The Raven Part 5: Hell On Earth

Chapter 14

Jake had managed to sit himself up against the wall. Dorothy had thrown Pam against it shortly after receiving some seemingly troubling news from her radio. He looked over at his friend to see her fighting back tears of disgust and hopelessness. The torment he'd been put through paled in comparison to what Dorothy had put her through. He'd been on the receiving end of the disgusting devil's cruelty before, and he knew how badly she must have been shaken up. At least Beth and Alexis were here, and by the sound of things they were causing a fair amount of mayhem up above.

He sighed as he leaned back. He was sore all over. Analise and Cherrie had been rough with him, and even by his standards it was almost too much. "Trouble, my love?" he heard a familiar voice ask, "Surely you didn't think I'd leave you to your own devices, did you?"

He looked up to see a shimmering image of Ashley standing above him. Despite the pain and peril of their situation, he smiled up at her, "I'm sick of playing the waiting game," he said, "Seems like that's all I do these days is wait for somebody to save me."

She walked over to him and knelt in front of him, "Perhaps for now, but you need to bide your time and rest, Jake," she said softly, "The time is coming for you to act. I don't imagine Rebecca will be pleased when you return and she discovers what you've done here. Dealing with demons is not wise, love, but I know you did what you felt you had to to save your friends."

"We've gotta get out of this place first," he said, "I can only fight one battle at a time, Ash."

"I know, and I know you'll be spectacular when the time comes," she said, "Beth will come, and when she does you need to be ready to fight. If you three have any hope of besting Dorothy, then you have to work together as one."

"I know," he said, "She's got to deal with Cherrie and Analise first, though."

"She nearly killed the two of them in the tunnels," she reminded him, "She will be able to handle them. I'd seen Pam's passion for Beth back in your world, but I hadn't realized the extent of Beth's back then. I believe her when she says that she'd fight the forces of Hell for the two of you now."

"Can't imagine what she'd be like if she weren't so pissed at us," he joked.

"She's forgiven you both," Ashley corrected, "She thinks you're idiots, rightfully so, but she has moved well past her blind hatred. That girl is like a fire in many ways. Her temper and rage make her fierce and reckless, but behind all that danger is a subtle beauty and passion that is unlike any other. I've seen it a handful of times in my long life, and people like that are hard to keep down. When the people she cares about are in danger, nothing short of death will stand in her way. Pull yourself together, and be there for Pamela until she arrives. You two must be ready when the time comes."

"Jake, could you please stop talking to yourself?" Pam croaked.

Ashley smiled over at her before turning back to him, "I'll be with you every step of the way, my love. Just remain strong."

He watched as she began to fade into nothingness, but he could still feel her comforting presence deep within him. He turned to look at Pam, "Sorry about that, Pam, Ashley paid me a visit."

"What did she say?" Pam asked, looking for any topic to distract her from the despair and disappointment that weighed on her.

"She told me that Beth is coming," he replied, "She said we need to focus on testing until she gets here. Once Beth arrives, we need to be ready to kick Dorothy's swampy ass once and for all."

"So wait and do nothing," Pam said, "Are you sure you aren't simply hallucinating due to the extreme torture you've been put through?"

"For once, I'm positive," he replied, "Dorothy is frazzled by whatever is happening upstairs, and I've fought enough villains to know that that's when they're most prone to making a mistake. We just have to wait it out until Beth gets here. We bide our time, save our strength, and jump in when the time is right."

"I can't decide if your optimism is endearing or annoying," she said, cracking a smile for the first time since they'd been captured, "In any case, I don't see much of a choice in the matter. I was going to try to channel my power to check in on Beth, but if you're that confident that she's on her way, then I'll hold off for the time being. I only hope she not only survives those two wretched harpies, but that she thoroughly shatters their very souls. They need to pay for their betrayal, and their arrogance needs to be thoroughly brought to an end."

