"When the Devil Leaves Hell"
by WrecklessRighter
Disclaimer: I own no rights to Fox's Lucifer or The CW's The Vampire Diaries.
In the beginning, the angel Lucifer was cast out of Heaven and condemned to rule Hell for all eternity.
Until he decided to take a vacation...
Chapter 1:
Poor Hayley. She didn't deserve to go out this way. An overdose would have been more understandable, given her history. Or even an abusive boyfriend. A sexually contracted disease. Or an eating disorder. But an assassination? It was cruel and unusual. Not to mention untimely. She still had six and a half years left in her contract before her time on Earth was up. She was just now on the verge of stardom, becoming the world's next big supermodel just behind Heidi Klum and Gisele Bündchen. Everyone knew her name, and even more knew her body. No, it hadn't been the easiest or most discreet road to the spotlight but in the end, she had her shit together and that was what mattered. That was all he asked of her right before she died…
"Did I... sell my soul to the Devil?"
"That would imply the Devil is actually interested in your soul."
"Come on, Klaus. Be straight with me."
"Sweetheart, I don't think you know what straight even is." He turned her arm over to show her her own track marks, as if reinforcing his statement. "I've given you all the tools to achieve stardom and look at how you've repaid me."
She pulled her arm back, rubbing it with a frown. "I know..."
"It's not just the drugs. It's the alcohol. The promiscuity. The topless selfies..."
"Not my brightest moment."
"And don't get me started on that Jackson Kenner fellow. To think you almost married that hairy dog show reject."
"He was my photographer. You introduced us."
"I suggested you work with him, love, not sleep with him."
"Well...I got confused."
"Which, I assume, is why you left him at the altar?"
"Yeah, that was rude of me."
"Actually I quite enjoyed that bit." He smirked when she met his gaze and they shared a laugh between old friends. "The point I'm trying to make is don't abuse the privileges I've given you. Pull yourself together. Can you do that?"
"Yeah. I think I can."
When he'd first met her, she was fairly droll, but with her big doe eyes and lanky limbs, he knew she had potential. And an addiction, but what was life without vices? And who knew better the pleasures of temptation and addiction than the Devil himself? Condemned to an eternity in the bowels of existence resided the cast off, Lucifer. Hell was his kingdom and he ruled with a mighty fist. But he enjoyed his reign of torment, delighting in the misery of his captives and the company of his minions. Still, after eons of sadistic thrills, Hell still left something to be desired. It lacked substance, it lacked variety, it lacked…humanity.
He'd always been fascinated by his father's most prized possessions. And trifling with them was one of Lucifer's favorite past times before he'd been exiled. Truth be told, anything that set his father off was enjoyable. Which was precisely why he decided to take a leave of absence from his domain. He knew it would incite a riot up in Heaven and his father would rampage, but what fate could be worse than ruling Hell?
Hayley had been his first employee when he opened Lux. A nightclub owner in Los Angeles seemed the least conspicuous and most enticing option. It was breeding grounds for sex, drugs and alcohol. And the occasional violence. Not to mention the investment. It wouldn't take long to build it up, create revenue and become a household name in the world of the rich and famous. He just had to connect with the right people, bribe them to get the proper allowances. So he took up the pseudonym Mikaelson, fancying the biblical irony, and he sought out entrepreneurs with hefty wallets and shoddy morals. And oh were they greedy. But he liked greedy. In fact, he thrived on it. Gluttonous individuals with a thirst for fame and fortune were his preferred clientele. The simpler their desires, the easier they were to strike a deal with. For many it was about the money. For Hayley, it was about recognition. She chased fame as if her life depended on it.
Parting with her would be bittersweet. She'd be sent to Hell, and without him there to run it she might suffer a worse eternity than he would have fabricated for her. Still, it wasn't enough to tempt him back. Instead, temptation was dangling right in front of him in the form of blonde hair and long legs. And with handcuffs pinned to her side. Talk about delicious.
Caroline Forbes was staring morosely at the corpse of Hayley Marshall. Pretty. Skinny. Famous. Everything Caroline's theatrical father wanted her to be when she was younger. His little pageant girl. She enjoyed it at first, but by high school it was overwhelming. She didn't become a cop just to defy him, though it worked out to a great advantage. She actually enjoyed helping people and she got an immense satisfaction out of catching criminals and putting them in their place. Especially the ones who took advantage of young, helpless women in the middle of the night.
"She was young," a masculine voice came up from behind her.
"Too young," Caroline agreed, not sparing a glance at the familiar voice of her kind of sort of ex-husband. The divorce papers hadn't been written yet but...it was on her mind.
"I hear she was a druggie."
She narrowed her eyes then turned to him with a tiny grin. "You hear? From who, her so-called friends? The paparazzi that followed her around? The guys at the station who all have her picture pinned up in their lockers? You don't know her, Tyler. What her life was like. Maybe she had it worse than you. Maybe she had a really rough home life. Or a crazy stalker ex that drove her over the edge. Whatever the case, you don't get to judge her."
"She's dead, Care. It doesn't matter anymore."
She scoffed and looked back at the frail body lying in a pool of blood. "She was getting clean, according to her sponsor. Who I spoke to twenty minutes ago on the phone. If you're going to try to steal my case, make sure you're gonna be thorough."
He raised his hands defenselessly. "Fine. It's your case. But try not to spend too much time overanalyzing every little detail. There's gonna be a lot of attention on this one. I wouldn't pick at it too hard. Not after Whitmore."
