A Void of Hope
Author's Note: Sorry for being so slow. A lot of new changes have happened in my life, a notable one being my newest job, and odds are I'm not going to spend as much time as before writing. Despite this, this story has over 14,000 views and highest stat wise in both favorites and follows, so I know for a fact anyone who's read past chapter one deserves to make it to the end. I thank you all for your patience, and hope you enjoy this less depressing chapter than the last one. :)
But be warned... odds are you're gonna know several names in the entries below.
Hidden Lab
Douglas makes his way to the lab swiftly and quietly. He successfully avoided eye contact with every demon on the way there and made his way inside. Looking both left and right, he sees no sign of Alastor… or Eddie for that matter. Wasn't he supposed to be nearby? He turns on the lights and sees the horrifying image of two dead bodies before him.
"AHH!" He screams upon seeing the corpse of the purple sheep. "Who did this?! Who's there?!" He calls out fearfully, grabbing Collin's unused crossbow as a defensive weapon. "Oh dear lord!" He says to himself in disgust at the sight of Keenie's corpse nearby as well. One look at the deepness of her chest wound makes him shiver in place.
"Ohhh…" A small voice says. Douglas turns around and sees Cletus trying to get up, but struggling to even stand in a crawling form.
"Oh no," Douglas says softly, putting the crossbow down and rushing over to the suffering boy. "Are you okay?!" He panics worriedly. Cletus doesn't respond to him directly, he just spasms a little and repeats to himself.
"I don't wanna go in the void. I don't wanna go into the void. I don't *spasm* void." The young warrior closes his eyes to fight oncoming tears, lifting the poor suffering soul into his arms.
"Please speak to me. Are you okay?" He asks in a breaking voice. Cletus manages to make eye contact with him.
"He, got, me." He says, spasming a little. Douglas glares firmly.
"Who did this to you?" He asks, demanding to know. "Was it Alastor?" He says as his glare sharpens.
"No-no!" The former Cherub holds up his hand lightly. "Al is in-innocent." Douglas takes a moment and examines the highly feverish boy in his arms. Looking deeply into his eyes, he recognizes something he hasn't seen in many people in Hell.
"Purity." He mumbles, causing Cletus to weakly lift his head. "You're a pure spirit." He says, turning around and opening the door.
"Huh? Whoa…!" Cletus responds as Douglas rushes out the door with the boy in his arms. "Wh-where are you ta-taking me?" He asks, barely audible enough for the holy soldier to hear him.
"I'm not going to let you die! You don't deserve the void!" He shouts, running right by several buildings on the way to the hotel. Cletus tenses up.
"No… forget me!" He pleads. "He's dangerous!" Douglas ignores his comments and proceeds to run all the way to the hotel, quickly dropping him into the large pool of holy water. "Aaaahhhh!" Cletus reacts as he feels his body temperature instantly decrease several degrees. The water feels slightly acidic to him at first touch, but it does no harm to his skin. "What…?" He looks up at Douglas.
"Does that feel better? That holy water is going to keep your pure spirit from departing to the void." Cletus closes his eyes for a moment and then splashes his face with holy water, upon opening his eyes he can clearly see Douglas without any vision problems.
"Are you… Douglas Knox?" He asks, Douglas instantly notices how high-pitched his voice is when he has a healthy throat.
"That is me. And you are?" The former cherub looks down in sadness.
"I'm Cletus. And the two sheep people you saw were my best friends." Tears begin to leave his eyes. "My only friends." Douglas sighs deeply and gives him a sympathetic gloom.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." He says looking down. "I'm sorry I showed up late or they'd still be alive." Cletus looks up at him, starting to softly tread water in the pond.
"Douglas… I appreciate your compassion but…" He glances to the side, then back to him. "Vox will recover soon. You need to kill him before he gets up." The young warrior stares silently for a moment.
"Vox? Is he the TV demon?" He asks, Cletus glares and nods.
"I've found rumors that he's killed the souls of more saints than anyone in history. He almost killed me before you showed up." Douglas glares darkly.
"How dare he attack an innocent boy like you?!" Cletus sighs lightly.
"Peace isn't an option with him. He only wants to destroy and become more dangerous." He says. Douglas grabs his Glock and opens it, to ensure he has enough ammo left.
