Chapter Three: Past and Present

Maze tensed when that name came out of Lucifer's mouth, with a growl she grabbed her other Hell forged knife and gave her ex-Lord a hard look.

"Where is he?" The cold menacing tone made the humans inside his penthouse gasp.

Lucifer was calmly looking back at Maze, a mask of tranquility and composure. "He didn't do anything, Mazikeen, in fact… He was the supposed victim of today's crime scene." That made Maze step back, a bigger frown settled on her features, one of the daggers disappearing in her clothes. "And if you wish to know, he is in my room."

Amenadiel that was quiet until that moment walked closer to Lucifer, confusion, and fear transpiring in his tone.

"What do you mean victim? He can't be hurt by humans." The older Archangel was frowning.

"Oh, it wasn't human, brother. No human could do that to him." The Devil's tone assumed some sneer. "Apparently, it's just me that has this little problem." He raised his broken hand.

At those words, the other Archangel finally looked around and saw the others in his brother apartment. A shocked expression crossed his face and then he adopted a sheepish smile. But, before he could say anything Lucifer spoke.

"They know, brother." The flat tone was back. And that worried Linda more, it meant something big happened for Lucifer to have revealed himself for those three at the same time.

"Lucifer…" She started. "Are we speaking of Michael? The Michael?" Lucifer only mentioned the other Archangel a few times, but never entered in detail. If the Bible was right, this was way too big, it was like Capitan Ahab meeting Moby-Dick. Would they be prepared for such impact of titan forces?

Lucifer directed her an empty glare before speaking.

"It only exists one Michael in the Host, Doctor. Of course, I'm speaking of 'The Michael', as you put him." Some sarcasm leaked when he spoke his brother's name with 'the'. "People love to say his name as if it is a title, news flash, he isn't the only powerful Archangel. I'm too…" His voice raised in volume as his anger grew. "Or I was… I'm not part of the Host anymore." He huffed.

Chloe, Ella, and Dan were watching all that interaction with surprise and mixed feelings. So, they weren't the only humans that knew. Well, that was obvious, after that revelation in front of half the precinct. But apparently Doctor Linda knew for a while, that was a sore point for Chloe.

"What happened to Michael, Luci?" Amenadiel interrupted him before he could go on with his tirade.

The devil stopped and sighed, moving his healthy hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know… When we got there the humans had declared him dead." His voice sounded ancient. "When I noticed it was Michael, his soul was almost reaching the Silver City's gates, I could call him back and then I used my wings to cure him. That's why they know… I did it in front of the humans."

Amenadiel was listening to it intently, his face growing slightly depreciative at the end. But Maze's face grew scary, her eyes flashing with a cold fury.

"Let me see if I understood right… You, you of all people saved Michael's life?" She approached lucifer and placed the tip of her dagger in the middle of his chest. Lucifer's eyes bored into the knife and growled. "The same Michael that threw you away?" Her voice grew angry and dangerous. "Are you insane, Lucifer?"

Chloe, Ella, and Dan were absorbing all the information threw at their faces with the same eagerness a child would have absorbed knowledge, their eyes never leaving Lucifer. So many questions needed an answer.

The Devil slapped Maze's hand with force, knocking it sideways. "I couldn't let him die!"

"What would it matter?" Maze said through gritted teeth. "You killed one of your siblings already!"

The effects of those words were instantaneous, Lucifer's face contorted in guilty and an immense sadness. And the ones that didn't know about that gasped.

"Maze!" Both Linda and Amenadiel exclaimed at the same time.

"I didn't have a choice…" Lucifer spoke, his voice breaking at the edges. "I had to protect the Detective... And Uriel…" He couldn't finish, choking on his words.

"And Michael dead would be to protect you." Maze answered, with more tenderness than people were used to seeing her use. It made all the others pause, eyes locked at Lucifer and Maze.

However, that phrase made something break inside him. He growled again and ignoring his broken hand he grabbed Maze by her neck and lifted her. The demoness not even blinked, staring at his eyes with determination. But that couldn't be said about the others, at that action the others also moved, some in panic, others trying to do something. Dan let go of his cup that shattered on the floor, Ella grabbed her cross again, and Chloe started to walk to Lucifer's side. Linda also tried to reach him, but Amenadiel held her in place.

