Death's Bitter Embrace (#Wattys2015)

Act II, Chapter XXIII, Final Chapter: Finest Hour

This made no sense, how were Alex and Cal here? I killed them, how were they even alive? I should have recognised her eyes, I could recognise them anywhere at anytime but not here and now, why? Questions racing through my mind close to a billion miles per minute.

    Lucifer smirks and says just one simple sentence to send shivers down my spine and send me into a cold sweat frenzy. "Dante, do you like me pets?" The Devil said, his tone unclear but demonic nonetheless.

"You see, you didn't kill Alex and Cal hence why the lie detector said you didn't, I bro-" I forced myself into his monologue, "Cue the monologue" I say sarcastically, I have to listen to his rambling—although it would give me more than enough time to plan how this would work.

"Do not cut me off you fool!" He shrieks at me, his face turning as black as midnight. "As I was saying before you foolishly cut me off, I brought to life all your fears, and your fear was to lose those you love dear, Alex and Cal. You are a strong fighter Dante, but, you get distracted by desire and your emotions, you killed Rory as soon as you started water boarding him, but your desire to torture him even more made you blind, made you weak." He pauses for a short amount of time, catching his breath.

"Alex and Cal dragged him to a bush and burnt him, you could not see that you killed him, your desires were too strong. Alex and Cal however are stronger than you, not blinded by any desire or emotion, when they want something done, they do it without emotion." He pauses for the second time.

    I clutch Angel ready to strike Lucifer, it was now or never, I would kill him now, or, I would die trying. This was the same circumstance 18 years ago when my father fought the Devil, each having completely different reasons, but with the same goal in mind; to kill Lucifer and destroy his legacy.

"So, you're here to bring my legacy to an end? You're here to make my empire crumble to the ground? I will make you a deal; if you succeed, my dying breath shall release all who I have killed and destroyed, including Heather and Raven. If you fail, you die and I keep my legacy...and Alex and Cal. Sound fair?" He says, proposing the deal.

    It wasn't the killing that made him good at what he did, it was the manipulation. He manipulated my fears to make me think I was killing Alex and Cal, but I had killed two of his many many millions of minions.

    Raven? He would bring back Raven, I needed to win this, I needed kill him; to get Raven back, Alex, Cal and Heather, not that I still loved Heather but it would be right to set her free from the Devil's grasp.

"Bring it!" I scream—much like a battle cry, I wanted this more than ever, Lucifer had said desire makes me blind, perhaps he's right, but it also makes us strong, striving toward a goal instead of aimlessly wandering about waiting to die.

    The Devil clicks his fingers twice and Alex and Cal start walking slowly towards me, their faces turned from mindless 'pets' as Lucifer put it, to crazed psychopaths, walking slow with their weapons in hands, Alex had her metal poles, and Cal had nothing, he had his fists.

    I put down Angel so it could be a somewhat fair fight, I'd have to fight with only my bare hands, and my wits, what's left of them anyway, the insanity and desire ruling over my whole world. I wasn't a normal 18 year old kid, I was flexible and have been practicing karate, jujitsu and backflips for years now, it would help me with the finale.

    As Cal goes to jab me in the throat—everyone's weakness—I counter by weaving underneath his arm and kicking his shin, making him collapse to the ground with a shrill cry of pain, Alex then goes to roundhouse kick me to the head but I duck under the way and sweep her leg out from underneath her. This left Lucifer for a short while, enough time to hurt him unguarded.

    I pick Angel up again and aggrandize her, making her longer and thinner, instead of a scythe, she was now a staff, much like how a caterpillar turned to a butterfly, each of the creatures beautiful in their own way.

    To make it fair Lucifer had created a ring of pure blue flames around the two of us, Cal and Alex couldn't interrupt this monumental fight, it was just the Devil and I fighting for goals—although seperate goals—I wasn't going to be naïve as anything could happen, but I had confidence.

    He clutched at his weapons and swung them around, two small chainsaws with a thick metal chain linking them, he had changed them from what my father had explained, my father could not win the battle against Lucifer, but I would be the one to send him to his demise, he was well overdue for a visit from Death.

    He swings his weapon around over and over, almost like he was taunting me, teasing me. He swung one end at me with all his force that I almost didn't have enough time to react to it. I parry, wrapping the chain around my arm and pulling him towards me, throwing him over my shoulder.

    I was to be careful of the chainsaws or else there would be deadly repercussions, I stick Angel's blade close to his throat and give him a charismatic smirk, he smiled back, this smile took a turn for the demonic side when he grabbed the blade and threw me across the floor, the flames so close it started to singe my skin, I quickly moved as I needed my strength for the fight.

    I get up and pole vault across the room kicking Lucifer in the chest, he wasn't too impressed as I dirtied his suit—I didn't care. I bury Angel deep into the brick so I can use her for leverage, kicking Lucifer in the chest and face multiple times over a ten minute time period was actually fun, I obviously had the upper edge as he couldn't land a punch or kick on me.

    As I sweep his leg from underneath him for the third time making him crumble—just what I intended to do—I push Angel's thin, sharp, jagged blade into his throat, almost destroying his larynx and crushing his wind pipes, he says something...or struggles to anyway.

"Hold on lets make another deal" he says, his tone filled with remorse that he ever took in Dante Quill.

"No more deals, release my friends and family!" I say, I have had enough of his pathetic shit. He claps his hands twice and then says the same words.

"Hold on, let's make another-" I interject, "No more deals" I say as I pierce his throat with Angel's blade, instantly crushing his capability to breathe, I then push the blade into his brain, killing him instantly, though, he certainly felt it.

    I had killed the 'almighty' Lucifer, my friends that he had killed like Heather were back, and some of which I didn't like; Rory, why did he have to bring Rory back? Raven was sitting there patiently, waiting for me to pick her up and hold her-—and when I did, it was glorious.

    Alex and Cal were back to usual, Alex already punching him—presumably, he asked for her number again.

    I leave the house with my head held high, all my friends and famjly by my side, Raven, Alex, Cal and Heather, they were all back, and I was grateful. I had destroyed the Devil's legacy and shattered all he lived for.