The Symphony of Death

by Matthew Newson

  I walked out of the room fully restored and focused on fulfilling my purpose in Lucifer’s glorious plan to end the world. I would have to be much more careful the next time I faced The Man Wrapped in Darkness. He possessed the ability to dispense The Blood of The One—the ultimate weapon of the redeemed, and one of the few things that could defeat me.

  The Blood of The One had been responsible for all the defeats I had suffered. The Blood killed the cancer and various other diseases I had placed in people, and it had caused people to return to life after I had killed them. I greatly feared The Blood because it had total and complete power over me. My mind flashed to moments ago of my exposed rib cage from where The Blood had touched me. I couldn’t let it touch me again for I feared in the day that it did I would become the mindless skeleton man in the black robe with the scythe for the rest of time.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Paul Luca

  Williams Industries Colorado Facility

  ALEC AND I STEPPED out of the God Portal, and into the Williams Colorado Facility. We found ourselves completely alone in the massive building which didn’t contain much of anything given its size. I looked around and saw no one, and my spirit senses indicated there wasn’t another living person for miles. That could be a good thing. As I turned to ask Alec where all the employees might be, I was greeted with a smile. At least he wasn’t getting sick.

  Then he turned his head and threw up on the floor.

  I knew I shouldn’t have laughed at him, but at that point it was kind of funny.

  “Do we have to keep taking those portals? Couldn’t we just fly here on an airplane or something like that?”

  “I told you, you would get used to the portals eventually, and when you do it won’t bother you anymore.”

  “When am I supposed to get used to them?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

  “Well, it’s different for every person, but if I had to guess as to why you keep getting sick is because we are traveling very fast.”

  “How fast are we going?” asked Alec.

  “We are traveling at the speed of light.”

  “What? That’s not possible.”

  “Sure it is. God is made of light, so it’s only logical that his established means of travel would be made of the same. You know, now that I think about it, since you’re still mortal, when you enter a God Portal you go from a physical being to a being of absolute light, and then back to a mortal being. I assume it must be pretty jarring on the body.”

  “Well, you know what they say when you assume.”

  “Easy now, Alec.”

  He regained control of his breathing. “Could we at least go a little slower through them?”

  “Oh yes, but then we wouldn’t have gotten here as fast as we did. It appears we have beaten our enemy to this place, because I don’t sense their presence at all. As matter of fact I don’t sense anyone here. Where are all the employees?”

  Alec looked around at the dimly lit warehouse facility. “I don’t know. As far as I know there should be people here, but it doesn’t appear by all the dust that anyone has been here in a long time. This place looks abandoned.”

  “At least it will make it easier to find the portable reactor then. Where do you think it would be?”

  Alec pointed at a yellow door behind me. “If I had to guess the portable reactor is in there.”

  “Why do you think that?” I said.

  Alec walked past me for the door. “Because, any time the company is working with radioactive material we always paint the door yellow to the room where the work is being done as a safety warning for the employees. There also the sign for radiation painted next to the door.”

  I grabbed Alec’s arm and stopped him as he passed me. “Wait! Lucifer, Death, David, or any combination of the three could be on the other side of the door. Let me go first in case it’s some kind of trap.”

  “I thought you said no one else was here?”

  “We still have to be careful. Just because I’m not sensing anyone else doesn’t mean we are alone. Lucifer is a master manipulator, and we must take every precaution.”

  Alec nodded and let me proceed in front of him. “Are you ready? I’ll walk us through the wall again.”

  “Please try the handle first,” Alec said.

  Surely there was no way the door was unlocked, but when I turned the handle to my surprise the door opened to a large room. I saw several empty shelving racks, and toward the back to the room was the device we sought. But as we walked in, we were greeted by the scene of David Willenski with his back to us in his long white robe, golden sandals, and black crown made of only God knew what, in front of a fifty-foot tall metallic metal vessel. He worked at a mobile computer station furiously typing away. Lucifer had dressed David in the same attire as himself, and the worst part was, David didn’t seem to believe that Lucifer was going to cast him back into a pit of fire after he got what he wanted.

  David hadn’t acknowledged us when we entered the room as he cursed at the screen.

  “That has to be the portable nuclear reactor, but I have no idea what he’s doing.” Alec said.

  As I started to speak, David called out over his shoulder. “If you must know what I’m doing I’m trying to get this stupid thing to turn on.”

  “He’s known we were here all along,” Alec said.

  Frustrated by the computer David turned and faced us. “I knew you two pieces of trash were here the moment you stepped out of The One’s portal. I could smell the stench of his presence all over you two. It’s enough to make me sick just like you were a moment ago, Alec.”

  “What are you doing here, David?” I asked.

  “I already told you, trying to get this thing to work before I take it to Lucifer.”

  “You know Lucifer is using you, don’t you? As soon as he has what he wants from you, he’s going to put you back in the pit he pulled you out of—or worse. Whatever he promised you is just another lie, and that’s all he is, David, one big lie.”

