Chapter 22
Lucifer's Pov
The dark night was cold and chilling like we have entered into a horrifying world of the Twilight Zone. The humans who walk calmly in the streets of L.A have no idea the dangers that are leaking through the cracks of their reality. Where hell demons are here on Earth, and anyone may have seen or walked past any of them.
The journey was quiet since the beginning as neither the detective nor I have spoken a word. I guess we were both still pretty shocked from Eve's information that she was the one who released both Father Kinley from prison, then killed him then brought some hell demons to Earth. I could sense the detective's deep worriedness increasing by the anxious look largely painted on her face. It's understandable since she is sort of new to some of this celestial stuff, now she was probably nervously wondering about how we are going to deal with this demon problem.
"Okay, here we are" we finally reached to the Mayan as I parked the car just outside the building.
"Is there anything I need to know about how to fight a demon?" the detective asked as we were stepping out from the car and began walking towards the Mayan.
"Not really. Just that they're super strong, scary and mean. Like Maze, except these don't feel pain, because they're only renting the dead bodies" I explained clearly.
Listening to my own words, made me realise that these demons will be dangerous but not enough to kill me. However, there will too dangerous for the detective to handle, and there will be a high chance of her getting killed. And, I can't let that happen, so I made a final and hopefully right decision.
I was leading the way until I stopped in front of the Mayan, I turned around and faced the detective with a satisfied look on my face, "Good news is... they're killable. Just requires a little extra oomph. But you don't worry about that since you're not going inside."
I watched how the detective was taken back by my unexpected command. She calmly argued back, "Oh, yes, I am. Demons or no demons, there's no way I'm not helping."
I sucked in a deep breathe in before I huffed out my answer, "Need I remind you, detective, it is less helpful if you're there. You make me vulnerable, remember?"
The detective glanced down in shame because she understands that being there with me will make both of us in serious danger and that I wouldn't be invulnerable and powerful to protect her. But at the same time, I knew that the detective doesn't like to stand aside feeling helpless while watching others fight for their lives. She darted her eyes back to her with a pitch of hope in the centre of her eyes, and I could already tell that the detective has an idea for her to be helpful, "Then…"
"They've already taken someone I care about, detective. And, I don't want them to do the same thing… to you" I quickly cut in and truthfully answered, reach my hand out and gently gripped over her shoulder. The detective slowly nods her head as she acknowledged how it's distressing for me to see her in a dangerous situation where I couldn't help her, or where I couldn't save her.
"I don't want you to come in" I kindly ordered in a fearful tone.
Suddenly, a loud, rumbling sound echoed from behind through the quiet, dark street. A black motorbike entered out from the dark shadows of the night and appeared in the lights from the high streetlamps. I quickly noticed that it Maze who was riding up towards us, however I couldn't help but notice that there was someone riding with my loyal demon. When Maze parked in front of us, she slipped her helmet off from her head, and so did her passengers and we finally see who the mystery person.
"Eve?" I gasped as the detective and I both held disgusted looks on our faces.
"Look, she begged me to let her come and help" Maze explained as she stood in a strong position with her arms crossed over her chest.
"This is my apology. By helping out. It's the least I can do after everything I've put you guys through" Eve answered for herself. I do appreciate the apology, though I wished Eve would have done something more sensible earlier.
Another rumbling sound echoed within the quiet, dark street, but it sounded more like a car. The car stopped close to us, Amenadiel and Charlotte exited out from the side doors. They looked confident in fighting against demons, especially Charlotte because she is human but Charlotte has managed quite well with this celestial stuff. However, their facial expression changes into disgust when they spotted Eve standing among us.
"What are you doing here?" Amenadiel asked when he spotted Eve, obviously mad because just before the detective and I left the precinct, I texted my brother where the demons have taken his baby and why it happened. That includes explaining to him that Eve was the one who released the demons from Hell.
"Yes, Lucifer told us what you did" Charlotte backed up with Amenadiel with a pissed-off look on her face.
"Alright. Put your claws away. There's no time for that. We need all the help we can get" I instructed and thankfully both Amenadiel and Charlotte lost their attention on Eve and focus on what's really important.
