Baal wiped some tomato sauce off of his chin with a thick white napkin.
He then stabbed the chicken wing on his plate with his silver spoon and ripped a large piece of meat off of it. He bit into it and chewed quietly, savoring it deeply. It was tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, with a tad too much spice on it, but it was just the way he liked it. On the opposite side of the table stood his newest friend, Jesse “Egg Man” Robin. Jesse was very well-dressed on this fine evening, wearing a sharp red suit. The scar across his face was now adorned by several smaller cuts and tears, signs of his wounds from the last time he and Baal’s former friends crossed paths. His narrow nose seemed to twitch at every scent, and his eyes were wide open now. They seemed to always dash from side to side when talking, as if to check if anyone was near. His long thin fingers, two of them missing on his left hand, were constantly jittering, just like the rest of his body.
“See. I told you, the best chicken this side of town. I tell ya.” Jesse nodded.
“I agree.” Baal replied. “I like the potatoes too, very soft. The sauce could use some more pepper, but hey that’s just me.”
“Pepper, yes pepper. I can call them for some if you want. Hey, hey, pfieet.” He waved at the faraway waiter, giving him a quick whistle.
“No, no, it’s fine.” Baal protested, but the waiter was already there. He ran off to get what Jesse asked for and rapidly returned. Baal smiled and thanked him for it, and then he thanked his pal, putting some pepper on his meal. Once he finished the rest of it, he poured himself some more white wine and drank it all in one swing.
“I took care of Azazel the other day, I’m sure you heard the news on the radio while driving this morning.” Baal opened the subject, leaning back in his chair.
“Oh I heard. I heard. It’s unfortunate he had to go... that wolf kept the place going for a long time.” Jesse nodded, for a shorter duration this time.
“True, no one can deny that. But his no interference policies regarding humans just did not cut it anymore. In a way, thanks to the disaster at the auction we’ve managed to cut some of our losses back.”
“Losses? I don’t get it mate. You guys practically own two thirds of the city. Where are the problems at?”
“When in Rome, Egg Man. It’s our game, yes, but we have to accept the house’s rules. Killing off one or two nobodies, fine. Genocide, not so much. Swindle one or two hundred bucks by ‘unauthorized’ methods and all is well, but if one day a bank loses millions and suddenly you’re rich the next day, people will start batting their eyes at you.”
“I see that.” He replied, drinking from his wine glass. “But still…”
“Which… might I add. Is why things will not stay that way anymore. Not while I’m in charge.”
Jesse looked at him curiously, then leaned back. Baal’s friendly and calm eyes had a strange emptiness to them.
“You’re in charge? Not with Baphomet around.”
“Baphomet’s got hell to run, when the whole angel situation is resolved, he’ll go back to that shithole. But with Azazel gone no one’s there to hold his empire together on earth, except…”
“Belial.” Jesse finished for him, laughing at the sudden realization. “That’s why you needed the Baroness’ men?”
“You’re a smart guy, I knew we’d make good friends.” Baal said. “That’s why when our last deal went a little sour, I made sure to keep you alive instead of shooting you on the spot.”
“And I’m very grateful for that, as you saw, but you’re an opportunist. How do I know you’re not gonna sic ol’ Baphomet on my ass when we’re done with Belial? Blame it all on me? Besides, I’m still in hot water with the Baroness since that deal.” Jesse shook his head, sipping some more wine. “Where’s my insurance?”
“Baphomet himself is your insurance. It was Baphomet himself that gave me the chance. He’s not the only one that wants change around here.”
“Alright then. What’s your plan for Belial?”
“Belial is still recovering from that fateful bullet wound. He and some bodyguards are all at the office, most likely discussing the news of Azazel’s passing. We’re not getting a better opportunity anytime soon.” Baal said, getting up from his seat and throwing a few bills on the table.
“You want to go right now?”
“Right now. Do not refuse me Jesse, you still owe me for saving your life.”
“Heh…” Jesse snickered. “Alright Baal, consider this me paying my debt back in full. But let this be your funeral if you fail to take Belial out, understood?”
“Clear as a fishbowl.” Baal said with a nod.
“The car’s out in front, let me make a quick phone call.”
----------------------------------------
Constantine stared up at the sky. It was painted with many gray clouds and touches of white here and there, where the sun managed to shine brighter. He looked back down at his spear, memories of the auction still haunting him, pain still lingering in his left thigh. His mind was still on Mephistopheles’ plan. He was outraged at first, how could Mephisto ask of him to cooperate with the one whose actions lead to Nikolai’s death? But Evan talked him through it, he trusted Mephisto more than him, so Constantine decided to put aside his grief for now, in order to save Uriel from Katherine. He could not bear losing another friend so soon.
