HeavenBound

by cielhero

A young sinner swears that he will seek liberation from the the infernal abyss. Luckily someone's willing to show him the ropes, for the right price.

Arise the morn calls sweet, little, lost one

Precious child set aside from so many

The inferno blazes, send forth this son

The rings, shattered dreams, rainbows never be

The time has come take in your hands a cup

Arise precious, little, lost one, step up

Raise your head, turn your gaze, open your ear

The domain of sad ends, countless within

Cries of joy only masking their true fear

Days mired in pain, depression, and sin

Arise let no rainbows seduce you here

I leave you down yet always by your side

Stand your ground, be firm, keep your faith, and win

Inside your soul you can choose wrong or right

Arise dare not to chase any rainbows

Now go lost one rise high above your fright

Though I know even in this inferno

You shall show. Both will grow. The love of light.

- HeavenBound -

Chapter One

Slow, heavy breathing. The haggard gurgle of a new creature stumbling past filth and falling back down to their knees bounced through the passage. The hollow echo of cans accompanied by the slick sliding of garbage being crunched beneath large feet reverberated. The raucous screech of nails on brick howled as the Sinner pulled himself up. With shaking legs, the Sinner reached out for the light of the alleyway following it yet as he took each step, they became heavier. The pressure on the back of his lengthy body threatened to send him spiraling into the pavement. He clung to the light stepping into it, legs unbuckling.

The honk of a vehicle filled his ears as the Sinner glanced up then spiraled. A loud crash chimed as the drone of a steamed engine hissed through the air. The Sinner clutched his side and rolled over gasping for breath. The dull, aching pain in his side crashed over like waves. The waves gained in intensity as they rolled moment by moment. The Sinner sipped in air groaning. Why aren't I dead? The demon wondered.

With a click a demon stopped before him and kneeled. "The fuck you doing in the middle of the road!?"

"I-I-" The world revolved and squealed. The young devil wriggled up still in a dizzy haze. He took a firm hold of himself and steadied his body against the creature only to be shoved to back. With flickering eyes, the new demon looked down and saw whoever or whatever had run him over. "Sorry about..." He coughed a spatter of blood into his sleeve. The latest monster's eyes widened. The being before him was covered in ashen fur from head to toe.

"You no good drunk! You better have enough money to pay for this!"

In a swift move another demon emerged from the car straightening its hair. "Alright I'm headin' out." The spider demon yawned finger its golden tooth. Any lingering sticky residue that was left in Angel Dust's teeth was removed in a flick. "The palooka ova there used up ya last five minutes! Thanks for the mediocre time." demeaned Angel as he trotted away with wad of bill stuffed tightly in his chest.

"No! Wait baby I didn't finish! Ah! This is why I can't stand new schmucks like you! Hand over whatever shit you came down here with or am I gonna have to take it out of your ass!" The Sinner heaved taking steps away from the monster. His heart began to beat quicker as all around him more wretched creatures closed into the scene. "Oh no you fuckin' don't! You're not goin-"

A snickering rat stuck its head out. "Get out of the damn road some of us gotta get to work!"

"I got an appointment with IMP in twenty!" Another who resembled a ball albeit with arms wagged its tiny fist. "Move your tookus before I come and move it myself!"

"You limp dick fucks! No one's going anywhere until I get my-where'd you go you son of a bitch!"

The Sinner bounded away, away almost on all fours. The char of cooking meat, the murmur of ads, and chatter of demons hummed through the air. His heartbeat swelled to the intensity of the drumming in his ears. More monsters, more creatures. Too many lights to comprehend, too many signs to read, too much blood pumping. Electrical devices popped. The sleek of a shadow on his heels forced the Sinner to turn into a building as he desperately looked for anywhere to regain himself.

Spotting the nearest building but more importantly the restroom sign within he sprung towards it, "Hey! Restrooms for paying customers only!", he heard before locking the door. A silent abyss of black. The Sinner clutched at his arms and breathed deeply. He rocked back and forth clawing into his shirt.