My eyes wander back to the detective and I view the deep worriedness spreading on her face. She walked towards me and wrapped her arms around my chest as I gradually wrapped my arms around hers. I felt her worriedness building up as the detective tightens the hug like she doesn't want me to leave her. Fearing that I wouldn't come back, but I don't want to leave her too. The detective's head rested on my shoulder as the detective moved her lips closer to the side of my head and softly whispered to my ear in a hushed tone, "Be careful."
I closed my eyes and silently sigh, knowing that I will not be safe when we will be fighting against a bunch of deadly demons. But I will try to be careful and not die. I purred through my sympathetic voice, "I promise."
My soft words made the detective breathe more calmly. Slowly, we uncoiled our arms and were letting each other go. The detective left hand glanced down over my right arm and I felt her fingers nearly trying to wrap themselves over my hand. Wanting to still feel my warm touch just to comfort her, but sadly I was the one who had to depart our touch. Our eyes were still locked on each other as I gave the detective one last glance with a promise steeled and kept in the centre of my eyes.
I ultimately let go and draw my focus on the building and took the first step on starting the mission and the others followed behind me, except for the detective. One step through the entrance and I could already feel a wave of fear hit me, felt like there were silent signs whispering in my ear to turn back now. But my eyes forward and my legs moving, knowing that this will not be an easy task, I have faith.
We eventually reached to the main room of the Mayan, and the first thing I saw was the main stage near the back, built like a pyramid but cut off the top part. The darkroom was lightened in ocean blue, it was definitely designed to be like an ancient temple. A circular table was set in the centre of the stage and hanging at the back was a huge, round symbol with a skull image in the middle with other patterns formed around the edges. There were at least ten demons on each side of the stage, and Dromos was in the middle. We could hear the baby crying in sadness and fear as it was rested on the round table in front of where Dromos was standing.
"Dromos!" I loudly shouted, hearing my own voice echoing within the huge, darkroom. All the demons in the large room twist their heads and darted their stare to our direction. I stopped after we walked through the entrance, then Amenadiel, Maze, Eve and Charlotte all stand by me, while I added, "Surely, you've heard breast is best."
We watched how Dromos darkly chuckled at my small joke, though I wasn't in a laughing mood. I noticed from a distance that the demon has an empty vial in his right hand and a bottle of warm milk in a baby bottle. Quickly realising that he poured the poison into the milk for the baby to drink.
"Now, you see, the thing is we don't take orders from you anymore. Not since the whole abdication thing" Dromos cockily snarled, "So, long live our new king. He's going to be a hell of a ruler."
"Because we are going to mould him into exactly what we want" he aggressively growled, breathing out his wrath as I felt his death stare sharply pointing towards me, "You know, you've got to admit you've been a bit of a selfish king. Keeping the whole Earth thing to yourself."
"Give me my son!" Amenadiel yelled in rage which almost rattled the entire building.
"Over my dead body. Oh, that's right. It's already dead, so... you're going to have to get creative" Dromos mock and the other demons lightly laughed at his joke with eerie grins on their faces.
Hearing their cruel laughter only boiled my rage hotter as I felt it burning through my veins, making my fingers rolled into my palms as my anger tightens them into firm fists. My ears pricked as I could Maze's finger coiling tight around her sharp demon blades. Knowing that she is feeling the same anger as I, and possibly the others. I darted my stare from one demon's face to another and I could see that none of them has doubts in their eyes. Understanding that they are not backing down from a fight, then so are we.
I gave a hard glance to my brother from my left side, then repeated again to Maze from my right side, as I strictly ordered at the right moment, "Now."
After a short nod, Maze jumped down to the lower floor below us and so did Amenadiel. At the same time, four demons rushed towards them, three of them were heading towards my brother while one of them going to attack Maze.
These demons were vicious and deadly like alpha lions that could tear anyone in half, however Amendaiel is the strongest angel I know, the toughest warrior from the Silver City. I watched the demons jumped and attacked my brother and tried tackling him down to the ground. However, Amendaiel's almighty strength always rises up and shoves back their attacks right back at them. Throwing them far across the rooms or gripping their necks, lifts them up then drag them hard to the ground crashing their backbones.
