Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 4: Worlds Apart

Rebecca sat up in her cage and leaned her head back. She had been down in Lilith’s flesh pits for what felt like an eternity. Time flowed differently between dimensions, but without the light of the hellscape she couldn’t tell how long she’d been stuck down here. The only way she could gauge time were the visits from Analise. The sick and sadistic specter was grating on her last nerve with her horrendous treatment and abuse. It was almost maddening having to endure the continual mistreatment, but it was necessary if she was going to get the upper hand. Analise, Cherie, and Victoria all needed to believe that she was beaten and broken if she was going to have even the slightest chance at rescuing Jake. Judging by the way that Analise lorded her position over her, the time was drawing near. She was going to enjoy her payback when it finally came. 

The sounds of screaming and the sickening squelching of flesh were a constant reminder of how far she'd fallen. The sounds of agony and flesh being ripped and remolded were stomach turning at best. She tried her best to avoid watching the process, but it was inevitable. Seeing innocent souls getting ripped apart and spliced together was something that woild forever be ingrained in her mind. The ones that she'd witnessed were horrific to put it mildly. The stench was nearly as bad as the sights. Rebecca was no stranger to the smell of rotting or burned flesh, but this was something else entirely. A sickening amalgamation of rotting, burning flesh that had decayed and been scarred by magics not meant for mortal eyes permeated the air. Blood, metal, and magic made for a truly horrendous combination.

The door to the flesh pits swung open and Analise floated in. Rebecca cringed at the malicious specter as she approached. She'd beaten her, abused her, and molested her multiple times. The pain that Analise inflicted on her was drawn straight from the memories of life centuries ago. It was no secret that Lilith was orchestrating this, but Rebecca had survived it once before. She could do it again, and just like before she would make her abusers pay. She was going to enjoy returning the favor and watching Analise squirm for a change. There were some parts of her old self that she'd kept despite her attempts at turning over a new leaf.

“Ready for some more fun, slut?” Analise cackled as she approached Rebecca's cell.

There was a part of Rebecca that wanted to bite back, but she held her tongue in favor of playing up the wounded animal act. Instead, she pushed herself closer to the bars of her cell. She whimpered for good measure as Analise got closer. Analise flung the door open and continued to cackle as she reached in to grab Rebecca's hair. It was easily one of the more infuriating things this sadist did. She despised having her hair pulled because of the painful memories from her past. She'd ended the lives of lovers for it in the past, and Analise was already well over her nerves. It took everything she had to keep her hand still as Analise yanked her out and threw her to the floor. She landed on her knees and held herself up on her hands. Adding to her performance, Rebecca shed a few tears.

“Crying already?” Analise chuckled, swirling around Rebecca, “We haven't even started yet! You're more pathetic than I remember. Mother spoke of how miserable you were when she found you, but I never imagined she was underselling the truth. You didn't deserve the power you had, and you certainly don't deserve to see your precious Jake.”

Rebecca's blood was beginning to boil as she listened to Analise berate her. Just a little longer now, and she would have her chance to make this twisted demon pay. “Please,” she whispered, hoping to drive the final nail into the coffin and lull Analise into a sense of superiority, “Please just stop…I'm begging you.”

“Begging, how utterly and pathetically human,” Analise scoffed, grabbing a fistful of Rebecca's hair, “It's that idiotic humanity that led you here combined with your arrogance. Did you really think that you could take back my mother's newest toy? Did you think that you could simply walk into our domain and stroll out like some sort of hero? You're not a hero, Rebecca, you're a born loser and pathetic excuse for a woman. You were born nothing, you died nothing, and you lived as a fraud! Take solace in the fact that you can serve out the rest of your eternity amusing someone far superior than you. Now, open that slutty mouth of yours nice and wide for me.”

Another sharp tug at Rebecca's hair was the final straw. Rebecca had been saving her strength since she'd been bested by Lilith; bottling up her fury and rage and waiting for this moment. Rebecca's arm twitched as it changed from humanoid to a much larger, longer, and stronger form. Her fingers elongated, her nails turned to claws, and a green aura began to radiate from them. She jerked her body to the side and thrust her clawed hand into Analise's stomach. The cackling and sadistic specter was stunned silent as she felt Rebecca's claws dig into her. It shouldn't have been possible, and for an ordinary human it wouldn't have been, but Rebecca was far from typical and average. Analise's breath hitched for a second as Rebecca clenched her claws into a ball.

