The Devil Within

Anger is One Way to Get the Plot Moving

"I wouldn't call it a tantrum, more so a healthy display of anger," Raphael commented with a kind smile. "Get some rest. I'll discuss things with my Father so the two of you can come to an agreement that doesn't involve violence."

"I wish the best of luck," you said, snorting. "See you later."

"Good night," Raphael said before disappearing with a flap of his wings. 

With Raphael gone, you could finally get things going. A while back, you weren't sure how long it would take to actually go to Hell and find Gabriel so you came up with a backup plan. Chuck let you keep all the important documents in a box in your closet. Raphael knew they were there but left the box alone out of respect for your privacy. You had an accurate map of Hell thanks to Lucifer inside with all of the Princes of Hell's individual areas marked on it. You had more markings on Asmodeus' side of the map than anyone else's, four cells were circled in gold while all the others were crossed out. Gabriel was in one of the cells and you were pretty sure you knew which one. Out of the four, there was one cell that was right next to Asmodeus' laboratory. He would want to keep his new power source and, God forbid, pet close to where he comes up with new methods of torture.

"Sorry, Chuck," you whispered, pulling out an old book you borrowed from Lucifer. "I'm waiting anymore."

The book was full of many different kinds of old spellwork. The book itself was older than paper, the spells having been written on sheep's skin with blood. Demons preserved it for centuries so Lucifer could use the spell within it to summon and bind Death to him. While the entity was no longer bound to Lucifer- you requested that he release Death -he was roaming the universe, collecting souls and guiding Reapers. You were going to summon him and ask for help. There was nothing you had that he could ever want and you weren't about to bind Death to you, so you were only going to ask. Death seemed to like you the last time the two of you interacted, maybe he would throw you a bone?

Opening the book, you flipped through the pages until you found the one you needed. It wasn't in English- that was for certain -but you understood what was on the page. A while back, you asked Lucifer about the three spells linked to Death. One was for freeing him from his own prison, one was for binding him, and one was for summoning him. You asked about all of them and their ingredients and components, writing down everything on your own little scrap of paper so you could remember and collect the ingredients. Most of the ingredients were things that any Hunter could get their hands on so you were able to avoid suspicion when Raphael saw you bring some of it back, assuming that you were holding on to them for a rainy day. The Fulgurite was a bit harder to explain.

A Fulgurite was- as some of Heaven called it -an act of God immortalized. The gem was just created by lightning striking sand just right, meaning the stone was fairly rare and expensive. Some crystal shops carried a few but they were costly and a lot could be considered fake for the spell you were going to perform. You were lucky enough to have found the real thing in Texas after a Hunt and brought it home. Raphael asked you why you had a Fulgurite and you told him that you thought it was cool which wasn't a lie. It was a cool way for a gem to form and it looked kinda funky. It was almost too bad that you had to crush it into powder.

Without wasting any more time, you started to put the spell together. A sigil needed to be drawn on the ground and you needed to light some candles but those were relatively easy to do. It was grinding the ingredients that were difficult. Eventually, you were able to mix everything together and were ready for the final step. But first, you needed some privacy...

"Raphael," you whispered into your Blessing. "Sorry to bother you while you're working but I was wondering if I could get a bit of privacy..?"

"Of course," Raphael chuckled, assuming you were in need of a different kind of privacy. "I will check in with you in the morning."

"Thank you," you sighed as you felt Raphael's presence back away from your consciousness. "I'll see you in the morning."

Going to Hell was practically a suicide mission but you weren't planning on dying. If things were to go south, you would call for Lucifer. You knew he would find you in a heartbeat especially if you were in his realm. If that would become the case, you would deal with the backlash of your actions later. Who knows, maybe Chuck would see how fucking serious you were and do something if you were caught? But you needed to focus on the present rather than what could happen.

"Te nunc invoco, Mortem," you said, raising your Blessed hand over the bowl of ingredients. "Te nunc invoco, Mortem."

"I suppose that's one way to call," Death said from behind you. "What of the rest of the spell, Oh Blessed One?"

"I have no intention of binding you," you chuckled, closing the spell book. "Though, I do want to ask a favour if you are willing to help."

"A favour?" Death hummed, taking a seat on your bed. "This is a turn of events. Well, get one with it."

"I want to go to Hell. Alive," you said. "I understand if you can't-whether it's your own morals or whatever -but I need a way in."

"To save Gabriel, yes?" Death confirmed, his eyes moving from you to the papers on your desk.

"He shouldn't be down there," you said, nodding.

"I agree," Death hummed, flicking his fingers toward him so the map you had flew into his hand. "My, my, you've got it figured out. I assume you want to be dropped off in Asmodeus's main circle?"

"Please," you said, grateful that he can help.

"Very well," Death said, a hint of a smile on his face. "But, your current attire is not something I would recommend for Hellish travel, I suggest your Hunter's Armour would be much more suitable," Death snorted, snapping his fingers. Just as with Raphael, Death shifted your clothing into something much more appropriate. Instead of looking like you were about to spar, you were dressed in something similar to what you would wear for a run-of-the-mill Hunt. The only exception was that your shoes' bases were a bit firmer. "For the cobblestone floors, child," Death informed you as he handed you your map. "You will be thanking me later. Now, before we leave I want to ask you a favour when you have rescued the Archangel."

"Of course," you said, taking the map with a determined nod. "What can I do for you?"

"There is a friend of mine who also knows of where you come from," Death explained. "Though, she doesn't seem to believe me when I tell her you are in this world. I would like you to join us for tea in a month."

"I would be honoured," you said, a bright smile on your face. "Just let me know where to meet you."

"I will pick you up," Death hummed, extending his hand. "Now, I believe there isn't another moment to lose, Hell does work much differently than Earth."