Maze was fighting against one demon, Squee who was possessing the rapper, Moe's dead body. I must admit, Squee was a great fighter like on Maze's level, however I consider Maze to be Hell's greatest torturer and she has more powerful skills up her sleeves that she uses to defeat her enemies. I watched how she draws in her sharp knives and deeply slice and dug through Squee's skin. Trying to open more blood wounds to weaken Squee's body for Maze to easily beat him.
By the corner of my eye, I quickly notice Dromos was picking the crying baby and my blood rushed cold because listening to the baby's fearful cries reminded me of scared little Trixie when she was nearly killed at my penthouse. I leapt off from my standing spot and rushed over to the centre stage where Dromos was standing with two other demons behind him side to side.
"Careful! I wouldn't come any closer if I were you" Dromos warned me.
I quickly caught the message when the two demons swing their legs up directing at me. Luckily, I dodged out of the way before they could have the chance of pushing me away. My ear caught the small cries from the terrified baby in Dromos' arms.
"You are going to pay, Dromos" I darkly growled.
"Really? My money is on me, pal" he joked with a fake smile.
The two demons began fighting again, I quickly defended myself from their strong kicks and hit. One of them managed to kick me in the stomach making me back away. I quickly recovered for more attacks, but instead my ears bleed from more of Dromos' mutters.
"You're getting soft. Getting all mushy with the humans. It's disgusting" Dromos snarled through his rotten, yellow teeth.
Unexpectedly for the demon, Charlotte sneaked up behind the repulsive demon and covered a red scarf over his face. At the same time, Eve rushed in front of the demon and carefully took the baby out from Dromos' hands then strongly kick Dromos in the balls making the demons whined in pain as he fell to his knees. The two other demons were distracted by the ladies' attack, giving me an opportunity to attack them; I hit one hard enough to force him to fly backwards and the other one I knocked him down to the ground.
"You're quite good at that these days" I commented on Eve's skilful technique of bashing balls.
Once, Eve has the baby safe and secure in her arms, I walked to them fast and ordered in a loud yet firm voice, "Go. Run. Run!"
They both followed my order and immediately ran towards the nearest exit they could see. While I was dealing with Dromos as the pathetic demon raise up and developed a sneering look in his dark eyes that alerts me that he wants to throw a few punches. And he did few, however I have supernatural agility and reflexes to block Dromos' hits and I managed to slap him hard across the face. The last slap forced him to feel down to the floor, afterwards Dromos only darkly chuckled and spat his own blood out from his bleeding mouth.
Chloe's Pov
I waited, and waited, and waited.
Outside in the quiet street, underneath the dark sky, with only me and my lonely thoughts. I tried not to let some horrific thoughts poison my mind with the idea that Lucifer and the others are fighting against bloodthirsty demons. But, the more I waited, the more I fear that something bad has happened. I had my gun ready and loaded as it rested in the side pocket. But, doing that still didn't satisfy me and my worries. My arms were crossed over my chest feeling my heart beating fast as I could almost feel it like it's about burst out through my sweaty chest, while I began walking forwards than backwards in a straight line. I kept my scared eyes focus on the buildings, especially the doors as I could imagine Lucifer exiting out through them and me rushing to him and being so happy to see him safe and unharmed.
But, that happens in fairy tales, And, this isn't a fairy tale. It's just part of some celestial craziness.
Suddenly, I heard a loud rattle sound down the side of the building through a corner and dark alleyway. As a detective, I followed my gut instincts the same as I followed that rattle sound. I reached to the entrance of the narrow, dark alleyway after I draw out my gun. I didn't know where to aim my gun at because I literally didn't know where to target since all I could see is plain, black darkness. Except for the alley red lights which shines the danger that was lurking around.
A side exit door was opened, I held my loaded gun ready to shoot at whatever was coming out. Two ladies were rushing out through the entrance, I firstly spotted the colour of their hairs; one was long, wavy and black, the other was straight, platinum blonde. One of them looked sideways in the alley then spotted me at the end.
"Chloe!" Charlotte happily called out my name.
I deeply huffed and grinned in relief, knowing that at least most of them are okay and unharmed. The two ladies walked fast towards my destination, as they were almost close to leaving the shadowy, cold, red alley. Could almost see that unrealistic happily ending actually coming true. But, again, this wasn't a fairytale.
