After Lucifer left the room, Despera sighed in relief and leaned back in her metal chair. Genius, you’re a lifesaver. She thought to him with a smile. 

While Lucifer was giving his command, Genius used one of Insanity’s skills on Despera, [Lunatic], which worked by deteriorating the target’s brain. This could typically only be done while looking at the target, but the telepathic connection made it possible. And then Genius, combined it with one of his own skills, [Precision], which allowed him to specify the target of another skill he was using.  

With these two skills, and their telepathic connection, he was able to choose an even more specific target, Despera’s auditory cortex in her temporal lobe. With this target, he used the effects of [Lunatic] to disable it, rendering the Princess deaf and unable to hear the King’s demand. 

And Genius instructed her through telepathy, to act like she had lost until Lucifer left the room. 

When his demand was done, Genius stopped using the effects of his two abilities, and Despera’s auditory cortex regenerated quickly on its own. 

Upon hearing the girl’s praises, the demon responded, it was nothing. He sounded slightly exasperated. Using his abilities with such focus like he had just done tended to drain him, but he would never show how much. 

So, what happens now? She wondered, hoping for a good answer. 

Now, we’re going to come get you. He replied, matter of factly. 

Despera shot up and her chair fell back, hitting the floor a loud clang. You’re going to come here and take on Lucifer’s entire army by yourself!?  

Kind of, Genius looked at the raven and human waiting behind him for his instruction. There are your companions, but I’m not sure they count. 

Despera picked up her chair and put it down again so she had somewhere to sit. Then she tried to calm herself as she sat down. Are you sure you’re not Insanity? She asked, kind of joking, but also kind of not. 

I’m sure. He answered, disappointed in her lack of faith. I can handle it. I have a plan. He reassured her.  

She grinned to herself and remembered once again who she was talking to. Yeah, what was I thinking? Genius always has a plan. 

That’s right. He confirmed. 

After his talk with Despera, Genius turned to face Umbra and Tear who were sitting in two of the several chairs around a round wooden table. They were in an empty room with just the table and chairs. It was Despond Castle’s war room. 

“Listen up because I’m only saying this once.” He told them, forcing their attention to hang on his words. “No acting on your own. This is Lucifer’s territory, and if one thing goes wrong, you could both die.” He stated coldly, his eyes singling out the human. “So follow my instructions to the letter.” 

Umbra nodded somewhat reluctantly, unlike Tear who nodded like she was ready to put her life in his hands. She clearly didn’t understand the full extent of the world she was in. In Hell, demons knew not to give anyone any sort of control over their lives. 

Genius pressed his hand flat on the table. Magic poured from his fingers into the wood, causing black lines like cracks to form all throughout the top. The lines quickly began to form a picture of Lucifer’s Castle. Once the lines stopped, the finished picture on the table started rising up and became a clear 3-dimensional image similar to a hologram. 

“Umbra, you will fly me and Tear to the Castle, but I’ll get off and go through the main entrance.” He poured more magic into the wood, causing the image to zoom in on the Castle’s entrance. Then it rose to the fifth floor as he continued. “While I’m killing off the guards, you fly to the fifth floor of the Castle. That’s where Despera is. You’re going to have to make a hole though. I’m sure you can manage that, right Umbra?” He asked, looking at the bird for an answer. 

The raven replied with a nod, determined to rescue his Princess. 

Having gotten an answer, Genius continued to the end of his rather simple plan. “Then you’ll have to go straight down the hall, right after the ninth Lucifer statue, and left after the fourth.” He pulled his hand from the table, causing the image to dissipate instantly. “Any questions?” 

Tear raised her hand, only to be ignored. “Good. Let’s head out then.” Genius approached the door but stopped in the doorway and opened his mouth to speak again. “One more thing.” He began. “I’m not leaving the Castle, so after you get out, head to Lust and speak with Libidine.” 

“What do you mean?” Tear asked, suddenly worried about the demon she just met. 

“No more questions.” Came his response. “We should hurry.” 

While in this big metal box of a room, Despera was reminded of her time in the well. Suddenly feeling tired because of her boredom, she did what she would do when she was bored in the well, and took a nap. 

Felicity was in a cell, though this one looked more like a cage than a prison cell. She wasn’t alone either. There were several people around her, most of them crying kids. And there was one next to her, leaning on her and sobbing into her shoulder. 

She didn’t know what to do or say to comfort the girl. But there was nothing she could say, and nothing she could do to erase the pain. Still, she placed her hand on her little sister’s head, and started petting her, copying the women who looked to be mothers.  

She stroked her hand through the girl’s messy hair, hoping she’d at least find it a bit soothing. She put on a smile like the mothers around her did, and tried to act like everything was fine. Maybe if she was convincing enough, her sister would believe it. 

That was when five men entered. The one who opened for them slammed open the door of the room the cage was in. The iron door banged against the metal plated walls, creating a loud clanging sound that caught everyone’s attention and made them flinch. 

Four of the men were holding rifles, yet the one in between them felt like the most dangerous. He was smoking a cigarette and wore a pair of shades. The suit he wore was clean and new. And his voice made him even more threatening. “This is all?” He asked, disappointed as he looked over each girl in the cage. He sighed and slowly shook his head. “I guess we’ll have to get more.” 

He approached the cage to get a closer look. “Hmm. Grab this lady here, and…” His eyes roamed until they landed on Felicity and her sister. “Those two girls over there.” He finished, pointing at them. 

Two men opened up the cage as the other two left their rifles on the ground away from the cage. The ones without their guns entered the cage and grabbed the woman as she screamed not to leave her kids by themselves. And when one of the kids, a boy, clung to her, one of the men kicked him off. “Back off you little brat!” The other man threw the woman over his shoulder before walking out. 

Then the one still in the cage made his way over to Felicity and her sister, who hugged each other tighter. The man smiled as he pulled them from each other as they screamed, and he picked them up in each arm. “Don’t worry. You’ve been bought by a couple of very nice people.” He said before bursting into laughter. 

Despera was never sure why she kept letting herself sleep. The memories just didn’t seem so bad while she was awake. The worst part was that she had to live through it like it was actually happening, including the fear she felt. “Please hurry.” She whispered to no one in particular, suddenly starting to feel a bit claustrophobic.