ic Fright Night at Claremont (IC)

[RocketLord]

Pan did not run. No, he could run, of course, but since Nicole and her big armor could fit in these tunnels, that meant that he could fly, even if it was just slightly above the ground. And so he did, flying after Mike, in between Nicole and Selena. It was a long journey, it took some time. He was sure that these tunnels were not supposed to stretch that far underground. It was quite impressive that Mike could run for that long, really, given the things that he and his crew usually got up to, from the looks of things.

 

And then he revealed himself, and then he disappeared. And Pan was not impressed. "I suppose we should all have seen that coming." Well, seen some of it coming, at the very least. At least Selena had lift a trail, but how long would it take to follow. "Even if we go back, we won't know what path to take. It forked many times, did it not?" And so, he turned to Nicole. "That drill do sound like a good idea. I do not suppose you have one handy?"

[Zeitgeist Blue]

"Argh!"

 

Salvo launched herself forward to try to grab Mike but she was left grasping air as he teleported away at the last second. Her fingers flexed, still held where his throat would have been, and she stood glowering there, her visor pulsing angrily in a dark purple glow.

 

Stupid!

 

Stupid stupid stupid to believe someone as shifty as Mike.  As if his way was any better than Gauss' or her sense of direcrion. She didn't want to admit it but she'd been duped by a fifth-rate, no promise, noob of a practitioner .

 

Stupid!

 

"Wait," she said in reply to her companions' questions. She dropped her hand and turned to stare at the wall.

 

Gauss' way would take another half hour to get back to where they started and who knew how long until they could figure out the map and traverse their way to Baal.

 

No, there had to be another way.

 

She racked her brain for something, immediately dismissing twenty rituals for taking too long, another thirty for their immediate cost. She needed to mix and match. Take a component of one and add it to another, the principles of tradition and transplant it to work on the surface level of an ad hoc set of symbols. She took different traditions and philosophies from over the world and distilled them into something unified.

 

Hebrew gnosticism as the base. Islamic alchemy turned into writing. Japanese ofuda using the glass of her visor as paper. A Chinese pentagram to take advantage of the Earth around them. Norse runes etched to evoke other realms.

 

It gave her a headache to even think about how it all worked yet it did. In her mind.

 

Yet she still needed to carry it into reality.

 

She pointed at her visor and a thin laser-like beam began to trace an unseen array of ideograms and symbols, a metapjorical path connecting each one into a proper goal.

 

She chanted as she worked on her visor. Then after half a minute she said, louder, "Ba'al, Ruled of the East, First and Principal king of Hell, Duke of Sixty-Six Legions. Reveal yourself."

 

Her visor shifted in color, from a dark purple light into black, flickering and blood red at the edges.

 

She paused, then after a second turned her laser to the wall, carving a what looked to be a doorway. Then she began to carve inside the door's frame and when she was done she stepped back and sent out a puff of fire into the center.

 

It radiated outwards, filling where her laser had created grooves into the stone until the doorway was lined in fire and her ritual was lined in fire.

 

She looked at Gauss and Pan, her expression hidden behind armour and helmet but she was panting, surprised it had worked as it did.

 

"Come on," she said with barely contained emotion, fingers twitching. "The fire won't burn you."

 

Then she pushed at the door and it swung outwards, where there was once stone now was fire, all fire burning on darkness.

 

There was a price to pay for all of this but she had delayed it. They had more pressing issues on hand.

Edited February 19, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue

[Cubismo]

Salvo lead the charge through the burning, ethereal door, her two compatriots and fellow demonslayers following her way. Though hastily cast, the portal held together and allowed the trio to transcend the mundane limitations of normal spatial travel. 

 

It was by no means an easy voyage, though. The space between spaces that served as the spell's "road" from their current location to Baal's lair was a surreal dimension of multi-colored flames that encircled them like blazing kaleidoscope as they made their way.

 

Salvo was right. The flames weren't dangerous. They weren't hot, nor did they even have a scent. They just were. Half real embers made of empyreal and arcane energies that defined notions of science and reality. 

 

It was a pretty sight. Breathtaking really, but it all came to an end when the heroes finally made it to the end of the road and out the other side of the portal. Back in "true reality," the first thing that all three Claremont students immediately felt was the drastic return of the frothing heat they had experienced back in the tunnels, only this time it was like being right beside a furnace instead of enduring an especially hot summer day.

 

That sensation was nothing to what they saw next, though. They had materialized right in the middle of an enormous cavern that was spatially impossible for Claremont's Underbelly to possess. The place was a patchwork realm that resembled a rusty boiler room, the insides of a human stomach, and a molten hellscape all it once. To even look at it was hard for the mind to fathom but it was nothing compared to the monstrosity that occupied most of it.

