A/N: Wheee! Chapter Two. These first few chapters will be slow, until I can set things up nicely and get the characterization out of the way. Next chapter will be slightly more action-packed, though there's one more character I need to introduce yet... But after that, I'll be home free with the violence and the blood and the gore. I hope you enjoy it!

Salem'sDarkness: Aha! Thanks for the review. The main reason I used the booting of Lucifer from heaven was to introduce the other Archangel, Michael, who will be the main antagonist... protagonist... whatever... in Demon's End. It also helped set up the hierarchy in Hell. (Oh, yeah, and I had just watched Dogma the day before, but that's beside the point. :P) And yes, Baal kicks more ass than anything else in Diablo combined. One of my favorite video game villains. Thanks again.

TWO

The River of Fire had long been Diablo's favorite part of Hell. The fire and the heat and the pain that those souls who had been damned to an eternity there felt pleased him to no end. The thought that so much destruction could be caused without actually having to do anything astounded Diablo. His first thought, when he had seen it as a child, was that Lucifer was a genius for having come up with such a way to do harm to others.

He hadn't found out until later that the River of Fire was a natural part of Hell, and had been there long before Lucifer had been cast out of Heaven.

As Diablo walked slowly over the labyrinth of bridges and platforms, he watched the various souls scream in pain as the fiery river tore at them. Most of them were demons, but he could now see the occasional human or- to his horror- angelic soul crying out in torment. There were even species that must have come from the mortal realm that Diablo did not recognize, but that were burning nonetheless.

Ama was silent beside him as they walked. Diablo did not find it strange that she was so quiet; even if she were now a demon, she had been mortal not twenty minutes before, and no mortal would ever be able to face the gaping depths of Hell and not feel awe. Diablo watched her as they walked, but she still said nothing.

Diablo finally felt a searing pain in his left leg and stopped moving. His foot had fallen into the lava when he had misstepped. He realized that the bridge that he had been going over was badly damaged, and was impassible. He looked at Ama, whose delicate feet had somehow managed to avoid the pitfalls on the bridge. "We'd better go back around." Diablo said, backing up. His foot was burned by the lava, but little else.

"Are you all right, master?" Ama asked, her voice laden with concern. She knelt (a feat impossible to Diablo and his brothers) and closely inspected the injury. "Does it hurt?"

"Not much." Diablo said, taken aback slightly at her worry. "It will heal quickly. I'm a high-tier demon. A little lava doesn't concern me, whether it's from Hell or not."

"I guess you're right, master." Ama said, standing again. Her balance on two legs with no tail and such small feet and toes was excellent. "Where are we going, exactly, anyway? You never told me."

"I was headed towards the City of the Damned." Diablo said, shaking his head as he turned, and carefully avoiding knocking Ama from the bridge into the lava with his tail. "There are powerful monsters and demons there, and a fight with some of them would do wonders to ease this boredom of mine. But now..." He gestured at the bridge.

"You're a fool, Diablo." a high-pitched voice, like wind through leafless trees, said from across the bridge.

Diablo looked over his shoulder to see his oldest brother, Mephisto, floating before a vast army of demons. Mephisto was unlike either of the other two brothers physically. He was tall and without legs, and instead had an elongated spine that reached down to the ground. His torso was emaciated, and every rib on his body was visible. His arms were long and spindly, and ended in a three-fingered hand with two massive claws that were the focus for his magic. His head, too, was thin, and on top of it were two huge brown horns.

"What do you want, Mephisto?" Diablo growled, without bothering to turn all the way around. "Finally back from your slaughters?"

"I came back as soon as I heard that Father was ill." Mephisto hissed. "I cannot be away while the Overlord of Hell dies, now can I? Things are far more important here than out in the Outer Steppes. I would much rather be here while Father dies, than killing pitiful demons that I could slay without an army behind me."

"Why don't you do it without an army, then?" Diablo asked, sneering. "If you're so powerful... you should be able to do it."

