Lilith looked at Lucifer's side of the bed, sighing as she saw nothing there. It had been lonely the past few nights and it didn't feel the same without your husband in bed with you. It was the middle of the night and the same thing had happened four times in a row and Lilith found herself getting sick of the pattern.
Lucifer had spent the past four days locked in his office and she was certain he wasn't getting any proper sleep, slaving himself away at his desk. The controversy was taking its toll and Lilith was certain Lucifer would pass out eventually if he kept going like this. Even Fallen Angels could get stressed and the way he was isolating himself from everyone wasn't healthy.
'I've got to do something about this. Lucifer's still my husband and I can't watch him deteriorate like this. I may be having another man's baby, but Lucifer is my one true love and his well being is of utmost importance to me…'
Having enough she stood up, glancing downward at her stomach. It hadn't been that long since she got pregnant but there was still a bump on her stomach. It was larger than it would be for a normal human, but since Lilith would be having the baby in about a month, it made sense they were growing so fast.
"I don't know what to do with you honestly...I never planned on having another baby, but I guess life is full of surprises. We'll stick through this together little one…" Lilith patted her stomach before heading out the bedroom door, only to jump back when she saw Micheal on the way out,"Micheal? What are you doing here? It's a bit late for you to be up at this time is it?"
"I know my arrival is unexpected, but I just wanted to speak with you…"
"Is it about the baby? Because they're doing fine. Trust me, I know how to handle a child, this isn't my first rodeo…"
"Oh I know. But I just wanted to be sure…" He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"That's not all you're here for, is it?"
"No.." He took a deep breath,"It's about Lucifer. I know he's been...isolating himself for a while. I haven't seen him leave that office in days and I'm worried for his mental well being…"
"You are?"
"Of course I am!" Micheal growled, sounding defensive,"I mean, I know he and I aren't on good terms, but I didn't intend for this to happen! Everytime I try to do the right thing it ends up backfiring on everyone! And thanks to the news running with this story, Lucifer has all the more reason to think I'm a walking disaster that he can't get rid of! I'm more or less a burden on him at this point! I've done nothing but screw things up for him and now you and Lucifer have to deal with this...mess.."
Lilith blinked, clearly unprepared for this outburst. She regained her composure before saying,"Now now, Micheal, I understand where you're coming from and to be honest, you're probably right in that regard about how Lucifer thinks of you…"
"Well obviously, he hates me!"
"I wouldn't go that far…"
Micheal gave her look,"Lilith, I know I look like a dumb blonde but I'm not that stupid. It's fairly obvious that Lucifer hates me and he's shown outright hostility towards me whenever I try to approach him. This controversy has done nothing but make him add another reason to why he can't stand me to the list."
"Micheal, I know Lucifer is….upset but I know that a part of him does love you, even if he's too much of a prideful fool to admit it himself. Though if you want to see that side of him, perhaps a little damage control is necessary."
He raised an eyebrow,"Like? Lucifer wants nothing to do with me, Lilith. He's made that perfectly clear and in all honesty, he probably fears I'm going to make things worse for him. How am I supposed to help Lucifer if he doesn't want my help in the first place?"
"You do so regardless of if he wants it, trust me, I know it doesn't look like it, but Lucifer really does need you even if he...doesn't want to admit it. Even ignoring his pride, he'd never want to admit he needs help from anyone, especially you of all people."
"So what should I do?" He said, folding his arms over his chest,"Do you have any ideas because I doubt Lucifer is going to appreciate it if I go into his office after the last time, especially at this time of night…"
Lilith narrowed her eyes, looking Micheal up and down. An idea crept into her mind as did a large smile,"Oh I have just the thing…"
"You do?"
"Yes,but it's going to require some...modifications to take place…"
"What kind of modifications are we speaking of?"
"Oh nothing major," She mused,"Just a few adjustments. I have a plan in mind, but it requires some changes to be made to your person. Come on, follow me…"
Lilith suddenly grabbed Micheal's sleeve and pulled him inside, shoving him in front of a mirror. Micheal blinked when he noticed Lilith reaching into a drawer, pulling out a knife,"Uh, Lilith, what are you doing?"
"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," She replied, rolling her eyes at the accusation,"Now close your eyes and relax. I promise this will be quick…"
Micheal did as he was told, resisting the urge to flinch when he felt his hair being cut from behind…..