 

Baal hadn't bothered to take a more humanoid form, instead manifesting in his full demonic glory. He was a massive beast, with three enlarged inhuman heads that each bore a six-pointed crown of their heads. Rather than having a torso, those three heads were supported by nine hairy spider legs that couldn't possibly carry his bulbous heads yet somehow did anyway. Physics be damned. 

 

The Prince of Hell brought all three pairs of eyes to the newly arrived Claremonts. Each head gave one of them a respectful nod in welcoming recognition of their presence. Before any one of them could make a greeting or threat to the heroes a slim figure moved out of the cavern's shadows and made his presence known.

 

It was Mike Carpenter, and the look of his face was one of incredulous surprise. "H-How... how the Hell did you guys get here so fast?! It was supposed to take you at least an hour to get here at best." He looked towards his massive three-headed master and tried his best to muster an explanation. "Lord Baal, I swear I did my best to distract them. They were literally in the middle of nowhere. I totally fooled them and everything! It doesn't make any-"

 

Baal's toad head cut off Mike excuses with a flick of its massive tongue which wiped around Mike's mouth.

 

"Yes, yes. I'm sure you did you're best to hamstring your classmates. I am o so proud of your diabolical efforts, Dear Michael. They've all been so inspired and warm my ancient heart. 

 

Rolling all his eyes and sighing deeply, Baal returned his attention to his three new guests while Mike sheepishly accepted the disgusting gag. 

 

"Welcome, welcome, dear children! I must say you've made this routine midnight business acquisition a lot more entertaining than I had expected. My dearest thanks. Now, I'm sure you have concerns that you wish to discuss with me. Don't be shy in expressing them. I'm all ears! 

 

 

[RocketLord]

Pan's eyes were wide as Nicole went to work. It was, simply put, amazing. It was fast, much faster than he believed such magic to be. Much faster than it had ever been when he had seen it on Neverworld. And here, despite wearing the massive armor, Nicole was creating pathways, doing all she could to get them back on the path so that they could deal with the traitor and the threat to the school. Now, could he do anything else?

 

"This is amazing." His words echoed his thoughts as he reached into the path of fire. No, it did not burn. His lips split into his grin again, and he threw himself into the path. Never let anyone say that he would pause before jumping into the next adventure.

 

Everything was shifting, turning, changing color, changing before his eyes. Flames that were pink to red to purple to blue to green to yellow to... It was a swirling mess of magnificence. It was strange, it was uncanny. And Pan couldn't help himself from starting to laugh midway through. Amazing! Simply amazing!

 

And then they were out. And there was Baal. And Mike. Pan had to admit that he kind of enjoyed Baal's quick gag for Mike, seeing how uncomfortable it made the traitor, but he understood it. Baal was just strange to look at. Three heads on spider legs, welcoming them as children. He was cordial, at least. Did not seem like he was just about to give them what he wanted, he was completely secure in himself. Not really surprising, given his status. He was big, he was scary, he was disgusting, but Pan kept the candy from the evening in.

 

So, what should they do, then? Attack? Seemed like it might not be the best option. Not right away, at least. He would probably be several magnitudes more powerful than them. So, Pan did the best thing he could think of instead, and with a smile, he flew up, the Pixie Dust illuminating the air around him. "We do indeed have several concerns, my dear Baal!" He raised a hand up, before quickly lowering it to point at Baal. "Did you honestly think this through? Trying make your little midnight business here, of all places? Coming to Claremont, in the middle of Freedom City? Do you even know how many heroes are in this school, not to talk about the rest of the city? And, now look at us. We're just three such heroes, and what did we do to the demons that you sent to give us pause? We annihilated them! Didn't even break a sweat!" 

 

His grin widened, as he snapped his fingers that had previously been pointing at Baal. The Pixie Dust that surrounded him exploded out from him, illuminating the room. It moved in shapes and colors, all bright lights. "Do you even know who you are dealing with here? I am the Forever Boy of Neverworld! I have dealt with demons like you for longer than this city has stood!"

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Salvo

 

Watching Pan take to the air and taunt Baal with nothing more than a smile and bright lights, Salvo had to admit the Forever Boy had serious guts to do that. He boasted and pointed fingers alone in the air as if he could give a good fight all by himself. She couldn't help but scoff at that, almost amused by how ballsy he was.

 

Her helmet turned a fraction of an inch towards Gauss and she gave an almost imperceptible nod. She had an idea of what the Forever Boy was doing and they all needed to create that illusion of unassailable confidence.

 

Her armor cackled with electricity, weapon mounts unfolding from her form, and with a roar of flames she took off into the air.

