AUTHOR'S NOTE 1/14/2018

I apologize if chapters from this point on seem a bit rushed. Firstly, I'm typing all of this up via the app on my phone, so it's a bit difficult. Second, I've become engrossed in the Thor and Avengers movies, and an idea for a fanfiction related to that has been eating up all of my other ideas for stories. The good news about that is that you can look forward to a Loki related fanfiction after this one, but I'm dead set on finishing this one first. My guess is this will be the last part of this story, as I'm going to try to fit as much as I possibly can into this part without leaving any stones unturned.

Thank you all for your support in this story. All of your Favs, Follows, and Reviews are much appreciated.

Enjoy the rest of the story

-BlueRaven 666

A Spider Demon's Revenge

PART 10

If Claude was being honest with himself, he would have run before ever bothering to set foot in Satan's palace again. He would have run and hid until he was inevitably captured or killed, and that was why he decided to go; because it was inevitable. The verdict would be the same either way. At least if he showed up at his own trial, he'd maintain his pride as he faced whatever punishment Satan, Sebastian, and Sebastian six siblings would deal him. It didn't make him any less pleased with the situation or himself, but his pride was all he had left to cling to, and everyone knew he'd cling onto it with his last dying breath.

Regardless, walking into the room where court was normally held was no less intimidating. Looking more like the Colosseum than a court room, Claude was prepared to see the doors open on either side of him and release some sort of monstrous beast that wanted nothing more than to rip him apart. The other demons that cried and cursed in the seats around him as he walked in didn't help with that thought.

Above the rows of spectators sat eight thrones placed equidistant from each other, spanning the entire circumference of the room. It didn't matter which prince or princess sat where. Each seat offered the same view of what happened in the arena below; the best view. The only seat that mattered was the largest throne, which was reserved for the Prince of Hell himself.

As Claude looked up, he saw that all the members of the royal family had shown up for this trial. Last time it had only been Satan there, most likely because the others had figured that trying to steal another demon's contract wasn't worth a death sentence, and therefore wasn't an interesting enough trial to attend. This time, however, it was different. The youngest child of Hell's ruler, the realm's beloved Michaelis, had been attacked; his and his mate's eggs, corrupted. Sebastian could have died. All bets would have been off then. Claude would have faced the death penalty, and there would be no talking his way out of it.

Satan looked as displeased as always; with his ember eyes staring daggers into Claude's with a rage that could rival that of hellfire. His thin lips were twisted into a disgusted sneer, clearly not at all pleased with seeing him again or with the reason that he was there. A pair of black, curved horns resembling those of a ram sat on his head, and his pointed ears seemed to almost flatten themselves against his head.

To ruler's left sat Cain, the eldest and most feared son of the Prince of Hell. He was a demon of wrath, and everyone knew it. He always tried to keep his expressions blank and unreadable, but his eyes betrayed him; burning with a hatred for everything and everyone, save for his family. Everyone knew it'd be a bad day when he ascended to the throne, as he was Satan's rightful heir.

Then there was Belphegor, Hell's least favorite prince and demon of sloth. As per usual, he sat with his head resting on an upturned palm, his nails dirty and overgrown, long unkempt brown hair hanging in his face, and his mouth slightly agape as he snored. Not even the noise from the crowd roused him from his sleep, and those that sat near him could tell he had not bathed in weeks, if not years; reeking of urine, feces, smoke, and something that was dead and rotting. Yes, he truely was Hell's least favorite prince.

Unfortunate enough to be placed next to him, doing her best to fan his pungent odor away from her, was Lilith. Named after her mother, Lilith was the widely loved, widely feared she-demon of lust. She was a sight, with full red lips, silky black hair, and a sultry voice that could be leading you into night of pure passion, or to your death... or both. Even Claude knew he'd never be able to resist the charm in those glittering pink eyes.

Then there were the twin princes, Amon and Asmodeus. Both were identical with jet black hair and glowing green eyes. There appearence often led them to being mistaken for grim reapers, save for their eyes' catlike appearance. Amon's primary sin was Greed. Asmodeus's, envy. They were inseparable, and one would never be seen without the other. Rumor was if that day ever came, it was s sign of the apocalypse.

Next to them was the second youngest child of Satan, Sabnok. While it was said that he was a demon of gluttony, many weren't so sure. He was rarely seen eating, whether it was human souls or what was served in the dining hall. The only thing that said 'gluttony' about him was his appearance. Not in the sense that he was overweight, but hunger did linger in his deep brown eyes; an insatiable hunger. Maybe that's why he didn't eat, because it was pointless. Useless.

And finally, there was Michaelis, seated to Satan's left side, eyes closed as if he were trying to block out all the noise going on around him and was concentrating on his thoughts. Or perhapse he was trying to avoid looking at Claude. The spider demon couldn't help but notice how Sebastian had only glanced at him once when he had walked in, his gaze neither hopeful nor dismayed, and thus leaving what sort of words had been exchanged between the eight of them a complete mystery.