  David’s eyes widened as he became enraged. “You shut your mouth Man Wrapped in Darkness! You’re not scaring anyone here, because now I have the power to beat you. Lucifer’s plan is going to come to pass, and you and all your friends will watch Lucifer elevate his throne above The One’s and take his rightful place. You will also see me taking my place next to him on my throne before you as all of Heaven is cast into the Lake of Fire.”

  Alec stepped up beside me and said, “Where are all the employees, David? Did you kill them?”

  David calmed a little and smiled. “Yes, I killed everybody. Didn’t you see all the bodies on your way in?”

  “What? We didn’t see any bodies.”

  “That’s because there are none, you twit. This is a decommissioned site the company uses to store projects from contracts that have been terminated. Honestly, I still can’t believe your father gave you of all the people this company to run. You don’t even know which sites are active and inactive.”

  “Why would Lucifer cancel the reactor being built only to want it now so badly?” I asked.

  David rolled his eyes and shook his head. “He didn’t cancel the project, the military did.”

  “What are you talking about?” I fired back.

  “Well since you are all about to die, I guess it makes no difference if I tell you about it or not. Lucifer told Maxwell to build this device. He wanted us to break up the components of the machine by researching which industries would benefit from each individual piece.”

  “As a way to get funding for them?” Alec asked.

  David shook his head. “No, as a way to hide what we were planning from The One. For instance, the Center for Disease Control loved the idea of a chamber that could release cures to entire villages from various outbreaks or chemical weapons. The airline industry jumped at the notion of larger, more efficient, and safer engines for their planes, and the military all but gave us
the keys to the Pentagon to develop them a cheap and quick way to power their bases abroad. They canceled our arrangement when they received a lot of push back because we were using nuclear means to power their bases. So, this beauty came to reside here to collect dust, and be forgotten.”

  Then, as David finished, I felt a familiar evil presence, and quickly drew my sword and pushed Alec back to the wall as I thrust my sword through Lucifer’s armor and into his chest as he screamed in agony and materialized before me. He tried to sneak in and attack us while he used David as his distraction.

  I leaned in close as Lucifer tried to free himself from my blade. I slowly twisted it around in the area where his heart would be in his chest. “Getting slow, old man. What’s the matter? You appear to be in great pain? Heaven’s steel beats your demonic metal every time.”

  Lucifer barked like a rabid dog at me as I held up my hand, covered in The Blood of Jesus. “But I’m sure we can still have a bloody good time,” I said.

  As I went to grab Lucifer he jumped back as hard as he could, and successfully freed himself from my sword. David seemed unimpressed as he turned and went back to work on the computer to try and bring the reactor to life.

  “Alec, stay behind me, and keep an eye on David. Yell if he tries to do anything to you, or if he gets the reactor online,” I said.

  “Uh... Okay, Paul.”

  Lucifer held his chest and reeled in pain from his wound as he tried to keep his distance. “I know Death isn’t with you. It’s going to be a while until he’s back running and gunning for you again. How long do you think it will take him?”

  Lucifer’s face went from pain to anger. “The Man Wrapped in Darkness.” He spit on the floor. “I am the king of darkness, so tell me who’s copying who here?”

  I chuckled at his comment. “God made the dark, and it was good, but you twisted and perverted it like everything you touch.”

  “How about I get my hands on you, and see if I can make a better warrior out of you than I did your brother.” Lucifer pulled his sword from his hip, and held it defensively.

  I held up my sword to Lucifer, but only to distract him as I threw a ball of darkness at David and the reactor. David yelled as my darkness knocked him away from the mobile work station and into the side of the reactor. He leaned against it dazed from the hit as he tried to reorient himself. My darkness spiraled around the reactor, and then I commanded it to fly across the room and hit Lucifer much harder like a hammer.

  I shouted to Alec. “That should slow David down for a while.” I brought my sword down and it clashed against Lucifer’s blade.

  Lucifer was pushed back by the force of the attack. He bared his fangs. “So, you want to play do you, well I won’t go down as easy as your brother.” He produced a blade to come out from his armor over his fist and stabbed at me.

  I quickly jumped back and avoided the blade. “You always were a dirty fighter,” I said.

  “If you only knew.” He moved toward me at almost the speed of light. I tried to engage him, but he sidestepped me and went right for Alec. Lucifer threw his sword like a spear and hoped to kill Alec before he knew what hit him. Luckily, the sons of God are faster than the enemy, and I threw my darkness at the blade which deflected it as I ran up and knocked Lucifer across the room. He landed hard next to David who had recovered and immediately balked at him. “Will you please be more careful, my lord, this equipment is very sensitive. Can’t you quickly dispatch those two already?”

  Lucifer stood, angered by the whole scene. “My apologies, David. I will take care of this. You just worry about getting that reactor running and online.”

  Lucifer lunged at me, and again we went blow for blow across the room like we had so many times before. I landed several hard shots, but as careful as I was, Lucifer landed a few of his own. I wanted to end the fight before he got any ideas or was able to get past me and attack Alec, so I acted like his last body shot had caused more damage than it did. I lowered my guard. When Lucifer rushed in for the kill, I used my darkness like a shield to block his attack. Then I sent it into his eyes and blinded him to his surroundings.

