[imanasset]

Hell

Xander looked at her quizzically before he began to laugh. His eyes and mouth crinkled up in delight. I was teasing you. If at any point you do not want to be here, you can leave. Though, this is the easiest way to live in Hell. Not to mention all the riches. He signed after he had gained his composure.

You don't have to be devoted to the system. And it may seem daunting and laborious, but it pays off. I promise if you stick with it...with me you will be okay. He made it a point to look at her; to show her that what he had stated was completely true.

===

Nancy rolled her eyes before she spun around to face the other demon. He smirked devilishly. "Okay, Mr. I'm-Better-Than-You." She raised a brow and laughed jokingly. "I get it. Your sacrifice was a significant change. Mine on the other hand...not so much. But now, I don't feel guilty about all the shit I did before.

She crossed her arms and popped her hip out. "And if I don't feel guilty then I suppose I won't have a problem with being a completely heartless bitch to these angel fuckers, yeah?" Nancy bit the inside of her lip and looked down at Axle's shoes.

Heaven

Luka screamed out in pain. This was worse than any other thing he had ever felt before. Now, he was still alive to witness his own slow death. He could feel warm blood trickle down his neck and down his chest, staining his t-shirt. The other angel's teeth felt jagged and rough piercing through his skin.

He could feel himself lose grip on reality as he choked up crimson streams. His knees felt wobbled as he slipped from the world and fell to the floor. Collapsed, he thought he had seen the end. It was warm and he could almost feel his whole entire being begin to unwind. He was a tapestry over a blazing fire, but he was content.

That is...until his lungs finally filled with air and he felt the pain once again. He grasped at his throat and felt the skin slowly starting to patch itself together. He coughed and choked, he held himself tightly, tears streaming down his blood-stained cheeks. His whole body was soaked in his own blood. He brought a shaky hand up and gripped his hair. Flakes of dried blood smeared themselves inside strands of hair.

"Seems as though we have our victor. Congratulations, you won your first battle, but it won't always be this easy. And Luka, I know this is only your first time, but you need to begin thinking of alternatives based on your opponent's abilities. If we were out at the border both of you would be dead. Avani spoke.

Luka looked down and watched as the stains slowly began to disappear to reveal his normal clothes. Tears still spun webs down his cheeks and he felt like he still couldn't breathe. He had once only felt adrenaline, but now, he felt pure defeat. I wish I would've just died.

Avani pursed her lips and walked over to Luka. "Listen, I know this is difficult. You've only just died and know you been thrust into back into the face of death. That doesn't mean you should succumb to it. Your powers are brilliant, Luka. We are here to strengthen you, to make you powerful. She rested a hand on his shoulder which in turn caused the small angel to jump in fright. His eyes looked back up to Avani. We won't give up on you so you shouldn't either.

Luka wiped the tears from his face and offered a very small smile. Avani stood and stretched her hand out for Luka to take. Grateful, he took it and stood. That's it. Avani gave him a pat on the back.

He felt better...but he still couldn't look Sage in the eye.

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

Olivia's face softened and she relaxed a bit. Alright...I'll give it a shot, but I can't make any promises, okay?” she signed, biting her lower lip. Nothing about this future occupation was comforting. She knew what angels looked like. If demons went to Hell looking the same as they did in life, then it was the same for angels. There would be no difference between killing an angel and killing a person. It would look the same.

It would feel the same.

The change in pronouns from “it” to “me” was all Olivia needed to muster up the strength to go through the double doors into the arena. She had no idea what wait for her beyond them besides that it was a place to practice her powers – whatever the fuck that meant. “Vibrokinetic Constructs” sounded like it was ripped right out of a comic book, and she was given this gnarly-ass cane to top it all off. Canes she'd always associated with the blind, but apparently that didn't matter to the Council and she now kept it on a strap she'd made on her back. Using it as a walking cane felt more arduous than simply carrying it. She didn't know why she carried it at all, why she even had it when she went to the bar. It just felt right, she supposed, having sacrificed her most loved of the senses for it. It had to be precious, right? ...Right?

