Lois Decides For Her Mother

"Mom, I'm not letting you get damned to hell." Lois reclaimed her smartphone and started sorting through her Justice League contacts.

"Honey, I know it's hard on you. But what can you do?" Ella said, reaching out to rub her daughter's shoulders.

"More than you might think," Lois said as she hit dial. It picked up on the third ring.

"Zauriel? This is Lois Lane...yes, Superman's girlfriend. Look, I've got a bit of a demonic situation here, and I could use some advice..." It took Lois a few minutes to explain the situation as her mother had relayed it to her. She was about finished when a new voice interrupted.

"Oh, I am not putting up with this shit." Lois and Ella stared at the door, which had been flung open.

A woman entered, with skin red as fresh blood on parchment, dark curly hair falling down her back, dark horns curling back from her forehead. Pure white eyes without iris in dark sockets. She was slim, lithe, and stalked forward like a predator, garbed in a kind of orange one-piece dress that covered her breasts and crotch, but left her arms and legs free.

"That's Blaze!" Ella said, a quiver in her voice. "The demon I dealt with."

Lois listened to the phone. "She calls herself Blaze. She's right here. Yeah, I'll put it on. Exact words, right."

The reporter stared at Blaze and said: "In the name of the Tetragrammaton, I abjure thee, Blaze, to talk to my advocate, Zauriel of the Eagle Host, angel of Heaven."

Blaze stopped short as though she had run into an iron wall. Irate anger and irritation radiated off of her, and she bared her fangs. But she stuck her arm forward.

"Fine. Give me the damned phone."

Lois handed it over. Blaze held it up to her ear.

"This is Blaze. Listen you little s—she was dying. Yes, I'm sure. No the brain activity hadn't stopped yet, I...oh come on, nobody uses that clause any more. Are you serious? What, you're going to fucking arm-wrestle me for—" Blaze shut up and listened very intently. Then she sighed. "Right, right, fine. You want to tell her? Okay."

Blaze handed the phone back. Lois put it up to her ear.

"The soul was taken prematurely," Zauriel explained. "As your advocate, I have invoked the right of contest. You may now challenge Blaze for your mother's soul. It must involve a game of skill, and it must be complete by the deadline of the contract, or her soul is forfeit. I have already agreed to terms with Blaze."

"Okay," Lois said. "What kind of game?"