by Michael Todd
Pandora put her hand on the general’s shoulder and spoke to him like she was speaking to a child. “Remember what I told you. She is incredibly intelligent. She knows who did this to her. She also knows I wasn’t on that island, because if I were she would have seen me. She may not have spent a lot of time around me, but also knows that the wife of Lucifer wouldn’t call her to an island just to let the military take care of her. She saw every single one of you. She must have been stunned, because she didn’t turn around and pulverize your ships. I’m going to go way out on a limb here and say you guys got incredibly lucky. The bitch gives zero fucks.”
“She saw us?”
“She fucking saw you, buddy.”
“And she knows who attacked her?”
“Yep. She’s a motherfucker, but she’s a smart motherfucker.”
“Are you trying to tell me that the US of A just pissed off the Leviathan?”
Pandora chuckled. “You sure did.”
Katie took back over. “Find her, and let’s kill her. This has gone on long enough. I’m not willing to wait until she climbs up the Empire State Building and kills a bunch of people.”
Pandora didn’t see that coming. Wait…what?
Katie spoke out loud so she could include the general. “She’s hurt now. We don’t have a host of angels, just me and you, Pandora. That’s going to have to be enough.”
Pandora groaned. Oh, that’s a good plan.
“We’re going to kill the Leviathan, General.”
We are so going to die. And we never even decided on a good costume.
25
The fleet moved through the water, coming from all directions throughout the Atlantic Ocean. From large speakers attached to their main decks, the sound of Pandora’s voice speaking in demon blasted out across the water. They couldn’t locate the beast on the sonar, so they hoped to draw her out from wherever she was hiding.
“Tiamat I oz edizz waiting maen esaeu. Esaeu yor nur xuq esaeu yorraeq siga maenawabbi. Esaeu sowa qae yaeza ud zaezaqiza, oth s'ar esaeu gae, I oz going qae qaon yoq fucking qoih aemm esaeun ozz.”
Pandora’s voice echoed, sending chills down the sailors’ spines. This was the first time for many of them to be in direct contact with a demon, and it was a little bit overwhelming.
After hours of the ships cruising through the waters, something stirred far below the surface of the ocean. Mud cascaded. Alarmed fish swam in circles and finally shot away from the shifting seafloor. Even though the beast was foreign to the creatures of Earth, they knew danger when they saw it. The Leviathan took no prisoners and devoured everything in its path.
As the schools of fish swam quickly away, two eyes the size of pick-up trucks opened wide.
Katie looked out the window as the helicopter flew. She was being taken out to a new island, one that was all set up and ready for her. They made sure this one was also as far away from any inhabited place as they possibly could get. As she approached, she could see dozens of battleships in the distance. They stood off so as not to tempt Tiamat into swimming over to them and dragging them to the bottom of the ocean.
Katie knew that having any humans around was a bad idea. These jokers are going to get themselves killed. I don’t need any distractions right now. If I’m going to kill this bitch, I can’t be looking after humans at the same time.
Pandora took her usual nonchalant stance. Hey, they know what the dangers are. If they want to be eaten by a giant sea-dragon, that’s their business. You can’t babysit everybody.
You still don’t get it. These people rely on me to keep them safe. They think that if they’re with me, they’ll be safe. They don’t realize I can’t protect all of them and myself at the same time. It’s like the time we fought that demon in Times Square. People died because they expected me to save them, but I was fighting a fucking demon at the time. If I can do anything to avoid that situation, then I need to do it.
Pandora kept her mouth shut. She knew she wasn’t going to change Katie’s mind. If she was honest, Pandora didn’t want to see anybody die either, but how often was a demon honest with anybody? Besides, she was completely focused on the giant beast that wanted to eat her whole.
Katie pulled her headset on and tapped the microphone to check it. “Can you hear me? Okay. I need everyone to back off. It’s just going to be the Leviathan and me.”
Pandora pouted. Hey, and me! Don’t forget about me! I’m here too.