"I've had enough of this!" Cain was the first to speak, "The ax is far too merciful a punishment for such a crime. Send in Cerberus, or the harpies. Something brutal to ensure a violent and painful death!"

Cheers of agreement came from the crowd.

"Aren't we forgetting that this wasn't just Faustus's doing?" Lilith asked, "Everyone knew how vial and manipulative Anansi was. Faustus would have never come within a thousand miles of Michaelis if it wasn't for her. This was her doing!"

"Yes, well Anansi is dead," Sabnok chimed in, "You can't exactly punish a corpse."

"Not to mention Faustus had every opportunity to refuse her," Cain added, "Anansi was already walking on thin ice for murdering her previous mate. Chances were she wouldn't have been stupid enough to do it again."

Lilith scoffed, "Doubtful."

"Michaelis wasn't even at his full strength when he was attacked," Asmodeus noted, "Anyone could have taken advantage of the situation."

"The fact that Faustus and Anansi did doesn't exactly surprise me," Amon added.

"I'm I the only one seeing the big picture here?" Lilith hissed, "Faustus would have never done--"

"How do you know he wouldn't?" Cain cut her off, "Not too long ago, Faustus was trying kill Michaelis over a soul. I don't know if you've noticed, but there are a lot of souls out there! Who's to say he wouldn't stoop to raping a member of the royal family, and for what? Revenge? Status? Spite? It doesn't matter!"

Claude remained silent. Technically, none of them were wrong. Rape wasn't uncommon, but a lowly demon such as himself raping a member of the royal family was a heinous crime usually seen as a desperate attempt to to climb up the ranks. He had the power to refuse Anansi's demands, but he didn't. He had the power to walk away but he didn't. Sure it wasn't entirely his fault, but he wasn't blameless either.

"I heard quite a different story," Belphegor muttered out, having woken from his nap, "Rumor has it Michaelis actually enjoyed himself while Claude was thrusting into him."

"Lies!" Cain snarled, the crowd joining in as they began thowing stones in the sloth demon's direction, "Do you even know how much pain being a host causes a male demon?"

"Do you?"

Cain was ready to pounce on Belphegor when Satan stood up from his throne.

"I believe that's enough deliberation," he said, silencing the room, "We all know why we're here. Michaelis, you've been awfully silent throughout all of this. How are you felling?"

"Tired," the raven demon replied curtly, "Honestly, I'd rather be anywhere else than here."

"No one here blames you for what happened, son. I can assure you of that."

"Well..." Belphegor started before being abuptly cut off.

"No one. Blames you. For what happened! You were saying, Belphegor?"

The sloth demon pursed his lips and looked away, "I do not blame you, brother."

Satan nodded and slowly sat back down on his thone, "Faustus, you know why you're here, do you not?"

"Yes, sire, I do," the spider demon replied.

"You've been accused of raping my youngest son Michaelis, and sabotaging his and his mate's clutch of eggs with the she-demon known as Anansi. How do you plead?"

"Guilty, sire."

"And do you understand the severity of your actions? You were in here not even a month ago for trying to steal a contract from Michaelis as well."

"Yes, sire, I understand."

"Of course, the courts cannot make a decision until all sides of the story have been heard, and since Anansi is dead, I'm going to have to ask you to speak on her behalf."

Claude nodded in understanding as he spoke.

"I can't say for certain what exactly was going through Anansi's mind, but I do know that she wanted to make Michaeli host to our eggs as some sort of revenge for killing me. I tried to refuse her, but she threatened to go to the courts and say I was displeasing her if I didn't comply with her demands. I think it's also worth noting that Anansi's only alternative was to have me become host to her eggs."

"Then why didn't you just go with that?" Cain asked, "It would have saved you a lot of trouble, and you wouldn't be standing here now about to have your head lopped off."

"I didn't do it because I had already refused the offer. The next thing I know, Anansi's talking about all this with Michaelis. I was trapped, and I was irritated. I agreed to Anansi's plan without even thinking. It not a good reason, I know, but at the time... with a clouded mind, it seemed like the better option."

Satan let out a long, frustrated sigh, "You realize nothing you're saying is helping your case, right? You've lived in these realms for thousands of years; long enough to know what laws there are."

"I know."

"And I do want to know what Cain mentioned before. What was your reason for doing this? Was it revenge on Michaelis for killing you? Was it for status? For spite?"

"No, it was not, sire."

"Then why?"

Claude flinched as he felt the eyes of every being in the room lock onto him. God, how he wished Anansi was here standing trial with him. This was her doing, and he would have revelled in trying to see her weasel her way out of this. But it was just him, which didn't make him feel any better about what he was going to say.

"I have no reason. Michaelis won the battle for Ciel Phantomhive's soul fairly. Obtaining royal status doesn't appeal to me, either. A crown would suit me about as well as a fish suits land, and it wasn't for spite. There was no reason behind my actions other than it was my mate's will, and I reluctantly agreed."