  Lucifer panicked and screamed out as he wildly swung his fists in all directions. “I can’t see! What did you do to me?”

  I delivered a hard kick to his stomach, which brought him to his knees, and then another to his face and drove him hard into the wall behind him. Then I ran up to David and rested my sword on his shoulder.

  “That’s it,” David shouted. “I’ve done it. The reactor is operational.”

  He immediately stopped typing and raised his hands. “That’s enough, David. Now turn it off, or I’ll cut you in half.”

  “I don’t think he will be turning the reactor off today, Man Wrapped in Darkness. Now if you will kindly lower your sword, and step away from Mr. Willenski.”

  I knew that voice. It was Death. I turned and saw him as he stood next to Alec with a dagger to his throat—ready to kill him.

  “Don’t do it, Paul,” Alec said. “You can’t let them have the last piece of the machine.”

  “So selfless are we, Mr. Williams. I must admit I had you pegged for one who would save his own skin in a pinch. All the same, I said lower your sword or I will kill your friend.”

  “You kill mine, and I’ll kill yours,” I replied.

  “Yes, I’m sure you will, but he’ll be sent back to Hell where Lucifer will simply have to retrieve him. Alec here will go to The One, and I don’t think he will let him come back and help you again.”

  As much as I hated to admit it, Death had a point. I slowly backed away from David and lowered my sword as Lucifer still writhed on the ground.

  “Death,” Lucifer said. “You’re here, and your timing couldn’t be any better.”

  “I see you put your darkness in the master’s eyes. Call it back now, and I will give you your friend,” Death said.

  “How do I know you’re not going to kill him the moment I do what you ask?”

  “You don’t, but seeing how we have all the components of the machine none of you have long to live anyway. Now do it.”

  I pulled my darkness out of Lucifer’s eyes and he immediately jumped to his feet. “You will never get the chance to do that again.”

  Lucifer was still dazed from the battle, but he stumbled over the reactor and laid his hand on it and disappeared with it, the mobile workstation, Death, and David.

  I placed my sword back in its sheath and smiled as Alec ran over and began to yell at me in a panicked state. “Why did you do that?”

  “Trust me, Alec, its fine.”

  “You just let them go.”

  “Well, if I didn’t, Death would have killed you, and Tiffany would have killed me for robbing her of her future husband.”

  “Yes, but now they have everything they need to end the world, and why are you smiling at me like that?

  “Yes, they have all the parts to the machine, but that reactor will never work for them.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Do you remember when I threw the ball of my darkness at David and the reactor?”

  Alec looked confused. “Yes, but it didn’t stop David.”

  “It was never meant to stop David. My darkness is now infused in the uranium. It will never work.”

  “What’s stopping them from getting new fuel rods?”

  “Man, you really need to do better research on the things your company has made. I think David might have had a point back there.”

  “Shut up and tell me what you’re talking about.”

  “The portable reactor is self-contained and has safety protocols in place from stopping people from opening it, so it will be very hard for them to bypass those safeguards and not damage the reactor. My darkness will also keep anyone from removing the uranium.”

  “What have you done, Paul?”

  “I have made the reactor, the one specific thing made for powering The Life Giver...useless. Thus, making the machine non-operation
al.”

  “You saved the world?”

  “No. We saved the world. Now you can get back to Tiffany and plan your wedding.”

  “Won’t Lucifer retaliate against us?”

  “I’m sure he will try, but when he comes, he’ll come for me and not you once he realizes I’m the only one who can remove my darkness from the uranium.”

  Then I grabbed Alec’s shoulder and instantly transported us back to Alec’s office at the headquarters.

  Alec looked around. “Hey. I don’t feel sick. I think I have finally gotten used to...”

  He threw up in his trash can.

  “Still not use to it yet. There’s always next time.”

  “I hope to God there won’t be a next time,” Alec said with his face in the can.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lucifer

  Undisclosed Location

  I TRANSPORTED DEATH, David, the mobile workstation, the portable reactor, and myself to my hidden spiritual fortress on Earth, away from the ever-prying eyes of The One. I still felt the effects from the battle with The Man Wrapped in Darkness throughout my body, and I vowed to permanently destroy him myself. All of this would have been easier if only Winston was able to finish what he had started in The Arena. I pulled on my demonic powers to flow through my being, and within moments the pain from the fight had fled from my body. My eyesight took a little longer, but it too was restored. The Man Wrapped in Darkness had gotten stronger, but I would take the proper precautions next time to ensure his demise.

  I turned to David. “Thank you, my loyal prince of Hell for your unwavering work in the face of danger. If you would be so kind as to connect all the components and get The Life Giver up and running. The time has come to remake this world completely in my image, and for The One to be humbled and brought low. Then as every knee bows to me, I will crush him for all to see.”

  David let out an evil laugh. “Oh yes, and we will have a glorious reign over all of creation.”