Purge Night

[youknowwhothisis]

The ticking of the clock in the center of Pentagram City seemed louder tonight, each rhythmic gear turn like a pounding heart amid the air that was so eerie, so still. Perhaps it was rather like those that beat in the chests of the occupants of the Hazbin Hotel, tonight's ground zero of Adam's ire.

So many breaths held just like any other before the Purge began, but tonight, all eyes were instead turned on the burnt-out building atop the lonely hill.

Adam had intended to attack the Hotel first. Thanks to the rumor mill, there was some level of relief... but only some.

For if the angels took the Hazbin Hotel... where do you think they'd turn next?





(The following log takes place canonically in the first week of July. Enjoy!)

Comments

Act 1: Alastor's Barrier

[youknowwhothisis]

The portal from Heaven opened without fanfare, and the exorcists poured in like shining locusts. They whooped and hollered, thrilled to be able to get back to the fun so early this year! Would they get to do this every six months now??

They don't waste any time swooping down. But neither does the team, as the sky began to darken further- The ever-cryptid Alastor initated his plan to thin out the forces, putting together a bubble to enshroud the hotel and its grounds. Some could hear the satisfying crunches of the exorcists caught by surprise ramming face-first into it.

But some still came through... and who knows how long it'll hold? Best thin who came through and better the chances!

Hell's Horniest Battle Couple

[helluvaboss]

Joining the battle was going to be fucking scary - Blitzø reminded his kids that just because the Exorcists weren't supposed to kill Hellborn didn't mean they wouldn't. Loona was still home on the mend, Moxxie and Millie in no way were gonna join this fight - but Stolas agreed he was going to fight and he was going to stand by his kids, too.

Fuck, his bird is so fucking hot.

Wait, focus.

"Alright, Stolz-- they're coming, you ready?" the imp asked, whole body rattled with nerves but at least keeping his gun arm steady. He had the rifle he and Moxxie had stolen from Striker, the Carmine make - and they'd lucked out with the Princess getting them stocked up with plenty of ammo for it.

Thalia

[therizinosaurus]

One of the Sinners that's joined the battle - she hasn't really met most of you, has she? But she is fighting ferociously and she is fast despite her heavy sounding footfall.

Though she usually keeps her wings tucked against her body, today they are out, helping her maneuver like a dancer through the battle. Each wing is actually an arm - four massive scythe-like claws on each arm, each claw easily two or three feet long each, all of them coated in angelic steel.

She's very well practiced in saving people from attackers, too. Her free hands use the plate-tipped whip to snap Exorcists out of the air, or wrap around their necks and yank them to the ground.

"Don't mind me," Thalia chuckles any time she yanks away an Exorcist from getting a little too close to stabbing someone - she'll just pin them under her foot and slash their throat with her hooked claws in a single smooth gesture. "You good?"

[strawberryredgrave]

"You know it."

Dante's cheerfully replied. he often had the most fun in the middle of combat, and anyone with eyes could see why. The exorcists so far didn't fare any better than last time, trying their hardest to bring down someone who didn't look like he was trying at all. An angel face first on the ground was made into an impromptu skateboard, with Dante sliding atop them to fire bullets every which way. None of them hurt any allies, of course.

The ride came to a stop next to Thalia, the angel finally picking their head up just to be pushed back into the dirt as Dante walked over them.

"Gotta say, you're a way more fun dance partner than any of these guys."

Princess Charlie

[minimorningstar]

It felt - awful, to fight. But there was an anger Charlie was tapping into as best as she could, seeing her people suffering and dying. Her friends, her family, doing their best to defend their home - she couldn't let anyone down.

"EAT SHIT!" Charlie's panicked voice barked as she shot magic at the flying fighters - she's got a shield to help try and defend others, especially Vaggie, and anyone that needs a brief breather can get sandwiched between the two ladies. "We're actually doing this, we're actually going to be okay??"

"Celebrate later, sweetie," Vaggie added a bit breathlessly, slashing away an attack.

Sten Attempts A Futile Endeavor

[knight_in_sinful_armor]

As the light from 'Above' shimmers into view and the portal opens, Sten exhales a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding. This is one of the stupidest things he's ever done. He can feel the red-hot spike beneath his jacket, the blessed steel pressed against his side, the only way to fight back against the exorcists, in a fight where even a win will come at the price of uncountable deaths. His scales have all grown out again, pockets bulging with trinkets, and with so many flocking to him for protection, he's never had more to lose.

But he's here now. And the timeframe to retreat is rapidly closing. Talking about it didn't do much good before. But the insanity-stricken sinner owes it to everyone, most of all to himself, Thalia, Garrick, and... her, to at least make one last plea for sanity. He flicks his tongue out nervously.

