"The Deal" for day 5 of the 7 Days of Halloween Challenge

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

The prompt: (warning, rough language)

The heat was oppressive, almost hellish as Napoleon Solo trudged through the sand, while keeping along a line of dunes.  His feet were feeling heavier and heavier, lifting them one excruciating step after another became an unbearable task, until he could go no farther.

Stopping, he just stood there in a daze, ignoring the sun as it slowly set.

Napoleon looked up, seeing something strange in the distance that drew his attention;  it was a ring of fire seemingly suspended in the air above a valley.

“A mirage? Was he seeing things? No, the sun causes mirages, but it was sinking below the horizon. Civilization? Had he made it?”

Napoleon wiped the sweat from his brow as the salt in it was stinging his eyes, as well as his sunburned skin.

“When did he last have a drink of water? Where was Illya? Wasn’t he with me?” Solo asked himself.” He wouldn’t have been able to stand this heat, and with that pale skin of his...he would have fried under the sun.”

“Oh my God, was Illya dead somewhere, wherever this was? He couldn’t remember how or where this journey had started or why, and wasn’t sure if Kuryakin had even been with him.

“No, he was, Illya was with me. I’m sure of it!” Napoleon reassured himself.

His brief respite gave him a modicum of strength, and with the waning of the sun…

“No that’s not right, “he muttered.”Waning has to do with the moon.”

As the sun finally set, he expected the merciless heat to cease, as temperatures in the desert usually dropped at night, but that wasn’t the case. It remained brutally hot, and it was becoming more so the closer he moved towards the ring of fire.

Once he had a clear view of it, Napoleon was horrified at what he saw.

It was people, the ring consisted of peope, each one suspended in a separate pillar of fire, writhing in agony in the flames, though they made no sound.

“Welcome Napoleon Antony Solo,” a deep voice spoke ever so softly.

He wasn’t sure where it came from; it was neither male or female from the sound of it.

“Who are you?”

“My name is not important right now. I have been waiting for you.” The voice changed, becoming like a thousand whispers.

“Waiting for me? For what and if you won’t tell me who you are, then tell me where I am, if you don’t mind.”

“You are an intelligent man Napoleon, can you not figure it out? Take a guess.”

“I don’t like guessing, I like to have the facts.”

The voice laughed, this time it was a deep and basso sound that echoed into the sky.

“Very well, though I thought better of you. You see Napoleon Solo this is hell, and you are about to become a permanent resident."

“No, not possible!”

“Oh but it is. You grew up within the Catholic church, they drilled it into you of the existence of hell, did they not? Wait? Did you think you were going to that other place...Elysium, the one reserved for heroes.”

“You mean heaven.”

“Tsk. Yes ‘that’ place.” The voice, now annoyed, was suddenly behind him and Napoleon spun round, but there was no one there.

“How could you presume that? Did you not spend all those years murdering people? First it was in Korea and then it was with U.N.C.L.E, and in your killing frenzies did not innocent people die as well? And then of course there was that libido of yours... all those women you fucked again and again. Some might call it rape, though you never did, you rationalized it of course.”

“It was war and I served my country. I did my duty both then and with U.N.C.L.E. for the greater good in order to save the world and mankind from maniacs who…”

It suddenly dawned on Napoleon with whom he was conversing. Part of him didn’t want to believe it, yet deep down he knew it to be true.

“Maniacs who served you, and ...and I never raped a woman. I never took a woman against her will, ever! Sex was always consensual. They wanted it as did I.”

“Ahh, did they really want it, or did you charm them into it? Did you seduce them into bed time and again with your wicked sexual ways? Wild unbridled debauchery, that’s what it was. Lies lies lies Napoleon, you were so good at lying that you forgot what it was like to tell the truth.”

“Nooooo! This isn’t real! You aren’t real!” Napoleon grabbed his head with his hands as it was now pounding, feeling like it was going to explode.

“I am real. Do you not believe in heaven?”

“Yes I do. I believe in God, I believe in forgiveness and redemption.”

“Then you must believe in me and in hell. There cannot be one without the other. I am going to give you a choice Napoleon...a get out of hell card so to speak.”

Solo canted his head,” I’m listening, though I doubt I’ll make a deal with the devil.”

“Haaaahahaaaa!” The laughter filled the air and seemed as though it was many of voices.” So you finally admit that I am real.”

“Just for argument’s sake I will, for the moment. So what’s the deal?”

“A choice, a very simple one.”

“I’m listening.”

“You may leave here if someone else takes your place and carries the burden of your sins….say this man.”

Lucifer materialized in a cloud of smoke; black hair, pale... lithe, androgynous, looking like both a male and a female. In his arms was the naked body of Illya Kuryakin, the devil's tattered wing fluttering beneath him...Lucifer was after all, a fallen angel. The sky had turned purple and was with filled with strange looking birds... no, not birds, they were demons.

