Hello my lovely readers.
This takes it's root in the manga-verse – if you don't happen to know who Lucifer et al are, then I don't recommend you continue. This is not rooted into the plot, as most of my fics are, but...well, just think of it like a chapter extra. A very dark chapter extra.
I am not super good at keeping Rin in character all the time, but I will try. Do forgive any mistakes or OOC moments.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, except my own OC's (of which there are few) and I'm not sure I would want them either, because in my hands no one would be who they are in cannon and would actually align with demonology on the matter.
WARNING: There's some dark stuff in here: Demon/amimalistic predation, themes of cannibalism and human-eating, sacrificial lambs, claustrophobia, survival instincts, vampirism, psychological torture, intense angst and more. I put this under horror for a reason, people. Read at your own risk.
CH I: What happens when you put a large mind in a small box?
"He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who would have thought him mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not." ~ The Masque of Red Death, Edgar Allan Poe.
The mission from HQ was an arduous one. And unfortunately, Mephisto Pheles did not like doing arduous tasks.
"Why did they have to send me?" He whined under his breath, trudging through the blanket of snow beneath him. It was the middle of January, and it was frigid even by his standards, enough so that once the wind caught speed enough to permeate his clothes, even he wanted to shiver.
"You are here because there's been Illuminati activity in the area, and I won't chance getting away from them twice with all of us intact if we don't have a more powerful demon on our side." Yukio replied curtly. Mephisto glanced over at his student-teacher, taking in through his posture that he was even more uncomfortable with the chill than the demon was, even though he was the only one present in the group of exwires who hadn't complained about it. He had to smirk at the idea. Shiro had taught the boy well to conceal his weaknesses, even though doing so made him one of the weakest among them in his state of mind.
It was both tragic and funny to the demon.
"I understand the logic, but I don't feel it's necessary."
"Then clearly you don't understand it." Shura barked at Mephisto, walking behind him positioned at his flank. "Quit whining and do your job like the rest of us for once, ya lazy demon."
"You know, you're only cute when you don't talk." Mephisto muttered, a little insulted. "Besides, I had my active time already. What do you think Shiro and I went around doing?" At the forming smirk on Shura's face, he quickly cut in, "Don't answer that."
"Well, you asked." She snickered. Mephisto frowned.
"I forget sometimes that you and my dad used to be partners." Rin, positioned at the rear of their convoy, piped in. "It always catches me off guard whenever you guys talk about him like that."
"Yes, well you weren't quite as aware of his job as Yukio I suppose." Mephisto commented. "Of course, that was to keep you out of danger, since you inherited Satan's flame. There was no telling at the time if the Koma sword would hold your power at bay forever, and it was just too dangerous to have you flaming up unexpectedly around unaware exorcists."
"Yeah, I know that." Rin replied. "Yukio already explained that to me after the old man died." Rin said somberly. A long silence, interrupted by the crunches of feet in the snow, followed.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Izumo broke the silence after a time.
"There was some reported activity further north. We should be there by dark."
"Dark? Here?" Shima replied, looking frightful. "In the middle of a creepy forest? No thank you."
"Well then I suggest you walk faster, if you don't want to be stuck here –" Mephisto paused mid-speech, stopping altogether. An alert expression was on his face, making everyone else stop too.
"What is it?" Suguro whispered, situated nearest to Mephisto and standing directly behind him. The demon lifted his head, sniffing the air carefully, ears pricked for any subtle sound.
"I believe we have been found, my students." He said, glancing around them warily. "Prepare yourselves."
"There'll be no need for that, Samael." A masculine voice said from in front of them, where lied a subtle hill that none of them had noticed in the blinding whiteness. The sound of crunching footsteps preceded the sight of a tall man dressed in a black coat walking towards them from over the crest of the hill, dragging in tow four other people who all wore hoods to conceal their faces, also draped in black.
"My name is Gray. I promise you this will go much easier if you don't resist or try to fight us."
'Resist?' Mephisto wondered curiously.
"Like hell we're gonna go down easy!" Rin shouted, hand on his sword. Yukio went as if to reprimand him, but Mephisto beat him to it, raising a halting hand.
