pleasantly surprised me. Well, at least they didn't kick me out right away. Inside, everything was… expected. A white-and-gold color scheme, high ceilings, stained-glass windows, soft sofas along the walls. Something between a museum and a church. Only the smell of incense was missing.
"Hello?" I called out uncertainly, but the hall's echo drowned me out.
No movement. No one. Creepy.
"Hey? Hello? Spooky…" I added louder, walking towards the center of the hall.
On a table by the wall stood a golden bell. I didn't think long and pressed it. In that instant, a scroll covered in fine text with the inscription "Heavenly Embassy" and a quill materialized before me. Hmm. Do I need to sign it? Well, why not. I carelessly scribbled my name, and the scroll immediately disappeared.
A door to a dark room opened silently beside me. Of course, I stepped right in.
"Is anyone here?" I asked, looking around in the darkness.
The answer was a click – the light switched on, flooding the room with soft white light.
"Greetings to you. You're Charlie, aren't you? Daughter of that bastard Lucifer?" a pleasant, yet somehow… unpleasant-tinged voice sounded.
I turned around. The room was painted blue with gold and white accents. In the center stood an oval table, and behind it – a tall golden throne, upon which a man was seated. Handsome, flawless, with golden eyes, light brown hair, and a small beard. A white robe with golden sleeves, a stylized letter "A" on his chest. He looked calm, even relaxed, but something about him made every nerve in my body scream: "Run!"
I didn't run. Instead, I spectacularly tripped on a flat surface, but immediately jumped back up.
"Oh, for fuck's sake!" I exhaled, dusting myself off. "Hi. Yes, I'm Charlie. My dad wanted me to meet with you."
"Yes, I'm aware," the angel smiled. The smile was such that I wanted to take a step back. Or two.
"Alright, well, nice to meet you," I extended my hand.
"I'll pretend it's nice to meet you too," his voice slid over me like a cold wind.
He did shake my hand after all. Ice. I could physically feel the cold.
"Well, if that's the case…" I quickly pulled my hand back, "then let's get down to business. I'm working on a project that could solve our main problem. It's something revolutionary! I'm sure you'll like it…"
The angel lazily flapped his wings. Golden, damn it. They blended in with the throne, and only now did I notice them.
"Alright, your asshole father did say you had some kind of idea…" His voice was sweet, like poisoned honey.
The angel smirked, chuckled briefly, and, lazily spreading his golden wings, asked:
"By the way, what 'main problem' do 'we' have, you and I? The fact that your old man isn't dead yet? Can't wait to take the throne? Or are you talking about something else?"
His voice was light, almost playful, but it dripped with undisguised contempt. He looked at me with that same condescending smile that made you want to either scream or sink through the floor.
I clenched my fists, suppressed my emotions, and forced myself to speak.
"No, I mean the overpopulation problem in Hell."
Adam nodded, as if finally remembering something not particularly important, and lazily remarked:
"Ah, so that's not a problem. We've already taken care of it – wiped out about 16% of your population. We do great work."
"Um… no, not great. These are my people, you know?" I felt anger begin to boil in my chest, but I kept it in check for now.
"Well, yeah… Sucks to be you, ahahahaha."
I gritted my teeth, feeling my eyes turn red with anger. I'd met those who saw Hell as a dumpster for refuse before, but this angel… he spoke as if he wasn't talking about living beings, but about trash that could just be burned and thrown away.
"But these are souls," I continued, trying to remain calm. "Human souls, just like the ones you have in Heaven."
The man smirked.
"They are not the same. My children gained free will, thanks to your asshole dad, and it fucked up half the world, letting evil into our realm. Those who chose to do evil can go fuck themselves. They missed their chance."
"You… you're Adam? The first man on earth? That explains a lot..." To some extent, it really did explain a lot. Many in Hell knew of Adam, though she learned today for the first time that he was the head of the angelic legions. But it explained his fanatical hatred for her father, his venomous contempt for anyone who didn't pass Heaven's selection. "But… you're wrong. Sinners make mistakes, yes, but who doesn't?"
"It's not about mistakes, girl," Adam cut in, his voice growing colder, as if sharpened like a blade. "Those who let evil into their souls, chose the path of malice and violence, do not deserve forgiveness."
He paused, studying her expression, then added, as if an afterthought:
"About eighty years ago, I personally killed that bastard Hitler for the second time. You know, your Hell suited him. He'd already taken over a couple dozen districts. By your 'fucking smart' logic, we should have given him a 'chance,' right?"
Charlie felt her breath catch.
"N-no, I didn't mean everyone should be forgiven, just…"
"Just that your 'fucking brilliant' idea is actually a load of crap that will land pedophiles, rapists, maniacs, and other scum in Heaven. And have you thought about how their victims will feel living next door to them?"
I bit my lip.
