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Legend Killer Chapter 21
Warning: Graphic Violence, implied non-consensual sex and swearing.
"We have learned the outlaw Randy Orton is in your custody," Heyman announced, his self-satisfied smirk was unbearable. "The Beast demands to know where you are holding him."
How the hell did Heyman find out so fast? Someone had talked, Hunter realized in a flash of fury. Someone was going to pay as soon as Hunter found out who had spilled the beans. But as inconvenient as that was, it was water under the bridge now. Until then, he had to deal with Paul Heyman, the most dangerous, cunning, and slimy lawyer he knew and that was before Heyman started representing the Beast. Now Heyman was (arguably) the most dangerous man on the planet.
Stalling for time, Hunter didn't immediately try to confirm or deny Heyman's accusation. Instead he took a sip of whiskey, his eyes never leaving Heyman's while his mind worked feverishly. He sat up straighter and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the desk. "Mr. Heyman, yes Orton is in my custody and by proxy, Heaven's. The Beast is not going to go near him," he told the lawyer. He kept his voice firm.
"Unless the Beast does something for you," Heyman finished, looking sly. Hunter tried to contain his surprise but Heyman wasn't fooled. "Oh yes, we know how this works, Judge Hunter. The Beast carries out some task for you and as a reward, the Beast will have its turn at Orton. I must say Judge Hunter, that is very practical arrangement. Everyone profits except Orton, of course. Or maybe Orton does profit from it, if you know what I mean." He grinned, showing all his teeth. "But who am I to judge how you deal with Randy Orton? One would get the feeling you personally don't like him, which is understandable. Your star protégé, turning outlaw and killing a lot of people. And despite your best efforts, you haven't been able to bring him to justice, until now. He really made you look foolish all these years."
He didn't have the time or patience to let Heyman get rolling on a speech while getting in his little digs. Hunter interrupted Heyman without raising his voice. "Mr. Heyman, both you and I know if the Beast goes near Orton, there is a good chance it will get carried away and kill him. I can't let that happen. Heaven needs Orton alive to control the Saint of Killers. And let's not kid ourselves. We both know Randy Orton is more than a match for other demons and can fight them off, even if the Saint doesn't come back. But not even Randy can take on the Beast one on one, especially since I have to keep him chained hand and foot. So if the Beast has an issue with the situation, it can take it up with Heaven. There is a representative here is town now. I've just appointed him sheriff."
Heyman waved aside Hunter's concern. "Of course the Beast understands Orton has to stay alive. However, I noticed that you noticed that Heaven didn't stipulate what quality of life he needs to have. Or what mental condition he needs to be in. And you, you sly devil, take every advantage you can get. Better to stick with the letter of the law, rather than the spirit, wouldn't you say? But I am here to make a deal." Seeing Hunter's skeptical look, Heyman raised his hand. "Hear me out. There are several other pesky demons out there and despite the rather tempting reward Orton would be for them, I doubt if word got out that he isn't as helpless as you made him out to be, they would be too interested in having a go at Randy. So rather than hoping the Saint comes back, I propose the Beast works for you. The Beast can easily kill the other demons, even new ones coming up from Hell. In return, the Beast gets exclusive access to Orton."
"And if the Saint comes back?" Hunter asked, desperately trying to keep his voice neutral.
"Then I am out a client," Heyman shrugged, not sounding terribly upset.
On the surface that sounded very appealing. If the Saint didn't come back, Hunter still had to deal with the demons here on earth. Having the Beast kill them would be a huge help in keeping the human carnage to a minimum, and it was only at the cost of Randy's mind and body. But Hunter was nobody's fool. He knew Heyman's type too well. There was always something more to the deal than Heyman was letting on. "What do you get out of it?" Hunter wanted to know.
"Only knowing that the Beast, my client, is happy with my services," Heyman assured Hunter, who believed him as far he could throw him. But with the Beast at Heyman's beck and call, Hunter had to treat Heyman with the utmost caution. If he didn't handle this perfectly, a lot of people including himself were going to die.
"I will consider your offer, Mr. Heyman," Hunter said, the picture of calm while his thoughts raced. As much as he hated Randy and personally wanted the younger man to suffer, he needed Randy alive. If it were anyone else, Hunter would have agreed to Heyman's demands. But not Orton. He needed more time, time for the Saint to return. Then, the beginnings of a plan sprouted in his mind. "But it's not just demons I need dead. Any future recruits the Saint might try to bring in will have to die too."
