The Raven Part 5: Hell On Earth

Chapter 4

Rebecca walked confidently down the streets of Citiville. It had been nearly two days since Jake, Elizabeth, and Pamela had taken the plunge into the underworld. She still couldn't believe she'd been reckless enough to tear a hole in the fabric of reality, but she supposed that was a true testament of her renewed power. All the same, the end result was still playing out in her favor. With every portal she found and closed, she tapped further into the wellspring of power from Dorothy and her disgusting machinations. It was barely a scrap of what she had originally planned, but it was better than nothing. Then there was the benefit of saving these poor mortals with her own powers. The gratitude they showed overshadowed any of their prior preconceptions about her. Many of them even fell to their knees and praised her for the good work she'd done. It was incredibly difficult to resist the urge to play on their desire to worship her, but she had given her word to Jake that she would try to avoid old habits. Then again, Citiville belonged to her.

"Someone, anyone, help us!" a female voice screamed in the distance.

The plea for mercy and help tore her away from her internal struggle, if only for a moment. She followed the sounds of snarls and screams. It led her into an alleyway where a young couple was cowering against a brick wall as a pack of demons stalked towards them. Four demons for two humans, it was clearly overkill. Their crimson skin, long horns, and their tails were as off-putting as their menacing approach and slouched posture. These beasts were beneath her. Revolting scavengers whose only purpose was to inflict pain and suffering. The people of this world may have existed to serve, but these monsters served no purpose in her world except to die. Existence was a boon that she felt these creatures didn't deserve, and one she would happily take from them.

"How many of you miserable cretins must I destroy before you get the message?" she asked as she strode down the alleyway, "This world doesn't belong to you, and it is off limits to your kind. Now die, you pathetic little peons!"

The quartet of demons turned to face her, and they barred their teeth at her insults. Their tails whipped to the side, and one of them leapt at her in hopes of pinning her to the ground. Without batting an eye, she extended her arm and caught the beast by the throat. It flailed in her surprisingly strong grip, and she shot it a wicked smile as it tried to shake itself loose. She coiled her hands around the beast's neck until its struggles began to weaken. Its neck snapped in her grip just as another one charged at her, and she used the first demon's body as a weapon to stop the second's attack. She raised her arm, and slammed the dead demon's body down on the oncoming one. She let go of the first one, and allowed the second to try to pick itself back up.

Her hands began glowing purple as she prepared to demonstrate her superiority. The two other demons hung back, and tried to size her up. One of them stepped back and opened its mouth. A ball of fire shot out of its mouth heading straight for her. She batted it away with ease, and turned her body to the side while lifting her other hand. The demon was lifted into the air by an unseen force. It let out a strangled gasp as she held it there for a moment. The other demon attempted to take advantage of the opening by rushing forward, and trying to bite down on her throat. Her eyes flashed a brilliant shade of purple as she leaned back just out of the monster's jaws. She hurled the one she had in the air into the wall, and swiped multiple places on the closest demon's body. She traced several different lines over its body in the blink of an eye, and it froze as her magic took effect. Blood poured out of its body as several lesions appeared on its torso, its head, and its limbs. It fell into pieces after a second, and she flashed a malicious grin at the remaining two.

The one she'd thrown onto the ground had gotten back to its feet, but she launched a powerful knee into its stomach that caused it to double over. She brought her elbow down on the back of its neck, and it fell back to the ground. With a mighty stomp, she crushed its skull and spilled its brains. There was only the one left, and it scrambled to its feet. It stared at her with wide eyes filled with hate, but rather than try to attack her it ran. It dove past the couple, and she saw the rift in the air. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked as her arm shot out, and a massive ethereal hand sliced through the air and snatched its body, "I didn't give you permission to leave, you sad excuse for a monster. I am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, and by my decree your time is at an end!"