"That bastard! I will make him pay!" He shouts angrily. Cletus gives him a serious look.
"Then you'd better hurry. Once he gets up, he'll be impossible to kill." He closes his eyes to fight more tears. "So many strong people of Heaven died trying to stop him." Douglas raises an eyebrow.
"How do you know?" The former cherub looks up at him.
"They all were last seen within Heaven's view entering the clocktower. None of them ever came out, but we found rumors of him doing it there all the time." His tears start to enter the holy water. "It's no coincidence that only Vox comes out and not the saint." Douglas gives him a sad look.
"I've been told to find data at that lab of the saints. I'll report my findings as soon as I can." He starts turning around, before facing him again. "I'll see you in Heaven Cletus." The former cherub closes his eyes tightly.
"No, you won't. I can't go there." He says sadly. The holy soldier faces him again.
"Impossible, there's no way you're an authentic demon. Augustus would never do this to someone like you!" Cletus gives him an annoyed look.
"No, but Deerie would." He then glares darkly. "She banished me, Keenie, and Collin over something only I did." Douglas frowns.
"I find that hard to believe. Augustus gives everyone a trial before Heaven and Hell are their assured places." The smaller boy lowers his head.
"Not this time I'm afraid. He had no say in our fate." Douglas facepalms.
"I will tell Augustus about this, about your suffering and your friends entering the void. But in the meantime, I'm gonna ask you to continue swimming in that pond. Please don't leave it or your soul could perish." He says, causing Cletus to gloom a little.
"I don't know if I can. It feels so weird on my skin now that I've converted into a demon."
"Just endure it for a little while. I'll take you to Heaven as soon as I get back." He promises, grabbing his phone and texting on it.
"Who are you calling?" Cletus asks curiously.
"Angel Dust." He says, sending the text. "I sent him a message to watch over you and make sure you don't drown in there."
"Douglas…"
"Yeah?" Cletus turns to the side, avoiding eye contact with him.
"Why'd you save me? After the mistakes I've made due to anger, I don't deserve this." Douglas takes a deep breath and glooms.
"Another young adult girl said the same thing this morning, but I wasn't able to save her." The ex-cherub looks towards him as he continues. "She fell off the balcony after attempting to kill me, but I wasn't able to hold onto her after catching her." He then makes direct eye contact with him. "I wasn't going to let the same thing happen to you." Cletus closes his eyes for a moment, lowering his head.
"Douglas…" He then opens his eyes and looks back into his. "Thank you." Tears begin to stream out of his eyes. "Thank you for saving me. It's something I dedicated my eternity to doing but got sent here because I failed." Douglas shakes his head.
"You're not a failure Cletus, and I promise I won't let you down." He says, turning away and starting to walk the route he came.
"Good luck!" Cletus calls out as he leaves the area. Douglas proceeds to send a quick text on his phone.
"Angel, will you please help Charlie up when you get outside?" He begins saying as he types. "And make sure the boy in the holy pool stays cooled off and cleansed." He sends the text after looking over it and then makes his way to the lab. Only outside of the building, he hears a familiar voice coming from behind one of the corners.
"And remember to keep this alliance a secret, please. I'm not normally a dog person, but today I'm making an exception." It sounded like Eddie.
"Yeah man, it's cool. I'll be lurking nearby in case your buddy comes out." That voice wasn't familiar.
"Good, and you know what to do when he does," Eddie says in a darker voice.
"You got it, man, tear the intruder limb from limb." He says. Douglas couldn't handle the suspicion anymore. He goes behind the building only catching a shadow of the other person walking away as the young angelic boy turns to him.
"Oh! Hey Douglas, what's up?" Eddie asks, getting a frown from the holy soldier.
"Who were you talking to?" He asks with an annoyed expression. Eddie chuckles lightly and shrugs.
"Uh, just a little dog." He says with a nervous grin. Douglas isn't buying it.
"A little dog? That's a new one." He states. Eddie sighs and lowers his head.
"Okay, a big dog. A giant muscular dog." He states, causing Douglas to frown harder.
"That only sounds less believable. What are you referring to here?" The younger soul sighs deeply.