Smirking, Heyman knew the Beast would love that part of the deal. He didn't even have to pretend to think about it. "Of course," he said.
But Hunter wasn't done yet. If the Beast was willing to work to get Orton, then Hunter was going to put it to work. "And Ambrose and Reigns are on their way here. They cannot be allowed to free Orton. If the Beast kills them, I will consider letting it have access to Orton." Hopefully the two of them could kill the Beast.
Seeing Hunter was willing to play ball, Heyman smiled. The agreement was set, just the details needed to be ironed out. "Killing Ambrose and Reigns will only be a bonus as far as the Beast is concerned. So you are agreeable to this arrangement?" he asked.
"Maybe," Hunter hedged. "What assurances do I have the Beast won't kill Orton? I've gone through a lot of trouble to get Randy under my control. I need to know no matter what else the Beast does, that Randy will still be alive when the Beast is done with him," Hunter said. "Because even though I have him locked up and in chains, he won't just lay down for the Beast. He will fight the Beast until he dies."
"And of course Orton will fight. That just makes it sweeter for the Beast. It loves to conquer the strong. But the Beast is smart, Judge. It knows what Orton will try to do. Rest assured, the Beast wants Orton alive for a long, long time." Seeing the lawyer watching him, Hunter forced himself to smile grimly at what Heyman was insinuating. As much as he wanted Randy to pay for Ric, Shawn and Dave, he wasn't sure even Randy deserved the Beast. "Oh, believe me the Beast doesn't want Orton dead, Judge. Do you want to know why? What do you really know about those marks Benoit put on Orton?"
Hunter raised his eyebrows. Seth had told him the marks would drive demons crazy with lust. Had he been wrong?
Smirking, Heyman explained. "They do drive demons wild, but Benoit was truly a mastermind. You see, those marks aren't just a way to satisfy demons sexually. When activated the right way, a demon will be able to gain power. The Beast knows as long as Orton is alive, it will have the means to become even more powerful."
Hunter knew right then the Beast must never be allowed near Orton. He could see by the satisfied look in Heyman's eyes that Hunter had gotten the message.
"What about your new angel friend?" Heyman wanted to know. "Will it try to stop the Beast when goes to collect its reward? The Beast was not happy about the angel's interference when it was about to finish off Ambrose and Reigns."
His first instinct was to deny it, but then Hunter thought about Seth's behavior. The arrogant angel just might object to the Beast having access to Orton on the grounds the Beast might go too far and kill him. Which was a very valid concern. "He's young and a bit excitable. He thought the Beast was going to kill Orton, which was against his orders," Hunter admitted. "He'll settle down. Just give him some time. But, this is contingent as long as Orton remains alive. If the Beast kills Orton, I can't be sure what he'll do."
"Or what Heaven will do," Heyman said, as if he was reading Hunter's mind.
"Mr. Heyman, Heaven needs him alive. If Orton dies, we lose our only real hold over the Saint of Killers. Heaven's mandate takes precedence over what we want." And if Orton died while in Hunter's custody, Hunter knew his life was going to be extremely short.
"I understand. But this is what the Beast wants. Are you going to say no to the Beast?" Hunter didn't say anything. Heyman nodded. "Then do we have a deal? The Beast works for you, killing the other demons and the Saint's recruits, in exchange for Orton."
"If the Beast kills Ambrose and Reigns, then I'll consider it," Hunter said. He hoped the Saint would turn up soon, for everyone's sake.
"Very well. Oh, and after the Beast kills Ambrose and Reigns, it is going to come to this very office we are in, stand in this very spot I am standing and ask you where Orton is being held. You might want to consider your answer very carefully. Good day, Judge Hunter." Hunter understood the threat clearly: 'Tell the Beast where Randy was being held, or get torn apart.' Giving Hunter a measuring look, Heyman turned and left. Hunter leaned back in his chair and let out an explosive breath, unable to suppress a shudder. He downed the whiskey and curled his hands into fists. Fuck Heyman and the Beast. He wished Randy had obliged him just a little and killed the Beast before being captured by Seth. And if things went wrong and the Saint didn't come back, Randy would be regretting that even more than Hunter very soon. He prayed Seth could repair the damage Randy would suffer at the hands of the Beast.