It shrieked as she clenched her fist, and its body was reduced to little more than pulp. With the monsters dealt with, she stepped forward and turned her attention to the portal. She ignored the young couple, and locked into the energy signature of the rift. She pulled on the threads of power that seeped out of the rift. It wasn't anything to write home about, but it refilled her reserves and she could feel them increase if only by a small amount. Tendrils of red energy spread from the rift to her hand, and with a final tug of her arm the portal was closed. Another one down, no telling how many more to go.

"Thank you," she heard the young woman say, "Bless you, madam, if you hadn't come along we'd surely he done for."

She regarded the woman and her man with a curious stare. She was a head shorter than her other half, and her hair was a deep shade of maroon. She was moderately well endowed, and she reminded her of one of her former disciples. The man had shaggy brown hair, green eyes, and looked significantly more standoffish than the woman. "Allison, we don't know if this woman is any better than those things," he said, coming between them, "You saw what she did, and she looks like that old supervillain."

Rebecca frowned at his disrespectful tone, "What is your name, boy?" she asked.

"John," he answered, "I didn't catch yours."

"That's because I didn't give it, John," she spat before turning to the woman and speaking in a sweeter tone, "Allison, was it? You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, dear. My name is of little consequence, but allow me to give you some advice, if I may."

Allison nodded and pushed past John, "Of course, mam, I'd be interested to hear anything you have to offer."

"There's a smart girl," Rebecca praised, "Your other half there, he lacks proper respect. Not just for me, but for all women by the sounds of it. You are far superior to him, and he should be worshipping the ground that you walk on. Know your worth, dear, and don't let anyone tell you that you have none. Run, find safety until I've finished disposing of these miserable beasts and their way through. Perhaps when this is over, seek me out, but only if you can rise above the shackles this man has placed upon you. Once I've finished here, I'll be heading to Metropolis to deal with the threats there."

Allison looked over to John hesitantly, but there was something in her eyes that told her that she understood. She looked back at Rebecca and said, "Your will be done, madam. May I ask your name?"

Rebecca grinned as she realized that her message still rang true in this world. She turned to leave, but not before calling back, "Call me Goddess, dear Allison, for now at least. Prove to me that you are more than just a girl, and maybe one day I'll tell you more. Be safe, even you John, and mind what Allison says like a good boy."

The three heroes had reached the outskirts of the city, and not a one of them had a clue as to their next move. Jake was getting a headache from listening to Beth and Pam bicker back and forth. Their typical banter was fine, but even he could sense the animosity teeming from them. He knew they were just lashing out because they were both hurt, but damnit if it wasn't getting old fast. "Would you two give it a rest?!" he finally snapped, earning looks from both of them, "In case you haven't noticed, we're trapped in another dimension and are wanted fugitives...again! We are surrounded by molten lava, demons, and the only that passes for society and cities around here are torture centers! So, if you two could, or at least one of you, put your bullshit aside for a little bit, I could use some help figuring out our next move!"

It was true, they were in unknown territory and surrounded by misery. They'd rushed out of the small city, but they'd all noticed the variety of horrendous torture that littered the place. Men and women were strung up, crucified, whipped, eaten alive, and much more gruesome and grotesque methods of torment. The stink of sulfur was rivaled only by the smell of rotting flesh, and the sounds of screams or demons feasting on the flesh of the fallen. It was an affront to any decency the trio had left, and enough to turn all of their stomachs. It had taken them nearly an hour to sneak past the seemingly insurmountable forces that lined the city. Even now, outside of the city, they could see the looming Spire that they'd been brought to in the distance. A single line of crimson with motes of green could be seen running up the center and pouring out into the red sky above.

"She started it," Beth huffed and crossed her arms.

Pam rolled her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and took a deep breath. Jake was right. If they were going to survive this little excursion they'd need to work together, and that meant putting aside her and Beth's current relationship issues. "I've been here before," she said after collecting herself, "When Beth took my life some time ago, I ended up here. I had tried to blot it out of my memory, but seeing the horrors of this place has brought them all back."

Beth uncrossed her arms and her face fell slightly, "This is where you ended up after that night?" she asked before quietly adding, "I...I didn't know, Jesus I'm sorry."

