The first spells hit like artillery shells—flashes of light, thunder, the stench of burning. The air screamed as it tore apart, and someone's blood—hot, sticky—splashed across John's eyes. He froze, blinded and deafened, like at the heart of an explosion.
"Fuck!" Cain's voice dragged like film in slow-mo—distorted, eerie, breaking soundwaves as it went. Half his body was caught in a time-stop sphere. "It's been one minute and we're already getting our asses handed to us!"
Jane was slammed into the ground by an anti-gravity spell. Her double fought desperately to shield her.
John managed to whip his chain above his head, forming a burning sphere as a last line of defense against the demons. It bought him a few seconds—just enough to witness the end.
A million sorcerers can kill even a god.
Through the fiery barrier, he saw a green dome sealing off the battleground—teleportation forbidden. Smart move.
His eyes darted to the van—their last chance to escape. The metal was twisted like paper, spewing black fire. That was it. End of the road. End of the chance.
Cain was silent. His scream had long since faded, leaving only the crunch of bones being devoured by demonic ants.
Mjolnir was tangled in sticky, disgusting seals—electricity evaporated on them like water on hot stone.
Jane… she screamed when the demons tore her apart. Then she, too, fell silent.
No more warriors. No more distractions. All the demons turned on John.
Thousands of water spells pounded his barrier, hissing and steaming. It was pointless—but eventually, someone smart would find a way through.
In this universe, there are more spells than stars in the sky. There's a death beam for everyone.
Belasco didn't even rise from his throne. He wanted to play, to savor the show. With his magic, it could've ended even faster. The devil watched the slaughter with a bored expression.
John clenched his jaw so hard his gums started bleeding.
And then—someone grabbed his shoulders.
He jerked and spun with a punch—his fist stopped an inch from her face. Mary flinched, curling in on herself like from a whip. Their eyes met—hers trembled like candles in the wind.
[I forgot she'd been here the whole time.]
She was shaking like in a fever, her face pale as wax.
"I don't want to die," Mary whispered, clutching his sleeve like a lifeline. "Please get me out of here! I'll do anything you want!"
[The girl's having a breakdown.]
"Please…" she clung to his neck, her voice barely audible. "Tell me this is just a dream…"
John didn't move. After a long moment, his arms wrapped awkwardly around her waist.
"We'll get out," he whispered. "You won't die. I promise."
"Really?" Mary looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You promise?"
"Yes."
John looked at her—so alive, so scared—and snapped her neck.
Her body collapsed like a ragdoll. Pain and the silent question "Why?" were frozen in her lifeless eyes.
[I hope someday you can forgive me.]
Belasco, watching silhouettes through the barrier, burst into laughter and clapped slowly.
"Bravo!" the devil's voice echoed. "For the murder of a virgin maiden, you've earned yourself a bonus round of agony in Hell!"
[Go on, you smug bastard. Mock me, showboat, stroke your own ego. Whatever it takes—just keep your red monkeys distracted for one more minute.]
John knelt beside Mary. She radiated heat—Phoenix was breaking free.
He opened her mouth and poured in every seed from Walmart.
The firestorm burst from within, shattering his barrier.
Lady Phoenix unfurled her wings and soared into the infernal sky.
The seeds in her beak burned with golden light—life energy.
The firebird scattered the seeds across Hell—each spark became a flower, each ash-bed bloomed into apple orchards. The green darkness devoured the dead land with ravenous hunger.
Hell blossomed—against its will.
The demons stared dumbly at the apple trees and strawberry bushes growing at their feet.
"What nonsense is this?!" Belasco rose from his throne. "Kill them at once!"
The magical pressure multiplied. The demons charged.
John didn't move. He simply stood tall and raised the Cross of Zarathos high above his head. It shone like the last star at the end of time.
[I can only hope this works.]
Claws and spells came flying at him.
And then a freezing wind blew.
The demons froze mid-air, snarling inches from John's face. Belasco turned to stone. Illyana stood with her mouth half open. The Phoenix hovered in the sky, about to spit out another plant.
Trees, grass, the burning sky, demons, what was left of Cain and Jane—everything was encased in frost. All of Hell froze.
Everything except John's head.
He could see. He could understand. He wanted to run, but he couldn't.
From the sky, through frozen fire, a figure descended slowly. Faceless. Radiating blue light like a dying sun. No magic in Hell could perceive its true form—only two wide wings, white as oblivion, gave away who it was.
"Satan," John whispered in awe. "Or, as you were named at birth… Lucifer."
"Jonathan Blaze," said a voice soft as light. "But not the one born in this universe. You're using the body of your counterpart."
