Calli gets into Alastor's broadcasting tower, only to see he's looking…he looks like he's about to lose his mind altogether. Ears are pinned down near-flat against his head, clothes are messy, hair looks like he's been running his hands through it repeatedly…and even the tower itself isn't nearly so put-together as it usually is. Going to sit on the edge of the recording table, as Alastor does not look like he's okay with being touched right now, Calli asks "What'd you want to talk about? Your shadow came and got me?"
Alastor nods, running a hand through his hair for what must be the umpteenth time, and says "It's- I- My…" In lieu of actually attempting a coherent conversation, he just taps the side of his neck.
Thankfully, that's all Calli needs to get an understand of what's causing Alastor's panic. "Alright, slow down, just…breathe, Alastor. There's some limitations, I'm guessing?"
Alastor nods, and says "About ninety percent is blocked off. When they come…" He likely won't be able to do much if they're too powerful. And, the chances of Adam being just another human soul up in Heaven are slim at best.
After a moment, several pieces fall into place for Calli, and she quietly says "That's why you have Husk's soul. You needed some way to keep everyone from finding out." Husk and all the souls he once owned were enough to boost Alastor up to around his previous power level that the public knew about, they managed to cover the fact that he wasn't able to use his powers like he could before this deal of his.
And Husk…Alastor must have at least respected him somewhat prior to that game they played where Alastor won and took everything from Husk - he made a deal with the ex-Overlord, allowing him to keep his power and providing some form of protection in the form of the brilliant green chain around his neck. Fallen Overlords are easy targets for the rest of Hell, plenty of Sinners would jump at the chance to try and get some power of their own…and Husk knows it perfectly well. Husk and all the souls he had were enough to cover up Alastor's lack of power, but it's like putting skin-colored gauze over a gaping wound.
But, maybe…just maybe, she can do something about it.
After a moment, Calli says "Alastor, I need you to look at me. Please?" Alastor glances away from the wall, something near-feral in his gaze, and Calli makes sure to look as small and nonthreatening as possible - a little trick she learned from raising Teddy, when he was first learning how to handle the transformations he inherited from Remus. It proved effective when Lucifer was half out of his mind from pain way back when, and it seems to work just as well now to as Alastor's gaze calms some. "I…I have an idea. You know just as well as I do how deals work for demons like us. The power boost they can grant."
Alastor nods, ears rising slightly as he does - he knows all too well the kind of power rush that the right kind of deal can provide. Is Calli…offering a deal? Offering to give him a power boost?
After a long moment and several swallows, Alastor asks "What do you want?"Calli says "You tell me anything you can about who it is you're dealing with, Alastor - anything at all that could point me in the right direction. And I'll get you strong enough that nobody including whoever this is will be able to screw with you ever again. Alright?"
She's offering him the chance to at least be powerful enough to wipe the hotel down with Adam's body, Alastor knows that much - Calliope's definition of 'powerful' is a little different from everyone else's simply due to the sheer amount of power she holds, he'd be an utter fool not to know that by now.
This Deal with Calli would give him a big enough boost that he'd be able to hold his own against the Exorcists depending on how much he tells her…but how much information would be enough? And, more than that…how much can he tell her?
Alastor swallows once more, then nods and quietly says "Deal."
The resulting magical shockwave promptly knocks out the electrical grid for all of Pentagram City.
After a moment, Alastor says "She's not from Heaven." Some of Calli's magic sinks into him, the Deal acting as a direct path to his own magic.
Calli nods, saying "Keep going..."
Alastor nods, clearly thinking, and says "She hates Heaven, actually, with an undying passion. And it drove her mad."
Calli nods encouragingly as more of her magic flows into Alastor's body. A crazy woman who hates Heaven...well, that narrows it down quite a lot. And, that 'undying' bit is likely important, if the surge of magic that flew into him at the word is any indication.
"Heaven made it personal for her."
Calli nods silently, mind racing as she tries to think of who in all of Hell would have an undying personal grudge against Heaven aside from her…oh. Oh no… After a moment's thought, Alastor glances all around the room like he thinks something or someone is going to jump out at them before quietly saying "She has Queen Lilith."
The sheer amount of power that floods his body at that point nearly makes him black out for a moment. As it is, his legs completely give out from under him and he hits the floor.
The only reason Alastor doesn't face-plant straight into the floor or table us Calli catching him, using her own body to break his fall so he's just got two very sore knees instead of a broken nose and bruised face as well. When he manages to make his vision stop swimming, he sees Calli's expression is a complicated mix of horror, dread, and resignation. Closing her eyes, she nods her head silently - they stay like that for a solid minute, Calli just supporting Alastor's weight as she comes to terms with all the puzzle pieces Alastor gave her.
After a long minute, she nods and says "I'm…I'm gonna figure this out. I will. I just need…I can't do anything about her until after Extermination Day…"
Alastor nods, resting his head in the crook of Calli's neck, and savors both Calli's unique scent and the feeling of power running through his veins once more - it's been so long, he'd almost forgotten how good it feels to feel magic running through him stronger than a live current. "Is there anything else you need?"Calli shakes her head, arms tightening around him as she does, and her voice sounds suspiciously thick with emotion as she says "No, you…you more than held up your end of our Deal, Alastor. Now it's time for me to do the same…"
Pulling back, Calli gets her phone out and quickly calls up Death. "Hey, D? I know I'm technically on vacation right now…but I need one here of a favor. And I've got one here of an update, to. Get the others, it's…it's bad. Really bad."
