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Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for help with this chapter.

Chapter 17- The Devil returns

The team watched the Devil in front of them, some fear in them all, but also curiosity. His entire body and face looked like charred flesh on bone, and he was growling while holding the baby.

Angel and Cordelia then slowly and hesitantly approached him, trying their best not to make a sudden movement or he might attack them too.

It watched them with fiery-red and bloodshot eyes, his appearance petrifying, but they needed to get the baby.

Angel slowly held out his hands, and gently took Connor from him, looking at his son with a happy smile as he rocked him in his arms, and his wailing reduced.

Cordelia looked at the Devil and smiled, happy that he had not lost himself completely since he got back the baby and did not attack them.

"Thank you, Matt", she thanked him.

In that moment, it moved back, as all of them wondered what it would do, and then it leapt through the doors, effortlessly shattering them, and then flew up high into the air as they all watched.

"Matt!" Angel called out but it was gone.

"Damn! The hell?" Gunn asked in shock.

"That was quite terrifying", Groo agreed.

"So he is what they were running from", Fred realized.

"The Devil is out", Lorne sighed before they all looked at the baby.

"Connor!" Cordelia said happily as she kissed his forehead, and all of them cooed at him a little.

"I want to spend time with him too, but we need to find Matt first", Angel pointed out. "Let's make some calls."

"On it", Cordelia nodded as she walked to the phones to make some emergency calls and let others know about this whole situation.

"So, who do we call?" Gunn asked.

"Faith, the Avengers", Angel told him. "Buffy too, we have no idea what Matt in this form might do or where he might go."

"Getting through to Faith now", Cordelia informed as she started the call.

Fred then turned the news on and was immediately surprised by what came on. "Wow, he's fast."

"What is it?" Angel asked as the team looked at the TV and it showed a silhouette flying over New York, with people screaming and pointing at it.

"There he is, someone get him!" Lorne snapped.

"You know what? Faith comes later", Cordelia cut the call and decided to make another one. "Avengers first, this might be disastrous."

"You think so?" Gunn asked.

"Don't want to think it, just taking precautions", Cordelia pointed out.

"You're not wrong, carry on", Angel agreed, hoping this turned out fine as he then looked at Connor and kissed him again while muttering happily. "Thank you Matt, now just come back to us like you brought Connor back."

Abaddon was flying over New York, with people pointing at him and screaming in horror due to how he looked, and while his ears irritated by their screaming and howling, he paid them little to no heed.

He then saw a giant cross in front of him and flew down from there, landing in front of a church.

Clinton Church!

From there, he walked inside slowly, each step of his taking a second, and he walked through the entrance, walking into the church as people who had been praying turned to see him and screamed in fear.

"Run!" A nun yelled as the nuns and various other people who had come to pray ran out.

"It's the Devil!"

"Save us!"

Abaddon glanced at the people running past him, but didn't care, and just continued his way forwards.

Maggie was returning from visiting Jack's grave when she saw people running out of the church, and was surprised, wondering what it could.

"It is the Devil! Truly!" One of the nuns said to the other.

"Those eyes! Those horrible fiery bloodshot eyes!" Another one responded to her, everyone looking terrified, and her eyes widened as she realized exactly who they were all speaking of.

She started walking towards the church, a determined look on her face as one nun grasped her arm. "Sister Maggie, no!"

Maggie didn't respond and simply freed her arm from the grip, walking further in.

"Come back!" Another nun said as she ran next to the one who had tried to pull her back, but Maggie didn't respond and continued her way, eventually reaching inside the church.

And there he was!

She could see his back. He had two monstrous leather wings, and his skin was red, with his claws long, and he was standing at the center of the aisle, staring up at Jesus Christ and the Cross.

Maggie took a deep breath, then strode forwards, a purpose in each step of hers.

His head suddenly whipped up, and he turned around, looking directly at her.

Maggie gasped at his appearance- the fiery bloodshot eyes, the long golden fangs, the charred flesh on bone, and most importantly, the glowing Hell-Mark on his chest!

But he made no move, none at all. He just stood there, simply watching her, taking a breath in and breath out, the heavy breathing due to his Demonic nature being the only thing heard in the Church, loudly too.

Maggie took another deep breath, and walked forwards purposefully again, this time not stopping at all, until she was right in front of him, and he towered over her, looking down at her with what looked like curiosity, rather than any malice or ill-will.

