PART 3 of 4
CHAPTER 1: Blood Cuts Deeper
A light rain, or rather brutally crushing, began terrorizing the city of Pride, halting a portion of the violent rampages and washing away anything from those unable to survive the acidic onslaught. Far above the madness in Pride, in the stronghold overlooking Hell's gritty surface, Lucifer awaited his Overlords and Ladies in his dining hall. As he eased into the soft, velvet cushioning of his throne, brushing his fingertips along the armrests, Lucifer admired the lengths he had reached since his first day as the ruler of Hell. Every step, every death, and every useless Sinner who fell into his hands shattering their skulls on the harsh and rocky terrain of his grasp. It was exhilarating to the Monarch of Malice.
Lucifer always made time for family, always. But when the King of Hell wasn't occupied with personal affairs, he ruled with true, unjust force. No one was safe when he put his foot down. As Lucifer closed his eyes, recalling a quiet, simple moment in the courtyards at Envy with Lilith, before they had decided to marry, the doors to the great hall opened with a loud creaking noise, which echoed around the room. Lucifer's eyes glared open, and even the roaring fireplace, which rested peacefully beside the dining room, flickered violently. In a fiery jacket and blood coated boots and gloves entered Avery, his ax guitar slung over one shoulder.
"Ah, another young firespark. If I may ask, where is your master?" Lucifer questioned, rising from his seat. Avery brushed some dust from his shoulder and huffed, sitting in his boss' place at the table. "Azazel has suffered a near fatal spine injury. He won't be joining you for some time." Lucifer nodded, recalling his warning to the black leather matchstick. "Ah, yes. Well, I do wish him a hasty recovery. Wrath needs a reputable ruler, after all," Lucifer replied, resting his folded hands on the table. And then came Morpheus, who remained icy cold, taking his seat as wires snapped into place around his suit, feeding oxygen into his system. "Lord Lucifer," he motioned, waving his hand.
Lucifer raised a darkened eyebrow. "Morpheus. And I trust you're managing after the Sin Hunter?" Morpheus nodded, for the first time content with his life. "Yes, OH, yes! The Sin Hunter. Yes, it was a magnificent display. He'll be killed, no doubt, but it was truly thrilling!" Lucifer grumbled, sinking deeper into his chair. 'Well that's just what I needed to hear,' he thought. Lucifer brushed a stray hair from his head, watching as it burned into nothingness. "Well, since the two of you are here, I suppose we can begin with the real elephant in the room. Any Sin Hunter troubles?" Morpheus' expression darkened, while Avery grew in a festering, boiling fire.
"E-Yeah, no shit! What, you think it was fun knowing he escaped?! He broke out of Hell's toughest prison and caused my boss a severe injury!" Avery exclaimed, slamming his ax into the floor. Lucifer observed with disappointment the now splintered wood finish. It had cost him millions to install. "Hmm. Yes, well, that was a grave mistake, but one that I feel has hurt myself as well." Avery grumbled, shifting in his employer's throne. "Please. Like you lift a damn finger when Hell needs something." Lucifer, whose hearing captured the searing strike, lashed back with his own two cents. "If I lifted a finger for anything, little ember, then you would not be sitting here discussing this with us."
Morpheus, however, seemed to change expression completely. "He destroyed what I consider, at times, my life's work. Everything I had ever worked to gain was lost that night, and it was because of him." The tone of the room grew as cold as the ocean floor, and even Lucifer couldn't help but pull his cloak over his shoulders. As the three stewed in their thrones, the door once again opened, and in stepped a worn, very different Beelzebub. He maintained his tall, serpentine status with flashing red pupils and tinted green on his suit and scales. But he seemed disgruntled, drunk, even, to the bewilderment of all. "How truly humbling..." he muttered, sliding into his own seat and crossing his hands, glowering down the table at his associates.
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The Sin Hunter: An (Un)apologetic Introduction
Action"People want you dead, Jack. Unless you put a gun and some bullets between that, you won't last long around here." Jack was dead. But death didn't take him where he should have been. Then again, Jack wasn't looking for a nice, quiet retirement eithe...