"My choices led me here, Kitten, your hand just delivered me," Pam replied, "I don't hold any ill intent at you over it, I promise. You were only doing what you felt was right at the time, and it was long before we came to know each other as we do now."

"So do you remember anything about this place, Pam?" Jake asked.

She looked around and answered honestly, "My powers were robbed from me in death, and I spent the majority of my time being tortured in a similar city to the one we just escaped from. I tried to escape multiple times, but without my abilities these beasts continued to subdue me time and again."

"Fucking shit," Beth said, "What did they do to you?"

Pam closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around herself, "That is a story for another time. The memories of my last visit here are hazy, and my skin crawls when I try to remember. Truly, Kitten, I don't have the answers to that question, but I can tell you whatever it was was enough to scar me mentally."

"So you don't remember anything?" Jake asked.

"I didn't say that," she replied as she put her hands by her side, "While my powers were gone, my empathy still worked. Amid the myriad of pain, suffering, and misery I felt constantly there were hints of...other things calling out to me. I could feel some strange magical power on the wind, and there was this...sadness I could feel, hear, like a siren's song calling out to all who had ears to hear. I was reminded of the old story Rebecca used to tell us when I first came into her care."

"The Witch and the Knight," Jake said, "You're talking about Lilith, aren't you?"

"Somebody want to clue me in as to what you two are talking about?" Beth asked.

Pam looked over to her and tried to give a shortened synopsis of the tale she'd heard countless times, "Centuries ago, Rebecca was little more than a common slave girl in a harem for a king. She fell in love with a young squire, but she was deceived into believing he died on the fields of battle. Distraught, broken, and filled with hatred, she struck a deal for power with the demon queen Lilith who came to her one night after she was raped. This was the beginning of the Goth Goddess that you know and hate, but she broke her deal with Lilith over time. She tricked the demon queen, and stole her powers for herself. Through this deception, she ascended to the woman you know today, but it was her desire to regain what she lost that drove her to the person she's now become."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Beth asked, throwing her hands into the air, "Why am I just now hearing this?! And what do you mean, what she lost?"

"The squire she was in love with never died on the battlefield," Jake answered, grimly, "He returned on the night she took the deal, and fell by her hand while she was in a rage. I'm apparently a descendant of his. That's why she's been pursuing me for as long as she has. Every time she's encountered someone of his bloodline, fate has taken them away from her."

"So all of this so she can try to undo her own fuck-up?" Beth asked, "That still doesn't explain why I'm just now hearing about this, though."

"It wasn't relevant, Kitten," Pam said.

"Like hell it wasn't!" Beth snapped, "If I'd have known this shit, then I could have seen this bullshit coming! Once again, you two fucks have kept me in the dark!"

"When was I supposed to tell you?!" Pam snapped, "While you were healing from your curse from Ashley, or would you have preferred I shared it on our drive to that nightmare in Ravenfalls?!"

"I-I don't know!" Beth yelled, slightly taken aback by Pam's aggressive demand, "All I'm saying is that maybe if you communicated more then maybe we wouldn't have had so many fucking problems!"

"Enough, both of you!" Jake yelled, growing frustrated with their arguing, "We do not have time for you two to do this right now! Pam, do you think Lilith is still here?"

Both girls stared each other down for a moment before Pam broke their staring contest to answer Jake, "A creature as powerful as her doesn't just disappear. Rebecca may have usurped her and stolen her power, but her stories never mentioned her killing her. Odds are, she's hiding somewhere in this dimension trying to avoid detection by the likes of Dorothy and her strange operation. To what end, I cannot say without speaking with her myself."

Beth took a deep breath in an attempt to transition her focus to the mission at hand. "You two think this Lilith chick is going to help us shut this shit down?" she asked, "In case you two forgot, one of you is Goth's fuck-toy and the other is a follower of hers. Odds are she'll be more likely to slit your throats than do anything to help."