"I met a guy down here who doesn't like his job or position in Hell and wants a better fate." Eddie turns around for a moment before facing Douglas again. "I promise he's not gonna hurt you." Douglas then remembers something important.
"Okay, nevermind that right now. I need your help." He says, pointing his thumb behind him. "There is a young suffering boy who looked younger than you named Cletus back there in a pool of holy water I created." Eddie flinches.
"Wait, younger than me?!" His eyes widen. "He's a Cherub! What's he doing down here?!" He nearly screams.
"He said he's not allowed in Heaven anymore." The young warrior says in a sad tone. Eddie glares.
"That can't be! There must be some mistake!" He shouts. Douglas sighs and opens the door to the lab.
"Look, do these two look familiar?" Eddie gasps and runs to the yellow sheep.
"Keenie…" He closes his eyes and softly touches her chest wound, only to realize it's a very fresh injury. "How'd they ever manage to get her?" He asks as Douglas shrugs and steps forward.
"I don't know. Maybe she's not as tough as you thought she was." Eddie begins to tear up as he turns to the purple sheep.
"Collin." He puts his fingers to his eyes in an attempt to block more tears. "How did he ever end up here? He's too innocent." He says in a broken voice. Douglas pats his young friend on the shoulder.
"Cletus didn't say. He only said whatever the reason was is his own fault and they did nothing." Eddie gives Douglas a serious look.
"Look Douglas, these cherubs are very innocent people who worked very hard to save the lives of so many people who would've otherwise died accidental or suicidal deaths!" The holy soldier points to the door.
"Then there's no time to lose! Cletus is still alive and is wading in that pond of holy water to keep from perishing! I need you to go grab him and take him to Heaven immediately!" Eddie gives him a determined look.
"Thank you for saving him. I won't hesitate to stand up for him in the Judgement Hall if he's charged for entering Heaven." He then raises an eyebrow suspiciously. "But who did this to them? I doubt Augustus would banish someone over a mistake." Douglas thinks for a moment.
"Well, he did mention the name Deerie." The younger soul glares and makes a fist with both of his hands.
"That bitch. I will be sure to mention her to Augustus as well!" He states firmly as he marches to the door. Douglas pauses and then turns toward him.
"Wait, Eddie!" He calls out, the young boy facing him.
"What is it?" Douglas points to the other room.
"I'm about to look for data in this lab. When you're done bringing Cletus back, can you come back and wait at the holy pond? I'm sure Angel will protect you if anyone evil shows up." Eddie smirks and picks up Cletus's unused crossbow.
"If anything goes wrong, I'll shoot someone with this." He says, pointing to Collin's unused bow. "And I suggest you do the same with that one." Douglas softly picks up the golden weapon and stares at it.
"I'm not really good with archery." He says. Eddie shrugs lightly.
"If anyone gets close enough to shoot, it's almost impossible to miss. Just be sure to keep your distance with threats." He says as he walks out of the building. "Goodbye and good luck Douglas!" He calls back as he walks away. Douglas takes one look at both sheep and then glares with determination.
"I will avenge you two. I promise." He says. He then enters the large technology room, only to find several computers around the room and a large TV at the end of it.
"Welcome, Baxter." An automated voice greets, before turning off with the sound of static and feedback, causing Douglas to cover his ears.
"This seems like a very old, yet very new laboratory." He says, walking up to the end of the room and looking at the terminal to the big TV. He tries to activate the TV, but there's a password blocking it. "Dammit. How am I supposed to access it?" He asks, then he spots a small flash drive and paper next to it on the desk.
"Hold onto this device it's the very source of Vox's power." Douglas can't argue with that. He pockets the flash drive and then notices a small mini cassette player next to the keyboard, identical to the one Angel Dust gave him.
"Alastor, what are you up to?" He asks quietly as he presses the button. Alastor's voice plays through it.
"Hello, my friend from the other side. If you're listening to this, it means you've discovered a fraction of the puzzle. That very flash drive holds the Vox's power, and if you find a way to disrupt it, he'll become powerless. Though I was able to best him in combat, I have spared him for your sake."
"Oh dear God," Douglas mumbles as the tape continues.