"I caught a glimpse of Cherrie's face when Beth unleashed that attack," Jake said, "You were right when you said they were afraid. Surprised, yeah, but they underestimated her. Heh, our fate is in the hands of The Feral once again."

"Indeed," Pam said, "She's come through before, and I think she'll do it again. For now, I suppose we just wait it out."

Jake nodded and leaned his head back against the wall. He was sick of waiting, but he trusted Ashley's words. He didn't understand it, but if she said his time was coming then he believed her. "Be patient, my love, the time for action is fast approaching," he heard her voice in his head.

Beth was surprised at the lack of resistance she encountered as she barreled through the halls. The few who foolishly approached her were quickly put down, but most of them seemed more intent on avoiding her. They were either afraid, or they were going after Alexis. Whatever the case, it made her trip considerably easier. Her senses felt heightened as she raced through the halls in search of the elevator. Whether it was the sword or the adrenaline, she couldn't say for certain. All she knew was that it felt good. What she didn't know was that she was emitting a faint aura that sent chills down the spines of any demons that got close to her.

She found the double doors to the large elevator, and she was about to pry them open when they suddenly dinged. She struck a fighting pose as the doors opened to reveal three large demons standing in the small chamber. She rolled her eyes at her luck, but drew her pistol and opened fire. She killed one of them, but the other two managed to avoid her gunshots. The dull click of her handgun caused her to swear and throw it at one of the demons. She charged in after it, pressed the door close button, and quickly launched into an attack. Her pistol hit the face of one of the demons, and she ran up his bent knee before twisting into an enziguri. Her knee hit the side of his head, and she twisted in the air to land on her feet.

The doors closed as she landed, and she quickly hit the button labeled B4 with the pommel of her sword before refocusing on her two opponents. The one she'd hit with her gun and knee was recovering, and the other was too close for her liking. She stepped out of the way of a clawed swipe from the untouched demon, and quickly moved behind him. She ran towards the elevator wall, jumped, and kicked off of it to increase her momentum as she drove her sheathed sword into his jaw. He roared in pain upon impact, and the other demon promptly tried to attack her without hesitation. She spun her sword to deflect and redirect his attack, unsheathed it and struck the second one with the pommel of her sword, and then drove the end of her scabbard into the other demon's midsection.

The two demons started to enter a rage induced frenzy after failing to land a single attack on Beth and receiving several blows from her. Their speed increased, but due to the confined space of the elevator they were limited in their movements. Amazingly, Beth managed to keep up with their movements with ease. She dodged one overhead swing from one, and threw her head back to knock him off balance. He quickly wrapped his arms around her small frame to hold her for his comrade, but she threw herself backwards and kicked the other one square in the face. With a mighty leap, she pushed herself up and above the one trying to hold onto her and slipped out of his grip. She landed on his shoulders, unsheathed her sword with blinding speed, and sliced his head off. She kicked off of him and sent his body falling into his teammate. She twirled in the air with her blade spinning with her and sliced the other's body multiple times.

She landed and let out a slow exhale as she brought her sword back to its scabbard. The clink it made caused an echo that left the demon falling to pieces and gasping in disbelief. She bent down and picked up her pistol, reloaded it, and holstered it before waiting for the doors to open. "Waste of my damn time," she muttered to herself as she watched the floors slowly tick by.

She waited for the doors to open and more demons to rush in, but it never happened. Instead, the number continued to tick by as the elevator kept moving. Finally, the doors opened at her destination. She stepped out into a massive hallway with ceilings higher than she could see. Ominous torches with strange green flames were the only light source in the entire chamber. How long it was, she couldn't say, but this had to be the way to The Well. She stepped out and walked down the hallway. She would have tan, but she could feel eyes on her as she traversed the expansive corridor. Cherrie and Analise were here, and they were waiting for her to drop her guard.