"Which is why we come to her with an offer," Pam replied, evenly, "If there is one language that a demon speaks in, beyond the Abyssal tongue, it's deals. We seek her out, and offer her Dorothy's place in Hell once we depose her. There will be a power vacuum once she's gone, and we offer her the place at the head of the table."

"Are you insane?!" Beth demanded, her voice getting louder, "You want to give the position of ruler of Hell to the woman who gave Goth her powers?!"

"That might actually work," Jake said, adding his two cents.

"Don't tell me you're actually willing to go along with this!" Beth yelled.

"Lilith is more likely to respect the boundaries between worlds, Beth," Pam said, "Whatever Dorothy is planning, we've already played witness that she's willing to take full advantage of the breach in our world and this one."

"You just said she offered Goth the power that she has now!" Beth snapped, "What part of your mental asses thinks that she's just going to stay down here?!"

"Beth, do you honestly have a better solution?" Jake asked.

"No, but that doesn't mean this one is right!" Beth replied, "You're talking about going to the demon who was betrayed by Goth for the sake of getting you. What do you think she's going to do when she finds out that you're the one tied to Goth, hmm?!"

"We have to try!" Jake snapped, "If you don't have a better idea, then this is what we're going to do. Besides, there's no guarantee that Lilith will know it's me Rebecca is after."

"She is a demon queen, dumbass," Beth snapped, "What the hell makes you think that she isn't going to know your link to her?!"

"She's right, Jake," Pam said, "Lilith may be weakened, but it doesn't mean she's inept with magic. She will most likely know Rebecca's essence, see it intertwined with your own, and who knows what she'll do with you."

"I'm sorry, but I thought you were on board with this whole Lilith plan," Jake said, getting agitated at the back and forth they were having.

"I am," Pam said, "I just want us to be prepared for everything, all of us."

"Got a funny way of going about it," Beth said.

"Don't start this again," Pam snapped, "I am not in the mood for it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Beth said, mockingly, "You're not in the mood to deal with something, how inconsiderate of me! What the hell was I thinking? The only needs that matter are yours and that cunt you call a Goddess!'

"Beth, knock it off," Jake said, trying to de-escalate things before they got out of hand.

"No," Beth snapped, "Would either of you overlook me or ignore me if I was some seven foot tall bitch who didn't know what a shower was? Would you tell her to knock it off, or not to start? No, you'd both bow down and let her have her goddamn tirade!"

"That is enough!" Pam snapped, growing sick of Beth's attitude, "I chose you, we chose to side with you! Jake and I are willing to admit that we made a mistake, and yet you continue to hold it against us!"

"Excuse the fuck out of me for having fucking feelings!" Beth screamed, "I'm sorry, how fucking inconsiderate of me to think that I was entitled to have those!"

"That is not what I'm saying!" Pam screamed back, "Of course you're entitled to feel how you feel, but do you have to be such a bitch about it?!"

Beth was slightly taken aback by Pam's remark, but she quickly recovered and snapped back, "You have the nerve to call me a bitch?! After every mother fucking thing I have done for you, you have the gal to call me that?!"

Jake took a step back in preparation for whatever storm was about to occur. "My, my aren't these three noisy," a cheerful voice called out.

"Indeed they are, sister, but they're entertaining to watch," another voice echoed, "Such animosity, such recklessness, it's all so...human and delicious."

"Now, now, sisters," a third voice called out in a much more stern tone, "Delectable as these three may be, we have our task and we will complete it."

The three of them looked around to see where the voices were coming from. The wind kicked up and caused the red dirt to swirl around them. "Who's out there?" Jake demanded.

"Show yourselves shitheads," Beth yelled, "Today is not a good day to fuck with me!"

High pitched laughter echoed around them, and it quickly turned into a cackling chorus before the second voice spoke, "These three are funny, sisters, they believe themselves to be invincible. How laughable!"

"Dearest sister," the first voice said, "Why not let us teach them some respect before we hand them over to mother? Just a nibble or two wouldn't hurt. We so seldom get to sample freshly fallen souls!"

