Lucifer went into work the next day, ready to be his annoying, cheerful, overly confident self. He had a month to figure out how to get himself out of this, so he shouldn't be too worried, right? The Devil hummed, hopping down the stairs with a little grin on his face, ready to announce his entrance.

A familiar pair of cold amber eyes stopped him in his tracks, having to do a double take. Michael was standing at a mostly empty desk, open folder in his hand and his head tilted toward Lucifer, almost warningly. So that's what he meant by sticking around, Lucifer realized, taking a moment to look his older brother up and down, admiring the suit. He doesn't pull it off nearly as well as I do, though.

"Take a picture, little brother. It'll last longer."

Lucifer frowned, staring at him silently for another long moment before quietly walking forward, crossing the room in just a few quick strides to reach his brother, who closed the folder and looked down at him expectantly. "So this is what Dad's sent you to do?" He growled incredulously, a rush of courage flickering through him as he lifted his chin to glare at his brother. "Pose as a detective?"

Michael cocked his head to the side, his already low voice somehow getting even quieter. "Can't be much different from what you do, Sammy. You're the one who started playing cop with the humans," he responded lowly. "I'm simply here to keep you out of trouble. Since, our oldest brother failed so horribly."

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking away as he tried to think up a comeback to that. Michael smirked, dry and triumphant, before turning and setting the folder down on his desk. "How is Amenadiel, anyways?"

"Fine," Lucifer grumbled, forcing his voice steady and trying to keep a neutral tone as he glared at the back of his brother's head. "I am not "playing cop with the humans", Michael, I'm assisting the Detective. She needs me," he told him matter-of-factly, glare not wavering. "And do not call me Sammy. My name is Lucifer."

"Right. Right, Lucifer Morningstar," Michael chuckled a little; Lucifer clenched his teeth, hands curling into fists as his older brother finally turned back to him. "Of all names. Lucifer, though-" He smiled, his amber eyes sparking with a certain flame before dulling down again. "Now, isn't that just the perfect thing for our little Lightbringer."

Lucifer, at that, dropped his gaze, glaring at the floor now - If looks could kill. "I-" He cut off, taking a deep breath. Typical Michael, making his life absolute… Heh, Hell. Not sure what else he expected though. His brother had tortured him as much as possible during his time in Heaven, and he was probably milking this for all it was worth. Well - No, the Devil could not let his brother get to him, not this time. "Unless you have a better way to waste my time than belittling me- Like father, like son- I have work to do."

He started to turn away, to head toward Chloe's desk, but his brother spoke up again before he could take more than two steps. "No, you're right. You do. I've put in a request, Lucifer, and you're with me today." His gaze flickered to Chloe, then back to his brother.

Lucifer blinked, turning his head faintly to glance at his brother, before reluctantly turning completely to face him again. "You can't be serious."

"Aw, but I am." The folder was back in Michael's hand - Lucifer didn't even recall seeing him pick it up again - And was now being held out to him. Lucifer simply locked his gaze on it and refused to move. "It's not going to explode on contact. I've only done that to you twice."

"Both times were rather traumatizing experiences," Lucifer retorted, albeit quietly this time. He was still rather reluctant to take the folder, and for awhile he just continued to stare as if by some chance he could burn a hole into it. But, however reluctantly, he reached out and took it, managing to avoid any contact with Michael in the process. His older brother hummed and spun around, heading around to the other side of his desk, and Lucifer watched him warily.

So not only was Michael invading his… Workplace? But he was also forcing Lucifer to partner with him.

Dad have mercy, Lucifer thought to himself, then nearly snorted, turning his bitter gaze to the folder he had yet to open. Well, fat chance of that, actually.

"What's the matter now?" Michael was really starting to get on his Dad-damn nerves. "Oh, don't tell me. You've forgotten how to read. Don't worry, Sammy, I won't judge. Not at all. I'll read it to you. Kind of like a bedtime story."

Lucifer stared, eyes blazing with anger and frustration, as his brother leaned forward toward him, elbows on the table, hands clasped together in front of him, and his amber gaze never leaving Lucifer's.

"Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Liorah Turner. She had a pretty happy life. Young actress, LA star, lots of friends and followers- Oh, and fans, she had plenty of those. She had a boyfriend, lived with her sister… She even had a cute little chihuahua." Michael glanced away for a second, toward the folder, before lifting his gaze back to Lucifer's. "Of course, being a pretty little rich priss isn't all perks. There must have been some conflict- You know why?"

Lucifer stayed silent - At least until he realized his brother was actually looking for a response. He swallowed, clenched his teeth, and spat the word out with as much venom as he could muster without completely screaming at his brother. "Why?"

Michael smirked, his amber gaze sparking up again, filling with a certain kind of fire as he lowered his chin and leaned forward even more, voice dropping to a whisper. "Someone decided to end her sweet, glorious little fifteen-minutes-of-fame by stabbing her in the throat with a pair of fingernail clippers."

Lucifer stared at him, both disgusted and honestly a little unnerved by that - Or, at least, unnerved by how easily it was for his brother to say all that with a smirk on his face. "Wow," he managed to mumble after a moment, his grip on the folder tightening as he glanced down at it. "Well, then."

"Take a look if you think you'll understand what's written down," Michael told him, barely disguising the snicker as he raised his voice and leaned back, slamming one hand down lightly onto the desk. "They're bringing the sister in for questioning." After a moment of silence, the archangel laughed, glancing at his brother with a grin. "Wonder if she did it. Sibling rivalry thing. That'd be amusing."

"Right." Lucifer stared back at him, the anger returning, but if it was one archangel he didn't dare to be full-on aggressive with, it was Michael. "Amusing."

"Aw, lighten up," Michael snickered, then laughed again and offered his brother a cold half-grin. "Get it, Little Lightbringer?" Lucifer just glared at him, silent as ever, before turning away and opening the file again, looking down.

"Come get me when Liorah's sister arrives," he told his brother, once more forcing a neutral tone.

"Sure." Michael leaned over his desk, his gaze never leaving Lucifer. "Where you going, Sammy?"

"Outside." Lucifer stared down for a little longer before snapping the folder shut. He wanted to snap at the last word, but he bit his tongue for the first time in his life, spun around, and walked out, shoving his way past Dan as he did so. He didn't care. He'd apologize later. He just figured out how the Hell he was going to get his brother off his back, and how the Hell he could get his partner back.

Because Dad knows he wasn't spending the rest of his month on Earth solving crimes with the biggest teacher's pet in Heaven.