Author's Note: Another movie reference in here folks. Good luck!
Chapter 3:
"Ares?!" Chloe interrupted as she sat back down on the couch. She handed Lucifer a plate with a sandwich on it and set two glasses of water on the coffee table as she sat down next to Lucifer on the couch. "You mean the Greek God of War?" It wasn't much but being early afternoon it was enough to curb the hunger pains Chloe was experiencing and easy on Lucifer's healing body. She hadn't wanted him to stop telling his story so she made them both lunch when it reached mid-day.
Lucifer rolled his eyes, "Nooo Detective," he huffed in mock annoyance, "As in Ares Angel of War. When the Greeks were the ruling power among the human race they had no concept of Angels, so to them every being that exhibited any kind of power was labeled a god. Back then Dad hadn't quite gotten down the way to convince the masses of the idea of 'One True God' so he let the lesser Angels interact with humans more often." Lucifer took a bite of his sandwich and muffled a moan. Chloe made her version of a Toad-in-the-hole sandwich and used the Dijon mustard that he liked best.
"So you are saying that Ares is actually a lesser angel with an insatiable battle hunger that liked to incite that savagery in humans? And God was OK with this?!" Chloe commented in outrage.
"Of course He wasn't ok with it. Well He didn't exactly stop him too soon either you see," Lucifer explained between bites of his sandwich. Small little happy moans escaping his throat that he seemed oblivious to as he continued to explain. "He had this plan, as always, that if Ares and the others that were pretending to be gods caused enough havoc for the Greeks that one or two would protest the treatment they were getting and be 'open to the Word of God'. Or something of that ilk, I'm really not too sure on the details since I was in Hell at the time and there was very little communication between my section of Hell and the Silver City. But I digress… Ares is no god with a Capital 'G', any more than I am a Saint. Now, may I continue or are you going to interrupt me again?"
Chloe smirked at the annoyed tone colouring Lucifer's voice as she took a bite of her own sandwich, "No no, please continue with the story."
Lucifer set his plate down on the coffee table and picked up the glass of water to take a sip, "Right… where was I? Oh that is right, asking my brother why he was there as he pressed a very wickedly sharp sword to my throat…"
"You will not wake Him Brother, I forbid it," Ares hissed, there was a look in his eye that Lucifer did not like. Even when he had his fights with Amenadiel about going back down to Hell, he never had this… madness… glinting in the depths of his eyes. Lucifer knew that he had to tread carefully here for Ares's blade was just as deadly as Azarel's.
"Alright. Alright. Can you tell me why you don't want me to wake him Ares? I can be reasonable." Lucifer asked soothingly, he channeled everything that he remembered from watch Chloe coax answers from suspects and witnesses alike. Be calm, and keep them calm.
"Yes, yes you can Lucifer," Ares smirked, the madness receding a bit, as he removed his blade from Lucifer's throat and stepped to the side as he began explaining. "You see how the world has become brother. The mistrust, the suspicion, the animosity, the conflict. These humans thrive on conflict, on horror. They have become so desensitized to it that it has become mainstream."
Lucifer slowly stood brushing the grass and dirt from his jacket, "That is true Brother, but what does that have to do with you not wanting our Father to be conscious of the world around Him?"
Ares flung his arms out to the sides, his sword coming mere inches from Lucifer's chest as the Angel of War got more excited about his reasons, "Everything!" Ares proclaimed excitedly, "You see if Father was to wake then His influence would strengthen. The conflict and brutality of the world would become just another depressing sound bite in the news. But as he slumbers, the need for conflict, for struggle, deepens. These humans need that struggle to be able to appreciate what Father has given them. They have forgotten that gift. They need reminding. While our Father slumbers, I am able to encourage the humans towards the Ultimate goal."
Lucifer looked hard at his brother. When the Greeks and Romans were in power, Ares had sent many to his doors. He shook his head, back then he didn't think too much of it, his being cast out of the Silver City was still so fresh a wound. Many of those warriors became part of his legion in Hell to keep the masses of souls to be punished and tortured at bay, to protect his section of Hell from the Upper levels. But now, now he saw that many of those soldiers would not have walked through those doors without Ares' influence. "What, pray tell, is this Ultimate goal?"
"Global War."
The words were said with such a gleeful finality that Lucifer actually took half a step back. The ramifications alone shocked him to the very core. "Ares," Lucifer breathed, "You can't seriously want that. It would be chaos unhinged."
Ares took three steps in Lucifer's direction, the blade in his hand swinging dangerously. The faint glimmer of a rational mind blinked from existence in Ares' eyes, the gloss of madness and self-righteousness filled the amber depths. "Chaos is needed Brother. How are humans supposed to be worthy of the gift of Redemption if they do not struggle for it? And so to that end, I will bring them pain, I will bring them horror, I will give them a War so brutal, so abhorrent in its hysteria that these humans," Ares spat the word as if it burned him, "will never again take for granted the Grace of God."
