Bearing the burden part two

                   Bearing The Burden Part Two: Blood Stained Tears
                               By: Dustin “Demon Hunter” Cameron
                             Chapter One: No Rest For The Weary
         Dustin started to get up, leaving Raven’s body on the ground. He looked the angel in the eyes, not knowing what to do with himself. The angel looked into his eyes, noticing a mixture of pain and anger that he’d seen there before, on “The Day of Reckoning.”
         “Take me to Him” Dustin said, his head lifting up towards the sky. The angel looked up, as if he were communicating with God, asking permission. The angel that had been trying to comfort him grabbed him from behind and carried him skyward, slowly at first, then slowly breaking all laws of physics. In a matter of moments he arrived at the Pearly Gates, seeing Jesus standing right behind them.
         “Finally made it I see” Jesus said.
         “Not in the mood for jokes, I just want answers. The fact I’m even here means I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, so explain yourself” Dustin said, his voice raising.
         “I see, no one stops in for a social visit anymore… anyway, the reason she can’t come back isn’t because I’m punishing you or anything like you think. I would revive her, but part of her is missing. The angel I sent couldn’t retrieve all of her. They still have her heart, her emotions, her inner soul basically. We have the bun, they have the hot dog. Am I getting through? It’s hard to explain without blowing minds” Jesus said, trying to find the right words.
         “Hot dog? That’s the best metaphor you could think of?” Dustin said, a small smile forming.
         “I told you it would work Jacob” Jesus said.
         “No way, Jacob’s here?” Dustin said, peering behind Jesus.
         “You think Raven kept her testimony to herself?” Jesus said, half laughing.
         “RAGE became a Christian organization while you were gone, why do you think Drake attacked us again? To come after you?” Jacob said.
         “Hey, first I heard about her getting saved I was sent to save her, only for her to get taken away by demons. Why exactly did that happen on your watch anyway?” Dustin asked.
         “I can’t get rid of free will, even to those who hate me. Think of it as a test for our first Demon Hunter. Clever name by the way. Bye” Jesus said. Dustin was back on earth, slightly confused.
         “So where are they?” he yelled at the sky. He sighed and started back towards where he found Raven and looked around, avoiding the sight of blood when he could. He saw a patch of red fur sticking from a bush, and some bird’s feathers… no… angel wing feathers… then another patch of fur leading deeper into the woods.
         “Hmm” Dustin muttered, following the direction of the fur. The fur was scarce, and Dustin had never hunted an animal like this before. He had never fought a demon besides Frank, and he only found the other one because he followed Raven’s blood trail.
         He began running every place a demon would feel comfortable through his mind. Which narrowed it down to anywhere in a place in the midst of the apocalypse. Well, tracking won’t work. Dustin was too sure they could travel in other ways besides foot anyway. So he went to the city, relax in an element he was familiar with. Who knows, he might sense, well, in this city, he will sense a demon eventually. He slowly advanced towards the city of Odium with renewed eyes. He could almost see anguish, almost taste the sorrow in the air, almost drown in the hatred. He was so blind before. He went towards the local Catholic Church, where he would usually go to think or plot. He would carefully scale the building, climb up towards the top, and perch on a ledge with the decorative stone gargoyles. He used to use them as sympathetic ears, seeing as how they couldn’t talk back. Good times…
         He sat there, next to a particularly ugly gargoyle, his tongue hanging over his shark style teeth, his eyes scanning the streets, his claws extended, very accurate caricature of a demon… but that would be too easy. The church’s doors opened and the Mass attendees headed towards their cars.
         “Huh, didn’t know it was Sunday already” Dustin whispered. He could see demons clinging to them as they left. They seemed almost attached to them. He looked up, asking permission in a way. The phrase necessary evil flashed through his mind, and he snapped his fingers. Every demon’s gaze instantly snapped towards him. Dustin stood up, holding his weapon for them to see, the blood of Frank still staining the blades. Their eyes turned a hideous red and the people began to notice a guy in all black holding up a blood soaked weapon.
         “I hate demons” he said as he leaped down from the roof, running away from the now screaming churchgoers. He hid in an alley, hoping to hide in its shadows until the screaming stopped. He looked at his weapon for a moment, looking at the handle.
         “I need a way to sheath you” he whispered. He usually either carried it, or tied the handle to a loop in his jeans. Maybe some paper to cover it up would work, he thought to himself. He looked around the alley for all the newspaper he could find. He scavenged enough to cover it, but he didn’t have anything to tape it down with. He looked at the building at his right, noticing it was an apartment.
         “Maybe…” he said, looking up towards an open window. It was only on the second story, he could jump up to it, but the resident was hanging laundry on the wire. She would spot him if he moved too much.