Lucifer scowled as he looked down at his new phone, groaning in annoyance at the entire schedule he'd inevitability have to tend to in a few hours. Worst part was that he wasn't even finished with the things that were currently on his desk and he was barely functioning in his sleep-deprived state.
"Fuck...this is way too much work and my life is falling apart around me. No thanks to my brother and his inability to keep it in his pants…" He clenched his fist, still bitter about the upcoming pregnancy that would take place in less than a month.
Suddenly, the door to his office opened and Lilith stepped inside,"My love? Are you alright?"
"Yeah…" He mumbled, barely able to maintain eye-contact with her,"Just...tired…"
"That's the biggest underestimate of the year. You look beyond exhausted. When was the last time you got some proper sleep again?"
"Days…" He admitted,"I can't fucking sleep and this damn phone keeps me up at night. Ever since this controversy came up it feels like I'm going damage control from all angles and yet no matter what I do, it just keeps getting worse ..."
"Perhaps that's why it's about time you got away from this desk and took a long overdue break…"
"I'd love to, but I still have things to do…" He said,"Now if you don't mind, Lilith, I'd appreciate it if you left me because this work isn't getting done by itself. That doesn't even mention the meetings I have to go to in a few hours…"
"Lucifer, no. I'm putting my foot down, I can't just sit here and watch you exhaust yourself all because of some stupid controversy. You need to take a break…."
Lucifer scoffed,"Did you not hear me the first time? I'd really love to take a damn break, but I legit can't. Someone has to get this work done and it's not like I can just leave. Do you have any idea how many meetings I have, Lilith? If I take a break for some unspecified period of time, things won't get down and I don't trust these people on their own without my supervision…"
"I understand that. Which is why I've come up with a solution that allows you to get the work down while also taking a break…"
"You have?" He asked with a raised brow,"Damn, why didn't you tell me earlier? This solution would've been more useful had it not been when I was totally exhausted…"
"Cut back on the sarcasm, honey. I know what I'm doing…"
"So what's the plan then? You're not proposing that I have someone clone me and have the clone do the work? Because we both know that's a bad idea…"
The taller demon's eyes rolled,"Obviously not. Even I know having two of you would be an utter disaster waiting to happen. But that idea isn't too far off from what I have in mind." She then called out,"Come on out your highness, we're waiting for you!"
Abruptly, another person entered the room, Lucifer standing back in amazement when he came face to face with what appeared to be his reflection.
At first, Lucifer thought he was looking at a mirror, at least until he noticed that the person was wearing a black-gold version of his suit and hat and was several inches taller than him. That didn't even get into the gold apple staff in his left hand.
The pieces came together before he slowly asked,"Micheal...is that you?"
"Course it's him, silly," Lilith cut in,"Who else could it be?"
"Lilith, what's the big idea? Why is Micheal dressed like me?"
"So he can pose as you to the other demons," She said casually.
"What!? Are you kidding me? You can't just send my brother to do my work for me! It's not his responsibility dammit and I know Micheal cant fucking handle the denizens of Hell like I can. He doesn't have the personality for it."
Micheal scowled,"You underestimate me, brother…"
The King Of Hell sneered,"It's hardly an underestimation, it's just being logical. I know you can't handle my affairs with other demons. You'll fuck it up and make things worse again…"
"No I won't," He replied firmly,"Look Lucifer, I get I haven't been that great of a help to you. In fact, I've more or less become a burden to you, especially in light of recent events. But this is my chance to make up for that and I won't let this go to waste. I'm going to prove to you that I can change. That I can a better brother than I have been before."
"Oh really? Do you even know what you're getting into? This realm is nothing like Heaven, the denizens do not care for your title but of what you can do to and for them. If you show a moment of weakness they'll pounce on it and I'm not certain someone as...emotional as you could handle that."
"I can…" Micheal growled,"Just because I'm not wicked to the core doesn't mean I can't stand up for myself. I haven't had to use my powers in a while, but that doesn't mean I won't…"
"He's right, honey. Besides, Micheal is the one who banished you here in the first place, I doubt he has much to worry about physically because if anyone does forget their place, he can shut it down if need be…"
"Even then, I doubt Micheal knows things about finances and how to conduct deals between others…"
The taller twin laughed,"Brother, I'm many things, but I'm not a fool. Things may be run differently in Heaven but I know how to conduct business agreements and I know how the game works…"
Still, Lucifer looked weary,"Things work differently in Hell, Micheal. It won't be as nice or as jovial as you're used to. This pit is home to the worst of the worst and I don't trust you being around them…"
"Aw, is someone worried their brother is gonna get hurt," Lilith teased, elbowing him in the side.
