A Brother Scorned:

The eyes were gold and the stars had danced within, containing the might of the One. The wings, which before had been a pale white, became gilded and shone like the sun. The robe was white, not a mark upon it, and it had radiated purity.

It always sickened me.

Still, I had knelt and bowed my head. There was little choice when Father spoke, regardless of his form.

I felt pity for my brother. Gabriel had always been quiet and it was he that Father chose when speaking to us. His little messenger, forced to give up his angelic body anytime Father desired contact. Not that contact was a common occurrence these days.

The voice had rung true in my head but no words came from my brother's lips. I had clenched my fists, ground my teeth and desired to strike at Gabriel's emotionless face but there had been little choice. When Father commanded, we had to obey.

The light had faded, the gold diminishing. An ostentatious display of corrupt power. Gabriel said nothing when he returned to himself. With a beat of his heavenly wings, he had gone back to the Silver City.

Am I foolish to dwell on things I cannot control? Perhaps. Am I wrong to despise Heaven and all its inhabitants, great and small? I am not. Not after what they have done to me. Betraying me, casting me out and now this? My exile to end only to clean up Lucifer's mess.

I do not deserve this torture.

Hatred is a strong word, though it perfectly defines how I feel now as I sit and watch two of my brothers argue in this wretched place. They think it home now. They are both so misguided, so easily corrupted by Earth's influence.

Only by holding onto my anger have I managed to resist the temptations of this place.

Even the water here is disgusting. I force myself to sip, keeping my eyes locked as my eldest brother walks away in disappointment. Good. Amenadiel fell, his mind warped by the wretched creatures that walk the Earth. Mother was right; Father should never have made them. They made reality bleed with their insufferable existence.

Still, Amenadiel fell. The righteous wrath, Father's new favourite son. He believes destiny is in his own hands but could he get into the Silver City after dropping that stupid human off at the Gates? If he could, he wouldn't be back on Earth. Curious. Father must still have a plan for him and should he succeed, there is no doubt he'd be restored to his former glory.

Would I see any of that favour? Any of that love? No.

The time is now. I stand, my black suit crisp and clean. I flatten the jacket down, pull at one sleeve and make my way to the glass fencing separating the tables from the sidewalk.

"Excuse me Sir, you haven't paid for your water," a human in a white apron says, pointing at the glass on the table.

Foolish.

My palm collides with the human's chest, breaking ribs and sending it flying through the open café door. The other humans shout and run. Of course. Vermin, all of them. They wouldn't know divinity if it tore out their pathetic hearts.

My thoughts turn to Lucifer. There he stands across the street, smile on his face, hand on a human's shoulder. The female human stands close, mind numb from his influence. As I approach across the street, his face carries a frown. He feels my presence.

Rage bubbles up from within. I cannot contain my anger and words erupt forth, unbidden but true.

"Here he stands, Lucifer, the Lord of Hell. Here he stands, Samael, the Lightbringer. Here he stands, the first Favourite. What a disgrace you are!" I shout as I cross the street, ignoring the human vehicles which stop abruptly as I pass.

The smile on his face returns, slimy and false. "Brother! I knew I'd bump into you on of these days. Here to get your party on?" Lucifer asks, indicating to the human building behind where numerous females are entering in provocative clothing.

"I am here for your life, Lucifer," I snap. "Millennia I have spent here, trapped between Heaven and Hell. Not a word from Father, or Mother, or ANY of you," I yell, drawing eyes of nearby humans. "So imagine my surprise when one day, in my infinite exile, I find both Lucifer and Amenadiel have decided to move to Earth willingly and forsake everything they stood for."

"Well, it was as much a surprise for me as it was for you," Lucifer replies with a smile. "I certainly didn't expect Amenadiel here either after his little trip up top; he certainly kills the holiday vibe," he winks.

"Don't jest with me Lucifer," I snarl. "Did you ever consider the greater impact of your rebellion? You betrayed Father and now I'm being punished for your crimes. I fought with you, stood by you. Did that loyalty mean nothing to you since our fall?"

The human female looks disconcerted; she leaves and enters the building. Lucifer's smile fades for the first time. "Oh, now look what you've done," he says, throwing his hands in the air. "Look, I wasn't exactly sunning myself here the whole time. You try ruling Hell for a few millennia first; you'll be pleased to be back in LA afterwards. It's a bloody paradise compared to…that place."

