by Michael Todd
Calvin rolled his eyes. “This was Korbin’s doing, wasn’t it?”
Pandora shrugged. “He may have had some say in it. I don’t rat out my friends, though.”
She sauntered over to the doorway and picked up the comm. “Attention, attention. This is your friendly neighborhood angel, Pandora. Who wants to take a trip with me to Brazil?”
The message echoed across the base, and Turner and Eddie looked at each other and then at Brock. He put his arms out with a big grin on his face. “Time to get the team together, boys. We got some demons to slay and some lava to cork up.”
19
Baal stood nervously at the doors of Lucifer’s throne room, clutching his paws together and keeping his eyes on the intricately carved images of suffering souls in front of him. He was nervous from the inside out, the anxiety bubbling high into his throat. It had been many, many moons since he had asked for an audience with Lucifer, and he never quite knew how it would turn out.
The door next to him creaked open slightly, making him jump. The servant demon bowed to him and turned, motioning for him to follow. As soon as Baal stepped into the large, cavernous room he started to rethink his choice. Every echo of his footsteps he could feel the fog hazing over him, a small voice in the back of his head screaming for him to get the hell out of there.
Still, he put one foot in front of the other, staring down at the servant demon’s back until he was standing in the center of the pentagram. Slowly he looked up, finding Lucifer lounged in his throne chair, drinking something that resembled human blood and snickering playfully with Mania at his side. Baal waited silently as Lucifer took his time to notice him.
After several moments had passed, Lucifer looked up at Baal and lifted his glass. “Baal, one of my most trusted council members. To say I am not surprised that you are standing here would be a complete lie. You haven’t asked for an audience with me privately in a few thousand years. What could possibly be so dire as to drive you out of your home and to the deepest pits of hell?”
Baal bowed to him, turning slightly and paying reverence to Mania as well. “Your Evilness. I came with news of a possible issue on Earth.”
Lucifer’s face didn’t change; he kept the same amused look on it. “Really?”
Baal nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. I thought that it was imperative that you knew that Beelzebub was up to something. Something that is surely not going to be on your Greatest Moments list.”
Lucifer chuckled, handing his glass to the servant. He stayed silent for a while, watching the servant refill his chalice, and then Mania’s. There didn’t seem to be any hostility in his reaction so Baal stayed calm, hoping that everything stayed on an even keel until he could get the hell out of there.
The servant hurried off with the pitcher and Lucifer sighed as he stood from his throne and casually meandered down the steps toward Baal. “You are a loyal demon, aren’t you?”
Baal bowed again. “Always, Your Highness.”
Lucifer’s lips turned slightly up, and his eyes narrowed. “That is one trait I have always known about you. Loyalty or death. Well, this news is not a surprise to me, Baal. If I didn’t already know, I would have assumed it would happen eventually. That is Beelzebub’s way.”
Mania looked at him with a furrowed brow. It was obvious she didn’t know what was going on. Lucifer flipped his hand around in a circle, pacing methodically. “Beelzebub seems to have a hard-on for humans. His dick doesn’t get hard for anything else, but his taste for revenge and anger drive him to a lust for their destruction. Right now, the one-legged asswipe is going to Earth.”
Lucifer shrugged, putting one hand in the air and looking over his shoulder at Baal. “That’s fine. Fuck the humans. They are God’s little babies, none of them can do wrong. I enjoy seeing their bodies strewn across Earth’s evening news. As long as it doesn’t bring any more bombs to hell, I see no real issue with it. Granted, I gave orders, but none of you buffoons follow them anyway. Why would I think that he would?”
Baal’s eyes grew wide, and Lucifer laughed. “What? Did you think I was in the dark? No. I’ve known since before he went and took demon armies from my collection. He didn’t take any I was upset to lose, so I just let it continue. Beelzebub has to learn that all actions have consequences. Sometimes they are good, sometimes not. Only time will tell what his will be.”
Baal pumped his fists open and closed, trying to stay calm. “Forgive me, Lucifer. I should have known that someone like Beelzebub could never pull the wool over your eyes. I guess my surprise came from the fact that it has gotten as far as it has. I assumed that you would have stopped it before he could completely screw it up.”
Lucifer tilted his head back, one hand on his stomach, bellowing laughter. “And what? Miss him being hacked up by a couple of angels? No, never. Or in his favor, watching a couple of angels being hacked up. Either way is a win-win for me.”
Baal put his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. “There is one more thing. It has come to my attention recently that Beelzebub is not content with being on the council.”
Lucifer whipped his body toward Baal’s “Go on.”
Baal shuttered for a moment, not wanting to say the words. “It seems he wants a bigger seat. Possibly even a throne.”
Mania stood up in anger, but Lucifer waved his hand at her to be seated. The devil glanced around the room, looking at the same place he had been since his fallen moment with the angels. “Does he, now?”
Baal’s shoulders fell. “We were discussing his idea for an incursion, taking Rio and turning it into a city of demons that pay homage to you. However, the further I listened, I realized it wasn’t about the city or a sanctuary for demons. It wasn’t about a monument at all. He is planning on seizing it, taking you down, and then locking you out of any portals back to hell. He then would put himself in the chair of, well, basically you. The ruler of hell.”