"No!" He hissed,"I'm being realistic, Micheal isn't cut out for this realm and he'll just make our family look worse. This controversy is already doing numbers to our reputation, the last thing we need is Micheal once again making things worse than they already are."
"Honey, relax. Micheal knows what he's doing and he's more than capable of protecting himself if anything goes wrong. There's no need to be so paranoid. Just think of this as Micheal making it up to you for this entire situation while we're out for three weeks…"
"What!? You trust Micheal to act in my stead for three weeks!? Especially while you're pregnant?"
"Why wouldn't I? I'm the one who came up with this plan anyway. I trust Micheal enough to know how to handle things and if I'm proven wrong, I suppose that you can hold it over my head later. But since we don't know how things will end, we should at least give Micheal the benefit of the doubt. He really does want to help you and if he does the work it'll be less of a workload on your shoulders when we return. And it's not like anyone will be able to tell the difference, you two look so similar that I doubt anyone will be able to notice assuming Micheal keeps up the act. What do you say, are you going to give him a chance?
The King fell silent before reluctantly sighing,"Alright, fine. I'll let Micheal act in my place. However, if something goes wrong in my absence and I hear about it, I'll be rushing over here with a bloody vengeance, understand Micheal? Because it won't be pretty if I hear anything bad while I'm away…"
"I understand," He replied before blinking at the phone Lucifer handed to him,"What's this for?"
"You'll be needing it if you're going to act in my stead, Micheal. My entire schedule is on here and you need to follow it by the book…"
"Oh. But don't you need it?"
"I can just get another one." He shrugged, motioning to his pocket,"Though that doesn't mean you should break it."
Micheal nodded,"I know. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
"Yeah." He then grabbed Michael by the collar,"Don't take shit from other demons. If there's anything you remember from this, you should know not to let any of them walk over you. That is all, good luck..."
Lucifer turned his back on Micheal before grabbing Lilith by the arm,"Ready to go my love?"
"I don't see why not. I've said what I said. Now I just have to hope Micheal don't screw this one up for me…"
"He won't. Have some faith in him."
Lucifer laughed,"Me having faith? Please, Lilith. You know how I am…"
From afar, Micheal watched as the two lovers went inside Lilith's car. The car sped off into the distance, becoming smaller and smaller as the seconds passed.
Once they were out of sight the archangel left the office only to crash into Ada on the way out,"Argh!"
"Ugh! Watch where you're-" Her tone immediately changed when she saw it was Micheal, whose gold eyes flashed in her direction at being addressed,"Oh sorry my Lord, I didn't see you there! Forgive me for my lack of manners…"
Micheal stared at her for the longest time in disbelief at this change of pace. Never before had he witnessed a person change their tune so fast just at his mere presence.
At first, Micheal didn't understand only to remember something. Lucifer was feared throughout Hell as the strongest being. The vast majority of Hell cared little for authority and only respected themselves(and sometimes not even that). But there was one thing the denizens of Hell did understand…
Fear. The fear of someone stronger than them coming to kick their teeth in.
Even the strongest hellborn demons weren't able to contend with Lucifer and the only exception was Volastor, who was more or less an anomaly in the system. He wasn't a normal hellborn either, he was a being made up of two overlords with a crystal keeping his form intact.
Thankfully for Lucifer, Volastor possessed no interest in ruling, meaning Lucifer didn't have any real reason to take issue with his existence, especially since he heard from Charlie how his other self's attempt on Vol's life ended up backfiring on him.
Unlike his brother,Micheal had never had any use for fear to rule his subjects. Because why would he need fear? The citizens of Heaven at worst, were self righteous jerks but ultimately weren't terrible enough to warrant being sent to Hell and tolerated the divine rule they lived under because there was no reason to defy it.
Still, Micheal wanted to test this theory….
"Kneel…"
Ada did as she was told, kneeling on one knee before him. He could hear her breath trembling beneath him, as if she feared she had made a grave mistake and was regretting her life choices..