"Princess... Charlie. It's not too late. The bunker has a spiderweb of exits that can take everyone here somewhere safer if we go right away. Even if the hotel is destroyed, there's nothing to stop us from building it back up again."

The edges of the sinner's frazzled mind echo with ceaseless chatter. He wishes deeply that he could grasp them and make them shut the fuck up already.

Why am I here why am I here why am I FUCKING HERE--

[minimorningstar]

A part of her wants to run so, so badly. Not really for herself, but for everyone at the Hotel. But the morbid clarity cuts through, even with Sten's plea.

"You can run, Sten - I won't judge you for it. But I know I can't run here," Charlie gripped onto her shield, watching the first shadows descending from blue and gold sky. Any second, Alastor will create that barrier.

"They'll chase everyone down. If not this purge then the next one, and the one after. It doesn't matter HOW many times I rebuild the Hotel, if Adam comes back just to spite me!"

The barrier goes up, but the Exorcists are still descending. Charlie gives Sten a quick glance.

"If Carmilla Carmine could kill one, then maybe, finally, this can be where we make a stand!"

Act 2: Barrier down! Adam's Response, and calling Dante out.

[youknowwhothisis]

The angels were one thing, but Adam the First Human was another problem in and of itself. After his initial frustration and confusion, all it took was a fist to break down Alastor's hard work.

So that plan's out. Adam's on the hunt for the one who made the barrier...

Meanwhile, the portal glowed brighter, and a heavily-armored figure came through. Where the exorcists were armed for fluid movement in the confidence that Hell would never have an uprising, this angel was prepared to fight a war, and was joined by a unit of angels of his own.

With a voice that calls over the din of battle, he declared the name of his opponent: Dante.

Goro and Reneé

[herewardbound]

The pair had become more than acquainted, over the months, and now moved with the sort of practiced ease that could only come from countless hours maneuvering around each other in combat. With a supply of blessed bullets on hand, Goro's marksmanship brought down more than one would-be assailant, while Reneé covered his flank, shield and sword in hand.

Occasionally, something altogether nastier would slip through- and Goro would be forced to parry, or evade, grappling hook serving as much a weapon as a tool for evasion. On occasion, if one cared to watch, they might have even caught a flash of azure flame, as Reneé crushed a blue-backed card in one hand, before swatting an Exorcist out of the sky with lightning, or freezing them solid.

This was getting stressful, but it was not, yet, catastrophically bad.

[therizinosaurus]

A flash of feathers joining in the fray might easily be mistaken for another Goetia - but it's a Sinner that's tackled an Exorcist that was charging towards the strange blue imp. Hellborn joining the fight was inspiring, but Thalia believed wholeheartedly in defending them with all her might - they were the natives of this world, after all. (What an irony she would never know about Goro and Reneé.)

"I'll help with close range!" she announced, brandishing her massive claws and stabbing to death the exorcist that she'd attacked.

[hadal_predator]

"Securing an opening!"

She kicked like a mule, but Bad News had lived up to her name for years in the steady hands of her user. He dropped to a knee and took the shot, striking the body. They were always too damn mobile for consistent shots to the head, but one couldn't really focus on the fight when you had a hole blown in the belly.

Kai cranked the bolt for a fresh round, raised again-

"Line's thinning to the east! Gonna get really hairy when they figure it out in a minute."

Another shot, Hole-Belly's friend removed from the equation, spiraling for a harsh impact with the earth. Bolt cranked again.

"Lost sight of Adam, too. Don't like that one bit."

Opportunity Strikes (Flavor event)

[hashtagbitch]

Waiting for the right timing is everything - having Vox's eyes on the field with the drones helps the timing perfectly. The most dangerous, troublesome players are officially distracted - especially with Dante pulled away, and with Alastor and the other Overlord thoroughly preoccupied.

Velvette makes her entrance with a bang - a massive punt gun she has to brace against the motorcycle she drove in on fired into the flying horde of riled up Exorcists. Scattershot blasts through the flock and drops a lot of them - most writhing and getting back up, since the pellets weren't angelic steel.

But that's fine by Velvette. The stunned flock can be picked off by the cannibals and other fighters. Her goal is simple enough - she catches and grabs a few of the exorcists off guard, cutting their arms to slash the tendon, making them unable to fight back as the Vee bound a good bundle of four Exorcists in chain.

"Good luck, fuckers! You're welcome!" Velvette scoff-laughed, tying the four she'd snagged to her motorcycle and driving off with them dragged behind.