Outside the courthouse, Heyman straightened his jacket and looked around. He saw a local acquaintance he kept on retainer lurking nearby, looking like he wanted to talk to Heyman. Curtis Axel was about as average a person as you could find. Nothing about the man stood out, which was why he was so useful to Heyman. No one ever noticed him. With a jerk of his head, Heyman indicated for Axel to walk with him as he strolled back down the gulch to his office. He didn't look at Axel as the man fell into step beside him. "What is it, Mr. Axel? My time is extremely valuable."
"My buddy Ryback, you know, the one Hunter hired for muscle? He knows where they are holding Orton," Axel said. Their long association had taught him Heyman was only interested in results. And if those results were to his liking, Heyman would pay extremely well.
Of course they were very much to Heyman's liking. Heyman smiled again, more genuinely this time and reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick wad of bills. Despite being a shyster of the highest order, he always rewarded those who served him well. "Thank you very much, Mr. Axel. As always, it was nice doing business with you. And you may want to tell your buddy Ryback to be sure to be elsewhere when the Beast comes for Orton." After getting the location from Axel, he walked away, knowing the Beast would be very pleased.
Axel's eyes were wide. The amount of money Heyman handed him was more than enough for both him and Ryback to get out of the area and live very well for quite a while. Axel grinned to himself and hurried off to tell Ryback.
On the mountain above the west side of Helena, three riders sat on their horses and examined the scene below. The town was going about its day. The mines were open and the ore grinders were running at full capacity. People were out and about, going about their daily routines. It looked completely normal.
"So what's the plan?" John asked. His mare shook her head as she chewed the bit. They had ridden hard but steadily to get back to Helena. Both horses and riders were tired but not exhausted. Punk had gone ahead to scout Seth's location and find out who might be with him. At John's question, Dean and Roman looked at each other.
"We go in and beat the shit out of Seth until he tells us where Orton is," Dean said promptly. Roman chuckled.
John shook his head. "The worst part is I think you're serious."
"What?" Dean demanded. "Seth is the one for making plans, Roman and I follow his lead. And when he's not around we just hit it until it breaks. It worked in the past."
"Seth is now as strong as you are, and he has powers. " John reminded them. "He also has allies."
"It doesn't matter," Dean said as his horse shifted underneath him, pawing the ground and pulling on the reins as it tried to reach down to the grass. Dean let it grab a mouthful before pulling its head back up. "But we can't let him put us to sleep again."
"What I can't figure out is why he didn't just kill us," Roman said as he shifted restlessly in the saddle. He was feeling a sense of urgency, like time was running out. "It doesn't make sense."
Brushing the shallow cut on his neck with his fingertips, Dean pondered that as well.
"He's an angel. Aren't they're supposed to be good?" John asked, but didn't sound quite convinced. He had met Shawn Michaels and some of the things the mayor had admitted to being part of had been pretty gray in John's sense of morality.
Dean snorted and rolled his eyes. His opinion of angels, and Seth were pretty clear. "There's Punk," he said, drawing their attention to the figure cantering up the mountain slope in their direction.
Punk reined his appaloosa to a stop. "I found Rollins. He's in the jailhouse with two little guys," he reported.
"The two I shot?" Dean asked, disappointed. He had hoped they would be out of commission for a while.
"They didn't look injured." Punk shrugged.
"He probably healed them," Roman said. "But there was no one else?" His black horse kicked at a fly and swished its tail impatiently.
"No, Hunter is in the courthouse. The jail is locked. It won't be easy to get catch Rollins by surprise."
"Fine, let's go," Dean turned his horse, but John held up a hand.
"Do you have a plan?" he asked again. Seeing Dean open his mouth, he interrupted, "Besides hitting Seth until he breaks, I mean."
Roman and Dean looked at each other again. John shook his head. "Okay, here's what we're going to do."
Down in the jailhouse, Seth was not impressed with his new duties. Jamie was explaining the ins and outs of human law and Joey would occasionally nod in support. Bored, Seth listened halfheartedly. He wanted to go out and look around the town. He wanted the crowds of people to adore him, as was his due. He wanted to gloat. He had personally captured Randy Orton and injured the Beast. Shawn Michaels and Hunter working together for years couldn't accomplish that. Instead he was stuck inside this stupid building, listening to these stupid humans drone on and on. Okay, one stupid human, but still…
They all looked up when someone knocked on the door. Both Jamie and Joey put their hands on their sidearm.
"Get that," Seth directed them, not getting up from his chair. His feet were crossed up on the desktop in a show of complete disdain. Maybe it was someone interesting. Probably not.
