The Devil's Apprentice by Patrick Stewart (polar express read aloud TXT) 📕

My strength and power was unrivalled. When I met Lucifer and saw the dead angel on the ground, I figured this God would be a more powerful version of that, but killable.”

“I was wrong.”

“God turned out to be a tough bastard. We battled him for close to a hundred years. Sure, there were some good times, but in the end, Lucifer wanted to save the humans and keep the souls in their bodies. Turned out I had more in common with God.”

“Big mistake making a deal with God. He’s a bit of an unfair bastard. After I decided to stab Lucifer in the back,” Satan raised a hand and pointed it at Alex, “Lucifer can’t blame me. I told him the first day we met that I was the devil. Sure, he probably didn’t quite comprehend what it meant, bit of a naive fella really, but hey ho, after his death, God decided he wanted most of the souls for his heaven.”

“Me and God went at it for a while. A really long time actually. The earth was filled with demons and angels battling it out, burning human villages and towns, destroying everything in our paths. It was fantastic. But we were losing. Turns out being made from some sort of indestructible light has its advantageous.”

“I had this little plan see. I was going to take a trip up to heaven. Do a bit of sight-seeing, you know. Maybe burn down God’s home. Rape and pillage a few towns or whatever the fuck they have up there. But my sister. Oh, my baby sister. A couple of her demon friends died so she decided to stab me in the back and make peace with God.”

Satan’s long speech had given Alex time to recover. He felt much better. Lucifer was melding with his body like never before. The warmth inside him that came with Lucifer seemed to solidify his body with steel like armour.

“What’s your plan?” Alex asked.

“I just got out of prison after thousands of years,” Satan shrugged casually. “I guess enjoy myself for a bit, find a woman or hundred to fuck.” His gaze moved towards Karen who was now sitting on her bottom. She looked more exhausted than seriously injured. “After that, I’m going to sort my sister out and kill all her demon traitor buddies.” Satan shrugged again. “Eventually, I’ll take that trip up to heaven and see what that’s all about. If rumours are true, maybe God will finally die.”

Alex thought he had a better understanding of hell, heaven, God and Satan. God and the angels weren’t divine beings. They weren’t the creators of the universe. They were simply beings from another parallel universe. Satan was the same, but from a different universe. He sure as hell wasn’t a fallen angel.

It didn’t change anything though. He still couldn’t allow Satan to complete his plan and start a war with the angels. Millions of humans would die. The earth would be ruined.

Feigning fatigue, Alex slowly climbed to his feet and took the long sword in hand. “I can’t let you carry out your plans, Satan. Millions of humans would die.”

The devil rolled his eyes. “You bore me.”

He charged with his black blades. Alex moved quickly, sidestepping the devil, he struck Satan on the back. His long sword dug into what appeared to be flesh. Satan staggered for a few feet. Blood dripped from his back. He turned to look back at Alex, wearing a grin.

“Lucifer never really left, did he?”

Alex shook his head.

“You know Lucifer can’t defeat me?”

Alex shrugged. “You don’t seem that tough.”

Satan’s grin widened. “Don’t let this pretty side of me fool you. I am the devil, and I look very much like him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alex frowned.

Satan didn’t need to answer.

It was his skin that changed first. The perfect tan was no longer perfect. It darkened until it was a bloody shade of red. Satan began to grow taller and bigger. Black horns sprouted out of his head. Horns that were long like an impala, but thicker. The eyes were no longer black. They were red.

When Satan finally stopped growing, he stood twenty feet tall.

“It’s time to die, Lucifer,” Satan said. His voice was deep and animalistic. “Hopefully this time you’ll stay dead forever. Or, ten thousand years at least.”

Alex stepped back in panic as Satan towered over him. “He’s big,” he said. “He’s fucking huge.” 

“We’ve got this,” Lucifer said. 

“You’ve said that before,” Alex said, not convinced at all.

“That was my arrogant side talking, but this is different. Something about you Alex, I feel good about this.” 

That good feeling continued to spread across Alex’s body. He was becoming stronger by the second. But he wondered if it was enough. Satan looked like the devil from human mythology. Except, he was a fucking giant and terrifying as fuck to look at.

Alex ducked underneath Satan’s enormous blade. Stepping onto a large piece of rubble, he leapt up behind the giant devil and brought down the longsword onto Satan’s back. It was so easy to strike. Satan left his back exposed. He didn’t make any attempt to move out of the way, or block the strike.

Alex found out why.

His sword bounced off Satan’s back, much like a tennis ball striking off hard concrete.

“You should know I’m invincible, Lucifer,” Satan growled.

“Didn’t you get your ass kicked by god?”

Satan’s red eyes flamed. “You’re an annoying little shit, Lucifer.”

“It’s Alex, actually,” he said as he sidestepped what would have been a very painful kick in the chest.

Alex slid onto the ground and came up behind Satan. “Why isn’t the sword flaming red?” 

“Sorry, my bad,” Lucifer muttered. “Was focused on trying to fully integrate with your flesh.”

Integrate with his flesh. Alex didn’t like the sound of that. It reminded him of