Diablo had never much liked Mephisto, though, indeed, he had never liked his father, mother, or Baal, either. He was unused to Mephisto's presence, primarily since Mephisto had been away for the entirety of the first eight years of Diablo's life. His also thought that Mephisto's arrogance, which was far less subtle than Baal's, was uncalled for. Lucifer rarely spoke well of Mephisto's powers, and Diablo knew the extent of them like the back of his hand.

"Father kindly... requests... that I do it with an army." Mephisto replied, the hatred not leaving his voice. "It makes a show of force for the spies from Heaven that are in this realm. I could easily do it on my own... But the more the armies mobilize, the more Heaven is aware of our power."

Diablo thought that Mephisto was full of it, but he was not in the mood to have his older brother patronize him. "Whatever you say. Are you going to repair the bridge, or are you just going to stand there?"

"If it annoys you, I might just leave it like this." Mephisto spat. "You and your... friend... would have to wait there, anyway, because my army takes priority over a pleasure trip to the City of the Damned. Who is that, anyway?"

"A servant that I created." Diablo replied, finally turning to look at Mephisto. "Using the style of demon creation that you use. I brought a human here from the mortal realm, killed her, and turned her into a demon."

If Ama was surprised at this news, she didn't show it.

"How did you bring her back to life?" Mephisto asked suspiciously. "Demon creation with a corpse focal point is one thing, but resurrection should be far beyond you. There's no way you could have done it."

"Baal was the one who resurrected her." Diablo said. "He was the one who challenged me to create a demon. He seemed impressed."

"Only a mundane fool like Baal would be impressed by a cheap magic trick like that." Mephisto sneered. "He doesn't appreciate the true subtleties and intricacies of magic. He's the type of demon that just completely annihilates, rather than subtly destroys or terrorizes. Of course he'd be impressed. I, on the other hand," Mephisto added, as an afterthought, "think that this is just a pitiful attempt at attention garnering."

"Don't speak to Master Diablo like that!" Ama cried.

Diablo stared down at her. Diablo had expressly told her not to annoy his relatives, and had clearly stated Mephisto's name in connection with the word "brother," but Ama still refused to quit. Ama glared at Mephisto, hatred and dislike etched into her every feature. "Master Diablo will not be spoken to in such a way while I'm around, not even by you, Lord Mephisto. He created me simply because he has the power, which he has every right to do, and no one will accuse him of doing otherwise!"

Her boldness surprised Diablo. He looked back across the bridge at Mephisto.

"It seems your little plaything has a death wish." Mephisto said, raising a hand to point at Ama. "I'll make sure to blow her up, so not even Baal will be able to bring her back from death..."

Diablo pointed suddenly at Mephisto and shot a crackling bolt of red electricity at him. Mephisto waved his hand, deflecting the shot, but still looked perturbed. "Leave her alone." Diablo said determinedly. "You will not be destroying my work. I am the Heir, and by my right of succession, I order to repair this bridge and allow the two of us to cross."

Mephisto's eyes widened. He hesitated for a second, then waved his hand again. His army disappeared, and the bridge was repaired. "Pass, then, Little Devil." he growled. "Before I lose my patience and decide to disobey Father. I can and will kill you, you know. It is best not to make an enemy of me."

"Baal would protect me." Diablo bluffed, crossing the bridge, with Ama padding softly on her bare feet beside him.

Mephisto laughed, a sound that sent shivers down Diablo's spine. "Tell me you're joking." he said, shaking his head and crossing the bridge as Diablo reached the other side. "Baal is less loyal than I am. If anyone has any reason to kill you, it's Baal. He'd help me kill you... not protect you."

Diablo shot Mephisto a baleful look. "Keep talking that way, and I'll have Father banish both of you to the mortal realm."

"That would be a welcome change." Mephisto said. "Demons don't have that wonderful, luscious, warm blood... Their flesh isn't soft and supple... Killing mortals, especially killing humans, would be far more fun than what I'm stuck with now."

Diablo stared at Mephisto as the general glided off without another word. It seemed to Diablo that both Mephisto and Baal were out of their minds; would he end up that way when he matured? He shook his head and turned back towards the City of the Damned. He would make this trip if it killed him.

"I don't like Lord Mephisto."

