by Michael Todd
One after another, the demons exploded in ash, creating a fog of dust around him. When the gunshots stopped, he slowly unfurled and looked around, waving his hand in front of him and coughing. He got up on all fours and narrowed his eyes, peering around as the fog of demon dust began to clear with the breeze. He rose to his feet and walked forward, finding Brock and the platoon standing in rows, Brock at the head, with Tucker and Eddie beside him.
Juntto put his hands up and shook his head. “The team has arrived!”
Brock laughed as Juntto shrank, slapping his hand and pulling him in for a hug. “Took you assholes long enough. We were starting to think we were going to have to do this all on our own.”
Tucker looked around. “Looks to me like you got this. I’m going to head back to the naked dimension for a bit.”
Brock reached out without looking, grabbed him by the back of the shirt, and pulled him back in ranks. “There are still plenty of people to rescue, and plenty of demons to slay. If you’re not careful, I’ll drop you off there and not bring your ass back.”
Tucker tapped his chin with his fingers. “So, you’re saying you would leave me with the big tits and sexy hips? Oh no, what would I ever do?”
Brock shook his head, looking at Juntto. “Do we have survivors?”
Juntto looked at the destroyed cityscape. “Yeah. Not as many as I hoped for, but I have them stashed in a few different mansions and other compounds.”
Brock nodded, turning to the team. “All right, team. I’m taking Eddie and Turner and you two in the front with me. We’re going to go look for survivors. Shoot demons on sight, and meet back here with whoever you find in forty minutes.”
Juntto grew big again and walked with the guys, heading to the other side of the city to try to find more people to save. It was daunting, considering so many people were missing. Still, that was one of the reasons they were there, to keep people safe, so they would continue searching until they were told to stop.
Brock looked over where the portals had been. “Did Katie close both the portals?”
Juntto shook his head. “No. She and Pandora closed the lava one, but the other one just slammed shut on its own.”
Brock didn’t like the sound of that. “That’s…weird. Usually it takes force or fear to get those damn things closed. I’ve never seen them close one voluntarily. We should keep our eyes open just in case.”
The other guys agreed. They raised their guns and headed into the city. All throughout they found demons either hiding or too busy eating some unsuspecting person to pay attention to them. The team fired repeatedly, cleaning house the best that they could. While there was even one demon in Rio, they wouldn’t be able to start putting things back together. It also kept anyone in the city trapped, with a serious risk of being injured.
As they turned another corner, one of the small demons jumped out, its mouth open, screeching. Tucker jumped and shot it in the head just a foot from his face. “Fuck that! I hate when shit jumps out at me, especially when it’s that ugly and in real life.”
They headed down to what looked like a high-rise apartment. Part of it was smashed in, and smoke smoldered from it. They stopped out front and looked around for anyone outside. Brock pushed his goggles up on top of his head. “I don’t know if we should sweep. This could be a serious trap. It could be covered top to bottom.”
The two French soldiers stepped forward. “We’ll head in to check out the first few floors and see if we can figure anything out. We’ll keep on our comms, so listen to make sure you know what’s going on in there.”
Brock shook his head. “Sounds good, soldiers. Good luck in there.”
They watched the guys go inside, then leaned against a pile of rubble, drinking water and keeping their eyes open. Juntto kicked a dented can of vegetables that was lying on the ground. “So, did you guys watch my cooking show?”
Turner and Eddie perked up. “Hell yeah, we did, and then afterward we made your Kitchen Sink Cookies. They were fucking amazing.”
Juntto beamed. “What about the one before that?”
Eddie wrinkled his nose. “We did, but we only made it to the first diagram on how to slaughter and skin a goat. We fast-forwarded and watched how to pickle a fish. I think I want to try it.”
Juntto put his hands out, palms up. “See? I told Angie someone would appreciate it.”