She hoped so.

><><><><><><><><

“Was guilt inhibiting you, Nancy?” Axle asked, tilting his head and looking at her with black, unblinking eyes. “You must have been a decent person before you came here, huh?” Axle vanished only to reappear in front of her, leaning against the wall beside the weapons.

[b] “Guilt is a way to deal with the aftermath, yes. But what about during the fight? Will a lack of guilt enable you to dodge bullets, shrapnel, and immaterial projectiles? What about have the wherewithal to know where a teleporting or invisible enemy is? What about those who lacked guilt without a sacrifice? Those that weren't sane before? Will a lack of guilt be a strong enough crutch for you then?” Axle asked, taking down one of the knives and toying with it for a second before throwing it directly at Nancy, it missing by a mere inch and vibrating in the wall beside her.

“I'll tell you what, Nancy,” he said approaching her, “I'll not use any of these weapons on you, at first. Though I could and you would walk out of here physically fine. I'll give you a chance to try to catch me. Use your new ability and see what you can do. Try and kill me if you can.” His voice was suddenly playful, and a hint of a smirk stayed etched at the corners of his lips, “There are no consequences here.”

Heaven

If Luka screamed out in pain, Sage didn't hear it. Nor did he care to listen. “Luka” and “Sage” were no more in that moment, it was only hunter and prey and the prey was safe and secure in his jaw. It felt like an eternity for Sage since he could eat and then he'd had so many delicacies. Bed bound, the most delicious treats from around the world were made for him personally by his brother. Food had always been his gateway out of the hospital, and the sacrifice hurt more than he'd ever care to admit. But it was seen now. His first meal was his new friend and he tasted better than anything his brother could have made. The taste was...it was...divine.

Without thinking, his jaw closed down, tighter, tighter, until he was tearing flesh from bone. When Luka went limp, Sage finally sat back, sucking back Luka's flesh with a greedy gulp. In that moment, he knew that he had won and he knew that he would be returning to the battlefield time and time again. Not for the money. No, nor the power.

He would be coming back for the taste.

In the background, he could hear Avani speaking, but he couldn't hear what she said. All he heard in that moment was the ringing in his ears and that low rumble in his stomach that told him to continue; there was more, he must continue. He licked his lips tasting Luka's blood, finally shaking his head to get out of his reverie. His gaze drifted to the one he'd just killed, already mended but still wide-eyed and carefully looking away.

Katarina watched, nodding with satisfaction when the victor had been determined. Luka would need to experiment with his powers. His were the kind that had a high skill ceiling and weren't friendly to beginners; but with a little help from his friends he'd see what all he could do and soon he'd be able to manipulate scents as well. Even Sage wouldn't be immune once he learned that. Luka looked shell-shocked and Sage sat against the wall, Luka's blood starting to dissipate. He was breathing heavy and started to get up.

The new angel made his way over to Luka and put his hand on his shoulder, “Hey I uh...might have gone overboard there...I'm sorry...”

[imanasset]

Hell

Xander gave a curt nod before following her in through the doors. He spotted Axle immediately--he was hard to miss. He cupped his hands around his mouth before yelling out to the two other demons. "Hey, dipshit. Shall we get started?" He smiled devilishly.

Now, Xander didn't know why, but he always felt a tinge of excitement on meeting and teaching the newly dead. He thought it to be quite refreshing. Instead of focusing on his own life, wealth, and wellbeing, he could let his focus travel to something new. It almost like a game to him; almost like he was the king and every newbie was his pawn.

Though, he did feel different when it came to Olivia. It could've been her looks or her reserved manner that changed Xander's perspective. But either way, he was intrigued by her. She was new in a different way. She wasn't a piece in his game. Perhaps, in this circumstance, Xander was the lowly pawn. Just waiting to see what the queen needed him to do.