The pain deepened comforting him but only somewhat. The Sinner urged himself to flee from his desperate self-medication and reached up floundering at the wall for a switch. The bathroom illuminated to reveal decayed wood but what forced him aback was the mirror. A black creature was staring back! He jumped away yet as he did so too did the monster. His heartbeat through the white shirt so too did the monster's. He grasped at his chest so too did the monster.

The light flickered above him. On. Off. On. Off. Shakily the Sinner neared the mirror gazing back at his form. Rows of sharp teeth, hungry eyes, pointed ears, and furry hands with knives for nails. Fur coating his body yet underneath there was something more. A rough, reptilian skin now lay in the place of his once soft body. Behind him was a long tail. "Nightmare. Got to be having a nightmare." He laughed closing his eyes for a moment then opening then.

The same visage remained. He tried pinching himself, once, twice. A little harder the third time. The dull feelings only grew. Gathering all his might he swung squarely into his own face propelling him back to the ground bloodying his maw. He roared cracking bits and pieces of the sink. The sink's shards dug into his hands. "What is this?" In a huff he began pulling the fragments out his skin.

The Sinner chewed on his gums staring at his hands. Small blue lights emitted from the holes pushing out tinier shards he failed to reach. Once they faded what was left in their place where symbols unlike any he had ever seen before and then they too vanished as soon as they came. What type of monster had he become?

Earlier that day...earlier that day...earlier that day. These words played over and over. No images or sounds came to his mind. All he had was now and the past few minutes of running and screaming. The grating sound of plastic and wood filled the room. As the demon saw a pipe crawl into the restroom a foul gas followed. Hopping to his feet the Sinner collided with the door, clawing at it, kicking it. While he wrestled the doorknob a flash shot from his palms heating the handle forcing him to flinch.

The Sinner looked up and reached for the grate ripping it from the ceiling's childlike grip. Slinking dread slithered through his body as more gas polluted the room. He clung to his buttoned shirt until ultimately drifting off to sleep. The door swung open with a rattle following it. "Really do love new sinners. They always make for some easy pay." The imp cackled.

Striker, the imp, tightened his boots. Flicking his toothpick to the side he produced a large share of rope. He deftly tightened the constraints against the sinner's body not being able to help but admire the haul he had gotten on a simple stroll through the Pride ring. Most sinners who dropped in were simple beasts but this one's pelt looked fetching. It contained a slight shimmer and luster that he knew some blue blood would love to get their hands on. Dark returned to the room. Striker emerged from the enclosure with a big, burlap sack opening the establishment's door. "Thanks for letting me use the restroom ma'am."

"Yeah whatever." The hellhound known as Loona continued tapping away at her phone not bothering to even look at the man.

Striker made a quick stop by the payphone, and this is how he began, "Big Man I'm on this side of town. Yeah, it'll be a little project for you. I ain't got much skill in this stuff so I figure one of your boys can take care of it. Hn? New Sinner. Poor bastard was running around like a hellhound in a blood bank. Made'em rich pickings. Alright I'll be over in a bit." Now the imp started down the street to shadier parts of the town.

- HeavenBound-

In this land of Chaos below the ground the damned had to be good at one thing. One might be good at talking or cheating, fighting, shooting, creating, destroying, or selling. Being the lowest class of creation in Hell Striker learned the rule when he was a boy in the countryside. He learned how to fight, shoot, and talk his way into and out of any situation. Lucky for him dumb sinners were plentiful and everyday gave new way for someone to be exploited or used. Even gargantuan ones like the man he was husking along the sidewalk would be used if not by him then somebody else. The c-list mobsters he was planning to meet would be another such case.

Thud, thud, thud. Not caring too much for the condition of the sinner he had pilfered Striker clomped through the front door of the butchery. With a nod to the boar at the meat cutting station Striker followed the demon to a side door. Striker strode down a set of stairs and into a back room. Anguished groans bounced off the walls accompanied by the scraping of machinery. Remains of all sorts were dumped into various bins labeled meat or shipments. Some were far more delicately packaged than others. Quite a few mangled limbs were left on hooks. In the center of the room two shark demons ceased their work and helped the imp to unveil his package.