He blinked in astonishment,'By heaven's name, it actually works...My brother's reputation precedes me…Still, as amusing as it is to see someone like this, I should probably let her up, in a convincing manner of course. I don't want her finding out I'm not really Lucifer…'
"You may stand now. I just wanted to test if you still had your manners about you…"
She quickly rose upward, still looking somewhat nervous,"You're not mad are you? I didn't know that you were in there and I hadn't seen you in a long time. Please forgive me for my insolence…"
"Hmm...If I 'forgive' you, will you swear to not allow such a thing to happen again?"
"I swear to all nine circles that it won't occur again, my Lord…"
"Fine. I'll let you off the hook this time, but I won't be so lenient with you if this happens again. And for the record, what are you doing here anyway? It seems a bit strange for you to run into me like this…"
"I was here to come and inform you that breakfast is ready. I know that you personally requested some time alone but we figured you'd at least allow yourself to get some breakfast before you went about your day."
He cocked an eyebrow,"We?"
"Oh you know, Doom helps make breakfast along with the rest of the maids. I'm certain they have something absolutely divine waiting for you on the table. I'm certain it would improve your mood since I know you're upset about the whole controversy going around…"
"That sounds amazing!" Micheal mentally kicked himself at his enthusiastic outburst which had seemingly taken Ada off guard. He quickly covered his mouth before reverted back to his composed front,"Ahem. I mean, what a splendid idea…"
"Are you alright sir?"
"Peachy. Just got a bit excited that's all,"He said calmly,"Now if you excuse me, er...what was your name again?"
She made a face,"It's Ada…"
"Ah yes, Ada. I'd very much appreciate it if you stepped aside. I'm feeling a bit parched today so if you don't mind…" He walked past her only to pause when Ada called out to him,
"Wait, Lord Lucifer!"
"Hm?"
"The kitchen is the other way…."
Micheal froze up, now glad that Ada couldn't see his face due to how embarrassed he became, even if it was only for a split second.
He then casually said,"Oh. Sorry, that must've slipped my mind.I've got so much on my mind and it's clouding my sense of direction it seems. Regardless, thanks for informing me of my error, I'll see you later…"
Ada watched in disbelief when Micheal turned her back on her, still somewhat shaken from her experience prior, her heart threatening to pound it's way out of her rib-cage. She wasn't certain if she was lucky or unlucky given she disrespected the most powerful creature in Hell that just so happened to be her boss and barely managed to skid on by.
'I must've caught Lucifer in a good mood, else I would've been done for. Something isn't right with him today. Not only is he wearing black and gold but he's a bit taller than I remember him being. And his eyes...were gold.'
She was tempted to question where it came from, but ultimately decided against it. She didn't want to ask him how he gained a good five inches and the eye thing was probably due to magic, or at least that's what she chalked it up to be….
When Micheal got to the kitchen, he noticed that there was a large gold chair in the middle of the kitchen table that resembled a throne. Instinctively, he walked towards it and took a seat, quick to notice that several maids showed up and began placing a truckload of food on his plate.
And surprise surprise, everything was apple themed. Apple tea, candy apples and even apple swore he could pick out apple pancakes and apple bread. He doubted there was anything not made of apples present.
Micheal stared in awe, a bead of sweat trailing down his face,'Sweet heavens. I know my brother is a bit obsessed with apples but I think this is a bit much…'
"Your highness?" A maid asked, clearly in distress when they saw that he wasn't taking a bite out of his meal,"Are you alright? You're not eating any of the meals that have been prepared. This is your favorite dish, what is wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong," Micheal replied gently,"I'm just a bit overwhelmed today. I've got a lot on my mind you know…"
"Oh. Does that mean you want the meals to be taken back?"
"I never said that, I can eat at my own pace you know…"
They jumped back,"U-Understood sir, I'll leave you to it!"
He sat there in bewilderment as the maid ran off in fear. He knew that this was how Lucifer kept people in line but he couldn't help but feel irritated that even one slight complaint or raise in tone was treated as a threat. He knew they had a good reason to fear him(or rather Lucifer) but it was becoming rather repetitive.
He grabbed a cup of tea and took a sip,'Tastes like...apples…' Who could've guessed that one?
As he was drinking, he couldn't help but notice another presence, one that disturbed the air he was breathing in. His eyes creaked open just enough to where he could see Doom before him, the spider overlord having an ever present smile on his face that seemed a bit too friendly for Micheal's liking…
'Yippee. More lackeys that my brother keeps on a leash coming to pester me. This can't get any better. And he seems like he wants something out of me...' Micheal sighed,"What do you want with me? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Oh nothing, I just came to talk with you…" He said, taking a seat beside Micheal,"You see, Lucifer, I've been thinking that perhaps it's time we discuss about upping my salary…"
Micheal narrowed his eyes,"Go on…"
"Well I believe that given all the years I've been working under you that I deserve a bit more than what I'm getting. Perhaps adding several million would be a good price?"