         “I hate demons” he whispered again as he started rolling around in the dirt under him. Once he looked nice dirty, he began to cough. He coughed until the she looked at him. He spit the phlegm he worked up out and looked back at her.
         “Can you spare some tape?” he yelled. Now here’s hoping she had a compassionate heart towards the homeless. A few seconds later, a roll of duct tape was thrown out the window.
         “God bless you” he yelled.
         “May Drake bless you too” she yelled back smiling. Oh the delicious irony. He wrapped his weapon up with the newspaper, and to the entire world, it would look like he were carrying a long present. Luckily, the people did not get a good look at his face, so the police might not be looking for him. He needed new clothes though. He looked up at the laundry above him.
         “But is it stealing” he said to himself, thinking it over. He looked up at the sky, awaiting an answer. The woman did aid him, but her heart belongs to Drake…
         He left the alley, tattered clothes in hand, wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and a smile on his face.
                             
                             Chapter Two: Odium
         He walked the streets, holding his newspaper package in one hand, his ripped clothes in the other.
         “I wish I knew someone who could sew” he said with a sigh as he headed towards a trashcan. He put his shirt and pants in, but not his trench coat. Those things are hard to find now a days. He slung it over his shoulder, and headed for the park. He needed to be alone for a bit. Maybe he would rest on a bench for an hour or two. This place seemed like a utopia to everyone but him. He had to give Drake that much credit; he was the best secret dictator in history. Everywhere he looked, he saw more necessary evil staring at him. His grip tightened on the newspaper, but he held himself back. He passed by an electronics shop, with five TV’s in the window, all with Franks face on them. How exactly is Drake going to rule now? Apparently, the devil didn’t break the mold with him.
         “But will he come after me again is the real question” he whispered, causing some people to look at him as if he were psychotic. He smiled, and then looked at the TV’s again. His face was on it now.
         “This man, believed to be the sole survivor of the terrorist organization called RAGE, who was thought to be killed by our leader, Drake Sinclair , has been spotted in the city of Odium. As you can see in this footage captured by a churchgoer’s cell phone, he has attacked someone already. Lock your doors, and stay inside” the reporter said with an eerily calm complexion.
         “I hate demons” he said again. He continued towards the park, hoping he wouldn’t be recognized. He made it to the park, really needing a rest now, but the bench was out of the question. All it’d take is some kid watching the news on his phone, then looking at him while he snoozed and BAM, he’d right back in another alley, or worse… he arrived at Trepidation Park without incident. He was used to sneaking around in crowded places. He spotted thirty people with cell phones within one minute of being there, so he was definitely snoozing in a tree, unless he disguised his face. The classic hat and sunglasses should suffice. The footage on the news had, without a doubt, been enhanced as much as possible, possibly doctored, and his face was still fuzzy enough to where you couldn’t make out his face.
         “I owe you one” he whispered as he looked for a lost hat and some shades. It didn’t take long; he even found a rubber band for his hair. He’d gone four years without a barber so his hair was about mid-back. He sat on a bench, enjoying the scene of the blue sky reflecting in the lake. Serenity was hard to come by these days. He propped his weapon next to him and covered himself with his coat as he leaned back in the bench, pulling the brim of the lost hat over his face. He closed his eyes, ready to sleep for the first time since he came back from being dead, which had been over a day now. He fell asleep a few minutes after sitting down, dreaming of happy things at first. Raven’s smile, the people from RAGE, getting to meet Jesus. Then it slowly drifted towards painful memories. Raven’s death, the RAGE massacre, the execution…
         He tightened his fist, then reached out and grabbed the air. He opened his eyes lifted his hat with his other hand, and looked into the eyes of a confused demon.
         “Not the brightest of imps, are you?” Dustin said, a grin slowly forming on his face. The demon gargled, trying to free itself. Dustin stood up and went to an isolated part of the park.
         “Now here comes the part where you tell me what you did with her soul” Dustin said, loosening his grip.
         “Like I would tell a piece of (expletive) like you, I am a demon, I have more power in my left toe tha…” the demon said, before Dustin tightened his grip.
         “Alright, lucky for you I have some anger just waiting to get out, let the interrogation begin” Dustin said. The demon tried to get away with renewed vitality, until Dustin slammed his head into a tree that is.
         “Feel like talking yet?” Dustin said, almost happily. The demon continued gargling, not giving any sign of surrender. Dustin slammed his head into a lamppost.
         “I can do this all day” Dustin said, pulling his arm back to slam the demon into something else. The demon pointed to his mouth, and Dustin loosened his grip.
         “Alright, I’ll tell you” the demon said, gasping for air.
         “Good, you have ten seconds” Dustin said smiling.
         “Her soul is in the city of Compunction, near the gates of hell” the demon said hurriedly.