"Pho!" The Shark demon with glasses pinched the bridge of his snout. "This bastard is fresher than I thought he'd be. Cute thing though." He commented feeling along the snout of the sleeping sinner. "How much did the Boss promise you?"

"Boss man promised be a solid thousand for this sounva bitch. But I'm think it might cost just a bit extra."

The second shark scraped along the edges of the table. He ground his teeth as he stared at Striker who kept a toothy grin on his face. The mobster reached underneath the table tapping his other hand on the end of his pistol. "You came to us imp. Don't go tryin' to hassle any more money outta us."

"Calm yourself Netty I'm not gonna bust your chops. Just a small transportation fee and a bit of collateral for what good ol' Blix is gonna get up to later." Striker hummed. No shortage of perverts and freaks wherever he went. All Striker had to do was pull on a few strings here, there, and he would get something out of any deal he was playing around with.

Striker curved around the table firmly grasping Netty's hand. "Now why don't you put that away and we talk to the tune of two thousand and I'll get outta your gills. Sound fair?"

Netty growled. How dare an imp try to talk down to a sinner demon. No less an affiliate of the shark mob. "Netty contact the Boss." Blix cooed rubbing his face into the Sinner's stomach. "Tell him that the goods were a bit higher quality than we were excepting." Striker grinned. "Thanks Striker. That money will be wired to you before you know it."

"Pleasure doin' business with you Blix. Try not to tear this punk any new ones alright? Got a reputation to uphold."

"Yeah. Yeah."

With a loud shout Netty reared his head into the chopping room. "Blix! Get in here we got a haggler!"

"God damn it...who is it?"

"Stylish Occult someone from the Goetia family's looking for a rare taxi...taxi-uh..."

"Taxidermy?"

"Yeah, onena those!"

There on the table Blix smooched the Sinner's fur. He boldly dragged him from the operating table and tossed him into one of the many pens littering the holding room. With a final sniff he nuzzled the Sinner's suspenders and closed the cage. "I'll be back real soon, ok? For you especially." Blix wagged his finger at the tiny lamb shivering in the corner.

Just then when Blix left the Sinner roused himself back to the waking world. In a turn the doglike demon glanced around the bloodied space. Empty cages, bloodied walls, floors, alongside them were the half-eaten remains of others who had been there before him. The muscles in his chest overlapped sending in anxiety from the scene. "Where the heck am I?" he whimpered. "Hey! Hey! This isn't funny let me out!"

"Shh be quiet." The lamb grumbled. "If you're too loud they'll come back in here."

The demon in a bloodied apron, Netty, marched through the door a deepening scowl on his face. "Hey you got to let me out of here I'm not supposed to be-"Behind his back he produced an taser. He jammed it into the sides of the cage sending ten thousand volts sparking. The caged demon fell silent convulsing.

"I better not have to come back in this room. I'll kick it next time ya hear!?" Netty kicked the cage to its side.

The copper smell of blood and the greasy singing of flesh pierced his nostrils. At that moment he noticed the restraints on him constricting him, biting into his skin. He still was not awake. "Someone please wake me up from this nightmare."

"Oh dear." The goat woman feebly clung to her cage. "This is no dream dear. Far worse."

"Worse?" he tailed off. Peering closer at the blood splatters he saw them form all sorts of patterns. They formed points, horns, pentagrams, goats, hooves, and the repeating of number sixes. The room of cages lit only by the slight light that came from the operating room shined brightly on the woman. It unveiled to him a little lamb with no legs and a half eaten arm. "No. No. No. No. I-I- can't be. Hell," he whispered. "I'm good. I'm a good guy."

The woman could barely contain her laugh. "Settle down dear. The sooner you accept your situation the happier you'll be."

"Happy? In Hell?" he mumbled biting back his desire to shout.

"Believe you me. This place isn't so bad...if you keep your wits about you. Only if you keep your wits about you. What's your name baby?"