“Constantine.” Evan called out to him from inside the house. He turned towards his friend, getting up from the ground and walking inside.
“Where are they?”
“In the living room.”
Constantine stepped forward, his hand tightening around his lance, but Evan pushed him back, stopping him.
“Before you do anything stupid, remember, we don’t have any other choice. This ritual that Katherine wants to use Uriel for, It doesn’t sound like something pleasant, else I’m sure she wouldn’t have knocked me out and ran away with her. Please, do it for Uriel, we both promised to protect her. I know Wrath kidnapped Nikolai and worked for Azazel but please.”
“Evan, what the hell do you want from me?”
“Give me your spear.” He said defiantly. Constantine rolled his eyes, twisted the end of his spear, turning it back into a knife and handed it over to his friend.
“There, happy? I already agreed to this, you know. I wasn’t going to do anything...”
“Right, right… Just a fair warning, she’s creepy as shit, and uh… don’t call her a demon, she really does not like that.”
Constantine gave him a strange look as he walked away, making his way to the living room. There he found Mephisto sitting on the couch, and across from him in the armchair was the one named Wrath. Constantine was taken aback by her appearance. If it wasn’t for Wrath’s golden eyes, he thought it was just an ordinary girl. She had short red hair, a beautiful young face, slim waist, large boots with metal plates on them and a simple black leather jacket covering her upper body. Constantine gulped as he sat down next to Mephisto.
“Hello.” He muttered after a brief moment towards the newcomer.
“Damn.” Wrath said, laughing and heaving deeply afterwards. “This one, whoa, this one would jump from that couch and choke me barehanded if he could. All this hate, all this anger. I’m trembling already.” She snickered.
Constantine leaned back. He looked at Mephisto who nodded and tilted his head forward.
“Look...” Constantine sighed. “I don’t like you, in fact, I hate you. You’re right, I’d take great pleasure in seeing you dead in a ditch, but I care more about saving my friend than fighting you. Since you’re here, it seems you’re willing to help us, I too am willing to not ‘jump on you and choke you barehanded’.”
“Your friend was the one with the scars right? What happened to her at the auction?”
“She died. Azazel shot her in the back.” Mephistopheles answered when Constantine hesitated.
Wrath turned away, and Constantine believed he saw something in her eyes, but when she turned back to him he cast away the thought, thinking it was only his imagination.
“So the angel… Any idea where Katherine may take her? Someplace I can start?”
“No Wrath, that’s why we need you.” Mephistopheles responded.
“Great… Well by the looks of it the sun’s gonna be out for another few hours. I can’t do much until it's night time.”
“Oh.” Evan exclaimed, standing in the doorway. “So that’s why you don’t have your horns and wings?”
Wrath turned to him, surprised. Then she smiled and began laughing.
“Yes dear, my powers arise in the dark and in the shadows. The night reveals my true colors.”
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Katherine walked up ahead of her, carrying Uriel over her shoulder. She stopped and looked up at the sky as a flock of blackbirds flew in the opposite direction overhead.
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“We’ll stop here for now.” Katherine said, standing near the center of a large stone plaza, surrounded by the numerous trees of the thick forest they just passed through. In the middle of the plaza was a cement platform a level up, about the size of a large garden. It was beautifully polished compared to the rest of the clearing, and in the dead center of it all, was a square pedestal. It was relatively tall, with a set of long stairs leading towards it from all sides. Yet on the pedestal itself was nothing but a sheet of silver carefully embedded into the stone.
“Why? It's barely mid-day yet.” Nikolai protested, inspecting the area, her face showing disgust at the state of the rocks and the idea of having to sit on them.
“Well frankly…” Katherine said, wiping some dirt off of a staircase and sitting on it, gently placing Uriel’s unconscious body in front of her and her halberd beside the angel. “We’re here, now we just have to wait.”
“For what exactly? What is this place?” Nikolai irritatedly asked. She crossed her arms and began walking slowly back and forth. She was wearing a long black robe taken from the church, although she strongly refused the possibility of wearing someone else’s clothes at first. But she eventually agreed at Katherine’s insistence and put it on, tearing off the left sleeve so the rest wouldn't catch on fire.
“Nikolai.” Katherine asked after a moment. “You know you’re gonna need to learn to control that power of yours, right?”
Nikolai was quiet.
“Show me what you can do with it.”
“I remember, you did not want to train me… back at your house. What changed?”
