Post by Bene Elohim on Feb 8, 2024 14:18:51 GMT -8
~{
The Compound
{CITY REDACTED}, New York
9/23/2019
}~
The Compound
{CITY REDACTED}, New York
9/23/2019
}~
Johnny looks out at his Hoodie Ninjas and seems to be counting. He finally stops and scratches his head before starting over. The Hoodie Ninjas were the army of men in hoodies and facemasks who carried out every whim of Johnny Blank for reasons that have never been adequately explained to the public, but currently, Johnny looked puzzled. The Ninjas had alerted him that guests had arrived, but as he came out to greet them, he just found… well, there were more Hoodie Ninjas than usual.
Johnny Blank: “Uh… hey honey? Did you get any ninjas of your own?”
Overhearing Johnny’s question, the lovely Chelsea Pryce steps out of the Compound with her three-year-old son on her shoulders.
Chelsea Pryce: “Johnny, dear, ninjas are your thing…”
She looks up and sees the source of confusion. Cole is fascinated by the number of people.
Cole Pryce: “Ohhh…”
At first, Chelsea tries to count using mental math, but she quickly stops and begins to count out loud.
Chelsea: “One, two, three, four, five…”
She doesn’t stop until she’s reached the end of the count.
Chelsea: “...There are two extras.”
Johnny scratches his head in confusion before having a bright idea.
Johnny: “Okay! If you aren’t a Hoodie Ninja, please raise your hands. I promise I won’t be mad or anything. Just pop a hand up.”
Johnny waits a few moments. Nothing happens. He turns and looks at Chelsea then back at the crowd on Ninjas. That’s when he realizes that whoever is in this crowd doesn't take orders from him. The Hoodie Ninjas DO, however.
Johnny: “All Hoodie Ninjas sit down on the floor.”
Sure enough, all of the hooded men except for two of them sit down. The two left standing wore metallic black masks instead of the signature Hoodie Ninjas face wrap and they wore actual cloaks instead of hoodies. It was hard to tell in the crowd.
Lucifer’s Demons.
From his mother’s shoulders, Cole excitedly claps his hands.
Cole Pryce: “This is a fun game!”
But it’s not a game. Not really anyway. Looking at the two standing up, Chelsea narrows her eyes. She remembers the phone call on September 19th from Zachary Sears, one of the Children of Nephilim.
Chelsea Pryce: “Demons will be arriving within the week to escort you to a ‘secure location’. You need to make sure you’re ready.”
She recites Zachary’s words out loud, then she slowly crouches down. Right on cue, Cole carefully climbs down from her shoulders. She stays crouched so she can see her son eye-to-eye.
Chelsea Pryce: “Alright, little cowboy… It’s time to go to our new home.”
Johnny Blank: “Ninjas, load up our bags.”
It takes a moment, especially the belt-positioning booster seat with a lap-and-shoulder belt, but everything is loaded up. Cole is nicely secured behind the passenger’s seat, Johnny is seated behind the driver, and Chelsea is comfortable in the middle seat. When Cole asks his mother if his daddy was going with them, it was hard to tell him the truth… but she did. Unless they were traveling for work, it was going to be some time before he would see Murdock again.
Cole has to be brave. They’re going to Hell.
~{
The Martin & Maricela Residence
Malibu, California
09/23/19
}~
The Martin & Maricela Residence
Malibu, California
09/23/19
}~
It’s too quiet in the vehicle.
No radio to play any music on the road.
No words from the Demons, not even from the driver with his steel mask off.
It’s rather unsettling. Maricela Reyes doesn’t know what to make of it. Zachary’s words repeat in her mind from time to time.
“Vhatever you leave behind, make sure is not something you need, ja?”
The stressfulness of packing bags, making sure they have only what they need, and the anticipation of waiting for the Demons to arrive at any second… and now they were here. En route to the new Hell, a place they’ve never been to, let alone seen. She sits behind the driver, her hands at her sides, her blue wired earbuds casually hanging around her neck. She looks to her right, at her fiancé Martin West, and takes a moment to simply read him.
He’s already reading her, though. As if he senses her unease at the quiet she feels his hand settle into hers, lacing their fingers together, but the way he looks out the window in deep thought… she knew he had a million thoughts racing through his mind.
And she knew that chief among them was the desire to see his daughter again. Martin turns and notices Mari’s eyes on him.
Martin West: “You okay, hun?”
Maricela Reyes: “I’m… as okay as I’ll be.”
