Chapter 13: Throne of Suspicion
In his opulent and infernal throne room, Mephisto sat brooding on a colossal throne of skulls and bones. The floor was polished obsidian, inlaid with enchanted runes that glowed red. His demonic features glinted in the eerie light that flickered from the runes. Finally, the demon lord's malicious grin stretched across his face, his red skin glistening in the dim light. His sharp horns cast eerie shadows on the walls as he contemplated his latest scheme.
"Come forth, Ikthalon and Lady Death," Mephisto commanded, his voice echoing through the dark halls. "I have a task for you."
From the shadowy depths of the chamber, two formidable figures emerged. The first, Ikthalon, loomed large like a glacial titan. His twelve-foot tall frame was composed entirely of a chilling ice-like substance, his demonic features twisted into a visage of cold malice. Frost rippled off his limbs, leaving a trail of frigid air in his wake.
Beside Ikthalon, the lithe form of Lady Death stood in stark contrast. Her glossy black armor adorned her slender frame, each piece intricately designed with macabre skull motifs. Her flowing platinum hair shimmered, catching what little light found its way into the chamber. She radiated an aura of menace that chilled the soul.
"Satana and the Spider must be tested," Mephisto declared, his eyes dancing with wicked delight. "Their loyalty must be proven, and their power assessed. Ambush them when they least expect it, and show no mercy!"
"Your wish is our command, Lord Mephisto," intoned Ikthalon, his voice a deep rumble that shook the very air around him.
"Indeed," added Lady Death, her sultry tones laced with venom. "We shall not disappoint you."
"Ah, but beware," Mephisto warned, a note of caution entering his voice. "Their powers have grown since I granted Satana Peter's marriage. They have...mutated strangely. Be on your guard."
"Rest assured, we shall rise to the challenge," Lady Death replied, her eyes narrowing with determination.
"Very well," Mephisto said, his voice once again filled with wicked glee. "Go forth and unleash your icy wrath, Ikthalon. Lady Death, let your blade sing a song of destruction. Bring me news of their defeat or triumph, and we shall see just how far they have come."
With a final nod, the two fearsome figures turned and vanished into the shadows, leaving behind the sinister laughter of Mephisto as they set out to confront Peter and Satana.
As the eerie silence returned to Mephisto's throne room, the demon lord's thoughts turned to Satana, his niece, and the subtle affection he bore for her. He wondered if she could withstand the trials ahead, and if her love for Peter would be enough to conquer the darkness that threatened to consume them both.
It was a lazy summer morning at Firelake Mansion and Peter and Satana were breakfasting on their balcony overlooking the lake. Peter was pretending to scroll through his laptop while admiring his bride.
Satana was wearing a gold silk negligee and a matching wrap. The morning light caught in the fabric, making her seem to glow as though she were floating in a cloud of gold against the morning sky and the dark blue lake waters. She had gold hairpins shaped to subtly suggest horns. With her flaming red hair, pale skin, and sharp black eyes, she was stunning. She seemed to be saying something.
"Sorry," Peter said. "What was that?"
Satana smiled. "Pay attention, my love. I can focus on business despite my handsome husband." Peter was wearing pajama bottoms but was shirtless and barefoot, so he didn't feel especially handsome. Nonetheless, he smiled and focused.
"There are two events at the end of summer," Satana said, waving two invitations at him. "We have to pick one." She held up an invitation with glowing red letters scrawled on a black page. It was written in a script that Peter had learned to recognize as Infernal.
"Umar is marrying Tiboru. That is...random. But they are both Hell Lords. It's a politically important wedding, and we should attend. However, they are both violent and angry demons; all their friends and relatives are violent and angry too. It's almost certain to turn into a bloodbath; even if their enemies don't attack the wedding."
"Wow," Peter said. "That sounds like a lot of fun." He poured more coffee into their cups.
"I'm surprised she hasn't killed him already," Satana remarked. "She's probably just waiting until after the wedding." Peter gave her a questioning look.
"For the wedding presents," Satana explained. "And the wedding itself is a good opportunity to bump people off."
"Maybe they're in love," Peter suggested.
"Hmm," Satana replied. "This other invitation," she held up a glossy white paper with ornate script, "is for the Hellfire Gala. It's very chic and fun, not violent at all, and everyone has a good time without anyone dying."
"But since you, and I guess me, are rulers of a Hell domain, we should probably go to the first one, right?" Peter said.
"Perhaps," Satana said.
"I mean, we need to keep track of alliances and enemies, right?" Peter said.
"Hmm," Satana replied.
Peter studied her for a moment. "I think we should go to the Gala," he said.
"You're absolutely right, darling," Satana said. "After all, you are mortal and you need time to adjust. It's only natural that you'd want to attend a mortal party. And Tony and Emma should be there too. We can catch up."