“Well, I had no reason to train you back then.” Katherine tilted her head, eyes fixed on Nikolai who was turned away from her.
“Oh so you just saw I’m half on fire now constantly and just want to ‘teach’ me is that it? Just want to use me, is that it?” She snapped, her flaming hand outstretched towards Katherine.
“I just mean to help you control it, or else you’re going to burn your clothes for a long time. Do you intend to hurt me or something? Go ahead. Do it. And when I’m done with you, you’ll be begging me to kill you and send you back into that abyss.” Katherine said, with an icy calm that made Nikolai take a step back.
“Truth be told… I’m just scared of using it. It’s terrifying to almost burn alive and then be afraid of fire all your life only to suddenly wake up and permanently be on fire.”
“Well look on the bright side, you only almost burned alive. I burned alive all the way.” Katherine chuckled, but Nikolai only looked at her with strange distant eyes. “Come on.” She coughed. “Show me what you can do, this area’s pretty big, just try not to burn any trees or something.”
“Fine.” Nikolai sighed. “But you still haven’t told me what this place is, or why we’re here.” She stretched her arm sideways and flung it upwards, as a torrent of fire exploded wildly into the sky but fell back down and faded quickly
“All in due time… Hmm, show me your hand.” Katherine asked. Nikolai obliged, opening her left palm. Her scars were flowing like a blazing bloodied river across her arm.
“You have no problems with heat, no? I’d presume not. Try and see how high of a temperature you take your fire in just one finger.”
Nikolai curiously looked at Katherine and then at her index finger. She concentrated, breathing softly as all the fire gathered in her finger. Heat was emanating from her red-hot finger as she raised her hand into the air. But before she could gather it to her full strength, a painful memory flashed before her closed eyes and Nikolai released it. A bolt of fire shot higher than her previous one into the sky, much denser and hotter, but still dissipated quickly afterwards.
“Better I guess. Seems like you need to work on your control. You’re just releasing it wildly around, and that will only get you so far.”
Nikolai was panting heavily on her knees, barely listening to what Katherine was blabbering on about. That face she saw earlier, why then, why him specifically? A shiver ran through her.
“Enough for today.” She stated, getting up and walking away a small distance.
“Whatever you say…” Katherine agreed while looking up at the clouds. The sun would be setting in a few hours.
You’ll get plenty of practice… sooner than later. The Huntress smiled sadly to herself.
----------------------------------------
Baal rested his back against the wall next to the massive wooden doors, gun in hand, bullet-proof vest on his chest and Jesse across from him, similarly dressed. He nodded. A man in police gear stormed through, kicking down the doors. The sound of gunfire exploded inside the building, and more soldiers ran inside, followed by Baal and Jesse. Bullets flew through the air into those that jumped up with their own weapons and fought back, black and red blood spattered the parchet floor of the complex. Those that surrendered were spared. Those that fought back, and those known to be loyal to Azazel were all brutally mowed down. Up the floors the squad went littering the building with hundreds of bullet-filled corpses, until they reached the top.
The soldier who kicked down the door earlier signaled for another to place weak explosives on the locked door at the top of the building, the one that led to Azazel’s prized restaurant. When they went off, the soldiers poured inside, killing those that tried to fight back. All except one.
When the smoke cleared, only Belial stood slumped in a chair, still alive, but bleeding profusely from his shoulder. Baal looked around the room. Only two soldiers died, less than he expected. He stepped over the body of Charlie. He knew Charlie, the two of them used to have alternating shifts as bodyguards. He did not spare him a thought until he walked up to Belial, pulling a chair to sit on.
“Damn shame.” He began, still looking at Charlie’s body. “Kid barely came here a month ago, even Mephistopheles was older than ‘im. Go check throughout the building, any stragglers are killed on sight, those that wanna join us are sent to the third sector, go.” He barked at the soldiers and Jesse alike.
“Mephistopheles, eh?” Belial asked, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. “I rememba’ him, well. I taught him ‘ow to ‘old and shoot a gun… ‘ow to wield a knife. Even with his betrayal, Baal, he was more loyal den a rancid mutt like you eva’ was. Quit de chatting, I’m sure you’re not here to talk about him, no? Just do me in and let me sleep back in dat hole of ours.”
“Doesn’t have to be like that Belial, that’s a shallow wound, not deadly. Forget Azazel, follow me now. Let’s rule over these peasant humans in a way Azazel never dreamed of.”
“You’re gonna rule? Or you just gonna be Baphomet’s bitch?” Belial asked, spitting blood away to his right. “What about Charlie, eh? Why didn’t he get t’choose?”