"I know what happened to the fallen angels, and if Vox were dead, you'd never discover the truth. If you don't see his body somewhere in the room, it means he's recovered and shifted to another device. But that device isn't here, only the codes to the final terminal lie in Baxter's work. When you find him, he'll give you the password and you can finally learn… the brutal truth about Heaven's purest souls, and why we have a cleans each year. And now it's your job to open the door using only the code within the entries Baxter wrote. Good luck Douglas." The tape ends after that. Douglas looks around the room and sees at least 3 small floors of PCs. Each row about a staircase with 6 stairs apart and around 15 computers per floor. He estimated around 136 computers in the room in total with the one in the middle of the room being an outlier that leads to the big TV.
"I'd better start looking." He says as he sets the crossbow down, flips the paper over, and glances at several codes. "Right side, row 2, terminal 4." The first one says. He pauses to think of which right it is, but then realized Baxter probably wrote this from the back room, meaning Douglas's left if he came from outside. Stepping up a small flight of stairs, he reaches the fourth computer from where he was and turns it on. Upon accessing the file, he reads the entry.
"Entry #1: Now that I've seen an angel enter the clocktower, I can only assume he was executed somehow, as he never came out. I found no information on his fate, but I found his history. He was an old doctor with a bad leg, dedicated to saving his patients and never bothered asking them for payment. May Mr. Mitchell rest in peace, wherever he is. -N"
Douglas pauses for a moment to process what he'd just heard, but then he notices a letter at the bottom. "N." He grabs a pen and writes the N down at a corner of the paper he had. Knowing this was entry 1, he's certain this has to be the first part of the code.
"One down, many more to go." He says as he looks at the next code. "Left, row 3, terminal 7." He moves to the other side of the room and does the same process, reading the next entry.
"Entry #2: Another man has disappeared after entering the clock tower. In my findings, he was a well-respected but unpromoted army captain who would tell lies for the sake of avoiding war at any cost. After being pressured to confess, he took his own life after his confession. May sir Hanlon finally find peace for his duties. -V"
"V!" Douglas writes that letter down next to the N from before and then faces the third code. "Right, row 1, terminal 12." He goes back over to the right side and moves over to the twelfth PC as instructed. A more pained look on his face as he turns this one on.
"Entry #3: Another poor man goes missing, this one with a badge. Upon identifying his life form, I discovered he was a middle-aged defense attorney who fought for his clients under any circumstance possible. He was mortally shot by a rival prosecutor with the flair to emerge victoriously and keep a perfect record. Rest in peace Mr. Edgeworth SR. -DL"
"DL!" Douglas jots that down next to the NV, wondering why this one has 2 letters. He then sighs deeply over the thought of such an action happening but proceeds to the next code. "Back, row 1, terminal 5." He then turns to the side of the room across from the TV and sits down at the fifth PC.
"Entry #4: An older gentleman has done exactly as the men before him. He held a contract in his hand this time which looked like an attempt to spread peace. Taking the position of being a judge is very hard, but when you spend your last few moments attempting to stop a torture chamber, a shot to the head is a very unfortunate fate to meet. RIP Halden. -3"
"Three," Douglas says with less emotion in his voice than before. He writes it down and thinks over what that must've been like for the judge. "I hope Augustus gave him a spot in the Judgement Hall for this." He remarks as he reads the next code. "Left, row 2, terminal 11." He takes a moment to find it and then teleports to it.
"Entry #5: This time it's a younger-looking girl. Her background is even sadder than things I've seen before. In an attempt to stop despair from overtaking the world, a young gamer girl sought to turn over the truest Ultimate form in existence. She suffered many injuries prior to death, and her remaining AI form was crushed by a game piece, the very thing she would've destroyed had she been the one playing. RIP Ms. Nanami. -9"
"Nine," Douglas says to remind himself where he is. Looking back at the PC for a moment, he thinks of the sheer pain this woman had to have gone through, but then looks at the next code. "Left, row 3, terminal 8." Using careful movement, he steps over the desk and moves three to the left on the next row, activating the eighth PC.
"Entry #6: Some heroes are born, others are made. This great man was a mixture of both. Seeing an unfamiliar visor on him led me to realize he's a superhero. He dedicated his life to defending the rights of other unwanted supers and destroyed a sinister robot on a hidden island to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the world. Rest in peace Mr. Simon J. Paladino. -GB"
"GB?" Douglas thinks, wondering why there are two letters in some and not others. He proceeds to write them down, only imagining if he's considered a superhero to the people of Heaven. "Back, row 3, terminal 15." He teleports to the corner computer, knowing how easy that one is to find.