“Ngh, wh-what?” Analise managed to gasp as Rebecca got to her feet.

“You speak of arrogance as though it's something only humans have,” Rebecca began, standing to her full height and thrusting her arm deeper into Analise's torso, “Demons, especially entitled ones such as yourself, are far more susceptible to it. What's the matter, dear? You seem to be at a sudden loss for words? Weren't we going to have fun together? Come now, I'm waiting for it to begin. No? Well, then I suppose I'll have to get started for us then, won't I?”

Rebecca ripped her arm free and watched as Analise collapsed onto the floor. She wasn't beaten, not by a long shot. Rebecca knew that much, but she was weakened and humbled. “One lucky strike won't earn you victory, girl,” Analise growled, getting to her feet and conjuring her sickles, “All this Little act of defiance has done is earn you harsher punishment!”

Analise suddenly rose into the air with her sickles outstretched. She dove towards Rebecca with her weapons at the ready. Rebecca's arm reverted back to its original form as Analise got close. She raised her hands and a large green glyph appeared in front of her; the runes and lines spinning as Analise crashed into it. Her demonic sickles dug into the magical shield, but Rebecca had no intention of simply holding her at bay. Instead, she pushed forward and dispelled the glyph with a burst of magical energy that sent Analise flying back. In an instant, her body was changing and morphing into something far more fearsome and ferocious. Her legs bent slightly, arms elongated, hands turned to claws, and her face became more canine. It was a form she didn't take often, mostly because of the crude appearance, but one of the first she'd learned to take centuries ago: the werewolf.

The speed and strength she gained from shape-shifting was something she'd almost forgotten and missed. Her claws retained their glow as she charged after Analise on all fours. Rebecca pounced on the demonic specter and drove her claws into her shoulders as she forced her to the ground. She barred her teeth at Analise as she coughed and fought to free herself. Thanks to the ancient magics Rebecca had learned, Analise was unable to phase out of her grip. Part of Rebecca wanted to rip her throat out, but doing so would only return her to her mother's embrace. No, she couldn't kill her, not without causing too much commotion. So she settled for ripping one of her claws out and slashing her across the face. A lovely reminder of the price of striking someone as powerful as herself. However, it allowed Analise to drive the hooked blade into Rebecca's arm, at least partially.

Rebecca growled and pushed her arm away. Animal instinct took over for a second, and she took a bite out of Analise's neck. She was able to avoid fatally wounding her, but it startled the sadistic specter enough to keep still. Rebecca shivered as the foul taste of demonic essence filled her mouth. She'd hoped to avoid that sickening taste for the rest of her new life, but some things were simply unavoidable it seemed. She let herself revert back to her human form, and she grabbed Analise to throw her into the very cage she'd been calling home for what felt like an eternity. Rebecca was quick to weave a spell into the air and ward the cage to keep Analise from freeing herself. Someone would eventually come and find her, but the twisted hag would he trapped until then.

“Don't…think you've won,” Analise panted, clutching at her neck, “I underestimated you, I'll admit that, but there's no way you'll beat my sisters and my mother, Rebecca.”

“Who said I was here to defeat any of you?” Rebecca asked, relaxing as she stretched, “I came here to retrieve the man I love, not wage war against your kind. You, my dear, were simply in the wrong place at the right time. A necessary casualty in my quest to free the love of my life.”

“There's no escape for any of you!” Analise growled, “You'll wind up back here, I'll be free, and everything I've done to you will seem tame compared to when I get my hands on you again! You're outnumbered and outclassed here. You. Will. Fail!”