"Explain to me, Mazikeen, how his death would be for my protection?" His voice emanated power, while his eyes were flashing silver and white. But the demoness didn't flinch.

"I was there, Lucifer. I saw how what Michael did at your Father's orders broke you." Her voice came with some difficulty because of his hand on her throat. "I have to live the rest of my existence knowing you created me to fill the void Michael left in you. That's why I'm the most loyal, and the one that can find you, the one you had fun with… Because I am Michael's replacement." She stared him hard. "And I can't… I won't let him hurt you again like he did. You are better off without him."

Lucifer stared at his demon back until he relaxed his hand and left her fall to her knees. Maze gasped for air and rubbed one of her hands on her throat, but she kept her gaze in Lucifer, that was trembling. Maze's words hit him more than he wanted to admit, because of the truth they spoke. He never knew Maze knew that.

"He will be off first thing when he wakes up." He turned around, ignoring all the rest of the room, resting his hands on his marble counter trying to gain some control again.

Amenadiel felt a painful pang in his chest when he heard Maze's words. He knew Lucifer was broken with the aftermath of his Fall, but he didn't know the extent of it. After Lucifer's fall he witnessed Michael's suffering, it was painful to watch, but Michael had their siblings, Lucifer had no one. Not until he created the demons. He could understand Maze's protectiveness regarding Lucifer, it was the same he had for all his siblings.

But, he also knew that something was off. If Michael was hurt, it had something related to that call they felt weeks prior. And he knew Lucifer was probably thinking the same.

"Luci, you know, like I do, that it won't be that simple. We had…" he started but was interrupted by Lucifer.

"Not the time, Amenadiel." The Devil sighed and turned around, looking at the humans in the room. "I promised them a story, and I will tell them. It's time to tell them the truth… Doctor Linda, you always asked me about my life prior to the Fall, you will have your wish granted now." He moved, ignoring the kneeling Maze and the exasperated look of Amenadiel. "If you all allow me, I will tell you all that happened, until today." He stopped in one of the armchairs and indicated the couches to the others, all too calm and civilized. "I believe Amenadiel will assist me, after all, he is the first born, he can give you an account of what happened before my birth."

It was surreal to Chloe everything that was happening that day. It all started with a normal day, dropping Trixie at school, being called to a scene, calling Lucifer. But then all went spiraling. And then she was at Lucifer's penthouse, seeing creatures that had a life she could barely comprehend, discuss things she could barely grasp.

However, what her mind attained more was the fact that Lucifer, her best friend, trusted more Linda than her. She knew she didn't have the complete picture there, but it hurt that Linda knew the truth before her. With a deep sigh, she looked around there, seeing Dan with another cup of whiskey and Ella introspective face, it wasn't just her having her world turned upside down, it gave her some comfort.

Chloe was taken from her thoughts when Lucifer started to speak again.

"One of the first things those that wrote that stupid old book got wrong was that God made the universe alone. No, he had a wife." His eyes were fixed in a point in front of him. "In the beginning, it didn't exist anything, until Dad met Mom, two solitary celestials fell in love, and their encounter created an explosion, that the scientists named Big Bang." A small smile graced his lips. "Other things those humans thought they knew better, but got it wrong anyway is that the universe didn't come to being completely formed, no… The billions of years it took to form all the universe you know today actually happened. Evolution is real. All because time does not exist for Celestials, it's a concept that would just take effect after the first child."

Amenadiel was looking at them, differently from Lucifer, and took the narrative from there. Despite the shocking news none of them interrupted because they wanted to hear it all.

"Mom and Dad's encounter generated the first life… Me." The older Archangel smiled. "Amenadiel, 'Fury of God', Time. For a little while, it was just me. And because of my existence, the dynamics of the universe started to change, and Mom and Dad noticed. So, they tried again, and from another encounter, another life was born… Ariel, 'Lioness of God', Nature. And they tried again… Zadkiel, 'Righteousness of God', Benevolence was born. And again, Raphael, 'God Heals', Cure, right after him. Jophiel, 'Beauty of God', Knowledge. Azrael, 'Help from God', Mourn. Raguel, 'Friend of God', Justice. Uriel, 'God is my light', Connections. Gabriel, 'Strength of God', Enlightening. All of them were born, one after the other." His smile grew, and fondness permeated his features when he remembered each of his siblings. "Our presence changed how the universe worked, and at each encounter of our Parents, more the universe was shaped."

