Chapter Twenty-Three: A Chase, a Ritual and a Battle
"Ugghh… Wuh happened?" Angel moaned, groaning as he sat up, seeing a puddle of vomit on the floor.
"Who the fuck is yelling? Why is Vaggie this worked up firs thing in the morn…"
"IT'S NOT HER! IT'S ME! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, ANGEL!" Charlie screamed. Charlie was positively livid with rage. She hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. It was ten hours later and she was still in full rage mode.
"I THOUGHT YOU COULD FINALLY STOP AFTER ONE OR TWO GLASSES! I thought maybe the therapy you've been in for well over a year might be having some effect! But no! You fucking get shitfaced drunk on the night of my biggest motherfucking presentation of all time! YOU ARE A FUCKING DISGRACE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I EVER THOUGHT I COULD CHANGE YOU!" Charlie screamed, finally saying the words that Angel had been most afraid of hearing. He was silent for a long moment.
"Ya know what, bitch? Yer right! Ah can't change! Do ya really think that strawberry pimp ovah there is changed? D'ya really think that flat chested grey bitch is good? Do ya think anyone here actually likes yous? We're all jus' gettin' a good laugh at yer expense! What Demon in their right fuckin' mind actually thinks that redemption is possible…?" Angel sneered, getting his shoes on and storming out of the Hotel.
"WHAT!" Charlie demanded. Vaggie and Alastor were both staring at her.
"Charlie… I know you're angry… I don't blame you for being angry…" Vaggie said.
"But that was savage." Cherri said, coming over having heard the commotion.
"My dear… Do you remember what I told you when we first started working together?"
"That my hotel idea was wacky nonsense? That sinners' chance was the life they lived before?" Charlie asked. Alastor laughed.
"I guess I did say that, didn't I? Anyway, sinners struggle with sin. It's the nature of being a sinner. You've empathized with these people, you've tried to experience what they've lived.
"But you haven't. You'll never be able to. You'll always be the Princess of Hell and they'll always be Sinners who ended up in Hell because of their sin. Nobody is perfect. Sinners are likely to relapse, especially in times of stress."
"So this is my fault!" Charlie demanded.
"No, no… It's not your fault… But you shouldn't treat Angel like he's a piece of shit just because he had a moment of weakness. He deserves your help. The only thing that's your fault is the way you treated him just now." Cherri said, heading out to see if she could find him. She was usually good at finding him. She'd had to go peel him off the ground in alleys when he was drunk or high before. Alastor went over to Charlie, who was now starting to cry. She'd really hurt Angel. She hadn't meant to. She just lost her temper and went over the edge. She'd been so stressed lately.
She was trying to hold herself together. She'd wanted so badly for the dance to go well. It had failed miserably. Was Angel right? Were they all just laughing at her? No. It wasn't about her. So what if they were laughing at her. She was there to help others. But she wanted for her father to be proud of her.
"You know, Charlie… Even if you never redeem Demons… Even if they never go to Heaven, you're still making their lives better. You're still making them better people. Maybe you should start showing the denizens of Hell how you're improving their lives.
"I know how badly you want to redeem Demons… But I don't know… I don't think that's possible. Sinners are here for a reason and I think they're here to stay… And what if they did get out. What would happen then? Would they be happy in Heaven? Or would they be discriminated against there? Who's to say that Heaven is the idyllic place you want it to be?" Evan asked calmly. He'd always been the calmer, cooler and more logical of the two of them. It was why he had taken so strongly to Alchemy and Magic.
"But if I give up on redeeming Demons…"
"You don't have to give up on redeeming them. Just accept that maybe redemption doesn't necessarily mean what you thought it meant at first. Redemption could mean a lot of things. Maybe Hell is a one-way trip. But now that they're stuck down here, maybe you can try to make their lives better. Hell doesn't have to be… Well… Hell… Hell is Hell because the sinners in it make it Hell. God relies on the Demons within Hell to make it a place of suffering.
"Why do we need to do His work for him?" Evan chuckled. Charlie chuckled. She was still sad about her dance idea failing and about Zaelwyn being killed so brutally. But she sighed, going out to find Angel. She needed to apologize to him.
-0-
She went to his usual spots, finally seeing him talking to a tall, attractive young Demon. She could hear him talking. She saw Cherri there as well. Cherri seemed suspicious.
"Yeah… I… I fell off the bandwagon. Maybe redemption is impossible." Angel said helplessly.
"Well then… Now, you're perfect. You've seen the heights of potential. You've seen the possibility of redemption and you fell from that lofty, comfortable height. Now, you're just what we need." The person said, putting a hand over Angel's face.
Angel gasped, growling and fighting as he tried to get out of the much stronger man's grip, but slowly weakened and slumped over unconscious in his arms.
"Shhhh… It will all be over soon, sweetie." The man said, easing Angel down and hefting him over his shoulder, carrying him away.
"Wait! Stop!" Charlie ordered, not thinking, just acting to protect her guests. She gasped as she was hit from behind by a dart. She wavered on her feet, collapsing to the ground.
"The Princess of Hell? You knocked out an important one. Well, anyway." The man who knocked out Angel said.
