InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I thought we had a commitment."

Lightning slams down from a hazy but cloudless sky, scorching the ground beneath. Shazam stands in the center of the blast zone with his cape and suit still pristined and unscorched. He feet touch away from the ground, coming to hover just a few inches above.

This is his first time to Hell -- or Purgatory, Hell's suburban gated community.

There's a stark staleness to the air that seems to suck the moisture from his mouth. It doesn't help that the air is also utterly unmoving. There isn't even the slightest breeze. It is neither cold or hot, and if he were pressed to say how it felt, he would have to say it doesn't feel like anything at all.

He imagines Purgatory looks as stimulating as it feels. This is the final resting place of those who deserve neither Heaven or Hell, having died blasphemous deaths. Suffer all ye endless boredom or something. If he had known it was this bad, he may have considered coming as part of a humanitarian effort with a duffle bag full of board games.

And lo, did the savior of thunder come unto them. His arms came ripe with the fruits of their merciful release. And lo (again!), did the infernal dominion of Purgatory forevermore echo with the cries of YAHTZEE!

...He should really go do what he came here to do.

Shazam bolts off through the still air towards Lord Satanus' spire.

------

"You stand before the Lord Satanus, first seated of Purgatory. Mewling sycophant of my cursed dead father's legacy. You dare to put yourself before me? I set the mortal bitch upon the path of the six devils of magic so a new Sabbac would rise. She will someday rend the meat from your bones and reduce your precious Rock of Eternity to char. But first, she will consign millions to blasphemous deaths in my unholy name. My ranks will swell and consume that of my loving sister's until Purgatory belongs to Lord Satanus and Lord Satanus alone. I am the first seated, and I will become the only seated."

Shazam hovers across the small throne room from Lord Satanus. Things have been surprisingly civil so far, but then again, he did just arrive. There is still plenty of time for things to go to... oh, he's already there. We;;, that just makes it all the more surprising then. "A yeah, I know her would've covered it. Just saying."

Another surprise. Shazam can actually feel the glare he just got from Lord Satanus. The knowledge of magic and ritual the Wisdom of Solomon grants upon him avails him to the proper conduct for addressing a being of Lord Satanus' stature, but that just seems like so much pointless trouble.

Lord Satanus gestures with a clawed finger towards Shazam. "Heed your words to me carefully, order whore. This is my dominion." The demonic lord's eyes burn like small spheres of power inside the darkness under his helmet. And not that Shazam can see it, but the tone of his voice changes to suggest he has begun to grin. "You seek to petition me. I only allow you this audience to satisfy my own pleasure of seeing the mighty acolyte of the wizard humble himself before me in subjugation. Proceed."

"Um." Actually, this is not what Shazam has in mind. He is reasonably sure that petitioning a demonic lord for anything is asking for trouble. Then again, he is more than likely asking for trouble anyway. "I'm going to need Sabbac's debt with you... pretty much null and void. So yeah, I'm here about making that happen."

This receives nothing but laughter from Lord Satanus. "Ridiculous, fool! You offer me nothing!" The laughter slowly calms, but Lord Satanus does not calm. "You can make nothing happen! You puppet! You waste of power and breath! You serve the mystical balance! You maintain; you do not change! Lord Satanus is and is of Purgatory! The rulership of Purgatory is ordained! You can do nothing to me! You are impotent before me!"

"Yeah, but... does Purgatory really need two people in charge?"

For a long moment, an awkward silence hangs heavily in the air between Lord Satanus and Shazam.

"...DIE, WRETCH!" Lord Satanus lashes out, conjuring a swarm of hellish steel blades towards Shazam. Moments later, the entire throne room explodes with hellfire.

Lord Satanus' spire shudders, and fractures begin crackling all over its walls. Chunks of debris rain down, disrupting Purgatory's oppressing silence with their thundering impacts. The entire structure is buckling from the battle taking place within. Several wider, lower levels give way from the strain. The spire begins to collapse into itself, looking almost as though it swallows itself. One of the walls breaks off and begins falling outward, giving a glimpse of Shazam and Lord Satanus inside. Lord Satanus is pressured against the inner side of the falling wall, suffering punch after punch from Shazam all the way down. When the wall hits the ground, it hits with such force that it shatters and explodes upward, hindering the view of the fight once again.

Seconds later, Shazam blasts out of the crumbling spire inside of a blazing fireball. He smashes through buildings until finally hitting one with a fiery explosion. But he flies immediately out from it -- suit and cape torn and burnt -- and heads straight back towards the spire. Right as he nears it, jagged chains lash out from the rubble and entangle him before yanking him back inside.

The unseen brawl continues, and it is the most activity Purgatory has seen in countless years. But eventually, it simply must end. Broken stone walls give way to Shazam's body as he's flung out of the ruined spire. He tumbles down the road, looking battered and weary.

Lord Satanus emerges from the ruins after Shazam. His helmet is dented in several places, and one of the regal horns is broken. Similarly, his body armor is also dented and worn. But he is standing and Shazam is not. He descends upon Shazam in a fury and drags the mystical champion up by the golden rope that binds Shazam's cape. "Brain diseased whelp! You were a fool to attack me here -- in my place of power."

Shazam coughs out a speckle of blood and listens to more of the spire crumple apart beyond Lord Satanus. "Your pla-- place of power. I think we kinda broke it a little. Sorry."

Lord Satanus says nothing. He conjures a dagger of ancient blood metal into his free hand and clutches it downward for a killing blow. But another voice stops him.

"Mighty Lord Satanus!"

He jerks his head around to see the Lady Blaze standing atop the rubble of his spire with her own minions crawling and scuttling over its fallen stones. "My lovely sister!"

Lady Blaze, standing before them in a black dress clinging tightly to her red form, raises her hands along her sides and smiles at Lord Satanus specifically.

Weakly and while still being held off the ground by Lord Satantus, Shazam lifts his hand and waves to the new arrivals. "Hi?"

------

"The Lady Blaze is and is of Purgatory. The first seated, and the ONLY seated now." Lady Blaze slinks off of her throne and steps away from it. Next to the throne is Lord Satanus' head on a pike, still groaning and mumbling deliriously. She approaches Shazam, placing her hand to his chest. He has healed from all the wounds he suffered in battle with Lord Satanus, though his uniform does not mend itself. This is something Lady Blaze is clearly quite fine with, as her hand goes immediately to his exposed flesh. "You have earned the Lady Blaze's gratitude."

"...Yeah. You seem kind of gross, so I'm just going to go now."