He then leaned his head down to look at her more closely, tilting his head sideways as he took a sniff, then another one.

Maggie held out her hand, then raised it, and ran it over his cheek, eventually cupping it, and now he looked completely stunned.

"My son."

Now he completely froze as she continued to stroke his charred flesh, not stopping while he took breaths in and out, then suddenly, he began to change.

His body grew shorter, the skin turning into normal color from the charred red it had become, the wings too folding up while his fangs turned to normal teeth, and his eyes also turned normal, with his claws shrinking into nails (long ones, but just nails), and eventually, there was no Abaddon.

It was Matt Murdock, now shirtless, long haired, and with a big beard, wearing torn pants, and he fell down to his knees as Maggie caught him and stroked his head.

Matt buried his face in his shoulder and began to weep as Maggie gently stroked his hair, his current appearance making him look like Jesus Christ. "It's all right, my boy, I am here for you now."

He was finally free!

Matt soon stopped, parting from her as he sensed her there properly, and she gave him a smile as he felt his heart soar.

Then he heard something and turned as a portal opened, and out walked Strange, and also Stick's ghost.

"You're back at last, eh Matty?" Stick asked, sounding genuinely happy as he kneeled down to Matt's level. "Knew you could do it, kid, I trained you after all."

Matt seemed neutral to what he was being told, then managed to let out a light chuckle.

"Matt", Matt looked up at Strange. "What happened to you while you were gone?"

Matt took a deep breath, and turning to Maggie, Strange and Stick with his blind eyes, finally said. "Take the two of us to the Sanctorum and bring Faith and Team Angel, and I'll tell you all."

Strange nodded while saying. "I'll get you some clothes too."

Later, New York Sanctum

Matt now put on a white shirt and dark trousers, which fit him, though his long hair and beard still remained.

He was back at last, after so long, and the others would definitely want to know.

Matt walked out, and there they were- Faith, Maggie, Angel, Cordelia, Gunn, Lorne, Groo, Strange and Stick (as a ghost, but he was there too) and Angel held baby Connor in his hands once more. Well, at least he had managed to fulfill his promise and reunite father and son once more (and surrogate mother too considering that was what Cordelia was to Connor).

Faith ran to him and hugged him really hard, almost breaking his bones, but he didn't care, and just raised his arms, wrapping them around her, the two of them happy to be in each other's embrace once more, and for him, it had been a lot longer than it had been for her.

After 2 full minutes, they let go, and she smacked his chest. "Jerk."

"I deserved it", he muttered as Gunn hugged him next.

"Hey man", he muttered. "Good to see you again."

"Wish I could say the same", Matt said as the two chuckled and then he and Fred.

"Nice to see you made it, Matt", she told him as they kissed each other's cheeks.

"Thanks", he told her as Lorne then grabbed him in a hug.

"I'm never letting you go, never again!" Lorne said as he hugged back and the two of them chuckled, then Cordelia pulled him off and hugged Matt herself, and he did the same.

"Don't scare us like that again!" She said while smacking his chest and he sighed.

"I'll do my best", he assured her.

The two then parted as Cordelia took Connor from Angel, and then he and Matt hugged each other at last.

"Thank you", Angel said to him gratefully. "Thank you."

"You're welcome", Matt replied as they parted, and he and Groo just shared a nod.

He'd already had his reunion with Maggie and Stick, and he would meet Karen and Foggy after this, because he was going to tell, it was best heard by the people hear.

"I think we should sit", Strange told the rest, and they agreed as all took their seats, with Matt taking one of his own.

Matt took a deep breath, then began. "So, as you all know, I jumped into the portal Mephisto opened while transforming-"

Matt jumped through the portal, slowly transforming as he tried to make out the place around him via his senses, and then he realized something horrifying!

He had been here before! This wasn't Quor'toth! This was Limbo! He had come here with Blaze to attract Mephisto's attention.

He heard the portal close behind him, and then he transformed, letting out a roar of rage at being tricked.

A guardian Demon rushed him to attack but a strong punch to the face sent its head flying off, then as two more attacked, he lifted them up by the throats like they were children and slammed their heads together, turning them into bloody pulps.

"So instead of Quor'toth, he sent you to Limbo?" Angel asked in surprise. "Why?"

"It's Mephisto, he is a complete trickster and manipulator, any help by him involves him being a complete bastard", Strange told them all.

"So he tricked you", Cordelia said and Matt nodded.