The crowd was silent, but Claude could already feel their shaking heads and disapproving scowls.

"I see," Satan said after a long moment, "And do you truely feel the gravity of your crimes?"

"I've felt the gravity of my crimes since I first agreed to Anansi's ridiculous plan, thought it really didn't hit me until I was watching her insert her ovipositor into him. It sickened me, even more so when she discovered his reserve pouch, and even more so when I was pushing myself into Michaelis. And while the eggs were maturing inside of him, ad when I was there helping him deliver the eggs, the only thing I could think was, 'What I'd do to go back in time and agree to be host to Anansi's eggs.' I would have rather delt with 432 eggs in my intestines than to have ever put Michaelis though such agony."

The Prince of Hell nodded in acknowledgement before turning to Sebastian, "Can you confirm any of this?"

The raven demon's eyes were now open and staring down at Claude.

"I can," he replied, "Faustus doesn't apologize worth a damn for anything he does, yet on that day he apologized profusely for what he and Anansi had done to me. After Shelob had killed Anansi, he offered to look after me in her stead. He made my nest more secure as I rested, and when troubles came up with the reserve pouch, he was willing to comply with my demands at forcing the eggs out. While it hadn't come to that, he could have decided to back out or run away at anytime, but he didnt."

Satan let out a small hum before turning to the crowd, "And what do you think about this, Shelob?"

The she-demon stood up from the middle of the crowd.

"I think he's a scoundrel and a fool for what he did, but I trusted him with Michaelis's care, and he did not let me down. I think that has to count for something."

"I agree," Sebastian said as he stood up.

"So do I," Lilith chimed in.

Amon, Asmodeus, and even stubborn Sabnok and Belphegor stood up in agreement. Cain and Satan, however, remained seated. It wasn't often that the courts were torn on a decision, but when they were, debates usually got ugly.

"I'll admit," Cain said, having managed to calm himself down some, "It's not as bad as what I was thinking. Regardless, we can't just let this vile act go unpunished. I mean, what kind of message would that send to the public?"

"I agree," Satan nodded, "And indeed Faustus's actions will not go unpunished, but I'll leave it to Michaelis to decide what that punishment will be."

All eyes that were on the Prince of Hell or Claude immediately turned to the raven demon. Sebastian pondered what to do as he looked down at the spider demon. He chuckled to himself.

"You know, right before this trial, Faustus asked me not to save him should he face the death penalty. Therefore, I propose a vote. All those in favor of the ax, say 'I'."

Not a word was spoken. No hands were raised.

"There you go, Faustus," Sebastian stated, "You've been saved from the ax, and I didn't even have to force my hand."

"So the question remains," Satan piped up, "What will his punishment be, Michaelis?"

Sebastian pondered his decision for a long, silent moment. At the time he had been burdened with Anansi's eggs, he'd been thinking up a wide variety of punishments that ranged from execution to imprisonment to torture. Maybe even a combination of the three. But Claude did feel remorse for his actions and condemned the actions of his mate. Keeping that in mind his decision required a certain level of gravity and mercy.

"A suitable punishment for this crime would be 'an eye for an eye'," the raven demon finally stated, "I propose, with my mate's approval, to make Faustus host to Shelob's eggs and fertilize them with my seed, just as he and his mate had done to me."

Looks of question were exchanged amongst both the crowd and Sebastian's siblings. It was a good punishment, a fair punishment, but rather light considering the crime had been committed against a member of the royal family. They had gathered there in anticipation of an execution, if not a brutal torturing. For this to be the punishment the youngest son of the Prince of Hell deemed worthy of the lowly spider demon... it was daunting, if not a little disappointing.

"Really?" Cain breathed, "Are you sure? Because Faustus's imprisonment isn't out of the question..."

"I'm sure." Sebastian responded, "That's my decision, be it the final one or not."

"Who's to say that isn't what Faustus wants?" Asmodeus inquired, "How many demons are out there that would kill to so much as touch a member of the royal family? If anything, this spider might see it as a great honor to be host to Michaelis's young, rather than a punishment."

Shelob stood up from her seat once more.

"Unlikely," she said, "The three days a male is hosting the eggs are brutal. Faustus will be unable to breathe, let alone move properly, without feeling the pain of his intestines stretch. The feeling will only be amplified if he has a reserve pouch. I approve of my mate's choice in punishment."

"I agree," Satan said as he stood from his throne, "Though it is controversial, I accept your proposal, Michaelis. Faustus, for your second crime against the royal family, I hereby leave you at the mercy of Shelob and Michaelis's wrath. Although, something tells me you should be more afraid of Shelob than Michaelis."

Claude gave an acknowledging nod. He was torn. He felt relief at the fact that he wasn't being put to death, glad that he was practically walking away scot-free considering the other outcomes that could have resulted. Yet some partpart on him was uneasy, if not a little scared for his punishment.

God help him if he had a reserve pouch.