 

She was about to shout something at Baal but a small explosion tore at the air in front of her left shoulder and she was thrown back in the air. She hit the cavern wall, dislodging pieces of stone and rupturing a man-sized boil. It spewed a foul-smelling, yellow-ish liquid all over her armor. It got into her joints and ruined the shiny finish of her plates.

 

Looking nothing like the hulking brute she had been just seconds before, she shook her head and glared back at Baal. She braced herself against the ruptured boil, ignoring the pus all about her.

 

Discordant energies caused the explosion, she noted idly, quite annoyed she hadn't had enough time to fix the leak between the two cords that ran underneath her shoulder plates. But that was enough to ruin the aura she was trying to build.

 

"Listen to him, Baal," she growled instead. She would defer to who had the greatest skill, reluctant as she was to hand it all over to the immortal prankster. "He knows what he's talking about. Don't put yourself to the test."

Edited February 22, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue

[Azuth65]

Gauss floated through the portal, bits of metal floating around her and her left eye ablaze with purple light as her cloak-like cape settled around her once more.  She looked at the demon after both Forever Boy and Salvo's comments, doing her best to look unimpressed and, indeed, almost eager for a fight herself.  "Or, you know, don't listen to him.  But if you do fight us, know we are the next generation of heroes.  The children of Claremont.  As long as we draw breath, we stand. As long as we stand, we fight. As long as we fight, we prevail. Nothing can stop us," she called out, her shrapnel pieces spinning about her faster and faster.

[Cubismo]

Baal used one his spider legs to crass his human head's chin thoughtfully. The children's threats were tiresome but one of their number's assessment of the situation had merit that could not be overlooked or ignored. 

 

"Yes, yes, yes. You banished a few of my employees back to home office. A fine accomplishment, if only a minor one. Still, you heroes do bring up a good point."

 

Abruptly, Baal used his massive tongue to wank a panicking Mike into the air and display high above his fellow Claremont students.

 

"You see, my dear servant here is the true mastermind behind the events of this night. He was the one who contacted me through his magics and concocted a plot to grant me entrance into this realm while at the same time damning the souls of friends in the process.

 

Two of Baal's heads started to laugh and the sound of it shook the hellish cavern.

 

"I do love to see young entrepreneurial warlocks try to make a bid for greatness. How could I possibly refuse him when he had such spunk? Betraying your friends and all your classmates in a scheme to make yourself all-powerful? He showed the signs of a great infernalist."  

 

Baal's human face turned to Mike than and have him a disappointed glare. "But alas. The proved himself a disappointment when he allowed one of his friends to escape. Resulting in you heroes learning of summoning and forcing me to exert power that needed to be conserved to possess the errant lad."

 

Mike tried to make more excuses in his defense but Baal's tongue muffled his words and the Prince of Hell ignored him.

 

"Though it pains me to say it, you are right, children. This school and the city beyond is filled with beings that I would prefer not to contend while I'm in my weakened state. So I offer you this dear children. I will release the two remaining victims of dear Michael's scheme and the boy himself to you while I shall promptly return to Hell."

 

Baal's calm and playful voice dropped them and turned deeper and all three sets of his eyes stared down at the Claremont students then.

 

"The boys will be yours to do with as you wish but their souls are still mine. The ritual they performed damned their souls to Hell and I. WILL. COLLECT THEM."

 

But just as quickly as it had changed Baal's tone returned to be being diplomatic.

 

"But I am a patient being. What are a few decades of life when I shall own them for eternity. The boys will be allowed to life their mundane human lives with no memory of this night in exchange for me retaining direct ownership of their souls at the moment of their deaths."

 

Mike had started to cry now but Baal kept on ignoring his whimpering and even started to smile to the other students. It revealed the several rows of sharp teeth in his cat and human heads mouths.

 

"Now. What say you children? Why should we battle over the souls of three foul youths and one traitor when I have provided such a peaceful solution to our all problems?" 

[Zeitgeist Blue]

The decision was easy for her, a snap of her fingers. She couldn't well call herself a hero if she just walked away from all this, let the Prince of Hell snap up four souls to be fodder for endless wars. Baal did not state what he wanted their souls for but she had an inkling of an idea. Some less knowledgeable about the matter would think demons just loved to beget suffering upon others and while some demons do Baal was a more pragmatic sort.

 

Four more souls. Four more soldiers for his legions.

 

Decades did not matter for beings such as Baal. That span of time would go unnoticed, a drop within eternity. Neither did four souls for that matter. It was all a game for him, a fun outing before this avatar of him went back into the business of Hell.

 

But the four souls mattered for their owners and so they mattered for her. The thought that this was all their fault for something so petty did not even cross her mind for discussing something as serious as souls. She read the books. She knew the gravity, even if Baal did not care for the individual.