“Outnumbered for now, but far from outclassed,” Rebecca admitted, “I'll take your word for it on the payback, but it won't be today or anytime soon. Let me be clear, though. You lost because you underestimated a human. Should our paths cross again, I will take your sad little essence and scatter it across the nine circles of Hell. The only reason you live is because I don't need your sinister mother breathing down my neck while I retrieve the next leg in my plan. Killing you, while cathartic, would simply bring too many problems down on me. Be thankful that your death would be more of an inconvenience than anything, Analise. Enjoy your time in solitude. If you'll excuse me, I have a parasite to find.”

“That's your plan?!” Analise scoffed, ignoring Rebecca's mocking threats, “The vampire that bound herself to that sniveling little worm! Ha, she despises you almost as much as mother and the rest of us.”

“Perhaps, but we share a common causality that should temporarily unite us,” Rebecca shrugged, “Oh, and let me clarify one last thing, Analise. I may not be the Goddess anymore, but that doesn't change this about me. I don't make threats, I make promises and guarantees. Stay out of my way unless you wish to learn the meaning of obliteration. The magics I've used here are older than even you. I can assure you that you've received a minor taste of what I can do. How else do you think I was able to best your mother all those eons ago?”

Rebecca turned to leave without another word. She didn't care what else the foul-mouthed demon had to say, and she'd learned it was better to have the last word long ago. Analise would shout and scream, but she was trapped until someone came to save her. Thanks to the practices taught by her long forgotten sisterhood, she still had a chance at fighting these monsters. However, as much as she loathed the idea, she knew she'd still need help. That meant tracking and finding the traitorous vampire queen Ashley Bilefoot. A shared hatred for Lilith might have given them common ground, but their past and feelings for Jake would prove to be a difficult and uphill battle.

Rebecca waved her hand and opened the door to the lower halls of Lilith’s sanctuary. She had seen brief glimpses of the underground domain during her time being tormented and toyed with by Lilith. She'd been using her abilities to pry into Analise's mind as well while she toyed with her. The pompous specter had been too preoccupied with having her fun to notice the subtle invasion of her psyche. Her arrogance was easy enough to exploit, and it had shown her a glimpse of where Ashley was being held. Lilith wasn't stupid, and she saw the value of using Ashley and her heritage to further her ambitions. What her plan was was still a mystery to her, but whatever it was couldn't have been good. It was a trial for another time, though. Her main priority was freeing Jake right now. 

Torches lined the walls of obsidian that made up the lower sanctuary. Rebecca took a deep breath and changed her shape once more. Her body began to contort and shift into a much smaller form. Her arms folded in and became feathered, her face changed to a much more narrow shape, and her legs turned much more narrow. She'd taken the form of a raven, albeit a much smaller one that her familiar. It was still out of place in the underworld, but it would be much simpler to move freely in this shape. Rebecca took flight and hurried down the halls. There were lesser demons stalking through the halls carrying cudgels and patrolling the halls. They paid her little mind as she flew over them in silence. 

Rebecca zipped through the halls above the demons as they went about their business. The torches cast long shadows and carried a strong sulfuric stench. The fires varied in color with each corner she passed. Ashley was being kept in an area adjacent to the flesh pits. The torches in her holding area were white as opposed to the green and purples she'd seen before now. Her guess was that the white flames were meant to suppress Ashley's vampiric blood and powers. Holy magic wouldn't be of any use here, but there were ways to repress a vampire's powers. Even being just a soul, Ashley could still prove to be a formidable thorn against Lilith and her militia. She was still capable of more than most base level mortals.

Rebecca landed on the rung of a lantern outside of a holding area. Iron bars and a purple forcefield were erected around a small platform, and in the center was the woman in question. Ashley sat on a stool with her hands folded in her lap. Her head was down, but she didn't look afraid. No, it was as though she was biding her time. A large demon wearing belts of vials across his chest stood outside of Ashley's cell. A large polearm with a hefty blade rested on its back. It's snout was long and it flashed a yellowed toothy grin at its prisoner. Rebecca could sense its bloodlust from her perch. The desire to swallow Ashley's soul and steal her powers for itself was strong with this one, but it was kept in check by its fear of its master up above.

“Are you going to leer at me the entire time?” Ashley asked without looking up, “The weight of your staring is as lofty as your insipid panting.”