Lucifer finally raised his eyes, an ironic smile on his lips, and interrupted his brother.

"I guess all this have put all that fiction that old book is to the ground, don't you think? They ignored the force of the feminine. Life would only be possible with Mom's help. Dad is powerful, indeed, but life was only generated when he met Mom." He directed his eyes to his hands this time. The humans in the room were all quiet, paying attention to their words. "He has the power to create, Mom to give it life. It was eons later that he would be able to generate life by Himself, only because He and Mom, started to share the same corporal body and their powers rubbed into each other. Part of Mom's is in Dad, and part of Dad's is in Mom."

"Aren't you skipping too much, Luci?" Amenadiel sighed. He received just a shrug as an answer and he shook his head. "Anyway, we were children then, like you humans, we grew, at a different pace of yours, but we grew. We were a happy family then, exploring the universe that was growing around us. It was then that Dad decided to create the Silver City, Heaven, as what you know it." The older Archangel smiled and looked at Lucifer that has resumed his staring at his hand. "It was then that Mom and Dad decided to have another encounter… And for the first time, two lives were generated together. The twins were born, Michael, 'Who is like God?', War and Samael, 'Poison of God', Desire."

Chloe sucked in a breath, that was his given name? Poison of God? She locked her eyes in Lucifer, watching as he gripped his hands.

"Our family was complete then." Amenadiel continued. "With the new two additions, the dynamics of the Universe were complete." He tilted his head slightly and his eyes gained a faraway look. "We were happy when we grew up, Mom and Dad were always there, and we had our fun. Michael and Samael were inseparable, where one was, the other was. Samael getting them in problems, and Michael taking them out of them, it was something interesting to watch... How one completed the other." His smile was fond. "I was the first to reach the adulthood, and with that, I gained my first task, control Time." His smile took a sadder tinge. "And one after the other, we grew, and we had tasks, all related to what we were born with. We expanded our powers, some even growing beyond… It was then that things changed."

When is brother paused, Lucifer took the narrative.

"It was then that I noticed I could create too… Not Life, like Mom and Dad, but Light." He moved his eyes up and stared at all of them. "I created the starts, the suns… I gave the Universe, Light." A bitter smile crossed his lips. "I was happy I did something for Dad, then. Michael was also capable of creating, but he could create weapons out of anything, it was then that we learned how to fight. Michael was the best of us all. Still is." He sighed and closes his eyes for a little while. "Our tasks grew as we started to develop, and things we did when we were children, grew in size. I was good at destroying, and my power of light was used for such. I destroyed worlds in which Dad's experiments went wrong, I was the Punisher, I was Death… I was the first Angel of Death. I still have some control over it, I can sense where I soul is going, I can call one if they haven't crossed planes. But now, is my sister's job to control and be Death… Azrael was good in helping people to go through loss, so she took my job when I fell."

He paused his eyes locking with the blue-greyish eyes of Chloe for a few seconds.

"Dad and Mom started to fall apart when all of this started. Mom was against Dad using us for his projects, and Dad for his part started to go more and more to the garage, invested in his little project called Humanity." Lucifer continued, eyes slowly moving around. "At first, none of us bothered much with it, we were happy with our functions. Until Dad showed us his little success on this planet. We watched your species evolve and grow, we helped Dad to populate this world with plants, animals, light, knowledge, cure, time, justice, benevolence, connections, and so on. We gave Dad the ideas, and Dad shaped them in the DNA you all know today. Everything was alright until Dad decided to give Free Will to creatures that were still growing, something I always wanted since Dad explained it to me. I wanted to choose who I wanted to be…"

"But Dad said no, and we started to fight. I was a teenager wanting his Parents to give him freedom, but not being granted it. So, I decided to steal it… That was what my rebellion was in reality. I didn't create a war or turned my siblings against each other… I stole Dad's toy, I even threatened to grab the Flaming Sword to escape the Silver City, and as punishment… I had my own twin brother, my best friend, my companion, fight me until I was completely defeated, having my deepest desire snatched from me and threw out of Silver City directly to Hell, the new realm Dad has created…"

Lucifer paused again, chocked by emotions. A whole minute passed before he started again.