Diablo looked down at Ama in mild surprise. She looked bitter, which was odd for her, but she also sounded... disappointed. Diablo wasn't sure of what to make of it. "Neither do I." Diablo admitted. "He's an arrogant son of a succubus. But you must be respectful. He would have killed you there."

"I am not afraid to die that way." Ama proclaimed. "I am not afraid to die defending your honor, master. It wasn't right for him to speak about you in that way, because he knows that his words weren't true."

"It's not worth dying over idiocy like that." Diablo snapped. "Nothing you say will make Mephisto respect me any more. Don't waste what life you have trying to do the impossible." Diablo paused. He felt strange thinking about saying this next bit. "Thank you, though."

"Don't thank me, master." Ama said humbly. "It is the truth, and it is my duty."

Diablo rubbed his chin in thought, a gesture he had picked up from Baal. "I wish I could just open a portal to the City of the Damned. This is an extremely roundabout way to get there."

The bridges and platforms had given way to interconnected strips of high land. Though Ama would be able to traverse them easily, Diablo's large size and wide feet made it difficult for him to move across them. He would be able to do it, but it would definitely not be easy.

There was a gathering of demons ahead. Diablo walked carefully towards them, building his energy in case they turned out to be hostile. There was a venom lord, named Naruck, that Diablo knew in the center of them, yelling and waving his arms wildly. Diablo saw Ama tense up beside him; he knew this would be a chance to see how well she could fight.

"Naruck!" Diablo called over the screams and yells of the other demons. "What are you doing?"

Naruck looked right at Diablo. His wings were huge, for a venom lord, and were obviously capable of lifting him off the ground. His muscular upper body was balanced by his thin, weak-looking legs. He was missing a horn, a testament to his long career as a warrior. "What is it, Lord Diablo?" he yelled back. "We are doing nothing wrong."

"I'll determine that." Diablo said coldly, shoving demons out of his way and haphazardly into the lava on either side of the patch of ground. They cried out as they were burned away. "What are you so vehemently speaking about?"

"Lord or not, Lord Diablo," Naruck replied, "I am of higher rank than you. You can't tell me what to do."

"I'm the son of Lucifer." Diablo said. He walked right up to Naruck and stared down at him hatefully. Venom lord or not, Naruck was still only about six feet tall, and Diablo dwarfed him by a foot or more. "I'll tell you to do what I want. Now, what are you doing here?"

"Telling my people of the atrocities that Mephisto commits." Naruck growled. "He has slaughtered many of my kind... and many other types of demons. And I have had enough." He raised his hand and put it right up in Diablo's face. A small ball of fire appeared there. "Now, die."

"Back up, Ama." Diablo said, stepping back. The flames shot forth from Naruck's hand. Diablo held out one hand and blocked the flames. They gathered slowly in his palm, burning slightly, but not enough to do him harm. "Kill him, Ama."

Ama stepped around Diablo's left side. Naruck saw her and stopped using the flame attack on Diablo. "If you honestly think that a mutated human will be able to kill me..." He looked quizzically at Diablo. "You're joking, right? You want her to fight me?"

Diablo shook his head. "No, I want her to kill you. Do it, Ama."

"Gladly, master." Ama replied without looking at him. She stepped towards Naruck, with the eyes of those demons that still lived upon her.

Naruck wasn't going to let her take the initiative. He ran at her and launched a punch that would have broken her spine in a dozen places, had she still been human. But Ama was no longer human. She crossed her forearms in the air in front of her face and blocked the attack. Naruck tried to uppercut her, but Ama caught his forearm in one hand.

"Fast..." Naruck muttered. He formed another fireball and shot the inferno at Ama, but she dodged to one side and threw a punch. It collided with Naruck's arm. There was a crack, and he stumbled backward. "Damn it!" he roared. He shook his head. "She's a servant. She shouldn't be that strong!"

Diablo had to admit that he was surprised himself. Naruck was a powerful demon; he hadn't risen to the rank of colonel in Mephisto's army by being weak. But at the same time, Ama, who hadn't been a demon a half hour yet, was far superior to him. Diablo had to wonder exactly what the hell was going on.