“Don't tempt me, little bat,” the demon snarled, “The only reason you still live is because the matron deems you of use.”

“Ah, yes, your traitorous demon lord,” Ashley scoffed, standing and walking to the edge if her cell, “Tell me, what exactly does that cow want with me? She's already taken the man I love and ripped me from him, so what possible use can she have for me?”

“There is power still in you yet, little bat,” the demon growled, “Once the matron is ready, she will extract that power from you to give all of us a chance at having more than this limited dimension.”

“Does that idiotic lumix actually believe I can help her break free?” Ashley asked, “I may be powerful, but you'd have better luck siphoning power from the witch if you wanted to free yourselves.”

“The heretic wouldn't be sufficient to bridge the divide, but a combination of your powers and hers should suffice,” the demon chuckled, “The heretic is being worked and broken in the flesh pits as we speak. Once she has been broken and prepared, we will meld your essences together and feed you to the matron.”

So that was their plan. Soften them both up, break them down, and fuse their souls into something Lilith could absorb. Rebecca had heard enough. This was proof enough that she and Ashley stood a chance together at breaking free from this realm. She flew down to the ground behind the demon and returned to her human form. Ashley saw her, but Rebecca held a finger to her lips to silence her. She held her hands together and prepared a spell to split the demon’s skull. It wouldn't take much as long as it didn't see her before she could strike. Her energy created a slight shift in the air, though. A gust of wind blew through the chamber and caused the torches to flicker.

“You think you have what it takes to break me?” Ashley asked, buying Rebecca time as the demon began to turn around, “You may he able to break the witch, but you'll find that I'm quite a bit more formidable than pretenders.”

“You are weighed down by the same weakness as the heretic,” the demon scoffed, “Both you and the witch have the heart of weakling clinging to the human notion of love. The boy that belongs to our matron will be instrumental in breaking you down. You may be able to withstand torture, but how will you withstand watching him die again and again?”

“Do not speak of him in such a way,” Ashley warned, “He does not belong here, and he does not belong to your kind.”

“Love and arrogance, how utterly human,” the demon chuckled, “Nothing in this realm, or the next, belongs to any of your kind. That is why-ugh!”

Rebecca crept up behind the demon and held her hands beside its head. A quick pulse of energy caused its skull to wobble and split. The body fell to the ground and Rebecca stepped over its corpse. “Took you long enough,” Ashley crossed her arms and glared at Rebecca, “As always, you and your pathetic grandstanding nearly cost you an opportunity to win.”

“Shut up,” Rebecca scoffed, checking the demon's body for a key, “I didn't see you making any moves to free yourself.”

“I was gleaming information, you repugnant hag,” Ashley rolled her eyes, “One cannot make a proper move without being able to understand your enemy. If you were half as smart as you pretend to be, then perhaps you wouldn't have fallen time and again.”

“I've made mistakes, yes, but I have survived because I have learned from those mistakes,” Rebecca said, grabbing a key from one of the belts of the demon, “My greatest mistake was letting Lilith into my life. It was that moment of weakness that spawned the events that cost Jake and countless others their lives. However, none of that matters now. I cannot go back, but I can move forward.”

“Attonement, how noble,” Ashley scoffed, “The things you've done cannot be undone, witch. Your choices forced Jake to consort with the very monster that you decided to deal with centuries ago. He suffers an eternity of torment because of you, and-”

“I know!” Rebecca snapped, “You think I don't know the price that he's paying for my mistakes?! Do you think I haven't spent every waking moment since my resurrection thinking about it? As impossible as it may seem to a parasitic vampire like yourself, I do care about him. It's the whole reason that I broke through to this hellscspe again.”

“Saving him won't earn you redemption, witch,” Ashley said.

Rebecca shook her head as she unlocked the cell and lowered the forcefield, “This isn't about redeeming myself. I'm here because he doesn't deserve to pay for my mistakes. You're right, okay? Jake is only in this predicament because I backed him into a corner. I'm not here because of redemption, nor am I here to win him back. I am here because the world needs a good man. That's why I'm here to free you, as infuriating as you are.”

