"This is the last place I would ever expect to find you." Amenadiel stood beside his brother, who was looking up at a stained glass window. A window in the nearly empty Basilica. The other occupants were busy in a prayer service on the other side of the church. Their angelic melody filled echoed off the vaulted ceiling.
"Luci, what are you doing here?" The angel scanned his silent brother from head to toe. He noticed the drained look of defeat across his face but his eyes. His eyes lasered focused. Amenadiel followed his eye line to the window and recognized the image right away. The Archangel Michael standing on the head of the Devil. "Luci…" The angel turned towards his brother. "Why are you doing this to yourself?"
"Just facing the inevitable, brother." Lucifer finally spoke. "This is it, right? My tragic story summed up in one icon. Defeated by the great Michael, cast out of heaven for all eternity and thrown into fiery pits of Hell. Destine to fall without any hope of rising." The man let out a heavy sigh. "Forever seen as the Dragon. A monster..." His voice went almost inaudible. "...evil."
"You don't believe that, do you?" The older brother's brow furrowed. "You are not that monster. You have changed, brother. I've seen it with my very own eyes. This Devil.." he pointed to the image, "is not who you are."
"What these artists failed to capture the fact that Michael is my twin, not some blond pretty-boy." Lucifer slowly made his way to the pew just behind him, ignoring his brother's praise. His hands clasped together and hugged his knee that crossed over the other. "They can't even get facts right. But what do these religious zealots actually know about our world, am I right? Father Kinley and others like him, completely devoted to their convictions, these ridiculous fables they value so highly. Yet, they know nothing about how it all really works. Child's fiction."
"Luci, what are you doing here at the Vatican?" Amenadial's arms folded across his chest as he stepped into Lucifer's line of vision, blocking the window. "Thinking of converting to Catholicism?" He attempted to make light the situation.
"Never in a million years. I rather gouge my eyes out." Lucifer rolled his eyes. He fidgeted in his seat with his brother's unfaltering glare that went right through him. "Fine. If you must know, I was looking for answers."
"For?"
"It doesn't matter." An annoyed sigh left his lips. "All I found was more dead ends. Nothing that I didn't already know." There was a brief pause; his disappointed face slowly changed, his brow scrunched. "Hold on." Lucifer glanced over at his brother suspiciously. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"
"I was sent to find you. There are a few concerned ladies worried about you. Though it took me a while to locate you, I didn't expect you would be here." The angel relaxed his body and sat down beside his brother. "Luci, why didn't you tell me that Hell is in an uproar? Maybe I could've helped."
"Maze told you. Of course, she did. Who else did she tell?" Lucifer once again showcasing the art of selective hearing. Though his annoyance quickly turned into confusion. "Wait. How did she tell you? She's in Hell." Lucifer barely paused for a second; he knew the answer right away. "She possessed some poor soul's body, didn't she. Demons. You can't leave them alone for a minute. They always find ways to stab you in the back."
"It's not like that at all. She was worried about you..."
"Maze? Worried about me?" Lucifer let out a chuckle and rolled his eyes. "The only thing she cares about is herself. All demons do."
"Lucifer..." The angel was about to argue with his brother, but he knew that now was not the time or place. There were more important matters to discuss. "Why didn't you tell me that the demons are trying to kill you? Maybe I could of help you. I still can."
"How can you help? Hmm? Do you have some celestial trick up your sleeve to make the demons yield?" Lucifer pushed himself off the bench, his hand searching in his coat pocket, and found his flask. He unscrewed the top and swigged the contents. "Hmm. Better yet. How about you take over the throne for me? Be the new King of Hell. If you ever wanted a kingdom of your own, now is your chance." Silence. "That's what I thought." Lucifer took another gulp of his flask.
"Luci, I…I… .there's…." The angel fumbled over his words.
"Charlie." Lucifer gave his brother a weak smile. "I know, brother. That is why I didn't want you involved in the first place. There's too much at stake for you. The urchin needs his father. At least on who will actually be there for him."
"We can find a way… something, anything to make it work for you. There has to be a way you can be on earth." Amenadiel rose from his seat.
"You know what, I thought way too once upon a time, but…." Lucifer let out a heavy sigh. "But now I truly believe that this can only end one way."
"No. I don't believe that." Amenadiel watched as his brother's face filled with hopelessness. "Chole, she's the gift. Why would father create her only to…no there has to be a way to..." The older brother's mind was spinning., searching for a solution.
"With my track record, do you really think that there is a happy ending for me?" Lucifer placed his hand on his brother's shoulder to pull him out of his train of thought.
"Yes! Of course, I do. Father has a plan for you." The angel looked into his brother's eyes.
"There you go again." Lucifer let out a pained chuckle. "I think you used that line one too many times now. It's getting old." His hand dropped while the other slammed back the flask emptying its contents. "Dad doesn't have a plan. He doesn't care. He just finds new ways to torture me. To make me feel...something before my world is ripped apart." His voice trembled with a mix of sadness and anger. "There is only one end for me, brother. An eternity in Hell without her." His voice bounced off the domed ceiling, the organ stopped suddenly, and all eyes were on the irate Devil.
"Luci…" Amenadiel turned and gave the parishioners an awkward smile before he proceeded to escort his brother out of the church.
"Lucifer, I understand that…." The angel started once they were outside.