She feigns a smile for him. Deep down, she understands why Martin is doing this. For anyone, it’s Pénélope. He hasn’t seen her since before the destruction of Xaria Linette’s estate. It’s been over a month since a father has seen his little girl… and she knows that’s been weighing on his shoulders.
Maricela Reyes: “...This has been so hard on you, Padre.”
Martin West: “What it’s done to me hardly matters. I need to know my little girl is safe, and once I know that, I’m going to do everything to keep her that way. That’s it.”
Martin squeezes Maricela’s hand reassuringly and offers her a smile this time.
Martin West: “I want both of my girls safe and happy.”
A soft red hue surfaces on her tan-colored cheeks. She squeezes his hand in return and offers him a smile.
Maricela Reyes: “Padre… what it does to you matters to me. Te amo.”
Leaning over, she softly kisses him. The Demons in front have no response to any of this. When the kiss is broken, the Latina Artist looks over to the Demon on the passenger’s side.
Maricela Reyes: “Dios mio, I wish you could tell us something, anything…”
Still no response. Pressing her lips together, Maricela contemplates how to approach the silence…
Maricela Reyes: “Is Penny alright?”
She’s literally asking the Demon a yes-or-no question as if it was a magic 8-ball.
Martin West: “Is it hot under that mask? Do you take it off to eat? Do you sleep in it? Do you guys date? If so, do you each have individual Tinder accounts or just one under the name ‘Faceless Demon: interests include long walks on the River Styx, not responding to anyone or anything, and serving our Dark Lord.’”
Martin isn't expecting a response. Moreso he is attempting to get a rise out of Mari. And oh, does he succeed. Initially, she glares at him for a few seconds before she laughs a little. Since the Demon can’t directly look at Martin, they look at him through the right-view mirror. There’s no telling the expression with the steel mask on. Then slowly, they turn to look at Maricela.
To their surprise, the Demon offers a single nod to her initial question.
A soft, wordless gasp escapes Maricela. There are no words, just a nod, but that’s all she really needs to know. She may not be Penny’s mother, but she cares a great deal for the four-year-old daughter of her fiancé. In fact, when she and Martin are married, she’ll legally become her step-mother. With a hopeful smile, Maricela bows her head.
Maricela Reyes: “Thank you…”
Martin nods his thanks to the Demon who doesn’t acknowledge him. Penny was safe.
And like he said, he was gonna make sure she stayed that way. He leans over and rests his head on Mari’s shoulder, finally feeling like he can actually relax for a moment. Maricela takes her earbuds and places one in her beloved’s ear, then another in her own ear. Starting up Spotify on her phone, she selects a relaxing playlist for them to listen to in peace.
~{
Lucifer’s Hell
Unknown Location
09/24/19
}~
Lucifer’s Hell
Unknown Location
09/24/19
}~
When the pair of nondescript black vehicles pull up and the Demons emerge to open the doors for the passengers, Johnny Blank is the first to step out, taking a look at the enormous walls of the facility.
Johnny Blank: “Huh. We trying to Make Hell Great Again or what?”
The joke gets the expected reaction from the Demons who set his luggage bag in front of him. Despite the fact that he has raised his hand in anticipation of a high five, they do not acknowledge his existence. The second one to step out is the Pastor himself.
Martin West: “Hi there, Johnathan.”
Johnny Blank: “Hey, Marty.”
Martin West: “You know I don’t like being called Marty.”
Johnny Blank: “Is it as much as I dislike being called ‘Johnathan’?”
Martin West: “Fair point. Need a hand with anything?”
Johnny Blank: “Nah, the ‘Super Happy Fun Squad’ seems to have it under control.”
The first lady to exit their vehicle is Maricela, watching the four Demons gather everything. With her small backpack in tow, she walks over and stands next to Martin.
Maricela Reyes: “I wonder what’s beyond the wall…?”
Finally, Chelsea steps out of the other vehicle, taking her time to unfasten Cole from his booster seat. After she gently lets him down on the floor, she retrieves the seat itself and closes the door. Cole runs over to Johnny, but he looks up to Martin and Maricela.
Cole Pryce: “Hi?”
Maricela Reyes: “Hola.”
The Latina Artist crouches down and offers the three-year-old a friendly smile. Chelsea makes her way over to them and glances back at the wooden walls.
Chelsea Pryce: “And here I thought Hell was going to be fire and brimstone…”
She hands the booster seat to Johnny, then she gently takes her son’s hand in hers.
Johnny Blank: “Right, so, uh...are we supposed to be meeting someone here? Is someone coming out to execute us? Someone’s probably coming out to execute us. Johnny, this is why you never get into the nondescript black vehicles with the hooded masked men aaaaaaaand they’re gone. Rad. I’ll miss them. I named them Otis and Glart.”