Ama glared coldly at Naruck, expressing the exact feeling that Diablo felt at that exact moment. It seemed that the connection between the two of them was stronger than he had anticipated at first. Diablo watched interestedly as Ama advanced quickly on Naruck, who took a few steps back, his broken arm handing limply at his side.

"Finish it quickly, Ama." Diablo advised, a smirk coming across his face. Naruck shot him a look of terror, then looked back at the woman moving towards him. "Make sure it's painful."

"No, Diablo, please, I'll conform, just call her off-" Naruck cried, his face contorted in horror, but Ama leapt gracefully into the air. She swung her left leg forward, aiming for the side of Naruck's horned head.

Her foot struck. Naruck's head jerked back. There was a snap as his neck broke instantly. But that wasn't all that happened. Naruck's head kept moving backwards, the skull shattering and warping as it did. Finally, with a God-awful tearing sound and a deluge of dark red blood, Naruck's head ripped from his shoulders. It flew through the air and landed in the lava, and was incinerated.

The body fell heavily to the ground. Ama landed on the balls of her feet and grinned at Diablo. "Taken care of, Master Diablo." She eyed the lesser demons that were still crowded around them warily. "Should I kill them, too?"

Diablo shook his head. "No, they're mine." He put the tips of his fingers together. "Ama, when I tell you to jump, you're going to jump as high into the air as you possibly can, and make sure you land on the rock again, all right?" Ama nodded. "Ama... jump... NOW!"

Ama coiled her leg muscles and launched herself into the air. At the same time, Diablo thrust both arms into the air. The lesser demons squealed and moved to get out of the way, but it was too late. A ring of fire formed around Diablo and expanded in all directions. Some of the demons got out of the way, but most were hit by the fire and turned to ash in seconds.

Ama landed softly beside Diablo. The big red monster seized the two demons that had survived in his trashcan-lid-sized hands, and squished their heads between his fingers. He threw the corpses behind him, into the river of molten rock. "There. Much less messy than pummeling them to mush with your fists. Why didn't you do that with Naruck?"

"I'm not sure that I can, master." Ama said, shrugging. "But I'd say my physical abilities are quite adequate, wouldn't you?"

Diablo nodded. "Indeed. Well, we can figure things out later. I'd still like to get some good killing time in, because this was woefully-"

"I believe I told you not half an hour ago," an all-too-familiar voice said, "not to hate the little ones." Diablo looked over his shoulder to see Baal stepping through a blue portal, much like the one Diablo had killed Ama through before he demonized her. "But you've killed at least three dozen of them, including, I see, Mephisto's right-hand-man."

"He was a traitor." Diablo said. "He was going to rebel against Mephisto and Father. He had to be stopped."

Baal sighed. "That's not the point." He gestured at the still-open portal. "Father has requested your presence in the Chaos Sanctuary."

"What does he need to tell me that he hadn't before?"

"Mephisto's arrival has changed things slightly." Baal said, the slightest sneer in his voice. "Father wants to redo things for you. Now that the main army has returned, it is more than likely that we will launch an offensive against Heaven's outpost in the Pandemonium Fortress."

"What!" Diablo yelped. He saw the color drain from Ama's face, another indicator that their emotions were somehow linked.

"Father will explain when we return." Baal said impatiently. His arm-tentacles waved in irritation. "Now hurry up, if you don't mind. Father won't be pleased if you take too long."

"The old bastard is nearly dead." Diablo snorted. "I'm not afraid of him."

Out of nowhere came a voice that shook the ground beneath Diablo's feet. Diablo jerked suddenly, looking for its source. It was deep and commanding, and sounding unlike anything Diablo had every heard before. "You will fear me before I die." the voice roared, so loudly and so deeply that Diablo couldn't help shuddering. "Now do as your brother asks, and come back. I will kill you if you do not."

"Father..." Diablo gasped. He had no idea that his father was able to communicate from such distances, and with such power. He looked down at Ama, and his eyes widened in surprise. She was visibly trembling, biting her lower lip in anxiety.

She was feeling her own emotions once again. Diablo didn't feel particularly afraid; this must be the mortal in Ama coming out, reacting to the fact that the most powerful being in Hell was speaking across dimensions and about a dozen miles to them. Diablo put his hand on her back and pushed her forward. "Come on." he urged. "It'll only get worse if we don't go."