She made it halfway through the dark corridor before she heard a familiar and sinister giggle. She stopped and looked behind her just as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She rolled out of the way as Analise tried to surprise her with a hook to the back, and she drew her sword in a furious swing that forced the demoness back. "Well, well, the where's toy did make it to us," Analise mocked, "I had hoped that you'd fall before finding your way here. I was looking forward to fucking that bitch's pretty mouth when you arrived, and I had just finished pounding your little boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," Beth corrected with a stern glare, "And if you know what's good for you, you'll shut your mouth and stand down. One chance to surrender, that's all the two of you get."

Cherrie's laughter echoed through the corridor as she materialized from the ground, "The little girl thinks that she stands a chance, sister. Such a naive little toy you are. You're all alone now, and you should be smart and beg to be my plaything. Maybe if you do, I'll show you some mercy. Jakey was lucky enough to suck up most of my gas, but my toes need a good cleaning. From what I hear, you're pretty good at that."

"From what I remember, the two of you ran from our last fight," Beth said coldly, "I'm not the begging type, just ask my girlfriend. If you're not gonna back down, then let's get this over with. I'll make the two of you submit."

"Oh, such big talk from such a little girl," Analise chided, "A submissive slut is going to make us submit, how original. We'll break you, girl, just like we did with your little friend."

"Shut up!" Beth roared as she swung her sword and released a surprising energy wave that Analise barely dodged, "I'll kill you both where you stand!"

"That was unexpected," Cherrie said to her sister as she landed beside her, "Since when can she do that?"

"I don't know, I had thought it was a one off last time, but it doesn't matter," Analise grumbled, "We're still more than capable of handling her ourselves!"

Beth returned her sword to its scabbard and took a wide stance. She could feel the energy from her blade mixing with her own, and once again she felt the world around her begin to slow. Analise rocketed towards her with both of her blades drawn, but Beth could see her plain as day. She stepped back out of the way of a fast swing, sidestepped to avoid the next one, and backflipped to avoid a dual slice from Analise. Analise growled in frustration, but while she was attacking, Cherrie was rising into the air and charging herself. Being in such close proximity to The Well of Souls meant she had an overabundance of power now. Analise merely needed to keep Beth busy while she powered up for her own attacks.

"Stand still, you miserable little bitch!" Analise screamed as she continued to swing and miss.

"What's wrong?" Beth mocked as she continued evading, "Do I need to slow down for you?"

Analise snarled as she lunged forward and missed once again. Beth swung her sword, still sheathed, and smacked Analise in the back with her scabbard. Analise was knocked forward, but she quickly spun around to glare at Beth. She brought her curved blades up just in time to block a surprise attack from Beth, and she pushed back against the weight of the blade to try to throw Beth off balance. Beth expected the move and spun her sword back before moving into an upward slice that Analise barely managed to dodge. Furious, Analise began an all out assault on Beth. She swung her blades hard and fast, but Beth managed to dodge and deflect each attack.

The two girls were locked in an intense battle. Beth held her own against the demonic whirlwind that Analise had turned into. Every stab, swipe, and swing that Analise threw she easily dodged and deflected. She saw an opening during one particularly wild swing, and moved in to parry and counter. Analise swiped at an upward angle, and Beth caught the strike with her scabbard before quickly unsheathing her sword and attempting to slice the demoness in half. To her shock, her blade phased through the demoness as she shimmered and faded away. Her instincts told her to turn around, and she did so just in time to block a hooked charge from Analise that sent her sliding backwards.

"You look surprised, girl," Analise said with a wicked grin, "Surely you didn't think it would be that easy, did you? I may not have Cherrie's affinity for manipulating souls, but I am the most skilled of my sisters in combat. Mother created me for one purpose: to kill anyone foolish enough to engage with us in battle. I let my guard down for you to strike me earlier, but I won't be making that mistake again. You've got some skill, for a human, but you're still just prey. You're weak, and I intend to show you just how outclassed you truly are by the end of this!"