"Fuck off, you ghostly whore," Beth called out.

"Beth, I might advise a bit of caution here," Pam said.

A whirlwind of dust was stirred up, and a feminine figure rose out the ground. She wore a long flowing black gown with intricate floral patterns formed through the lace. She had long, flowing, curly brown hair and eyes as red as coals. She was tall, easily the same height as Pam. Her mouth was possibly the most disturbing part of her otherwise pristine and pale features. It looked almost like someone had carved a smile onto her face to go with the already wide smile she wore. There was a hunger in her eyes as she looked over the three of them. Lust, maybe, but there was something unsettling about those eyes. Then there was the strange howling sound that came when she appeared. It was faint, but it was definitely there. Two more women appeared alongside her, both with similar features. The most notable differences between them were the lace patterns and their hair. One had short brown hair and fire embroidered in her lace, and the other had long red hair and vinery embroidered in her lace. All three girls had the same bloody cuts along their jaws, and that same hunger in their eyes. That strange howling sound seemed to grow into an almost haunting symphony on the winds.

"Care to say that again to our faces, you disrespectful little vermin?" The brunette asked.

"What are you supposed to be?" Beth asked, looking around at the three women who seemed to be hovering off the ground.

"Beings far superior to little morsels like yourselves," the redhead said, "Mind your tongue, you impertinent little wench."

"Did you just call me a whore?" Beth asked.

"That is what you are, isn't it?" the blonde one giggled, "A little slut who pledged herself to that one there. The whore of a whore!"

Pam grit her teeth, moved to stand between Beth and these three women, and began channeling her power, "I'll not be insulted by inhuman creatures like yourselves, and I won't allow you to insult my pet!" she growled.

"Because that's her job, right?" the brunette said as the three of them began floating in circles around them, "How sad it is that you've lost all control, Pamela. Poor girl, the one who had it all and threw it away because her old Goddess told her to."

"You pretend to be strong, but you're the weakest of all of you!" the blonde giggled, "Don't worry, though, we'll still play with you!"

"Who are you three?" Jake asked, finally finding his voice.

"Daughters of the one most high who's fall from grace was long ago," the redhead replied, "You'll be with her soon enough, boy. This one shows proper respect, sisters. Perhaps it is because his spirit was broken long before he came here."

"The boy who craves direction," the brunette chided

"The boy who yearns for submission," the blonde laughed.

"The boy who fails," the redhead said.

"I'm getting real sick of your bullshit," Beth snapped, drawing her guns.

The blonde girl laughed, "The tough act from the girl who cries at night! Do you really think those toys will do you any good, little one?"

"Shut up!" Beth yelled as she stepped around Pam and opened fire.

The blonde cackled as the gunshots echoed in the barren wasteland, but she growled as one of Beth's enhanced bullets ripped through her stomach. She doubled over as the alchemical mixture inside of it caused her wound to bubble up, "Argh, you little bitch!" she howled as she seemingly teleported over to Beth, "How dare you wound me! I'll devour you, and deliver you into the hands of mother with what little I leave!"

Her touch was like ice as she wrapped her hand around Beth's throat. Beth could feel her energy being sapped from her. What the hell were these things? Her eyes widened as her strength left her, and the blonde woman brought her mouth inches from her own. She struggled in her grip, and for a moment she thought that the thing was going to kiss her. When she opened her mouth, however, a strange green mist flowed out, and Beth could feel her entire body getting cold. Then, without warning, the creature was pulled off of her by fiery chains that wrapped around her torso. "Get away from her!" Pam yelled.

The redhead moved in to attack Pam, but she hissed as a bright light stopped her. Jake had thrown a flashbang down between her and Pam, "Back off," he warned, "Tell your mother we are not interested in whatever she wants!"

The brunette growled, but she refrained from advancing on him, "Insolent little worm, who are you to refuse a summons from our beloved mother?!"

"Someone who is sick of being pushed around," he spat, "What's wrong, don't want to risk angering your precious mother?"

