Authors note:

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Chapter XLV: Fucking Portals

"About fucking time, come on!" Malina held up her hands and chanted the special incantation, causing the manifestation of the stone door, it shutting behind him sealing the tunnel shut. At least they weren't getting rained on by ash anymore.

The demon was angry, he could tell by her body language, the way she stormed off without him once she was done, the way she stomped ahead, refusing to make eye contact, fists balled.

The Helltaker had retrieved Modeus's sledgehammer he had left propped up against the rock wall before entering the cave. Even though the demon could summon it at will, he felt he should treat the weapon with respect.

"Sorry, didn't think we would see a friendly face out there" the Helltaker following the Sour Demon, the human surprised at how well lit this cave was. He carried the giant weapon over his right shoulder, his right hand gripped the end of the handle.

"Well we have a job to do, get your shit together. We don't have alot of time, who knows what they are doing with Zdrada" Malina couldn't care less for his apology, the anger still bubbling over.

"Sorry" he said again, the sincerity obvious on his voice.

"Shut it" she hissed, the guilt already building. Malina lead the human to where the rest of the group were currently gathered, the Helltaker almost laughed at the situation the family was now faced with: two tunnels, each going a different way. Could it get more cliche?

Hordes of enemies, saved by a friendly beast, two pathways...if someone dared suggesting that we spli-

"Hey, we were just think whether we should split up and-" Modeus began, but the demon was unable to finish her sentence.

"Oh come on Mo! The amount of horror films we have watched where the group splits up, you remember what happens to them?" he grinned, going over to a mounted torch. The black metal torch was of strange design, sharp edges and black, warped metal, a blue fire was eternally burning a wick made of some strange fiber. He tried not to think about it's design...

"I know...come to think of it they always-" she tried defending herself but stopped dead mid-sentence, knowing he was right.

"Does anyone know the way?" he asked. No one replied, all of them remaining silent staring blankly at him or looking away in embarrassment. "Haven't you been here before J?".

"Layout constantly changes, reality shifts to a random maze each time" she replied, "Besides I don't know what it looks like, do I?" the demon gave off a little sass.

"Does anyone even know where we are going? What's our destination?" he asked another question, the human taking the blue flame torch of it's mount, holding it in his left hand, his arm stretched out in front of him. The brazier spat a few sparks towards him, but they simply brushed off of his left wrist. He needed his own light source.

Again, there was silence.

"I feel a very powerful energy source, a large amount of Hell Energy...but I get random feelings like this most time we are in Hell" Justice spoke again.

"Ah! So that is what that sensation is! I always wondered what that random tingling is in my chest" Azazel beamed, the angel looking over at Malina. "You feel it too correct?"

"I guess, random spikes of- whatever" Malina scowled, her arms crossed.

"Can you track it? Trace it to its source?" the Helltaker walked past the group, peering down both tunnels, the right one first and then the left, using the blue light from his torch to get a better look. The right cave had a dark dreary atmosphere to it, almost as if the abyss had followed them inside and clung to this particular tunnel...probably the right way. The left cave had various echoes, they were somewhat distorted voices. Alongside this, noises like rocks falling and metal being hammered were barely audible.

"Yes, but right now it's telling me to go straight down" Justice was simplifying this sensation, a reaction she normally had with Hell Energy.

"Straight down? Don't think that's a choice right now..." the Helltaker's eyes lingered on the left tunnel's walls, thinking he saw light approaching. After blinking he realised it was his own torchlight reflected back at him. "Hang on...If Lucy or Judgement or Beel are actually down here, aren't you lot able to talk to them with your minds? Surely we should give that a try first?" he now turned to face his family.

"What do you think we've been doing for the last three or so hours ya great big dickbag?" Malina's scowl lengthened, the human oblivious to their efforts. "We have been trying to get in contact with anyone down here over the last few hours, there was no response!". He felt quite stupid...they would have tried that first...

"We haven't even been able to contact others demons on the surface, on the same realm as us! Someone or something has definitely blocked communications...that only means one thing" Pandemonica decided now was the time to lay down...the bad news.

"What?" Azazel didn't know if she could take anymore bad news or fighting.

"Do tell, oh former head of demon resources" the Helltaker joked.

Again, Pandemonica sighed, taking in a big inhale of air. "Hell's core is being disturbed. If someone was trying to destroy it they would have done it by now and we wouldn't be standing here" she gave the Helltaker a stern look for his joke.

"Disturbed? What do you mean?" the human was becoming so increasingly confused. Hell had a 'core'?

"Someone, given enough power, can prevent Hell's core from operating, suspending its natural processes. The core is the network of all demonic souls, through it we are all connected, we function normally". Again Pandemonica paused, taking the time to breathe before speaking, her chest expanding, lifting, before descending back to its normal size. "That- and excuse my language- shitstorm we saw outside is the side effects of such...tampering" Pandemonica proceeded to clean her glasses after this statement, using the bottom of her skirt.