"Yes, and I realized I had fallen victim to his trickery before I transformed, but by then it was too late-"

"So you are here now, huh, Spawn of Mephisto? I shall destroy you now!" Belasco boasted as he raised his hammer to kill Abaddon, but Abaddon caught it in a strong grip, not letting go, and Belasco was horrified at the strength he possessed.

Then, Abaddon wrenched the hammer from Belasco's grip and struck his face hard, sending him flying off, and was soon upon him, bringing the hammer down on his face repeatedly.

"Did you kill him?" Gunn asked.

"Doubt a Hell-Lord would be killed by multiple bashes to the face, but he won't be messing with me now", Matt said as all let out some chuckles at that bit.

"So, how did you make it to this 'Quor'toth' place?" Maggie then inquired.

"Well, there were rips through all Hell Dimensions, and people with enough strength to punch a way could go through them", Matt told her. "And I had to go through many of them. For five years!"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock now.

"Five years!" Faith asked, now her little bit of anger too replaced only by horror and concern. "But how-"

"Time moves differently in all Hell Dimensions", Strange spoke up as they looked at him. "Plus, knowing Mephisto, he would have messed up with the time zones of all Hell Dimensions just to make it harder."

"The rat bastard", Gunn snarled.

"Mind your language near the baby", Angel said as he sighed.

"Well, he ain't wrong", Stick said to Angel, but outside of Matt and Strange no one could hear or see him, so Angel wasn't going to hear his reprimand.

"Sorry about what happened", Cordelia said to Matt.

"So yeah, I was in this form for 5 years, from my point of view, going from Hell to Hell", Matt told them all. "And Mephisto messed with time zones in all of them."

"Explains why Connor is still a baby", Strange realized. "From what I've heard, time in Quor'toth moves quite fast, if anything, he would have been a teenager at least by now."

"Thank God that didn't happen", Angel said, looking at Matt gratefully as he and Cordelia cooed at Connor again, because a Connor raised by Holtz to hate him- it would be terrifying for his poor son.

"So, like I said, went through Hells, fought some Hell-Lords-"

Beelzebub touched Abaddon, trying to consume him, but failed, and was horrified. "What are-"

He was cut off when Abaddon grabbed him by the face and crushed it, making him scream in pain as he lay on the ground, alive but defeated and humiliated.

"And finally, I reached Quor'toth, where I took down anyone in my way-"

Abaddon strode through Quor'toth, any Demon in his way being sent hurling off to its death or being burnt by his Hell-Fire. Various sluks tried to attack but were consumed by Hell-Fire, and the remaining ones fled in fear.

Many more Demons arrived as Abaddon conjured a sword and swung it, chopping off their bodies, and heads, and limbs, blood flying everywhere as they all now screamed in pure terror, trying to run off.

He thrust his sword forward, stabbing a Demon in the face, and then swung multiple times, heads and limbs being sent flying around in a display of blood.

Faith remembered Matt describing one of his dreams and realized this sounded similar, so shifting her seat next to him, gave his hand a squeeze, which he retuned in appreciation, the others not making a comment.

"I also met an Old One after whom the Dimension was named", Matt revealed.

"Well shit!" Stick said, as Old Ones were quite the powerful beings.

Quor'toth, after whom the Dimension had been named, roared at Abaddon and blew toxic mist at him. Anyone else would be dead in seconds, but not Abaddon as he let out loud roar, Hell-Fire emanating from his mouth which hit Quor'toth, making it scream in pain.

Abaddon then used his strength to lift up a mountain and slammed it on Quor'toth, shattering the mountain and taking Quor'toth out too.

"Didn't kill him I guess, but he is too wounded to do much now", Matt told them all. "It took time, since I had to adjust my senses to look for the only 2 humans in that Dimension. And then I finally got what I was looking for-"

Abaddon snatched Connor from Holtz's grip, then lifted Holtz up by the throat, whose struggling was in vain, and then Holtz's eyes widened as he saw the Hell-Mark on Abaddon's chest, and he remembered.

In that dark rainy night in the alley, when that man with fearsome black eyes had stepped between Angelus and him, and the button had come off, the same mark had been visible.

What Sahjhan had warned him about had come, and it wasn't going to show mercy either. And its mercilessness would make his look like mercy in comparison.

"What did you do to him?" Maggie now asked, speaking for the first time since hearing the whole story.