“Charlie couldn’t have been of any use to me, now tell me Belial. Me, or Azazel.” He pulled out his gun and slowly pointed it towards Belial, a clear shot to his head. “Stop wasting our time, and choose your end.”
“Heh, Baal, you remember what we are? We’re demons.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Den you know what I chose. Azazel was an idiot, but fuck me if I’d not ratha’ die following him a hundred times den listen to any order barked from dat cunt in your face. We’ll meet in hell, eventually, you traitorous sack of sh-” He lunged, intent on swiping at Baal with his cane, but he was nowhere near fast enough. The sound of gunfire came first.
Twoom
“Didn’t have to be like that.” Baal said, disappointed. Blackness crawled from the shadows around him, a figure rising out of them, barely out of sight to his left. “It is done.” He said without turning his head.
“Good.” Baphomet whispered quietly.
“All things should be settled in a day or two. After that it will be like Azazel was not even here.”
“There’s no time.” Baphomet continued, almost distressed.
“Lord Baphomet, what happened?”
“The angel, we found her. Take all the men you have available, even those you captured tonight.”
“For one angel?” Baal asked, finally turning to his master.
“I can not let her escape again. This should have not taken as long as it has, but so far, Azazel and Mephisto have been nothing but failures. I’d rather not take any chances. Kill the Huntress.”
“As you wish, My lord.” Baal nodded, and walked away, as Baphomet melted into a puddle of black mist.
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Wrath was outside, sitting on the ground looking up towards the sky with her eyes closed. Around her, waiting, stood Mephisto, Evan, and Constantine. The sun had just set, and a purplish hue painted behind the now fading clouds. Evan let out an audible hiccup when he saw Wrath’s horns and wings fade back into existence. Black energy swarmed violently around her forearms, and yet her body was completely still.
“How much longer?” Evan asked after fifteen minutes. “Uriel has been gone for a week, we don’t have the luxury of time anymore.”
“If Katherine did the ritual, we would know. Just… give her some time.” Mephistopheles pleaded. A moment later Wrath opened her eyes, now two golden pearls, shining in the night.
“Found her.” She said, her twin swords materializing from her elbows. “We’d best get going, it’s a long way off.”
Mephisto and Evan both walked besides her into the house, only Constantine lingered briefly. He looked up at the sky, now a starless black void looking down on the earth.
So strange. No moon tonight.
----------------------------------------
Uriel’s eyes opened and her consciousness pulled itself back into her body. Where was she? What had happened? It was as if she had slept for ages. She tried to stand, and winced back down in pain. Her arms and legs were bound. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her. A figure stood before her, and one she did not recognize farther back.
Katherine?
“Uriel.” Katherine said solemnly. “It is time.”
“W-wha-” The angel quietly began. The huntress however, ignored her, picking up her weak body and carrying her up a set of stairs. “What are you doing? Let me go! Let go, you… you… WHORE!” She screamed and thrashed about, but to no avail. Katherine took her and limb by limb, strapped her onto the object in the middle of the clearing. Uriel could not tell what she was bound to, but she was hanging in the air by her hands and feet.
Why, why are you doing this to me?
Katherine walked away as the other person came forward. She kneeled in front of Uriel and picked up two objects.
“W-who are you? Please, don’t do this. Please, I beg you!” Uriel said through her tears.
“Nikolai…” Katherine began.
Uriel looked up towards Katherine, her white eyes drowning in terror.
“N-Nikolai? But, why? WHY?” She screamed, looking at Katherine and then down at the woman before her. It was Nikolai, just as she remembered. But her expression was different, nothing but fear, nothing but despair lay within her eyes, drowned by the fires that were flaming from her scars. Nothing from what she saw her friend Nikolai remained in the eyes before her.
“...Crucify her.” Fell Katherine’s voice.
Uriel stared in shock as Nikolai opened her palm, and placed the tip of the nail on her skin. Uriel looked up at the sky through teary eyes, the moon in which she put all her hopes and desires had abandoned her. The black sky was all that stared back at her.
“Uriel... Such a beautiful name…” Nikolai whispered quietly. A single crystal tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m sorry.”
Thunk
Echoed the sickening sound throughout the empty clearing as the rusty nail pierced the palm of her hand.
Thunk
The wooden hammer crashed down, driving it deeper, as her fingers twitched in scream-less pain and blood began trickling over her skin.
Thunk
The nail sunk deeper and deeper, until it was firmly embedded in the putrid wooden cross behind her.
Thunk
One final hit... for good measure.