Nine Circles of Hell, Part 2

"Mother, why are we here?" August asks. "Shouldn't we be looking for Pestilence like Lord Death ordered us to?"

"You dare suggest that what I'm doing is wrong?!" Famine snaps, causing August to flinch.

"N-no, mother!" August cries.

"Much better," Famine smirks as she crosses her arms at August. "Before we search for Pestilence, I need to run a quick errand."

Famine had led August and Winter to the outside of the Lincoln Correctional Facility, staring up at the large brick structures before them.

"What business do you have here, mother?" August asks.

"In recent years this facility has become a top tier prison for holding Cursed Power user inmates. I'm meeting some friends here," Famine explains as she steps away from August and Winter and approaches the Lincoln Correctional Facility. "Chimera: Dragon," says, and her body slowly begins changing. Famine grows larger and larger as she falls onto all fours. Red and olive green scales spread across Famine's skin as her nails turn into claws, and her teeth into fangs. Wings and a tail grow out of Famine's body until she stands as a gant red dragon, towering over the Lincoln Correctional Facility.

"Woah!" August cries as he stumbles backwards a step away from Famine.

"I've never seen this before…" Winter marvels.

Famine then opens her dragon mouth, breathing a fireball of orange flames upon the Lincoln Correctional Facility, causing the brick buildings to explode in a rush of flames. After completely obliterating the Lincoln Correctional Facility, Famine then returns to her human form and enters the fray. Guards scatter around the ruins of the Lincoln Correctional Facility, running around like chickens without their heads, trying to figure out what happened, as other guards wield fire extinguishers.

Famine continues walking through the flaming ruins of the Lincoln Correctional Facility (going unnoticed due to the ensuing chaos) until Famine finds the cell block that she's looking for. Six prisoners stand with their hands and wrists bound by Cursed Power resisting shackles. Their faces are covered in soot and they're coughing from the ash littering the air. One of the prisoners is tied up in a straight jacket.

"Hmm…" Famine mutters as she stares back at him. "King of the Cards of the King…so we finally meet at last. You look far more pathetic than I expected…"

"Why you…" Clover growls.

"Clover, settle down," King orders, before turning back to Famine. "How do you know who we are?" King asks.

"Oh, I'm a huge fan!" Famine cheerfully answers as she claps her hands together. "A huge fan of your work. Probably your number one fan. Plus…you guys are quite famous."

 "Then why haven't you attended any of our sermons or joined with the church?" King asks. "I recognize the faces of all of our Church members, and I've never seen you before!"

"Wh-who are you?" King weakly stammers.

"Famine," Famine answers as she squints at King and flashes him a large, cheesy smile. "Famine the Consumer, of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!"

King's disgruntled frown curls up in a sinisterly wide smile. "It worked! It really worked!" King excitedly booms, like an eager child on Christmas. "You're here to reward us for opening up the portal to Hell and unleashing your true power into the world, right?! You're going to free us from this prison so that we can fight with you in the war against the Slayer Organization?!"

Famine doesn't answer. Instead, she simply holds her right arm outwards as it morphs into a jagged, curved blade.

"What…what's that for?" King asks, his smile not faltering. "It's to remove our handcuffs, right?"

"Yes, of course!" Famine answers. "Hold still."

Famine slowly walks over to King and stops before him, raising her bladed arm into the air.

King stares at Famine eagerly.

Famine smirks back at King, and slices her bladed arm down. But rather than cutting off King's bindings…she thrusts her blade into his chest.

"NOOOO!!!!!" Queen cries.

Blood explodes from King's stab wound, as his eyes weakly flicker up to meet Famine's. "Wh-why…would you do this?" King stammers.

Famine doesn't reply. Instead, she rips her bladed arm out of King's chest, who limply flops to the ground. Famine's bloody blade then reverts back into her wrist and hand.

"Darius!" Queen cries as she rushes over to her husband, kneeling down besides him and cradling his body.

Darius (King) Raven…has died.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?!" Clover roars as he charges Famine.

"LET'S KILL HER!" Spade cries.

"HOW DARE YOU HARM KING!" Diamond exclaims.

Heart simply yawns, but the others can tell that she's agreeing with them, as the four members of the Cards of the King charge Famine.

"What do you hope to do?!" Famine cackles. "You can't even use Cursed Power with your restraints on!"

The four members of the Cards of the King charge Famine, who doesn't even have to move to defend. Instead, August and Winter leap in front of her, and engage the Cards of the King.

"Freeze," Winter orders as she swipes a hand upwards, instantly freezing Clover and Diamond in their tracks.

"Flesh Clones!" August shouts as he spawns two clones, which attack Spade and Heart with Cursed Power Barrier infused punches, sending them flying backwards.

"As I said, I am a HUGE fan!" Famine continues, as if nothing has happened. "You see how I demolished this building? I wouldn't have been able to do that if your group didn't open up the portal to Hell. Well…I should really be thanking Michael Hakan instead of your miserable lot! You asked why I did this? Well…because humans who think they have a place in our world, are even worse than the ones who know we don't!" 

"August! Winter!" Famine orders as she spins around and begins marching away. "Come, we're leaving! I've got a job for you two, so listen up!"

"Y-yes, mother!" August stammers as he hostels after Famine. Winter floors as well, leaving the remaining five members of the Cards of the King sobbing and writhing on the ground.

