As Alex and Max stepped through the shimmering portal, they were immediately assaulted by the oppressive atmosphere of Hell. The air was thick with smoke, heavy and acrid, burning in their nostrils. The din of busy traffic and the chaotic bustle of a demonic city crashed over them. They found themselves in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, different demons and grotesque monsters pushing past them, heavily burdened and in a hurry, as they continued on their hurried way. The tall buildings that lined the streets were old and dilapidated, their stone facades crumbling, many of their windows shattered or entirely missing.
A few humans also walked among the throngs, smoking foul-smelling cigarettes and yelling curse words at each other. But unlike the humans on Earth, these figures looked profoundly unwell; their skin was sunken and almost translucent, their bodies skeletal, skin and bones barely clinging to their frames, clothes hanging in tattered strips. Their eyes held a profound sadness, a crushing tiredness, just... emptiness. It sent a shiver of revulsion down Alex's spine. He'd never been to Hell, but based on first impressions, he wouldn't be scheduling a return visit anytime soon.
"Hey, baby, looking for a good time?" A scratchy, feminine voice slithered through the smog. Alex turned his head to see a human woman, her white, almost translucent skin stretched taut over her bony body. A short, tight red dress clung to her, revealing too much. Her brown hair was a tangled mess, falling wildly around her face, and her makeup was smudged, emphasizing the haunted look in her eyes. He quickly shook his head, taking a small step back.
He didn't want to seem rude, but she reeked of stale liquor and cigarettes.
"Oh, come on, big boy, don't you want to be bad with me?" she purred, reaching a skeletal hand towards his arm.
Max, ever vigilant, slapped her hand away with a sharp crack. "He said NO, lady! Now get to stepping in the other direction! Thank you!" Max yelled, pointing down the sidewalk. She huffed indignantly, glaring at them, before marching off, muttering under her breath.
Max grabbed Alex's arm, pulling him along through the crowded sidewalk. "Come on, Ken," he whispered, steering them into a familiar, surprisingly mundane building. They took a seat at one of the tables "Of course they have a fucking McDonald's here," Max whispered, surveying the gloomy, dimly lit room. Humans and demons alike sat around, munching on their grease-covered food, a strange, universal comfort in chaos.
"Hey, thanks for the save back there, Maximus," Alex whispered back, a faint flush of embarrassment on his face that Max had witnessed his stunned state. "I was kind of too stunned to move."
Max turned his head, looking back at Alex with a small, knowing grin. "Listen, I may not be the biggest fan of you, but I don't want you to get herpes, okay?"
Alex couldn't help but laugh at Max's typical, dismissive comment. Of course, Max would play it off like it wasn't a big deal.
"So, what's the plan from here?" Max whispered, leaning closer so as not to draw unwanted attention.
"Well, I don't think either of us knows where to find Alistair, so we have to find that purple demon woman that took her," Alex said, vaguely remembering Jinx's distinctive appearance as she opened the portal to take Lily away.
Max nodded, running a finger through his white hair. Hunting down a specific demon in this chaotic city felt like finding a needle in a haystack.
"Okay, so do you know where to find her?" Max asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.
"No," Alex sighed, confirming Max's suspicions that he had no idea where the hell to start "Do you even know her name?" Max pressed, a hint of exasperation in his tone.
Hesitantly, Alex shook his head.
Max threw his hands up, then slouched back in his seat, rubbing his temples. "God, you're fucking hopeless, dude." Max figured he would have to be the one to step up and think of a plan. He stood up, looking around the grimy restaurant. Alex watched him curiously. What was this guy about to do now? he thought.
"Okay, okay, it's cool. I know what we have to do. I've seen it on TV," Max said, already starting to walk towards the biggest, most intimidating demon in the restaurant. Alex quickly grabbed his small arm. "What are you doing, Maximus?" Did the warlock have a death wish or something?
Max pulled his arm away, gesturing for Alex to lean closer. Alex complied. "We need to shake down the biggest person in this place to get info, and that ugly guy over there is our best option," Max whispered, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Alex pulled back, crossing his arms, looking down at Max's four-foot frame. He couldn't help but laugh softly to himself.
Max raised an eyebrow, his pout deepening. "What the hell are you laughing at? I may look like a kid, but I'm not, dude." Max crossed his arms, getting the distinct feeling Alex was underestimating just how powerful he was. He'd been training his magic for years. "I know that, Max, and you know that, but... if you try walking up to that guy thinking you can intimidate him, you'll get your short ass kicked in 2.5 seconds. Just follow my lead."
Alex made his way over to the enormous green demon who was biting into a burger, bits of greasy meat and bun flying off and dripping onto his tray.
Alex wasn't about to lie; he was intimidated. The demon's bulk alone was terrifying, but what other choice did he have? He had to get his girl back. They took a seat in front of the demon. He stopped chewing his burger, baring his yellow, jagged teeth at them. "What the fuck do you want?" Max looked out of the corner of his eye, ready to see what Alex would do. Alex swallowed hard, picking his next words carefully. "You know about a purple female demon bounty hunter around here?" the demon let out a deep, guttural laugh.
Some onlookers whispered amongst themselves, their attention drawn to the confrontation. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Why the hell would I give you any information?" Alex slammed his hand on the table, standing up, but it didn't affect the massive demon at all. "You'll tell me what I want to know!"
The demon slowly pushed back from the table, making Max stand up as well. "Or what, pretty boy?"
Alex was at a loss. He'd never physically hurt anyone before; it was against his code as an angel. He thought his intimidation tactics would work, but it seemed he was completely out of his depth here.
"Or fucking this... Bindtanium," Max said, holding his hand up to the demon, clenching it into a fist.
Suddenly, the demon let out a choked gasp, falling to the ground, gripping his throat, trying to pull away the crushing pressure on it, but it was no use.
"Enough with the games. Tell us where we can find the demon, now," Max snarled, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl, completely devoid of his usual playfulness.
Alex looked at him, surprised by the sheer ferocity in his small frame, his eyes wide. Max slightly loosened his grip, leaving the demon coughing and gasping for air on the ground.
He scrambled up, his eyes blazing with fury, throwing the table between them to the side, about to charge. Before the demon could get close, Max reapplied the tight grip on the demon's neck. It was so tight, tears streamed down the demon's face, making him fall to his knees once more. "I said, fucking NOW," Max reiterated, his voice a chilling whisper that promised more pain.
Alex shook Max's shoulder lightly. "That's enough, Max," he whispered.
Max shook his head, no, he wasn't about to let up his hold that easy.
"East... Hollow Street... co-r-ner of 463... she likes to hang... out at Nightingale's," the demon choked out the words, his face purpling. Max completely removed his grip. "We were never here, you understand?" Max said, his voice cold and flat. The demon nodded frantically, not looking tough or fearsome now, just desperate.
Max stepped over the demon's sprawling body, walking out the door. Alex quickly followed. One thing was for sure: Alex would never doubt Maximus's abilities again.
(Mia note: Maximus may look 8 but there's a reason why he's known for being most powerful warlock
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Miracle
Romance***** Lily has always been a clumsy unlucky person all her life tripping over chords bumping into walls where a normal occurrence for her in her verily normal life but a traffic light falling on her head, was a whole new level of unluckyness who kne...