Beth glared at the taunting demoness as she rolled her shoulders to release the tension building up in them. She'd have to be more careful with her attacks now. Without a word, she rushed forward to attack. Analise blocked her horizontal swing, but Beth had been counting on it and spun the blade in her hand to follow-up with another attack. Analise blocked the next attack, a spinning back slash, and kicked Beth in the stomach to knock her away. The kick was an insult and an attempt to rile Beth up, she knew that, but she resisted the urge to lash out. Instead, she leaned into the disciplined call of her sword and the teachings of her mistress. She waited for Analise to come to her. She'd stand here as long as it took, and she positioned her hand just above the hilt of her sword in anticipation.

"Good, wait and watch," she heard the spirit of Sborra speak, "Her overconfidence will be her undoing, but don't forget about the other one. You are fighting two, and this one may be simply buying time for the other one."

She tried to glance over at Cherrie, but Analise charged forward, "You're fighting me, girl!" she screamed as she tried to dig her blades into Beth's shoulders, "Eyes on your target, you filthy monkey!"

Beth turned her focus back to Analise. The insults were beginning to wear on her nerves, and so she stepped back, angled her body, and parried another of the sadistic demoness' blades before trying to counter once again. Just as before, Analise's body turned to smoke just as her blade made contact with her body, but Beth was ready for her this time. She spun around, raised her scabbard to parry Analise's surprise attack, and slashed at her face. Analise disappeared once again, but this time she appeared further back from Beth. She glared at her and Beth grinned as she taunted, "I thought you said you were unmatched in combat. Is that a cut I see on that ugly face of yours?"

"Ugh, lucky little mortal!" Analise shrieked, "Let's see you keep up with this!"

There was something different in the air all of a sudden. It felt almost electric as Analise disappeared once again. She appeared next to Beth and swung at her, but Beth managed to block the attack once again. She suddenly vanished again, only to reappear at Beth's back and land a blow that cut through her coat. Beth winced as she felt the cold steel rake across her skin, and she spun around and tried to swing at Analise but she disappeared once again. She felt another blade slice her calf. She kept trying to pinpoint where Analise would be next, but time and again she failed and received cut after cut. Her arms, legs, and back were cut again and again. If she didn't do something soon, she'd end up in ribbons and unable to save Jake and Pam.

"Fool!" Sborra's voice boomed in her head, "Anticipate, feel the shift in the air before she appears, and cut her when she appears!"

"What's wrong, little girl?" Analise's voice echoed around the room, "You don't look so good! Maybe you should have considered this before waging a war against your betters!"

Beth took a deep breath, sheathed her sword, and closed her eyes. She blocked out the stench of decay that drifted around the corridor, and instead focused on the air around her. She could do this, she just needed to focus. Slowing her breathing down, she stood there and waited for some sign of Analise's next attack. A faint gust of air from behind her, and she stepped to the side just in time to avoid another slash from the crazed demoness. That was the tell, the slight breeze from her movements. All she had to do was time her attack for the second she felt it! It came again, this time at her left flank, and she quickly drew her sword to meet Analise's strike.

"What?!" Analise shrieked, shocked that Beth had managed to block her attack, "How?!"

She disappeared again, and Beth felt the wind shift in the air tight corridor to her right. She spun around and blocked a second time, locking her blade with Analise's. She leaned in and said, "Still think you're better than me? I've got your little trick figured out now."

"Arrogant little shit, aren't you?!" Analise growled as she disappeared once again.

Now that Beth could sense where Analise was going to appear, the two were once again evenly matched. Beth continued to block her attacks, and after a moment of defending against Analise, she found an opening by parrying and she quickly capitalized by switching hands and slicing at Analise's face. Analise pulled back just in time to avoid having her throat slit, but the blade had cut across her cheek. Blood trickled out of the open wound and ran down her cheek. She glared at Beth, outraged that a mere mortal could land a blow on her like she had. She was one of the few chosen by Lilith, she was born from the essence of the former queen of Hell! No mortal should have been able to touch her, let alone wound her like this.