“Illya!” Napoleon tried to rush to his partner and free him from the devil's grasp, but invisible hands held him in place.

“Yes it is he. This man is guilty of as many sins as you are, perhaps even more. He is a cold-hearted killer, an assassin who murdered more than you in the name of U.N.C.L.E. Though he was not obsessed as as you when it came to screwing women...still, he did his share. He raped that girl, that innocent young girl. Remember, he confessed it to you when he became drunk enough." *

“He was forced to rape her!” Napoleon shot back. “He did it under the belief that his actions would save her life. The Vory V Zakone murdered her anyway.* They tricked him, as all they wanted to do was humiliate her before she died, and force Illya to show his supposed loyalty to them. He was undercover!” *

“Kuryakin’s words,’We do things in this business that we are not proud of.’ It sounded just like Illya's voice.

“He knew he committed a most egregious sin and for that he will suffer as well as for his many other sins, and those of yours, if you let him take them as his own? Then you are free to return to the world of the living, with a new lease on life as it were..” The devil’s voice suddenly reminded Solo of Alexander Waverly.

Napoleon dropped to his hands and knees. How could he do this to Illya...yet the idea of this get out of hell card tugged at him. He didn’t want to spend eternity in the fires of torment. He truly believed he didn’t deserve it; he was one of the good guys.  Yet this was Illya, his partner, best friend...no, a man who was his brother and who had saved him time and again.

“And you’re offering him the same deal?”

“No.”

Solo became silent, lost in thought.

“Well do you accept?” Lucifer crooned. “Think of all the women just waiting with open arms, or should I say open legs?”

Napoleon smiled. “I have a proposal of my own...if you take me and let him go then I’m yours,” Napoleon sighed. "I'll carry his sins for him."

He couldn’t leave Illya to suffer on his account.

Lucifer howled, shrieking in anger. His face contorted, and his eyes grew bright red, his gaping mouth filled with vicious fangs dripping with blood.

“A sacrifice? Nooooooo!” He seethed. The devil's deal had backfired as a willing sacrifice freed both Solo and Kuryakin from a lifetime of torment in hell.

“Go! Though I will be waiting for the both of you...eventually you’ll be mine!”

"I don't think so," Napoleon shot back.

.

Solo's eyes fluttered open, though he squinted at the bright light.

“Oh thank God!” A woman standing beside him spoke; her long auburn hair cascading down to her shoulders. She was dressed in white, and looked like an angel.

“Where am I? Is this heaven?" Napoleon whispered.

“Heaven? No, You’re in Medical you silly goose,” April answered.” You’ve been out of it for days, moaning and groaning while you were burning up with fever. Mr. Waverly was here, but he just left. He’s been worried sick about the two of you.”

“Two of us...Illya?”

“He’s here and out of it as well with fever. Whatever T.H.R.U.S.H. gave you both this time has had the doctors stumped.” She pointed to Kuryakin in the next bed.

“He’s all right?” Solo craned his neck to look.

“Napoleon?” Illya called out; his voice nearly hoarse as he too had just woken. “We are safe?"

“Apparently.” Napoleon called back as he rolled to his side to face his partner.

“I dreamt we were in hell, and…”

“Don’t say anymore tovarisch.”

Illya couldn’t help himself. “It seemed so real Napoleon. You were willing to make a deal with the d'yavol...devil, sacrifcing yourself to free me from an eternity of damnation."

“I know.”

“You do?” Kuryakin looked confused.

“I had the same dream.”

“Okay boys, now you’ve got me worried,” April said. “What are you going on about?

“Nothing,” they answered in unison, both looking like the cat that had just eaten the mouse.

“Just drug addled hallucinations,” Illya added.

“I don’t know, this sounds a bit spooky to me," April said. "It happenst to be All Hallow’s Eve, the one day of the year when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Strange things have been know to happen. Either that or it was one hell of a drug they gave you."

“Don't say hell April, “Napoleon cringed. He refused to give her any explanation as to what he and Illya were talking about.

Best it remained their little secret, otherwise they would be destined for a padded room in the psychiatric ward at Bellevue Hospital...

.

*Vory V Zakone- the elite of the Russian criminals, like mafia, but not.

*ref to “What troubles the heart” - a dark and emotional story where Illya goes undercover with the Vory V Zakone

Comments

[threecee.livejournal.com]

Well written, but very dark.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yep, dark is where the prompt drew me. Appreciate the comment!

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Excellent dreamscaping with good and ic pov - I did like that 'waning of the sun'. Lucifer was well done, too. And I loved it when his ploy backfired. The bit about April looking like an angel was a nice touch.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you thank you so much!

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Dark and angsty. Just as I like it :-)
Napoleon's offer to sacrifice himself was a perfect testament to their deep friendship.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm really proud of the way this one came out. Finally channeling my serious muse!