***

"UGHHHHH…"

 I'm pacing back and forth through one of the lounge rooms of the Slayer Organization headquarters with nothing to do. Just waiting for a strong opponent to appear that I'm dispatched to fight.

"Luis, will you stop pacing, it won't help anything," Daniel orders.

"Shaddup!" I snap. "We're in here sitting on our asses while our friends are out there fighting! How are you not pacing?!"

"Because as sad as it is to say, I know that our job in this war is far more important than theirs is, and we need to wait here for the extra powerful demons to come," Daniel explains. "If we tire ourselves out fighting low ranking demons, we lose this war."

"You're right, but I don't care!" I snap as I jump up out of my seat.

"Luis, where are you going?" My dad calls after me.

"To check on the Sensory Slayers!" I call back as I waltz out of the room

"But you just checked ten minutes ago!" My dad exclaims.

I ignore him.

When I enter the hallway, I spot Ella frantically darting around the headquarters.

"Yo, Ella!" I call to the girl. "What's up?"

"Can't talk right now!" Ella answers as she rushes right past me.

"Ugh, at least someone's busy!" I groan as I make my way to the Sensory Squadron's room.

"See anything yet?" I ask Slayer Renzu as I pop into the Sensory Slayers' room, the squadron in charge locating and keeping tabs on our opponents, mainly the Four Horsemen and the Nine Circles.

"Nothing yet," Renzu answers. "Again."

"The Nine Circles have yet to emerge," Slayer Mezame adds. As a master of Cursed Power yet being too old to frail to fight, Mezame is tasked at being the head of the Sensory Squadron.

"Well…please tell me when you find something…" I sigh as I exit the room.

"That's the plan, Fūjin," Renzu answers. "You're one of our greatest assets…"

***

"What the Hell was that?!" Cell cries as he steps out of his destroyed prison cell.

Cell was just idly sitting in his cell when all of a sudden he heard a loud explosion, and the Lincoln Correctional Facility exploded in a rush of flames. Pretty soon, the entire Lincoln Correctional Facility was destroyed as its ruins burned to ash. Cell's cell and Cursed Power sealing handcuffs were destroyed by the explosion, allowing him to freely walk out for his confinement.

"Was there an explosion?" Rose asks as she jogs over to Cell, with Spike and Naomi behind her. All of the inmates' handcuffs have been destroyed in the explosion.

"Should we…go out there…?" Naomi asks.

"I'm not sure, I doubt it's safe," Cell answers.

Cell looks around, seeing his fellow inmates moaning and groaning in pain, and desperately attempting to free themselves from the rubble. Most prisoners have died in the explosion. Everyone was covered with ash and burn scar, and are coughing from the falling soot. All of the inmates' clothes are covered in ash.

"UPRISING!" One inmate shouts.

"YEAH!" Cheer a few other inmates.

"UPRISING! UPRISING! UPRISING!" The inmates chant.

In the distance, an inmate can be seen shaking a prison guard over and over with a sharpened toothbrush.

"I'm a little curious as to what's happening, so I'm heading out," Cell announces.

"Uh… sure. I guess I'll go too!" Rose chimed in.

"We're a group, so may as well stick together, right?" Naomi nervously replies. 

Spike emits a series of incomprehensible grunts and gurgles, and the others take that as a sign of agreement.

The four inmates wander around the flaming ruins of the Lincoln Correctional Facility, searching for the exit, until Cell rounds the corner and spots few figures.

"Get back!" Cell whisper-shouts, motioning for his fellow inmates to duck behind the corner. And so, the four inmates duck for cover. Cell slowly peeks his head out to observe what's happening. 

Cell's eyes widen as he watches a woman in a white lab coat with a sword for an arm stab and kill one of the inmates. The inmates and the woman in the white lab coat and two teenagers then engage in combat.

"What the Hell…" Cell mutters under his breath.

"What, what do you see?!" Rose panics.

"I don't know what's happening, but some woman just killed an inmate," Cell answers as he turns around to face the others. "Let's go. It's not safe here."

Eventually, the four inmates find their way out of the Lincoln Correctional Facility without running into any more trouble.

"Woah…what the Hell is up with the sky…" Rose asks as she peers up at the red sky above.

"And why is the ground trembling?!" Naomia cries as the four inmates walk down the highway towards civilization.

"And why is the ground shaking?!" Rose adds as she stumbles across the shaking ground.

"And where is anyone?" Naomi asks.

Eventually, The truck driver pulls up to the four inmates, the only people they've seen since fleeing the Lincoln Correctional Facility. "Need a lift?" The truck driver asks.

"Yes, please," Cell replies as he hops into the truck alongside Rose, Naomi, and Spike.

"Where are y'all goin'?" The truck driver asks.

"New York City," Cell answers.

"New York City?!" The truck driver cries. "Why would you go there?!"

"What do you mean?" Cell asks.

"Have you been living under a rock or something? The government issued an evacuation warning!" The truck driver explains. "The portal to Hell has opened up there by, and New York City will be the first to be attacked!"

"WHAT?! To hell with those demons! My moms live in New York City, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let them destroy my home! I'm going to go fight against those demons on the front lines alongside the Slayer Organization! Step on it, truck driver!" Cell shouts as he points towards the roads ahead.

"Now you're speaking my language!" The truck driver cackles as he slams his foot on the gas and sends his truck flying forwards at max speed.