Beelzebub leaned against a building, not even noticing the glass breaking behind him. He growled louder and louder, anger taking him over. He slammed his fists into the building behind him and roared, shaking the piles of debris around him. He was pissed. He had just been thrown into Rio and locked out of hell. He had been played, having done to him what he was planning to do to Lucifer. This time his misfortune didn’t even have anything to do with the angels. At least not yet.
He grunted as he pulled himself away from the building, leaving an imprint of his body in the steel and glass. He slammed his fist into his palm. “That sonofabitch Lucifer knew exactly what I was going to do, and he tricked me. There is no way he’s going to let this shit go.”
Still, he had one option. He had to take the city and keep moving forward with the plan he’d made. If he wasn’t going to command from hell, he would just have to do it himself. He wiped the dust from his armor and grumbled, looking up at the statue of Christ the Redeemer. “Goddamn angels got in the way, but they won’t this time.”
He felt someone tapping him on the shoulder. Quickly he spun around, finding Katie and Pandora pumping their wings, hovering in front of him. Katie narrowed her eyes. “Hey, peg-leg cunt! Get the fuck off my planet!”
Pandora giggled since Katie was not usually that outspoken. She was usually the one who blurted things out without thinking. “Yeah, your old ass should be retiring somewhere hot and fiery. Are you asking for death? Is that what this is? You are ready for the long sleep?”
Beelzebub’s lip twitched, and his eyes glowed bright red. “Well, hello to you too, Queen of the Damned. How did I know your feathery ass was going to be here?”
Pandora shrugged. “Because we don’t accept your kind of demon in these parts. Go on, get the fuck out of here.”
Beelzebub roared, “I am a lord of hell. I’ll crush you two like flies.”
Katie looked at Pandora. “I think he’s threatening us. What do you think?”
Pandora rubbed her chin, staring at him. “I would have to agree. Silly asshole coming to our planet and bringing his rudeness. I think we need to teach him a goddamn lesson.”
Pandora and Katie both smirked, growing until they were both twelve feet tall, the tallest they could go. Beelzebub snickered at their change. “Cute. Bitches growing into even bigger bitches. I’m afraid I’m about as twice as big as you tiny things, though. You don’t stand a chance.”
Pandora mimicked him, rolling her eyes. Katie rubbed her shoulder with a giggle. She stared at Beelzebub with her eyes shining blue. “Now, now. I know that you watched the playbacks. I know you heard about it even in the gross and foul-smelling caves of hell. We killed T’Chezz. We killed Moloch. We’re old pros at killing lords of hell.”
Beelzebub slammed his fist into a car at his feet. “ENOUGH OF THIS BULLSHIT!”
Katie pulled out her sword. “That was exactly my thought.”
Katie and Pandora attacked, flying and swinging at the huge demon with their angelic swords. They swerved around him, aiming for his leg above the peg. He swiped his sword down, missing them by inches. Katie pulled her sword back and began to swing again, and he took a step back and kicked his peg leg into the air, slamming it into both Katie and Pandora. They held tight to it and then flew off, spiraling around to his back and slicing at his body.
Katie growled, yelling to Pandora, “It’s not working! He’s too big! We’re just scratching and denting his armor and scales!”
They flew around the front, trying to get to his face, but he met them with the back of his arm, sending them flying through the air. Two streets over, their wi
ngs slowed them down. Both of the angels fluttered down and landed on top of one of the buildings, keeping an eye on Beelzebub.
Katie slammed her sword down on the electrical box. “Goddamn it! This has been one hell of a day, and now this?”
Pandora patted her palms on the air. “Calm down. There’s something I saw a council of angels do once. It only works for those enacting righteous judgment, something more powerful than we’ve done before.”
Katie shrugged. “Fuck it. Let’s give it a try.”
Pandora held her sword up, and Katie followed. “Now, think of your angelic burst, only direct it to your sword.”
Katie spread her feet apart and thrust her sword even higher. She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes, concentrating on the angel energy surging through her. It seemed as if it were listening to her. As if it had its own mind, its own innate understanding of what she and Pandora were facing. She could feel the energy swirl up through her and down her arms. When they heard a loud snap, Katie and Pandora opened their eyes.