My eyes stared past their heads and spotted a female demon storming out from the same exit door halfway down in the alley. I yelled, "Look out!"
Confused was first paint on their faces, but Charlotte was the first one who followed my gaze and turned around spotting the female demon behind them. After that split second, the female demon threw a sharp blade directing at Eve's back. It happened so fast yet in my mind, it was watching a slow-motion movie scene. From the demon throwing the blade, to Charlotte leaping out in front of Eve and watching the blade stab through her chest like easily slicing a knife through a chunk of butter.
"Charlotte!" I screamed as I raised my gun and started firing directing at the demon's head. I watched the bullets busted through its' head and cold blood was explored out from the brain.
Once the female demon then collapsed, my focus straightaway was pulled back on wounded Charlotte as she was trembled backwards and starting to fall. Eve was still carrying the baby in her two arms, so she struggled to hold up Charlotte when she was falling backwards.
I rushed in behind and took hold of Charlotte as I carefully laid her down on the ground as I kneeled down in front, letting her head rest on my knees. Charlotte was starting to find it hard to breathe as she began deeply coughing for air while her skin suddenly became cold as ice.
"Charlotte!" Amenadiel rushed out from the same exited door and dashed fast to us. He must have heard me screaming out Charlotte's name and thought that we were in trouble. He kneeled down beside Charlotte as "Wha… What happen?"
"The baby is safe, that's what matter" Charlotte answered calmly until she ached in pain from the blood that was leaking from her cracked chest.
"Save your breathe, Charlotte" I advised her.
"It hurts" she tearfully cried.
"Hang on, Charlotte" I quickly slide out my phone and was about to call for an ambulance. Until, a strong hand reached out and gently grabbed my hand.
"Chloe" Amenadiel's voice distracted me from staring down at my phone as the angel spoke in a great tone of sadness. When I looked up and saw how his face was painted in a complete shade of hopelessness. He slowly shakes his head then drifted his gaze to the side.
"Amenadiel? What is it?" I questioned as I follow his gaze behind me, but Amenadiel was staring into nothingness in the side alley. I couldn't understand what Amenadiel was looking at, but when I gazed at his tearful eyes as though they were telling me, 'even if I called for help, it would be too late.'
"I'm…" Charlotte breathlessly whined as she reached her hand out, and quickly Amenadiel grabbed hold of it. His tight warmth only comforts her and gradually slows down her breathing pace while I held my hands on the side of her face. She sucked in enough air to finish her sentence, "I'm scared of going to hell."
Her shivery words took my breathe away, thinking 'why would Charlotte believe that she is going to Hell?' Then, I remembered Lucifer telling me about how Charlotte died and went to Hell, while his mother the Goddess was inhabiting her body. If Hell is built to be tortured the damn, then I could understand why Charlotte would be deeply terrified of going back to that awful place.
"Charlotte, you saved my child. You are a good person" Amenadiel gave a friendly smile to prove that his words ring true. Charlotte looked up to me and notice my small grin showing how much I agree with what Amenadiel just said.
"Will you s-stay with me?" she quietly begged as Charlotte's wet eyes kept their focus on Amenadiel.
"Yes, I promise" the angel swore on his life, and his promise managed grew a small but satisfied smile on Charlotte's face along with her soft chuckles.
After a few seconds, Charlotte's breathing became quick at first until it slows down and she wasn't breathing. I felt her heavy head resting back and laid deeper on my knees and watched her eyes slowly close themselves. My breathing became heavy as I silently sob through my speechless mouth, at the same time as tears began flooding from my eyes and they all dripped from my cheeks and landed on Charlotte's cold, still face.
"Here. Let me?" Amenadiel assisted as he carefully slides his arms underneath Charlotte's knees and her back. However, when he was about to lift Charlotte up, her originally, psychically body was still resting on the ground. Amenadiel was carrying her spiritual body, I assume, as it looks ghostly and her cold skin isn't exactly see-through. My wide eyes were enchanted by the low but lovely lightness that was shiny from Charlotte's spiritual body. Then I stood up in deep shock from this new celestial view with Amenadiel holding a dead body in a more spiritual way.