"I didn't even know Hell had a 'core', what is it?" Modeus asked looking puzzled at Pandemonica, still trying to comprehend what was going on.

"No one is supposed to know, another closely guarded secret for the CEO and her prosecutors...you don't wanna know what 'it' is..." Justice was now leaning against the cave wall, arms crossed.

"You two wonder why you get random 'tinglings' when your in Hell, take a wild guess" Justice was clicking her fingers, making sure they were ready for the next fight.

"No" Malina spoke in a monotone voice, refusing to take part in this guessing game.

"Angelic souls" Azazel beamed, holding a white, gloved index finger in the air next to her head.

"Correct, you souls are..." Justice stopped speaking, for if she continued she would spill the secret of the core's entity.

"Taker..." A distant voice whispered... he didn't hear it at first, he was focusing on the conversation.

"Anyway, regardless we answered the question of where we need to be going" he looked at his family, one by one.

"How the fuck are we going to get to Hell's core? Don't happen to know a shortcut do you dickhead?" Malina spat, her impatience was adding fuel to her burning rage.

"You know...I do..." the former prosecutor butted in, pausing after she spoke. "See Beel made sure these strongholds had plenty of exits, in each of these places scattered around Hell, I noticed there was always a room dedicated to portals".

"Jason...",the whisper was slightly louder this time, loud enough to get his attention, he turned to look over his shoulder as if someone was standing at the entrance of the tunnel. He knew his mind was playing tricks on him.

That's not even my real fucking name...

"Then I can tell you what it really is...the answer you have been longing for. The abyss has granted me the knowledge...", there it was again, only this time, the whisper was so much quieter and yet softer than before.

"Get to the point" Malina had involuntarily clenched her fists again.

"We gotta find the portal room, knowing Beelzebub she would have made a portal to take her straight to Hell's core...if she ever grew powerful enough." Justice sighed heavily afterwards. "Which is what's happening right now...I think".

Beelzebub? his mind asked.

"My dear Taker, I've missed you. I've longed for you...".

Where are you? He realised how bizarre it was that Beelzbub was reading his thoughts, he didn't even need to speak.

"I'm waiting for you...".

Where is Zdrada?

"Safe...unharmed...waiting for you also...".

Beel please stop this, whatever this is...

"Hey Az, left or right?" Justice asked suddenly. "Come on quick!" the Awesome Demon gave a lighthearted smile.

"Uhhh...uhhh" the angel hesitated.

"Stop? Oh my dear, we have only just begun...".

Where are you?!

"You will find me soon enough...Judgement and Lucy are here, they have been waiting for quite a while".

God dammit B, I swear to god, knock it off! Are they hurt?! Panic flooded his mind.

"My dear why so worried?".

"Right?" Azazel finally said, the angel nervously twiddling her thumbs hoping she had made the right choice.

"Right it is then...hey?...my dude? Are you still with us?" Justice had noticed his silence, the man simply staring into space.

What have you done with them?!

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH BEELZEBUB?!

"Lead the way Lady Justice" he smiled, masquerading his telepathic argument.

"With pleasure", the Blind Demon began trudging down the right tunnel, followed by Azazel, Malina, Pandemonica, Modeus and last but not least, the man himself. The tunnel was beginning to get incredibly dark, the Helltaker thankful he brought his torch with him. While they soldiered on, the Helltaker was beginning to get nervous, he hadn't received any reply from this new whisper in his mind, almost as if it was replacing his old one.

Was that really Beelzebub? It sounded like her...yet it was so much...more.

"Where do you think Lucifer and Judgement are?" Modeus asked Pandemonica as they walked, heading confidently into the unknown.

"No idea I'm afraid, we lost contact with them as soon as they both entered Hell, either they are too preoccupied or Hell's core has truly been tampered with, blocking all communications" Pandemonica looked half over her shoulder to speak as she walked.

"Got any phone service? Maybe those demonic smartphones can save us?" the Helltaker always thought comedy in tough situations helped, at least it helped people shift blame off of themselves and onto him.

"Again, core is what connects us. Us and our phones too, its the source of all Hell Energy after all" Pandemonica again ignoring the light hearted joke. He tried too hard sometimes...

"Could you absorb the power of the core? Surely Lucifer would have it guarded if that were the case" the Helltaker thought aloud.

"She does...but no you cannot 'absorb' the core, it would be too much for anyone, no matter how powerful" the Tired Demon wasn't sure if she should be spilling these secrets openly like this.