"No need to be so aggressive, Rin." Mephisto stated calmly. Sensing some change in the older demon's demeanor, Rin wisely stayed put. "Let us see what they want first."
"A wise move on your part, Samael." Gray replied smoothly as his own convoy fanned out to his sides, creating a blockade. He lived up to his name, with short silver hair planted mostly vertically atop his head, his long face and graying stubble betraying his middle-age.
"I take it you are Lucifer's new play toy?" Gray was unamused at the jab, frowning deeply.
"I am a newer recruit of the Illuminati, yes." The tall man responded. "But I am no less valuable to Lucifer-sama, which is why I am here."
"Can I safely assume he sent you because of me?"
"Yes – and no." Mephisto cocked a curious head at this. "Lucifer does not normally send me into the field, but for you it was a bit of an exception. However, you are not what he wants, precisely." Gray explained, a strange, twisted smile on his face. "He has forbid me from trying to kill you, however, so I would prefer you all cooperate." Rin went to act out again, and once more Mephisto's hand stopped him.
"To what end?" The demon asked curiously. He knew his older brother – knew him well. Lucifer was smart – very smart. Smarter, dare he say, than himself at times. His cleverness was his best and least beatable attribute, in fact – and that made Mephisto both wary and somewhat thrilled by the potential prospects laid before him.
"Well, ordinarily, it would be to your personal end," Gray said, a somewhat vicious tone lying beneath his too-toothy smile. "But as said, Lucifer-sama has forbade I try to kill you. He says you are too precious for that – a waste of familial sentiment if you ask me." 'Oh, it isn't sentiment that made him say that, though we were once very close. To kill me would ruin the effect of putting the king in check.' Mephisto almost smirked at his musing, causing Gray to stare at him, confused.
"What exactly is so amusing to you about this?"
"I know my brother well enough to know that he is as clever as they come, and one of the only demons able to trick me. I have to wonder, then, what the purpose of sending a human after me would be, considering my ranking."
"Because I am not your typical human." Gray replied, a carnivorous smirk on his face. Expecting something to happen, the group of exwires prepared for an attack – but had no idea just what they were fighting. Shiemi, who tagged along as medical support, suddenly collapsed at the back of the group.
"Shiemi? Shiemi?!" Rin cried, shaking her. She was incoherently moaning, and a trickle of blood from her nape said that she'd been struck by something.
"You –" Rin went to charge, but lost all control of his motor function, collapsing just like Shiemi had.
'What is going on?'
One by one, the exwires fell as they tried to take action for their fallen comrades. Shura tried to make a break for it, but was utterly confused when Mephisto did not offer to follow her.
"Hey!" She called out to him. The demon hadn't moved, didn't even look like he had flinched. "What are you doing? We –" Shura felt something sharp hit her arm for a split second before she passed out, hitting the ground with a thud. Mephisto, or rather Samael, now stood alone.
"You hit them with glass needles while I wasn't paying attention – save for Shura, who had been safe behind me. I confess I am impressed." Samael gazed long at Gray, his stare unblinking and dangerously sharp.
"Now there's the trouble of you." Gray replied, nerve holding steady despite the unnerving stare. It was the look of a big cat right before it pounced on you, and it made the tall, lean man shiver. "You can either go with us easy, or have us use force to coerce you."
"Coerce me? My, you're smarter than you look." Mephisto mocked with a sarcastic smile, displaying his sharp canines for all to see.
"Indeed. It would be a foolish venture to assume a mere mortal could control the King of Time, the very God of chaos and mischief." Gray smiled wickedly. "However, I think we have a way to convince you." Gray snapped his fingers, and just like that, a large box appeared. It was massive and made of dark metal, resembling a safe in appearance – and, disturbingly, resembling something of Samael's own possession.
"Open it." Gray ordered. One of his convoy, the smallest of them, walked in front of the box and began chanting, a chant Mephisto immediately recognized as one of his own making. For the first time in a long time, he felt his heart sink into his stomach.
