Just as Charlie asked, the backpack on his shoulder gave a sudden shuffle, then a little pop! And out came Razzle, coughing and gasping for air.
"Ughh, it smells like Axe body spray in there."
Charlie's heart leapt. "Razzle!"
She dashed forward, scooping the little creature up in her arms. Dazzle fluttered over, his wings drooping with exhaustion but his eyes shining with relief.
Thank Lucifer you're okay!! he thought, hugging his brother.
Razzle squeaked happily and immediately burrowed into Charlie's chest. "You're okay," she whispered, hugging him tight. "You're safe now."
Behind them, Prince gave his bike a subtle nod. Its headlights flared red.
"Clean-up mode, Baby."
"Affirmative," the bike purred, extending a gleaming, angel-forged blade from its frame before speeding back into the smoldering ruins.
The Princess may have had mercy... but he didn't.
---
Outside, on the cracked steps of the old theatre, Charlie finally allowed herself to sit.
Her lungs burned, her hair was a wreck, but she was smiling. She had finally gotten Razzle back, who was now curled up beside her.
Prince dropped down next to her with a grunt. "You did good, Princess."
Charlie looked over at him, still smiling softly. "We did good. And… thank you. Really."
He shrugged, looking away.
She laughed, then fell quiet, hesitating.
He noticed her hesitation immediately. "What's up?"
Charlie looked at her hands. "I just… I'm grateful I met you. If it wasn't for you, I might not have found Razzle, hell I might've given up..."
Prince raised a brow. "Your dream, huh?"
"Yeah," she said, pulling out a small rolled-up parchment. "My mom's dream. Mine now."
The paper shimmered with faint gold seals — Lucifer's insignia.
"I made a deal with my dad," she explained. "If I could get one genuine sinner to sign up for redemption, he'd give me their old hotel at the edge of Pentagram City. I was hoping the interview yesterday would help, but…"
She sighed. "After 1 year. I still haven't found a single demon to sign up. And with four days left, no!...Even then, even if I can't get the hotel. I won't quit."
Prince stared at her for a long moment. Then he exhaled through his nose, as if amused by something. "Hell hasn't changed in ten thousand years. You won't fix it in four days."
"I know," she said. "But I have to try."
Something in her tone hit him. He scratched the back of his neck and muttered, "Watching you keep failing and still smiling… kinda makes you look cool, you know that."
Charlie looked over to see Prince looking away, then grinned. "You like me."
He scowled instantly. "I said you look cool."
She poked his side. "You like me, don't you? You say mean things, but I think you're starting to see me as a friend. I think I heard you say something similar not too long ago actually..."
"..."
Prince sighed, looking away. "It's… not easy for me to trust. Haven't called anyone a friend in a long time."
However, he didn't deny it. "But yeah. I do, just a tiny bit."
Charlie's smile widened. "Then why don't—?"
"You best be heading off soon," he interrupted.
"Huh? Why?"
He pointed down.
Charlie looked down, and froze.
The parchment glowed. There, at the bottom of the page, a name had appeared. A signature, written in script that burned bright red before fading to black ink.
Her eyes went wide. "Wha— this— when— how—?!"
She looked back at him, tears already welling up. "You?"
He huffed, scratching his jaw. "Guess that makes me the first sucker to believe in you."
She covered her mouth, laughing through the tears. "I can't believe it…"
Prince shifted awkwardly. Crying girls weren't his thing. His usual smirk twitched back into place.
"If you're that thankful," he said, tilting her chin up playfully, "maybe you could—"
Whatever joke he was about to make vanished as Charlie suddenly hugged him again, crushingly.
"Okay, okay!" he wheezed. "You're gonna break my ribs!"
She laughed, pulling back a little, her face inches from his. "You signed it. You really signed it."
Prince blinked. "You're really close right now."
"I know," she said, grinning.
For a heartbeat, they just looked at each other.
For a second, neither spoke. The sounds of the burning theatre faded behind them. All that existed was the heat between them and the faint flicker of fire reflected in their eyes.