"The fall was long, excruciating, my angelic body burned as I crossed planes, and a new form of me was born… The Devil. When I finally reached the empty Hell, with all its ashes and brimstone, I was alone and in pain." He paused, and his eyes finally traveled to Maze. "I spent, I don't know how many centuries, alone in Hell… Time works differently in Hell and Heaven, thanks to my brother here…" he patted Amenadiel on his leg. "Anyway, I spent centuries alone in Hell, nursing my burns until I could finally control my powers again and I could glamour my appearance back to what it was before my fall." He pointed at himself. "It was then that I started to explore Hell. In the same timeframe the first soul arrived there, Abel, Cain's brother. And thinking I knew what Dad wanted, I took my role as the Punisher once again. I tortured that soul, I refined all torture techniques with him…"

"But I was still alone… So, I decided to experiment. In the bowels of Hell is where the fire of creation of that realm is, a little reminiscent of Dad's power. And together with my light, I created the first demon. Mazikeen. No soul, just a physical body, personality, and all the anger I was feeling. It wasn't perfect like Dad's creatures, but creature she is." His eyes still glued to Maze he continued. "I taught Maze all I knew: fighting techniques, torture techniques, and pleasure… Centuries would go by, and I created more demons as more souls started to come down and Hell started to grow, gaining the features it has today. Every single soul has its own chamber, most with their personal Hell, all fueled by their guilty."

"More centuries passed until I could use my wings again, and I flew to the mortal world for the first time. The world has changed, and interesting things you humans did while I was gone made me explore… It was the first time Amenadiel came to fetch me and bring me back to Hell. Every now and then I would come to the surface, I would explore, meet people, have my fun, and every time I would come back to Hell with Amenadiel." He smiled bitterly. "Until a week, seven years ago…"

And then both Amenadiel and Lucifer started to recount things that happened in 2011, to both Chloe and Dan's surprise, because it was the same case they worked 7 years ago that led to Chloe's being promoted to detective. So, she has been working with Lucifer longer than she thought. Their narrative came to something they already knew about Lucifer, his records appearing out of nowhere, his deals and how he reached the post he was when they met for the first time officially. And then the story took a more familiar note, his adventures with her, why he took an interesting in her.

The fact that she was invulnerable to his powers, the fact that she made him mortal, that's why he could bleed and die in her presence. That Amenadiel brought Malcolm back to life and tasked the dirty cop to kill Lucifer, that he died that day with Malcolm, but he came back after he asked his Dad to protect her. That he killed one of his siblings to protect her, that Charlotte Richards housed his Mother for a while, that strange dagger that provoked all those killings and how Dan surprised him by resisting the powers of that celestial blade. And that he died for her again to find a cure for her. Lucifer, with a choked voice, told them she was a Miracle, that her parents couldn't have children, and Amenadiel came down to bless her parents at his Dad's order, and that is why he fled to Las Vegas, to give her Free Will back to her.

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest when she remembered all the feelings she had at that moment. And at the same time anger came climbing her chest, gripping viciously around her heart. She set her jaw and stared at Lucifer, that wasn't looking at her, as he continued his tale of what happened on that confusing day in the pier. He also told how he was kidnapped after he visited Linda (that was hurt by Mom) and called her that he wanted to come clean. He also told that he woke up half-naked in the desert, two days later, with his wings back and his Devil face gone. And all he could think was Sinnerman.

She remembered those times, how she scoffed his supposed kidnapping, and that it hurt him that she didn't believe in him. It was then that he tried to show her something, but she thought he was playing her. How she delegated Sinnerman as something that didn't exist.

Their tale reached the more recent ground and they were learning little things of what happened in Lucifer's end.

The multiple times he cut his wings off to have them regrew at his back, how he couldn't control them well, how Linda helped him stop cutting himself. How obsessed he was to understand what happened to him, and how it drove her away and close to Pierce, what really happened that day he kidnapped the Sinnerman and why he did it, she heard for the first time what he wanted to tell her that day. Lucifer even told that he discovered, in the end, what happened to him that day in the hospital. That Marcus Pierce, their Lieutenant, was, in reality, Cain, and he was behind Sinnerman in a way.