"Just leave her. She may wake up with her memory or not. Either way, by the time she wakes up, we'll be well under way." The man with Angel said, brushing Charlie's hair out of her face almost affectionately. They hurried away. Cherri hurried over to Charlie and carried her back to the Hotel.
"Hey! Two people kidnapped Angel!" Cherri shouted.
"They said something about now that he's seen the heights of his potential and fallen, he was perfect." Cherri said. Something about that seemed to register with Evan, who snapped his fingers. Two Nessian Hellhounds reported to his side and followed him outside.
"Szantha, Aldrich. Sniff Charlie. All over. Get any scent you can of both her and her potential attacker and take me to said attacker." Evan ordered. The two Hellhounds began sniffing Charlie.
Finally, they stood and Cherri led them to the spot where Charlie was attacked. They began sniffing the ground, slowly leading him to where the attackers absconded to. It was a long walk, going over cliffs, wet grounds and places where it was hard to track due to extraneous sounds and smells. Evan had the sense that this was related to the Satanic cult, that Angel was going to be a sacrifice of some sort. He followed the Hellhounds and finally smelled a strange fire going. It was using herbs and scents that he didn't recognize.
"We recognize our Dark Father here on this Day of Reckoning." Came a powerful voice.
"Here, we offer up the Gold Lion, showing the Pride of the True Lord." One said.
"We offer a silver coin, showing the Greed of one who deserves more." Another said.
"We offer a stone heart for the Lust of one who knows but cannot feel."
"We offer binoculars for the Envy of one who has seen for long what He is owed."
"We offer a spoon for the Gluttony of one who hungers for the power he was denied."
"We offer a sword for the Wrath owed to the Eternal Denier." Another one said.
"We offer a pillow for the Sloth that He may accept once He is given His due."
Evan looked at Cherri, Szantha and Aldrich and they headed off to the sides, consenting to be his assistants if he needed them. Evan watched, waiting for a good opportunity to interrupt. Already, the smoke from the fire was getting more and more bilious, growing in stench and density as it filled the entire enclosure.
"We welcome the Dark Father, Satan, calling to Him from our humble place Below. We offer unto him one who has seen the chance for redemption and fallen once more. One who has truly failed and thus has earned his fate." The leader of the ritual said, snapping his fingers. Two others brought Angel Dust in. The Spider Demon was beginning to stir.
"Huh? Wha? What the fuck! Lemme go ya bastahds!" Angel shouted, struggling futilely as they brought him into the enclosure, preparing to sacrifice him.
"Bring in the sacrificial dagger." The leader said. A beautiful silver dagger was brought in. Angel began panicking as he was held down. A number of ritualists knelt down on his legs and arms, immobilizing him, stabbing him in the stomach. Angel screamed in pain as blood splattered everywhere.
Cherri. Throw a bomb. Now. Evan ordered. Cherri popped a few of her bombs and threw them into the circle. Suddenly, smoke bellowed out and explosions roared. Evan rushed in and grabbed Angel Dust, giving him to Cherri.
"Go. Get out of here, now." Evan ordered, going into his Nephalem form, preparing for true battle. While the ritual hadn't been fully completed. Angel hadn't died yet. But blood had been spilled from a sinner who had attempted redemption and failed. It was enough to get Satan to come out, even if he wasn't at full power. There was a rumbling sound as Satan rose up again from the ground. Evan genuinely wished that he had prepared for this battle. But this was the best he could hope for.
He had magic, and he could absorb Satan's energy in order to redirect it in attacks at Satan. He could use Spontaneous Alchemy, though that wasn't nearly as powerful. It was decent for distractions and for supplementing. But it often required shedding blood, which meant that it couldn't be used extensively at the risk of weakening yourself.
Soon, the rumbling grew stronger and Satan rose out of the ground. Taller even than Lilith, standing at about 6'10", muscled like a tank with skin of mottled violet and red. His hair was messy and his horns chipped and cracked from his last battle with Lucifer. He grabbed a massive greatsword and looked down at the cultists below. They bowed deferentially to him.
"Dark Father… We have brought you back! We seek your favour and pray that you return the gift we have given you." The leader said.
Satan grinned widely.
"Yes… I suppose that I should reward you for your service." Satan said, taking a deep breath.
"My gift unto you is a quick and painless death." Satan said, breathing in their Essence, destroying them completely and devouring them. Evan growled. That had been rough on him. Even if he was too powerful to have his Essence destabilized and devoured, it still was like being hit by a hammer.
"Hmmm… You weren't destroyed. You look… Familiar."
"Has little Lucy finally had children?" Satan asked in a loud, growling, booming voice.
"My name is Evanthos Magne, son of Lucifer and Lilith Magne. I have come to stop your rise to power." Evan said, trying to keep himself from vomiting. He hadn't expected Satan's presence to be quite so powerful. Even with his own immense power, he felt like he was being crushed just by Satan's aura. Satan chuckled.
"Hmmm… You seem… To be more powerful than I expected… But you're still being suffocated by my mere aura." Satan breathed.