"How co… how could you understand?" The King of Hell's voice broke. His brother looked down at his feet. "That's right, you can't." the words seeped through his clenched teeth. "But that's fine. I don't expect you to. It's fine." He attempted to sound convinced. "I have accepted my fate, and I now know what I need to do." His lip quivered. "Even if pains me to do so."
"Brother, what are you going to do?" Amenadiel's brow furrowed with concerned curiosity. But before his brother could answer, the angel's phone chimed. He reached in his pocket and read the notification. It was a message from Chloe. "We need to get back. Now."
"Why? What's happen?"
Chloe stood still, her eyes focused down on the crime scene, while everyone else was hustling around. Her heart pounded in her chest, her phone still in her hand after she messaged the angel. The detective's eyes looked up and saw her ex-husband talking to the witness. She glanced down at her phone to see the words. "On our way."
She smiled when she saw the word "our," she hoped that it meant that Amenadiel had found Lucifer. She wondered how far away they were and how long it would take for them to get there.
"Yep. Definitely just like before." A tired Ella was on one knee as she took an angled photo of the scene. "Whatever happened here, it was messy. Do you think this could be linked to the other case? It has been over three months since we have seen anything like this."
"Hmm. Yep. Maybe." Chloe gave the forensic scientist a weak smile.
"Detective!" The familiar voice called out from behind her. She turned to see Lucifer standing at the door. Amenadiel just behind him. Immediately she ran towards him, arms wrapped around his neck. The Devils body melted into hers.
"You made it." She pulled away, her hands cupped his face, and she stared into his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I'm..." Lucifer started, but he didn't know how he was at the moment, and he is unable to lie. "Amenadiel said it was ugent." He glanced back at his brother.
"Well, umm...yeah." Chloe turned and gestured towards the crime scene.
"I don't understand." Lucifer took a few steps in, his eyes scanning the room. "Where's the body?"
"Exactly." Chloe turned back and moved in close to the two angels. "Missing body and a massive pool of blood." She was starting to get impatient. She had hoped they would put together the pieces.
"I'm not following." The older brother pitched in, just as confused as his brother.
"Was there a murder? Or a raspberry smoothie blunder?" Lucifer added with a bit of chuckle.
"This is the exact same scene we found when demons came and took Chalie," Chloe whispered aggressively, hope she was out of everyone else's earshot. Frustrated that they didn't catch on and she had to spell it out for them.
"Oh. I see." Lucifer let out a worried gasp. "And you think that... that they are back."
"Yes. I do. You're here. On earth. What's stopping them from coming back up." Chloe looked up at the tall man with worried eyes. Her hips swayed from side to side anxiously. "What does this mean? Are they coming here for you? Charlie? What are we going to do?"
"Chloe, there is...oh, umm. Ah." Dan stuttered when he saw who Chloe was talking to; he froze for a moment then proceeded to slowly backed up. His face turned an ash colour, his gaze looking everywhere except on the Devil. "Chlo...do...can. A moment. Please."
"Yeah." The detective nodded her head and walked with Dan into another room of the house, knowing very well that he was still coming to terms that Lucifer was the Devil.
"Do you think that..." Lucifer turned towards his brother only to realize that his brother was already gone. "Never mind."
"You can't keep doing this to her." The usually cheery voice was eerily serious.
"Keep doing what?" Lucifer turned to see Ella standing in front of him. Her arms folded across her chest. The microlens camera dangling off her neck.
"Coming and going whenever you want. It's cruel leaving everyone in the dark..." There's a tear forming in the corner of her eyes. "leaving Chloe in the dark. No care for my...her feelings. You used to be there all the time, and now you come when convenient for you..."
"Miss Lo..." Lucifer started.
"No. I am not finished yet." Ella raised her voice, which is a rare sight. It was gathering glares from the investigation team still in the room. "It's not fair. She is heartbroken, and we are here picking her up trying to make things right, but you keep coming back playing with her emotions. Playing with her heart." The tiny woman's finger was inches away from his face. "This is selfish. You are selfish. Make a choice. Stay and be with her. Or leave and never come back so she can move on. Because this is too hard. You are making it too hard." Ella finally stopped her body shaking with adrenaline.
"You are right, Miss Lopez." Lucifer sighed, eyes glazed over; he looked down at his feet. "You are absolutely right."
"Wait, what?" Ella wasn't excepting that response.
"You are right. I have been selfish and cruel." He looked up and gave her a weak smile. "It was not fair for me to disappear on you like that without an explanation."
"Dude, I was talking about Chloe, not..." Ella blushed and looked away awkwardly.
"We are friends, and you have been left in the dark. For that, I am genuinely sorry." Lucifer placed his hand on her shoulder. "I treasure your friendship, Ella. You are the sunshine to the horrible greyness in the world."
"Well, if you put it that way." She was fighting with her willpower from flying into his arms for a hug. But her urge to hug him won. "Thank you for saying that." Lucifer graciously accepted the tight hug from the petite woman.
"You are also right about the detective." Lucifer sighed as he stepped back. "She deserves better." He looked up and saw her heading back towards them.
"Lucifer, we should probably go and...umm. Well, you know, that thing." Chloe said as she approached them.
"Yes. Of course." Lucifer nodded. He turned back to Ella and gave her arm and gentle squeeze. "Bye, Miss Lopez."