The brunette snarled at him and his jab, but before she could move to attack a red blur knocked her away. The other two sisters turned to see the commotion, and were immediately assaulted by the fast moving force. Jake watched, unsure if he was seeing things, as a familiar figure bolted between the three women. It couldn't be, could it? He watched as a young woman with an eerily familiar fighting style ducked beneath the redhead's wild swipe, and backflipped into a kick that connected with the woman's jawline. The girl landed in a crouch, and took off in a serpentine motion towards the blonde. She dodged a myriad of green projectiles that the woman fired, and delivered a powerful elbow to her gut before grabbing and throwing her into the brunette.

"You bitches just can't leave my stuff alone, can you?" a familiar voice taunted, "These three are off limits, and unless you want to see what I can really do I suggest you threw fuck off!"

The brunette growled at her before turning to her siblings, "Annalise, Cherrie, let us retreat for now."

"Victoria, we can take this one!" the redhead yelled.

"We will in time, Annalise," Victoria said, "Let them wander the wastes for now. Know this, you troublesome lot, all paths lead to us eventually. We will meet again, and you will answer the call that has been given! Let us depart, dear sisters."

"Ugh, fine," Annalise said standing and disappearing into the ground alongside her sisters.

The blonde, Cherrie, giggled as she faded into the ground, "See you soon, heroes, I can't wait to play with you again!"

Jake, Beth, and Pam were left alone with the mysterious yet somehow familiar young woman. Beth was the first one to speak, "Alexis?"

Alexis stood her ground, maintaining her fighting stance, until she heard Beth's voice. She quickly turned to face her friend before running towards her and tackling her to the ground. She wrapped her arms around Beth in a squeeze hug, and began planting kisses on Beth's face. "Kitty-Cat!" she yelled in excitement.

Jake had taken a fighting stance the second he saw Alexis charge Beth, but he was at a loss for words when he saw what happened. He looked over at Pam who looked shocked and annoyed before looking down at Beth. "Get off me, you idiot," Beth said with a laugh as she pushed Alexis off of her, "What are you doing here?"

"Awe, did you not miss me?" Alexis pouted before planting a final peck of Beth's lips and getting up, "I work here, well worked I guess. Who's your friend?"

"Get off of my girlfriend before I rip you limb from limb," Pam growled, growing more frustrated at the affectionate display she was being forced to watch.

"Girlfriend?" Alexis repeated as she got up and cracked wide smile and exclaimed, "I knew you were gay!"

Beth flushed as she got to her feet, "Shut up," she said.

"I called it!" Alexis cheered with a fist pump before rushing over to Pam and taking her hand, "I told her she'd find a girl who would find her broody act sexy! Say, didn't she kill you?"

Pam was slightly taken aback by Alexis' forwardness. She shook the girl's hand, recalling the stories she'd heard about the crazy girl from her friends and Rebecca's dossiers, "She did, but death couldn't keep me from getting what I wanted."

"That is so romantic!" Alexis squealed, "You came back from the dead after an intimate torture session just to be with her!"

"Yeah, Alexis, real romantic," Beth said with a roll of her eyes, "Love at first beating."

Alexis gasped, "You two said the L word?! I guess it would be L&L for you two."

"Are you always this abrasive?" Pam asked.

"Yes," Alexis replied, "So are you two using the L word? Love, not lesbian. Obviously you're both lesbians, but are you lesbians in love?"

"Oh my God, Alexis," Beth said with a sigh, "Dial it back, please. Yes we've said we love each other, but we're going through a rough patch."

"Oh no," Alexis said, looking genuinely sad for the two of them, "What happened?"

"Does somebody want to tell me what the actual fuck is going on?" Jake asked, finally recovering from the shock of seeing his and Beth's old enemy so chummy with his friend.

