Chapter 20: Hell.

More advance chapters on P@treon.com/Saintbarbido and Ko-Fi.com/Saintbarbido.

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-Michael's P.O.V-

The transition was instantaneous. One moment, J'onn and I were leaving the DC Universe, and the next, we appeared in the middle of a hellish landscape.

The heat hit me like a sledgehammer.

My skin prickled, but it didn't burn, thanks to the yellow Lantern ring.

J'onn, however, wasn't as lucky. In his snake form, wrapped around my neck, I could feel his body writhing in agony.

His sleek green scales were charring, his eyes wild with pain.

"Michael…" he hissed through gritted teeth. "The heat…"

I panicked for a second. Watching J'onn, a being so powerful, in such torment unsettled me. Without thinking, I conjured the jaws of a Hope-Eater.

The massive construct appeared out of the ether, swallowing J'onn whole.

It wasn't an attack, but a shield. Inside the Hope-Eater's interdimensional stomach, he'd be safe. Safe from this…hell.

(Rest, J'onn,) I mentally ordered, knowing he'd resist.

(I need you alive, not suffering. You've done more than enough.)

I could feel him hesitate for a brief moment, his loyalty battling against the agony he was in.

Finally, with a soft, apologetic hiss, he retreated into the creature's belly, leaving me alone in the scorching wasteland.

I took a breath, now that I was by myself.

My gaze swept over the desolate land. From horizon to horizon, it was nothing but red sand dunes, fire pits, and clouds that burned as they hung heavy in the sky.

Every breath tasted of ash and sulfur. Every gust of wind carried the stench of death and decay.

It didn't take a genius to figure out where we had landed. This was Hell.

'That fucker Dr. Fate. He's gonna pay for sending me here.'

"Ring, scan the area," I commanded, trying to keep my voice steady.

(Initiating Scan...)

The ring hummed to life on my finger, bathing me in a yellow glow.

I waited as it cross-referenced its databanks, searching for coordinates, clues, anything that could tell me where exactly we were.

(No findings)

It finally reported.

(This dimension is unknown)

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. If the ring couldn't find anything, it meant only one thing—we were nowhere near Earth.

We were in another plane of existence entirely, one that didn't register in any database.

I needed to figure out my next move, so I decided to explore.

First, I ascended into the air, reinforcing the environmental aura to protect me from the blistering heat and sudden sandstorms that tore through the landscape.

As I rose, I aimed to get a better view of the place, but before I could reach the red clouds above, the ring gave off a warning.

(Enemies approaching)

What? From where?

I barely had time to react before the clouds around me shifted, revealing a horde of bat-like creatures with red skin, fanged maws, and wings covered in spines.

They screeched as they dove toward me, their numbers too large to count.

"Gotta be kidding me..."

I cursed under my breath and summoned a construct, creating a giant fist that swatted at the first wave.

The creatures screeched in pain as they disintegrated into ash, but more came—hundreds, maybe thousands.

Their sheer numbers overwhelmed me.

I conjured up walls, cages, and chains, fighting them off, but they just kept coming.

Gritted my teeth hard enough to crack, I huddled under a spherical barrier for protection.

This wasn't working. I needed something more… something stronger.

The Ghost Rider stirred within me, the spirit of vengeance clawing at the surface, more violent and volatile than usual.

I let it out.

Flames engulfed me, turning blue as I shifted into the Rider.

My skull ignited, the chains materializing in my hands, blazing with hellfire.

"TIME TO PLAY."

Out rumbled the ultimate executioner's voice.

The creatures faltered at the sight of me, terror flashing in their soulless eyes. They knew what I was.

And they were afraid.

I lashed out with my chains, whipping through the horde like a blade through grass.

Hot dark blood gushed and sprayed out, filling the air with the smell of brimstone and sulphur.

The bat demons screeched and tried to flee, but I wasn't about to let them go. Not now. Not ever.

Unfathomable Rage and unknown hatred boiled in my chest as I swung the chains again, unleashing a wave of blue fire that exploded outward, consuming the creatures.

Their screams echoed in the air as they turned to ash.

"I HATE HELIONS."

The words surprised me, having come from deep within the Rider. Seeking an explanation, I delved into my connection with the Spirit of Vengeance.

Foreign information appeared in my mind.

"I see, Helions are low rank demons."

When the last of them fell, the sky was clear again, save for the ever-burning clouds.

I hovered there, chains still smoking in my hands, feeling the power of the Rider coursing through me.

It was stronger here. Much stronger than it had ever been on Earth. But that only made sense.

After all, this was Hell. I didn't question it anymore.