 

And she was confident her companions felt the same as her.

 

"No," Salvo finally said, ending the silence after Baal's offer. Baal was pragmatic to the extreme and so she needed to talk in his terms. "You don't need the souls. Just four of them would give you a marginal output in the forces that you command, barely noticeable in the grand scheme of Hell. So I'll give you a counter-offer: release the Mike and the three victims and I offer you my services as a master artificer and rune-smith. There are forces in the magical planes your own smiths would be hard-pressed to harness that would be easier for me as a mortal."

 

She pushed herself off the wall, thrusters firing so that she was hovering at a standing position, and she looked straight at Baal's human eyes.

 

"One crafted item, a weapon or armor or whatever you have in mind, for the four foot-soldiers. What do you say?"

[RocketLord]

"I agree." Pan had moved, hovering by Nicole and her wonderful armor. The soul was too precious to be lost to one such as the beast before them, and he would not let it come to that. His Pixie Dust seemed to glow greater than ever, as he held his hands out towards her. He was sure that Nicole had some plan here, beyond just trading her services. "Just look at this magnificent piece of magical armor? A tool crafted by its maker must be worth much more to you than the likes of four souls, one even so tainted that he would sell out his friends for something as fleeting as power!"

 

Pan paused a moment, eyeing Mike, taking just a little bit of pleasure in him being silenced by the tongue around him. And he realized that he was perhaps not the only trickster here, and Nicole's offer had been very broad.

 

"Of course, there must be some rules. A contract, if you will!" He could not simply let Nicole be caught up in a task that would spend her entire mortal life, could he now?

[Cubismo]

Baal's broad grin didn't leave his monstrous face. He was starting to like these clever children. 

 

"You speak truth, the both of you. A few extras souls wouldn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of but add a few more pawns to the Great Cressboard in Hell." 

 

Baal's admission made Mike relax if only a little in the demon's grip. His next words though made him try to cry out again. 

 

"You're armor is quite impressive. Yeeeessssss. I can smell the arcane power coming off of it. Having something of a similar make at my disposable would be fine addition to my war crest. Besides," He gave Mike a knowing sideways glance, "Even without direct ownership of their souls chances are the fools who summoned me will be damned to Hell for their stupidity anyway, especially this failure."

 

He laughed at Mike's flailing before returning his focus to the three heroes before him.

 

"I am willing to agree with your proposal. An item of your own design, a spear or a suit of armor for one of my champions would be preferable, for the freedom of four human souls. BUT! I'm going to need a bit more assurance that whatever item you create for me won't be somesort of dud or trap at my expense. I believe the most prudent way to do that would be with a contract as a your fey friend suggested. 

 

A long contract form made out of some type of hide immediately appeared in Salvo's hands along with a quill. 

 

"By signing that contract you will hereby promise that your weapon will serve to make a difference in the Great Wars in Hell. If it does not or proves faulty in anyway you forfeit your soul and that your companions to me. Rather fair if I do say so myself.

 

 

[RocketLord]

Pan held up his finger, as a child that wanted to get the teacher's attention. "Excuse me! Before there are any signing to be done, I do believe that the the signing person, in this case Salvo here, should have the chance to properly read a contract, while discussing the matters of the contract with their representative, which would in this case be myself and Gauss." He made a quick bow while standing in mid-air, a devilish grin playing over his lips before he continued. "And of course, we must have privacy to discuss these matters! And make any amendments to the contract, if we find ourselves disagreeing! It is only fair, if you are to be given a powerful artifact that can make a difference in hell, then we must be able to make the proper preparations and make sure that we can live up to our end of the deal. In privacy, of course."

 

He could already see glaring holes in the contract as it was spoken, even if not in the written one. All depended on the wording. And if nothing else, then perhaps Pan could use Baal's own words against him, if they were to rewrite the contract.

[Cubismo]

The colossal demon would have preferred for the heroes to accept the deal right on the spot, but Forever Boy was right that Infernal protocol demanded that all possible signatories be given time to read the contract in full and truly understand what they were bargaining with and potentially losing if they didn't fulfill the contract's terms. 

 

Still, he was none to happy about it. Nor was he happy that he was still to weak from his summoning to read their minds. That would made this negotiation far more easier but alas that option was not available.

 

One of his heads made a low growl of contempt while another made his thoughts known. "Fine, fine," he bellowed. "Have your time if you need it but I assure that this deal is the best you can get given the circumstances."

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Salvo

 

It was done.

 

Salvo held the contract that would free the four souls and though her fingers were clumsy and thick as wrapped in steel as they were the quill was somehow held easily in her hand. The tip hovered over the signature line and she was about to put ink to leather when Pan's objections rang through the cavern, stopping her hand midair.