"Alright, start talking. What happened, and why do you sound like you're about to cry? Did you find Lilith? Something happen to her?"
Calli shakes her head, gesturing that she's going to go to the roof, and says "No, D, it's-" Calli apparates away at that point, after Alastor nods at her.
When Alastor gets into his room, he finds three people in there he most certainly doesn't recognize - one is a black-haired broomstick of a person with golden eyeshadow and a scythe who somehow manages to tower over even him, another also has black hair but his skin is white as bone - maybe that's just the contrast with the poor lighting and black business suit he's wearing, but Alastor seriously doubts it. The last is a woman with flaming red hair and her skin seems to almost glow similar to how Calli's does when she's powered up some.
Bound by his deal as he is - even if he weren't, for that matter - Alastor knows he's got no chance whatsoever against the three of them. Still, he's not going down without a fight.
"So," the tall, skinny one says, "you must be the famous Alastor Calli told us all about."
Alastor blinks in surprise defensive stance lowering some, and asks "Come again?"
"Name's Azrael, Calli's favorite work/adoptive brother. Right after Luci, that is. I assume you've heard of me?"
Alastor nods, asking "Why are you here, Reaper?" Yes, yes Calli's spoken of Azrael - a laid-back, easygoing Angel most of the time, relaxed and ready to kick back unless there's trouble. A good sparring partner, even if he can't be serious unless shit is going down...so why is he in Alastor's room?! For that matter, why are any of them in his room?!
Azrael laughs for a moment, saying "Aw, she told you our nicknames for one another! That, as it happens, is exactly why we're here." Well, he's here to threaten Alastor from Heaven to Hell and back again.
The unnamed man next to Azrael rolls his eyes, and says "Calli called earlier, told us pretty much everything. And, as it happens, had a big ask she's never come close to before. Made a Deal with Magic concerning it, no less." The last time she made a Deal with any of them, it was with Fate - and it concerned keeping this world going no matter what.
Alastor blinks, then stumbles back a few steps saying "You're-"
"Death? Yes. At least, this time, you'll remember me, Alastor Hartfelt."
Alastor swallows nervously, every single one of his instincts screaming for him to run, and asks "What was Calli's ask?" What was so important to Calli that she went and made a Deal with Magic herself?The woman with Death and Azrael says "She asked us to make sure you survived the coming battle…and anything else besides. And there's only one way we can do that and leave you as Alastor Hartfelt. And that's to make you like Calli."
Alastor's about to ask if she means a Nephilim when Azrael picks him up by the front of his shirt, easily lifting him up off the ground despite looking like he's got literally no muscle mass on him. "You'd better be everything Calli said you are, implied you are, and let us all come to the conclusion you are, Hartfelt, you hear me? Otherwise, I'll spend every moment of free time making you regret ever even meeting her."
Alastor doesn't even dare nod, due to the sharp end of the scythe held just under his chin. Instead, he uses his staff to say "Understood."
Azrael promptly drops him to the ground, giving him a curt nod before saying "Fate and Life are currently keeping Calli preoccupied with questions, by the way. Just in case you were wondering if she knows we're here."
Alastor gets to his feet, dusting his coat off, and asks "So…what happens next? I'm to be a…Nephilim? Like Calliope is?"
Magic shakes her head, saying "No. Immortal, truly immortal. As Calliope is. You technically won't be a mortal soul any longer, just like with Lilith - with Lilith, however, Calliope performed a Ritual that would turn her, body and soul, into a demon."
Azrael off-handedly says "You'll be able to enter the other Rings, as you technically won't be a Sinner Demon any longer - you'll still be able to live in Pride Ring as you won't be a Hellborn Demon either. There's…no real good description of what Calli became when she united the Hallows and was chosen by them. If you think of one, let us know."
And then Magic holds up a glowing orb of magic about the size of a tennis ball, and says "Hold still, Alastor Hartfelt."
Azrael gets behind Alastor before he can even think about backing away, and that tennis-ball-sized magic orb gets lodged in his chest. It burns at first, sets his own magic on fire in an all-consuming agony, then seems to…lodge behind the bindings on his magic. Really, really uncomfortably, no less - they feel too tight now, like they're straining to contain the magic that was just shoved past them.
With heartburn added in for good measure.
At least, now, he feels stronger than ever - not quite at the level he was at before his damned deal, but close enough that he might be able to hold his own against Adam and walk away with the rest of the power.
Plus, the magic that Calli lent him feels more…natural now, less like a foreign energy boosting his own and more like it's…merged with his magic. Now it really feels like he's got lightning running down his limbs, which fades to a cooling, almost liquid-like sensation after a while.
Magic steps back once Alastor slumps forward, throat sore from screams he didn't even know he was making, and says "Congratulations, you can't die anymore You'll find shadows and darkness far more responsive to your beck and call now, to."
At Alastor's confused look, she waves a hand and says "I just boosted what was already there, deepened it. Calliope's magic was already chaos incarnate when she was chosen, and yours…well, you'll figure everything out in due time."
Death says "Time's up, we need to leave now. Can't stay in any of these realms for too long or shit starts happening." It's why he has helpers, why he hasn't gone up to Heaven and started getting rid of idiots, why he relies so heavily on Azrael and Calliope. They created this world, but they have to stay out if they want it to go on.