Dante vs Michael

[strawberryredgrave]

And there it is. The big plan Heaven made just to deal with one particular guy. A voice the Exorcists all seemed to recognize and moved as if obeying a silent command. They all disengaged from Dante, knowing that the new arrival planning on facing him himself. Anyone else would simply get in the way. On both sides of this conflict.

Dante grinned as he realized this much. The new arrival. looking far more important than the others, even ranking way above Adam. Cool as it would've been to smack the first man around, there were plenty more people with more right to kicking his ass than him. The dragon laughed.

"A fashionably late entrance, huh? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to one-up me."

[helluva_loa]

Michael soared towards Dante, landing in front of him. He was a large angel, muscular and wielding a buckler shield on one arm and a greatsword in the other hand. The latter he wielded as if it weighed nothing at all. His halo didn't burn like the Exorcists' as it rested so close to his head it looked more like a circlet than a halo. He wore sleeveless white leather armor with golden adornments with no mask or helmet to obscure his face, a stark contrast to the blacks and grays of the Exorcists. He was tall, at least two heads taller than Adam, and he bore scars on his bare arms that glowed faintly white from blows struck with Heavenly steel. His wings were massive, each as long as he was tall which he folded neatly behind his back with no hint that they would slow him down despite their size. His feet were bare, thick callouses crunching the Hellish soil beneath his feet.

He didn't smile, his face stoic.

"I did not wish to engage in this battle at all," Michael stated. "Those who dwell in Hell have the right to defend themselves against this affront to justice. I am only here to gauge you whose strength was recognized during the last unjust assault from Heavenly forces as being a potential threat to Heaven itself should you choose to retaliate. I have no taste in pointless slaughter, but I have a duty to defend the innocents of Heaven who were kept completely ignorant to this ongoing tragedy and are incapable of defending themselves. I will not assault your comrades or force their involvement. I will not aid these self-proclaimed Exorcists. Once I have made my assessment, I shall do what needs to be done in regards to you and take my leave for your people to exact justice against your attackers. You have my word as the commander of Heaven's Army and as the Almighty's Sword."

He spoke authoritatively but with an apologetic edge to his voice. It resonated so the entire battlefield could hear him and understand his intentions. That included that damned fool Adam and his loyal soldiers.

It was also a public condemnation of the Exorcists to Hell and anyone who might have found a way to sneak cameras from Heaven to see what exactly was going on. Michael preferred to stay out of politics but he knew that a clear statement had to be made.

Act 3: You had One Rule, Adam. Now look what you've done.

[youknowwhothisis]

The battle didn't seem to be going well. The angels had a challenge, yes, but this was the first battle for many of Hell's present combatants. The air was rich with the blood of angels as well as the blood of the cannibal sinners, winds sharp with battle cries or shrieks of pain.

But Adam, having taken care of the mysterious Alastor, had advanced upon the others.

He advanced until he had the reason he called out the Hotel in his vice-like grip: Charlie fucking Morningstar, the bitch who tried to humiliate him during the trial and blabbed about his yearly game to the rest of Heaven. Look, it was out of his hands: When you snitch like that, you need to die.

But then it was like a thread snapped in the air. There was a sizzle. With one swing, a (very, very late) combatant entered the fray: Lucifer Morningstar was freed of the Pardon, and was free to do what he'd been burning to do for centuries.

Adam, for all intents and purposes, was once again out of the picture. But the damage he continued to cause through rays of intense light would still pose a danger. Keep your wits about you! And don't forget about those angels...! As they tire, they grew more desperate, more feral.

Return to Oblivion

[butterflyaffect]

Adam's return to the fray meant one thing and one thing only. She stood stock-still, for a moment, eyes widening, frantically casting her senses about-

Alastor was gone, either retreated beyond where she could perceive, or- no. Absolutely not. She refused to entertain the idea.

Reneé reached into a pocket, and withdrew three cards she'd been hanging onto for an emergency such as this- and, with a wordless offer of her thanks, crushed them both. Concentrate. Heat Riser.

Eva was howling for Adam's blood, in the back of her mind, and she wouldn't be denied.

She leapt. There was a scream of agony as her jump carried blade-first into an Exorcist, but she didn't care. She leapt off again, and this time, this time- she connected. He was slower than she was, distracted, his attention elsewhere, and he only evaded a lethal blow at the last second, batting her blade aside only to get socked in the face and knocked backwards by her shield.

To his credit, he responded quickly, bringing his axe to bear, and it left a deep gouge in her shield as he knocked her out of the sky. She rolled to the side, and his blade impacted the dirt where she'd been only instants before.