Beth waited for Analise to attack, but after a moment of watching her stand there and sweat, she decides to move in for herself. She was nearly there when a sudden blast of energy hit in the side and knocked her off balance. She recovered, but the place she'd been hit burned. She looked up to see Cherrie grinning wickedly as a torrent of screaming souls swam through the air around her. She'd been so focused on fighting Analise that she'd failed to notice the mad girl building up power. The air around her crackled with electricity, and she saw Analise give her a devilish smile. She'd merely been buying time for this moment. It hadn't been about winning, it had been about distracting her from her sister!

"Now you're starting to get it," Analise said with a dark chuckle, "I admit, you surprised me with your skill, but you're nothing compared to the two of us. Cherrie has been channeling the entire time we were fighting just in case you managed to get the upper hand. It never mattered if I beat you, girl, all that mattered was keeping you busy!"

"You're as thick as your little friends!" Cherrie cackled, "I'm going to enjoy playing with you and making them watch, or maybe we could make you watch while we play with them! That way you could see just what we have in store, watch them break, and get a good look at what we'll do to you!"

Beth's grip tightened around the handle of her sword. She had been careless, but that didn't mean she was finished, not by a long shot. "I'll be damned if I let either of you do anything to them!" she yelled.

"Too late," Analise mocked, "I filled your little friend's ass with my seed, and then I made him suck me clean before blowing a load down his throat! I'm gonna do the same thing to that little blonde whore too, and you're going to sit there and watch."

"You...you did what?" Beth breathed, her fists beginning to shake with rage.

"She fucked his cute little butt then his skull!" Cherrie clarified with a mad laugh, "I got to give him my gas and have him clean my ass, but sister is right. I'm excited to play with the blonde girl too! Magic users are always so tasty!"

"I'll kill you!" Beth screamed as something inside of her snapped and her aura suddenly exploded.

The shockwave of force surprised both Cherrie and Analise. It wasn't enough to knock them off their feet, but it did push the two of them backwards. "What's this?" Analise asked.

Beth's body started to glow a vibrant blue as a familiar figure took shape from her aura above her, "I invoke the name of Sborra of the Northwind! Give me the strength to banish these two back to the abyss from whence they came!"

"She's talking nonsense, sister!" Cherrie said, "Let's just finish her now, shall we?"

The air grew colder as the figure behind Beth grew into a full fledged outline of a warrior behind her. The massive figure mimicked her movements, but then something different happened. The figure dropped down into her, and the armor it wore became like some kind of energy shield around Beth. It existed over her clothes in an opaque blue, but she looked like a strange combination of an ancient samurai and her usual formidable self. Analise growled as she resumed her ferocious assault, and Cherrie began directing her souls to attack Beth. She shocked the both of them when she began batting away the souls with her sword and managed to keep Analise at bay. She met Analise's blades each time she tried to surprise her, and the souls she didn't cut through she dodged.

Beth couldn't fathom what was happening to her, but she felt like she and Sborra had somehow become one for a brief time. Every single one of her senses felt heightened, and she could sense the incoming projectiles as they raced toward her as well as Analise's seemingly random movements. She moved with a speed and grace that wasn't hers alone, but rather one that came with years of intensive training. She could feel a heat building within her sword with every attack she deflected, but something told her to let it grow. She parried, dodged, and cut her way through both of the demonic siblings' offense with ease that infuriated the two of them. She could see it on their faces, but moreover she could sense their growing agitation.

"Stay still, you naughty little girl!" Cherrie shrieked, "I can't play with you if I can't hit you!"