         “Thanks, now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some hunting to do” Dustin said, letting the demon go. The demon turned to run, but Dustin grabbed it by the leg and threw it into a nearby tree, breaking it’s spine… if demons have those.
         “No, no, no my friend, you won’t be telling anyone about our encounter” Dustin said, walking out of the park, weapon and coat in hand. He had barely reached the gates of the park when he heard something behind him. He continued walking. After a few blocks, the stalker still followed. Dustin sighed, then turned into a nearby alley, walking backwards after he entered it. He saw his stalker peek in, then their eyes met for a brief moment.
         “Amateur…” Dustin sighed, his hand drifting towards the tape. On his weapon.
         “Come out, I know your there” he said his hand under a piece, ready to rip it off and fight in a matter of seconds. A tall figure walked in, long blonde hair, wearing an army camouflage tank top and tan khaki pants. He was holding something in his hands, black clothes and a sheath.
         “Angel express, eh?” Dustin said, laying his weapon down.
         “Something like that” the angel said, laying the clothes and sheath down as well. The angel turned and began walking away, but something wasn’t right with the way he walked. He was tense, almost like he were getting ready to…
         Just then the angel transformed into his regular form and flew at him, sword in hand.
         “Crap” Dustin sighed, running at him. The angel swung, but Dustin dodged and jumped on the angels back, then pushed off and rolled towards the sheath. He picked it up and saw two swords in it.
         “Magnets, nice” he said, taking out the swords. He put the handles together, forming a double bladed sword, then blocked the angels attack. He took the sword apart and slashed at the angel while still blocking. He clipped its wing, meaning the angel couldn’t fly now if they were anything like birds. The angel remained airborne, and pushed off Dustin’s sword, and flew into the sky. Dustin ran to the dead-end part of the alley and looked up and in front of him, knowing that, unless they could pass through walls, he was safe. Pain shot through his side and slammed into his brain.
                             So much for that theory…
         The angels head passed through the wall, a smile on its face.
         “Smug huh?” Dustin yelled, slashing at the head with his one of his swords. It passed through the angel like it weren’t there. Dustin looked at the angel, then at his sword.
         “I hate my life” Dustin said as he got stabbed in his other side. The angel passed through the wall and started to fly into the air again.
         “Oh no you don’t” Dustin said, grabbing its robe.
         “Solid or intangible, MAKE UP YOUR MIND!” Dustin yelled, slamming the angel into the brick wall beside him. Feathers and smoke filled the air, and Dustin waited. The smoke cleared, and the angel wasn’t there. Dustin sighed, and stabbed behind him, and white blood spilled on his clothes.
         “Enough theatrics, humans can’t hurt angels” Dustin said. The angel laughed, and Dustin’s wounds were healed.
         “Mind explaining why you attacked, friend?” Dustin said, a hint of frustration in his voice.
         “A friendly sparring match between a Demon Hunter and Michael” Michael said.
         “The archangel?” Dustin asked. The angel nodded and smiled.
         “Huh, and I beat you” Dustin said, walking away, picking up the change of clothes.
         “I didn’t use a fifth of my strength, if I did, you’d be dead” Michael yelled.
         “Just one thing before I go” Dustin replied.
         “What?” Michael asked
         “Can demons float through walls, or is that a good guy exclusive?” Dustin asked
         “Just us” Michael replied, then disappeared.
         “Good, fighting what you can’t touch is more trouble than it’s worth” Dustin said to no one. He changed clothes, put his coat on, sheathed his new sword, then grabbed his old one. He snapped it in two, then broke the blades in half.
         “Sorry old friend” Dustin whispered as he threw the ruined blade into the trashcan nearby.
                             Chapter Three: Compunction
         Dustin was sitting at a bus station awaiting the bus for Compunction, holding two bucks he found lying in the streets. Why can’t more people recognize the hand of God when it’s so obvious sometimes? His sheath was hanging around his shoulders by it’s strap. He thought about the fight with Michael, and how much of his strength he didn’t use. He made it a point to hold back in every fight he gets into, have an advantage should he become outclassed. He was at three fourths, roughly, which means he wasn’t making Michael mad any time soon.
         “I need to train some more” he sighed. Maybe he would go back to the town of Bereavement, meet up with his master, Justin Sink and train some more. His master was pretty cool, he was one of the few people that didn’t either treat him like an outcast or like a monster. He was strict when it came to fighting though. He looked at the scar on his hand that had been stabbed through during training. At least he bandaged it up afterwards, Dustin thought to himself. The bus was an hour away. He sighed, he hated waiting. He took out his swords and examined them more thoroughly. He stood up and practiced a few moves, nothing too fancy. He tested the fluidity of going from one to two to double then back to one. He went back to double and hit the bus stop sign, the blade didn’t budge.