 

Pan was right. Her hand was as still as a rock, but her breathing quickened as she realized what she had been about to do. Signing a contract from the devil as blase as she was about to was the quickest way to damn your soul to Hell. She didn't know what she was thinking. It felt like a matter of hours as she pulled back the quill from the parchment, and only then did she realize she was holding her breath.

 

Then she descended to the ground so that Pan and Selena could read Baal's terms.

 

She had read the contract twice already and was churning its words a third time as they came to her. She offered no resistance as they took the parchment from her.

 

"Forever Boy. Gauss," she said, voice low, after they had time to read it. Her hands balled into fists and she glared at them from her visor. "My soul is no guarantee for my work. My skills speak for themselves."

 

And she told them of the terms and conditions as stated in the contract. Convoluted as they were, they could be pared down to simple words. Four weak souls was worth a dozen times less than any magical artifact she could create. And her soul was collateral if her artifact could not meet Baal's expectations. The latter clause was the most damning of the whole contract.

 

What defined a difference in the countless Wars of Hell? What would ensure Baal did not use the artifact in bad faith in order to claim her soul?

 

This were questions that ran through Salvo's head and she relayed them to her companions.

 

"This is low," she said at last, exasperated of this whole debacle and she showed it with every word. "This is low even for a demon with a fraction of Baal's status in the Circles of Hell. Like-- like Veronica or Ajasoro fighting a bum for that last half-eaten piece of burger in the dumpster low. I can't believe this is what it stooped to, scrapping for my soul even if-- I don't believe in God-- but that isn't one of their metrics for souls ready for Hell. My soul is like that half-eaten burger but," and she jabbed a finger Mike's way. "His and his posse's souls are the l'aperitif, hors d'oeuvres, and the main dish rolled into one."

 

She shook her head. "Baal couldn't take theirs so now it wants mine. Disgusting and desperate and if every damned self-styled Lord of Hell could see this too they'd agree with me before attacking Baal for showing weakness."

Edited March 15, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue

[RocketLord]

At least Nicole backed down from signing the contract in one fell swoop, actually thinking it through a bit more. Good, great! Whatever troubles the two of them had from their past encounter, Pan did not wish to see her in a bad contract with a devil like Baal. No, that would be a most horrible fate. 

 

Pan listened intently, more focused than either of his fellow students had seen him yet. He read through the contract. There had to be something, some loophole, something they could exploit to turn the contract back on Baal. The weapon that Nicole were to make had to make a difference? Did it say anything about in what way? Weakening Baal's forces would be a difference, would it not? But of course he had clauses for that. Yes, Baal was good. A true trickster, it seemed. Pan had managed to speak fast and smart enough to give the devil pause so far, but this contract seemed ironclad. Nothing that could be done without making serious amendments, and he doubted that Baal would accept any of that. 

 

And then a light was lit, an idea was formed, as Nicole relayed her concerns. It was low. And Baal was supposed to be anything but low, was he not? He was not something like the three beasts that they had so easily dispatched, he was something much more. And he had pride, and he had peers, and they could see weakness, and according to Nicole, weakness was just what Baal was showing right now. His idea was half-formed by now, but rapidly growing. But he would need to know more. Just a little bit more.

 

"Demons are prideful, and hide their weakness, then. I imagine there is lots of competition in Hell, and Baal is aiming to gain ground? I say we play to that desperation. No deal, we do not need it." If he was alone, Pan would have tried already, but he wanted to be sure. He was not alone, after all, and was that not a wonderful thing? "Tell me, who would come for Baal, and who could reach them? Anything that can be used, anything you know. Then I will scream and shout, if that is what it comes to. He will not take anyone here."

Edited March 19, 2019 by RocketLord

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Salvo

 

She stared at him as Pan unveiled his master plan and when the Forever Boy was done she continued staring for what seemed like minutes of dead silence but was merely a few seconds. Then finally she moved, carefully tapping the Forever Boy on the shoulder with a armored hand.

 

"Souls are on the line, my soul is on the line, but I'm trusting you on this."

 

He couldn't see her smile but she was as she gave him a dossier of Hell's biggest and baddest, specifically those she thought would be sufficient to scare Baal. She spared no expense, gave every gory detail she could remember reading from dusty treatises she had traded for, translated tomes she had downloaded to her desktop, rumors from occultists and arcane practitioners who had greater exposure than her, even the snippets from her occasional summoning of lesser devils, imps, and demons of the Infernal realms.