Sure enough, the four Demons have left.
Martin West: “...Glart?”
Johnny Blank: “Short for Glartholemew.”
Martin West: “Why did I even ask?”
Shaking her head, Maricela looks at her fiancé.
Maricela Reyes: “Never ask Johnny follow-up questions, mi Amor…”
She looks towards the wooden wall and takes a deep breath. Her anxiety has resurfaced, yet a part of her is curious... and then it happens. Directly in front of the pair, the wall seems to part and slowly swing out with a gentle creaking of the newly-placed wood.
Little by little, the area beyond the wall comes into view between the pieces of wood. The grass is green and lush. Beautiful beyond the meaning of the word and a large two-story house stands two hundred yards beyond the gate.
In the center of the opening gate walking toward the group are the owners of the compound. The Children of Nephilim with Lord Lucifer walking at their lead. Xaria Linette walks behind Lucifer, a half a step behind him with the other Angels falling in behind her, creating a triangle with Ashley Kenyon, Maiko Adachi, Zachary Sears, and Aerynn Maguire making up the line at the back.
In a crescent moon formation walks two dozen men and women of all ages. They all wear the same prison-style jumpsuit and sport the same prison-style buzz cut.
The Demons without their robes, hoods, and masks.
Johnny Blank: “I still say execution.”
Lord Lucifer: “You would already be in an unmarked grave.”
The God of the Children says firmly as they near. When the group stops, Lucifer glances behind him and motions with just a faint movement of his head.
Lord Lucifer: “Take their belongings.”
Demons: “Thy Will Be Done.”
The visiting group, which has never heard the Demons so much as speak a single word, finally hear them speak and in full military unison. Lucifer looks at each of them in turn until his eyes fall on the boy.
Lord Lucifer: “Harbinger. Please show the young Lord where the Twins and Penny can be found. So they might become acquainted while we get everyone up to speed.”
When Martin and Johnny lift their heads at the mention of their children, Lucifer softly shakes his head.
Lord Lucifer: “Time has been set aside shortly for you and your significant others to see the young ones. For now? Follow me.”
Almost as if on command, when Lucifer turns, the Angels and Demons left behind him split into two groups, allowing Lucifer to pass between them. Once Martin, Chelsea, Maricela, and Johnny follow, the Angels close and follow behind them, passing between the two lines of Demons that close in when they pass, pulling up the rear.
While they move, Xaria looks to Chelsea’s son and smiles.
Xaria Linette: “Come and meet my kids, little one.”
When Cole looks up to his mother, she nods.
Chelsea Pryce: “Go ahead, little cowboy.”
The mothers nod to one another, then Xaria peels off with Cole and heads off toward a small thicket of trees where the sounds of boys and a girl laughing can be heard. The group continues on towards the large house.
As it turns out, Hell is quite beautiful. Trees of all types and bushes fill the area. They would notice another large building across from the house, but it looked more like a barracks than an actual house.
The home of the Demons.
They do not, however, veer towards that. The demons separate themselves, but the others all climb the stairs of an elegant ranch-style house and across the porch. The inside of the house has a small hall with doors on both sides and a set of stairs leading up to the second floor just inside the door.
They continue deeper into the house past the stairs. As the stairs reach their highest point and turn to the left heading high, the base holds a small hidden door that when pushed reveals a doorway leading below ground.
The stairs leading down are wide enough to take them two at a time with Lucifer walking alone at the head. After ten feet, they turn sharply right around a corner and down another ten feet before opening into a huge basement-like bunker.
As they cross the threshold, a man sitting on the right side of the room turns around in his swivel chair away from a wall of computer monitors he has been looking at. He is of middle years with blonde hair and a bit of a portly appearance.
Lord Lucifer: “Martin, Chelsea, Johnny, Mari? This is Alistair. If you have any technical questions or need anything to do with computers, security systems, cameras, light grids? He’s your man. He’ll be providing you with a new cell phone tonight. You are free to use your old phones for personal business, but do not discuss anything to do with us or what we are doing on anything but the new phones he gives you. Even to each other. They have built-in safeguards.”
Again, he motions for them to follow him and leads them past the nodding Alistair, who swivels back around and the sound of keys on a keyboard clacking return to the room. Lucifer leads them through the door and opens a set of double mahogany doors.
Before them is a huge wooden table with the same symbol on Lucifer’s ring gear carved into the tabletop. As if it were the Devil’s sigil. On a wall behind the table is a huge board filled with pictures, some crossed out and others X’d out.