Jamie approached the door with exaggerated caution. "Identify yourself," he called out. At his desk, Seth rolled his eyes.
"US Marshal John Cena," was the muffled reply.
That got their attention and Seth even sat up straight. "What do we do?" Jamie asked. "He has authority here."
"Let him in!" Seth ordered impatiently. He wasn't afraid of Cena. A mere human couldn't hurt him. But the last time he saw Cena, the man was lying in an unconscious heap after being attacked by Jamie and Joey when they kidnapped the human Seth inhabited. How had John made it back? The angel was curious.
Drawing his gun and nodding at Joey, Jamie unlocked and opened the door. He stuck his gun directly into John's face, who immediately raised his arms away from his sides. "What the hell?" John asked, annoyed. "That's a mighty peculiar way to greet a fellow law-enforcement officer," he observed. "Why don't you put the gun down so we can talk like civilized folk?"
"Yeah, Joey," Seth said, ignoring Jamie's muttered 'I'm Jamie.' He stood up and greeted John. "So you made it back from the Nations. I must have just missed you." Seth sneered at him. He squinted his eyes. "You look like a rat has been chewing on you," he said.
Only John understood exactly was Seth was talking about. He flushed but didn't acknowledge Seth's comment. Instead, he gave a meaningful look at Jamie, who finally holstered his gun. Satisfied, John walked confidently through the door and sat down in the chair on the other side of Seth's desk. He ignored Jamie and Joey and gave Seth a penetrating stare.
That annoyed Seth just the slightest bit. "What?" he asked defensively.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" John asked back instead of answering.
"Of course I do," Seth replied, rolling his eyes. "I always have a plan."
"Then explain it to me, because right now? I'm not seeing how this is going to end well for anyone." John said. Jamie and Joey were listening intently as well.
He was going to get the chance to gloat after all! Seth shook his head, his eyes bright with suppressed glee. "John, John, John," he drawled. "Your human mind can't grasp the elegance and complexity of the plans of the higher Authority."
"Try me," John gritted out. He was beginning to think Dean's approach might have been the better one.
"Okay fine. I'll keep the words so simple even Jamie over there can understand." Seth didn't care about Jamie's hurt look at his callous words. "As you know, there is a new avatar of Death, the so-called Saint of Killers. He was anointed by the original Angel of Death, who melted his sword into two guns and absconded from Hell. Why he did this, no one knows."
"Maybe he was tired of being the Angel of Death and wanted to do something else?" Jamie offered.
Giving him a withering look, Seth went on. "But the issue is not the Angel of Death left his post, or even why he did. The issue is there were rules he had to follow. Very important rules. Are you following me?" Seeing John nod, Seth frowned at what he was going to say next. It wasn't common knowledge, even among the angels. "Anyway, when he passed his sword to this new guy, he did not bind him to the rules that bound the previous one. That makes him incredibly dangerous. Are you keeping up?" he asked.
John nodded. Jamie and Joey were listening intently, not paying attention to anything else. This was all news to them.
"What rules?" John asked intrigued.
"Never mind," Seth said, a warning in his voice. There were somethings that humans didn't need to know.
"So you don't know?" John said, trying to goad Seth. It wasn't exactly subtle but the angel was still new to the human realm and didn't understand nuances as much as it thought. And it worked.
"Of course I know!" Seth said indignantly. "The former Angel of Death answered to the Creator! It had to follow the Creator's directives, and only His! But this new one, he is not bound by anything and answers to no one! Imagine Death now has no limits. Now do you understand?"
In that instant John did understand what Seth wasn't saying. Why Heaven was so desperate to gain control over the Saint of Killers. The Saint had the power to kill the Creator if he wanted to and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The implications were staggering. "Holy fuck," he breathed. "I had no idea." That was true. Never in a million years would he have guessed the stakes were the highest possible in this game.
"Of course you didn't!" Seth said scornfully. "But yeah, so now that you know why I'm here on earth," Seth told him. "You seem like a sensible human and you know what's at stake. You understand why we need to control the Saint. And that means keeping Randy Orton in our custody."
"But why Orton? The Saint has other guys. What is so special about him?" That was something John still didn't understand. Randy was a remorseless killer, but so was Reigns and Ambrose. What made the Saint so protective of Randy Orton?
Impatient, Seth gave him a look. "Haven't you been paying attention? The Saint of Killers is his father."
