Note: the mythology in my story is a little different than in the series. As I understood it (before they explained it in the series) god gave Lucifer the task to watch over hell when he was still an angel. Because that's the hardest task and he would only see that to his most gifted son. Lucifer didn't want this duty. But, for he could not defy this task, he started the rebellion (for free will) – which ultimately led to his "fall" and banishment from heaven/exile in hell.
Fight between clouds
Previously:
„It does not matter," said Lucifer, and sorrow rose in him, now that he realized that his life in L.A. would change fundamentally. Dan's fearful look had made that clear.
How could these people remain his friends now that they knew the truth? No more exuberant hugs from Ella. No more eye rolling from detective douche over his sexual allusions. No more Monopoly with Chloe and her much too annoying and amiable offspring. No more police work with Chloe. No more dancing with Chloe. No more Chloe...
His heart broke.
Gabriel had taken his home from him, his first real home. Where would he go now? Did he want to start from scratch again? Could he even, after realizing how quickly everything could break apart? Determined, he turned back to Gabriel.
"Nevertheless , I won't go back to hell!"
Gabriel's angry eyes narrowed to slits: „Neither to heaven brother, I will make sure of it!" And with a gigantic blast of wind, Gabriel unfolded his wings.
As Gabriel lunged for him, a clank rang through Lucifer's wings and he countered him with steel-hard, razor-sharp feathers, jumping forward. His thoughts were buzzing around two things:
Chloe and survival!
The impact with Gabriel was huge. Gabriel tried to ram his knee into his stomach, but Lucifer ducked under him. His wings lifted him up behind his brother and he punched at the back of his head. But Gabriel's wing interfered and his fist hit them like a steel wall. Gabriel whirled around and Lucifer was startled by the bloodlust in his eyes. All the jokes and all the sadness that had prevailed in them when they were first fighting in the precinct had vanished. Lucifer received a wave of pure hatred.
Lucifer used his legs to repel away from Gabriel, trying to gain some distance between them. With powerful wing-beats he ascended, higher and higher, to fight the combat far away from his friends. Higher than the highest skyscraper in L. A., high into the clouds. Gabriel following on his heels.
He tried to outpace him in the clouds. Zigzagging through the fog. His visibility was limited to a few meters. Soon he was peeking behind him and could no longer locate Gabriel. His body was weakened, but his wings were the finest and fastest his father had ever bestowed. He was not the strongest angel, but God had made sure that he could fly away from all his siblings. 'Cause he should reach the most distant places in his universe, to distribute light everywhere. And even if Lucifer had not used them for five years, he could never forget what it meant to fly. It was like an instinct that was deeply rooted in his wings. He was not actively flying. He knew exactly where he wanted to go and his wings realized his thoughts as if by themselves.
Once more, Lucifer changed his direction quickly, turned again and then jabbed out over the cloud cover. His wings cast a long shadow over the white sea that spread beneath him. The sun had almost disappeared beyond the horizon, and above it Lucifer could see the millions of lights in the dark blue that he once had so carefully placed there. Below him, through the clouds, he could see the lights of Los Angeles illuminating the streets of the city, looking so much more miserable than his creation. Lucifer dropped to the clouds as if he would be standing on them. Maybe Lucifer should return to his morning star. Maybe his father would forget him and he could come back to earth after a while. Chloe would be old then, maybe even near to death, but at least he could see her once again without a murderous brother at his heels. With a sigh, he stared at his morning star.
When an iron grip closed around his ankle.
In a flash, Gabriel's hand had darted out of the cloud cover and grabbed his leg. With an insane acceleration, Lucifer was pulled down. His wings went up and he couldn't stretch them. He fell much to fast backwards from the clouds and his damaged back muscles couldn't overcome the air resistance. Gabriel was racing behind him. To gain speed, he put his wings close around him and shot at him like an arrow, with his feet first. Gabriel's body hit Lucifer's stomach like a bullet and took his breath away.
He fell so fast now, even Gabriel had trouble following him. His broken arm flapped uselessly beside Lucifer. By tensing and bending his other limbs he tried to turn in a dice. Lucifer started to spin. He rotated faster and faster around his own axis. The look at his brother alternated with the ever-growing, approaching city. He knew that if he hit the ground, it would be his end. Because he fell straight back to the police station where the only one waited, who made him vulnerable.
With a tremendous effort, he spread his wings. The jolt that went through his body nearly tore them out again. At least that's how his wounded back felt. But his speed was still way too high. Lucifer was only able to finish his dive a few meters above the police station.
As he glided back up in a wide arc, he turned to look for Gabriel. His brother shot down on him from above. Lucifer dodged him. Again and again Gabriel tried to hit him in the air, to kick him or catch his wings, but Lucifer wheeled and turned, successfully dodging him each time. For passers-by looking at the sky, it had to look like a dance. Despite their strength, the two angels moved with grace and elegance.