Maybe he was being too reckless with his emotions. It was best to have none. Emotions get you killed. But, this one wouldn't hurt, right.

---

Nancy's brows furrowed together in deep thought. She bit her lip as she began to consider Axle's words before a dagger raced passed her head. She held her breath and, without turning her head, looked back at the dagger stuck deep into the wall.

She exhaled sharply, ground her teeth and spoke up. "You may be right. I may not know a goddamn thing about battle strategies, but am not some princess. You underestimate my will. And yes, I'm not that strong, but I will do anything to get the job done." Nancy was getting slightly angered. She did not like to be belittled, especially by an asshole demon. "So, let's fight."

"Woah, Woah, Woah!" Xander ran up to the two demons. "Don't think about starting without us. Don't forget, we have another demon to teach." He propped an eyebrow up and stuck a hand out in annoyance. "At least, let Olivia watch." He grinned.

Heaven

Luka slowly looked up at the other boy. I-it's okay. You were just doing what needed to be done. He looked back down at his hands before he brought them back up to his neck. The skin was completely healed by now, but the sensation of pure fear still lingered. He would definitely need to work on his courage if he wanted to survive out on the border.

He began to get up, legs still wobbly. Let's try again. His gaze met Sage's.

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

Axle turned to face Xander, slowly, to make sure the redheaded fuck didn't think he could be taken by surprise. Xander was older, more experienced, and probably more powerful. Axle wanted him to know that he didn't give a shit. “I don't appreciate you calling me that, Ronald.” The joke was likely over his head. McDonald's wasn't one of the fast food places that translated back into Hell, being replaced instead with even shittier options for food, generally individually owned by people who decided to hang up their weapons in favor of a more tamed existence. The fact that the joke might have gone over Xander's head made it all the more funny to Axle, though his face didn't betray a trace of humor.

Olivia didn't miss the two hanging close to the wall of weapons either and she could still see the dagger vibrating in the wall beside Nancy. She looked over to Xander who was telling them to not start without them, and Olivia found herself not being able to control her trembling. Despite his willingness to drag her into this situation, Xander's presence was comforting. Every bone in her body was telling her to leave, to run, to never learn what it was she'd made such an enormous sacrifice for, but then what would that mean? It would mean a failure to adapt, she thought to herself, and a futile sacrifice. I would have given up my hearing for nothing...

That and she risked disappointing Xander. She didn't know what it was about him, but something drew her to him and his recklessness. His lopsided smile, extroverted attitude, and red hair added a splash of color to her normally monochromatic life. He seemed to be the yin to her yang, the voice to her silence.

And he could talk to her.

No one else in all of Hell it seemed could do that. People were spawned in their pique physical condition after all. How many would willingly give up hearing after gaining it again? Or after having it all of their lives? So here she was, in a run-down arena with a few other demons getting ready to learn how to kill. She took out her cane and looked at it, then looked at the group of demons before her wondering how this whole thing worked.

[b] “Don't worry. We have plenty of time for me to kill all of you; there's no need to rush anything,” Axle said, looking first at Nancy and then at Xander. “So who fights who first? Should we give the newbies a chance to see if they can activate their abilities?”

Heaven

Sage gulped. He was wracked with guilt; he could only imagine the pain he'd caused Luka, but who was he to say no to another full course meal? He wasn't anyone, really, and he was excited to taste demon. If angel tasted this good in the arena, what did demon taste like? “I...I know, but...but...I can smell your fear. Are you – are you afraid of me? Is that what I smell?”

Katarina grinned, “Ah, so the nooblies are capable of learning! I'm impressed. Luka, you've got a high skill ceiling to navigate and it seems like Sage's abilities will work mostly with instincts so before you go again, let's figure out what your weaknesses were, Luka. Your illusions were working, initially, but what made them fail? We figure that out, you may be able to beat Sage. Scheisse, you could even take a bite of him if you wanted; get some payback.”