"By the way, have you ever, fucking ever, heard of sinners getting out of Hell and into Heaven? Has even one of them managed to 'reform'? Fat fucking chance. So what are we even talking about?"
I stood there, holding back tears. It was one thing to hear that my idea was imperfect; I knew that myself. It was quite another when every word drove you deeper into the abyss of despair, tearing your faith to pieces.
Adam rose from his throne.
I felt my legs buckle. He approached – calmly, almost lazily, but such pressure emanated from him that I didn't even have time to be scared.
He raised his hand and suddenly, as I squeezed my eyes shut…
A warm palm rested on my head, ruffling my hair.
"Listen, girl," the angel's voice suddenly softened. "It's good that you truly believe sinners can atone for their guilt."
I blinked slowly, trying to understand what was happening.
"Sorry for being so harsh," Adam continued, removing his hand. "Perhaps the hatred for your father and contempt for your mother still burn within me…"
He returned to the throne, waved his hand, and another chair appeared beside him – elegant, golden, with blue upholstery. A second later, a glass of water appeared on the table.
"Sit down and have a drink," he smiled slightly, guiltily, but tiredly. "And then try to explain your idea again. Okay?"
Charlie swallowed, wiped the tears that had treacherously welled up, and, on unsteady legs, walked to the chair.
Sat down.
Placed the folder with sketches that meant so much to her on the table.
Glanced sideways at Adam.
Took a couple of sips.
And with difficulty, pulled herself together.
"Alright," I said, gathering all my strength. "Let's try again."
POV "Adam"
Yeah… Looks like Adam's memory is really affecting me. And much more strongly than I anticipated.
At first, everything was going well. I was behaving like Adam – after all, no one said there weren't cameras or something similar in this hall. And the Seraphim were most likely watching. They couldn't just ignore such an important event, could they?
But at some point, I started to feel something… alien. "That" Adam's emotions. Resentment. Anger. Even hatred.
Some stupid little girl dares to argue with me? Spouts this kindergarten nonsense about redeeming sinners? And especially considering whose daughter she is…
Thoughts swirled in my head, growing like weeds. They definitely weren't mine. I actually felt quite normal about Charlie. Sure, she was a bit of a fool, but there wasn't a shred of malice in her. She sincerely believed she could change Hell, make it "better," "kinder." Childishly naive, but who was I to judge?
However, as soon as I looked at her, anger seethed in my chest.
The previous Adam hadn't forgiven Lilith or Lucifer. And the moment his memory encountered their daughter, something inside me broke. Like a trigger had been pulled. My breakdown was inevitable. If I hadn't calmed down in time… Lucifer would already be flying here to beat my face in for what I was about to do.
I swallowed, banishing the thought.
Let's get back to the topic.
I had a little time before meeting Charlie. Apparently, Lucifer had called her just a couple of minutes before the scheduled time. Lazy, irresponsible asshole.
I spent that time productively. Tried to predict our conversation and took a little interest in the fate of some historical figures. After which, I decided to figure out my power.
It turned out I literally control light. Not as a physical phenomenon, but as something… more. A concept.
My light contained all its facets, all the meanings that could possibly be put into that word. The pure essence of the phenomenon, existing outside of time and space. It was a strange feeling. Impossible to describe in words.
I also felt the light around me. I was sure I could move to any illuminated place. But I couldn't leave the embassy. All the light outside seemed… wrong. Unreal. As if someone had tried to create an exact copy, but ended up with a Chinese knockoff.
And also…
I could absorb this "correct" light. Just take it and claim it for myself.
After playing around with it, I absorbed all the light in the room. At that moment, I understood: that's exactly what "canon" Adam did in the first episode. He didn't just turn off the lamps – he took away the very concept of light.
A useful skill.
After all, those who rely on sight (and that's most of them) would become blind in such darkness. And night vision or thermal imaging wouldn't help; I wasn't just extinguishing light. I was depriving the world of its very essence.
At that moment, the door opened, and Charlie entered the hall.
A cute, young-looking girl, with sparkling eyes and a kind of naive determination on her face. She seemed quite tall, but my sense of measurement after transferring into Adam's body was, to put it mildly, crap. I didn't even know my current height. The only thing that was clear – absolutely everyone in this world was shorter than me.
I restored the light, and we began our "negotiations."
I tried to act like Adam from that damn cartoon. Kept a straight posture, spoke coldly and condescendingly. But with every word she said, something inside me boiled, and soon that anger overflowed.
I came to my senses at the moment I had already swung, about to slap the crying girl. Charlie cowered in fear, like a little kitten cornered…
Fucking Adam. He definitely wouldn't have stopped.
And that's precisely what sobered me up.
My conscience immediately started screaming in my head. "Are you completely nuts? How can you yell at kind, beautiful girls?! What are you, an asshole? Fix this immediately!"
Well, I had to fix it.