Breathing in deeply he tried to control his heart rate. "My name-"

"Oh, and don't go using your real name. It's a shame but you'll need to cast it. Everything from your past life that is. In Hell all it's going to do is hold you down." The woman adjusted herself in her cage sighing all the while. She laid down gazing at her fellow prisoner.

The young demon snorted. How incredulous could this woman be? Casting aside his life? Everything he had worked for? Preposterous he believed. "Family. Friends. Lovers. Could've been one of them who sent you down here. And when they end up here you don't want them tracking you down. 'Course people tend to stick to what they know by here. By the way baby your name. You need one. Mine's Shirley."

"I'm not giving my name to some filthy demon!"

"You're a filthy demon now too. Best not to discriminate 'specially when someone's trying to help you."

The Sinner grunted. He was going to waste no time listening to some damned soul. He believed there had to be something wrong with this situation. It was impossible for someone like him to be here. Only drug addicts, terrorists, tyrants, and true monsters got sent to this inferno of suffering. Not people like him. Especially not people like him. He squirmed to the other end of the cage reaching for any type of sharp object amongst all the debris. Amongst the dirt he found a bone and began to gnaw.

"When I got down here, I felt the same way. There's no way I can be down here. God must have made a mistake or maybe one of the angels got some paperwork mixed up. I don't know I just thought up anything to try to help me cope. I prayed and prayed day after day. They got answered but not the way I expected. God's legion came down and I got a dose of the truth. They slaughtered everyone they could get their hands on and when the clock stroke midnight they went on like nothing happened. If you're not strong down here, you'll end up somebody's food or worse yet their toy. As you can see I ended up the former."

To his backside the Sinner focused on his tail trying to use it to grasp any bit of the bone he had finished gnawing on. It limply fell to the side of the bone if not that he only grasped it for a half second. "But if you think smart, you'll be just fine. I tried playing the turf game and got burned. Been down here since the early two thousands and not a damn thing changed for me. And you'll get burned too if you don't focus."

"Damn it." The bone clacked to the ground once more. His large tail fell back to the ground.

"Relax. Focus." Shirley drawled. "A tail is like a big finger. It's not enough to just point it. You got to pinch it." Heaving the Sinner opened his ears to listen. He followed the woman's instructions and eased the tension in his tail until it was over the bone, and he plucked it from the ground only for it to fall once more. The boy placed his face in the dirty floor.

"I'm from the south myself. I was the oldest of two sisters and a brother. A group of kids with no parents so I had to scrape and do all types of seedy things to keep us all fed. Stuff I'm not proud of. Things that I thought would be forgiven for." The Sinner craned his tail this time zeroing in on the sinew.

"But one night I had a gentleman client over and his fat, disgusting fingers tore into me, and I just snapped. My little hero came charging in. Never seen such fire in his eyes before." The sharpened ligament found its way to his wrists. "He might have saved me for the night but a year or so later I got sent to the chair."

The sinner ceased carving his restraints. It was then that Blix and Netty flung open the door. "A buyer already." he muttered. The demon chewed on his fingernails pacing in circles as he thought. "Netty get her cut up. I'll need something in me before we ship'em."

"Is this gonna be the last carve?" Netty snatched Shirley out of the cage by her horns. Her thin wrists slipped through her handcuffs. Being pulled out she mouthed a few words to the boy and was gone.

"Gotta get my fill." He fiddled with the keys heading towards his toy's cage. Up at him Blix saw a pair of bared eyes. "Oh, you're awake. Even better." said Blix with a flick of his tongue.

"Stay back! Stay away from me!" The cage flew open. Blix tossed his prey onto the cold linoleum grabbing at anything he could fit his hands around. "No! No! Don't fucking touch me!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Blix slammed his fist into the Sinner's snout flailing wildly. "This happens all the time in Hell. Be good and I'll slit your throat quickly when I'm done but," He grabbed both ends of his victim's face and smeared it into the jagged edges of the floor. "If you keep moving around, I'll gut you real slow! Got it!?"

