Distant Cathartic

Distant Cathartic III (Soul 7)

Lucifer was expecting them. Just as Athlon and the Elysians got close enough to make out the outline of the evil city, heavy cannon fire exploded from the moon's surface. The Elysians broke off from their formation, taking evasive maneuvers, but still speeding towards their inevitable battle. Athlon, though, refused to flinch. Even as anti-space craft shells exploded all around him, he remained in position, staring into the fray rushing up to meet him.

Fury took the Android's heart. As he descended on Lucifer's layer, the deep scars of Athlon's time in Hell burned in his chest. He had experienced so much pain, so much doubt. He very nearly lost himself in the depths of that vile place, and now his hated captor threatened the entire galaxy with the same fate. Athlon promised himself he would die on this battlefield before he would see Lucifer gain any more ground in the Dopinephrine Galaxy.

The cannon fire stopped, and for a moment, there was silence. Athlon pushed his thrusters even harder, scraping for every ounce of speed. Far below him, he saw the black wisps of Lucifer's energy gathering. The Elysians rejoined Athlon in formation, and screamed with him, a fierce battle cry that surely gave even Lucifer chills.

Lucifer rose from the center of his city, growing in size many times greater than he had appeared on Heaven. His body rose hundreds of feet in the air, casting a shadow that nearly covered the city. He screamed back at the inbound warriors. They flew like missiles at Lucifer, hitting him with tremendous force. Lucifer stumbled backwards, crushing a gray building behind him.

Athlon reversed his thrusters, putting space between Lucifer and himself. They were nose to nose, staring into each others very being. Athlon flew straight for Lucifer's face, hoping to punch through his massive head. The Elysians followed.

Lucifer put up one arm to block Athlon, exposing that side of his torso. The Elysian warriors saw their opening, and attacked Lucifer's chest, hacking and slashing with their swords. Lucifer cried out, moving his arm to swat at the Elysians just as Athlon reached his target. He felt Lucifer's face give ground under his attack, and he swung both fists as fast as he could, leaving a deep wound on Lucifer's left cheek that leaked thick, blue blood on Athlon's fists.

Lucifer grabbed Athlon, plucking him from the pain in his face. He roared at the tiny Android, and squeezed his hand around him. Athlon engaged his thrusters once again, propelling Lucifer's hand up in a half circle before the Dark Lord let go. The Elysians hit him once more, sinking their blades into Lucifer's thick skin, again and again, striking with the control and power of well trained warriors.

Reaching behind him, Lucifer produced a long, thin black whip, and swung it in a wide arc, catching two of the Elysians and throwing them to the ground with a thud. He swung again, but the remaining four were ready, dodging the whip as it passed by them. Athlon called to them, directing them to Lucifer's hand. They attacked together, hacking away at Lucifer's huge fingers, loosening his grip on the whip. Athlon followed the whip's tip, catching it just as Lucifer let go, pulling his injured hand away from the biting pain of the Elysian's swords. The Elysians grabbed the thick handle together, understanding Athlon's plan.

Moving in unison, Athlon and the Elysians rose with the whip stretched between them. Athlon flew in sharp circles around Lucifer's neck, wrapping the whip tightly on the Dark Lord's throat. After three passes, Athlon flew away from Lucifer, pulling the whip with all his might. The Elysian's let go, and split up, each attacking a different part of Lucifer's face. Moments later, their two comrades rejoined them from the moon's surface, stabbing Lucifer's chin.

Lucifer fell to one knee, grabbing at the whip around his throat. Athlon refused to give an inch, pulling the whip tighter. Lucifer's head began to change shape, and for a moment Athlon thought he was dying. Instead, Lucifer elongated the tendrils making up his head, pulled them through the coiled whip, and reformed his head beneath it. Athlon let go just in time to receive a dizzying punch from Lucifer, and he went flying through the air.

As he found his bearings, Athlon's communication center started screaming in his head. Reports were flooding the Android's open channel from the Thracian Empire, as the police and military called for reinforcements. Thousands of anarchists had overrun the capital city, setting fires and killing at will.

"Can you hear my children, robot? They are reclaiming their home. Had you only given me your soul, none of this bloodshed would be necessary. It does not matter now. Tomorrow, my reach will extend through this entire sector, and I will have a launch pad to the rest of the galaxy. I had intended to let you witness my rising glory, but I see now that you will only stop when you are dead. This is where you die, robot. Cimmerian will be your tomb."

Athlon came at Lucifer again, reentering the fray. The Elysians were circling the Dark Lord, stabbing him quickly before moving on to avoid his huge hands, which swung in wide arcs, searching for the pesky insects that stung Lucifer again and again. Athlon went for Lucifer's eyes, hoping the soft tissue would tear beneath his attack. Immediately, Lucifer stopped hunting the Elysians and turned to face Athlon. As the Android neared the giant's face, Lucifer slammed his hands together, pinning Athlon between them. Lucifer pressed his palms together with immense strength, crumpling Athlon's exterior.

The Elysian's flew to Athlon's aid, piercing Lucifer's hands with their swords. Again and again they struck, until Lucifer finally opened his hands, letting Athlon fall from between them.

Athlon fell like a rock. His thrusters had been completely destroyed. Both of his arms were broken, exposed wires sparking in the night. His neck was broken too, and his head was twisted at a sickening angle. Athlon hit the moon hard, and didn't move.

The Elysians immediately fell back, rushing to the surface to assist their fallen leader. Lucifer grinned down at them, and then turned, evaporating back into a black cloud, and disappearing into his city to watch Thracia burn.

Athlon was vaguely aware of the Elysian's presence. The pain was incredible. He tried to speak, but only a dull clicking came from his mouth. One of the Elysians lifted him carefully, and Athlon could feel the air against his body as they departed Cimmerian. He thought of fresh baked pie, and cold milk, and his favorite songs, and about how adorable frogs were. Athlon wanted nothing more in the world in that moment than to get a pet frog. Maybe if he could just have a tiny frog, it would make him feel better.

The sky spiraled above Athlon, and the stars ran together until everything was white lines, making him dizzy. The light dimmed in Athlon's eyes, and then went out. There was nothing left to see.