The box opened up a previously invisible door, swinging open to confirm Mephisto's fear. Inside, wrapped tightly in chains, was his little brother Amaimon.
"Word has it that Amaimon has is something of a special case for you, or indeed a special case in general." Gray said, ignoring the killer glare the older demon sent his way. "He stumbled into our base by sheer accident a few days ago. Lucifer-sama has been treating him very well, all things considered – however, unlike you, I do have permission to kill him, if I must."
"And what do you suppose that will accomplish?"
"Oh, I think you'll want to save him." Gray replied confidently. "After all, the queen is a very valuable piece on the board. Wouldn't want to sacrifice it too soon, when you never know if you'll get a clear shot at trading it out, would you?*" 'Damn Lucifer. He knows me too well. He even knows Amaimon's position – but then, he is rather influential...I wonder if he got any information out of Amaimon. My little brother may not be the brightest of us siblings, nor the strongest, but he's as stubborn as the rocks he manipulates. He's also got a surprisingly complex honor code – he wouldn't betray me willingly, in any case...He's right, anyway. The Vatican would never authorize me to revive Amaimon if his body died, and with the investigations going on, I can't risk doing it in secret either. Damn it all!'
"And just what are you planning on doing with them?" Mephisto nodded towards his comrades, who he mentally noted could be hypothermic by now.
"Oh, fear not, they won't be harmed – not by us, anyway." Mephisto glared suspiciously at Gray, not at all liking the triumphant gleam in his eye. But there wasn't much he could do this time except play along.
"Alright, I'll go with you, no trouble, no questions asked – however, I have one condition." Gray's smirk became a frown. "And that is?"
"That at some point during this ordeal, I am allowed to speak to my older brother. I have a few choice words for him, as it were."
"Normally I'd say no, but you happen to be in luck today, because Lucifer-sama wanted an audience with you himself – hence why we are taking you in." 'I have to play my hand very carefully. If I make the wrong move, they all could die.' "Is that so?"
"But first, we have to take a few precautionary measures – surely you understand why." Gray stated, pulling out a specialized pair of hand-cuffs. Mephisto recognized them as the type exorcists used to detain demons for questioning, almost laughing at the idea of wearing them himself.
"Do as you must. I will not struggle."
"Good boy." Mephisto's glare grew stronger. He did not like this man at all.
Expecting the cuffs to affect him but only minimally, Mephisto gasped sharply when the cuffs were put on him, suddenly feeling very light-headed. The cuffs worked by suppressing and diverting a demon's energy – something Mephisto had enough of that it shouldn't have mattered if such a small sealing device was placed on him. However, it seemed as though the clever Lucifer thought this through – the cuffs were marked with different runes, upon inspection. They were now powerful enough to temporarily restrain even Samael's power – but only temporarily.
"Ah, clever brother. You used demon magic on these cuffs, didn't you?" Mephisto gasped, swaying on his feet. The sudden diversion and trapping of his energy was making him weaker than he liked.
"Come. You will be freed of them soon."
Mwahahahahahaha, the tale has just begun.
Now for something I haven't used in a long time, and one of my favourite words to say-
ASTERISKS!
*Queen on a chess board: This is a reference to, obviously, chess, in which the queen is one of the strongest pieces. The queen is also the most vulnerable piece for her strength, because there is only one queen and the other player (if they are wise) will often try to take out the opponents queen first. The reason the queen is so powerful is because it is the only piece that can both move anywhere on the board and move any distance. She is the ultimate attack piece capable of doing everything (except jumping) that any other piece can do. Because of her value, an experienced player will seldom use the queen unless the rest of the board is mostly clear, and focus her attacks on the bishops (which move diagonally) or king. As for the "exchange" part, there is a move in chess whereby you can trade your pawn for any other piece you have already lost (except another pawn) if it reaches the other end of the board. The queen, because of her value, is the most commonly traded piece for a pawn, especially as the queen is often lost quickly once she is played.
Oh, and before I go – while reviews are not necessary, they are nice. Constructive criticism welcome on all fronts, too.
Whelp, I've said my piece (haha, get it?) with that, I bid you adieu!