Ashley frowned as Rebecca opened the door and lowered the forcefield, “Funny, I almost believe you. Do you plan on sacrificing me to open the doorway back to our world then?”

“Not if I can help it,” Rebecca replied, “If we can work together, then we can free him and return to our world before it's too late. There are forces at work in your world that make the old me seem like a benevolent being.”

“Voidfoot and her sister,” Ashley nodded, “We saw them for a moment before that undead sociopath caught us by surprise. You want me to work with you then?”

“To save Jake, yes,” Rebecca said, “I'm not asking us to let go of our past, but we have a common goal. We both agree that he doesn't deserve to be here. Help me to save him, Ashley, please.”

“I don't trust you with him, let's be clear about that,” Ashley said, stepping out of the cage, “You've done nothing but hurt him, and I won't let you do it again.”

“Just let me speak to him before we leave,” Rebecca said, “Hate me all you want, but give me the chance to apologize to him.”

Ashley glared at Rebecca for a moment before rolling her eyes and extending her hand, “One chance to say your piece, but if you try anything with him then I'll-”

“Yes, yes, insert hateful threat, I get it,” Rebecca rolled her eyes, taking Ashley's hand and shaking it, “You have my word that I will reunite the two of you. I cannot believe what just came out of my mouth.”

“Your word means nothing to me, but what choice do I have?” Ashley shook her head, “What's Your plan for us getting out of here and to Jake?”

“I'm still working that part out,” Rebecca admitted.

“Are you kidding me?!” Ashley snapped, “Ugh, it's no wonder your empires have crumbled time and again. Arrogant and idiotic witch…”

“Bite me, woman,” Rebecca glared at her, “You're lucky that I arrived when I did. What do you suggest with all of your planning?”

“I've been trapped in a cell, you hair-brained oaf, not studying the layout of this compound,” Ashley replied, “Ugh, for the record, I wouldn't waste my gift on someone as unworthy as you.”

“I'd rather die than have you disgusting curse in my veins,” Rebecca said.

“How about that?” Ashley scoffed, “We have something else we can agree on.”

“To borrow a phrase from Elizabeth, fuck off,” Rebecca rolled her eyes, “Unless you've seen something we can use, we're going to run blind through this damned place.”

“Hmph, I think it just got colder in here,” Ashley remarked, “You're quoting Beth, I believe this place is freezing over. Let me think for moment. The oafish guards always take a right when they leave my cell. That's the best I can offer.”

“It's better than nothing,” Rebecca shrugged, “We don't have long before Lilith realizes that Analise is otherwise occupied.”

“What did you do?” Ashley narrowed her eyes.

“Locked her in the very cage they'd been keeping me in,” Rebecca shrugged, “I would have loved to have killed her, but doing so would have alerted her siblings and her wretched mother to my escape.”

“A smart move for someone as old and thick as you,” Ashley said, “I suppose even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

“Are you going to stand here insulting me, or are we going to get moving?” Rebecca asked with a glare.

“I can do both,” Ashley replied, stepping past her, “Let's get going then.”

Rebecca took a deep breath before following behind Ashley. This partnership was going to push her patience to its limit, but it was necessary if they were going to stand a chance at saving Jake. She trailed behind the redheaded spitfire. They rounded a corner and spotted a couple of demons heading down the hall. Of course it wouldn't be that simple. Rebecca let her body shift and contort back into her werewolf form, while Ashley clenched her fists and picked up her pace. Rebecca charged at the duo on all fours. She pounced onto the one on the left and pushed it to the ground. She dug her claws into its throat and ripped them out before it could retaliate. 

Ashley took a much more subtle approach to her demon. She rushed forward as it tried to draw its sword, but she caught its wrist before it could unsheathe it. She slashed at its throat, her nails cutting through its scales and drawing blood. Her other hand coiled around the hilt of its sword and ripped it from its scabbard. Ashley spun around and decapitated the demon before it could react. She let the sword clatter to the ground and looked over at Rebecca as she reverted back to her humanoid form. 

“Of course you would take such a ghastly and beastly form,” Ashley scoffed, “As hideous in the outside as you are on the inside, it's truly fitting.”

