by Michael Todd
The demons were all nervous, glancing at each other. Their hands were clasped, like Baal’s and Beelzebub’s, trying to keep them from visibly shaking. After several moments, a few of the demons carefully stepped away from the group. They swallowed hard and put their heads down. “Pleasure, please, Your Greatness.”
Lucifer grinned and put his hands up. “We have several brave demons in the group! That’s a start!”
Lucifer swished his hand, disappearing the other demons. He put his hand out to the few who had stepped forward and looked at Mania. “My dear Mania, take these brave demons to the nuclear firestorms. Fix them up. And enjoy your new Freaks on Leashes.”
Mania curtsied, an excited look in her eyes. She pulled her whip back and one of the demons cowered, waiting for the sharp blow of the leather strap. Lucifer grabbed Mania’s wrist. “Remember, we don’t have an endless supply. Be judicious.”
Mania’s face twitched slightly. Lucifer turned to Baal and nodded. “Give her whatever she needs.”
10
Katie, Pandora, and Juntto walked along quietly, trying to be ready for anything. None of them had ever been trapped in the belly of a Leviathan before, so using their instincts really wasn’t working. The floor was soft and gooey, and the walls vibrated with every movement of the beast. They had no idea where in Baylahn they were, but they knew they couldn’t stand still for very long.
The three stopped when they came to an intersection, the right leading into the darkness, strange sounds echoing out of it. The left was clear, a continuation of what they had been walking on for hours. Katie turned back to the others. “We are a team, so I am not going to make all the decisions. We have to come to an agreement about what direction we head. What do you guys think? We have two options.”
Pandora peeked down the dark corridor and wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t mind staying in the nice, relatively clear area with only slime at my feet to worry about.”
Juntto groaned. “Of course, you would, but when has the easy way ever been the route that leads us to where we were going?”
Pandora sneered at him. “Well, maybe you should think about what Wilson would have done. That chickenshit would not have taken the road less traveled.”
Katie tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know about that, Pandora. He may be an asshole, but he has balls of steel. Besides, we don’t know if Wilson made that choice. For all we know, Red was carrying him through here.”
Juntto nodded. “She would have definitely taken the darker route. She is a warrior.”
Pandora’s eyelids went heavy. “Hey, Frosty, you want to put your junk back in your pants and stop lusting over the fucking enemy?”
Juntto got angry. “I lust over no one but Angie. You disrespect my honor with your demon ways.”
Pandora turned toward him, putting her hands on her hips. “Oh, really? And who was the one trying to kill us when we first found you? You were insane, you were—”
Katie growled, putting her hands up. “ENOUGH, you two. We aren’t here to fight with each other. For fuck’s sake, we are trying to find Wilson and determine the reason he would come down here looking for Baylahn.”
Juntto and Pandora threw up their arms. Katie walked around, looking at the beast’s insides. “Baylahn is bigger than anything we’ve ever seen. Who knows what the right way is?”
Juntto shook his head. “We could end up in the fucking lungs.”
Pandora scoffed. “Or the liver.”
Katie shook her head, grimacing. “Or the dong.”
The ground beneath them started to shake, and Katie, Pandora, and Juntto put out their arms to stabilize themselves. Pandora looked around. “Baylahn is swallowing.”
She pointed at the ripples moving across the floor. “Follow those ripples.”
Katie glanced at Juntto and nodded, marching into the darkened area. They moved slowly, keeping their eyes open. Katie wanted to believe there was no danger outside of being swallowed by a Leviathan, but she wasn’t stupid. She kept her sword in front of her and lit the way with the lights on her suit.
Juntto grimaced as a glop of slime dripped on his shoulder. He tried to brush it off, but it just covered his hand. He wrinkled his nose, looking at the others. “I don’t like it down here at all. This is pretty much the opposite of Hygge. No comfy slippers, no warm blankets, only slime and a really foul smell.”
Katie coughed, waving her hand in front of her. “Yeah, the stench? Transcends the suits. It’s not the best thing I’ve ever smelled.”