Matt sighed, then told them all. "Well-"

Holtz was in the strong grip of Abaddon, and dare not look to his front as Mephisto smiled at Abaddon proudly.

"Abaddon, my boy! It feels like it's been years, or is it centuries? Ah, who cares. I see you have the baby, and a guest!" Mephisto in human form smiled wickedly that it scared Holtz, making him freeze.

Abaddon growled, baring his sharp, golden teeth before tossing the man carelessly at the Hell Lord's feet.

"You're angry, I understand, but I'm sure we can move past it, we are father and son after all."

Abaddon spread his wings and flew off, disappearing with the baby in his arms.

And now Holtz was left alone with Mephisto, who let out a laugh.

"Well well well, Daniel Holtz, I cannot tell you how much I'm going to enjoy this."

Holtz was terrified to his core. "W-what manner of creature are you?"

"It's funny you should say that, since you invoke my name so many times when you damn whatever Demon or Vampire that's crossed your path."

Holtz's eyes widened in fear as a gasp escaped him, trying to back away from the being in human form before he found himself immobile, his limbs frozen, and he could only stare as the grin on the "man's" face grew wider and wicked.

"Satan."

"Actually no, that would be another Hell Lord, bit of a bore, if you ask me. No," Holtz was raised up wordlessly and brought closer to his face, "I prefer, the Devil. But I'll let you know my actual name, you've heard it before...Mephisto."

Red eyes began to flare and Holtz knew what creature was before him. The father of the very monster that had taken him and dropped him in this Hell, the very being that Sahjhan himself feared. The Devil himself.

"And now you shall feel what every Demon and Vampire you damned felt", Mephisto grinned as Holtz felt unnatural Hell-Fire soak his whole body, and down upon him looked his wife, holding the baby, and his daughter, both looking disappointed at what he had become in their name.

They were not real, since they had gone to Heaven, these were just illusions, but Holtz didn't know that.

Holtz screamed in pure agony as his eternal torment in Mephisto's Dimension began.

Matt finished telling them and said. "Once Holtz was given to Mephisto, I came back to Hyperion with Connor."

It was silent for a minute.

"I think Holtz got his", Cordelia finally said as they looked at her. "Don't care who he was given up to, he took Connor, and was going to raise him in a Hell Dimension to hate us all, he deserved it."

After a few seconds, Angel nodded. "Yes. What I did to him was unforgivable, but he lost his soul as well."

"But you did not", Groo said, all of them looking at Matt in awe and reverence.

"Yeah, happy to see you around but how did you turn back?" Gunn asked too.

"Mephisto said Abaddon would overcome you after so long, and its been 5 years for you", Angel agreed with a nod.

Matt chuckled and revealed. "Don't judge a book by its cover."

They were all confused as Faith asked. "What do you mean?"

Matt told them. "Abaddon, he's not all bad, despite what Mephisto likes to believe."

Fred's eyes suddenly lit up. "At Pylea, when you first transformed, you only fought the soldiers there and anyone attacking us."

"And Angel when he went full Vamp", Gunn reminded.

"The big clawed guy too", Angel added, as the pieces fell together.

"So nothing apocalyptic or evil from Abaddon", Cordelia realized. "He was never a bad guy at all."

"His aura was evil though, but I bet its because of the actual Devil's influence, since yeah, does not seem like there's any bad in him from what is said now", Lorne agreed. "So this was much ado about nothing. Poetic, ain't it?"

"See? Told you there was no reason to be afraid", Faith smiled as she smacked Matt's chest again.

"Well, things are fixed now", Stick smirked. "Glad to have you back, Matty."

Matt nodded at him as Strange said. "You have done the impossible, congratulations."

"I am just glad to have you back", Maggie told him.

"We all are", Faith agreed.

Matt then ran his hand over his face and said. "I need a shave."

All laughed with tears, happy to have Matt and Connor back at last.

And this is done too, hope it was enjoyed.

So Mephisto's interference with time zones made sure Matt was Abaddon for 5 years while Connor did not age at all, hope that made sense.

Abaddon was never evil like Mephisto claimed, he was his own person with his own thoughts, feelings and desires. He is like Hulk basically, dangerous, but not evil, just curious.

And this is why Abaddon taking over did not make Matt lose himself, because unlike what Mephisto (and the rest of us) thought, Abaddon wasn't evil at all.

Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for the help once more.

Next chapter will be the last one, and shall set up the sequel.

Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.