"I get it, the Core is what connects you...so wait, does that mean- without it...you'd die?" he asked, again brainstorming aloud, speaking as soon as a thought entered his head. He was quite afraid of the answer to be honest.

"Correct" Pandemonica replied plainly and truthfully.

Ouch.

"Then lets make sure it never comes to that ey?" he spoke cheerily, trying not to acknowledge that as well as the mess they were sinking ever further into.

"We're coming up on the main room now I think...there probably won't be anyone here but prepare for a fight anyway" Justice spoke softly, not quite at talking volume but not a whisper either.

"Where are youuuuuu?", the voice was much quieter this time, but still he heard it.

"Hey! Did anyone hear that?" he asked, wanting to check to make sure he wasn't going crazy.

"Hear what?" Azazel asked.

"Someone whispering!" he spoke softly, as if they was someone listening...there was...

"I don't hear anything, you sure you're okay dude?" Justice stopped the party from walking and turned to face him. "Something going on?".

"I keep hearing a whisper in my head, a voice that's not my own..." he admitted. "At first I thought it was Beelzebub, but now I-" he didn't even hear them coming...None of them did...

"FOUND YOU!", the voice boomed loud inside his head...it was an ambush...

"Justice! We hav-" he began...but it was too late. There were black hands and claws all over him again in an instant, a mass of Doppels and other twisted creatures they hadn't encountered yet. Another twisted a corrupted form created by Beelzebub. They were different to the Doppels, a winged counterpart, grey rather than black demons, their horns and tails intact, their canine teeth much sharper than the normal demons. Their wings were tipped, sharp bony appendages that cut deep into the flesh. Their faces seemed to be trapped in a constant emotion; either laughing, an evil smile with the tongue out, glaring in anger, or frozen in fear and agony. These faces almost appeared to be set in stone, they looked almost like gar-

"GARGOYLES!" Pandemonica was the one to shout it, readying herself to battle.

Come on they could have been a little more creative with naming their enemies...

These 'Gargoyles' were faster and more agile than their Doppel counterparts, but surprisingly they were not out for blood. While the Doppels swarmed the rest of the family, the Helltaker was dragged away, the thin bony hands of the Gargoyles were all over him, moving him backwards, towards the entrance they had been walking away from. The Doppels were actually moving the giant human, passing him over the swarm rapidly and on to the Gargoyles, the stronger grunts moving him away from the rest of the family, flapping their wings furiously, flying him away as fast as possible.

"TAKER!" Modeus screamed, the demon only just realising he was being kidnapped. The Helltaker had dropped the sledgehammer and torch as soon as he was overwhelmed, the Doppels ripping them from his hands. Modeus now demanifested and remanifested the weapon into her own hand, swinging furiously through the wall of enemies as soon as she got a hold of it, trying her best to reach him.

"GARGH- I CAN'T-" he shouted, struggling with all his might to break free, but the long finger nailed hands of the winged demons had him trapped. Four Gargoyles had taken him by the arms and the legs, keeping him in a stretched star position as they carried him, his arms stretched above his head.

"JUSTICE!" he screamed, "MONICA" he called for anyone to help him.

"SILENCE FLESHBAG" one of the Gargoyles hissed, he hadn't seen a fifth one was also moving with the rest, he guessed it was the commanding one.

"Release me and I'll show you how silent I can make YOU!" he spat back, again struggling, squirming, kicking, pulling, shouting at the top of his lungs. He was making life very difficult for the four carrying him.

"YOU WILL CO-OPERATE OR WE WILL DELIVER YOU TO HER IN PIECES" the head Gargoyle snarled.

"How about you go fuck yourself baldy?" he continued his resistance, receiving a sharp smack from the Gargoyle, the demon hitting him with the back of it's hand. "You hit like a bitch" the Helltaker smiled, antagonizing all of the Gargoyles.

"NEXT I'LL REMOVE YOUR TONGUE WORM!".

Fine...

He realised it was useless struggling now, the party of winged freaks had taken him quite a distance from his family now, the creatures taking him back to the junction of the tunnels and down the left tunnel instead. Turns out they had gone down the wrong tunnel afterall...

The Gargoyles had now taken him through a much larger passage before emerging in a more civilized, more modern atrium. The architecture was polished black arches reaching up to the ceiling, with different doorways leading off to all kinds of rooms and supply rooms. Blue torches were gently lighting the place, a few dozen of the wall mounted light sources were mixing shades of blue and black.

In one part of the stronghold, he peered down a corridor and saw what looked like the doorway to a grand bedroom, he thought he saw a purple circular bed. This was definitely Beelzebub's stronghold, she had the same bed in her abyssal castle. In another area of the stronghold he could smell the stench of decaying flesh, as well as the moaning of what sounded like live prisoners. The screams were soon silenced, not even before he left earshot.

