The Deserter and the Hellspawn

Hyperriox opened his eyes.

He was now in a different location. A vast landscape of hellfire and brimstone was spread around him, occupied by thousands of men and women in grayed out colours.

"Impossible..." He muttered.

He was in the dominion of the dead, the third realm.

The Below.

"This is quite preposterous, I can't be dead! What about the island? And the man who controls time?" Riox asked nobody in particular.

"Yeah, denial won't get you anywhere hombre." A voice was heard.

A man in a yellow and black attire, wearing a hood and a golden face mask that covered most of his facial features, appeared out of a fire.

"Welcome to hell!" He said.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a man of many names. Some call me the Hellspawn, but you may know me as Inferno!" He said, and took off this mask, revealing his identity.

"You're that annoying braggart from the tournament!" Riox exclaimed. "What happened to you?"

"Well, Nova hooked me up with the peeps here in hell and now I'm an official member of the guardian order. Guardian of the Below!"

"And what is it that you do, exactly?* Riox asked.

"I'm keeping watch over here in Limbo. Making sure nobody gets out until that douchebag, the Grim Reaper, shows up to take them to judgement or something. Hate that guy, man. He never tells me anything." Inferno explained.

"So when do I leave?"

"Leaving? There's no leaving man, you're dead. Last stop, end of the road, game over, chapter complete."Inferno said "You could get revived from out there while you're in limbo though."

"Wonderful. How much time do I have until I 'get judged'?"

"Takes a year usually, but it's not up to me."

"Fortunately for you, Hyperriox, we aren't following the usual process." Another voice echoed.

In a blinding flash, a cloaked woman appeared. She was wearing a necklace with a glowing purple gem.

"Lady Death!" Inferno exclaimed and kneeled. Riox did not mimic him.

"Hyperriox of the Above." She said. "Nova has been looking for you."

"Oh great, you're on a first name basis with the big man in the sky. What're you, his girlfriend?" Riox asked.

"Hilarious. Hellspawn, you have my permission to visit Nova, and inform him we have found this deserter." Lady Death said.

"Of course, m'lady." Inferno said, and ran off.

"You, stay put. Once I'm ready, I will take you to Nova." She said, and disappeared in another flash.

"Ha. So not happening." Riox said, and started flying in the direction Inferno ran off to."

___________________________________________

"Hey pal!" Riox said once he caught up to Inferno.

"Hyperriox! Didn't Lady Death tell you to stay put?" Inferno asked.

"Well, she did. But what's she gonna do, kill me?" Riox said.

"A fair assessment. What is it that you need?"

"I don't need anything, just a question. How's it feel being a lackey?"

"Lackey?"

"Yeah man, you let that chick step all over you. For a so called guardian, you sure are getting bossed around." Riox smirked.

"That's my job, Riox. What is it that you need exactly." Inferno said, frustrated.

"Your job is doing what she tells you with no reward? Some new sketch to me."

"I don't particularly enjoy it, but it's my duty." Inferno admitted.

"I think I know a way for you to get back at your Lady, chump."

"And what would that be?" Inferno asked, intrigued.

"Well, you know how to handle a magic machine, right?"

"Matter Transporter, yes."

"Wonderful. Here's what we're going to do."

___________________________________________

The time had come for Hyperriox to face Nova. Lady Death had picked him up and they were on their way to the Matter Transporter in the center of Limbo.

"So, you never told me your name, hot stuff." Riox said.

"My name is Lady Death. That's all you need to know." She replied.

"Yeah I get that, but did your parents call you Lady Death?" Riox asked.

"No."

"We'll come on then, tell me what it is!" Riox said.

"No."

"You're no fun."

"I don't think you quite understand your current situation. This isn't a field trip."

"Doesn't mean you can't have fun, though."

"Fine. My name is Lydia. Happy?"

"Very. I think we're here, Lydia. Ladies first..." Riox said, with a devilish grin on his face.

"You can't trick me like that. Move along."

Unbeknownst to her, Inferno had been stationed near the controls of the Matter Transporter. Rather than setting it to connect to the Above, it was connected to Terra. Inferno was to change it once Riox passed through, so the two would be sent to different locations.

Riox stepped in the glowing portal at the center of the machine. Smiling. He tried to dash to the other end, but Lydia grabbed his ankle and they both flew in together.

___________________________________________

The two fell inside the castle basement. It was night.

"Shit! You came through with me?!" Riox exclaimed.

"Where did you take us, you idiot?"

"Welcome to Terra, lady. And Goodbye!" Riox said as he conjured a red, rectangular portal and flew through. Before it closed, Lydia  followed through.

They were now in an open field, away from the city.

Lydia's gem started emitting a weird energy, empowering her.

"You think you can escape? Death is permanent!" She said.

"Not for me!" Riox said, and zapped her with lighting. She deflected it, and flew straight at him, trying to grab him. He teleported away by quickly jumping through a portal.

Lydia continued the pursuit, attempting to engulf the runaway with purple and black flames. Hyperriox expertly dodged, until Lydia teleported behind him.

She tried to touch his shoulder but he stopped and dropped out of the air.

"Touch of Death? Screw you, Lydia!" He said and thunder started crackling.

Lydia had to cover her eyes from the spark. When she opened her eyes again, he was gone.

___________________________________________

Lydia retuned to the Below and was greeted by Inferno.

"How did it go?" He asked.

"We were sent to Terra. He escaped." She answered.

"That's awful! What will you do next?"

"Inform Nova."

"Really? And expose yourself just like that? Why don't you go after him yourself? Restore your honour and all that?"

Lydia mulled this over.

"You are right. I won't tell Nova, not yet. This is none of his concern." She said. "I'll handle it on my own."

She walked away, head hanging low. Inferno smirked.

If it was that easy for Riox to escape, he could do it too!