[He figured me out. Not even Strange with the Eye of Agamotto or Mammon with Belasco noticed the switch—but Lucifer plays on a whole other level. Fear crawls under my skin, but I know the trick—choke it out with anger. Say something venomous. It's a reflex that's saved me more than once. But not this time. Lucifer is the strongest being in the universe. He could crush Thanos with one finger. Politeness is my only shield now.]
"You brought life into Hell," Lucifer's light touched the trees growing from scorched earth. "Unnatural. Hell is not fertile ground. Only pain is allowed to bloom here."
"You came to punish me?" John tested him.
"It is not my place to judge mortals," the radiance drifted down into John's soul. "Your time has not yet come."
Test passed. Despite the title of Satan, he wasn't evil. More like an over-responsible cosmic employee.
The light moved through the garden. Where apples and strawberries had grown a moment ago, ice now cracked. Flowers crumbled into glass dust. Even the Phoenix's wings trembled—her beak held not a single seed.
"I must ensure Hell fulfills its function," Lucifer said, wings shifting. "Everything else is secondary."
"And yet… you're curious," John smirked. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have let me speak."
"I usually freeze the entire infernal circle when I appear. I don't like talking to demons," his wings quivered slightly. "But you are mortal, you brought life into Hell, and you carry my artifact in your hand. You wanted my attention. Why?"
"As a law-abiding citizen, I'd like to report a violation," John said, voice stripped of humor. "Belasco wants to leave Hell. But sinners aren't allowed to, right?"
"No sinful soul may leave Hell before its punishment is complete."
"Belasco found a loophole to escape permanently. Check the girl on the chain and the amulet around her neck—you'll understand everything."
"A serious accusation," Lucifer's glow turned colder. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."
[Was that a joke?] John looked down at his feet, frozen solid to the ground.
Lucifer glided gently toward the stone throne. A few seconds was all he needed.
He flared his wings.
One icy feather dropped onto the golden amulet with blood-red gems. The artifact cracked from the sudden frostbite.
A second feather fell onto Illyana. Ice coated her horns, cracked, and they dropped to the stone floor with a dull thud. Her red skin split like scorched clay, revealing the human beneath.
A third feather fell onto Belasco's head. All demonic mutations vanished. Without Hell's protection, a cocoon of sin formed around him.
"Thank you for the information," Lucifer said as he returned. "Belasco will no longer be able to leave Hell."
"Wait!" John cried out. "You're just gonna fly off?! As soon as you lift the freeze, the demons will tear us apart!"
"The rules do not allow me to interfere in mortal affairs."
"What about the demons?! What about the billions of demons constantly screwing up our lives with their tricks?! Aren't you supposed to stop that?!"
"Father instructed me to oversee only the worst of the worst," his voice was flat, like a machine. "There are no incidents in my Circle."
"But you're the big boss of this pit! Isn't it your job to control everyone?"
"The rules only permit me to leave my Circle in emergencies. I can influence the other Circles of Hell only through angels—who no longer exist."
A soft, sad blue light fell on the Cross of Zarathos clenched in John's hand.
[Tch. I was right. That fiery idiot Zarathos wiped out all the angels assigned to watch over Hell. With no moral compass, he could incinerate even pure beings over something dumb like 'stepped on a dog's tail three thousand years ago.' Suddenly it feels kinda gross carrying the power that created demons. But that just gave me an idea.]
"I'm proposing a deal."
"I do not make deals," Satan whispered.
"But if you wanted to… you could?"
"If it does not violate the Father's rules," Lucifer's light warmed with a flicker of interest.
"Turn all these demons back into their cocoons—like you did with Belasco. In return, I promise to get the angels back on the job."
"That is impossible," Lucifer's wings trembled. "Father forbade angels from entering Hell. Only my brothers and I were granted permission."
"Then have a little faith in me. I already found a loophole to summon you here. I'll find another one to bring the angels back."
Lucifer bathed him in cold, distrustful light without saying a word.
"Come on!" John raised his voice. "Zarathos broke the whole damn system down! Let me fix it!"
[I keep telling myself—he's responsible for Hell's functionality. He can't afford to pass this up. He has to believe in me.]
"You are not convincing me, mortal. But if you truly can restore order… I am obligated to give you a chance. Not for your sake. For the structure."
Thousands of icy feathers rose like snow in a hurricane. They fell from the sky, brushing against demons—each one purified them of corruption, sealing them once more in cocoons of sin.
The ice melted off John's body.
"Thank you," he said quietly, not hiding his trembling fingers.