Holy shit
Oh god. Now it all made sense. John remembered the look of terrible grief as the Saint went to confront the Beast on the dusty street only a few short days ago. The Saint's reluctance to let Randy continue to kill demons, to continue to sacrifice his soul. The cold rage when the spirit learned of Heaven's plot involving Randy. John's mouth went dry. If the Beast got to Randy before they did…
His son
"Where is Orton?" he demanded, feeling sick. They needed to find Randy, fast!
"Really? You think I'm going to tell you?" Seth asked sarcastically, leaning back indolently in his chair.
"Listen, you jackass, the Beast is going find and kill him. If that happens, we are all going to die! Even you! You yourself said Death now has no limits. If his son dies while in your custody, who do you think he's going to go after?" John asked, unable to understand Seth's nonchalance. He stood up abruptly, his chair scudding backwards across the floor. "Tell me where he is!"
"Relax," Seth said, completely unperturbed by John's agitation. "He's safe and in a place no one can find him."
"You're wrong. I don't know exactly how, but the Beast will find him!" John wanted to tear his hair out at the the sheer arrogance of the angel. By now Jamie and Joey were concerned, shifting their gaze between Seth and John.
Seth was smirking, like he knew something John didn't. "Look, even if the Beast does find out his location, my seals will prevent it from getting at him. Orton is fine."
"Not for long," John argued. "The old shaman Crowfoot warned us. How many times do I have to spell it out for you? If the Beast finds Orton, it will kill him. And when it does, We. Will. All. Die."
"You believe a doddering old heathen over me?" Seth was incredulous.
"That heathen is far wiser than you could ever be," Punk said from the doorway. Roman and Dean were right there with him. Jamie and Joey had been so caught up in the argument between Cena and Seth that they were slow to draw their guns. Dean and Roman were on them in a heartbeat. Seth was rising from his chair when Punk, with a length of coiled rope in his hands, threw the looped end at him. The rope settled over Seth's head and down past his shoulders, pinning his arms to his sides. Seth, annoyed, grabbed the rope and pulled. His strength easily overcame Punk's, but John grabbed the rope as well and their combined strength was enough to slow Seth down a little.
Off to the side, Dean punched Jamie in the stomach, then the face. He didn't use his full strength but it was still enough to stun the small man. Roman hadn't bothered with the stomach, only punching Joey in the face. The results were the same. With the two smaller men down for the count, they switched places with John. When Dean and Roman taking the first rope, Punk grabbed a second rope and repeated the previous move. Now Seth had two ropes around him, with Roman and Dean each holding one. They maneuvered themselves until the struggling Seth was held firmly between the two of them.
Meanwhile, John had disarmed the slowly recovering Jamie and Joey, dragging their bodies to a nearby cell and locking them in. He then made sure the door to the jail was shut and locked, ensuring no one would interrupt their talk with Seth.
"Where is Orton?" Roman asked, keeping the rope taunt.
"Fuck you!" Seth yelled at them. He struggled, but he wasn't a match for both Roman and Dean.
"Listen you self-entitled prick, if Orton dies the Saint will go insane and kill us all! Is that what you want? Because that is what is going to happen!" Dean shouted at Seth.
"He's safe! Don't worry," Seth tried to reason with them, until he could figure a way out of this. "Nothing is going to get at Orton while my seals are in place. Why can't you understand that?"
"Can the Beast get through your seals?" Punk asked.
Seth scowled at him. "No! Look, I know the Beast is stronger than I anticipated, but my seals are strong enough. Besides, the Beast doesn't even know where Orton is. Now let me go!" He struggled against the ropes but Roman and Dean held firm.
"How many people know where he is? Are you sure none of them will talk?" John asked.
That brought Seth up short. He thought for a second. "Let's see, there is me, Hunter, Jamie and Joey over there, Ryback and the Ascension."
"Wait, the Ascension know where he is?" John interrupted, appalled.
Shrugging, Seth dismissed it. "Yes, but they won't get access to him until they kill Itami and Bálor. That's going to take a while."
"What do you mean 'get access'? You'd better start explaining, fast!" Roman told him.
"It's Hunter's idea to control the demons while the Saint is away. If they do a job for him, he'll reward them with access to Orton," Seth said. Punk closed his eyes and shook his head, muttering in his native language.
"What?" Roman asked, unable to believe what he had just heard.
Rolling his eyes, Seth said. "I healed him. The Ascension isn't a match for him, even if he is chained up."
