Chapter 3
Oh, Reed Richards.
The man who was supposed to be the smartest of them all. The man who prided himself on his calculations, his plans, his intellect.
And yet, here he was—chained, exposed, helpless.
The Devil took his time approaching him. He wanted Reed to feel the weight of each step. Wanted the silence to sink into his bones—to remind him that here, in this pit of eternity, his mind was useless.
By the time The Devil was standing before him, the air was thick with anticipation.
Reed lifted his head, meeting those red eyes. There was no fear on his face—only the cold, unwavering stare of a man who had already accepted the inevitable.
And that? That was boring.
Devil smirked. "You know," he started, circling Reed agonizingly slow, "I expected a little more... fight from you. After all, you were smart enough to convince all these fools that attacking Dice was a good idea.”
Reed didn’t flinch. Didn’t react. But Johnny did.
"You killed my sister!" Johnny's voice cracked, raw with rage and grief. His flames flickered weakly, barely more than embers now. "You— you monster!"
The Devil finally turned to acknowledge Johnny, the smirk on his lips widening into something cruel. "Oh, I did, didn’t I?" He let the words hang, letting the weight of them crush down on everyone.
Then, his gaze snapped back to Reed.
"And all because of you."
The chains rattled as Reed’s fists clenched, but his face remained eerily neutral.
Devil chuckled, leaning in so close that Reed could feel the unnatural heat radiating from his skin.
"Tell me, Reed," his voice was mockingly soft, "did you see how she screamed?"
Johnny lunged, but the chains yanked him back before he could get anywhere near The Devil. He snarled, flames flaring up.
The Devil didn’t even blink.
Instead, he just grinned. "Oh, she cried for you, Johnny. She begged. Fought. But in the end..." He turned his head slightly, just enough to make eye contact with Reed. "She died because of him."
That got a reaction.
A flicker of something in Reed’s eyes.
Guilt.
But he still refused to break.
So, Devil pressed further.
"You were always supposed to be the leader of your little family, weren’t you?" He traced a claw lightly along Reed’s jaw, tilting his head ever so slightly. "The one who protects the ones he loves."
Silence.
"You failed."
A slow, deliberate pause.
"Again."
Reed’s hands shook.
Johnny snapped. "STOP IT!"
Devil laughed. Low. Dark. "Oh, but Johnny—he needs to hear this. He needs to understand what he’s done."
He leaned in, pressing his lips just beside Reed’s ear.
"You were the reason Susan died."
Reed broke.
His jaw clenched so tight that it ached, his breathing uneven. But still—still—he refused to speak.
And that? That made it even better.
Because Devil didn’t need words to know what was going on inside Reed’s mind. He could see it. Feel it. The agony. The self-loathing.
He relished in it.
Reed had planned, strategized, calculated. But in the end? None of it had mattered.
And now?
Now, he would pay for it.
The Devil didn’t just separate Reed from the others. No, that would be too easy. Instead, he dragged him across the burning floor of Hell, the chains scraping harshly against the stone. Sparks flew, the sound of metal grinding echoing through the chamber.
Reed didn’t fight it. He didn’t struggle. That was fine. Devil would break that stubborn pride soon enough.
With a snap of his fingers, a thick iron gate slammed shut between Reed and the rest of the souls. Now, they could watch, but they couldn’t interfere.
"Enjoy the show," Devil purred, throwing a smirk at the souls still chained to the walls.
Johnny glared, but it was Dice who caught his attention next.
Johnny had barely registered the movement when Dice was suddenly right in front of him. Close. Too close. His green eyes gleamed, sharp and unreadable.
"You remind me of someone," Dice mused, tilting his head. His voice was silky, a lazy kind of amusement dripping from every word.
Johnny hated it.
"Get away from me," he snapped, trying to pull back, but the chains held him tight.
Dice smirked. "What’s the matter? You seem awfully on edge." He tsked, tapping a finger against his own temple. "Thinking too much, hotshot?"
Johnny scowled. "Go to hell."
Dice laughed. "Been there, darling. Didn’t care for the weather."
Johnny clenched his jaw, his muscles tight with frustration.
Dice leaned in just a bit closer. "You know," he started, voice dropping to something low, something intimate, "it’s funny. You think you’re angry at me, at him—" he gestured lazily towards The Devil, "but deep down? You’re angry at yourself."
Johnny stiffened.
Dice’s grin widened. Gotcha.
"You think—" Dice continued, dragging the words slowly, "if only you had been stronger, faster, smarter… Maybe, just maybe, your sister would still be here."
Johnny’s breathing hitched.
"You think," Dice pressed on, voice a purr, "if you had just fought a little harder, screamed a little louder, maybe you could’ve changed something."
Johnny shook his head, his fists trembling. "Shut up."
Dice chuckled. "Oh, but it’s true, isn’t it?"
Johnny gritted his teeth, but Dice could see it now—the doubt, the guilt creeping into his features.
Dice loved it.
"You failed her," Dice whispered, his breath ghosting against Johnny’s ear. "And you know it."
Johnny’s flames died out completely.
And that? That was perfect.
Meanwhile, The Devil stood before the rest of the souls, arms spread wide, grinning.
"Oh, look at you all," he taunted, his voice dripping with amusement. "So tense. So frightened."
His grin stretched wider. "I bet you’re all wondering: Who’s next?"
Silence.
The Devil laughed. "Oh, come now! Don’t be shy! After all, I’ve tasted some of you already!"
His crimson eyes gleamed as he let out a contented sigh, as if reminiscing about the fine meals.
"Ben Tennyson," he purred, "so cocky, so stubborn. Thought he could outsmart me. Thought he could fight me." A chuckle. "He lost. Julie. Gwen. Pathetic. Vlad. Slade. Luthor. Delicious. Jack. Wesker. Robin. Unforgettable."
Devil’s grin widened, his fangs glinting.
"And Susan?" His eyes flicked toward Johnny, watching as the younger man’s shoulders tensed. "Exquisite."
Johnny snapped, lunging forward as far as the chains would allow, but it was pointless.
Devil merely laughed.
Oh, he was going to enjoy this.