"Okay. First of all, who the fuck-" His tone was gloating, still confident, and he nearly paid for it, only evading her thrust at the last second. He was on the back foot, forced to give ground with every strike he knocked aside or dodged.

"Where's Alastor?! What did you do?!"

And Adam smiled. "Oh, what's the matter, you a fan of the old-timer, or was he one of your friends? Too bad, bitch. Soon as I'm done here I'm gonna go grab his head so I can mount it on my fuckin' wall."

"LIAR!" She caught his counterattack on her shield again, wrenched it aside, and thrust. Her reward was a spray of golden blood, spattering across her face- he'd ducked to the side at the last second, just barely evaded the killing blow, now leaving a gash in his left side that made the mocking grin vanish. He kicked, pushing her off him- and his eyes widened as her third card vanished in a burst of azure flame.

Her eyes glowed- and the world went white.

Megidolaon.

The explosion, brilliant-white and blinding, left only dust, hanging in the air where Adam had been. Reneé sagged, as the spells on her expired. That was her last card, she knew, and she had to find-

A hand, iron-hard, was around her throat. Lifting her. Adam had emerged from the blast, robes burned, all trace of amusement gone.

"Got another one in ya?"

"Gffugg ysef."

"Didn't think so." Adam swung her around, flinging her towards the Hotel. The body of a little blue imp met wood and concrete- and the former gave way. She crumpled against the wall-

And did not move again.

[mansbestend]

His black, chitinous armor was soaked in gold, and he seemed to have never stopped moving since that portal opened.

The angels had wised up a little bit: Their buddy-system tactic wasn't working for whatever the FUCK this four-armed freak was, and so they descended in clusters to try and overwhelm the buzzing creature.

But as the buzz became a roar, blended with the laughter of someone who had mentally checked out of sanity hours ago, Chainsaw Hound flew in leaps and bounds, fully revved. The ground spattered in more gold as he took to the air and played the exorcists' game of aerial combat.

You couldn't really parry a chainsaw, could you? Naw.

"Steak and honey! Steak and honey!!" He fell after an angel that had lost one of her wings from a stray chain swing, and...

Well... he needed to maintain his stamina, after all. He messily crunched and tore as if he were starving.

Steak and honey.

He swallowed, and his tail wagged.

"Hi! I'm here to back you up!" Long tendrils of gold-stained drool ran from his toothy jaws as he turned and grinned to his nearby comrade. He's got you, buddy!

[poppypapillon]

The cannibals that Chainsaw Hound had covered grinned and cheered, albeit tiredly - they were glad for someone extreme joining and chanting steak and honey, it was a fantastic rallying cry.

The cannibals each shouted and pointed at one of the angels trying to skewer the Chainsaw Hound with their hefty spear to maintain distance - at least until the exorcist's path was intercepted by a smaller figure tackling and slashing at her side with claws.

It was Poppy! Leather jacket, claw gauntlets, but no mask - she flashed Chainsaw Hound a toothy grin. "Sorry I'm late. I've got your back," she chirped.

[stellaverse]

Stella definitely had her hands full at the moment. While not exactly a normal combatant, she had a few things going for her. She was angry, for starters. Always very easy to anger. With everything going on, she could be more feral than normal. Sometimes, anger meant pushing through the pain and she accrued a few injuries at this point.

Not that she cared. Feathers were stained black and gold as metal claws around her fingers would claw and stab through any angels who got in reach. She felt far less overwhelmed with the arrival of the Chainsaw Hound, a demon who was far better equipped for this kind of fight. Didn't bother her any; at most, it meant her stupid ass decision to be here might not cost her life.

"Help yourself, dear; there's plenty to go around!" Stella encouraged, pouncing on an exorcist to poke as many holes into them as she could. "Steak and honey, is it? Ahahah, I love it! Would you like the wings or the legs?"

[hadal_predator]

Keep making openings. Keep making openings.

Bad News was low, but that was fine. The fact that he'd managed this long was a mercy, but soon he'd needed to switch up from a 70/30 gunning/melee to practically full on.

He rarely, if ever, resorted to getting up close and personal. Too risky. But Adam's plan had succeeded in making sure to concentrate all of the aggression in one place rather than spreading out thin enough to be managed.

The shark-spider had tucked knives into wrist-mounted sheaths, armed his boots, even lined strips of blessed metal into guards tied around his tail like a makeshift axe.

Peet and Callie's gift was working swimmingly, popping off against stray angels or those getting a little too frisky. With their horns plastered on, each little makeshift unmanned station managed to draw angels away to be trapped and removed from the equation. With his own added gift, each collapse was joined by a golden light, layers upon layers to befuddle the heavenly army's attempts to rout their enemies in Hell.