Pandora shrugged. “I lived in hell for a very long time. Sulfur, burning flesh, rotting bones—it’s pretty much a disgusting pool of rot down there. This is kind of like the air freshener Lucifer got when the Council was meeting. Fresh fish guts.”
Juntto sighed and tried to transform, thinking maybe a creature without a nose would be the best for the journey. However, when he focused, his body shimmered, but nothing happened. He stopped, putting his arm out. “I am broken. I cannot shift.”
Pandora patted him on the arm. “Don’t worry, Juntto, you aren’t broken. Baylahn is so huge that his bulk is like its own separate form of energy. Plus, we have no idea what he is made of, or what kind of radiation he emits. It’s not surprising that your alien powers don’t work in here. You can’t pull from the energy of the universe.”
Katie looked at her sword. “It forced my angel powers out.”
Pandora nodded. “Yeah, but it may have a serious impact on our abilities. Your angel powers are your true self. It seems to force our true selves out.”
Katie stopped, putting her hand to her forehead. “Speaking of powers, why are we not portaling out of this asshole? Seriously, we could be on dry land or at least portal to wherever Wilson is at this moment and then portal out.”
Pandora wasn’t so sure. “We can give it a shot, but I don’t have high hopes.”
Katie sheathed her sword and took Pandora’s hand. “Then let’s both try. Give it everything we’ve got.”
Pandora took her hand, and the two closed their eyes. Swishing their hands, they pushed the energy they felt outward.
With closed eyes, Katie yelled to Juntto, “Is there a portal?”
Juntto lifted his eyebrows, looking around. He stared back at Pandora and Katie, their faces strained. “Not even a whisper of a flicker.”
Both of them let out deep breaths and released their hands. Katie sighed. “Well, I guess the only way out of this is through Baylahn.”
Baal and Beelzebub were side by side, glancing at each other. Mania stood behind them, tapping her foot with her whip. “Do I need to do it for you two, or are you over your love glances?”
Baal rolled his eyes and waved open a portal, stepping through with Beelzebub behind him. They walked through, making room for the rest. Mania hopped out, her short black skirt flipping around as she skipped forward and took a deep breath.
She put her arms up and breathed deeply. “Ah, Earth, where the humans waste away in their meatsacks and come to me to show them to their ever after. I love the looks of terror on their faces when they realize I am anything but a guide to heaven.”
She put her arms down and whirled, staring at Baal, Beelzebub, and the tall skinny demons nervously standing behind them. One of the tall demons shook, looking around in fear.
Mania pouted and walked over to him, rubbing her hand down his cheek. “Buck up, demon face, we are going to have a really good night. I promise.”
All three of the demons were glowing brightly, their normally black scales a yellowish-green color. Their eyes glowed as well, lighting the stretch of road that cut into the desert. Mania strutted over to Baal and Beelzebub, curling her lips. “These are our EMPFOLs. Electromagnetic-Pulsing Freaks on Leashes.”
Several shrill barks echoed, and Mania looked at the small glowing Chihuahua-type dogs. “And their little counterparts. Aren’t they cute?”
Baal nodded. “Adorable. What exactly are we doing out here?”
Mani
a’s face went straight. “We’re testing our new toys, of course. And giving me some playtime in this dimension.”
Beelzebub put out his hands. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
Mania clicked her tongue and waved her finger back and forth. “Not as far out as you might think. What slimy little meatsacks do you know who congregate in the hot, filthy desert?”
Beelzebub thought for a moment, then his eyes grew wide and a smile moved over his lips.
Mania tapped him on the forehead. “Lightbulb! Now, all I need is something to test these beasties out on before we parade into the humans' lair.”
She rubbed the whip up and down her hand, itching to use it. It was, after all, her favorite form of torture, even when it was used on her body. Everyone knew the stories of the wild laughs and moans echoing from the locked chambers of Lucifer’s lair late at night. Those two were a match made in hell, and now she was in charge of doing his bidding. She liked it, though; it gave her an excuse to get a little wild and see the fear on everyone around her.