Micheal took another sip before saying,"Not interested, Doom…"
"What? But I've been working for you for centuries! You should at least consider it before outright rejecting me!" He hissed.
'Not my decision to make. Besides, I really don't like what I see of him. Something just isn't right about him…' He thought to himself, still trying to remain affable to the spider,"Look, I'd really love to help you, but I'm afraid I can't do that.."
"And why not!? You're the King aren't you? Just raise my salary, you've done more spectacular things before and I"ve seen it first hand!"
"Silence," Micheal demanded, hushing him up at his tone,"I don't know what's gotten into you, Doom, but you cannot talk to me as if I'm inferior because it's the other way around. I suggest keeping that mouth of yours shut if you know what's good for you…"
Doom tensed up before sighing,"Fine…" He then noticed that Micheal's drink was almost empty and asked,"Say, my Lord, why don't I pour you another cup of tea?"
"I don't see why not…" Micheal mumbled.
Doom smirked at this, heading back into the kitchen momentarily to keep a fresh steaming hot glass of tea straight from the kettle. He went back to Micheal, holding out the cup only to throw the drink right in his face.
Silence. Neither moved and even Doom himself looked shocked at what had come over him, becoming fearful as Michael's 'calm' expression had not faltered.
Internally, Micheal was boiling, someone had just intentionally thrown a drink at him all because he hadn't given into their demands! He was hot and he could feel the drink's contents sticking to his face and some parts of his clothes.
He wanted to kick and scream, it was so damn tempting to do so but then a better idea came to mind...After all, Doom had not only just distracted him, but he technically had disrespected his brother, Lucifer himself. If he was willing ot do this to him when he hadn't gotten his way, he would've likely done it to Lucifer, even if the results would've gotten uglier faster.
Without another word, he grabbed a napkin and wiped his face off. He then grabbed Doom by the collar, saying in a soft yet firm voice,"I don't know who you think you are, Doom, but you've got some nerve to throw a drink in my face. You must've thought you were clever, that you could walk all over me, right? Well I'll tell you one thing, you are wrong. I've been far too lenient with people like you, but you're the first whose ever been dumb enough to try outright attacking me in such a disrespectful manner. I can't believe my brother puts up with someone like you, but don't worry, I'll make sure you never bother him or anyone else for that matter ever again...
For the first time, it appeared the Doom was afraid for his life as he started pleading,"Wait! Don't kill me!"
Micheal paused,"Kill you? Why don't be silly, I may be a lot of things, but I'm not that cruel. I'm just going to make sure you don't get another chance at pulling that trick on me…"
Ignoring his pleas, Micheal watched as Doom's body glowed white, morphing into a smaller and more lovable creature.
POOF!
In Michael's hands was now a black spider cherub."Hello, Doom? Like your new form? I made it myself…."
When he tried to speak, only small squeaks came out of his mouth, much to Micheal's delight,"Aw, what's the matter? Can't speak? Well that's too bad. Why don't you go run off somewhere? Else I'll have to tell Ada we have a spider infestation in the mansion and I'm certain she'll be more than happy to get rid of you in your current state…"
Doom quickly scampered away, leaving the angel behind with a twisted smirk on his face. His smile quickly fell the moment he felt someone calling him, picking out Lucifer's phone,"Yes?"
"Your highness, it's Ada. You have a business meeting scheduled in a few hours and Doom has to drive us there. We need to go now."
"Oh, about that, Doom can't make it," Micheal informed,"He's a bit...under the weather…"
"Ugh. Figures. Guess I'll drive us ourselves…."
"Sounds splendid. I'll see you there…" He hung up the phone before chuckling. He had fooled everyone and not one person so far had shown any sign that they believed he was anyone other than Lucifer. Either his acting skills were on point or they were too scared to question him.
Whichever it was, Micheal was starting to believe that filling in for his brother wouldn't be so bad after all...
Thanks for 11,840 views everyone!
Enigmus-288: Yeah, it's probably best nobody knows what's on that file anyway. I'm leaving it up to everyone's imaginations since Niffty legit ships everyone that isn't related to each other and will draw just about anything.