"Entry #7: A humble short old man with a royal blue robe came by today. He looked nervous upon entering the building but seemed willing enough to do it anyway. I found that he was a royal king who would do anything for his daughter's well-being including willingness to live his life as a frog to maintain her safety and happiness. RIP Harold. -S3"
"S3," Douglas repeats, writing the new part to the code in. He then thinks for a moment if he had a daughter. Maybe with Nifty, or Charlie, or even Vaggie. What great mothers they could've made if they hadn't died and Charlie hadn't lost her trust in him. He moves onto the next code. "Back, row 3, terminal 4." He steps over to the end of this row and turns on the device.
"Entry #8: A strong-willed man arrived fearlessly. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and despite his handsome appearance, seemed like he'd seen combat several times. I found out that he died in a rebellion to stop a corrupt capital from their reign of sending young people into an arena to die. RIP Mr. Odair. -MJ"
"MJ," Douglas repeats, writing it down and sighing deeply. "The things these poor people have gone through really do make them saintly." He comments, reading the next code. "Right, row 1, terminal 10." Making his way over, he thinks about the sad story, only fearing it'll be worse than assumed.
"Entry #9: They just keep coming and coming. An older man who looked strong but past his prime came in. In my research, I found that he was a leader of a galactic group with a great source of power. He gave up his life for a younger boy to absorb his remaining force. RIP Ben. -IV"
"IV," Douglas mumbles as he writes that down. "I wonder how I would've done in this group." He says, beginning to read the next code. "Left, row 2, terminal 13." He takes a moment to look around before finding the correct one.
"Entry #10: An innocent boy arrived this year. He was a proud young man who did everything for his mother and those around him, only to get shot by a sexist maniac dying of cancer. May his soul rest in peace as well as the other victim shot later by the same maniac. -2"
"Two," Douglas says, a tear nearly coming to his eye as he thinks of how this very well could've been him. "What was his name?" He looks back up at the screen but sees no name this time. Facing the paper again, he resumes. "Right, row 3, terminal 3." He teleports over there and accesses the device.
"Entry #11: This was different… he was a large goatlike creature with handsome blonde hair and a nice beard. He seemed very humble at first glance, but what could've happened to him? As it turns out, he was a king promising freedom to several people who'd lost a war to humans. He perished in his final duel against a young child seeking their home again. RIP Mr. Dreemurr. -6"
"Six," Douglas adds to the code. Only thinking about what that person would look like. Then he moves on. "Back, row 2 terminal 2." Upon reaching this one, he closes his eyes, only imagining the sad story he's about to read.
"Entry #12: A strong medic will do anything to save his soldiers. And that's what this man did. Risking his life several times to enter danger while his allies were hurt is what he lived for. He received his sad end at the end of machine-gun fire while agreeing to go left in a war strategy. RIP Private Wade. -7"
"Seven." Douglas writes it down and then thinks about Tom Trench, how he died in a very similar manner over an accident he caused. Sighing deeply, he moves on to the next code. "Right, row 1, terminal 9." He makes his way over there and accesses it.
"Entry #13: Another soldier was found dead in a similar situation. He was an army recruit in Vietnam with a family history of shrimp catching. Fatally shot in combat, he spent his last moments in his best friend's arms before finally bleeding out. RIP Private Blue. -B"
"B." Douglas adds it to the code and sighs deeply, tears coming to his eyes over the things he's read today. "And Heaven knows nothing about where he is now." He mumbles before reading the next code. "Left, row 3, terminal 6." Making his way over, he thinks of what awaits him when he opens the entry.
"Entry #14: Any man can hold a door open, but how about keeping one closed? A strong simple-minded man enters his new fate at the clock tower after a painful death holding back an army of vicious creatures. No sign of him exiting, but hopefully, he continues to hold the door closed from the inside to prevent further entry. RIP Servant Wylis. -6"
"Another six," Douglas mumbles as he writes it down. Only two more to go, so he can't stop now. "Back, row 2, terminal 14." He reads, teleporting to the computer near the side.