 

"... And don't forget that Asmodeus is one of the Seven Kings of Hell, just a bit under Baal if we were to average the many hierarchies in Hell. It represents Lust where Baal here does for gluttony.  And if we were to go by the European courts as summarized in the Dictionnaire Infernal, it's a superintendant of gambling houses. I don't know what you need that for but there it is. If it were to be drawn here then it would be because of Mike's lust for power and the lust Indigo team had in their hearts. I wouldn't doubt there'd be more lust going around if it finds out what Baal's stooping to, except this time it'd be lust to see Baal tumble in Hell."

 

Then Salvo stopped just as suddenly as she had began. She glanced to where Baal was then back to Pan. "You got it all?" She asked him.

[RocketLord]

Wait. Nicole was touching him. A hand on his shoulder, even one in armor. Pan looked at it. Given their previous interactions, this was surprising, to say the least. He had expected that she would shoot down his idea, find some other way of solving the problem, but no. She trusted him on this, trusted him with her very soul.

 

Pan swallowed hard as he listened intensely. He was more focused than they had ever seen him. Hierachies of Hell, Seven Kings, demons of lust and gluttony and pride and what ever else. Nicole put it well. Baal was being desperate, trying something like this. That was good, something to work with, something that already scared him, demon lord or not. 

 

He was silent for a moment, as Nicole stopped and asked him if he got all that. 

 

Pan smiled as he stood up, the contract for Nicole's work and soul folded in his hand. He smiled as he approached Baal, glowing Pixie Dust falling behind him as he flew up to the demon's height, and held out the contract.

 

"Now, now, I must say, I am not sure what I was expecting, my dear Baal, but not this!" He gestured to the contract in his right hand with his left. "Did you not hear who we are? Did you not understand what we can do? Are you really this desperate, to lower yourself to a gamble like this? This? There is nothing fair, no equal trade. Four souls such as these, for a weapon such as what you demand of Salvo? You must be weak to expect something like that."

 

He paused, raising the contract up, letting it unfold. A hand on each side, he ripped it apart with one swift pull. "No. Deal. You would gamble for souls, is that it? I know that Mike and his friends were already calling for Asmodeus, but now you are just making it easy for him to come, are you not? Lust and gambling, that all sounds right up his alley. He is the lord of lust, the superintendant of gambling houses, is he not? Pan's lips split into a devillish grin to rival that of any of Baal's faces, as he lets the two pieces of the contract fall to the ground below. "Is that a gamble that you are willing to take for four insignificant souls, Baal? Asmodeus must already be knocking on the door... Do you want us to open it?" 

[Cubismo]

It wasn't everyday that someone got to see a Prince of Hell furious, and those who did rarely got the opportunity to speak of it, but this night was filled with many uncommon and downright strange occurrences. Two of Baal's heads revealed their razor teeth. He hissed with one and gritted his teeth with the other. The sounds of his anger created a discordant cacophony of hissing, growling and screeching that made the very roof of the cavern shake and dislodge a couple of stones. 

 

That's when he moved. For a spiderlegged abomination with three oversized heads Baal could move with impressive speed that left the three heroes offguard for a second before they rose to attention and readied their weapons and powers. But Baal did not strike. He simply glowered at the trio with six eyes so filled with hate and venom that they literally started to burn in his skulls. "YOU PATHETIC FEY STRIPLING!  YOU DARE TRY TO THREATEN ME. ME! BAAL OF THE SEVEN. BAAL OF THE EAST. BAAL OF THE SIXTY-SIX LEGIONS. I AM A GOD, BOY. SECOND ONLY TO THE FALLEN. YOU HONESTLY THINK YOU COULD BLACKMAIL ONE SUCH AS I!" The demon lord huffed and bellowed, his eyes never leaving the heroes and his form almost right on top of them. 

 

It was an impressive performance. Not that it mattered. Pan was right and Baal knew that. It was entirely possible that Asmodeus could have caught wind of the attempted succubus summoning despite Mike's manipulations and if that was the case he would definitely wish to know who had cheated him. Baal could not let that happen. If Asmodeus learned what had transpired this time it would inevitably mean that he would learn of his recent losses in the endless wars in Hell. The thought filled the demon lord with dread and fear, so much so, that the tongue holding Mike tightened. Baal heard Mike's desperate squirms for release and with a contemptuous glare and a careless throw he did just that, tossing him aside to the feet of the heroes.

 

"TAKE THAT TRAITOROUS WORM. HE IS WORSE THAN USELESS AND HIS SQUEALING SICKENS ME." Baal did not stop there. With his toad head finally free, all threestarted to suddenly gag and choke. Salvo, Forever Boy and Gauss prepared for an attack but it was unnecessary. Instead of fire, acid or lightning, three boys were suddenly puked up from the head and spat out besides Mike. All three boys were unconscious and breathing slightly. "TAKE THOSE REVOLTING PAUPERS AS WELL. THEY'RE SOULS AREN'T WORTH THE EFFORT. CALLOW AND PERVERSE AS THEY ARE."

