A/N: So apparently I find a lot of weird things floating around on my laptop. So this is another one shot I'm not too sure about. I personally think it has some tense issues but I had so much trouble fixing them I gave up. I hope you like it anyway.
Pairings: Many suggestions of Michael/Lucifer (Pretty much onesided)
Warnings: Suggestions of non/dub con, angelcest, slash and many mentions of torture. Lots of spoilers for various seasons. Basically, if you haven't seen up to the end of S7 don't read it – just in case.
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Hell makes you see things the way they really are. At least, from Sam's experience they do. When he had first jumped into the cage and dragged Lucifer and Michael down with him he had known to expect pain from his success. Lucifer had promised, well more like threatened, him torture if he managed it and if there was one thing he had learnt from his past involvements with Lucifer it was that he would make it happen. So when they separated during the fall and landed on the cold floor of the dimly lit cage he was instantly ready for the torment. He would fight, of course, but he was only human. He didn't stand much chance against the devil. Only Lucifer, now looking like his temporary vessel Nick, didn't attack him. He didn't even look at him. Instead he ran, disappearing into the inky darkness of the less lit areas Sam could see ahead of them.
It didn't make sense.
Sam turned to face Michael, who had also separated from his vessel, only to see the younger version of his father's face staring past him to where Lucifer was fleeing. He couldn't help but flinch back at the sight, expecting pain from the archangel at defying his destiny and thwarting Michael's alongside but Michael didn't even look at him.
A small groan from Adam forced him to gather his wits and he made his way over to his half-brother automatically even as the younger man fell unconscious, keeping his gaze on the archangel in case he decided to suddenly attack. Michael continued to ignore them and his stare still didn't move from where Lucifer had fled. For some reason that made Sam even more uncomfortable than anything else. Why was Michael just standing there? And why the hell was Lucifer running? The questions were quickly answered when Michael spoke, voice booming in the all but silent cage.
"Here, without your powers, you cannot escape me brother," the archangel said loudly sounding almost pleased with the newest turn of events. Sam didn't have any doubt that Lucifer, where ever he had run off to, could hear him. Still not looking at the two humans Michael continued and Sam couldn't help but shiver as the angel's mouth turned up into a cruel smirk. "I will find you Lucifer and I will take you apart. Piece. By. Piece." Something about this really wasn't right, Sam decided having almost been placated for a minute, Lucifer running he could understand now he knew the Devil had no powers. The change in Michael he couldn't; when the brothers had been about to fight to the death on Earth the Prince of Heaven had been regretful and yet now it sounded like he couldn't wait to beat Lucifer into pulp. It was unnerving. Sam took a deep breath nervously and went to speak, voice dying on him in the last moment. It seemed to catch the archangel's attention though because he turned to the middle Winchester brother and raised his eyebrows pointedly. Sam tried again when he recognised the prompting with a little more success than before.
"Why are you going to chase him?" he asked quietly. "Why isn't he torturing us?" Michael chuckled sinisterly before looking back to the darkness ahead.
"He will eventually but he knows I will not allow it…" Sam's eyes widened and he went to speak but Michael wasn't finished and carried on talking before he could. "Not until he has faced me and I have had my turn with him." A lump formed in Sam's throat at that, words sticking so he was unable to let out anything but a small, shocked sound. Michael ignored it pointedly and began walking the way that Lucifer had fled, seemingly relax while all Sam could do was hope the Devil would evade him. Eventually Michael disappeared from view and Sam bit his lip, knowing there was nothing he could do but wait and look after his unconscious half-brother.
He wasn't sure how much later he heard the screams and broken pleading. All he knew was what it meant.
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When Adam had finally woken they had started running immediately, Sam explaining the situation even as he dragged Adam away. The younger man had inevitably been freaking out at the fact they were in the cage in hell so the news that Lucifer and Michael were trapped in there with them was just the icing on the cake. It really didn't help that by the time he had finally calmed down a bit the archangels found them. Only it wasn't Lucifer who led the torture; it was Michael who ripped into Sam, attacking with vicious fury that made the Winchester realise just why Lucifer had fled. Sam had fought, of course, but there was little he could do against the eldest of the archangels. All he could be thankful for was that Adam was left untouched and had obeyed with wide, tearful eyes when Sam had shouted at him to run.
Sam wasn't sure how long Michael tore into him for but it felt like years of agony like nothing he had ever felt before in his life; his nerves on fire, flesh being stripped apart cell by cell before reforming so Michael could do it all over again. Then suddenly he stopped and Sam didn't feel anything. He was numb, unable to move and unable to speak. Michael turned to Lucifer when he paused in his torture; pause because Sam knew it was only a brief hiatus in his pain and that the angel would start again. Fleetingly Sam wondered why Lucifer was still there, leaning nervously against one of the cage walls with his arms wrapped around his stomach. Perhaps he was waiting his turn? It seemed like a plausible option.