While the two pairs take in this room and all that is inside, those behind them file around them and take their places around the table. Ramiel, Ananiel, and Aniel on the left side of the table with the beautiful Sariel on the extreme right corner. The position across from Sariel is empty with Ashley, Maiko, Aerynn, and Zachary standing on the other side. The far opposite side is now vacant for the two pairs.
Lord Lucifer: “This…is who tried to end your children.”
Lucifer brings them around the table and to the board, driving a closed fist to the side into two pictures. The first a man of perhaps forty, though active for his age, and the other a man of twenty-five, perhaps a little younger.
Lord Lucifer: “Valdemar Johansen. Anthony Crawford.”
Maricela Reyes: “¿Quienes son?”
Martin West: “Why do they want to hurt my daughter?!”
Lucifer turns to face the pair and crosses his arms over his chest.
Lord Lucifer: “About a year ago, one of my children was abducted by men who I was forced by the Resistance to free. They did unspeakable, horrible things to her. Five of them.”
Behind the group comes a faint little whimper and the blue-haired Maiko sinks further into Ashley’s side. Kenyon wraps her arms protectively around the woman as if shielding her, or trying to.
Lord Lucifer: “It was this event that once again awakened me. And for her? For justice, I recruited new Children to replace the ones I had lost.”
Johnny Blank: “What does this have to do with our kids?!”
There is a hint spoken here that is leading the two fathers to a conclusion that neither of them are at all comfortable with.
Ashley Kenyon: “He’ll tell you if you shut the fuck up.”
Lucifer shoots her a warning glance, and her angry gaze meets his own. She doesn’t like him forcing Maiko to relive what those scumbags did to her. Lucifer glances back at the four and lays a finger on Valdemar’s photo.
Lord Lucifer: “Valdemar Johansen was my first Demon. Been with me for ten years. He and his wife were addicts. Addicts who sold their daughter for a fix. So I took them both and did to them what I did to all the Sinners for years. Tortured them for their sins. I have since come to see that this is not the way it should be…
But Valdemar was a true believer. He believed he deserved it. That his wife deserved to perish under our knives. That it was not only justified but obligatory. So when the order came down that we were adopting a new way? A better way? He rebelled.
He took secrets known only to the upper ecelean of the Children, including bank accounts, and began recruiting a new Hell. A new Hell under a new ruler.”
Sariel: “Him.”
Chelsea Pryce: “What about…him?”
She moves around the group and stares up at the face of Anthony Crawford. Lucifer purses his lips for a moment before answering.
Lord Lucifer: “Anthony Crawford. Also called Sathanas. My first Angel. Exiled before even Valdemar was subdued to pay for his sins for killing an innocent couple for his own means and passing it off as righteous judgment.
Valdemar found him in a prison in Mexico if my information is correct. He is the only reason Valdemar has gotten this far. Sathanas is the single most dangerous man on this planet. Ruthless, without conscience or remorse, and trained in god only knows how many different styles of modern combat.”
Lucifer turns his attention from Chelsea to the two men and opens his hands to the boards.
Lord Lucifer: “They want to recreate what I was doing before and spread it to a wider arena than I ever did. I took a couple of dozen a year; they do that in a month. We stand in their way of implementing this new order that Valdemar wants. The bombing was meant for us. To get us out of Lord Apollyon’s, as he calls himself, way.”
Martin West: “And if the children died?”
Zachary Sears: “Then zhey died. Collateral damage. Do you see now vhy I made ze deal?”
Ashley Kenyon: “We are all that stand between these mad man and everyone else.”
Lord Lucifer: “These men mean business. They take lives. I’ve already lost one and I think he may have been the one who killed Markus Rael. They won’t hesitate to do it to you.”
The second she hears his name, Maricela's body language immediately tenses up.
Maricela Reyes: “MARKUS?!”
Lucifer nods softly and lays a gentle hand on Anthony’s picture.
Lord Lucifer: “I think Sathanas did it to find where people were holding Melissa Reed. Wrong place, wrong time.”
She can't believe it. The murderer of her best friend's boyfriend is Anthony, Lucifer's first Angel.
...and if Danni finds out…
Mari falls quiet, while Lucifer looks back at the two men.
Lord Lucifer: “So. Are you in?”
Martin and Johnny look over at their significant others. Mari and Chelsea look back to them and nod.
Martin West: “I’m in.”
Johnny Blank: “In.”
And then the two men, a former Catholic priest, and a man who has been running from his own Devil his whole life, look back at Lucifer. One by one extend their hands and take Lucifer’s hand.
They've made their own deal with the Devil.
Come what may.