Lucifer nodded, his attention fully captured by the story of his assassination.
Pandora yawned as she stepped out of yet another portal. This time, though, the team had arrived at their destination. As the others climbed through, they looked around at the beautiful waters and the paper-white sand. The large ornate sign in front of them read Ipanema Beach. It was pretty close to Rio, and they could already hear the screaming of the innocent and the screeching of the demons. The situation seemed much more dire now that they were facing it head-on than when they’d watched it develop on the news.
Brock, Turner, and Eddie stepped up beside Pandora. Brock put his hands on his hips and looked at the smoke and steam rising from the city. They could see the bright, burning embers of the lava falls, and the temperature was at least twenty degrees higher than it should have been.
Pandora squinted her eyes, looking for the big-ass demon Katie had been fighting but didn’t see him anywhere. “Huh. Katie must have kicked that big-ass dude’s butt.”
Turner laughed. “She fucking did for sure. Busted right through his chest, covered in blood. We saw it on the news. Pretty much the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Pandora turned and looked at the four Taiwanese soldiers and the dozen French and Romanian Damned. They all stood there with their mouths open, staring at the mess in front of them. Pandora giggled in a high-pitched tone, swinging her arms and singing. “The girl from Ipanema…”
Turner walked forward, straining hard to hear what was going on. He had the comm up and was listening to any emergency management information that was coming through. Brock nodded his head at him. “What’s up? You got something.”
Turner took the earpiece out and glanced at Pandora. “Yeah. The Rio police are a few blocks up, but they don’t have any special metal bullets.”
Brock cringed. “Shit. They’re going to get fucked. And we don’t have enough extras to spare to give them any. I have a feeling we’re going to need all the ones we got.”
Pandora snorted. “If it’s anything like it was when I left, you might as well drop
a nuke on this bitch and just be done with it. Of course, then a bunch of people would die…sooo….maybe not.”
Turner put his hand up. “There’s more. The army has finally mobilized. They’ve got some of the special metal bullets, but they’re on the other side of the city. Apparently, they are protecting the rich folks.”
Eddie tilted his head back and groaned. “Of course they are. When shit gets wild, the military no longer protects all the people. They protect the people with the cash flow and clout like their lives are worth more than the rest.”
One of the French soldiers came up, tapping Brock hard on the shoulder. “We have incoming.”
Brock swung around, pulling his pistol from his side. “Fuck. EVERYONE GET READY!”
From down the beach, a group of demons came rushing toward them. Brock walked forward at a steady pace, his gun out in front of him, aiming strategically. He didn’t want to waste any bullets. As the demons smashed into the Damned, Brock blew bullets into them, grabbing demons by the necks as he walked past. He held them out to the side and wrung them like chickens until they burst into dust.
To the right of him, Turner pulled his M-16 around and smirked, lowering his sunglasses. “Always rolling up on me when I’m enjoying the warm weather. Don’t worry, fuckers. Where you’re going, it’s much, much warmer.”
He put his gun up and blasted bullets in the crowd of demons. They fell in bunches, turning to ash in the crisp white sand. He reloaded his weapon and brought it back up, this time casually aiming at the different demons. He pulled the trigger and one of the demons’ heads snapped back, a small stream of blood rolling down its forehead before dissolving with its body.
Eddie had taken a few steps to the side, finding a large boulder and climbing up. He leaned his rifle against the stone and aimed with one eye shut. Before each shot, he took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger as he was blowing it out. He aimed at a demon charging Turner from the side and hit him between the eyes. Turner looked over in shock and then back at Eddie. “Looks like that target practice has been doing you some good.”
The rest of the soldiers pulled their weapons and charged into the fight. Some swung swords, severing demon heads, while others fired their guns. One young Damned girl from Taiwan pulled out a pair of daggers and swished them wildly and quickly through the air. The demon watched them go around and round until she lunged forward, cutting off his head. With that many men and women and so few demons attacking, the fight didn’t last long.
It was a good thing too, because they had a long way to go before they would be done.
When all the demons were dead, Brock looked around at the piles of ash. “Nice work, team. Let’s try to make shit that easy every single time we are attacked. Just like mercs, we are a team, and when we go out there, I want everyone to have each other’s backs. This is important. We need each other, and we are a family whether we are from the same country or not. Global cooperation of defenses, and we are the defenders. Stick with the group, and don’t lag behind.”
Pandora snickered, slapping Brock on the back. “You might want to work on those motivational speeches there, buddy. You just made me want to get a new job.”
Brock stared at her with annoyance. “They deserve the truth. Then it won’t be so terrifying when you see it with your eyes. Surprises breed mistakes. I don’t need mistakes today.”
Turner walked over, his gun in front of him. “Okay, where we going first, boss?”
Brock pointed to the edge of the town. “We’re going to go for the police, help them out. They are in a very vulnerable situation right now. No demon bullets, very little protection, and most likely none of them are Damned.”
