All of these considerations seemed quite beside the point, really. Lucifer fully intended to shift the troublesome obstacle barring his way. At least, that was the plan. However, as he lunged forward with the aim of seizing the shoulders of the individual impeding his progress, he was met with a high-pitched, eardrum-shattering sound—the anguished wail of a tormented child. Lucifer and the Betrayers clamped their hands over their ears in a vain effort to muffle the piercing shriek that reverberated through the air like an invisible blade. The agonized cry echoed off the walls, attracting the notice of the airborne demons above. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, Rockefeller’s childish caterwauling ceased. One moment, a pitiful howl filled the air; the next, silence and stillness reigned, much as they had before the soul’s tantrum had erupted.
“I’ll do it again if you don’t pay me!” Rockefeller threatened, his voice a disconcerting mix of petulance and menace.
“With what??” Lucifer retorted, his voice dripping with exasperation. “I’m already helping you escape Hell!”
The Devil’s keen intellect rapidly identified the conundrum he now faced. Faced with this predicament, Lucifer resolved to act with his usual decisive flair. As Rockefeller caught sight of the Devil advancing toward him, he once again unleashed his cacophonous wailing. This time, however, Lucifer did not falter. Instead, he seized the obstinate man-child and, with a swift, fluid motion, flung him from the ledge, thereby clearing the path for their escape.
As Rockefeller hurtled through the air, his anguished cries once more reverberated throughout the cavern. The ensuing ruckus succeeded in drawing the attention of every inhabitant present. Upon spying the miscreant soul, the demons swooped down en masse, tearing Rockefeller to shreds with wanton abandon. Meanwhile, Michael remained stationed near the entrance, his vigilant gaze sweeping the area as he sought out Lucifer. The sound of his voice, calling his brother’s name, caused Lucifer to halt mid-lunge, just as he reached for the doorway.
“It’s been a long time, brother,” Michael intoned, his voice heavy with emotion.
“Not long enough,” Lucifer replied tersely.
The two men regarded one another, their countenances awash with mutual animosity. One gazed upward, while the other cast his eyes downward, reflecting their everlasting stations in the grand cosmic scheme. Michael’s nostrils flared as he exhaled a deep sigh, striving to keep his simmering anger in check. Though his posture remained immobile, the archangel’s eyes blazed with barely concealed fury. Hovering a few feet away, Michael continued to glare at his brother with an acrid expression. When he finally spoke, the disdain he harbored for his sibling was evident. “You’re coming with me, Lucifer.”
“Apologies, dear brother. But I find that my stay at the Ninth Circle Inn has reached its inevitable end. I wouldn’t count on a glowing review, either,” Lucifer retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
To his surprise, Michael emitted a half-hearted chuckle at his brother’s jest. This unexpected reaction left Lucifer momentarily nonplussed. “Has Michael cultivated a sense of humor over the years?” he mused, his thoughts racing. “Or is this some kind of trap? Could it be that Michael has orchestrated this entire scenario, and I’ve unwittingly stumbled straight into his snare?” As these questions whirled through his mind, Lucifer endeavored to decipher the intentions of the brother he had not encountered since his banishment.
“I’m sorry the accommodations weren’t to your liking,” Michael riposted, detecting the flicker of uncertainty in his brother’s eyes.
Michael’s retort only served to solidify Lucifer’s suspicion that his brother had some sort of scheme in play. Knowing that he had to act swiftly, the fallen angel surreptitiously flicked one of his wings to signal Cassius to edge towards the door. Catching on, all three Betrayers sidled closer to their prospective escape route. Michael, however, was not oblivious to their stealthy maneuver. His frosty voice called out to them, sending shivers racing down the spines of the Betrayers. “You three as well.”
“We’ve suffered enough,” Lucifer snarled in response.
“That is not a decision either you or I have any say in,” Michael countered.
As the archangel extended his hand, Lucifer instinctively leaped back into a defensive stance. But, to his surprise, Michael did not press his advantage. Lucifer scrutinized his sibling from head to toe, still unable to discern his true intentions. Michael’s voice, though still firm and resonant, now seemed to be stripped of its earlier antagonistic edge. “Please,” he implored, “don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be.”