         “Either those are the most advanced magnets on earth or these were special made by a certain carpenter I know” Dustin said in awe. He sheathed his sword(s) and sat back down. The bus was fifty-five minutes away now, should be anyway. He looked over his shoulder and noticed people dialing on phones. They were pressing three numbers.
         “Crap” he sighed as he got up and walked towards the people. They screamed and dropped their phones while running away. He stepped on them one by one and then sat back down.
         “Let’s hope a cop won’t be dumb enough to come over here” Dustin said to himself. No cops came. Cops knew he was there, but they’d heard too many stories about the Demon of Bereavement to walk up to him without an army behind them. The bus came and Dustin sat in the back, nearest to the emergency exit in the seat ahead of him. He would have sat there, but then someone would be behind him, and time had proven that that’s never good for him. This bus led straight to Compunction, and to Raven. He was trying to forget the whole gates of hell part. He was strong, but the devil would tear him apart in a second. The reason he wasn’t scared before was because he was already dead, and he was going to hell anyway. The second chance was a lucky break… then again, with God, luck doesn’t exist. He was just glad he kept Raven from dying, for two seconds anyway. Life’s just a punk like that, Dustin thought. He leaned back in the cushioned seat and decided to take a nap. The city of Compunction was over three hours away, and he didn’t finish out the one from before. He opened his eyes and scanned the bus for demons, there were fifteen, but none of them were making eye contact, in fact, they were avoiding it. Dustin chuckled and closed his eyes again. His sleep went undisturbed all the way to Compunction.
         He stepped off of the bus, fairly fresh and revitalized. He even felt a little bit happier than before. He gave a thumbs up to the angels on top of the bus and walked off. The angels waved and flew away, off to their next assignment.
         “I feel downright spoiled sometimes” Dustin whispered with a chuckle. He stopped and looked out at the city. It made Odium look like a trailer park. It made sense though, Drake’s palace is at the center of this metropolitan hell. Now he just needed to find the gates of hell and get Raven’s soul back…that’s all. There are countless angels in heaven, and one-third are in hell, so what’s one-third of unknown? He’ll just have to count the heads as they roll. Dustin grinned at the thought. He looked at the shirt he got from the angel, realizing that he hadn’t looked at it yet. It could have said, “I’m a gay moron” and he wouldn’t have known. It was a Demon Hunter shirt.
         “Sweet” Dustin said, then continued onwards, not having a clue where the gates of hell could be in a city like this. Drake’s palace? he thought. Nah, too easy. So he started towards Drake’s palace. He had no other options as of yet, and he had the opportunity to kill Drake again, should he be so inclined, and he was more than likely to be so inclined. This place was a playground for demons. Any other day, and Dustin would just go crazy and kill all of them, but he was on the clock, and time was crucial. Lord knows what damage could be done to a soul just near hell, much less a saved soul. Dustin punched the wall next to him. His knuckles started to bleed, but there was now a hole in the wall, along with very shocked faces.
         “What, can’t a guy get angry?” Dustin said to the shocked people. They nodded and slowly walked away. Dustin chuckled. He usually had that affect on people.  He continued walking towards Drake’s palace. He’d been there before, and unless they realized how he’d gotten in, the side entrance should be wide open, as it was a chapel of sorts, and it was about time for evening service.
         “T-G-I-S” Dustin whispered as he slowly advanced towards Drake’s castle of a palace, alone in the city of Compunction
                                       
                             Chapter Four: Battle of Iniquity
         Dustin was sitting in on the “service”, if for nothing else but to get a glimpse of Frank-Two. It was just like at his old church, everyone was shaking hands, saying “Drake bless you”, the usual formalities Dustin had never cared for. He kept his shades and hat on, even though he’d been asked at least twenty times to take it off. Drake would definitely recognize him anyway, but Dustin didn’t intend to rush things. He looked around at the demons that filled this place like a bad stench. Fifty at least, more coming every second. Luckily he was shielded by the grace of God, or he’d have been found out by now. Everyone grew silent, and Drake Sinclair stood up in front of a podium.
         “Praise the Beast” he said
         “Praise the Beast” the “congregation” answered.
         “Today, we will go back in time, in a matter of speaking, and retrace my ascension into power” Drake said, a smile spreading across his face.
         “Praise the Beast” the crowd answered. Dustin couldn’t take much more of this. People, and by extension their demons, had stopped entering now. The final demon count was at one hundred and fifty, not including Drake, and any demons that were lounging around elsewhere in this God forsaken place.
         “Who said that?” Drake yelled, mid-lecture. Dustin stood up, and removed his hat and sunglasses.