 

Baal was done here. The risks to remaining was too high and even trying to kill these youths out of spite wasn't an option. Still, he refused to go with his dignity completely torn asunder. "YOU PETULANT MORTALS THINK YOURSELVES CLEVER BUT YOU ARE DAMNED. YOU HAVE MADE ME YOUR ENEMY TODAY AND I AM RELENTLESS IN MY VENGEANCE. THIS SCHOLOMANCE ISN'T AS PURE AS YOU THINK, CHILDREN. THEY'RE ARE OTHERS JUST LIKE MICHAEL WHO WILL SERVICE ME IF TEMPTED. TRUST CAREFULLY, CHILDREN. FOR YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHO IS FRIEND AND WHO IS FOE HERE."  And with that Baal vanished in a torrent of flame and brimstone that temporarily filled the room with red, hot light. Where he once stood there was nothing but a massive crater with tiny embers to show that the demon was ever there to begin. 

 

Mike ungracefully got up to his feet and started desperately to suck in air after so long without it. After catching his breath he instinctively looked back behind him, as if to make sure that Baal was really gone and just wasn't playing a trick on him and the others. When he felt assured that wasn't the case he shamelessly looked back to his saviors and started to lie.

 

"I'm free at last!" he said, shaking his head theatrically. "I was totally under Baal's control the whole time! He must have possessed me weeks ago so he could plan this entire night! If not for you guys everything would have..." Mike stopped when he realized that they buying absolutely none of it.

 

"I'm in a lot of trouble ain't I." It wasn't a question.

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Salvo

 

Pan had flown towards Baal leaving Salvo on the ground, yet what the Forever Boy had said echoed throughout the cavern. She heard his boasts, watched as Baal increasingly became more incensed until she thought it would swat Forever Boy out of the air right there and then. Heads twisting, eyes twitching in rage, Salvo catapulted to Forever Boy's side, her weapon systems loaded and primed to fire.

 

"Damn it. Damn you," she spat, glaring at the Forever Boy through her visor. "Do you want to know how quick a demon-avatar could take our souls? I thought you could do it but you messed up big time and I'll have to clean it after, assuming we're even still in this realm."

 

This was not the result she had wanted. She had needed a tamed Baal, needed it running back to Hell with its tail between its hideous legs. Her fault for thinking the immortal thief would have been up to the task. Baal charged forward faster than she had expected something of its size to and she only barely managed to bring her arms up in time.

 

Her fingers were on the triggers, energy pulsing violently within their chambers, straining to be unleashed, when Baal stopped right in front of them. Its orifices were on fire and its scars and caricature-like features made it ugly, and Salvo could see it all as three voices roared in unison. Her ears rang at the volume but she knew defeat when she saw one and she flew backwards, lowering her weapons carefully though her eyes looked for any hint of deception.

 

Then Baal was gone, leaving her and Pan and three unconscious boys. Yet Salvo only had eyes on one pathetic excuse of a person.

 

She crashed into the ground in front of Mike, sending the boy toppling into his ass as dirt showered on him. She loomed over him, a shadow falling over her imposing form.

 

"Why don't you guess, little boy," she said, grabbing his hair with fingers of steel and pulling him up. His toes barely scraped the ground and pieces of his hair tore as he struggled against Salvo's grip. "Stupidity I can handle. All your three friends are stupid but they'll learn their lesson soon enough. But stupidity and malice? That's another story. Because of you we'll never be free of Baal but I can do something about you."

 

She glanced at Forever Boy before throwing Mike to Pan's feet. "But first you're going to thank him. You're going to kiss the ground and mean it because trust me when I say dying a thousand times is better than what Baal had in store for you at the end of the deal you made."

 

Then she stopped her tirade against Mike and instead turned her gaze to Forever Boy. She crossed her arms and he could hear her armor's exhausts let off steam in what seemed like a mechanical sigh. "So maybe you had it in you all along to get the oversized spider to scurry back to its lair. My soul's still intact and with me so that's nice. But we have this whole mess to clean and I'm not handling any of these asshats with baby gloves."

Edited March 31, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue

[RocketLord]

Pan stood firm in the air, simply crossing his arms before his chest, his lips remaining split into a devilish grin. Show no fear. Show no hesitation. Do not waver in resolve, or in confidence. The few tricks and rules that had gotten him this far, that had granted him his unwavering confidence, even as Nicole cursed him from his side. He did not turn to look at her, not yet at least. The battle was not yet lost, and the demon had yet to attack. Salvo was too hasty in defeat, had too little faith in him. He could hardly blame her, given their past encounter, but then again, she knew nothing of who he was. He just smiled, staring straight into the eyes of Baal.