“My origins are druidic in nature,” Rebecca shook her head, “Forgive me for utilizing my heritage. Would you prefer I leave the fighting to you going forward?”

“Just stay out of my way and try to keep up,” Ashley replied, “Keep moving, and try to use those worthless powers to find Jake.”

“I can feel the gratitude rolling off of you in waves,” Rebecca sighed, stepping forward and reaching out to try to find the way out, “This way, I can sense Lilith’s lust and Jake's misery. We have to hurry.”

“Lead the way, witch,” Ashley gesturing for Rebecca to take the lead for a change.

Rebecca didn't need to be told twice as she hurried down the halls. A handful of lesser demons greeted them along the way, but the combined might of the fallen Goddess and former vampire queen made short work of them. While neither woman cared for the other, they worked well together like a machine. Rebecca utilizing her shape-shifting prowess and magic to dispatch and aid Ashley, and Ashley using her enhanced strength and speed to bring down anything that crossed her path. Skirmish after skirmish, the pair of begrudging allies continued to make their way closer to the surface. Finally, they came to a stairwell that had the light of the underworld's sun pouring through. This was it, their moment of truth.

“Things are about to get complicated,” Rebecca warned as she paused at the base of the stairs.

“Getting cold feet, witch?” Ashley asked.

“Far from it,” Rebecca replied, “If you can put aside your shallow hatred For a moment, maybe you'll understand that I'm trying to warn you. You'll have to handle those sinister sisters while I go for Jake.”

“So that's your plan,” Ashley scoffed, “You don't want my help, you want to use me as bait and fodder for those two harlots. Why am I not surprised?”

Rebecca resisted the urge to scream in frustration, instead opting to sigh and remain calm, “For someone who ran an empire for nearly a century and a half, you are being incredibly short-sighted. Think about this, you parasitic dunce, we are outnumbered. Not only that, we are planning to steal something from the ruler of this circle of Hell. In order for us to succeed, we have to divide and conquer. One of us has to distract while the other tries to rescue the man we both love. I have a better chance of occupying Lilith and opening the doorway back to our world. Not only that, but I can use my magic to reunite you with Jake before we leave. Do I need to simplify this further for you, or do you understand what I am trying to propose?”

Ashley crossed her arms and looked away as she huffed, “Hmph, fine, but how can I trust you not to abandon me here?”

It was the closest that Rebecca was going to get to admission of fault from the vampiric thorn in her side. “What choice do you have?” Rebecca answered with a question of her own, “Time is running out, and desperate times call for desperate measures. On my word, I will not leave you to rot down here. Although I am certain I will regret this choice down the line…”

She'd muttered the last part, knowing full well that Ashley wasn't going to admit that she had a point. “Very well, I'll handle the harlots,” Ashley sighed, “What exactly is your plan for getting to him?”

“I still have a trick up my sleeve from my time with Dilatrix,” Rebecca replied, holding her hand up and letting a series of glowing, runed rings flash along her arm, “Time magic is difficult on the human body, but it's the only chance I have at getting him away from Lilith.”

“Something I'm assuming you haven't tried since returning to life,” Ashley sighed, “Our hope, Jake's hope, lies in a gamble with a witch that's proven herself time and again to be self-serving. This is perfect, absolutely peachy.”

“Again, do you have a better idea?” Rebecca asked, her aggravation beginning to get the better of her.

Ashley sighed and shook her head, “No, but don't screw this up, witch.”

“Just do your part and let's get our man home,” Rebecca said, stepping forward, “This is going to be a difficult fight, and we still have a war to win once we're free of this plane.”

“Don't question my abilities,” Ashley rolled her eyes, shoving past Rebecca, “Don't waste your chance, witch. I'd hate for you to fail twice against these monsters.”

It was a tumultuous alliance, but it was the best chance they had. Rebecca let Ashley take the lead as they ascended the staircase. It was now or never. This was Rebecca's chance to right the wrongs she'd set in motion so long ago. One more fight against her former deity. One chance to save the man she loved. Once that was done, she could begin the long path of saving the only people she had left and putting her mistakes behind her once and for all.