As the last words flowed from both Lucifer and Amenadiel, Chloe got up and walked closer to one of the ceiling-high windows in his penthouse, trying to put at bay all her conflicting feelings. She was in that position when she heard the apprehensive voice of Ella question both Archangels.

"Hum… I know it sounds stupid questions after all you two told us, but… Before Hell existed, where the damned souls went? How Hell actually work?" Chloe could hear the sheepish smile in Ella's voice.

"I imagined questions would arise, Miss Lopes. No question is stupid." Lucifer said with an uncommon patience. "Most of the souls, at the beginning of the creation and evolution, were pure. Just a few were corrupted by the evil of their own species, those ceased to exist when they died. It wasn't until Dad put that little bacterial cell on this blue planet, later known as Earth, to initiate the process of creation of the animals and humans as consequence, that Dad had the first idea of Hell." Chloe could feel his eyes boring at her back, but she didn't turn around. "Hell works with one's guilty, but guilty alone don't land you in Hell… Actions also rule your destination, that's why you have Free Will. During a human's life, you will pave your way to Hell or the Silver City. Someone that is made to feel guilty for whatever reason by third parties usually doesn't go to Hell either… Usually, my brother Raguel will judge those souls."

"However, actions alone can land you in Hell, mostly for those that don't regret their actions whatsoever. Sociopaths, Psychopaths, Mass murderers, and other fellows that think they did the correct thing and don't regret at all… They are the only ones that have their doors locked in Hell and are personally tortured by demons." His tone grew darker at every word. "Hell don't have locked doors, because when a soul finally decides to free themselves of their guilt, and they repent it, they can go to Heaven. But it's a cruel system, clever, but cruel... Because those souls there, never leave, they trap themselves in guilt." The bitterness was there once again. "So, if you regret what you did wrong in life, and do act differently your soul is not heavy with guilt anymore and you ascend to the Silver City. Most humans do mistakes, but if they regret it and try to do better, they can. I've seen many cases of that, actually. No one is destined to go to Hell or Silver City, is your choice."

He finished, and Cloe couldn't feel his eyes on her anymore, but she still didn't turn around.

"Just something I want to clarify…" this time was Dan, his voice trembling a bit. "You mean that time I slept with Charlotte Richards, she was your Mother?" Chloe could hear the distress in his voice.

"Yes," Amenadiel answered.

"Gross." Ella made a disgusted sound.

"Oh… I slept with the Goddess of Creation…" She heard more liquid being poured in a cup, that thing is also something Chloe was having problems wrap her mind into too.

A rustle of fabric came before Chloe could hear Linda speaking. "Just something I didn't understand quite well. For what I understood you, Lucifer, and Azrael were the only ones that could control Death, how Amenadiel could bring Malcolm back to life then?"

"Well… All Angels and Archangels can bring souls back to a body, but this body must be recently dead, a question of minutes, actually. But actively resuscitate someone completely and without any consequences for the soul or cosmos? Just Azrael, at Dad's orders. Well… I could too, back then." Lucifer answered, with an air of simplicity. Like talking about resuscitating people was something very normal.

"Wait… Did you say Angel and Archangels? Are you guys divided into some sort of hierarchy?" Ella's voice came again.

"Not like the Bible, no. We don't have that much Angels as they supposedly say we have. Angels are weaker than us, Archangels, but the bigger difference between us lay in the fact that we, Archangels, were born from a relationship between God and the Goddess, while Angels were pure souls Dad let them choose if they wanted to be Angels." Amenadiel was the one explaining.

"And Jesus?" Dan spoke again.

"What about him?" Lucifer was starting to sound a bit more like him then.

"He really existed?" Dan was pouring more alcohol into his cup, she could hear the whiskey decanter being placed on the table again.

"Yes, he did. Our dear half-brother was a nice fellow, a demigod, quite powerful. Same level as us, Archangels. Wanted to teach you, humans, some things, but then those stupid fellows came and wrote everything wrong… More than half of the writings and teachings of the nice chap are hidden in the Vatican vaults." Lucifer spoke with a slight disagreement in his voice.

"Luci!" Amenadiel reprimanded his brother.

"What? I just said the truth…" Chloe could see in her mind eye Lucifer giving his brother one of his irritating smiles.