         “Guess who” Dustin said with a growing grin.
         The new Drake apparently had the memories of the old one, as the look in his eyes was that of unequaled fear.
         “GUARDS!” Drake yelled, unable to hide his fear. Dustin smiled, and reached over his shoulder. The guards were nowhere to be seen yet.
         “GUARDS!!!” Drake screamed, trying to run away. The people just sat there, still in a trance. The demons, on the other hand, were starting to go ballistic. Dustin’s smile grew as he pulled out the swords and made his double blade. He could hear the guards coming now, but they wouldn’t make it in time. Dustin jumped from his seat just as a demon’s claws dug into it. He landed in another empty seat in the front row, and he jumped again, a demon’s sword slicing through the padding and cutting through the wood. He landed beside Drake and looked him in the eyes.
         “Your eyes look like mine did, when you killed my family Drake… you might want to have that looked at” Dustin said, then he ducked and the last thing this Drake saw was a demon’s sword as it cleaved through his neck. The guards arrived just in time to see Drake’s head fall off for no reason in particular. Dustin stabbed through Drake’s head, looked at it a minute, then slung it into the torso of a demon right behind him that was getting ready to attack. Dustin looked at the people, and he decided to move this fight into another room. The guards filled the only doorway, but that wasn’t really a problem. He turned and blocked the swords of two demons, kicked a third in the face, pushed off the demons he blocked and sliced through the neck of a fourth. He jumped through the air towards the doorway, stabbed a demon through it’s nonexistent heart and slung it into the guards. He landed on one of the guards and vanished into the next room, one hundred and forty eight demons following him.
         The next room was big, really big. It was the lobby of the castle. Dustin grinned, this was perfect. He grabbed the neck of a demon that was about to swing his sword and crushed it’s neck.

One hundred and forty seven left…

         The demons filled the room, which one hundred and forty seven couldn’t do.
         “Where are they coming from” he said, looking for where this sudden surge was sprouting from. Then he realized where, he was near the gates of hell. The demons now numbered into the thousands. They were crawling on the walls, the ceiling which made it look like the room was moving. Dustin looked around him, then at his double blade. This was going to be a bit tougher than he first thought. The demons stopped moving, which couldn’t be good.
         “Scare tactic… IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT?!” Dustin yelled as the entire army caved in and converged onto him. Dustin was going into overtime swinging his blade, detaching and reattaching so fast you couldn’t see him do it. You couldn’t see him at all, as he was covered by demons now. A claw sunk into his neck, and the hand was lopped off. A sword pierced his side, it’s holder quickly beheaded. Dustin jumped through a weak point in the wall of demons, and a wave followed him, a wave of blades, claws, and drooling fangs. He jumped off a wall straight back into the wave, a sword in each hand. The numbers weren’t lessening. If anything, they were increasing. A sword was knocked out of his hand, lost in the sea of blood drooling demons, the hand that held it still gripping it. Dustin yelled in pain, but didn’t quit slicing into the fray of demons.
         “I…WILL…SAVE…RAVEN!!!” he yelled, and the holy spirit exploded in the room. Every demon slammed into the walls. Standing in the center of the room now, was the five members of RAGE, in angel form. Dustin was lying on the ground, breathing heavily and cradling his stump of a right arm. His clothes were more tattered than the ones from before, and the wounds in his body were deep enough to fit you arm up to halfway. He just laid there and breathed, focusing on not dying before he could save Raven. A demon flew from the wall, an arrow quickly piercing it’s skull. Dustin slowly stood up, gripping his sword in the only hand he had left. He stumbled a bit, then he just stared into the eyes of the demons. There was fire in his eyes, a fire greater than any inferno in hell. He gripped his sword in his mouth and picked up his other hand, and walked over to Whitney. She reattached it, and Dustin formed his double blade again. His wounds now healed, and both of his hands in working order, he starred into the eyes of the demons again. They quivered, they were actually afraid of the beast they had provoked. He took a moment to look at his comrades. They had been training, and they had been training hard. They might even be a challenge to Dustin, if they were enemies. Jacob had a crossbow mounted on his arm, arrows of light automatically forming when he fired. Adam no longer wielded his Tommy gun, but he formed orbs of light in his hands, and thousands of shards shot from them. Heaven’s version of a gun. David looked like he knew every martial art in existence, and some known only in Heaven. Shaun had apparently grown tired of communications, because he now wielded a sword in one hand, and an orb of light in the other, like Adam’s. Whitney was even armed now. She held an axe in each hand, and looked like she actually knew how to use them. The light of heaven flowed over Dustin, and his clothes returned to normal, and then he grinned and looked at the demons once more… they had yet to move.
         “Leave now and you won’t die today” Dustin said, the grin spreading as he said it. The demons remained.