"I'm scared." she whispered.

"He's a big bag of demonic wind." Baal said, sounding bored. "He always has been. Whether he's in a demon's body or not, Lucifer cannot escape the fact that spiritually, down to his very soul, he is an angel. He talks a good, murderous game, but he couldn't hurt a fly on his own." Baal paused thoughtfully. "Well, not since he sired three sons, at least. There are rumors he was a beast when he first got here."

"Tell me that beast wasn't your first choice of words." Diablo muttered.

"Shut up." Baal snapped. "Come along, the two of you, before the imbecile gets angry. He may not like to hurt people unless absolutely necessary, but he employs people who do."

Ama looked uncertainly at the portal. Diablo reminded himself that her wariness was understandable, because the last time she had gone through a portal, her neck had just been snapped. "Go ahead." Diablo said. "We'll be right through after you."

Ama nodded and stepped carefully towards the portal. She lifted one leg, paused, and then stuck it through the portal. She slowly moved her upper body through, and then hesitantly pulled the other leg after her. Diablo went to follow.

"Mortals." Baal sighed, shaking his head. "Spineless cowards, the lot of them."

Diablo glared at Baal, and then went through the portal.

Ama was shaking in terror now. Before them was a huge throne made of various different kinds of skulls arranged in the fashion of a chair. Beneath the chair was a large, inverted pentagram. In the throne sat a huge red demon with powerful arms; long, goat-like legs; a long, whip-like tail that ended in bony triangle; and huge wings, like those of a bat, with a wingspan of twenty-five feet or more. Beside the throne stood a tall, lithe, nearly-naked female demon with long, green-black hair. Her knees were backwards, like Diablo's, and the legs ended in solid hooves. Her arms were long and spindly, and ended in three long, sharp claws. Her face was beautiful and nearly human, if it hadn't been for the large blue jewel implanted in her forehead that had tendrils that stretched all the way around her head.

Lucifer and Lilith. Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal's parents.

"Forgive me for taking so long." Baal said in his slow drawl from behind Diablo. "You know how stubborn the Little Devil can be, Father."

"Indeed." Lucifer's voice, despite his illness, was otherworldly and booming. It filled Diablo's entire head, so he could think of nothing else. Ama shuddered beside him. "Who is that next to you, Diablo?" Lucifer asked, turning his dark gold eyes to Ama. "She is like you, but her body build is like that of a female human. Interesting."

"I killed a human, brought her here, and turned her into a demon. This is the end result." Diablo looked down at Ama, expecting to see her look proud, but instead saw that she looked as if she wanted to run screaming from the room. Diablo ignored that and plowed onward. "She is quite powerful, physically. Strong enough to decapitate Naruck with a kick."

Lucifer smirked and turned to say something to Lilith. The demoness laughed bitterly and nodded. "She looks quite terrified. I suppose that she was not this way before you brought her here?"

Diablo shook his head. "No. This is... odd. I can't imagine why she's so scared."

"Your new pet is very nice," Lilith hissed, her high-pitched, hoarse voice grating against Diablo's ears, "but Lord Lucifer had more important matters to discuss with you." She looked at him sharply. "Don't you?"

Lucifer gave a jolt. "Yes, of course. About the things that have developed since Mephisto arrived again..."

Diablo sighed. He had always known that his mother had been the driving force in this pairing, but Lilith's ability to dominate his father's thinking patterns. His father was, as Baal often remarked, "whipped," and Diablo felt embarrassed at times that the most powerful demon in all existence was tied down by something as stupid as love for a pitiful, manipulating demoness.

"Diablo, do you recall how I told you that you would be leading Hell's police forces until Mephisto arrived?"

Diablo nodded.

"Well..." Lucifer gestured vaguely. "Obviously, since he's back, that's no longer valid. Seeing as such, I have a new assignment for you."

"That being?" Diablo asked, rather indignantly.

"I am sending you to the mortal realm." Lucifer said quietly. "You're going to do as much as possible to annihilate the creatures called humans."