(Reaper POV)
My ears were filled with the beeping of hospital machines, and the blinding lights in the room. My head was spinning, I felt nauseous, dizzy, I felt terrible, and my fever didn’t help. Normally I couldn’t get sick because of my enhanced genes but I guess the germs in hell are far more potent here than on earth.
“Well look who’s finally awake!” Lucifer stood over me “Took you long enough”
I tried to sit up, but I couldn’t. My body felt heavy, my breathing was staggered, it felt like I was dying, but you can die twice, right?
“Take it easy kid just rest, your body is still adjusting to hell’s environment, just rest for now” He placed the back of his hand in my forehead “Holy fuck! That fever is intense! Are you sure you're not gonna burst into a ball of flames?”
I ignored his question and forced myself to sit up. My muscles strained as I sat up and climbed out of the bed “Where am I?"I muttered, my vision started clearing, but it was still fuzzy.
“You are in the medical ward, I made it for my soldiers after they get back from battle” He walked up and poked my nose “Boop! And to do military research”
A man in black clad armor walked into the room, his helmet blocking his face. “My lord, we have come back from our patrol of the rings” His voice booming with enthusiasm.
“There you are Baal! how’s my hellish armies, general this fine evening?”
“I’m doing just fine my lord, and our military is stronger than ever!” He took his helmet off revealing his orange hair and his horns that wrapped around his head like a crown.
“With our new technology and growing population of powerful demons, hell is now among some of the strongest underworld pantheons in mythological society!” He proudly exclaimed “And the best part is-wait" He turns his attention to me “Who is that?”
“Oh, I forgot to mention, Baal meet our newest sinner joining us down in hell!” Lucifer grabs my shoulder “This is Reaper, our newest recruit!”
Baal squinted his eyes as he looked at me. He walks around the bed to get a better angle and notices something “Sir I have a question, how long has he been here?” He gets closer “Because it looks like he’s demonizing”
“Demonizing? What does that mean?” I grab my sides in pain.
“Let me explain” Alice walks in, but with a new lab coat on.
“You see there are four types of demons. The first is hell born, you know your typical imps, hellhounds, incubi, and succubi alike. But then you have the more high-ranking demons. The second is sinners, sinners are above hellborns as they are far stronger than a normal Imp or hellhound and can’t die by conventional means. The only way to kill a sinner demon is with a more powerful demon and like you, sinner demons start off as humans but when they die and have sinned throughout their life, they come down here and demonize.” She fixes her glasses in the typical “nerdy” fashion “The weird thing is. Normally sinners are already demons when they get down here” She squints her eyes at me “What makes you different?”
I feel a sharp pain in my chest, worse than when I was shot, and it felt like the pain was moving? I clutched my chest, as the pain moved rapidly throughout my body. The pain was excruciating, it felt like I was being split in half.
“Uh, Is he ok?” Lucifer pointed at me.
I started coughing, coughing like I was suffocating, trying desperately to gasp for air. I was coughing so much, blood started to spill out of my mouth.
“The demonizing process has begun!” Alice stared in amazement “I’ve never seen it in person before, this is awesome!”
My throat was on fire, the more I coughed the worse the pain became. The pain in my chest intensified as I felt 2 sharp stabbing pains on my back. “Ooh! Look he's transforming!!” Alice jumped for joy.
I was in agony I was coughing up blood and my back was being split open. The pain was immeasurable I couldn't think straight, I collapsed to the floor. My vision went dark. I opened my eyes to see I was in a white void. Just like before I was floating in this endless void, but this time it was white and cold. “Where am I?” I looked around only to find nothing.
Out of nowhere the air went ice cold, so cold to the point frost started to permeate my body.
“What's this? A new soul to walk the frozen landscape of Helheim?” A female voice spoke.
I could barely move, the cold was too much. The blood on my hands and face froze. Ice formed around my body casing me in it, I struggled too much as I was slowly being frozen.
“Hmmm, looks like that idiot Lucifer can’t keep an eye on his Imps” A woman appeared Infront of me. Half of her face was beautiful, but the other half looked like it was badly scarred.
“Who are you?” Were the only words I could mutter.
“I am Hel, the queen of Helheim and goddess of death. And I’m guessing your one of those savage Imps Lucifer watches over?” She snapped her finger and the ice on my body melted away.
“N-no I-I'm H-human!" I spoke still shivering from the cold.
“HA! don't make me laugh. You are no human, well...not anymore” She giggled to herself “How did you get here?”
“I don’t know I was in hell one minute violently transforming into a demon and then I black out and wake up here” My throat is still bloody, but the pain is gone.