 

He quite literally spit up the three that had been captured, and cursed them once more, declaring that they had made an enemy on this day. Before the demon disappeared, Pan bowed to the demon from his position in mid-air, his head held high and his eyes fixed on the demon. "And the traitors do appear, we will tell them of this day, and what happened here, and perhaps they will wonder who to fear the most: Baal, or the ones that made him run?"

 

And then the demon was gone, and Mike was shouting and singing their praises and doing a very bad job at lying. While Nicole was quick to land and pull Mike up by the hair, Pan descended in a slower motion, eventually hovering just a foot above the ground, his arms crossed as he looked down at Nicole, not really acknowledging Mike or his friends quite yet. "Well, you did tell me that you trusted me. I could hardly let you down after such a rousing vote of confidence." He was happily smiling. Pan honestly wasn't sure if he had ever pulled a trick like this before, or if he would be able to again. With a frown, he turned his attention to Mike and his friends. "As those three and the would-be traitor... No, I quite agree. No need for any baby gloves." His eyes were glaring daggers at Mike. He was not one to get physically rough, like Nicole was proving at the moment, but he was not about to let them off the hook either. "Do you even understand what you have done? Not your friends, they were merely fools that trusted you. Mere pawns. You were the catalyst for all this, for bringing a demon to this place. What did you honestly think would happen? That no one would notice? I believe you are lucky that it is just the three of us here. No matter what punishment Nicole is thinking of, it will be light compared to what the teachers will do." No, he did quite agree with Nicole on this one. He might be friendly, and might often play the fool, but he saw no need with Mike.

[Heritage]

"Sounds like we got here right one time!" The others turned to see Lulu, still in her Ginny Weasley costume, standing beaming with her arms crossed in front of a group of very angry-looking Claremont faculty. The redheaded telepath did a quick scan of the remaining three members of the Cabal of Idiots, and determined that while none of them were dead (thank God), one of them would soon wish he was. She held out her wand and pointed it right at Mike Carpenter. "There's our boy; Expelliarmus! And ahm guessing 'jail-timeus' to boot, you stupid sumb- uh, dummy!"

 

She approached her classmates, looking somewhat apologetic. "Sorry it took me so long to show up with the cavarly; ah reached out to Headmistress Summers with my mind as fast as ah could, but it took us a while to follow your tracks, Nicole. Y'all alright?"

[Cubismo]

The cavalry Crystal-Gazer brought worked fast and methodically. Baal may have been gone but the wards were still severely damaged and needed to repaired before another unwelcome visitor attempted to gain entrance into the school. Powerful abjuration spells were woven and cast to reinforce the weakened magical barriers that protected Claremont while fresh wards were put in place to replace the ones that had failed altogether. Healers, both magical and mundane, rushed forward and attended the three prone members of the Indigo Team. They were in bad condition, spiritually and physically, but at least in regard to the latter they were stabilized and quickly moved out of the cavernous Underbelly for further medical treatment. 

 

As for the three heroes of the day, they told Crystal-Gazer and several of Claremont's senior staff their story, up to and including their final cutthroat "negotiations" with Baal. When they reached the part that mentioned Mike's betrayal of both them and his own intramural team, the boy literally fell to the ground before the crowd and started openly weep before them. Mike made a dozen different excuses for his actions with the span of a minute, blaming everyone and everything from his family to his powers to a recent break up. Claremont's teachers were hired apparently for their patience and compassion but they didn't buy Mike's insincere whining anymore than Forever Boy, Salvo or Gauss had. When it became clear once again that no one was listening to his lies, Mike slumped down into defeat. Forever Boy and Salvo were right about him. With his head bowed down in shame, the self-proclaimed Prince of Claremont was taken away by two members of the faculty, his hands cuffed and his powers sealed away by binding spells. It was over. He was over.

 

With Mike dealt with and in custody the trio were finally given their well deserved praise. While  some of the teachers were more than a little concerned that they had gone off to fight a demon lord by themselves without immediately trying to find one of the few remaining adult staff on campus, none of them could argue that hadn't dealt with the situation extraordinarily well and far and way beyond their expectations. They'd be a longer debriefing of course, and all of them would have to be vetted by on-call warlocks and daemonologists to ensure that none of them had been corrupted by Baal's presence, but beside that unpleasantness they were heroes of the evening!

 

As all four finally left the cavern with their heads held high a concerning thought couldn't help but come into their minds. What if Baal was right? What if there other students like Mike who would be willing to sell out their classmates for power and importance? Demons lie. That was obvious, but if Mike and the rest of the Indigo Team could be tempted was it too ridiculous to assume there were others just like them waiting for their chance at power? If that was the case, they'd be ready for it. That was the hope anyway...

 

- Fin