"Get over here," Michael ordered quietly. Lucifer flinched a little, all his cockiness from on Earth apparently gone, and stepped forward looking reluctant. Without warning Michael seemed to lose patience, huffing out a growl and pulling Lucifer to him roughly. Sam watched from his place on the floor through blurry eyes, fingers twitching slightly as tried to get his body to move with little success. When Lucifer was close enough Michael spun him around and before forcefully manoeuvring him so the Devil's back was pressed against his chest, one arm looping around the younger one's waist to hold him there. "Now we're all going to make a deal here."
"Deal?" Lucifer repeated softly, head hung in shame at how he was being manhandled.
"Yes. Now the terms are simple. I hope you're listening Sam," the eldest replied with a smug smile. Sam let out an unintentional groan of pain when Michael nudged him with his foot. The archangel clearly took it as confirmation he was paying attention and continued. "Lucifer here lets me move him however I want and does anything I say without any arguments or Winchester interference and I'll go a little easier on you both from now on." There was silence for a long moment before Lucifer broke it with a sigh.
"What's the catch?" Michael chuckled and Sam blinked as his vision began to clear a little more, actually getting a good look at Lucifer as it did. The Devil looked awful; his healing obviously hadn't kicked in because he was covered in cuts and bruises, his hair matted with dried blood Sam guessed was his own. Sam almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
"There is no catch brother. You give yourself to me and our deal is done." A humourless smile flit onto Lucifer's lips and Sam felt himself shiver at how fundamentally wrong what Michael had just said was. Suddenly it dawned on him that maybe Lucifer wasn't the bad guy here and maybe he had only become what he was because of the man currently behind him. No one just decided they wanted to own someone without thinking it through. He wondered just how long Michael had wanted Lucifer at his mercy like this. Just how long had the prince of heaven wanted the king of hell as some kind of possession? Lucifer swallowed and Sam managed to catch his eye for a moment. He wasn't sure what he was expecting when he did but it was not what he found – complete hopelessness with no fight to be found. Whatever torture Michael had put him through had left a mark and was no doubt something Lucifer didn't want to face again. Sam wasn't surprised when the Devil looked away a second later and shamefully muttered his reply.
"Deal."
"Excellent," Michael said with sickening delight before licking some of the blood from his brother's neck and earning a shiver of disgust from both Sam and Lucifer. "I will be enjoying part of what that entails later." Lucifer didn't say anything, eyes still trained down to the floor and this time Sam did feel sorry for him. Ignoring their discomfort, Michael gestured in Sam's direction with the arm not holding his brother to him, all of Sam's wounds healed instantly and, as soon as he realised, Sam jumped to his feet. Michael smirked at him and he was instantly paralysed by some kind of magic. "Now…let's have some fun."
A few days later Castiel somehow manages to retrieve his body, but Michael manages to keep hold of his soul and the torture continues. Only he makes it different; he brings Lucifer into the torture, guiding the younger angel's hand held tightly around his angel blade so it's Lucifer causing the pain. After that he can't bring himself to feel sorry for Lucifer because it isn't him being hurt and Sam can't miss the way that Lucifer starts leaning into Michael's grip after countless days of agony. There's no doubt in his mind that it's Stockholm syndrome and that Lucifer's breaking under the strain of Michael's overbearing nature. However, he also knows what it means for him if the Morning Star succumbs completely to Michael's will.
His fears come to a head soon after he first notices Lucifer breaking.
It was, at first, a pretty normal in hell for Sam. Michael left Sam to 'rest and recover' from their first torture session. A fairly light one compared to what generally happened later in the day. He doesn't get to rest long before Lucifer walks over to him and alarms bells sound in his head right there because Lucifer never goes near him without Michael leading him over. So he looks up at Lucifer with a frown, about to ask what's going on. And that's when he sees the blade in Lucifer's hand. The same weapon that Michael forces Lucifer to use on him every day. Lucifer smirks at him then, following his gaze and Sam flinches slightly. He knows what's coming, knows he's helpless to stop it.
"Michael told me to have some fun," Lucifer tells him shamelessly, running the tip of one of his fingers over the sharp edge of the blade. "So what'll it be Sam? Heads?" The cool metal is suddenly pressed against Sam's neck and he freezes when Lucifer chuckles. "Or tails?" The knife slips down his chest and round to his back, resting just above his tail bone and Sam squeezes his eyes.
"I don't know. Why don't you ask Michael?" Lucifer snorts at the question before stabbing the knife into Sam's back without warning but Sam doesn't miss the slight tremble as the blade pierces his flesh that shows just how much the mention of the elder angel truly affects him.
"When I'm finished with you whatever Michael does to you will feel like nothing," he promises as Sam arches his back in pain. And the sad thing is that Lucifer is right. Even though it's the elder archangel's influence and cruelty that has caused Lucifer to break it won't be Michael's face that haunts him when his soul is finally saved.
It'll be Lucifer's.