"Entry #15: No man can teach anyone too much, but only after they're gone can their lessons live on. A strong old wizard brought so much wisdom to many young people, ending his life with a plea to be killed by another member of his group to spare a younger boy the task of a pressured assassination. RIP sir Albus. -H"
"H." He jots it down. "I'm running out of room on the paper." He thinks before looking at the last code. "Back, row 2, terminal 8." He turns to the side and moves six seats over, accessing the last one.
"Entry #16: This has been going on far too long. I keep trying to discover why the saints are perishing, but I can't do that until I get a good look from inside the tower. I'm going there today and hopefully can reveal the reason for such a tragic loss. Entry 17 shall be about my results when I return."
Douglas stared at the writing but saw no number or letter at the end this time. Looking back over his notes, he thinks about how Alastor said Baxter would be here to give him the information, but where is he? And why is there only sixteen entries if Baxter would write the next one? He goes to the door and punches in the code he has.
"NVDL39GBS3MJIV267B6H" He comments as he goes, finally hitting the enter. A harsh static voice echoes loudly.
"GOODBYE BAXTER!" A different voice shouts as the door opens and Douglas steps in. He flashes on the light and sees the deformed skeleton of an angler fish demon.
"AH!" Douglas can't help but utter a cry at the sheer sight. He sees a small paper in the skeleton's fingers and grabs it, watching the finger bones fall onto the floor when he does. He reads the code on it and then inhales deeply, glancing back to the angler corpse for a moment and then exiting the room without a word. The light turns off and the door closes on its own, scaring him a bit. But he finally activates the terminal and puts in his code.
"LLRVVFBAV." He comments quietly before hitting the button. Staring up at the large screen, he sees a series of pictures, followed by their fates.
"Doc Mitchell – Smitten
Saint Hanlon – Smitten
Saint Gregory – Smitten
Judge Halden – Smitten"
Douglas gasps as these photos appear sequentially and the word "Smitten" written next to them.
"Saint Chiaki – Smitten
Saint Paladino – Smitten"
"Gazerbeam," Douglas mumbles as the list goes on.
"King Harold – Smitten
Saint Finnick – Smitten
Master Kenobi – Smitten
Saint Danial – Smitten"
"No!" Douglas whispers loudly, closing his eyes tightly and then re-opening them.
"Saint Asgore – Smitten
Saint Wade – Smitten
Saint Bubba – Smitten
Saint Hodor – Smitten
Saint Dumbledore – Smitten"
Douglas closes his eyes again, just thinking about the very loss of so many good people who had the honor of spreading peace. The thought of them all in the void both scared and saddened him, and not before seeing a horrifying grimace on the big screen. It has large red eyes and teal blue teeth.
"INTRUDER! INTRUDER! EXECUTE HIM IMMEDIATELY!" The loud TV announces at maximum volume, causing Douglas to plug his ears the best he can.
"AH!" He shouts again, only before a bunch of flashbangs land near him. They go off before he's able to teleport and he feels several strong shockwaves send his body different directions. Finally, the door that he came through opens, and a tall red imp appears with a dark blade.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He asks. "Another child in a forbidden territory." Douglas can hardly see him through the sudden wave of shock he's under, using a lot of effort to even try standing back up. His vision of the person gets clearer as he approaches him.
"Uh…" Douglas lacks the energy to do so much as speak clearly. His brain is processing thoughts faster than his body is capable of responding to, but not for long, as pain is instantly felt as the imp strikes him in the stomach. "Ugh!" Douglas falls over after one punch while the triumphant imp grabs a knife.
"You feel strong, do you?" He asks, slashing Douglas's shoulder and getting a light grunt from him. "Like God is on your side?" He slashes him again in the arm, drawing blood. "Well, you've entered the wrong territory. Striker doesn't like intruders." Douglas feels a knife plunged into his abdomen.
"HWOA!" The young warrior reacts loudly to the agonizing pain as Striker lifts his head up to make eye contact with him, his eyes being the only thing Douglas can see clearly.
"You've done more than enough damage already, but now you're the dead man, and nobody from above is here to save you now!" Just before Douglas passes out, he sees the shadow of a large grey figure right behind the deadly imp. "Whoa!" Striker is pulled away from him, the knife still in his hand and leaving Douglas's stomach.