I watched Amenadiel unfolded his dark grey wings from behind his back, my eyes widen from all his glory. Amenadiel gazed over my shoulder, staring at that same empty place from before. Until he shifted his gaze to me and whispered, "I'll take her home."
Knowing that he means he is taking Charlotte to Heaven. I blinked once to release a few more drops of tears down my cheeks before I nodded slowly. I haven't heard much from Lucifer or anyone about Heaven, but I believe it to be a peaceful and beautiful place for the good to rest. And, I know that Charlotte definitely deserves a place there.
I took a few steps back away from them when Amenadiel started to raise his wings and flapped them till he was flying high with Charlotte's soul in his arms. I kept my eyes on the flying angel until I could no longer see him in the dark sky. Once Amenadiel vanished into the night sky, my wet eyes wander down to Charlotte's physically dead body and even though she will be in a better place, she didn't deserve to die.
"Dan" I sorrowfully gulped. I caught the sight of the engagement ring wrapped around her finger, reminding me that Dan has just proposed to Charlotte. And, now he has lost her. Thinking about how heartbroken Dan will be when he finds out. It will deeply sure me to see him that way.
"Lucifer!" my mind switched focus to Lucifer as I don't know if he is okay or not.
"Eve, stay in the car. You'll be safe with the baby" I instructed and Eve instantly obeyed. I kneed down and found the car keys in Charlotte's jacket pocket. I passed it over to Eve for her to unlock the car and keep herself and the baby safe inside. Before we went off in different directions, I slide out my phone and gave it to Eve and requested her one last order, "Call Dan. Or Ella. Tell them where we are. And… tell them man down."
My voice crumbled into sadness again when I spoke that last sentence, as the sharp words were hard for me to spill out through my dry mouth. Eve slowly nods with a frown formed on her face. Eve walks fast to the car while trying to calmly rock the baby in her arms to stop it from crying.
Meanwhile, I ran the opposite way towards the exited door. I took one step inside the Mayan and I was already hit with a wave of rejection. Like I was walking in a house of horror and my mind is telling me 'not to go inside, you will get your killed like Charlotte.' But my heart is telling me to find Lucifer and see if he is okay. Like what I said, demons or no demons, nothing is going to stop me.
I continued walking down the shadowy path until I reached to the main room of the building.
"Lucifer!" I screamed, my loud voice caught the ears of Lucifer, Maze and the demon, Dromos I presumed. Maze was behind Dromos as she was forcefully pushing the nasty demon on his knees, meanwhile Lucifer was holding a hell blade against Dromos' neck. When Lucifer heard me, he turned his head around and I noticed a glimpse of redness flooded in the centre of his eyes.
"Detective?" Lucifer gasped as his voice was dipped in a tar pool of anxiousness when he saw my presence. He dashed off the centre stage down the stairs until he on the same ground level as me, he developed a very concerned look on his dashing face, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see if you are okay" I answered in a breathless tone.
"I'm fine. And you? You looked like you…" Lucifer spotted the wet tear marks down my checks.
"Charlotte is dead" I explained.
"What?" it took a mire moment for Lucifer to adjust the shocking news before he gasped
"Amenadiel, he…" I muttered as my breathless voice broke halfway in sadness as I began reviewing the whole scene of Charlotte's death in my tired head. I managed to finish my sentence, "He took her up there."
"She's in…" I was going to continue until Lucifer threw an unexpected punch.
However, his punch was aimed at me, but at another person who mysteriously appeared by my side. Then suddenly more people were starting to appear as I could a stamped storming from me. I quickly realised that there were more dead bodies being possessed by hell demons. I felt their cold touch as their hands gripped on my arms, digging their fingernails deep into my clothing feeling like they were about to easily torn through the fabrics.
"Lucifer!" I cried in terror.
"Detective!" he reached out and hold onto my hand. I felt how Lucifer want to use all of his celestial strength to keep our bond attached, but I knew, and he knew, that he could possibly break my hand if hold on too tight. And it gets worse, there were more demons ambushing coming in from every entrance.