I grab him by the front of his white shirt and push him against the wall behind. "That's exactly what I'm faced with, seeing as you've just left Hell unguarded. Father came to me this morning; I'm to be your damned replacement as Lord of Hell."

Lucifer looks alarmed and rightly so. "How do you know that?" he asks with a confused frown.

"Gabriel."

"Ah," he exhales. "I didn't realise he was still kicking about. Well that certainly complicates your life, doesn't it?" he says with a gleeful look. "Enjoy your time torturing and oh yes, good luck finding anyone as accomplished as Maze. I'm sure the demons will simply love vying for your attention," he says, turning away.

"You bastard Lucifer. I do not understand; you rebelled against Heaven and you were punished by receiving dominion over Hell. You forsake that task to spite Father and are rewarded with a path to redemption whereas I am punished again and again? No. You need to consider the consequences of your actions."

"You may be right," Lucifer says with his back to me. "But I don't plan on going back anytime soon. I've got my own problems to sort here on Earth; the Detective hasn't returned any of my calls after she saw my true face, I'm apparently stuck with my wings as well and I just can't seem to get lucky today," he says, watching the female human walk away down the street. "No. I'm done with all that; my life is here now. Goodbye brother. Give my regards to dear old Dad," he says with a grin, turning his back to me.

"NO!" I exclaim, swinging for the back of his skull. He dodges at the last instant, one elbow thrust towards me. I catch his arm in one hand and twist, flipping him over into the dirt. "You're going back to Hell and I'm going to be free of Father's command!"

As I place one foot on his neck, his fingers claw at my black shoe. It feels good; finally, he gets what he deserves. The punishment shall fit the crime. Death for the Devil.

"It's…not Dad…making you do this…" Lucifer gargled, struggling to inhale as my boot crushes his windpipe.

"Don't tell me you believe that ridiculous theory of…" I start to say until someone tackles me round the waist and we fall, landing heavily on the concrete. I catch a brief glimpse of Amenadiel before I jump for Lucifer again. Hands wrap around my ankle and I hit the floor again.

"ENOUGH!" I scream, unable to control my anger. Lucifer is standing; as I lunge for his throat, I feel time distort. It does not slow me but it distracts me long enough for my brother to block my hands and back away. The world around, however, is caught between one second and the next.

"Brother, stop!" Amenadiel yells. His hands are focused together; I see the beads of sweat on his forehead. He may have his wings back but slowing time is still clearly a challenge for my brother. Good.

The red mist descends. My wings unfurl and my clothes burst into flame; the armour underneath is primal but divine. I catch a glimpse of my glory in the window; black armour that drinks in the light and my deep-red wings spread wide, blocking the sun above. In my hands, my spiked mace appears. I stand before Lucifer in my anger, ready to strike him back down to Hell.

"LUCIFER! Your time here ends now; you will be punished for your actions!" I declare, raising the mace to strike.

"No Kushiel!" Amenadiel yells, unable to move.

Lucifer does not run. Instead, he raises his hands. "Into punishing now, are we? You'll certainly enjoy your time down in Hell then," he says with a satisfied smile. "Only, you've missed one rather obvious thing."

Despite my rage, I freeze. What had I missed? Or was he just stalling?

Lucifer grins, his eyes flashing red. "You're not the only one with wings anymore. Good luck catching up before Father drags you down to your new job." His white wings spread in an instant and as I blink, the slow rush of air tells me he is gone with the wind.

My mace falls upon empty air.

I spin around to face Amenadiel. His face is pained but he does not move. "He won't go willingly," he mumbles. "You can't kill him Kush. Father has a plan for him but it's down to Lucifer to carry it out. It's his choice."

My fingers curl around my brother's chin and raise his eyes to meet my own. "Oh, I know," I spit venomously. "Redemption for the both of you whilst I'm forced into Hell. Lucifer is the one to blame; I'm not letting him ruin the rest of my eternity while he receives Father's forgiveness. All this, just to save Lucifer. He's going to suffer, Amenadiel, and when I'm through with him…I'm coming for you. You...traitor."

My wings beat thrice and I leave my pitiful older brother on the ground. As I soar into the sky, I feel time resume at its normal pace. I hang in the sky, wings splayed wide, mace in hand with burning vengeance in my heart.

You can run Lucifer, but you can't hide. Punishment comes for us all in the end.

Even the Devil.

#SAVELUCIFER #PICKUPLUCIFER