Mania sighed. “I guess we could try them out in Las Vegas. So many pretty lights to shut down, so many screaming humans. It sounds absolutely wonderful.”
Baal cleared his throat. “Although it does sound perfect, we might not want to draw that much attention to ourselves. The mercs and the military will see that from space.”
Mania frowned. “Party pooper. Then what exactly am I supposed to…”
The lights of a speeding car flashed in their faces. Mania giggled and clapped her hands, grabbing one of the demons. “Now, stand right here and watch the pretty lights get closer.”
She took a step back and squared her feet. Pulling the whip back, she smiled before flipping her wrist and sending the thin leather strap across the demon’s back. Everyone flinched as the demon exploded, letting loose an EMP blast. You could see the wave move out from its body, although it didn’t harm anyone except the exploded demon. Mania smiled and stepped forward in anticipation as the wave slammed into the car coming in their direction. The car’s lights flickered, and the engine clicked as it slowly rolled to a stop. The person inside squinted, looking at the group.
Beelzebub laughed joyously, adding to Mania’s cackles. He slapped Baal on the back and stomped toward the car, flexing his muscles. The driver locked his doors, a look of terror on his face. Beelzebub grabbed the side of the car and ripped the metal, tearing a hole where the driver’s seat was. Reaching in, he tore the human out of the seat and ripped his head off his body. He smiled as he chewed, devouring each section of the driver, not wasting a single limb.
When he was done, he licked his fingers and patted his belly. “Well, that was a lovely and unexpected snack.”
Mania maniacally giggled. “There’s more where that came from. Much more.”
Beelzebub nodded in satisfaction as he kicked the car to the side of the road. The other demons stood terrified, huddling with the Chihuahuas nipping at their ankles. Mania gripped her whip tightly, enjoying the glory of it all.
Beelzebub walked back over to Baal. “What do you think?”
Baal rubbed his chin and grinned. “That will definitely do. Leave it to His Majesty to be completely brilliant. I can’t believe you ate that guy, though. He was covered in oil and wearing a mechanic’s outfit.”
Beelzebub sucked his tongue to his teeth. “Yeah, a bit oily for sure, but not too bad. Personally, I prefer the younger ones. Their bones aren’t as brittle.”
Mania swung her whip. “Then it’s settled.”
Beelzebub lifted an eyebrow. “This works, I have to admit that. I wouldn’t go wasting the EMPFOLs, though.”
Mania rolled her eyes and shrugged, tucking her whip handle under her arm. “When the whipping mood strikes me, it strikes me.”
“If I was going to cook a chicken, I would lift the skin a tad and push pats of butter and slices of orange underneath. Then I would cover it in foil and roast it until it was almost done and take the foil off for the last twenty minutes or so to get that really good crispy skin,” Sean said to the television.
Timothy shook his head. “I don’t do the whole chicken thing. Or turkey, for that matter. It freaks me out when I imagine the thing alive. That neck stump and bag of guts gets me every time.”
Sean chuckled and looked over as a small alarm began to sound on the computer. Timothy whirled his chair around and narrowed his eyes. “That’s really close. We better call backup.”
Sean leaned forward. “Pretty small.”
Timothy picked up the phone and dialed Brock. “So was the last one, but they tried to unleash a volcano on us.”
Sean nodded. “Good point.”
Brock answered on the fourth ring. “What’s up, Timbro?”
Timothy scrunched his nose. “Not okay. Don’t ever call me that again.”
Brock chuckled. “My bad. What’s going on? We got Armageddon?”
Timothy looked at the screen. “Not necessarily, but there is a portal reading. It’s small but close. I’m sending the coordinates to the guard station’s computer now. Are you close to there?”
Brock started typing. “Inside, actually. And you’re right, it’s close. Get the systems warmed up just in case. We’ll go check it out.”
Timothy hung up the phone and looked at Sean. “Get this baby heated up. Daddy might be visiting.”
Eddie walked into the doorway of the guard shack. “What’s up?”
Brock grabbed the keys to the Humvee. “Got a portal reading not far from here on the main highway. Come on, let’s go check it out.”