With a sardonic smirk, Lucifer scooped up his companions in an instant and bolted through the doorway. The horde of demons that had been circling above immediately gave chase, hot on the heels of the fleeing fugitives. Their pursuit was momentarily stymied by a cascade of rocks and debris triggered by Lucifer’s forceful entry into the passageway. A few of the demons even found themselves ensnared in the tumbling avalanche. As the dust settled around him, Michael shook his head in frustration, a burgeoning migraine throbbing behind his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to alleviate the discomfort. “Why must you always be so obstinate?” he mused internally, addressing his absent brother. “You just don’t understand, Lucifer. You simply don’t understand.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the doorway, Lucifer and the Betrayers found themselves in an unexpectedly pleasant breakroom. It boasted a fully-equipped kitchen, complete with a cooktop, dishwasher, and full-sized fridge. A countertop Keurig coffee maker offered an array of flavor options, and a row of vending machines along the wall was stocked with a variety of snacks and beverages. Spying a plate of doughnuts on the counter, Brutus eagerly helped himself, with Cassius and Judas soon following suit. All things considered, it was a rather agreeable spot in which to catch their breath and regroup.
Lucifer, realizing that their time was running out, desperately searched for an escape route. He was well aware that Michael, Hell’s warden and architect, would not be easily deterred. The fugitive’s eyes eventually settled upon a door on the opposite wall. Peering through, he discovered a shadowy staircase ascending into the bowels of the prison—a potential shortcut through the next few circles. “There’s a way out!” Lucifer announced, just as a cacophony of noise erupted near the entrance.
“Open up, Lucifer,” Michael’s sneering voice demanded from beyond the barricaded door. “This little game of yours has run its course.”
Frantically, Lucifer attempted to corral his fellow escapees, but his efforts were in vain. Despite their makeshift barricade of tables and chairs, Michael effortlessly smashed through the obstruction. A swarm of demons surged into the room, herding the four prisoners against the far wall. Michael sauntered in amidst the settling dust, a self-satisfied expression plastered across his face. The archangel sighed and shook his head. “This ends now, brother. Give up. Mother wants a word with you.”
“I have no doubt she does,” Lucifer retorted. “I’m sure dear ol’ God has devised some novel and imaginative torment to demonstrate her boundless forgiveness. No, thank you. I’ll show myself out, if it’s all the same to you.”
With the upper hand firmly in his grasp, Michael merely scoffed and gestured for his demonic minions to seize the prisoners. As the malevolent creatures bore down upon them, an eerie tranquility washed over Judas. He observed Brutus and Cassius cowering helplessly behind Lucifer, who, despite his defiant stance, betrayed a flicker of fear in his eyes. Judas realized that even with all his strength, Lucifer would be unable to fend off both the demons and his brother.
As time seemed to slow around him, Judas found himself reflecting on the events that had led him to this fateful moment. Why he had been consigned to Hell for eons. His own cowardice. And in this moment of clarity, Judas finally found the courage he had lacked for so long.
In the verdant hills of Galilee, Judas had discovered an ersatz family among the Apostles. A similar camaraderie now blossomed between him and his fellow inmates, and the admiration he once held for Jesus had been transferred, somewhat inexplicably, to Lucifer—the very being he’d been raised to regard as the embodiment of evil. As Judas’s gaze met the onslaught of demonic assailants, a shudder rippled through his spine. It was a sensation all too familiar, harking back to the days of the Romans, whose actions had ultimately led to the death of a man he had once called friend and brother. It was within this fleeting, pivotal moment that Judas vowed not to repeat the mistakes of his past.
Fear evaporated, supplanted by unbridled anger—an anger borne of the torturous agony he’d suffered without the faintest glimmer of redemption. A fury directed squarely at the God who professed to love him, yet had forsaken him in his darkest hour. In this singular, transformative instant, Judas discovered his courage and, with it, the resolve to defend his newfound family. Channeling his inner William Wallace, the erstwhile Apostle-turned-Betrayer hurtled toward the encroaching horde, bellowing at the top of his lungs, “FREEDOM!”
This unexpected display of ferocity gave even Michael pause, causing the archangel to momentarily recoil as Judas plowed headlong into the mass of demons. Arms flailing with reckless abandon, the Betrayer valiantly attempted to battle the entire demonic contingent single-handedly. In the midst of the chaos, Judas managed to land a solid blow squarely upon Michael’s visage.
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