"I asked for this case because of Whitmore." She shook her head with an annoyed scoff and walked away from him toward the EMTs who were attending to the dead shooter. "Were there any witnesses?"
"One witness present and accounted for," Klaus walked up from his spot by the gurney, beaming all too happily. "Niklaus Mikaelson. But you, detective, can call me Klaus."
She turned her head toward him and gave him a haphazard once over. "Klaus? What is that a stagename?"
"It helps ward off those who might be looking for me, yes." He cocked his head curiously, taking her in. "Have we met before?"
"Yeah. Like five minutes ago when I found you next to Hayley's body. Who would be looking for you?"
"My father, most likely. Are you sure we've never crossed paths?"
"Positive. Back to you and Hayley, why don't you tell me why you were there?"
"There - with her? Or there in the alley where a shower of bullets rained on our parade?"
"Don't get cute."
"Afraid that's unavoidable, love." He grinned when she rolled her eyes. "Come on. There must be something more desirous you want to be doing right now besides interrogating me."
He smiled charmingly and looked into her eyes, willing the truth from her with his power. She narrowed her eyes, holding his gaze, as her lips quirked in a sardonic smirk.
"Does that trick really work?"
He blinked with a frown. "Usually, yes."
"Uh huh. Gets you into bed with all of the girls you meet, I bet."
"Well, actually - "
"Look, I don't have time for your little flirtations and games, Klaus. I have a case to solve. And if you really cared about Hayley, you'd let me do my job."
"We'll save this anomaly for another day then. Perhaps I can be of service to you?" he offered, unable to resist smiling at his little quip. Caroline lifted a brow, shooting him a narrow look and his face fell in mockery. "I meant to your investigation. Do really think that low of me?"
"Yes."
"Right. Well, ask your questions and I will accommodate to the best of my knowledge."
She eyed him skeptically, hesitating before continuing. "Why don't you tell me your relationship with the victim?"
"Have some respect, detective. Just because she's dead doesn't mean she hasn't got a name."
"Why am I getting the feeling that you're stalling?"
"We were friends. With certain benefits." Caroline scoffed and his smirk dissipated in slight panic. "There was no sex involved. We had an arrangement."
"Okay, I don't need to know whatever 'arrangements' you two had - "
"She worked at my nightclub, Lux. Some time ago. In exchange for her services I helped to connect her with the people who would eventually bring her stardom. Clearly that didn't sit well with one of them."
"Why do you assume it was one of her people?"
His expression hardened but his eyes held a tinge of wavering vulnerability. "It's always the people closest to you that hurt you the most."
She glanced up at him, surprised by the weight of emotion he was suddenly displaying. She blinked and looked down to jot down her notes, swallowing against the minuscule bit of sympathy she suddenly felt.
"Did you happen to know the shooter at all? Was it one of those 'people' in her life?"
"No. But we had a nice little chat just before he kicked off."
Her gaze lifted as she grew weary with impatience. "Seriously?"
"I wanted to know his motive."
She scoffed. "Oh so you like to play cop, huh?"
He grinned, cheeky and amused. "I like to play in general, Detective. Do you?"
"I like to solve my cases. What did the dead guy tell you?"
"Well he wasn't quite dead yet. His soul hadn't crossed the threshold."
She pressed her lips thin with an exhausted huff. "Did he tell you why he shot Hayley?"
"Yes."
She pressed her lips together when he pursed his in a little grin. "Are you going to tell me?"
"If you ask nicely, I might."
"I don't have time for this." She started to turn away.
"Money," he halted her. His smile spread slowly when she turned around. "You humans love your money."
"Right, and what planet are you from again? London?"
"Somewhere much warmer, I assure you."
"Why don't you tell me something? How does she end up dying in a hailstorm of bullets, and you get away without a scratch?"
"The benefits of immortality."
"Immortality. Of course. Do you spell that with one or two M's? I always forget."
"I think you're missing the point, detective. This man was paid to kill Hayley. Which means there is someone that wanted her dead, too cowardly to do the job themselves. Someone that deserves to be put to justice. Now what are you and your corrupt little organization of police officers going to do about it?"
"Excuse me?"
"Will you find the person responsible, and will they be punished? Or are you planning to dismiss this case without so much as a second glance?"
"No."
"Good because I assure you this is just as much a priority for me as it is for you."
She shook her head with a laugh of disbelief. "You know what? We're done here."
"I beg to differ."
"Well you can beg all you want, Mr. Mikaelson. In fact, I may even enjoy it. But it's not going to change the fact that this conversation is over. Thank you for your time and have a nice life." She smiled sweetly and bid him goodbye before turning to walk back toward her squad car. His eyes watched her swaying hips and inevitably traveled lower.
"Wait a minute..."
She sighed and held onto her open car door, turning back. "What?"
"You were an actress, briefly." He smiled when he saw the shift in her stance. Her eyes remained neutral but it was all in the body language. "That cheeky teen movie...what was it called?" Caroline pursed her lips and looked away, growing more and more impatient. "Mystic High! The one with the famous nude scene, coming out of the locker room." He beamed, eyes sparkling with delight. "Thought I recognized your arse. Among other things."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Oh we are so done." She turned her back on him once more, trying to escape.
"You still haven't told me what you're going to do as far as Hayley's murder."
She whipped around, glaring. "Do not make me waste a bullet on you."
He frowned, rooted to his spot as she got in and slammed the door on his protests. "Someone out there needs to be punished for this!" He sighed as she pulled off. "Bollocks."