Beth paid her little mind as she kept up her defensive approach. Finally, she felt something tugging at her sword arm. She waited for Analise to be in front of Cherrie before she struck. With a simple parry, she created the opening she needed before releasing the energy stored within her sword. A calculated dash forward with blinding speed and a flurry of slashes created an odd grid of glowing light that shattered after hanging in the air for a second. Analise screamed as her arm was cut off, and Cherrie howled in pain as her own body was littered with cuts. She was forced to draw the souls back to her to mend her wounds, but she looked down at her sister who was in utter disbelief at the loss of her limb.

"Sister!" Cherrie screamed before glaring at Beth, "Bad girl, very bad girl! You're going to pay for that!"

"Come and get me, you ugly whore!" Beth returned in a strange dual toned voice.

Cherrie charged herself up until she was literally glowing an ominous black and green. She phased through the air and appeared in front of Beth with both bands extended out. Beth spun around her and elbowed her before slicing up her back just in time to avoid a massive blast of pure energy that shot out of her palms. Cherrie stepped forward, but the energy around her sealed the wound before it could start to bleed. She screamed as a shockwave of energy shot out, and Beth was forced to raise her guard to keep from getting blown away. The blast pushed her back, but the added armor kept her from taking extensive damage. Cherrie wasted no time in renewing her relentless assault.

She spun around and raced towards Beth in hopes of taking her by surprise. Beth was ready, however, and she met her energy based assault with her sword. Bursts of green lightning shot from Cherrie's hands as Beth did her best to fend them off. The arc of the lightning was almost impossible to completely deflect, though, and she found herself getting zapped several times. The touch of the lightning singed her clothes, but she refused to back down or show weakness in this fight. She swung her sword in an upward diagonal slice that forced Cherrie to back off for a second, and she felt compelled to bring the blade back to its sheath. She did just that and felt the beat quickly start to build up once again. She widened her stance, instinct taking over at this point, and just as Cherrie pounced on her she disappeared.

"What?!" Cherrie shrieked.

Beth appeared behind her and released the energy inside the sword. To Cherrie and Analise, it looked like she swung it and brought it back to its sheath, but as soon as it touched the scabbard a tremendous force appeared around Cherrie and caused her to scream out in pain. It was like a bubble of gravity had been multiplied a thousand times over atop her, and it took everything she had to keep from being crushed. She fell to one knee and glared up at Beth as she slowly approached. "It's over," Beth said, "You use the pain of others to protect yourself and attack, but you've been using it up to stay in the fight. That last attack wiped you out. Now I'm going to end you and your wretched sister."

"No," Cherrie panted, "I can still...fight! I won't lose to a toy!"

Beth placed the edge of her blade to Cherrie's throat and said, "You're through and you know it. Any last words?"

"I think that's enough," a familiar voice echoed around the three of them as an unseen force grabbed Beth and hurled her backwards, "This justice isn't yours to dole out, little one."

"That voice," Analise whispered, "No, it can't be! Kill us now, you pathetic coward!"

"Mother?" Cherrie whispered.

By the time Beth recovered, the visage of Lilith had already risen out of the ground. A pool of black flames at her feet as she stepped out to her full height. "I must say, I'm impressed by you, Beth," Lilith said as she walked over to her daughters, "When I learned that my own children had betrayed me, I thought our deal was as good as done. Yet, you've managed to best not one but two of my daughters. It seems that there is more to you than meets the eye."

"Out of my way," Beth said, "These two are mine. They need to pay for what they've done to the people I care about!"

"You're half right," Lilith said as she curled her fingers and lifted Beth into the air, "But they are not yours, dear girl, they are mine. They do need to be punished, but I will handle their punishment. Ask yourself, is it not better for them to suffer by my hand rather than to simply die by yours?"

"Not if you're just going to let them go again," Beth replied, "I put them down, and they won't be a problem for you or anyone else ever again."