         “Alright, I gave you a chance” Dustin said, walking in front of the new RAGE forces. Jacob stood next to him, they looked at each other, and flew into the demons.
         
                               Chapter Five: Maltreatment of Evil
         The demons sense of self preservation kicked in, and they swarmed and began fighting again. Dustin stabbed a demon in the neck, then launched it into the air, where it was dissolved by Adam’s new “guns”. a demon leapt for Whitney, but was caught by David, who slung it into a wall. The demon stopped two rooms later. Dustin and Jacob were standing back to back, demons dropping like flies.
         “I had everything under control you know” Dustin said, beheading a nearby demon.
         “Sure you did, and you didn’t lose your arm and practically bleed to death either, right?” Jacob said with a laugh as he pierced two demon’s skulls with one shot. Dustin chuckled a bit too, throwing his sword through a demon that got too close to Adam as he fired at a demon near Whitney. He jumped through the air, slicing through the side of two demons that jumped at him, and reclaimed his sword.
         “You owe me one” Dustin said as he stabbed a demon behind him in the eye. Adam just laughed and fired at a demon in the air behind Dustin. Dustin looked behind him for a second.
         “Okay, we’re even” Dustin replied, then he jumped over towards Shaun, spinning in mid leap and sliced vertically through a demon that tried to tackle him. Shaun stabbed a demon through the chest, then shot through its face with the orb in his hand.
         “What do you call those orb things anyway?” Dustin asked, slicing through the neck of a demon.
         “Light gun” he replied, shooting a demon through the chest with his light gun.
         “Nice, when I die, I’ll have to see about getting one of those” Dustin replied. One of Whitney’s axes screamed through the air and landed in the neck of a demon behind Shaun.
         “I don’t believe it, Whitney’s fighting” Dustin said as Whitney reclaimed her weapon from the demon’s neck.
         “I know right. I got tired of being the only one who couldn’t go into battle, so I trained with Michael and got strong. Just be glad I heard you yelling from Heaven and got the guys together” Whitney said as she continued slaying demons near her. There was only about two hundred left now. Any demons that were coming in had stopped now, which suited Dustin just fine. A group of demons was running towards the door, some reverting to all fours and running along the walls. Dustin grinned and ran towards the door. He beat them there, and took their horrified faces in for a second. He sliced one’s neck open, stabbed two through the chest with the same blade, detached the other blade and skewered the last one that didn’t run away. He flung the two bodies at two demons that made the mistake of not watching him. A few minutes later and the battle was over. The corpses of the demons littering the ground, and the stink of sulfur filled the air.
         “So, you guys joining me to the gates or is this it for now?” Dustin said, panting from the fight. Everyone looked at each other, not really sure if they could. They paused for a second, then they grinned.
         “You’re looking at the guys that are taking Raven’s soul back, so we have to stay” Jacob said with a grin. Dustin grinned back, then sensed a strong concentration of evil coming from the hallway to their left. Dustin’s grin faded.
                             He had felt this evil before…
         “Guys, the devil’s waiting on us” Dustin said, walking towards the hallway. They looked at each other again then followed. Demons were hiding in every shadow in the hallway, quivering, afraid of the small group of warriors that slowly approached the gates of hell. Dustin opened the door to his left, but instead of another room, or the gates, he saw himself chained to a wall.
         “Weird” Dustin said. The other Dustin went crazy upon hearing the real Dustin’s voice.
         “Like him? He’s your shadow, he works for us and is every bit as strong as you” A dark figure said as it stepped from the shadows. The figure removed the chains, and the evil Dustin fell to the ground, drooling blood.
         “His name’s Nitsud, or rather, he’s your executioner” the figure said as he stepped back into the shadows. The RAGE members had just caught up, and saw two identical Dustin’s standing in the hallway, staring each other down.
         “Oh great” Shaun said, unsheathing his sword. Jacob put out his hand.
