#helluva boss critival

[hellaverse-reimagined]

Hellaverse Stairways AU Fanfiction:

"Don't End Up Like Me"

Warnings: Drug use mention

Relationships: (platonic) Angel & Glitz, (familial) Glitz & Glam

(In this AU, Angel isnt a porn star. Rather, he's a WW2 vet with PTSD who works as Val's muscle on an Infernal Hollywood film set. Glitz & Glam are sinners, but may start drifting apart...)

Summary:

Glitz and Glam are rising stars in the industry, and are shooting a TV show for the Vox Network. In this scene, the studio is taking a set break, and Glitz has taken Angel aside to seek a connection beyond her sister Glam, but is surprised when she is left with more questions.

At the Film Studio in Lust Ring’s Purgatory

“...Don’t tell anyone else about this, alright? They won’t understand.” Angel looked at the fish sinner with pleading eyes.

Glitz played with her hair, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I’m… sorry I came on too strong.”

Angel waved away her apology.

“It’s fine. I get it a lot. I usually just… put up with it. Not everyone’s as accepting of this sort of thing.” He looked away to hide the pain in his face.

There was an awkward pause for a moment. Glitz tried breaking the silence, leaning back on her rehearsal room seat across from the studio body guard, trying to look casual.

“So… guys, huh?”

Angel let out a stifled laugh, his muscles relaxing from the tension he hadn’t realized had been there. “Yeah, guys.”

“Soooo…. Anyone at the studio?”

“Hell, no!” He barked out a laugh. “I keep my work life and personal life separate.”

Glitz shot him a playful smile.

“Okay rockstar, what about outside of work? Anybodyyyy Handsome?”

Angel let out a short chuckle wearily, averting his gaze.

“No. Not seein’ anyone right now.” He said, trailing off.

Oof..

Glitz had been hoping they could bond over their shared love of boys, but now it felt like a sore spot. She stood up and pretended to stretch.

Is it pretending when you’re actually doing it? Whatever.

“Wwwhat do you do outside of work then?” Glitz pried, aching for a connection with someone other than her sister.

Angel hesitated.

Was that too far? She wondered.

Angel rose from his seat to imitate her, stretching one set of arms behind him and the other set in front of him.

“Oohh, y’know, side-gigs to get out of the studio. There’s nothing in my contract that says I can’t have other jobs.”

Glitz’s heart winced, remembering that not everyone had the luxury to come to the studio willingly. She stole a glance at his left eye… the sclera pitch black, a physical reminder of his deal with The Director. Most of the stage crew had black scleras like that, but Angel only had one. She’d been itching to know the significance of it, and now was her chance.

“...Is that why only one of your eyes are black?”

Angel paused mid-stretch, and let his arms drop to his sides, his shoulders slumping like they had deflated.

“...Yeah.”

He said, quietly.

Glitz was playing with her fingers, now. Ugh, these nervous ticks! She had to know, but she didn’t know how far she could push him without him shutting her out.

“...Can I ask you about that?”

Angel was silent.

Glitz pushed further.

“I keep hearing about ‘deals’ and I see people with black eyes everywhere, but I don’t know how they work, exactly…”

Angel sighed and met her gaze. This girl had hardly made it to 20 when she died. She was so young… so innocent… She was the nicest person on set. So why? He had to ask.

“Why are you here, Glitz?” This kid was so different from everyone else.

“What did you do, to end up here, in Hell? You’re a nice girl, Glitz.” Angel’s top right palm held open toward her, while his bottom pair of hands clasped together in supplication.

Glitz was taken aback by this. No one had asked her that yet. Not even herself.

“I… I did a lot of drugs.”

“...And?”

“And… I OD’d. We both did. It was at a party.” Angel and Glitz were both silent for a moment.

“...Oh, Glitz…” Angel sighed, running a hand through his hair.

That was something they shared in common. He thought.

Glitz didn’t want pity. Especially from someone she wanted to be her friend.

“...It wasn’t just the drugs.” Glitz said with a rasp in her tone.

“ We did everything together. Glam was always in the lead, and I followed. I was there to support her. We supported each other. Who was I to say no? So…”

“...You were complicit.” Angel finished her sentence.

“Yeah.” Glitz lifted her head, realizing she had been staring at the rehearsal room floor.

“Yeah, I was… And now I’m paying for it.”

The silence after that was only broken by a stage tech knocking on the door.

“You’re on at five.”

Glitz jumped a little. She had almost forgotten where they were. Having a meaningful conversation with someone besides Glam, it almost took Glitz out of orbit.

“Shit!” Angel spat, a hand running through his hair as he realized the time. Was that a tick of his own? Glitz thought in passing.

Angel turned to Glitz and grabbed her shoulders as gently and firmly as he could without hurting the young star, steadying himself as he bent at the knee to look her in the eye. He had to be fast.

“We don’t have much time, but you seem like a good kid. You made some bad choices but from what I’ve seen here and on set, you don’t let them define you.”

The Director’s voice interrupted, echoing through speakers in the room.

“Places, everyone! We’re here to make Magic Happen!”

Angel's eyes grew more intense at the sound of The Director’s voice.

“Whatever you do, do NOT make a deal with Him. The Director. Or anyone, for that matter. No matter what he gives you, no matter what he promises, or tells you-”

“Five!”

“If your sister strikes a deal with him, no matter what happens, do NOT go down that road with her. No matter what they tell you. There’s no coming back from a deal. Once you’ve sold your soul-”

“Four!”

“-You’re stuck here for good. No second chances.”

“Angel, I-”

“Three!”

“Just promise me! Promise me you won’t sell your soul!”

“I-”

“Two!”

Glitz could feel her heart beat in the back of her throat.

“I promise!”

Angel released her shoulders with a sigh of relief and turned away to scribble something on a piece of paper he’d had in his pocket. He pressed the paper into her hands and gave her a desperate look. She knew that look, from That Day. It was a look that said,

Don’t end up like Me.

She closed the paper in the palm of her fist, a flutter in her heart at the thought of someone besides Glitz caring what happens to her…

He’s looking out for me…

“One!”

With a few determined strides, Angel was already at the door of the rehearsal room, lower left hand on the handle.

“Meet me there. After work. I know someone who can help.”

Angel’s voice had an urgent, pleading edge to it that she’d never heard before. Glam always told her to trust no one but each other… But Glitz trusted Angel. Their eyes locked for a second, and Glitz gave him a tight nod. The corners of his mouth turned up to another one of those rare smiles that she’d never seen on set. And in a blink, he was out the door.

Glitz felt a warmth in her heart as she realized she had the paper clutched to her chest. She stole a glance down at it, but before she could read out what it said, she heard The Director yelling ‘Places!’ through the door. She stowed it away in her wallet for safe-keeping. Glitz might still own her soul, but she did not want to test The Director’s patience.