"I don't think so little man. You ain't killing him on my watch." Is the last thing Douglas hears before blacking out. Striker glares up at a huge grey hellhound with a scar on his left eye.
"What do you think you're doing you dumb mutt?!" He asks aggressively.
"The name's Vortex for your information." The large canine says with a calm aggressive tone. "And you seem to be taking things a bit far picking on some poor little kid." The imp growls under his teeth and attempts to slash Tex, landing a slight graze against his left arm, which he grunts loudly at.
"Get the hell out of here if you know what's good for your health!" Striker shouts, attempting to slash him in the chest, getting a sucker punch to the face. "AI!" He's knocked back a few inches from that blow.
"I'll walk out of here with the boy." Tex asserts. "Don't expect any other scenario than that to happen." Striker hisses under his breath and stands up.
"You can take his corpse home if you want!" He says, taking a few swift steps towards the suffering boy. Tex grabs him by his left arm.
"I will walk out with him alive and breathing. Nothing less." He says, noticeably more serious in his face and tone of voice. "YAUGH!" Striker swiftly stabs his shoulder with his blade, burying it into his flesh.
"Then I'll just need to add another soul to the void first!" He removes his knife, getting another loud grunt from the werewolf, but his wrist is swiftly caught before he can stab him again.
"Not today," Tex mumbles with discomfort in his voice. Striker feels his wrist bones crack as the oversized dog squeezes firmly.
"AAHHH!" Striker can't stay silent at the sudden pain. He drops the blade and gives the hell hound a fierce glare. "You're going to pay for that." He says, gritting his teeth.
"No, you're going to pay for those sheep people!" Tex exclaims as he gathers the strength in his aching arm to pull Striker over his back and slam him firmly on the floor.
"OW!" The imp exclaims in discomfort, his glare starting to fade into a gloom. His painful cries continuing as Tex begins to spineblast him. "AH! OH! AH! OOH! OW!" After sixteen slams to the floor, he lets out a very weak groan while tears gather to his eyes. Tex lifts up his blade and stares at it.
"You really like torturing people, don't you?" He then turns to him, glaring with his good eye. "Well, how do you like being the victim?" He asks, stepping towards him. Sticker's eyes widen, but he fights off the tears to glare and his again.
"You motherfucker…" He says, using his aching arm to wipe his tears and fighting with all his strength to keep from using a broken voice. "You have no idea how much trouble you're gonna be in when the fair maiden Stella finds out about this." He grunts as Tex steps on his arm, leaning over him.
"Nice try, but your client was killed yesterday." Striker's glare fades.
"What?!" His eyes widen more as the fierce werewolf raises the blade higher.
"Enjoy your eternity of loneliness and misery, you unfaithful murderer!" Striker closes his eyes tightly and roars loudly as he feels the sharp blade shatter the middle of his ribcage.
"AAAAARRRRRR!" The deadly blow forces all his breath out of him in one scream. He spasms a few times and weeps lightly as his blood starts to engulf the blade, it only gets worse as Tex begins to push the knife in slowly but forcefully. Tex finally removes the blade as Striker has no stamina to move.
"To think an overlord would hire a small sadistic imp to kill a child is sickening. But you wound up here yourself out of pure anarchy." He says, pulling the blade out of his chest and dropping it next to Striker. The imp hisses weakly and glares again.
"Fuck you." He mumbles before finally halting his movement for good. He watches Tex lift up Douglas and start to walk out with him in his arms. Only the regret of failing a second time going through his mind before he releases his last sigh and his will gives out.
Sorry this one took so long. As you can see, so many real fictional characters died tragic deaths in their series, and I felt some of them deserved spots in the Judgement Hall, hence their cameos in this chapter.
However, number 10 wasn't a character, Daniel is a real man who was killed in place of his mother by a psychopathic lawyer with the last name Hollander. I felt he deserved a name shoutout as well just as I did with Harrison before. Going forward, I won't use the names of any real people, but I felt this guy deserved it. May he rest in peace. :(
I hope to go quicker going forward, but I appreciate your patience, and I hope you'll stick around for Douglas's battle against Vox in the next one. And another surprise awaits you all as well. ;)
Deceased:
Baxter
Striker