Far in the distance, I saw something—Red light. Not the light of flames, but a flicker, like the sun rising over a distant horizon. I narrowed my eyes and flew toward it.

-General P.O.V-

Inside a vast and towering castle, deep in Hell, a goat-headed demon scurried through the dim corridors.

It reached a large set of doors guarded by two Cerberus, pushing them open to reveal a grand throne room, with a figure seated upon the throne.

Mephisto, in a black cloak with a tall collar, red skin gleaming in the dim light, grinned as he sensed the alien presence in his domain.

"Master…" the goat-demon began, its voice shaky. "The Ghost Rider…he is here."

Mephisto's grin widened. "Blaze? No… no, this one is different."

He rose from his throne, the air crackling with his power. In a single step, he was on the balcony, staring at the fading 'blue sun' that was the remnant of the Rider's final attack.

"Send Prince Astaroth. I want to see what this new Rider is capable of."

-Michael's P.O.V-

Back on the ground, I shifted back to my yellow lantern form, the Ghost Rider retreating into my soul.

It was almost too hard to force it back in. Something about Hell made the Rider difficult to control. It's power still hummed beneath my skin.

With a gesture, I bent light around me, turning invisible as I flew low over the ground, skimming over the fiery pits of Hell.

Pits filled with screaming souls, and the Demons torturing them. These demons were different from Helions- humanoid with gray skins and pitchforks.

"That's thematic..."

Who knew Hell would be classically accurate? In fact, it looked exactly how I thought it would. How strange.

Emanating from the pits was a swirl of negative emotions. Pain, sadistic glee, regret and despair threatened to consume my human mind.

I blocked it all out with the mental shields J'onn had been helping me create.

Someone else would be tempted to save the but the Rider's soul gaze revealed everyone burning deserved the punishment.

Still, I did my best to focus elsewhere.

Above ground Shades and other infernal creatures moved like shadows through the wasteland, some noticing me, others too caught up in their eternal torment.

Those that did notice me met a quick end, devoured by a Hope-Eater construct I summoned at will.

Their demonic energy was stored away. Maybe I would find a use for it later.

After a few hours of flying forward without noticeably reaching the red light in the horizon, I stopped and turned to the Ring.

"Anything yet? I feel like we're moving in circles. I'm pretty sure I saw that same rock a few miles back."

The ring, still running scanning procedures, reported something interesting,

(This dimension is in constant flux. No fixed coordinates.)

"Of course," I muttered. "Hell wouldn't make it easy."

(There is one fixed point) the ring added. (A castle. Directly ahead)

"Ahead? There's nothing there..."

I looked forward at the direction of the light I'd been following and found nothing.

The ring's detection abilities couldn't be wrong. Maybe my eyes were being deceived.

Focusing intently, there seemed to be a haze around my perception. Shifting into the Rider, the haze cleared and what was hidden, revealed.

Sure enough, in the distance, I saw it—an enormous red and black castle, surrounded by skeletal remains.

The sky above it boiled with red lightning, and the Rider within me stirred, agitated.

I frowned. The Rider… was scared.

Deciding not to take any chances, I pulled demonic essence from the Hope-Eater's stomach, layering it over myself as a disguise.

The smell of sulfur and death clung to me, masking my presence as I approached the castle.

A few miles off, I stopped and quickly dove down into a fire pit-still invisible.

Overhead, a literal army of Demons- all of whom were stronger than the Helions from before, flew towards the direction I had come from.

Leading them was a handsome blonde Demon that gave off an aura similar to the Ghost Rider's spirit.

"ASTAROTH."

The name appeared in my mind. Once again, provided by the Rider.

"Do you know him?"

I asked the spirit but got no response.

Confirming they were all gone, I made to leave the pit only to notice one of the sinful souls.

Dressed in a monk's robe, this particular soul stayed silent while burning. And on his finger was something familiar.

"No fucking way..."

I swallowed the soul into the Hope-Eater and left the pit, successfully avoiding detection.

From there I headed for the castle, the ring guiding me as I flew closer, mapping out the layout of the structure.

(The central room is your destination) It informed me. (The only unchanging place in the entire dimension)

I phased through the outer walls, bypassing the monstrous dogs that guarded the entrance.

My body slipped through stone and iron like mist, and I found myself in the throne room.

And there, sitting on the throne, was a devil. A powerful one. Far more powerful than anything I had ever sensed before.

His red skin glistened, his eyes glowed with amusement. And surprisingly, he could see me.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Rider." He said, his voice smooth and dangerous.

I stared at him, knowing without a doubt who he was.

"Mephisto."

Fuck me. I was in the Marvel Universe.