Everyone looked over at him, and before anyone could answer Alexis was on top of him. Her tongue invaded his mouth, and his eyes went wide. He struggled beneath her, but she made sure to pin his arms down. He had hopes that either of his friends would pull her off or him, but to his own chagrin that didn't happen. Alexis broke the kiss, stared into his eyes, and said, "Jake, you have no idea how much I've missed you. You're all I've thought about since I got here. Your new outfit isn't bad, but I think I like your old one better. That or that adorable little skirt you had on last time we saw each other."

"Get off me!" Jake yelled as he threw her off with his knees and got to his feet, "Since when are you two buddy-buddy?!"

"She helped me when you gave yourself that Goth cunt," Beth replied, "She gave her life so I could get free, and try to save your dumbass, dumbass."

"Kind of sucks that I died for nothing," Alexis admitted, "I was rooting for ya, Kitty-Cat."

"I hated that you sacrificed yourself just for me to lose," Beth agreed, "I'm sorry about that."

"Ah win some, lose some," Alexis said, her usual chipper attitude returning, "I had a pretty good gig here, and at least you found someone who cares about you. If you'd have won then you wouldn't have had Pammy over here to dominate you!"

Beth blushed again, "Would you stop?!" she asked.

"Awe, you're still so easily embarrassed!" Alexis laughed, "Come on, I see the collar around your neck. You're her subby little girlfriend. Do you suck on her toes and stuff?"

"Alexis, I swear to God I will shoot you in your foot," Beth warned.

"That's a yes," Alexis laughed, "Seriously, I'm happy for you, Kitty-Cat, and you two Pammy."

"Do not call me that," Pam said, "I appreciate the sentiment, but my name is Pamela. Pam works as well."

Alexis snorted and put a hand on her chest as she mocked in a posh accent, "My name is Pamela, lighten up girlie. I'm just being friendly, and from where I'm standing you three need all the friends you can get."

"No way," Jake said, "You're the last person that we are going to work with."

"That's so mean!" Alexis pouted before giving a sinister smile, "You three are wandering around out here blind, and you don't think you could use a guide? Maybe you'd be more inclined to take my help if I punished you like Goth does, yeah? Want me to spank you, or maybe step on that pretty face of yours?"

Jake took a step back at the threat and menacing tone. He looked over at Beth who still hadn't made a move to restrain Footgirl. Beth rolled her eyes and said, "Alexis, knock it off. He's still hung up on tall, dark, and stinky."

"Ugh, that dumb bitch?!" Alexis yelled with a stomp of her foot, "What does she have that I don't?!"

"A firmer grasp on reality?" Pam offered.

"That's debatable at best," Beth replied, "Personally, I think Alexis is a better fit for Jake."

"You have got to be fucking joking," Jake said, clearly annoyed at his friend's words.

"Thank you, Kitty-Cat," Alexis beamed.

"I'm not joking," Beth said, crossing her arms, "She doesn't have a God complex, she's dominant, you've got a thing for stinky feet, and she actually gives a fuck about you."

"That is hands down the nicest thing you've ever said about me!" Alexis said, throwing herself onto Beth again and showering her with kisses.

Pam growled in annoyance and summoned her chains to wrap around Alexis, yank her off of Beth, and suspend her in the air, "Stop. Kissing. My. Girlfriend!"

"Oo, she's possessive and kinky!" Alexis cheered before looking over at Beth, "You got yourself a good one. Does she use these things when you two fool around?"

Pam flipped her upside down, and brought her inches from her face, "What we do in the privacy of our home is of no consequence to you!"

Alexis gasped again, "You two are living together?!" she asked, "Congratulations!"

"You have thirty seconds to tell me why I shouldn't just rip your soul from this plane," Pam growled, quickly getting sick of the insanity that was Alexis.


The mirth and bubblieness that Alexis had faded, and both her tone and face turned serious, "Because I know who you're looking for, what Ole Dorothy No-Nose is planning, and I'm the best chance you three have of stopping it. You want to go it on your own? Fine, but good luck navigating things down here."

"Let her down, Pam," Beth said, "We need all the help we can get right now, and she did save us from those witchy bitches."

"Kitten, I really don't-" Pam began.