Eddie was stoked. “Finally, some action. I’ve missed it.”
He looked at the wall and hurried to it, pulling one of the new sniper rifles from the holder. “No better time than now to test one of these babies.”
Brock smirked as they ran out and jumped into the Humvee. Eddie laid the gun in his lap as they bounded down the dirt road toward the highway. It was dark out there, the moon caught behind a layer of clouds. They pulled to the end of the dirt road and stopped, turning on the floodlights to light up the road and desert around them.
Eddie leaned forward. “I don’t see anything.”
Brock shook his head. “I don’t either, but that doesn’t mean a thing. The temperature readings are higher than they should be, which means a blast of heat was emitted from the portal. Whatever came through it is out there somewhere.”
He put the Hummer in Drive and pulled onto the highway, going slow and looking all around them. As they turned the bend, they heard a crack, and a small explosion blasted ahead of them in the road. Brock slammed on the brakes as the equipment in the dash flickered and went out. The engine quit, and the truck slowly rolled to a stop.
Eddie looked at him and then ahead at the shimmering in front of them. “What the fuck was that?”
Brock shook his head. “I have no fucking clue, but I have a gut feeling that whatever it is, it is not friendly.”
Eddie swallowed hard, bringing his gun up. He picked up the radio, but it was dead; the lights had gone out. It was incredibly dark sitting there, and no matter how many times Brock tried to restart the truck, it didn’t cooperate. Brock was busy looking at the equipment when Eddie spotted the shimmering in front of them again. He narrowed his eyes and stood up, looking down the road.
He tapped Brock on the shoulder, but he didn’t respond. Reaching down, Eddie grabbed the top of his head and turned it toward the shimmering in front of them. “What in the fuck is that?”
Brock laughed. “How many times you going to ask that tonight? You are like a… Holy shit.”
Walking toward them was a tall, curvy, perfect woman, her hair fluttering around her and over her shoulders. She was wearing a sparkling black bra and a short black skirt. Her boots came up to her thighs, and she dragged the leather thong of a whip on the ground next to her. Behind her were two large demons and behind them, a group of shimmering, glowing skinny demons.
Eddie tilted his head to the si
de. “Are those fucking Chihuahuas? I knew those little motherfuckers were born in the fires of hell.”
Brock shook the shock out of his head. “Shoot, man. Shoot.”
“OH,” Eddie yelled, knocked back to reality.
He raised the rifle and rested it on the bar of the Humvee. Taking aim at Mania’s chest, he pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. He looked to make sure the safety was off, and then pulled again. Nothing. “It’s not shooting.”
Brock groaned and stood up, looking at the gun. “It’s because you brought one of the new rifles. They have computer-aided aim. If that goes down, the gun won’t work properly.”
Eddie lowered the gun. “Fuck me. They don’t look like they came by for a cup of coffee and a good conversation.”
Brock slapped Eddie in the chest. “My pistol is just going to piss them off. There are too many high-levels for a Damned and a human to fight. We need to get back and warn the base. Leave the gun here. Come on.”
Brock jumped out of the Hummer and Eddie followed him as they took off for the dirt road. “This is just my fucking luck.”
11
“Yuck,” Katie griped as she flicked her hand, goop flying off it.
Pandora chuckled. “I don’t know what you two expected. We are literally inside another being, and I don’t mean that in any kinky way whatsoever.”
Juntto pouted. “I guess it’s better than the tin can in the water. That thing was incredibly uncomfortable, and I personally don’t like the idea of drowning.”
Katie lifted an eyebrow. “Can you drown?”
Juntto shrugged. “I have no idea, but today is not the day to find out.”
Pandora stopped, looking around. “I wonder if Baldy came this way?”
Katie shook her head. “Who?”
Pandora snickered. “Our navigator. Did you forget about him already?”
Katie’s eyes went wide for a moment. “I was a bit preoccupied with finding Wilson. Forgot Ashton ran off into Baylahn. I hope he’s okay. Not the place I’d want to get lost in, myself.”