"Oh this just keeps getting better and better," Dean commented, looking pissed off.
Seth looked between the two of them. An idea formed but he had to play it perfectly for it to work. "Alright, to prove to you he's fine, I'll take you to him," he offered.
"No tricks," Roman warned, feeling like a bit of an idiot for wanting to trust Seth.
"No tricks," Seth promised.
"And no bullshit either. We know you have him down in a mine somewhere," Dean told him.
Immediately Seth was revising his plans on that piece of information. "Okay then," he said. There were plenty of mines in the area and they had to rely on him to show them the correct one. "Trust me. The Beast will never find him," he said confidently. Then, without warning he felt a sudden tremor, like a thread had been stretched tight, then abruptly cut. He frowned, focusing inward. "That shouldn't be possible…" His eyes widened. "Fuck! Untie me!" Seth ordered. The four looked at him with equal parts suspicion and expectant, ready for him to try something. "Are you deaf? I said untie me! Now!"
"What?" Dean asked, believing it was just an act. "If you think we're going to fall for your bullshit..." he began but Seth interrupted him.
"Something just broke through my wards," he told them, struggling against the ropes that bound him.
Both Dean and Roman looked at each other. "The Beast," Roman said. They could hear Punk cursing.
"Let him go!" John said, taking charge. He put a hand on the butt of his gun which was resting in its holster. "Lead the way, or so help me I will kill you before the Saint does."
Seeing the looks the four of them were giving him, Seth swallowed hard and nodded. He hurried out the door with the others right on his heels. Given the location of the mine and how deep the tunnel where Randy was being held, Seth knew they weren't going to get there in time. For the first time in the angel's mortal life, he felt fear.
"Can either one of you morons explain to me what we're doing here? Because with the Ascension on our tails and the Beast lurking around somewhere, I'm willing to cut my losses and leave," Kevin Owens told Hideo Itami and Finn Bálor as they entered Helena from the sparely populated northwest. He had no patience for mysticism or other supernatural crap. All he cared about was getting paid.
"There's something we need to do," Itami said in Japanese. He could speak some English but it was faster to speak his native language. Finn, who understood him perfectly, translated Hideo's words to Kevin who looked skeptical.
"Right, and it has to be done right here, where Hunter and the Beast are," Kevin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"It's also where the angel is," Itami told them. Hideo had been communicating with the American earth spirits ever since he and Finn had come to the new world. They tended to be friendlier than their Japanese counterparts but more flighty. However, just recently they had been agitated, almost frightened, and when he had tried to find out why, the only thing they could tell him was it had something to do with the Death Walker. Then he received a message via the spirits from another person who could communicate with them like Hideo. That person had asked him for his help. After finally finding out who that person was and learning about the terrible threat to the human world, Hideo immediately agreed, despite the danger it was putting his companions in. Well, Finn mostly. He didn't really care about Kevin. He suspected the feeling was mutual.
"And because we aren't in enough trouble, we're going to mess with Hunter's pet angel?" Kevin asked, incredulous. He had suspected Itami was an idiot, but he couldn't believe Bálor was going along with this insanity. "Yeah, that's not happening." He turned his horse to go.
"Wait," Bálor told him. "If you leave now, the Ascension will find you and kill you."
"And if I don't, the Beast will find me and kill me," Kevin told him. But he hesitated. He knew he couldn't take the Ascension on alone. Though he hated to admit it, he needed Itami and Bálor.
"The Saint's men are here," Itami interrupted them. "They are hunting the Beast."
That perked Kevin up. If they killed the Beast and maybe even the Ascension, he was in the clear.
"Is the Saint here?" Bálor asked him. That was good news. They had come a long way to meet the Saint of Killers.
"He will be soon." But instead of looking happy about it, Itami was worried. That bit of news wasn't going to be welcome if they arrived too late. He turned to Bálor and asked him where Seth was. Bálor frowned. "He's that way," he pointed to the south to the canyon beyond Helena. "But he's moving. Fast." They turned their horses and nudged them into a lope, following the trail only a demon could sense.
Down in the deep dark, Randy raised his head even though he could physically see absolutely nothing. He shivered when he recognized the feeling of the Beast approaching, like a hot wind. He stood up, his heart slamming against the inside of his ribcage. Thanks to the heavy chains binding his wrists and ankles, he had no advantage of speed this time. He was going to have to fight, his strength pitted against the Beast's. On the other side of the door the Beast growled, raw and guttural. In vain Randy pulled against the chains binding his wrists to the wall. There was a huge crash against the door. The entire door shuddered under the force. "Old man, I need you," he whispered to the darkness.