"But the innocent…" Lucifer started to protest.
"The casualties of War brother. You of all people should know that," Ares huffed pacing away from Lucifer again. "We are on the brink of something so brutally beautiful that the humans will be worthy once more of God's Grace, of God's Love. Once they are worthy, then, and only then, we can wake Father. He will see that this was the only way that His precious humans can appreciate the gift that they were given."
Lucifer shook his head as Ares continued to mutter about how this country or that country would react to the crisis that he was planning. If Ares was successful, that meant that all the humans that Lucifer cared about, Chloe, Beatrice, Penelope, Linda, Ella, even Dan could have their lives cut short because of this madness. While he agreed that the world was in a sorry state, he was not going to risk the lives of the humans, the people that he had come to care about. He had to try to subdue Ares and wake his Father. Lucifer had a brief moment where he wished that he was at full strength with his wings, but even then Ares was a lower level Angel, it might be an even match.
"You have to agree it is a pretty spectacular plan Brother! The beauty of war at its finest!" Ares turned back to Lucifer once more, his arms flinging wide as he slashed his sword in the air to make his point. "There will be so many souls brother, so many for you to torture and punish, won't it be glorious? You can see how this will be so wonderful don't you Luci?" Ares asked, his amber eyes alight with anticipation, and fevered madness.
"There is only one small hiccup, shall we say, in your plans Ares," Lucifer stated as he shoved one hand into his pants pocket and the other unbuttoning his suit jacket looking like there was nothing amiss.
"Oh? And what is that dear brother?" Ares questioned, a threat laced in the undertones of his voice.
Lucifer sighed while easily reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket for the item that he kept there so that it wouldn't fall into mortal hands again, "I am not in Hell to punish those souls, and I am not about to go back." Lucifer could see the anger rising in his brother, "In fact I rather like it here on the mortal plane, and while yes it is generally screwed up, there are a few people here that I would not like to lose because of your foolish ideas of one massive global war. So you see… Brother… that hiccup is me... stopping you."
Lucifer anticipated Ares lunge easily enough, blocking the blade with Azrael's in defense. While Azrael's was smaller than Ares' roman gladius it allowed Lucifer to block one deadly blade with the other and get into close quarters combat with the violence driven, bloodlust mad angel. Lucifer kept Azrael's blade along his forearm so that he could block the blade with a broader sweep and step in closer. There was a satisfying snap as Ares' head twisted to the side with the force of Lucifer's punch.
The snap of his own neck, and the throbbing of his jaw indicated that Ares had retaliated before his mind caught up to the fight at hand. Lucifer growled low in his throat as he rushed Ares, tackling him to the ground, trying to pin him down to get in a good swing, but Ares got a shot into his ribs that sent him flying a bit before they both got back up on their feet. A few shots to the ribs for each of them before Ares managed to send Lucifer flying through the air, his body colliding hard with the stone planter box, his left knee catching the corner before he slammed crosswise into a thick oak tree.
Lucifer wheezed as the breath was knocked out of his lungs. As Ares stalked towards Lucifer as he caught his breath, Lucifer pondered his next move. If I can get him to throw me towards the window… "That all you got brother? Are you getting weak in your old age?" Lucifer taunted as he regained his footing. Ares' face contorted into a sneer as he rushed Lucifer's position.
The brothers continued to trade blows, both sword and fist until the opportunity arose were Ares had Lucifer into a tight grip, "You will not succeed Brother. I am more powerful than you are on this mortal plane. Give up this fallacy and admit defeat," Ares breathed hotly into Lucifer's battered face. Lucifer gripped Ares' forearm tightly, loosening the metal gauntlet around is wrist.
"You will only ever be second string Ares. You forget who you are speaking to. I am the LORD of HELL! And you will only ever be beneath me." Lucifer's retort caused the anger and madness double in Ares' eyes and the Angel of War heaved Lucifer away from him. Lucifer timed it perfectly, as he was coming down on the falling arc, he managed to catch the ledge of the broken window and stop is momentum.
"NO!" Ares cried, his wings flapping strongly behind him launching him into the air to try to stop Lucifer as he used the stolen gauntlet to hook onto the window ledge for leverage and painfully pull himself up and into the room. Lucifer rolled into the room and scrambled over to the power cord just as Ares entered into the room. "You will not wake Him!" Ares screamed as he grabbed ahold of Lucifer's ankle.
Lucifer rolled over onto his back and smirked at Ares. "You lose." Lucifer yanked on the cord effectively cutting power to the breathing machine. The high pitch tone of the flat lining monitor echoed into the room and a bright white light filled the room.
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