"I'll give you the mercy of a quick death." Satan said, bringing his massive sword down. Evan quickly dodged, diving out of the way and throwing a bomb at Satan, hitting him in the face and drawing his sword, thrusting it into his leg.
Satan's flesh and muscle were much denser than Evan expected though, and the sword didn't go in very deep. Evan drew out a small amount of Satan's Energy, using that to create Holy Fire and blasting Satan with it. Satan roared in pain.
"Hmmm… You're not bad. That was Holy Fire. Are you an angel like your father?" Satan asked.
"No." Evan said. He wasn't going to give away his secrets, especially not to Satan of all people.
-0-
Cherri was pounding on the gate to Lucifer's manner, screaming and cursing at him to answer her.
"ANSWER ME YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Cherri screamed.
"How may I help you?" Came a cool, distant tone.
"Lucifer's son, Evan is in danger! Satan has been re-awoken and Evan is fighting him!"
"Thank you. I'll alert The Master as to the situation." The voice said calmly. There was a beep and the line went silent for what felt like a long, long time.
Finally, a familiar voice came over the line.
"This is Lucifer. Where is Evan now? If you can tell me?" Lucifer asked politely.
"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW! SOME REALLY DEEP CAVES WITH CRAGGY AND JAGGY GROUNDS! REALLY FOUL WATER ALL AROUND AND STEAM EVERYWEHRE!"
"Ah. I know where that is. I'll head there straight away. Go to the Hotel and alert everyone who is able to begin setting up defenses in the event that I can't defeat Satan." Lucifer said, heading out the back. Cherri went back to the hotel while Lucifer went to the caves. It took almost twenty minutes for Lucifer to get there, even running at full speed.
As he arrived at the caves, he saw that Evan was doing better than he expected, but he was still visibly injured. Satan had some burns and injuries on him as well though. But Evan looked tired, like he had been using more energy than he'd been absorbing. For him to have used that much energy, Evan must have either been incredibly inefficient in his energy use, or Satan must have been destabilizing his energy use with his own powers. Satan had shown the ability to raise a sense of rage, even right down to the person's energy source, which made the enemy inefficient in their energy use.
Lucifer wasn't immune to that himself. But he was less vulnerable to it than obviously Evan was. Lucifer lifted his longsword.
"Satan!" Lucifer proclaimed. Satan turned around, giving a false start of shock.
"Ah! Ol' Lucy! What a pleasure to see you again! Please, come in, come in! I must confess… I wasn't quite ready to entertain a guest as prestigious as yourself. But I'll do my best. I'm almost done with this little whelp. Please tell me he's not really your son.
"How old is he? 20?" Satan mocked.
"568." Evan breathed, trying with all his strength to stay standing. He was bleeding pretty severely though and he was exhausted from a combination of blood loss and energy loss.
"Evan. Watch my back." Lucifer said, tossing Evan a Demon Slaying Sword. It was made out of the metal that was used to make the Exterminators' weapons. Evan channeled Holy Fire through both swords and charged into battle, flanking Satan with Lucifer.
Their flanking wasn't perfect. Unfortunately, Satan was so big that it made it difficult to fully flank him. Standing at almost seven feet tall, being as broad as he was, he was difficult to harm, even when flanked. However, he was also slow as a result of his incredibly dense muscle. Lucifer channeled magical energy through his own sword, focusing it to cause damage that wouldn't heal quickly. Lucifer was much smaller and slenderer than Satan, and thus moved faster. However, even a single successful strike from Satan would do a good amount of damage to Lucifer.
Lucifer sliced at Satan's stomach, cutting it open. Satan roared in pain, expecting it to heal. It didn't though. Well, it did, but it moved very slowly and even a minute later it was still bleeding. Evan focused on using his Holy Fire channeled through his swords, absorbing Satan's energy and converting it into Holy Fire. That wasn't easy, even for Evan, and a lot was lost in the conversion to the point that he was only able to put out about half as much Holy Fire as he was absorbing in Unholy Energy.
He was starting to realize that he'd relied for so long on his superior power that he hadn't been thinking about the efficiency of his power use. Either that or he had lost some efficiency in his power. Because he'd sparred for centuries with Lucifer and Lilith and become quite skilled at fighting both angels and Demons. But sparring was never going all out. He needed to start back with training. And now that he'd reconciled with Lucifer, he was sure his father would gladly train him once more. He growled, dodging out of the way of a strike of Satan's greatsword, which he easily wielded in one hand.
He turned and shot a blast of Holy Fire at Satan's face, hitting him right in the eyes. Satan roared in agony as he was blinded by the strike. Lucifer laughed.
"Good job, Son!" Lucifer shouted, striking at Satan's chest, rending it open with admittedly tainted Holy Magic. Satan roared again in pain, realizing that right now, he wasn't able to fight at his full power. He struck the ground blindly with his sword and sent up a massive cloud of dust and debris, running out of the cave, seeming to disappear into Hell's night.
Evan sighed in relief, all his energy leaving him. He collapsed to the ground, trembling in a combination of exhaustion and pain, his wounds throbbing as he fell into unconsciousness. Lucifer immediately grabbed him and flew him back to his palace.