This time the silence stretched, the humans still absorbing the new information. And Chloe, she was still battling with the knowledge that Lucifer chose for her, she was still confused about all that thing of him thinking she didn't have a choice in her feelings, but what hurt more was that he decided it for her. She was brought back when Lucifer spoke to her.

"And you, Detective, do you have any question?"

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, and then she turned around, passing her eyes through all the others. Maze was seated in the far corner, eyes hooded, Amenadiel was looking at her intently, so was Linda. Ella was playing with her cross and Dan was drowning his nth cup of whiskey.

But Chloe's eyes locked with those dark chocolate ones, that still had that hint of fear in them. She squared her shoulders and looked back at him with determination. So many things she wanted to talk to him, but she decided to address their almost "something" first because it was what hurt most.

"Yes, I do have a question."

Lucifer held her gaze while in his interior fear was corroding his confidence. All the while he was telling his story he passed his eyes to those listening to him, although he also had his moments looking at his hands, so he could gather his confidence again. He never laid himself so bare before like he did to those people. It had eons since he did a thing such remotely similar.

But his thoughts were broken when she started speaking again.

"You, that always scream how manipulative your Father is, how control freak he is, did the same thing to me. Decided for me that my feelings weren't real, not even giving me a chance to decide that myself! Do you think, Lucifer, this is too far from what you Father does or did?" He flinched at every single word she spoke, closing his eyes.

"I didn't want to have you tangled in this, Detective. I had to protect you." He answered automatically.

"Open your eyes and look at me!" She pressed him, and he complied. "You did this for me or for you, Lucifer?"

He could see the anger swimming in those deep blue pools and he could only blame himself. Lucifer didn't have anything to answer her because he didn't have an answer himself. At the lack of his answer, she continued.

"I will decide myself, Lucifer! From now on, do not even attempt to decide anything for me. Because it will be me. Because I am sure what I felt was true… What I still feel. I will decide if I want you or not." She pointed a finger at him, while he ignored his heart skipping a beat. "That's the least you can do for me." A solitary tear came running down her cheek, and it broke him.

"Y-Yes… As you wish Detective."

But before she could answer, a voice came fluctuating from his bedroom. A voice he knew way too much.

"Samael?"

The room seemed to have stopped and every head in that room turned around to see the lanky figure of Michael going down the few steps that separated Lucifer's room to his living room. He had a very confused face, his eyes going around the place and stopping where his two brothers were seated.

"Where are we?"

A/N: Tan tan tan *ominous song*. Now things will start to move, now that I put all that I needed out there, the plot is going to speed up a bit. I will address somethings that were hinted here, however, muted, soon. I hope you liked my take in all this celestial world, and we will have more in the future ;)

If you think that anything needs more explanation, let me know, I will fix it in the next chapter. And I'm also opening the way for our dear OTP, but things are still going to take its time.

Let me know what you think in the comments, please!

Thank you for all the kudos, favorites, follows, bookmarks and comments!

See you soon! Nath :*

PS.: I decided to post one chapter of Breaking down, and then one from ALMAT, intercalating both stories :D I hope you like this system.

PS.2: If you notice an incomplete phrase, let me know because when I was using my Grammarly, it happened something that it ate up chunks of some phrases. I read everything again to make sure, but if something escaped me, just let me know :3

Reviews

Guest: I hope you liked the third chapter :D Thank you for reading and commenting :3

Crystalyna du Starrvan: I glad you liked ;) I hope my take on Celestials also takes your interest. :D I hope you enjoyed this ride.

Guest nº2 (commented on the first chapter): I hope you liked this chapter as well :D

Izzaj: Thank you so much for this great comment! I will try and keep it up until the end :D I think that is important to show the feelings and actions, and I'm glad to know you think I do that well :3 I always think that Chloe and the others are strong characters, they will have a lot to deal, but it sounds so bad they simply running away, being that they know the guy for a while now, they really know him. With Linda was pretty acceptable because they weren't that close yet, and they didn't know each other for that long. But the others? They are with him every day.

Is rare to find a Michael that isn't a big prick or evil in the fanfics, just a few in Archive of Our Own, you will find a reasonable Michael. And I wanted to give my take on something like that here. I hope you like what I have in mind :3 Thank you so much for reading and commenting :D