"Ah, the narrow minded thinking of a human, how drole," Lilith chuckled, "Your answer is really quite irrelevant, in the end. I want them, I will have them, and there is nothing you can do to stop me. Besides, you have a bargain to keep. Last I checked, your friends are still in danger. Shouldn't you be more worried about saving them then these two little morsels?"

"Don't listen to her!" Analise argued, "Kill us, now!"

"You see?" Lilith asked, "Killing them would be giving them exactly what they want. You aren't the merciful type, from what I hear. Let me deal with these ungrateful little wretches."

"I'm not letting you have them!" Beth screamed as she charged towards Lilith with her sword raised.

Lilith frowned before she slowly started to clench her first. Beth suddenly felt an invisible force, like a powerful whirlwind, push against her. Lilith looked at her with mild interest before opening her hand and pushing it towards her. The force multiplied in a second, and all at once Beth found the protective barrier that around her stripped away to nothing. Her armor gone, Lilith lifted two of her fingers and Beth was flung into the air. All it took was a simple twist of her wrist, and Beth was slammed down to the ground, hard. She struggled to get to her feet, but she found herself lifted as an unseen force curled around her throat. She was suspended in the air and gagging as Lilith used her powers to choke her.

"That's too bad," Lilith said coldly, "You see, you really don't have a choice in the matter. You mortals pride yourselves on your freewill and purpose, but in the end you are all powerless in the face of true strength. Even Rebecca had to rely on me to overcome her own pathetic weaknesses. You all seek to become something more than you are, but in the end you all exist for one purpose: to serve and follow orders of being much more powerful than yourselves. You are nothing more than tools to be used by a master. Vessels floating in a void simply waiting for someone or something to give you purpose."

"Shut….up…." Beth managed to choke out.

"Defensive in the face of truth, how very human of you," Lilith said with a smile.

"Mother, please-" Cherrie started before she was lifted into the air by her own mother.

"You will not speak unless spoken to!" Lilith snapped before turning back to Beth, "Honestly, what happened to manners? Where did I go wrong as a mother? Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the truth of your species. Your little friend Jake is a perfect example of this, but then you're not so far off yourself. He submits to women more powerful than himself, and he practically jumped at the chance to become my little toy for eternity. You found purpose through serving a woman who is more powerful than many on your pathetic plane of existence."

"That's….not….true," Beth tried to argue, but she felt herself getting light headed.

"Oh right, I suppose you need to breathe," Lilith scoffed as she released her grip and let Beth fall to the ground coughing, "Go ahead, girl, tell me how wrong I am. Denial is another miserable trait of your worthless kind."

Beth coughed as she tried to recover, "Jake took your shit deal because he had to save us, and because he knew we would need the added boost to take down Dorothy! He's an idiot, yeah, but that doesn't mean he's some tool to be used!"

Lilith let out a hearty laugh in response, "I can't decide what is funnier, your idiocy or your denial. If you believe that, then you really are a fool."

Analise had gotten to her feet in an attempt to surprise Lilith with a vicious attack, but she found herself suddenly suspended in the air upside down. "Let me down, you-mmhph!"

"You always were troubling, Analise," Lilith chided, "You no doubt swayed your sweet sister into following your reckless and idiotic plan to betray me. A pity, your brutality was always one of my favorite aspects of the three of you. You two will earn the respect you lost back, one century at a time. Now, where were we, Beth? We shouldn't be interrupted anymore."

"Even if what you say is true," Beth said, "Even if we are tools to be used, that means that the likes of you are nothing without us."

Lilith growled and lunged at her, "Hold your tongue, girl! You are speaking to your better! Who do you think you are to make such bold claims?!"

Embers rolled out of Lilith's mouth as she spoke, but Beth didn't flinch. She stood her ground and replied, "Someone who is sick of people like you. I'll kill Dorothy, kill Goth, and then I'll carve my way back to Hell to kill you!"