Gabriel had enough. His brother was just too fast and too agile for him. But his own wings had their strengths too. With a sweeping momentum he pushed a swarm of razor-sharp feathers towards Lucifer. And to Gabriel's satisfaction, a few reached their destination. Lucifer cried out and stumbled a few yards to the roof.
Now it was Gabriel's turn. With another wave of his wings, he sent more gold-framed projectiles to his brother. But this time Lucifer managed to avoid them. However, he saw with horror that they were again way too close to the ground and a few of the missiles just barely missed his friends. Lucifer sped forward, away from them. Gabriel close behind him. Another swarm of feathers approached him and Lucifer put his wings close to him as he screw himself through the air. Behind his darkened feathers he could hear the clanking bouncing of the feathers.
"SAMAEL!"
Carefully, Lucifer peered out of its feathered rampart. His brother held himself in the air with gentle flapping, staring at him otherwise motionless.
„Do you want to fly away forever?", he asked angrily. „Do not be a coward and face me. You did not seem to be bothered fighting your siblings in your rebellion."
„That's not the same," Lucifer said angrily. „I never wanted to fight you, I just wanted my free will! Father incited you all against me."
„You betrayed us all, Samael! Father did not incite us, we wanted to stop you. You would have thrown the whole kingdom of heaven into chaos with your ideas."
„Paah," Lucifer spat out. „I just wanted to make my own decisions. Didn't want to be his puppet any longer. Look what father is forcing on you now. To fight against your own brother. Did I force you to do that? NO!"
„Someone has to remind you where your place is! We are his creations, he created us to serve him. Be thankful! Without father you would not be."
„I never asked to be created!"
Gabriel looked at him in dismay. „How can you say that?"
„You've got it easy. You just have to stand in front of a gate, in the bright sun with our siblings around you. This is your oh so important task. And me? His Lightbringer? As soon as I finished all the lights I heard he planned on sending me to hell. Into this bleak hole, tasked to torment souls and watch over demons. That's when I realized that father alone is to blame for the misery of souls. And yet there were those people who didn't come to me. The people who made good choices and whose unsinful life brought them to the Kingdom of Heaven. And then I realized brother that I was never allowed to make such a choice. I did everything my father ever wanted me to do and yet he sent me to this cruel place. Far away from all of you. And I couldn't do anything to be with you again. He gave me this task and I had to obey. And you, whom I have only been able to visit every few millenials, you all started to despise me. To think that I am evil itself and I would enjoy torturing these souls. No, I just wanted to be with you again. Be free!"
"And now see where your free will has brought you! Look what you've done Samael. And I will make sure you go back to the same place after all! For you will never return to heaven."
„But I don't want to go to heaven at all!", shouted Lucifer.
"Don't lie to yourself, brother. Can you swear to me that your wings will never carry you to my gate. That longing will never take over you, from now until eternity?"
He glanced at Lucifer piercingly. And Lucifer lowered his head sadly. Of course he wanted to go back. He wanted to see his siblings again. He wanted them to see him as who he really was. The Lightbringer! And not some monster from hell.
„Why do you hate me so much Gabriel?", he asked sorrowfully, his gaze fixed on the small group of former friends on the ground.
Gabriel stared sadly at Lucifer, the brother he knew so little and who had brought him so much suffering.
"Mother was gone ... and it was your fault. God cast her out of heaven after she defied him. Which she did, just because of you! After your rebellion she went mad. But I still had hope to see her again… the possibility grew after she finally escaped hell. But even then you interfered and now she is gone forever. Gone from this Universe. IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT…And I couldn't even bid her farewell…"
And with that, Gabriel sent another flock of deadly feathers toward him.
Lucifer, looking distressed at Chloe, couldn't react fast enough. The feathers pierced through his wings. A blade cut across his face, another one around his neck. In the blink of an eye Gabriel was in front of him and struck him. Lucifer's wings, keeping him in the air, could not ward off his brother. And his good remaining, right arm was so strewn with cuts that he couldn't stop Gabriel. He staggered to the rooftop. His brother continued his beating during the fall. With a crash, Lucifer landed on his back, burying a wing under him.
„AAAAHHHrrgggg", he screamed. His whole body ached. Gabriel landed next to him. A great dark shadow hovering over him ominously. Lucifer struggled to his feet and knelt in front of his brother.
"Please," he whispered wearily, looking into Gabriel's face, "don't send me back there." Tears gathered in his exhausted eyes.
"It has to be Samael. That is the place where you truly belong ."
At the sight of the cold expression in Gabriel's eyes Lucifer hung his head in defeat.
The time had come.
And with a jerk he felt death. Gabriel's wingtip stabbed out of his back like a bloody sword.
And Lucifer collapsed.