Satana smiled fondly at Peter. He smiled back. She was so beautiful, he thought. She was excited, and her color was up, her eyes flashing, and the golden glow was back. She was already making lists.
Peter's laptop chimed. He glanced at it. A message from Tony. He pulled it up.
"Peter, something has come up, and I need to act quickly. If you can, meet me tonight. There may be trouble. Tony."
Peter began typing in a response when he noticed Satana's inquiring glance. He read the message to her.
"And so you're just going to run off and leave me?" she asked.
"Well, we don't have any plans for tonight," Peter said. "He does need help, and you reconnected us."
"Hmm, it almost seems like you're eager to get away from me." Satana pouted and let her negligee fall off one shoulder. Peter smiled, leaned over, and began kissing her, slipping his arms around her. She leaned into him and kissed back.
Amarillo, Texas: Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Peter Parker stood in the shadows, observing a factory marked Stark Unlimited. They were all wearing armor.
Rhodey studied the factory with binoculars. "It's lightly defended," he said. "Almost seems too easy."
"So this is where they're building the killer sentinels?" Peter asked.
"Yes, the only place, I hope," Stark replied. "Do you understand the plan?"
"It's pretty simple," Rhodey said. "I charge in with the old Iron Man armor and create a distraction. Security will come after me, and I'll lead them away." Rhodey wore Tony's classic and robust Iron Man armor, predominantly red and gold in color. The armor was bulky, designed for strength and durability, equipped with heavy-duty exoskeleton and noticeable weapon systems, including missile launchers and repulsor rays. The iconic circular arc reactor glowed brightly at the chest.
"I'll wait by the War Machine armor," Peter said. "When Rhodey arrives, I'll help him take down any security following him. Then I'll cover his escape." Peter wore his demonic spider-themed armor. It kept changing to match his mood and had developed more of a spider theme. Currently, it looked menacing and otherworldly, with a deep crimson and black color scheme. The armor had sharp, spider-like appendages protruding from the back, and the helmet had a demonic spider visage with glowing red eyes. The surface of the armor seemed to shift and move subtly, as if alive, adding to its eerie and intimidating appearance.
"And I'll sneak in and search the place after you draw security away," Tony said. "I'll let you know when I'm clear." Tony wore his new stealth armor, sleek and shadowy, with a matte black finish that seemed to absorb light. The armor was streamlined for agility, equipped with advanced cloaking technology that made it nearly invisible in the right conditions. The glowing blue arc reactor and repulsors on the dark exoskeleton contrasted sharply, adding to its striking appearance.
Tony examined Peter's armor. "You're really embracing the hell prince theme, aren't you? I could help you rebuild your old armor."
"Thanks," Peter said. "But this is a gift from Satana. Also, it's magic, which is fun."
"Okay," Tony said. "I'm only going to say this once: Satana is a succubus, a literal succubus. She's the wife from hell, literally."
"Okay," Peter said. "I'm only going to say this once: Emma is a supervillain. A mind-reading, mind-controlling ice queen who is famous for manipulating men."
"I'm only going to say this once," Rhodey said. "I'm single and loving it. I go and do exactly as I please." Both men glanced at Rhodey and smiled. "Okay," Tony said, "let's do this!"
Peter's part seemed to involve doing very little. He waited in the dry gulch where they had stored the War Machine armor. The shadows were thick and deep in the gully, and his demonic armor blended in, making him nearly invisible. The War Machine armor stood perfectly still, its sleek plating a matte grey, its arc reactor glowing with a soft blue hue. The prairie night was very quiet, and he shifted restlessly. The silence was broken only by the occasional breeze that rustled the dry grass and stirred the dust in the gulch.
Finally, he heard the sound of energy weapons discharge and the hum of jets. Rhodey came over the rise, with three Sentinel robots in close pursuit. "Time to get busy," Peter muttered under his breath. Rhodey landed, or was forced down near the rendezvous site and was trading weapons fire with the Sentinels. He seemed to be getting the worst of it. Peter raced through the darkness; the Sentinels seemed unable to detect him. He got close to one and sprayed it with his webbing. The Sentinel was just too big to web up completely, but Peter's webbing was now laced with Hellfire, which seemed to be doing considerable damage to the Sentinel.
One of the unwebbed Sentinels came swinging wildly for Peter, and he danced out of the way. Peter jumped up to the Sentinel's face and swung, connecting. The spikes on his hell armor seemed to punch deeply into the Sentinel's face. Magic, Peter thought. The Sentinels are vulnerable to magic. The other sentinel was breaking free of Peter's webbing. Since magic seemed to work, Peter summoned his hell sword and swung it into the Sentinel. It cut in deeply, and the Sentinel staggered back. Peter went for a head strike and almost struck its head from its shoulders before the first Sentinel, now free from webbing, smacked him with a wild fist and sent him flying through the air.