Mako's own practice against dearest 'Uncle Dante', coupled with his own practice in dance, helped him become one of the slipperiest fuckers among the forces guarding the hotel. A hop, a twirl, and the handy use of spider thread to help with three-dimensional movement brought him toe to toe with opponents that could fly and evade just the same. Sparks rang out as blades clashed...

...But there was the occasional splash of black amid the splashes of gold. Mako was quickly reaching his limits as a hellborn versus Adam's army. But he could hold.

He had to hold.

If he needed to, he had a circle painted to memory, a rune in his pocket. It would make him more vulnerable in its instability, but... it was more power, if he needed it.

[sleepybitchvibes]

13.

Brass shells the size of beer cans and linkage lay smouldering on the smooth and dirt-encrusted concrete, witnessed by the shy and silent glare of red laser lights, and the stitched smiling face of a red shirtless imp cloaked in tarpaulin hanging limply from whirring servos as it locates another contact. It seems a disservice to call this thing a gun. It has infrastructure. The way that each shell belt fed into it, the automatic motion of the bolt slamming back and forth, the hollow clang of an internal spring crinkling against the frame of the cannon. The camera who's lens focused into a pinprick of glassy shadow. It evoked more process than intention.

Two coming down from the top. Towards Mako. Accelerating from about thirty miles an hour. Accelerating. 35. 38. 41... Firing.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

10 shots remaining. The blast knocked a helmet off and crashed one of them into the ground.

Peet is not in Pride. Peet is in Lust, at Mako's place, on his computer. Peet's eyes blacken around the edges. "Cal, get on with Mako, get him to direct them towards the Talk-In-Movie-Theater Projects somehow. We need to get them in there so we have cover for the charges. And, also, there's too many on him, and I can see too many fucking ways he's gonna get a spear through him."

Throw Away Your Mask (For Cal)

[herewardbound]

For emergencies, Kai had said. Well, he was pinned down, holding a hopefully-only-unconscious Attendant, Pentious and his men had been annihilated, Charlie was nowhere to be found, and he had- quick recount-

Three shots left.

Make that two. He reached for the earpiece, flicked it on. "This is Goro, I'm out of ammo and I have wounded who need evac. Somebody on this fucking line tell me some good news."

One shot left.

[andnowyouregone]

Overseeing the situation from his computer, the moth was ready to respond the instant anyone reached out. He had eyes everywhere Vox had his cameras, and kept tabs on the decoy rifles that still remained. It was Hell out there, the chaos of the Purge concentrated into one area, but they were giving it their best shot. It was only fair for Cal to do the same.

"This is Cal. There's an unlocked blue sedan to the South of you with extra ammo in the trunk. Keys in the glove box if you wanna drive them yourself. Otherwise, I can have paramedics there in two minutes."

[knight_in_sinful_armor]

He hates this. He hates the angels, he hates Adam, he hates these idealistic, fucking demons that have no survival sense, and above all--above all, he hates, hates that he's here right now, in the thick of the most dangerous fight that he's ever been in, and it's all hitting the fan.

How the fuck, how the fuck did Alastor get his shit kicked in that fast. Was he even still alive? Sten has never seen the radio demon injured like that before. Charlie got in more hits than he expected, but the counterattack was brutal. Pentius is just gone, but there's no time to think about that right now.

He should have been there. He should have been there to protect Charlie. Without her, none of this means anything. He should have been there to help Alastor. That fucking deer could have saved us if I wasn't such a fucking coward and helped him. I should have been there to stop that silly stupid snake--

No, those thoughts are useless. If that attack worked, they could've won, it wasn't a bad try. Right now, the only thing that matters is holding out, and keeping as many away from those spears as he could. Fighting with Dante had been liberating, but heaven decided to fuck up their aces, one after the other. All but Lucifer.

Fuck, this really was the worst day possible. Sten stands in the midst of the cannibal army, doing his best to keep their blood in while he fights through, back towards Charlie. She's clearly distraught, but this is not a good time to be thinking with emotions.

Act 4: Finale, and the uncertain Future

[youknowwhothisis]

Adam... had fallen. Niffty was drenched in gold. The angels lay broken on the ground, and Lute was distraught as she held the dying First Human in her arms.

"It's over."

"Take your little friends, and GO HOME. Please."

Lute, missing an arm, called for the retreat. Once the portal closed and the King invited everyone to pancakes, that just left... a few questions, actually.

They won, but... was that it for the Purge? What would happen now?

And what kind of pancakes didja want?