Chapter 126: Hell (Conclusion)
"Don't be so tense. I already said, I came here out of curiosity," Mephisto said, shifting his gaze from Coulson to Daniel. Coulson's resurrection fascinated many on Earth, with Garrett even willing to go to any lengths to uncover its secrets. But for Mephisto, it wasn't a big deal.
After all, souls leaving Hell isn't unheard of over the millennia.
"It's hard not to be tense," Daniel thought. Mephisto's words didn't relax him. Records from Kamar-Taj and other sources showed Mephisto to be a very cunning individual.
Compared to Daniel, Coulson and his team, including the usually calm Melinda, were visibly anxious.
"The soul is now in Hell. So..." Daniel trailed off, hoping Mephisto would get the hint and leave.
"I rarely meet a sorcerer. I have something that needs your help. Of course, I will offer compensation and grant you any wish," Mephisto replied calmly, ignoring Daniel's hint.
"Sorry, I'm quite content. I have no wishes," Daniel immediately rejected, his tone firm.
"It involves him," Mephisto said, glancing at Coulson.
"Damn old guy. Coulson's resurrection is indeed peculiar. I hadn't considered Hell's involvement before, but now it seems strange. Did Coulson's soul, like that other guy's, linger on Earth for some reason instead of going to Hell?" Daniel pondered.
On the surface, Coulson's resurrection seemed due to substances extracted from the Kree. But on closer inspection, many things didn't add up. The Kree substances couldn't possibly pull a soul from Hell.
Having never given it much thought, Daniel now realized something was off.
"You all step out for a moment," Daniel said after some contemplation, addressing Coulson and his team. The matter involved Coulson, and as long as his safety wasn't at risk, Daniel didn't mind seeing what Mephisto wanted.
As long as he avoided making a deal with Mephisto, there would be no problem. Mephisto's operations on Earth revolved around deals, never using force to achieve his goals. It was all about resisting temptation.
Throughout history, few have resisted Mephisto's temptations. Even the Ghost Rider initially succumbed.
If one delves into human history, they'll find an interesting fact: contracts originated from him, evolving into the profession of lawyers. Yes, the origin of lawyers can be traced back to Mephisto, which is why contracts often contain hidden traps.
Another thing that spread from Hell is the frequent use of "666." While it might seem harmless, frequent use could potentially draw a connection to Hell's demons.
Despite the known evil of demons, people still make deals with them for two main reasons. One, some believe they are smarter than demons and can outwit them, only to have their souls devoured. Two, some don't understand the gravity of the deal, like those who trade their soul for wealth in life, thinking it doesn't matter after death—until it's too late to regret.
"Since it involves me, I should stay," Coulson insisted, curious after hearing Mephisto mention him. Though his memories were replaced, he was aware of some changes in his body.
"Some things aren't for you to know yet. Melinda," Daniel said, signaling Melinda to take Coulson away. Coulson resisted but was swiftly knocked out by Melinda's hand chop.
"Truly Iron Cavalry," Daniel mused, surprised by Melinda's decisiveness.
Watching Melinda leave with Coulson and the others, Daniel felt reassured that she would prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
"What is it about him?" Daniel asked once they were alone.
"Because of him, some have left Hell," Mephisto explained.
"You're passing the buck," Daniel thought, exasperated. The situation was simple: Mephisto's son, Blackheart, escaped Hell due to Coulson. The details of his escape were vague, but it involved Coulson.
Blackheart's reason for escaping Hell was straightforward: he wanted to kill Mephisto and become the king of Hell. Similar to Loki, but with a harsher fate since Mephisto didn't age or die, leaving Blackheart with no option but to kill him to take his place. In Hell, Blackheart was no match for Mephisto and sought power on Earth through the Contract of San Venganza to become a demon lord and challenge Mephisto.
From Daniel's perspective, Blackheart was overreaching. If the Contract of San Venganza were truly that powerful, Mephisto wouldn't have left it on Earth.
"So it's another case of a son trying to overthrow his father, like in Norse mythology or with Thanos," Daniel thought. "Loki and Odin, Peter and Ego, and now Blackheart and Mephisto. Even Ultron and Tony Stark or Kaecilius and the Ancient One could be seen this way."
After explaining the situation, Mephisto proposed a deal: help eliminate Blackheart and retrieve the Contract of San Venganza, in exchange for not pursuing Coulson's resurrection.
"I refuse. If you want to reclaim his soul, go ahead," Daniel responded without hesitation.
While others might be intimidated by Mephisto, Daniel, as a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, knew that Hell couldn't randomly reclaim souls. Unless they were directly killed, the rules of resurrection applied.
Kamar-Taj's knowledge about Hell was extensive, even if many never needed it. But Daniel had studied it thoroughly, preparing for any eventuality, which proved useful now.
In Hell, the stronger the demon, the greater their limitations on Earth. Entities like the Ghost Rider or Blackheart could wield power on Earth, but Mephisto and Lucifer couldn't act freely.
"Do you realize if he gains the Contract of San Venganza, he could unleash tremendous power here, causing massive casualties?" Mephisto warned.
"If that happens, someone will deal with it," Daniel replied indifferently. With the Ancient One and other powerful beings around, he wouldn't be fooled.
"I see. Here's a contract I think you'll find interesting," Mephisto said, tossing a scroll toward Daniel.
Smack.
Seeing Mephisto's move, Daniel quickly formed hand seals, summoning a golden shield to block the scroll.
Having seen Ghost Rider's experiences, Daniel was wary. Reaching for the scroll could inadvertently seal a deal, as Johnny Blaze learned the hard way.
Transforming his shield into a staff, Daniel struck the scroll back to Mephisto.
"Interesting," Mephisto remarked, retrieving the scroll with a smile.
"By the way, Lucifer is in Los Angeles," Mephisto said before vanishing, leaving an address to a bar in L.A.
"That guy, setting a trap before leaving. Does he think I'll go looking for Lucifer? Though it feels off, like Lucifer being in the adjacent universe," Daniel thought after Mephisto's departure.
"Well, I'll leave this to the big shots," Daniel decided, planning to report to the Ancient One. With her power, Mephisto wouldn't be a problem.
As for Blackheart and the Contract of San Venganza, there were Ghost Riders to handle that. There were supposedly three Ghost Riders in the Marvel universe, and they managed Blackheart in the original storyline.
"Speaking of Ghost Riders, I forgot about the Darkhold. Who has it now? I think it's in some lab, but I can't recall," Daniel pondered, realizing the Darkhold could create a virtual reality world.
"You should tell Coulson the truth soon. Mephisto's words likely stirred his suspicions," Daniel advised Melinda.
"Is Coulson really okay?" Melinda asked, worried about Mephisto's appearance.
"Don't worry. Though I don't know how you revived Coulson, he's fine now," Daniel reassured. Future issues with Mephisto were beyond his knowledge.
"Are you sure?" Melinda seemed doubtful, given Mephisto's reputation.
"Relax, Hell has its rules. Even Mephisto can't break them," Daniel replied.
"Well, I need to report this," he added.
"Wait, the director knows and is on his way," Melinda informed. With Mephisto involved, she couldn't keep it from Fury, who was already en route.
"Alright," Daniel sighed, deciding to stay until Fury arrived.
"Was that really Mephisto? How is that possible?" Fitz, Simmons, and Skye still hadn't fully processed Mephisto's appearance.
"Damn, we had a power outage yesterday, lost a lot of data. Rewriting it doesn't feel the same," Daniel lamented.
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