When Heaven meets Hell

Chapter Forty One

Dedicated to @SallyAnneSmith. Check out her book Dominion if you love angels and demons. Please support her in the Wattys too!

"It's ready."

Joan's body hung limp, a low moan escaping her lips as she struggled for consciousness against the excruciating pain she felt all over. Her clothing was soaked in red, warm blood tickling down the middle of her face as she glared at Lucifer. The fallen angel himself was looking very exhausted. He was breathing hard, face pale and sweaty as he leaned against the wall.

"What is ready?" Joan demanded, although her voice came out in a whisper. Just moving her lips was proving painful.
"Your mark. We should be able to weaken it completely soon." Lucifer answered, steadying himself and grinning. "My job shall be done soon."
"Wonderful." Joan muttered sarcastically. "Although I still believe you will not get any credit for your efforts. The angels do not appear to think highly of you. They might not be willing to allow you back in Heaven,"
"That may be so." Lucifer admitted, feeling apprehension gnawing on his insides. "But I have limited options. This is the only chance I have."
Joan did not reply, her gaze directed downwards as she steadied her breathing. Lucifer had to admit, he was impressed by how resilient she was.
"You must hate me." He commented, standing before her. "I'm sure that given the chance you would love to kill me."
"Surprisingly, I don't hate you." Joan murmured, causing Lucifer to blink in astonishment. "I find it easy enough to understand why you are doing this. You lost something important and are willing to go to any length to get it back. I won't hate you for that." And then she smirked painfully and added. "However, I will kill you for the pain you've inflicted upon me these past few days if I ever get the chance."
"You should be grateful. This method is a relatively painless alternative to what the Second Faction originally intended to do with you. I convinced them to try this method."
"What do you mean?" Joan's head jerked up, interested in spite of herself.
"Never mind." Lucifer snapped, turning away quickly. "You should hope you never even have to hear it's name. I shall return tomorrow and see to it that Satan's control over you is crippled."

***

Lucifer returned the next day with a group of angels alongside him. Joan was chained to the ground, sprawled on her back. She had not attempted to struggle, greatly weakened due to the torture and blood loss over the previous few days. The angels gathered around her solemnly, casting a faintly glowing, transparent bubble over her to act as a mode of containment. Each angel placed their palm against the surface, which crackled with energy.

Joan wriggled uncomfortably as the jolts of energy passed through her, her twitching increasing as the angels poured all their power into the bubble. Sparks passed through the shield and into Joan until her whole form was electrified.

So far, there hadn't been any pain. Then Lucifer stepped forward, this time holding an elegant sword. He positioned himself where Joan's head was, pointing the sword end downwards, just above her mark. Before she could react, he plunged the blade down, sending it rippling through the bubble. The steel tip made contact with her mark in a burst of light and crackle of energy. Joan's body grew still abruptly, but her high pitched shrieks shook the very foundation of the castle. The bubble shimmered and the angels had to try harder to hold it in place.

Lucifer muttered under his breath, lips moving with great speed and eyes screwed up in concentration. There were beads of sweat trickling down the side of his face and his hand were shaking as he gripped the hilt of the sword hard, his knuckles going white. On Joan's arm, the mark was shifting as though trying to escape the sword. But the sword's tip drew the mark to itself, its black color fading with each bolt of energy that race up the blade until it had almost disappeared.

It's working. Lucifer told himself, feeling a sense of euphoria wash over him. I have succeeded!

But his joy was short lived. The energy stopped flowing abruptly from the mark to the sword, the earlier buzz fading into silence. Lucifer gaped, as did the others in confusion as to what happened. Then a second later, cold and maniacal laughter filled the dungeons.

"You are fools." Joan Hale declared, her voice heavy with the weight of many others. There was the sound of something clanging and Joan's manacles broke, slipping off her wrists. Her bound feet were free ,the enchanted ropes falling away .She rose, sitting up straight. Her hair shrouded her face but did not hide her sneer.

She laughed again, lashing out with the palm of her hand at the bubble. It splintered and cracked, breaking into many small pieces. The angels were thrown back. Lucifer's sword slipped from his grip and fell to the ground with a great clatter.
Jumping back to his feet, he watched Joan get up, the mark on her forearm growing a deep shade of crimson and darker in color that ever before.
"You fool thought such a thing could work?" She cackled. "Nothing can stop the might of Satan!"

With her eyes darkened and entire form enveloped in dark energy, she raised her hands and caused the angels to rise before smashing them into the walls with great force. The sound of bones cracking was droned out as the age old brick walls buckled and collapsed, crushing some angels beneath itself while other tried desperately to hold the place together.

"Stop her!" Shouted one of the angels, advancing with a spear in his hand. He had only just taken a few steps that the weapon turned on it's wielder, skewering him through the neck. Joan directed her gaze at another angel and relished his screams just before he exploded, body part and blood flying in all directions.

"You shall all die!" She shouted, tilting her head back with her eyes rolling insanely alongside each cackle. "Heaven will fall and Satan shall rule."

"We need reinforcements!" Lucifer yelled out, desperately trying to hold the dungeon wall from collapsing, His plea was heard, for at once a group of ten or so angels appeared with Heleon at the head of the pack, looking at the damage with both amusement and mild surprise.

"Restrain her." He commented calmly. The angels rushed forward. Joan flung a few of them back as she spun around, impaling another on his own sword, grabbing another by the neck and twisting it around sharply , grinning when she heard a crack. It took a few minutes to subdue her with more angels coming in after the original group, latching onto her and holding her down while she laughed as though she was completely unconcerned with her predicament.

"Try all you want, nothing will work." She chuckled, weight down by at least fifty enchantments and spells. Heleon stepped forward calmly, looming over the still chuckling Joan. He lashed out suddenly, striking the side of her head and Joan fell unconscious, the dark aura around her dissipating.
"Take her to another cell." Heleon commanded the group. "Take the wench and do not lift these enchantments, cast more if you have to."

An unconscious Joan and many injured angels were carried away. Heleon turned to Lucifer with a strange glint in his eyes.
"You failed." He said and there was relish in his voice as he spoke. "Couldn't do one job right, now could you?"

Lucifer remained silent as he walked by. He hoped Heleon would just leave, but instead the angel stopped beside him, smirking wickedly.

"You know what that means, don't you?' He asked, voice dripping with malice and a sinister sort of joy. "Back to square one with you. You'll be punished; I hope they let me do that. I wonder what I'll cut off this time. What's more, we shall proceed with the original plan."
"You cannot!" Lucifer protested. "Heleon in her state she will die! If she does it will all be for nothing. Don't–"

Lucifer's sentence was cut off as Heleon blasted him with a ball of white energy , sending him tumbling to the ground. Clutching his head, Lucifer glared at Heleon with his vision swimming, throwing every cruse he knew at the hateful being. Heleon smiled and turned to the few waiting angels.
"Inform the other two commanders. The original plan failed. We shall now proceed with Forceful Purification."