I placed my hand on her head and stroked her hair, exhaling loudly. Then I apologized. Charlie blinked incredulously but seemed to relax a little, and I sat back on my throne, looked around, and realized there were no chairs here, nor had there ever been, and Charlie's legs had been shaking just a minute ago...
Unconsciously, on some intuitive level, I performed magic. The light flickered, gathered into a single point, wove into a dense, shining mass, and a moment later… a chair appeared next to my throne.
Made of gold.
I barely suppressed my surprise.
What the hell did I just do? Can I create absolutely anything? And only from "gold"? Deciding to test it, I tensed, concentrated – and a glass of water appeared before me. A perfectly ordinary glass with perfectly ordinary water.
Though… was it ordinary?
I didn't know if it would be safe for Charlie, since I essentially created it from light.
But she, suspecting nothing, took the glass and took a sip.
No problems.
Well, thank God for that.
I had already overstepped with this girl. And her idea actually worked in that series… Sir Pentious – one of the few who tried to atone for his sins in her hotel after death – eventually ended up in Heaven. For the first time in all of fucking human history!
I pondered, but not for long.
"So, Charlie, let's start from a distance, you don't mind?" I asked calmly, meeting her gaze.
She nodded. Uncertainly, but she nodded nonetheless.
"You do know that in the entire history of Hell, there hasn't been a single case where a sinner truly reformed and went to Heaven?"
She tensed but remained silent.
"And your parents…" I tilted my head slightly to the side. "They also tried to make Hell less vile, didn't they?"
As far as I knew, Lucifer wanted to do the same thing as Charlie. He tried to change Hell, to make sinners atone for their sins. But he failed. Why? Hell if I knew. That was information from the cartoon; he mentioned something like that there.
"Yes, Mr. Adam, I've never heard of a single sinner being allowed into Heaven… That's exactly what I want to fix," Charlie nervously clasped her fingers, but her voice grew firmer with each word. "I don't want the exterminations to continue. I'll do anything to help my people!"
Naive. Well, she is just a kid, after all.
Although… How old is she, I wonder? Maybe she's already around a hundred or so?
I smirked.
"Just 'Adam' is fine. Or, if you prefer… 'Uncle.' Or even 'Bro.'"
Charlie stared at me, her eyes widening by about half.
"What?.."
"Well, your father is one of those who created me. And your mother… you could say she's my sister. We were created at the same moment, with the same 'settings,'" I smirked slyly and winked at the stunned demoness. By that logic, Eve is also Adam's daughter, since she was created from his rib… Or does it not work like that?
She blinked. Once. Twice.
Seemed like she was trying to process what I'd said.
But I didn't give her time.
"However, let's get back to business. I haven't heard your proposal yet. No one forbade 'reforming' in your hotel. And hunting you is forbidden. So I don't understand what you want from me."
"Um… well…" Charlie hesitated, then looked up at me. "I would like it if, after atonement in my hotel, you… sent sinners to Heaven…"
I chuckled.
"Ahem… It seems you understand a lot less than I thought."
Now I had to spin a yarn for the naive ears of Hell's princess. I had thought out this speech beforehand, carefully combining canon knowledge, fan theories, Heaven's "Wikipedia," and logic.
"Firstly, yes, I can let sinners into Heaven. But I won't."
Charlie's mouth flew open, ready to shout something indignant, but I simply raised my hand, not letting her interrupt me.
"Secondly, atonement is possible. If a sinner truly changes, then after death in Hell, they will be reborn in Heaven. Just like on Earth."
Charlie's eyes widened. She looked like she'd just been hit on the head.
"Thirdly, you know nothing about 'darkness and light.' About 'good and evil.'"
I leaned forward.
"You probably think these are just pretty metaphors? No. Darkness is the concept of malice, sin, hatred, and all that other shit. And light is the essence of love, joy, and all that other crap. Well, you get it."
Charlie was silent.
"I… understand…" she finally answered quietly.
I smirked.
"Now, about my attitude towards sinners. Charlie, just so you understand…"
I looked her over, then leaned back in my throne.
"I am their father. Their progenitor. The one thanks to whom they even exist. And I am forced to watch as my 'children' slaughter each other, wage wars, commit genocide, and all sorts of other fucked up shit. And then they end up in Hell, where they are supposed to suffer… but they don't."
I smirked.
"Instead, they get power, immortality, eternal youth. Understand? Instead of punishment – a reward. And in 11,000 years, not one of them has thought that something is wrong here. Not one."
I paused.
"Now do you understand how your 'brilliant idea' looks in my eyes?"
Charlie took a deep breath.
"...Yes. I understand you, Adam. But I believe they have a chance."
She lifted her head, her eyes sparkling.
"I see light in them. I see that they have a soul."
I smirked.
And then she… started to sing.
Fuck.
I thought it was just a cartoon convention.
But no. She actually started to sing.
…And it sounds pretty good, actually. Maybe I should join in?