         “Believe it or not, Dustin’s still stronger than us, we won’t be much use in this fight, and I believe Dustin wouldn’t appreciate our help anyway”
         “Warriors pride” the Dustins said in unison. They continued staring each other down, waiting for the other to make a move, Nitsud still drooling blood. In a flash their blades were locked, sparks flying as they tried to overpower each other. They detached their second swords and those blades were clashing as well. Nitsud kicked Dustin’s leg out from under him, and in a fluid motion, followed to pierce Dustin’s heart. Dustin rolled out of the way upon landing and elbowed Nitsud in the back of the head, making an indention in the floor. Dustin then grabbed Nitsud’s feet and threw him through the wall, leaping into the hole after him. He came crashing through the door moments later, Nitsud’s double blade raised as he followed. Dustin stabbed towards Nitsud, but his arm was caught by Nitsud’s free hand. Nitsud smiled, then slammed his elbow down on Dustin’s arm, breaking it. Dustin yelled in pain, then head butted Nitsud in the face, causing him to let go. Dustin cradled his broken arm for a moment while Nitsud was recovering, his double blade propped against the wall. He gritted his teeth, then popped his arm back into socket, groaning from the pain. Nitsud was running at Dustin again, giving him little time to rest. Dustin barely had time to grab his double blade before Nitsud was in mid swing, aiming for his head. Dustin ducked and slammed his head into Nitsud’s jaw as he passed overhead. Nitsud flipped backwards and landed on his back. Dustin was panting, not yet recovered from the previous battle. He grabbed Nitsud by the legs and threw him into the ceiling, smoke billowing from the indention he made. Nitsud landed on one knee, then got up and tackled Dustin through a nearby wall. A stray board piercing Dustin’s side. Dustin yelled in pain again as he struggled to get up. Nitsud was grinning as he placed his foot on Dustin’s chest, pushing down slowly. Dustin placed a hand on Nitsud’s knee, and slammed his other arm into his shin, breaking his leg. Nitsud fell back, and Dustin pushed on his double blade and got off of the board. Nitsud was screaming in agony, blood still drooling from his mouth. Nitsud took a deep breath and strained his body for a second. The bone healed itself with a sickening crack.
         “Now that’s hardly fair” Dustin sighed as he swung his double blade over his head, snapping into a defensive stance. Nitsud stood up and ran at Dustin, using two separate blades now. Dustin blocked them both and pushed Nitsud back, slicing through his torso while he was vulnerable. The wound healed almost instantly. Nitsud grinned a psychotic grin and leaped at Dustin again, slamming him through another wall. Dustin punched him in the face, causing teeth to go flying from Nitsud’s mouth. Nitsud grinned, his teeth growing back.
         “I hate myself” Dustin sighed as Nitsud grabbed Dustin by the throat. Dustin grabbed Nitsud’s arm and swung his legs back, then slammed them into Nitsud’s face, causing him to let go.
         “TIME TO DIE” Nitsud screeched as he ran at Dustin again, blades raised.
         “I think not” Dustin yelled, mirroring Nitsud’s movement. The shockwave from them colliding knocked the RAGE force down, and splinters were flying everywhere. Nitsud still stood, with Dustin lying on the ground, Nitsud’s blade piercing him through his chest. Nitsud leaned in, his blood drool staining Dustin’s shirt.
         “I’ve been having a lot of fun with Raven’s soul, imagine how much more I’ll have once you’re gone” he whispered, then imitated Raven screaming for help. Dustin felt something come over him. It was a power like he’d never felt before. His eyes turned white and Nitsud was pushed off of him just by the sheer force of the power flowing through him. Dustin stood up, his double blade now encased in fire. Nitsud stood back up, then stared at Dustin, and then he turned to run away. Dustin’s hand reached out towards Nitsud, and Nitsud stopped. Instantly Dustin teleported to in front of Nitsud, his extended hand now clasping Nitsud’s throat. Dustin snapped his neck, and his eyes returned to their normal blue, his double blade no longer encased in fire. Dustin fell to his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath. The RAGE members were in awe of what they just saw.
         “That,… my shadow,… was…the power…of God” Dustin said, still trying to catch his breath.  Nitsud remained motionless, he wasn’t getting healed from that kind of attack anytime soon. Dustin looked at the body of Nitsud, realizing that a month ago this had been him. Dustin picked up the body by the collar of it’s shirt, tossed it lightly into the air, and cut off it’s head with his double blade. The body dissolved, leaving only a skeleton. Dustin held up the head by it’s hair, then tossed it over to Whitney. Whitney had apparently gotten over he fear of blood, as she didn’t drop it upon touching it.
         “How come it could heal itself?” Dustin asked.
         “I don’t know… but it was through evil, I know that much” Whitney replied.
         “Hmm… we must be close then” Dustin said as he continued down the hall.
         “What should I do with this?” Whitney asked as he walked away.
         “Toss it, evil doesn’t deserve an honorable burial” Dustin replied without looking or stopping. Whitney did just that, tossing it over her shoulder. A few minutes later, Dustin stood before two humongous doors at the end of the hallway. The word “Odium” written across the doors.
         “Odium, isn’t that a city?” Shaun asked, looking at the doors.
         “Yes, but the real irony is in what Odium means” Dustin said, putting his hand on the door.
         “Hatred”
                             Chapter Six: Despondency
         The doors opened uncharacteristically easily, opening all the way with a small push. Behind the door, countless demons awaited, ready to fight. These demons were nothing like the ones they had fought before…they were at least twenty times stronger and faster.