Katie laughed, shocked as shit. Both of their swords had burst into blue flames. “That’s a fucking amazing party trick for sure.”
Pandora took off, diving off the roof. Katie followed, beating her wings. Beelzebub turned around, his jaw dropping. He stumbled backward, scared as fuck at what he was seeing. He put his sword up to block them, but their flaming swords cut through his hell-forged blade. They whizzed around to either side of him and pulled their swords back as he yelled, “NOOOOO!”
With matching swings, they severed his head from his shoulders.
23
Lucifer chuckled, throwing kittens back and crunching down on them. In front of him, a large screen played, showing the battle between Beelzebub, Pandora, and Katie. He choked slightly on his kitten, leaning forward in his chair and pointing at the screen. “Look at them tinging at his fake leg. What I wouldn’t give to see them cut it off and him tumble over.”
Mania, eating a bowl of berries, giggled. “He would flop around like a beached whale.”
They filled the throne room with their laughter. That was definitely not something heard every day.
Lucifer reached over, grabbing his glass and sloshing it. As the wine fell to the ground, it hissed, turning to steam. He threw the glass back, drinking it down. Beelzebub hit the angels with his forearm and Lucifer sat up straight, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping open. “Wait, where did they go?”
Mania looked around. “I think I see them on that roof way in the distance.”
Lucifer squinted his eyes and leaned close. “That is them. What are they doing?”
Mania and Lucifer waited in silence, tense as the angels moved around in the distance. When they thrust their swords into the air, both of them jumped back. When the blue flames erupted, Lucifer dropped his bowl of kittens and grabbed the sides of his face. “They didn’t!”
Mania looked at him and back at the screen. “What? What did they do?”
Lucifer rubbed his hands together. “That is reserved for judgment. They are going to be the judge, jury, and executioner for his scaled ass.”
The throne room was silent as they gazed at the screen. Pandora and Katie took flight, growing closer and closer, their bright blue swords in front of them. A look of terror zoomed across Beelzebub’s face as they cut through his sword and went to his sides.
“Yes! Yes!” Lucifer exclaimed, scooting forward in his seat.
The swords sliced through his neck and his head flew off, bouncing across the ground and rolling to a stop. Lucifer jumped from his chair, bursting into laughter. Mania half-smiled, watching him act like a child. “Why are you so happy?”
Panting, Lucifer plopped back down in his chair and gulped his wine. “Because that fool got what was coming to him. Usurpers never prosper. He should have had that fate centuries ago.”
Mania was confused. “Wait, then why didn’t you just kill him?”
Lucifer leaned to the side, putting his arm up on the back of the chair. “That wouldn’t have been any fun. Seriously, Beelzebub was dumb. After all that time serving my kingdom, he didn’t have the brains to realize that I know everything that happens here? Well, not everything, but the important shit, like trying to steal my throne. One way or another, I find out. He has done so much damage over the centuries that he could never set foot on Earth and survive it. He knew what would happen. You could see it on his face when he landed on the ground. It was done. He was done.”
He waved his paw, getting rid of the screen. Stretching his arms out to the sides and his legs in front of him, he yawned, then grinned. Mania reached over and stroked his arm. “So, what now? You have managed to divest yourself of your main enemies here.”
Lucifer rubbed his chin before standing up and walking across the throne room. On the wall was a painting of him standing next to a burnt and charred hole in the canvas. He ran his claws along the tattered shreds. “This painting was done just five nights before Lilith ran off. When I found out she had, I torched the one side. I looked too good not to leave myself in.”
Mania sat quietly, just listening. She had never met Lilith and wasn’t too keen on the idea that she ever would. She had brought a lot of trouble to her and to her king, and besides, she only had Lucifer’s arm as power at that point. If he were gone, she would be back to leading the dead full-time. She had grown bored after centuries of hearing their weeping and screams.