Almost on command the young demon's body reluctantly slacked. "Good now don't worry." Blix savagely groped at the fur kissing it up until he slowed approaching his victim's mouth.

A familiar feeling welled up on the Sinner's chest. He fought this burst of rage and disgust forcing them to the depths of his stomach. What could he do? "W-wait. C-could you at least take off my suspenders? Make it nice for me at least? I can get in the mood better!" he offered.

"Ho! Ho! See that's a good doggy!" Blix pinched both ends of the young devil's suspenders dropping them to the ground. He caressed the fur of his captive and drummed his fingers up to his mouth again. "What's your name gorgeous?"

"My name?" cooed the boy. His tail fastened.

"Yes, baby tell me."

Crimping his lips, a wry smile crossed his face. He leaned in almost to the mobster's lips and spoke. "Is none of your business you sick bastard!" With a snap the wolf pushed himself off the ground and charged into shark at full force. Slamming him into the scattered cages. He clawed into the restraints and hopped to his feet and ran for the door.

"Blix you better-" Netty paused stopping the whirring of the saw blade. "What did you do!?" aiming his gun Netty shot wildly. The Sinner scurried about the room being grazed by all the bullets. The escapee charged forward but Netty held one shot letting it sink into the sinner's side. As the pistol clicked once, Netty tossed it to the side brandishing his taser. He jabbed narrowly missing. In his flurry of jabs he burned holes into the Sinner's clothing but still remained too far. He continued to attack, but the canine demon continued to bounce back further and further till he hit the back wall.

Netty grabbed the Sinner by his shirt ready to jam his weapon into the bullet wound. Fueled by his instinct the Sinner cracked his foot into the mobster's legs unfurling the demon and causing him to slip on fresh blood. The taser flew away. As the mobster scrambled for it, he felt himself being dragged back by all-encompassing hands. They dug through the layers of his clothing right into his exposed back.

"Wait! Wait! Blix!" With no resistance the claws pierced the shark flaying his back open. A meaty masterpiece of viscera and blood Netty became. Retracting his claws, they sparked a fine blue. The Sinner looked at his bloodied hands and immediately felt a dizzy spell being cast. With what little sentience made his way towards the door he hoped lead up.

Blix's fury flared forth as he crawled across the ground nipping at the canine's legs. With a mighty chomp he slung him into the air tossing him around the room. "Just had to ruin it didn't you?" He spit the foot now choosing to indulge in battering the boy with his bare fist. Blix target the bullet would repeatedly ripping into it. "Now you're gonna learn some respect you tease." He hooted bringing the boy to the whirling saw. "Let's start with these lanky legs huh!?"

"Fuck you." While on the ground the Sinner grabbed a handful of shrapnel and tossed it Blix. While it may have only bounced off his glasses it made him flinch allowing the Sinner all the time he needed to wrestle himself free and to grab the lost taser. The weapon caught a hefty amount of Blix's manhood allowing the electricity to surge. With one more lunge the demon wolf crunched the shark's neck ripping it open. His assailant flew backwards. The whirring of the saw blade grew. Blix was silent. His body fell limp eternally.

Now he could make his way to the stairs. Forgetting everything he hobbled up the staircase to what he finally hoped would be some type of freedom although as he entered the butchery he found more of the same. Another lamb in the hands of a large demon. "Please! Please help me!" she pleaded.

"How the fuck are you still alive?" the butcher demanded pulling the lamb closer to himself. "What happened to the boys downstairs?" The butcher's eyes made their way toward the maw and claws of the Earth scented demon. The bell of the butchery chimed once more. Alastor had quite enough of this brute. "You have any idea who you're messing with?"

"I doubt anyone cares." The red demon strolled into the store and planted his hands on the counter. Runes and crimson energy flowed through. "Those who have no sense of reason when dealing with those of fairer means." Alastor contorted and creaked. "To me it's like having to stomach bad meat." What the dog devil saw chilled him to the bone. All he could do was stand in fear as the slick demon butchered the butcher. Though his mind tried expunging all traces of the horrors he had seen the overlord marked himself on the boy's soul.