“So, you were demonizing but then you ended up here?” Hel looked at me confused.
Before I could speak my body went ice cold. I could feel my blood freezing in my veins, my skin turned blue and started turning into ice. “W-what is h-happening???” My vocal cords strained as they became ice spikes.
“Well...never in my centuries of being the ruler of Helheim have I seen something so incredible!” Hel looked on in wonder.
My skin crackled under the pressure of my movements as if at any moment I would shatter. “AHHHHHHH!!” An agonizing scream was all that came out of my mouth.
“Looks like you're becoming a Hel walker. Weird normally humans go to their respective underworld, but it seems like you are merged between both Hel and Hell. Quite ironic” She watched on with a conflicted look in her eye.
“Why....me?....” I whimpered as I fell unconscious again.
I woke up on the floor in the hospital room, I looked up to see everyone surrounding me. The pain in my body was gone, only soreness remained. I felt hollow, like there was a void in my soul. I..felt....empty.
“Hey, are you still alive?” Alice poked my shoulder repeatedly.
I groaned as I stood up and everyone stood there amazed at my “new look” and even more so when they saw my arms. My right arm was blue like ice or at least looked like it was. And my left arm had a blazing black flame around it. Along with that I had horns poking out of my forehead and two black wings resting on my shoulders like a cloak.
“Woah! You look fucking awesome!” Lucifer shouted with glee.
“How is your right arm covered in ice?” Alice pondered.
“To think a sinner like you could transform into a high-end, its normally hellborns" Baal stood there amazed.
I looked at my new body, it was weird to say the least. I don’t feel any different, I still feel human. “Well with this exciting turn of events now you are fully apart of the demons of hell” Lucifer walked up and patted my shoulder “Which means your training can finally begin!”
“I already told you. I’m not being apart of this!” I pushed his hand off and turned to walk out.
“You don’t have a choice Reaper, it’s either join me or I have to make you, so which is it?” Lucifer got closer, his laid-back tone faded, and a more angered tone emerged.
Everything went silent and everyone stood as still as a statue. Lucifer walked up to me with fire in his eyes “I want you to choose your next words very carefully Reaper” We stood a few inches apart.
We stared each other down, neither of us backing down. As I readied myself for a fight the second scientist from earlier burst through the door. “GUYS! GUYS! THE SIN OF ENVY IS HERE!!!!!” She shouted frantically.
Lucifer turned around and grabbed her by her shoulders “Leviathan is here! Like now?!” He shook her back and forth.
“Damn it Jasmine Answer me!” Lucifer continued to violently shake her.
While this was happening, I snuck out of the room and walked down the hallway. I kept getting weird glances from all the other Imps in the medical ward. Soon enough I found the exit and left the building. I will find a way back to earth and make a new life for myself. But what if what Lucifer says is true, what if I’m really stuck here permanently?
I try to ignore these thoughts as I make my way down the streets of “Imp City” on my own. I covered my arms with my wings as I set out into the city.
(Meanwhile)
Lucifer continued to question Jasmine about the arrival of Leviathan, the sin of envy. “AND WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME??” Lucifer's voice echoed through the room.
“I would have if you didn’t ignore me every time I tal-” She looked back to see that Lucifer is gone.
“Son of a bitch, where did he go?” Jasmine sighs as she looks and sees a worried look on Alice.
“Um, guys? Reapers gone” Alice looked over to where Reaper was just standing “What do we do?” Alice twiddles her fingers nervously.
“We find him of course! Before anything bad happens!” Baal stood up and faced the girls “But where to look?” Baal puts his hand to his chin and thinks.
“Wait Baal you’re the general of the armies of hell! You can go around questioning people while we look for him on foot” Alice fixed her glasses and stood next to both Jasmine and Baal “And we’ll find Reaper! And have a sleepover!” She marched towards the door, but noticed no one behind her “What are you guys waiting for?”
Baal and Jasmine look at each other and back at her “I completely agree with your plan except, we are not having a sleep over after this” Jasmine walks to Alices side with Baal following.
“Aww, but sleepovers are so fun” Alice pouts.
“Yeah, but you tend to go over bored, and something always happens” Jasmine replied.
“It’s not my fault the succubus I invited stole your boyfriend!” Alice and Jasmine kept bickering until Baal intervened.
“Ladies! This isn’t the time for that. We must get Reaper back here A.S.A.P!”
They set off on their mission to find Reaper and bring him back before Lucifer notices he’s gone.
(Chapter 5 END)