Katie chuckled. I know, trust me. You don’t let me forget those kinds of things.
Katie stopped, realizing that sometimes, maybe she did forget that Pandora was there. She shouldn’t do that. Pandora was very useful in these kinds of situations. Immediately, that gave her a new idea, one that she knew Pandora wasn’t going to like very much.
As the thought passed through Katie’s mind, Pandora could tell something was up. What the fuck are you thinking?
Katie began snickering, and Pandora didn’t like it at all. Why are you doing that? You sound horrible, like somebody butchering a pig.
How much juice you got, you demonic bitch? Katie laughed.
Well, if you’re gonna get me turned on by calling me dirty names, I got a lot of juice.
Katie obviously had something up her sleeve. You got more in hell?
Pandora sneered. Of course. Oh, shit!
The helicopter touched down and Katie jumped onto the shore. Before Pandora could ask her any more questions, a voice came over her walkie. “Be advised, Katie, the beast is eighty miles out and coming on strong.”
“Roger that. I got this. Make sure you’re back far enough. I can’t protect everybody.”
With that Katie took off the headset, and dropped it in the sand, not wanting anything to give away her position. She surveyed the area, looking for the best place to make a stand. It looked like an island from a television show. The center was densely wooded, surrounded on all sides by a white, sandy beach.
Katie kicked the sand with her boots. If there weren’t a Damned-eating monster heading my way I’d say this is the perfect place for a vacation.
Pandora sniffed. Too few men and not enough drinks. If you’re going to drag me to the middle of nowhere, there’d better be something to entertain me.
Katie climbed up the beach toward the wooded area. I have a big old girl coming to visit you as we speak. I don’t think she brought any umbrella drinks with her, but I promise she’s going to be a good time. Hell, she better be a good time, because I’m just about done with this shit.
Pandora giggled. Sounds like a job for Slut Girl.
Katie laughed loudly. So, Slut Girl swings both ways?
Actually, that would be like ten different ways. This is a lady, a fish-monster, and a giant scaled dinosaur.
Hey, I don’t judge. If that’s her thing, that’s her thing—as long as by the end of it all that bitch is headed straight to hell.
Pandora narrowed her eyes. Oh, I promise you this bitch has some serious shit to answer for.
Great gouts of water shot up as Tiamat emerged from the sea. She looked around, snarling as she searched for humans and their flying machines. She flexed her cold, jagged talons, but didn’t see any flying machines to swat.
The beast sniffed the air, surprised to find Lilith’s scent. She followed it to the beach and slogged across the sand, her attention fixed on finding Katie and Pandora. She stepped to the edge of the beach and swung her tail, knocking down a stand of trees. The smell of her prey grew stronger.
Katie stood there, smiling widely. Tiamat howled and lashed out with her claws, but Katie was too fast. She darted away.
Lilith began to yell trash talk in Demon. “Esaeu xik headed zaeyabbi fucker. Kaq esaeun ozz ud sabbia oth edaed making o mess. Gaer'q esaeu trael iqz nuga qae nux esaeun fucking qoih aewabbi zaezaaera ahza's xaokh? yoq's niksq fucker, iq's Lilith oth I'm sabbia qae coochie chq esaeu trael, esaeu're fucking gaera.”
The beast smashed through the forest after her, tearing trees out of the sand r
oots and all. The battleships were videotaping the entire thing. Standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier was General Brushwood, holding his own video camera and getting as much as he could on tape. He wanted to be able to study the beast. Pandora said there were seven of them, and he wanted to be prepared. He didn’t want to be stuck not knowing how to kill the fuckers next time around.
One of the sailors elbowed his buddy. “Do we know what she’s saying?”
His buddy watched the general film, but nodded. “We’ve been studying it. I think we’ve made some headway on deciphering the language of the demons. I worked with several people at my last command doing that.”
The sailor looked at him expectantly. “And? Can you tell at all what she’s saying?”