Peter twisted and landed on his feet, jumping and moving immediately as the ground underneath him exploded under laser fire. Rhodey looked like he was winning against the lone Sentinel he was currently fighting. The Sentinel Peter had cleaved was staggering about with its head barely hanging on, seemingly unaware of its surroundings. Peter saw an opening in the defense of the Sentinel he was currently fighting and jumped onto its chest. He screamed as electricity coursed through him. The Sentinel had electrified its body. The spasms shook him free, but his fall was predictable, and the Sentinel hit him with another roundhouse punch. sending him flying through the air. When Peter regained his feet, he leveled his hell sword at the Sentinel and concentrated. A torrent of Hellfire erupted from the blade and bathed the Sentinel who was charging towards him. It made a strange noise, almost like a scream, and began firing wildly.
Peter zigzagged towards the burning Sentinel and leapt up through the air, raising his sword to cleave through the arm. Rhodey had downed his Sentinel and was firing repulsor rays at the one Peter was fighting. Peter struck the arm off, and the Sentinel went down. Rhodey was able to finish off the headless one with repulsor rays.
"That was a hot fight," Rhodey said. Peter said, "I'm still getting a buzz. There's another one." They searched the darkness and located the Sentinel hiding in the shadows. They both opened fire, and the robot went down. Rhodey changed back into his War Machine armor. The Iron Man Armor took off into the night on a remotely controlled flight path.
In the distance, the factory exploded in a firestorm. The ground shook under the impact.
"Hell," Rhodey said. "They're going to go crazy when the news of this gets out. I'm gonna lay low, and you'd better do the same."
"Yes," Peter said slowly, staring at the column of fire rising into the night sky. "This will be ugly. I'm thinking a long, quiet, stay in the country."
The next morning, Peter and Satana took a relaxing stroll along the shores of Fire Lake. The woods were lush green, and the air was crisp with the scent of pine. Squirrels scurried around them, chattering in the trees. The lake was crystal blue, and fish jumped occasionally. There was a soft breeze and bird song in the air.
"I love it here," Peter remarked, his voice a soft murmur that blended with the forest sounds. "It's just so... relaxing."
"I'm glad," Satana smiled warmly as she nodded in agreement. "Fire Lake has always been a refuge for my family," she confessed, her voice bearing a hint of nostalgia. "A place to rest and think."
Peter nodded. "I get it," he said. "I love the city, but this place is special."
Satana frowned. "Well, that's good since you have to hide out here," she said thoughtfully, studying Peter intently. "Husband, if you are in battle, my place is at your side."
Peter shrugged. "It was kind of sudden," he replied. "And I'm used to doing things on my own."
Satana's gaze lingered upon him, her eyes filled with determination. "That time has passed," she asserted firmly. "Also, if you are declaring war on someone, I would like to be informed first."
"I don't think I was declaring war," Peter replied. "No one should know I was there."
"Is this Feilong an idiot?" Satana asked. Peter thought and then shook his head no.
"Then he knows you were there," she stated matter-of-factly. "And so we have an enemy moving against us, who is still alive."
"Well, Tony isn't a killer," Peter said, "And neither am I."
"My love, when we show mercy to an enemy, we are not showing mercy to their future victims," Satana said gently. "Think of what this Feilong is planning. Think of how many lives would be spared if he were removed now."
Peter sighed, running his hand through his hair as he contemplated Satana's words. The lake shimmered in the morning sun, a tableau of serenity contrasting heavily with their conversation.
"I know," he said finally. "I understand what you're saying, Satana, but there has to be another way. A nonpermanent way."
Satana gave him a knowing look, her dark eyes reflecting the surface of the lake. "Not everyone thinks like Tony," she said quietly. "We can't guarantee Feilong will accept a nonpermanent ending."
"We'll find a way," Peter said firmly. "It won't come to that."
"Hmm," Satana said. "Also we are currently in Emma's debt. This could have been handled so that our debt was canceled." A chill breeze swept through the trees. Snowflakes began swirling about them.
"It doesn't work like that," Peter said. "Friends help each other," he paused suddenly. "Something's wrong," he turned to face the woods.
"I sense it," Satana said. "Like a buzzing in my head."
"Maybe you're getting a spider sense," Peter said. Figures emerged from the trees. A giant man of ice, a beautiful woman with a cloak and sword, two giant white wolves with glowing eyes, smaller snow creatures, crowding around the others."
"Ikathlon and Lady Death," Satana hissed. Her hands flared with eldritch fire. "It seems we have been found, husband."
Peter clenched his fists, hellfire rising within him once more. "Then let's give them a proper welcome."