Most of them began tackling down their sister, Maze and she starts fighting back even though Maze knows that she is outnumbered. The room was filled with aggressive growls from the unexpected demons along with a dark laugher as Dromos screamed in victory, "It's amazing how many demon souls you can source from a little church confession."
"Help! Lucifer!" I cried in fear. The demons' hands coiled around my hair and gripped my shoulders to pull me away. Lucifer tried to keep on hold on me but sadly their demonic strength pulled me further and further away, and they were repeating the same thing with Lucifer. Forcefully breaking our bond, the last thing I felt from Lucifer was the tip of his fingers touching mine. When I lost his touch, I lost all sense of hope.
Everything went cold in a split second, Lucifer could see the increasing fear on my face. It was the fear of dying, especially since we just lost poor Charlotte. And if I have to be honest to myself, I was scared of dying, and I don't want to die now. My life flashed before my eyes, I viewed my past, my childhood, my early career life, watching Trixie grow up, and when Lucifer came into my life. I recalled all of our precious moments together, then I imagined of all the things we could have done in the future. But now, all of those delightful dreams and memories are gone.
Lost in thoughts, I didn't notice Lucifer escaped from the tight grips of the demons and dashed back up on the centre stage. The echo of his loud footsteps ring to my ears. My head was lost in the clouds no more when I noticed the unexpected appearing.
Lucifer's human skin began to crumble and melted away and a pile of red, scarred skin started spreading like a virus. His dark brown eyes change to blood red. His devil face was returning as his black hair faded away leaving him with a bold, burned, red head. But, it wasn't just his face that was changing. The red skin was disseminating down his firm neck and I sensed it underneath his skirt and I soon noticed his hands were changing into the same red skin.
Expectedly, a pair of wings unfolded from Lucifer's back, but they weren't his angel wings. Because angel wings are created to be exactly like bird wings, but these wings were designed like dragon-like. They didn't have any white feathers, instead the wings took a demonic bat form with each arm a large, sharp, black claw at the end of the wrist.
"Enough!" his thunderous roar vibrated a wave of horror within the entire room. Everything thing who caught the sound of that dark, fiery voice, became frozen still scared to even move a single muscle.
His devil form has increased the muscles within the top half of his body, it tore through the fabrics of his skirt. Lucifer gripped one side of his ripped shirt and torn it completely off from his body. Seeing Lucifer's whole devil form took my breathe away, for I have only seen his Devil face. This must be what he looks when he is in Hell. Seeing Lucifer this way, seeing him at his worst with all the scars and red eyes, I couldn't hide the fact that it scared me to the core.
"You'll bow down to your king!" Lucifer demanded and every single demon, immediately fell on their knees, kneeling to the King of Hell. Dromos kneeled down in fear of his king, even Maze was on her knees. All expected for me as I stayed exactly where I was when the demons let go of their grips off of me, without moving a muscle while my eyes were captivated by Lucifer's Devil form. I started breathing in a fast pace as I felt a lump stuck in the middle of my throat.
"You do not belong here. Go home!" he shouted his last order and within a second, all the possessed bodies were dropped to the floor. They all hit the floor at once, creating a small earthquake that shivers the floor beneath my feet. Yet, it did not shiver the still fear that was poisoning within me, the fear of dying and of the murderous demons. I turned my head around and scanned around the floor seeing all the dead laying over the floors and over each other.
In that silent moment, I turned my focus back on what was important to me. Lucifer was standing in the spot, shirtless on the central stage. His whole Devil form gradually vanishes away gone, Lucifer looked exhausted after his fast back to his normal self. Lucifer turned around and saw Maze rising up from her knees then he gave the demon a thankful look.
When Lucifer turned around and caught the view of my face, a great sense of relief was painted on his face. I couldn't help but sob with a small smile. He rushed down the stairs again and I ran up to him, I crashed into his naked arms as Lucifer tightly hugs me close. I was still shaken up a bit from all the demon attacks, but Lucifer delicately stroke my hair.
"It's okay" he inaudibly cooed, "You're safe now."
Listening to his comforting words made me feel calmer and safer, especially when I was placed in his arms. I closed my eyes again which released more tears to run down over my red cheeks, but these weren't tears of sadness.
These were tears of joy.