Unlikely Heroes-Draft 1

Chapter 12

Chimney's house was in the In Between, a desolate area sharing space with both the empty blackness of the Void and Reality. It was the only building here, looking so bizarre in its normalness while it sat on a deserted street that seemed to stretch on forever. It stood as silent as a mausoleum, the cold light of a huge moon casting deep shadows. Kira must have gone to her other home. Staying near the Void for too long was dangerous for anyone, even him, but being mortal it was especially dangerous for her.

He had teleported directly into the bedroom, at the foot of the king size bed. He was tired, still sick from eating the demon soul, and wanted nothing more than to just rest as much as the stomach mouth would allow him to. He sat on his bed and slouched, rubbing his face irritably. None of this was his problem and he was being dragged into it by anyways.

He didn't even bother to change, and flopped onto his back across the bed, letting his eyelids close. In the moments before he drifted off, his thoughts drifted to his soul, he could feel pinpricks of something within his fingers and up his arm; was it the power the Mark had given him or was it just the residual burn his miasma left behind. Whatever it was, he just hoped Argus hadn't been lying about the protection of his soul.

Before he knew it he had slipped off into a dreamless sleep, and it was with great shock that he was awoken by a giant clawed hand that had grasped onto him, ripping him through the bed. Millions of insects suddenly swarmed around him, obscuring his vision as he was pulled through to a different dimension.

"YOU MOTHERFU-" was all he was able to get out before being flung face downwards onto blackened ground made of shards of shattered obsidian. He landed heavily with a grunt, several cuts on him, but he was already scrambling to his feet, not wanting to be taken off guard again. He heard a gravelly and inhuman voice, "Welcome to Hell Chimney. A far more appropriate place for you to be than your cushy little hovel. But you won't be enjoying it for long."

"Chh...If this is Hell then what have I been living in?", Chim muttered to himself. He was livid, his eyes twin red lights of hatred as he whirled around to face the one who took him here, and he was greeted by a monstrous sight. It was humanoid in shape, towering at about 20 feet tall, covered in brown hair that was crawling with vermin, with a leonine face, four bat-like wings, a scorpion's' tail, and burning sulfur-yellow eyes. They were both circled by wall of flying locusts, creating a seemingly endless cacophony. The thing grinned at him, "My master sends his regards, you should have taken his offer..."

Suddenly in a puff of silvery mist Nocturne appeared next to Chimney, causing the former to look over in disgust, "Ugh, what are you doing here?"

"What do you think?", he glared up at the towering demon, "I assume that's Pazuzu"

"What was your first guess, genius?" Chimney snarled, "I could have beaten him myself. I don't need you here." Chim's miasma coated his finger tips, extending into claws, "Whatever. It doesn't matter now. He interrupted my well deserved nap"

Nocturne rolled his eyes, of all the people to have him partner with why did it have to be Chimney.

The beast laughed, "Ahhhhh, even better, now I can kill both of you at once."

Nocturne glared, "You can try."

And with that Pazuzu roared at the two, his footsteps causing the ground beneath them to shake as he hurtled towards them, his hands tipped with raptor-like talons outstretched to grasp at the two. An acrid yellow vapor blew out of his maw, causing rocks to sizzle where it beaded and dripped.

Chimney charged forward with a snarl, swirling into mist form and aiming right for Pazuzu's face, intending to rip apart his eyes first. The demon-lord laughed, grabbing onto the blackened mist as if Chim were solid, "You mistake me for some lowly peon demon like your companion? You think your pathetic mist-form will save you? The Champion of Argus is even more of an idiot than I had imagined. And he's an even bigger fool for having chosen you." Chimney felt himself being squeezed as he was forced into his normal form. His anger was boiling within him, but...there was a new sense of strength as well, feeding off the anger and growing. He felt energized, like he had just eaten a soul. He growled out, "Not as idiotic as you'll look when I tear your fucking head off", and ripped his claws into Pazuzu's hand, leaving burning gashes in the corrupt flesh. He was rewarded with cry of surprise and pain and thrown once again against the ground, hard, the shards of obsidian puncturing parts of his back and legs.