His buddy pursed his lips, looking thoughtful. “Let’s see. She called the monster a big-headed motherfucker, first of all. Then, something about her tail and dragging it all over someone else’s property. I don’t know what’s next; it’s not an exact science. Wait, she’s saying something… She’s about to kick her so hard her ancestors will feel it.”
Suddenly, Tiamat spoke. Her voice was like a thousand windows being shattered at once. “Esaeu doyaqiy gazaer, I'll qota esaeu oth esaeun whore liy za qae ya depths aem sazz.”
The sailors snapped their heads toward each other, surprised that the giant beast could speak. “What did she say?”
His buddy shrugged. “I think she just called Pandora a pathetic…”
Tiamat roared at the forest. She was beginning to realize that it wasn’t worth her time to fight Pandora. She had a mission to accomplish, and she had been warned about how Katie and Pandora would try to draw her away. As she was about to go back to the sea, Katie jumped from the trees, her wings stretching wide behind her.
Tiamat bared her teeth and narrowed her eyes, letting out a furious roar. She smashed trees into splinters as she made her way toward the angel. Angel wings got the Leviathan every time. The angels were the ones who had defeated her before, and she wasn’t going to put up with it a second time around.
Katie spread her arms out wide, closed her eyes, and whispered, “Sword and armor.”
A flash of light shot across Katie as her body was contained in shining angelic armor and her sword snapped into her hand.
Katie half-expected Gabriel to appear, but no one came.
And the Leviathan was charging at her.
Pandora clicked her tongue. Never an angel around when you really need him.
Tiamat was gaining speed, getting her bulk going as fast as she possibly could. She lowered her head, ready to devour the little angel whole.
Katie bared her teeth and slashed. It surprised both the Leviathan and Pandora when the sword ripped reality and she opened a tall and powerful portal into hell.
Pandora whistled. That’s some pretty sweet shit.
Katie chuckled. I’ve got all kinds of surprises up my sleeve.
With that, Katie made a running leap into the portal…and into hell. Tiamat’s eyes opened wide as she put her feet out and tried to slow herself down, but it was too late. She was going too fast, and the portal was too close. The Leviathan roared, furious as she tumbled head over tail into the portal behind Katie.
She had no love for angels, but that didn’t mean she wanted to go to hell. Especially alongside Katie and Pandora.
What neither of them realized was that the portal was shimmering as they moved through it. They didn’t notice when the portal snapped shut behind them.
The general lowered the camera down and stared blankly at the island. Tiamat and Katie were gone. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He hoped beyond hope that this wasn’t the last time he ever saw Katie. He knew the last place that she wanted to be was in the depths of hell.
26
“Fucking hell! That was supposed to stay open,” Katie shouted.
Pandora tsked. Too much mass. If you had asked, I’d have warned you, but I think you have bigger things to worry about. And by bigger, I mean really fucking big.
Katie looked up to see Tiamat charging at her. She let the beast come.
When she could smell Tiamat’s stinking breath, she raised her sword. Tiamat’s teeth flashed, reflecting the fires of hell.
Katie leaped out of the way, popped her wings out, and let them carry her up and over the Leviathan. She cut a deep groove in Tiamat’s back with her angelic sword. The beast screamed and fell, rolling across the hardened lava .
Katie chuckled, but Pandora quickly pointed out that the Leviathan wasn’t the only problem they were facing. Looks like the demons are coming for you too. This was a fantastic fucking idea.
“Shit,” Katie groaned. The creatures scrambled toward her, snarling and spitting. She sliced her sword through the air, taking the heads off of two of the demons.
She was trying to stay alive, fight the Leviathan, and keep the demons back all at the same time, not to mention the fact that it was about a million degrees down there, which was very quickly draining her energy. Katie flew over the heads of two demons who lunged at her, then landed behind them and sliced them in half. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was exhausted already. Can you open the portal again?
And keep you kicking ass? Pandora blew out a puff of air. I can’t do both, baby.