Brock whipped around to the soldiers, who were reloading and stepping back into ranks. He raised his voice to get their attention. “Look here. That giant waterfall of lava might look neat from a distance, but it is nothing to fuck with. I have been around that shit before, and it is brutal. I’m talking one hundred, two hundred degree swings, and that’s from two blocks out. The core of it is going to be fucking insane. Melt your skin off the bones insane. Stay as far back from it as you possibly can.”
The group gave him looks of understanding before chugging some water and readying themselves for battle. They finished up ranks and stood at attention, waiting for the next command. Turner leaned toward Eddie. “I think this is an ego trip for him. I can see his head growing bigger by the second.”
Eddie chuckled. “That’s a good thing. He fights better like that.”
Brock clapped his hands loudly. “ALL RIGHT, DAMNED PLATOON! MOVE OUT!”
Pandora stepped to the side, waving at them as they marched past. Brock saw them all off in front of him and gave Pandora a confused stare. She pointed out at the city. “I am going to go find Katie. Make sure she is all good and then get our plan together.”
Brock gave her a thumbs-up and walked off after the team. Pandora cracked her knuckles and spread her wings, leaping into the air. She glided high, glancing from one side to the other. Doing a double-take, she slowed and flipped around. She could see the Christ the Redeemer statue up atop the hill. At the base of it was a giant demon, his shoulder pushing into the statue, trying to knock it down.
She pursed her lips and wrinkled her forehead. “Oh, hell no. I may not be all about altars and crosses and all that shit, but you don’t fucking mess with that statue. That is the shit.”
She took off, flying straight for him. The demon was so busy that it hadn’t noticed or detected her presence. It was obvious her demon powers were gone, but she was shocked that the demons down there didn’t have some sort of angel signal. A flutter of the stomach, a small twinge of fear—anything.
Pandora shrugged as she flew. “Well, at least I know I have the element of surprise.”
Lucifer walked back up the steps toward his throne as the servant demon escorted Baal from the room. The evil king sat on his large chair, rubbing the hair on his chin. Mania sat next to him, leisurely enjoying the power that the chair had brought her. The doors at the front of the room closed, the sound echoing through the entire place.
Mania yawned lightly, patting her hand to her mouth. “I have to admit, when you were surprised about Beelzebub trying to take the throne, I was shocked. I figured you would know every move that foul little demon was making behind your back. I mean, let’s just face it…you seem to know everything. In fact, it’s almost comical that you know them and still keep your composure.”
Lucifer took his chalice off the servant’s tray and took a long gulp from the cup, bleeding it dry. He wiped his snout across the back of his black scaled arm. The scales were rough against his face, but he was used to it. He took a deep breath and reached over, taking Mania’s hand in his, running his talon gently down her flesh.
He smiled and glanced up at her. “Not everything, but I can see a dozen moves ahead. Of course, I knew about Beelzebub. He has wanted the throne for centuries. He just now feels that he has the balls and the clout to actually make it happen. Silly fool. It’s poor, sweet Baal who thought he was bringing me important news. I want him to keep thinking that. It took a lot for him to betray Beelzebub. It’s a good thing.”
Mania tilted her head to the side. “I just worry. You are the smartest and bravest, as well as the most powerful, but it never ceases to fail that somehow the morons end up stealing what is rightfully ours and destroying it.”
Lucifer kissed the back of her hand, steam rising from her skin. He smiled and leaned back, holding it to his hot, scaly chest. “Don’t worry, my dear. I’ve got something special in mind for you. Something to make up for all the trials and tribulations you’ve been going through.”
Mania bounced in her chair. “Really? What?”
Lucifer chuckled. “I will never reveal the secrets. You know my favorite game is torture.”
Mania giggled seductively. “And you know my biggest hate is surprises and long waits. You are simply evil. So evil. I love it.”
&nbs
p; Lucifer let go of her hand, leaned back, and put his hands behind his head. “Now, go fetch me my television. I really want to watch this clusterfuck unfold. It’s always fun when you watch the ones who think they are so big and bad tumble right into the arms of an angel with a very powerful sword.”
20
The Behemoth grunted as he shoved his shoulder into the base of the Christ the Redeemer statue. He pushed harder, digging his claws into the dirt. The thing wasn’t moving an inch. He stood up, grunting, because that was the only communication his brain was big enough to handle, and scratching the top of his head. He glanced at Rio below and pointed at the giant flow of lava. “Oooh.”
He shook his head and stood up straight, taking several steps back, careful not to fall, and sprinted forward, slamming his body into the statue. It shimmied and shook on its base, Christ swaying with his stone hands out like he was cheering at a Justin Bieber concert. The demon did it again, this time leaning forward and ramming it hard. He stumbled back, rubbing the top of his head, a frown on his face.
With a snarl on his lips, he looked up at Christ’s face and barked at him. The Behemoth was only half the size of the Christ the Redeemer statue, which put him at roughly sixty feet tall. From a distance, it kind of looked like a scene from King Kong, but instead of climbing a tall building with a beautiful woman, he was climbing Jesus with drool dripping from his bottom lip. Not exactly the kind of thing that would be made into a movie one day. In fact, that part would probably be written out.
Pandora rubbed her hands together as she flew toward him, realizing his height the closer and closer she got to him. “Holy shit, that’s a big boy. This should be fun.”