He looked at Lucifer like one might look at a hurricane that, by some miracle, chose to pass by.
"I'll never forget the promise I made."
[That's not some pretty line for brownie points. I hate demons. I want this place fixed.]
"We'll see," the soft light whispered. "By the way… you're using my artifact wrong."
"What do you mean?" John glanced down at the Cross.
"I got the idea to freeze Hell from Zarathos," Lucifer said as he rose gracefully into the sky. "Revenge is a dish best served cold."
Satan vanished as suddenly as he had appeared. The icy wind faded, and Hell burned hot again.
[Damn. I forgot to ask if he's Damon's dad.]
All the demons were defeated, their spells dissipated. The crushing magical pressure lifted, and it was suddenly easier to breathe.
Lady Phoenix fell from the sky, her bone armor cracking open to reveal Mary. She was slowly regaining consciousness.
Without constant demonic assaults, Cain and Jane were rapidly regenerating.
John slowly walked toward Illyana. Her skin—now normal, soft pink—no longer radiated hellish heat. Her eyes darted, her lips muttered something in rapid Russian. But the fear was gone.
He took off his mask—slowly, almost like a bow. A silent message: I'm human. It's over.
A thumbs-up. Simple, stupid gesture.
But it worked. She laughed hoarsely—nervous, shaky, distorted—but it was still a laugh.
Cain looked around. Hell was quiet. Where demons had recently roared, now only cocoons remained, like they'd been dropped back onto a field of rot.
"What the hell just happened?" he ruffled his hair, shaking off lingering snowflakes. "Last thing I remember, I got steamrolled by a hellwave. After that—it's all a blur."
"We won," Jane said, removing her helmet. "But I honestly have no idea how that's even possible."
"My plan saved our souls again," John smirked. "Nothing new."
"Daaamn, man!" Juggernaut shouted. "How'd you pull that off? There were millions of those freaks!"
"Used one of my doomsday backup plans," Rider shrugged. He wasn't about to mention his meeting with Satan. "Stick with me—you'll live."
"Another day, I'd call you out for that brag," Thunderheart looked over the fallen enemies. "But today? You've earned yourself a song."
John smiled beneath the mask. Praise felt nice.
"What… what happened?" Mary opened her eyes and slowly propped herself up on her elbows. "I remember we were surrounded and then… then you killed me!"
"What?!" Jane tensed, lightning sparking in her eyes. "What did John do?"
"He snapped my neck!" the schoolgirl shrieked, clutching her throat dramatically. "Can you believe it?! With his bare hands! Crack! Crunch!"
"I had to awaken the Phoenix to save us," Rider said with a shrug. "It was the fastest way. Besides, I knew you'd come back."
"You could've at least warned me! Like, 'Hey Mary, I'm gonna kill you but no worries!' How hard is that?!"
John looked away. He knew it was brutal. But at the time, it had been the right call.
[If I'd tried explaining, we'd all be ash by now. No point in apologizing. She's alive. And we won.]
Jane's eyes darted between them. Her heart sided with Mary. Her mind—with John. Her hammer trembled in her grip from suppressed tension. She wasn't used to these kinds of moral compromises… and didn't know whose side to take.
Cain had no such dilemma.
"Dude!" Juggernaut crushed the Rider in a hug. "Ignore the girl whining. You dragged our asses outta a hellhole mess—that's what matters! You don't just have a brain, man. You got a gangster-brain with Wi-Fi access to success! You ain't a captain—you're a goddamn general. Don't let anyone trash-talk your winning plays, got it?"
"I'm not trash-talking," Mary sighed, folding her arms. "I get it, we didn't have time, we won, we're alive… but you could've given me a heads-up?"
"Exactly," Jane frowned. "I don't like that you keep everyone in the dark till the last second, John."
"I don't care!" Cain grinned. "Dude, as long as your gangster plans keep working, don't tell me squat. Just know—I got your back. Always."
"Thanks, bro."
John and Cain bumped fists.
"Speaking of success," Rider nudged an icy box with his boot, cracking it open. "Time to return the treasure to its rightful owner."
The M'Kraan crystal flew into Mary's hand.
"Wow," Lady Phoenix whispered. "So that's what this feels like."
"So, what now, boss?" Cain slung Illyana onto his shoulder. "We grab the kid and bounce outta this dump?"
"Not so fast, my friend." John pointed ahead. "We did say we'd check out the capital of Hell. Right now? Not a single demon left. No one's guarding the vault."
He took a step forward. Bits of snow still danced in the air.
"And by the way… the throne's empty."
/////
2500 words.
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