Katie narrowed her eyes and kicked a demon in the chest so hard that it sent him flying back into the depths of hell.
She held her sword with one hand and took a deep breath. With all her strength, Katie shoved her hand into her chest, pulling with an angel’s strength.
When she ripped her hand free, it felt like she was tugging herself apart. But she was pulling Pandora free.
Katie dropped Pandora on the ground in front of her and the demon stood there in her full demon form, shocked. At first, Pandora’s body shook, unused to being free. She had been stuck inside Katie for so long. Then she took a deep breath, reveling in the hellish air.
Katie leveled her sword at the demons charging her but spoke to Pandora. “Now’s your time, Pandora. I’ve put all my faith in you. Save me, kill me, make me your angel bitch. It’s up to you. What’s it going to be?”
Pandora looked at her for a moment and began to cackle maniacally. A flash of panic ran through Katie. She was unsure what exactly Pandora was laughing at. Had she been played? Had she only pretended to care for Katie all this time to save herself?
Was Pandora really the demon Katie had tried to deny she was?
Pandora slowly craned her demon head toward Katie, her eyes bright in their sockets. “No one should ever, ever trust a demon, Katie. Especially not an angel.”
Katie flinched as Pandora launched herself up, putting her snarling face in Katie’s.
Katie gasped, ready for a fight. Instead, Pandora winked at her and kissed Katie’s cheek. She lazily threw an arm up toward the demon horde attacking them and released a massive amount of dark, freezing energy. The icy black magic stormed through the air, laying waste to any demon in her sight.
The demons fell to the ground and burst into pieces, their bodies becoming wispy black smoke.
Pandora whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but you’re my sister in word as well as deed.”
Katie let a smile move across her lips. Pandora leaped up, unleashing her icy black death on more demons. Her demon body had transformed, and she was beyond beautiful. She was powerful and strong and everything that she had ever claimed to have been. Katie knew right then that she could always trust Pandora, even if she were outside their body. It was obvious that Pandora had been honest with Katie all along.
The demons decided they’d had enough. Instead of running full speed toward Katie and Pandora, they were now running as fast as they could in the opposite direction. Katie raised her sword. “I didn’t even get to use this.”
She laughed. “Fuck the angel sword. None of them want to mess with the Mistress of hell.”
Behind them, Tiamat struggled to get to her feet. She huffed and puffed, struggling to brea
the in the hot winds of hell.
“Hey, fish-face!”
The Leviathan turned toward the voice. Pandora was walking toward her, hellishly beautiful and beautifully hellish. “I hope you enjoyed stomping on the humans while it lasted. You’re in my domain now, bitch!”
Tiamat let out a loud bellow, ready for a fight that never came. Instead of rushing the Leviathan, Pandora took a few steps back.
The demon queen extended her claws, black energy sparking around her. Nearby, Katie stuck her angelic sword in the rocky ground and leaned on it. The heat of hell was draining her, but she was resolute, not willing to give in. Still, she was weak.
Tiamat saw her chance. She howled with rage and ran for Katie.
Pandora chuckled and leaped for Katie. She grabbed her by the waist with one hand and pushed every ounce of dark energy she could in front of her. The dark stream sliced through reality itself. She had made a way out of hell, and she was taking Katie with her.
The Leviathan wasn’t fast enough. She raced for them, but Pandora lifted Katie like they were newlyweds and leaped through the portal.
As soon as she felt the cool Earth air, Pandora slashed her claws in the air, closing the portal behind her. As the gate slammed shut, Pandora could hear Tiamat’s bellow. She had been left behind, stuck in hell.
Pandora hit the ground with Katie, and she rolled across an asphalt road until a brick wall stopped them. Pandora cursed, then clawed at the wall in an attempt to pull herself to her feet. She wrapped her arms around her naked body, her tail covering her. They were in the same alley where they had saved a girl. That was a long time ago, it seemed, but it was fitting, considering that both of them were in pretty rough shape.