"If you want me to forgive your bullshit, you'll listen to me," Beth interrupted.

Pam held Alexis for another moment before dispelling her chains, and dropping Alexis onto the ground headfirst. "Fine," Pam said with a sigh, "I trust you, Kitten."

"She calls you Kitten?!" Alexis squealed, "Oh my God, you two are so cute!"

"We're seriously going to accept her help?" Jake asked, "You realize this is the girl who's been obsessed with me for years, has fought us again and again, and she will even admit to having several screws loose."

"And proud of it!" Alexis said, pointing her thumb at herself.

"How is that any different than Goth?" Beth asked.

"She's a basket case!" Jake argued.

"Both of you, shut up!" Pam yelled, "Jake, if Beth thinks that we should trust Alexis, then we will listen to her. This arguing is pointless, and all it's done is draw unnecessary attention to us."

"Thank you, Pammy," Alexis said, "Thank you too, Kitten."

"Do not call her that," Pam growled, "That name, and her, belong to me! You will refer to me as Pam."

"Yeesh, someone is sensitive," Alexis said.

"I'm with her, Alexis," Beth said, "That name is something special that's between her and I."

"Oh, alright fine," Alexis said, "Just cause you asked nicely, Kitty-Cat, or is that offensive to your girlfriend too?"

"I suppose that one will be fine," Pam said, albeit begrudgingly, "Now, why don't you show us just how useful you can be."

"Am I seriously the only person who thinks this is a bad idea?" Jake asked.

"Yup," Beth replied.

"Relax, Jakey, we're on the same side here!" Alexis said, "An epic adventure between the three of us through Hell, battling it out with the scores of demons, and all to save the world! What's not to like?"

"Besides having a lunatic as a guide?" Jake asked.

"Hey, I may be crazy, but at least I'm the fun kind of crazy," Alexis replied, "Now, the three floaty bitches have been giving me trouble for the last couple of months, but between Pammy here and my own tracking skills I think we can find them."

"Why are we going after them?" Beth asked.

"Did you not listen to them, Kitty-Cat?" Alexis asked, "They mentioned a mother, the one most high who fell from grace. Combine that little tidbit with the fact that they didn't try to touch Jake, and you get-"

"A connection to Lilith," Pam said, "Of course!"

"Bingo," Alexis said, "Dorothy wanted me to track down Lilith, but she's been a fucking ghost! Hehe, ghosts in Hell, sounds silly when you think about it. Anyway! I'm betting those three are the missing link to finding her, and since you three seem to want an audience with her we might as well start there."

"What do you need me to do?" Pam asked.

"Magicy...stuff," Alexis answered, receiving an annoyed look from Pam, "I don't know the names of your spell thingies! Look, those three emitted some kind of harmonic resonance, the howling noise you all heard, and so if you can lock onto that we should be able to tail them."

"That...is actually a good plan," Pam admitted.

"Everything I do is a good plan!" Alexis beamed before adding, "Well, except when I don't have a plan, or when my plan goes to shit. Anyway, I've got a good track record on the whole...mostly."

"Weird as it sounds, I've missed your goofiness," Beth said with a smile.

"I missed your rough and tough bubble butt," Alexis said, earning a stern look from Pam, "She's not my type, Pammy, relax. Tell me she doesn't have a nice ass, though."

"Shut up!" Beth snapped, earning a laugh from Alexis.

Pam shook her head and chuckled, "Alright, you can explain what Dorothy is planning while we walk."

"Sure thing, and after you can tell me all about how you and Beth became an item," Alexis said with a smile, "Let's go Jake!'

"Seriously, none of you think this is a bad idea?" he asked.

"A bad idea was letting Goth get her fucking powers back," Beth said.

Before he could respond, Alexis took him by the hand and tugged him forward. Beth and Pam brought up the rear, and Pam looked at Beth and said, "She's insane, but her jovial attitude is slightly infectious."

Beth shrugged, "She grows on you, I promise. Come on, let's no lag behind."