Lilith glared at her for a moment before her mouth twitched. She suddenly burst out laughing, an action that somehow unnerved Beth more than anything she'd seen so far. "Your conviction is admirable, and almost believable," she said, "You amuse me, Beth. I'll overlook your ignorant insolence this time, but know this: if you speak out of turn or threaten me again, I will end you where you stand. I will make you suffer like you never thought possible, and then I will erase you from existence. Do I make myself clear?"

Beth met the demon queen's glare with her own as she said one word, "Crystal."

"Good girl," Lilith said before frowning, "Oh dear, it seems you won't stand a chance in your current state. I can't have my tool failing me in my most pivotal moment. Let's get you fixed up. Consider this a gift from your better."

Lilith held out her hand and a green aura flowed from it. Trails of wispy green light flowed out and around Beth. She felt her wounds closing, the pain lifting, and her energy being restored. She was torn at this moment. Part of her was grateful for the rejuvenating feeling, but another part despised Lilith for the patronizing display. She'd take the gift, however, and she'd use it to achieve her own ambitions. She clenched her fists as the green lights faded, and she had to admit, she felt incredible. She stared up at Lilith, refusing to thank the demoness for what she'd done. She would die before giving her any satisfaction.

"There we are," Lilith said as she turned to retrieve her daughters by means of encasing them in abyssal energy, "The Well is at the end of the corridor, and you'll find your opponent waiting for you. Do not fail me, girl, or else your world and this one are doomed. I'd hate to have my fun ruined before it even begins. Come along, girls, mother has big plans for your punishment. Until we meet again, Beth. Fight well, and survive no matter the cost. I look forward to watching you as the days go by."

Beth stood there and watched as Cherrie and Analise let out muffled screams of protest. The floor around them bubbled into a thick goop before they began to sink down. Lilith turned and gave her a knowing and victorious smirk as she too sunk down into the ground. In a moment, she was left alone in the darkness of the corridor. She sighed as she turned to face the large hallway's end. She walked towards her end goal with one thing on her mind: retribution. Her boots echoed in the black emptiness as she walked. It was finally time to put this awful trip behind her, and at last the world would be rid of Stinkromancer once and for all. She'd make her pay, make her suffer for what she'd done.

She came to two large stone doors and pushed them open. The gates were heavy, but her will was strong enough to force it open. She saw it first. The massive vortex of souls that trailed upward into the air in a funnel. The screams of the dying and tormented filled the air, and the light it cast was ominous. She looked around and found Jake resting against a wall, but where was Pam? "Beth!" she heard Dorothy call out, "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost. How good to see you again, and I must say you have excellent taste in whores!"

Beth glared at the mad woman as she held Pam close to her. That disgusting tongue of her slithered out of her mouth and ran along Pam's cheek. She could see her beloved shudder in revulsion. "It's over, Dorothy!" Beth yelled as she stepped in and the gates closed behind her, "This ends tonight. Let her go and face me, unless you're too afraid."

"Afraid, me?" Dorothy laughed as she threw Pam to the ground and stepped over her, "This is my world, girl, and I hold all the cards here. There is nothing that I fear."

"I'll show you just how wrong you are!" Beth growled as she walked forward, "I'll make you beg for death and submit to me!"

"Oh, that look, that tone," Dorothy moaned, surprising everyone, "I love that look, you have no idea what it does for me! Mm, your unwavering conviction, your hatred, it's all so...arousing. I love it when someone like you comes along, it makes what comes next so much more fun. Struggle, fight, and keep resisting! It's such a turn on when they're stubborn!"

Beth grimaced at the blatant arousal Dorothy displayed as she stepped closer to her. She pointed her blade at her and began to channel the spirit within once again, "You're disgusting, and I'm going to enjoy putting you down once and for all!"

"Let's see what you're made of then, shall we?" Dorothy said as she held out her hands and the souls of the damned began flowing around her, "I'm curious to see just how long you can stay on your feet. Do try to make this fun, Beth, it's been too long since I've had a good fight!"