God knows what else Beelzebub did down here...

They were taking the human to what he could only assume was the 'portal room', Justice was right. After a few minutes of carrying he was granted sight of this room, and it definitely was a sight to see. Since Beelzebub and her servants were unable to wield Hell Energy, unable to bend it into the form of portals, they had to rely on the power of...what were they called again? Blood Diamonds? No-No...Inferno Crystals! These jewels weren't necessarily 'diamonds' as such, but a mix of emeralds, sapphires and other valuable gems considered rare finds.

The power they wielded was...unimaginable, a near unlimited energy source.

Beelzebub had decided to utilise these colourful gems as power sources for portals, allowing herself and her servants to travel between the different strongholds throughout Hell. She had no desire to corrupt the mortal realm. One had to simply activate the gem and a portal would be manifested. He had noticed that as he was carried through this room, some of the gems have been smashed or showed signs of cracking, wear and tear. Almost twenty black, jagged, metal portal frames were embedded in the walls, the gateways were sharp enough to cut flesh if one wasn't careful.

He decided that he hated portals with a passion...

All along this narrow room, most of these gateways did not have their respective gems in the slots above. Judgement and Justice must have seen to that, he had remembered their's and Beelzebub's story of strongholds...They talked of their raids, Beelzebub talked of her secret exits. They talked of the spoils they found, The Mistress of the Flies had talked of what her next move would be. The two prosecutors compared the injuries they had received from the booby traps, The Warden of Decay simply laughed.

These thoughts only made him wonder how on earth he had convinced these demons to live with their arch-nemesis, the woman responsible for the deaths of so many of their brothers and sisters, for their injuries, for the constant pressures they were under. I wonder what life would be like in Hell if Beelzebub hadn't wanted to rule it, these power dynamics, would it be better than what it is now? Or worse? Would someone else have risen and taken her place? he asked himself these questions.

The Gargoyles now slowed, the four throwing the human onto the floor, thankful they were no longer carrying the heavy enemy. They all receded backwards, the commander coming forward, snarling with his tongue out as he went. The Helltaker had landed on his back, banging his head against the hard surface, but thankfully the pure anger and adrenaline pumping through him currently made sure he couldn't feel it, instantly standing as soon as he was released, turning...ready to fight.

"Come on then who's first? How about you, you fuc-" the Helltaker started towards the five of them, but the lead Gargoyle manifested a long spear, a pike, pointing the blade at the human. The tip of the weapon was pressing against his throat, it was so sharp infact that it was puncturing ever so slightly into his skin, drawing blood.

"Drop the weapon, let's settle this like men...or demons?" he didn't even know what he was saying anymore. His brain was going too fast for him to keep up, blocking any logical thought from being processed, he was not thinking before he spoke.

"THE GEM" the Gargoyle hissed at one of his lackeys. The lesser demon obeyed, retrieving the requested item from thin air, manifesting the opaque diamond. It was a blood diamond...the same one Beelzebub had used to send him into Hell the second time.

"Motherfucker" he said under his voice, so that's where it had gone.

The lackey handed the diamond over to his commander, the demon in question levitating the gem above the Helltaker towards its respective slot, it was so easily in arms reach. What would happen if he grabbed it? Would he explode? Would he become an all powerful demon with the ability to decimate his enemies? For a second he hesitated, but eventually realised that getting himself killed would help no one. The gem slotted into its mold just above his head, the gateway drawing wisps of light from the powerful rock, the portal was being prepared. They all stood with baited breath, an uncomfortable standoff.

"When I'm done with her, I'm gonna come kill you baldy" he snarled at the commanding Gargoyle, hating having to look at such an ugly creature.

"SILENCE HUMAN, YOUR KIND DOES NOT BELONG HERE. YOU DO NOT BELONG ANYWHERE! YOU WILL SOON FACE JUDGEMENT AT THE HANDS OF OUR QUEEN" the Gargoyle grinned, flashing his sharp canine teeth. His lackeys were chanting some strange phrase in an unknown language, some sort of war chant.

"SHE WILL SET US FREE!" the leader shouted to his brothers. "SHE WILL BRING US SALVATION". After they had calmed down, the human decided to continue taunting.

"She will send you to all to your death and I will be laughing" the Helltaker grinned, but none of the winged abominations reacted, all of them were simply glaring at him. They probably don't know English...other than the leader. So, not knowing any better, he tried again. "Imma rip those pointy ears off your fuck ugly mu-" but the portal had completed manifesting behind him.

"BYE BYE FLESH" the lead Gargoyle flipped his weapon around in an instant, grabbing it by the blade and violently hitting the Helltaker in the chest with the butt, forcing him to stumble backwards through the gateway. Fucker

Another fucking portal...