Now it's the strangest thing but strange things are good at times. The echo of crying brought him out of his stupor, but it wasn't the one nearest to him that reached his heart. With the master of this establishment dead, he realized that there was something in the depths he was trying to ignore. The sinner tried his best to ignore what was in front of him.

Alastor watched as the lamb woman hurried off but what caught his eye was the foolish young man. What a curious reaction to see someone mutilated before your very eyes and go back to the place where he was assuredly being held captative. Smiling at this bit of entertainment Alastor's shadow peered downstairs.

The killer shook his head and gripped the taser tighter. He discovered her even lighter than he had before. Another stump laid claim to her body. Despite the blood dripping onto the floor the older demon kept a smile on her face. "Well, hello there darling. You know," she heaved. "I thought you up and left already."

"I almost did." He proclaimed collecting her. "Can't give up that southern hospitality that I learned."

"Really? Where you from?"

"Louisiana." He coughed. "Baton Rouge specifically. Lived there with my small family. Went to church and Sunday school every single week." Then the Sinner dreamed of his home. A small apartment with too few rooms and too many people. "I needed to get away after school, so I moved to Georgia to work on IT for a Christian company. I guess all that wasn't enough."

"Hm?" Shirley seemed to shrink into his arms. The cold of the world waned around her. Try as she might to listen to his story the blonde coated lamb slowly found herself slipping. "Let me guess you were real popular at work weren't you."

There in the shadows Alastor's shade found its way back to him. In the confines of their own little world neither Shirley nor her carrier heard the light smacking of meat as it was devoured. "Something like that...Ms. Shirley can I ask you a question?"

"Of...course..."

"Could you tell me your real name?" he asked choking.

But no sounds came from her. It was quite a long while before the woman stirred again. The little bits of life left in her were beginning to ebb. In an instant the boy stopped in his tracks a small nibble crushing him into the steps. "Oh, baby my real name's not important. Not anymore." She whispered.

"Then could you tell me why you helped me? Especially when I was so-"

"Baby? Would you do me the pleasure...of telling me your name?"

"My name," He gulped clutching the woman close. "My name now, is Felix."

Shirley curtly nodded her head. She nestled into his chest letting his warmth overwhelm her. "Yeah, you've got the eyes of a Felix." Now she faded away clothes, fur, and bones. All that remained was on ornate necklace. Felix felt his heart sink fearfully he gripped the necklace and placed it on his wrist. A solitary bump of his heart called him back to the storefront where the massacre from mere moments ago still drenched the walls.

Felix wearily peeped at the suited demon who stared back at him. Shaken still Felix timidly reached for his taser. "Now no need for that." The weapon fell from his hands. Alastor confidently paraded around the young man inspecting him head to toe. The radio demon tenderly wrapped his fingers around Felix's hands. His eyes glowed a red hue for a moment before returning to their natural state.

Alastor knew a lost pup when he saw one and this boy was dripping with the need for guidance. The old goat had failed to fill him in on how things truly worked. From one southerner to the other Alastor felt obliged to offer some form of assistance. Especially to someone so foolish. Why would anyone indulge in something as worthless as final words down here? "You definitely are a fine Louisiana boy just like me. Let's go for a walk!" Without warning Felix felt himself being pushed in the same direction that Alastor walked.

It was quite dark by this point but just as many demons littered the street. The truth of the matter was that while he was slumming it at the bottom of the butcher's ship more sinners had popped in. "New faces always drop by in droves around this time of year." Alastor waved his hand over the crowd. "Don't expect to see too many of them for too long though. Ah here out to be a good spot." The pair stopped in front of a TV store.

Upon seeing Alastor the other demons fled immediately. On many of the screens there appeared a demon called Vox with a TV for his head promoting the newest version of his company's phone. Promising that there were no tricks or hidden fees for the latest model. Everything before this products creation was up to any matter of corporate foul play showed a little banner at the bottom. "Now dear boy I want you to reach out for this TV."