         “Guys, it’s been fun… see you on the other side” Dustin said walking in, the doors closing behind him.
         “How’d he know we couldn’t go in?” David asked.
         “It’s not that hard, we’re angels, that’s hell, we don’t exactly mix” Jacob replied.
         “Hope he’ll be alright” Shaun said, looking at the doors.
         Inside the doors, the demons formed a path that led deeper into hell, closer to the actual gates. The demons shouted obscenities at him as he passed, all very easily ignored. He didn’t dare attack, not yet anyway. He wanted to at least get close to Raven before he was destroyed in here.
         “Confidence is a foreign thing to you, isn’t it?”
Dustin looked around for who said that, as it was a human voice. It sounded like… but it couldn’t be. What would he be doing here?
         “Try thinking positively” the voice said again.
         “Sensei?” Dustin asked, searching around for him.
         “Bingo, I knew I trained you well” Justin said, appearing behind Dustin.
         “Master Justin, what are you doing in here?” Dustin asked, trying to hide the joy in his voice.
         “Helping you, you see, after you left, I studied Frank, after a few years I read this book called the Bible” and it made sense, Frank’s rise to power, the wars, everything. I got saved, and I was asked to help you in here” Justin replied. A tear rolled down Dustin’s face.
         “Now quit being a baby and let’s go save your girlfriend” Justin said, brushing past Dustin.
         “At least I got one” Dustin replied following after. They both laughed and made their way into hell. After a few minutes of enduring the demons obscenities and pitiful attempts to scare them, they could see the gates, and chained to them was Raven’s soul. Dustin unsheathed his swords and formed a double blade, and ran at full speed towards the gates. His master, Justin, shortly behind, wielding a double blade himself.
         “When’d you get the new one” Justin asked.
         “Today, Michael the archangel, gave it to me as a gift for beating him in battle.
         “Nice” Justin said. A few moments later, they arrived at the gates. Demons encircling the soul chained to the gates, prodding it with their swords and laughing maniacally, Dustin couldn’t help but kill them. They all rematerialized behind the gates.
         “So that’s where they go” Dustin said as he cut through the chains. The demons looked at the demons blood that stained the swords Dustin carried, and started to drool blood.
         “Had to make them mad, didn’t you?” Justin said, slicing into the neck of an attacking demon.
         “It’s what I do best” Dustin said, slicing the hands off of a demon reaching for Raven’s soul.
         “The one thing I didn’t teach you” Justin replied, piercing a demon’s head through the side of the temple. They sliced into any demon in their way, carving a path back to the doors. They arrived, only to find the one being they couldn’t kill, the devil, 20 times the size he was when last Dustin saw him, waiting for them, his black, gargoyle wings covering his body like a robe.
         “YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD COME INTO MY KINGDOM AND TAKE WHAT’S MINE WITHOUT A FIGHT?” the devil yelled with an anger that shook all of hell.
         “We were hoping for that, yeah” Dustin replied, out of breath from fighting his way there.
         “YOU IMPUDENT BRAT, I’LL KILL YOU” the devil shrieked, unsheathing a sword the size of a bedroom door. Justin stared at the size of the sword, then turned and punched Dustin in the side of the head. Dustin laughed it off, then leaped out of the way of the colossal blade as it came crashing down. Justin ran along the dull edge of the blade, his personal double blade in hand, slicing through attacking demons as he made his way to the devil’s body. The devil backhanded Justin, causing him to slam into a wall of solid rock. Dustin took advantage of the distraction and slinked behind the devil, cradling Raven’s soul in one hand and holding just a single sword in the other. He stabbed a demon through the face and slung the body into another, then he leaped onto the devil’s back, stabbing him, then holding on. The devil tried desperately to reach behind him, but his arms weren’t long enough. Justin recovered from his flight, kicked a demon in the neck, then launched himself at the devil, piercing his neck. The devil growled with a ferocity that shook the foundations of hell, then fell to the ground. Wasting no time, Dustin ran to the doors, pulling them open. Jacob reached out to take Raven’s soul to return it to heaven. Once Raven’s soul was in hand, his wings spread and he flew into the sky, shooting an arrow to make a path through the ceiling. Dustin helped Justin through the doors, still aching from being slammed into the rocks, Then Dustin put one foot through the doors. To say he was yanked back would be an understatement to the force of which he disappeared behind the doors. To say a miniature black hole opened up behind him and sucked him into an endless abyss of pain would be closer. Dustin reappeared, clawing against the force of the devil’s hand dragging him into hell. The devil’s claws digging into his legs. Dustin looked into his master’s eyes, his teeth gritting from the pain.
         “Tell…Raven…I’m sorry” he said. Then he let go.
                              not the ending