Lucifer rubbed his face and turned around, putting his arms out. “Now, all I want is to have Lilith back.”
Mania’s jaw dropped and she put her hands on the chair’s arms, slowly lifting herself up. Lucifer trod carefully, seeing the fire in her eyes. “But what about me? What about everything we have done together? Does it mean nothing, compared to your precious Lilith? She has turned angel, yet you still choose her over me? I don’t understand why.”
She crossed her arms and plopped back down, her bottom lip sticking out. Lucifer grinned and carefully walked over next to her. He took a seat and reached for her hair, but she turned, grunting. “Dear sweet, beautiful Mania. Do you think just because Lilith was here, you would have to leave?”
Mania shrugged. “She would have me tortured.”
Lucifer softened his tone. “She would do no such thing. Besides, I need you to take over very important things. You will be more than busy with all of it.”
Slowly she turned her head, raising her brow. “What do you mean?”
Lucifer shrugged and lay back, crossing his legs and playing with the end of his tail. “Oh, you know. Just taking Beelzebub’s council seat and directing those operations within this kingdom and beyond.”
Mania’s eyes grew wide and she jumped up, throwing herself into Lucifer’s lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and beamed. “That is so exciting! I would be honored! Well, as long as I don’t have to bow to her.”
Lucifer laughed loudly. “Never. You will never have to do such a horrible thing.”
Katie and Pandora walked through the broken streets of Rio, their swords on their backs, a feeling of achievement in their chests. Several blocks behind them Beelzebub’s body lay, his head staring at the heavens, the perfect torture for his unresolved soul.
Pandora let out a deep breath. “That was very refreshing. That sonofabitch had it coming for a very, very long time. I bet he tried to pull something over on Lucifer.”
Katie glanced over. “Was that who you saw?”
Pandora nodded. “I think so. The hate I felt would make it almost a positive.”
Up ahead, Katie could see Brock, Turner, Eddie, and the platoon standing in the street cheering at them. Katie laughed and waved at them, picking up speed as Brock stepped forward. She ran to him, slowing down and stopping as their bodies touched. They put their foreheads together.
“You all right?” Brock asked.
Katie smiled. “We killed one of the big ones.”
Brock chuckled. “I saw that. You had lightsabers and shit. Pretty cool.”
Katie leaned her head back. “Ha! They were flaming blue swords, not lightsabers, but that would have been pretty epic, and probably easier to use.”
Pandora cleared her throat loudly and leaned toward them. “I hate to break up this romantic scene from the capitol, Mockingjay, but we still have a battle to fight.”
Brock kept his eyes on Katie. “Ignore her. We are entitled to two minutes.”
Pandora put her finger in Brock’s face. “Listen, Peeta. There could be demons out there eating people.”
Brock rolled his eyes. “All right, all right. You are very correct, Haymitch.”
Her mouth fell open, and she narrowed her eyes. “Whatever.”
Turner clapped his hands. “So, what are we looking at with all of this?”
Katie glanced around. “Well, Beelzebub’s body and head are still there. He isn’t going to turn to ash, so we will have to see what the military wants to do with him. Most likely use his body for studies, especially with all the steps we have taken with the science of demons.”
Pandora nodded, looking at the favelas, or what was left of them. “The portals are closed too. I think Lucifer closed the one we didn’t get to.”
Eddie stepped forward. “And most of the demons are dead. We’ve been listening to the comm, and there is barely any activity out there. Either we killed them, or they died in the lava, or they are hiding out, but I suspect it will only be a handful.”
Turner lifted the comm. “From what they are saying, the Brazilian army is moving in from the north.”
Katie licked her lips and thought for a moment before turning to the group. “Cool. So, Pandora and I will fly overhead and look for any remaining demons or survivors. Brock will take his team through the streets and meet up with the Army. Give them the lowdown on everything that has happened, and let them know we are going to be out there so they don’t shoot us.”