There was no answer.
The door shuddered again, and Randy heard the wood crack. A third blow and the door burst inward. Randy reflexively squeezed his eyes shut and raised his arms to ward off the flying splinters he could feel hitting his face. Several large splinters buried themselves into the forearms. He heard a growl. Mouth dry, he lowered his arms and opened his eyes. Despite the total lack of light, he could see the Beast clearly, its eyes glowing red as it stood in the doorway. Luckily it looked like the Beast was still suffering from the effects of the spirit venom. The Beast inhaled and exhaled, sounding like a steam engine. Randy backed up against the wall in an effort to get more slack in the chains. The Beast took a step into the chamber and Randy raised his arms again, hands curled into fists. He braced his legs as much as he could against the heavy chains and gritted his teeth. He vowed he would fight until the Beast killed him.
For something that massive, the Beast moved incredibly fast. It was on him before he could draw a breath. Swinging his fist with all his strength, terror and adrenaline giving him even more speed than usual, Randy hit the Beast square in the head. The Beast backpedaled a few steps, shaking its head. Then it looked at Randy, its lips pulled away from its teeth in a parody of a grin. Randy grinned savagely back at it, mocking it. It worked, the Beast growled and charged. They locked up. The Beast, having the advantage of weight and strength, pushed Randy back against the wall. Randy took up the slack in one of the chains and wrapped it around the Beast's neck and pulled. The Beast's eyes glowed brighter and it laughed. The Beast's fist slammed into his ribs and he felt them break. Another blow snapped his collarbone.
Gasping in pain and tasting blood, he wrapped the chain binding his other wrist around the Beast's neck and pulled again. He cried out as the Beast caught him up in a bear hug, the pain on his broken ribs was incredible. It took a while but the lack of air was finally getting to it and the Beast dropped him to claw at the chains. Ribs grinding against each other, Randy slipped around to the Beast's back and added his full weight to chain, trying to choke the demon down. The Beast gasped and howled as it fought to break loose. In a desperate effort, the demon slammed itself hard into the stone wall with Randy trapped between it and the solid granite. He felt more bones break but he refused to relinquish his hold. The Beast leaned forward and slammed them into the wall again. Randy saw stars as the back of his head whacked hard against the stone with a sickening crack. But he didn't let go.
Enraged, the Beast turned with Randy still on its back and grabbed the chains where they were fastened to the wall and yanked hard. They both flew backwards as the bolts finally gave out. Dazed, the Beast slowly unwrapped the chains from around its neck and drew a long breath. A flicker of hope ignited inside of Randy. The door was open, he could get away. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring his body's agony and dizziness and felt along the wall towards the door, the chains dragging behind him. If he could keep working his way back up the tunnel, provided the tunnel didn't branch or anything…
The Beast grabbed the ends of the chains and yanked him to a stop. A pair of hideously strong arms wrapped around his stomach. The next thing he knew he was flying backwards, landing hard on the back of his shoulders and head. He felt something break deep inside him and his mouth was full of blood. Dimly, he realized he lost all feeling in his legs. He wasn't sure if he was just stunned or the landing had truly broken his back. He choked on the blood filling his lungs. Instinctively he knew there was no recovering from these injuries.
Fuck you, Hunter, he thought. He closed his eyes, welcoming the darkness into his mind and the cold numbness into his body.
Then his eyes widened in horror as the Beast flipped him over onto his stomach. Weakly, he scrabbled at the floor with his hands, trying to drag his broken body away. He cried out, blood pouring out of his mouth when he felt the full weight of the Beast come down on top of him. It sank its teeth deep into the back of his neck and hot blood trickled down his shoulders over the demon marks, activating them. Oh god. "No! Not again!" He felt the blood-infused marks on the back of his shoulders twist and flare, pulsing with the demon's latent power. The Beast's hands grabbed his shoulders, claws sinking deep into his flesh and pinning him to the cold floor. He tried to fight, to push the Beast off but he had no chance after the fatal beating he had just received. The Beast, driven into frenzy by Benoit's mark, writhed against him, blood and sweat mingling as Randy reached out with a manacled arm for help that would not come.
A broken, blood-choked cry of "Father!" echoed through the dark, empty tunnel, followed by the Beast's animal grunting.
Then there was silence.
TBC