Then Charlie smiled shyly. Before she could overthink it, she leaned forward and kissed him.
It was gentle, but it stopped his breath cold.
Prince blinked, caught off guard... but didn't pull away. When she parted, he stared at her like he wasn't sure what had just happened.
However, he didn't wait a second longer. The moment her eyes lifted to his, he leaned in and kissed her, no warning. His hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her closer as their lips met hard.
She let out a quiet breath against him, leaning forward until her knees brushed his. Her fingers caught his shirt, gripping it like she was afraid he'd pull away, but he didn't. He only kissed her deeper, his thumb tracing along her jaw until her breath hitched.
Then—
BOOM!
The remains of the theatre behind them exploded, shaking the ground and sending a rain of fiery debris into the street.
Both of them jerked apart instantly.
Prince coughed, brushing ash off his coat. "...Right. Probably not the best neighborhood for this."
Charlie laughed breathlessly, still red-faced. "Yeah. Definitely not."
He cleared his throat and muttered, "...I think you should take that parchment to the King. The faster you do, the faster you can get started on your little project, no?"
Charlie nodded, still a little dazed, brushing dust off her pants. "Yeah. You're right."
He offered a hand to help her up, and she took it. Their fingers lingered for a second longer than they probably needed to.
Her face was still pink as she glanced at him — and from the way his mask tilted slightly, she guessed he was just as unsure what to say next.
She finally looked away, fidgeting. "Guess I should call my ride then."
Reaching for her pocket, she groaned. "Oh right. My phone got smashed during that tiny little building-collapse incident."
Prince asked, "You want a lift, Princess?"
She looked at him uncertainly. "You wouldn't mind?"
He didn't answer, just gave a load mouth whistle.
A few seconds later, the roar of an engine echoed down the street. Out of the smoke rolled a sleek, black-and-purple bike. The headlights flared as it skidded to a perfect stop in front of them.
Charlie blinked. "So this is Baby…"
The bike purred proudly, "In the metallic flesh, sugar."
"...Okay, that's cool," Charlie admitted with a laugh.
She glanced down at the sleeping Razzle and Dazzle. "But how are we supposed to carry them? I don't want to wake them after everything."
Prince raised a brow and tapped his wrist, showing her a small control watch. "Watch this."
(Pun intended!)
With a tap of his finger, Baby's frame shifted and unfolded, metal sliding and clicking until a slick, padded sidecar formed on the right. It was big enough for both smaller demons to curl up comfortably.
Charlie's eyes widened. "That's… really convenient. You're awesome, Baby."
"Ahhh, don't praise me too much, Princess~"
Prince just shrugged. He handed Charlie a helmet, fitting it gently onto her head.
"There. Wouldn't want Hell's favorite Princess splattering across the highway."
She tilted her head. "You're not putting one on?"
He tapped the mask still covering half his face. "Built-in model."
"Of course it is," she said with a sigh.
Once Razzle and Dazzle were settled in the sidecar, Charlie climbed onto the back seat, gripping the sides nervously. "I've, uh… never ridden one of these before."
Prince glanced over his shoulder, his grin widening. "Well, Princessa… today's your lucky day."
Before she could even process what he meant, the bike's engine roared to life.
"Hold on tight," he warned.
She blinked. "Wait, what do you—"
VROOOOOM!
The bike shot forward like a rocket, leaving a streak of fire behind them.
Charlie let out a startled scream, immediately wrapping her arms around Prince and hanging on for dear life. "You could've warned me properly!"
"I did!" he yelled back over the roar of the wind, laughing as they tore down the road.
"Next time I'm calling a chauffeur!" she shouted.
He laughed. "Too late now!"
The city lights of Hell blurred past them — streaks of red and gold flashing like comets. And though Charlie's heart was racing for more reasons than the bike's speed, she couldn't stop herself from smiling.
The last few days had been insane, terrifying, messy, and unpredictable. But as they sped down the street with Razzle and Dazzle fast asleep, she couldn't help but think that it had all been worth it.
Because for the first time in a long time, the future didn't seem bleak.