Felix raised his eyebrow. "Don't be shy." Alastor ruffled the back of the boy's shirt. Fearing what would happen should he not comply with the overlord's demands Felix lifted his hand towards the largest TV. Suddenly color seemed to fade from the screen momentarily. The same blue aura from before pulsed around him forming into pixels. They danced upon his body aiming at the wounds then they settled into the recesses of his skin. Some of the wounds on his body faded away save the bullet would and his ankle. "Now how about you try doing something with that. Anything your little mind can think of."

The canine demon kept quiet as he thought about what had happened earlier when he summoned this strange power. Just before he had fallen asleep in the restroom and when fighting his captors. Felix raised a finger at the sky and let loose. A torrent bolted from his tip stopping seconds later. "Simply marvelous." Alastor's smile reached ear to ear.

Deep down a feeling erupted from the sea of his soul. A small flicker burned in Felix's eye. His body trembled with vigor. What else could he do? Alastor's smile continued to grow as he read the young man's every thought. The feeling of having power when one formerly had none. The ability to make something of yourself when upon Earth you were only a small, insignificant portion of the picture of life.

"Excuse me young man but would you mind telling me your name?"

"Felix." said the demon. Although he was feeling confident with some understanding of his power the boy felt he should still tread lightly with Alastor. Perhaps for a long time. "And what's yours?"

"I am Alastor." He said with a bow. "Pleasure to be meeting you, Felix. Quite a pleasure."

"Well thank you Mr. Alastor I-"

"Please Felix Mr. Alastor was my father." He cackled playfully pretending to wipe a tear from his face. "Alastor will be just fine between us. Now Felix you're a new soul in town and let me tell you things aren't much different down here than they are up there. Do you have any idea what you're going to do with yourself?"

Felix nodded clenching and unclenching his hands. "Yes. I'm going to find a way out of here."

"Really now?" Alator leaned in. "Now how precisely do you plan on doing that?"

With his determination boiling his body transformed. "Whatever it takes. I'm going to get out of here. Because I have to."

"Because you have to." Alastor rubbed his chin wondering all the little things that could have sent this foolish boy to hell. If he had any hunches, it might have been that pride. "Well then Felix if that's the case how about we make a little trade?" Felix remained silent. "Nothing sinister I swear." Alastor assured the boy grabbing his face.

"Trade?"

"Yes." Alastor drummed the top of his microphone. "Alright you charming beau how about this," His shadow curved around the boy and pointed him to the clocktower that rose above every building in town. "Meet me at the bottom of that clocktower after the beauty resets. Survive this hellhole until then," Alastor snickered to himself. "And I'll show you the ropes."

"But why?" he asked. "You...We're demons. Wouldn't you want something more?"

"Hahaha! We can have that conversation at a later date but for now all I want from you is to survive! In actuality I believe you, a silly kid, who thinks he can get out of hell will be dead within a week." Felix growled but Alastor continued to laugh. "But on the off chance that you don't that'll mean something!"

"Something?" Felix repeated.

Alastor stood tall. "Now my dear boy." he smiled dusting the fellow down. "Go find yourself somewhere to hole up. Everyday in hell brings new trials for upstarts." And with that Alastor disappeared.

Finally, Felix felt his body slump. Many other demons continued to bump by him on the way as he choose to walk with the crowd. He limped for some time around town until he reached an abandoned building and tucked himself away into the deepest hole he could find. Hoping that if hell was truly like Earth he would be able to find somewhere to live easily. He'd start looking when he awakened but for now all he could do was slowly drift asleep. The sharks, Shirley, Alastor, and his god given ability.

For some reason he had been gifted something in this abyss. Some way to protect himself against all that would be thrown his way in no time at all. A power that while he did not understand its depths he swore to fully realize. But he thought no more of this and craned his head. Just out the cracks the blood moon shined. Beside it the clock tower gonged.

Next Cleanse

/0/2/9/

Days.

- HeavenBound -

Back in the butchery large shark demons stormed past the shattered glass and into the bloody rooms. The largest of them all closed the eyes of his deceased men, taking one last puff of his cigar before extinguishing it on his hide. "Find who did this."