"Hey, Linda. I just thought you should know that I was just on the phone with Ella, and... Well, I don't know if you know who Pete Daily is, but the bottom line is that he's bad news, and apparently on his way to your house. So am I. So if you have someplace safe, an underground bunker by chance, that..." Chloe interrupted herself with a crazed laugh that stemmed from anxiety. "That would be great. But, um...I'll see you in a few minutes."

She ended the call and then fumbled her phone, dropping it into her lap.

She only looked down for a second. Glancing back up, it was too late to stop or swerve. But even as her car plowed the man over―surely it did―there was no splattering of blood, no crunching of bones, no impact whatsoever. Chloe slammed on the brakes, quite certain she had just murdered a man. She sat for a moment, trying not to panic before fighting with the buckle; her mind had turned to mush and she was having trouble remembering how the parts worked. Finally freeing herself, she kicked her door open and got out of the car, hurrying around her vehicle...

And there he stood, perfectly fine, perfectly alive. Chloe slowed as Pete Daily turned to face her, with that despicable smile on his despicable face. Seeing him there, everything Ella had said left her mind. What had just happened left her mind. The only thing she felt was the weight of her gun.

"Hello to you, too, Miss Decker! It's good to see you."

"Pete... How did you get out of prison?"

"First of all, I'm not Pete."

"Right. You're the one-armed man."

God smiled at her. "We didn't meet at a crime scene, Miss Decker. We met in a football field, where you called me a terrible father."

Chloe paused, staring intently at the escaped convict.

"Yes, Chloe. I am God."

"How?" she asked, barely able to hear her own voice.

"Oh, it's quite simple, really. See, after my wife and I destroyed the second universe my son created, we were forced to return here, and to inhabit the bodies of mortals."

Chloe took a few heartbeats to digest the bombshell dropped on her by the world's first and most important being; then managed to ask, "So Corbett...that's your wife?"

"Yes."

"But, wait, that...that means he's dead."

"Yes."

"And that means Pete is dead. Wait, where did they...end up?"

"Very different places."

The smile on his face came as a huge consolation. "Huh. Well, that's...good, I mean, not for Ella. But for everyone else, yeah, it's good. Respectfully," she added.

"Well, I would have to agree."

"Really?"

God chuckled. "No artist is proud of every craft."

"I...guess you don't think Pete was a happy accident," Chloe answered.

Instead of responding, God slowly walked closer, hands still folded behind his back. "Since my return, I've been visiting the humans that play a part in my family's lives. Catching up...answering questions I couldn't answer during my reign."

"Well, I think I've asked you all of my questions."

"I know. However I thought you deserved a gift."

Chloe froze as God, slash Pete, put his hand on her shoulder. She couldn't tell if she was more frightened by who he was on the outside, or who he was on the inside. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about it.

"This will aid you in the decision you make."

His hand left her shoulder. Opening her eyes, Chloe startled when she saw that she was all alone. She turned in a complete circle, but there was no sign of him.

"Yeah, now I have questions," she muttered, and went back to her car. Pulling out her phone, she speed-dialed Linda and locked herself inside her vehicle as she waited for the doctor to pick up. Again, it went to voicemail. "Hey, Linda. Um... So, false alarm. I know, I need to explain myself, yeah? So I'm still coming. Oh, and...I need to bring Ella. I'm sorry about all this. See you soon."

She hung up and pocketed her phone with a sigh. "Yep, that's good. Real smooth, you bimbo."

A response made her jump, "I know you're not talking about me, Decker."

"Damnit, Maze... God, this family's going to get me killed. How the hell did you get..." Chloe's words ran out as she turned in her seat, eyeballing the demon's skimpy outfit. "Don't you ever wear anything other than leather?"

Maze shrugged. "My knives."

Chloe covered her eyes with both hands, sighing as Maze climbed into the passenger seat. "Don't call me a part of that family," Maze told her. "I work alone."

"My mistake. Hey, do you know about Pete? Have you seen him down there?"

"Oh, yeah. I tried torturing him with his mother, but...I only made his millennia. That's one twisted bastard."

"Got any ideas?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd come visit the mothers in my life."

"Pete's not a victim."

"No, but maybe Trixie and Charlie are twisted."

"Maze...don't. There is nothing dark inside my daughter. And Charlie's barely out of diapers."

"Dude's got a brain, right?"

"There's nothing wrong with Charlie either, okay? Look who his parents are."

"Mmm, that's right. The son of God... What could possibly go wrong?"

Chloe looked at Maze, squinting. "You know... I think maybe Pete is torturing you."

Suddenly she jerked back, banging into the passenger door as Maze crawled gracefully into her lap, her face half-human and half-demon. Her voice was not her own as she rasped, "I...don't...scare."

"O-okay. I-I see."

Her face still its beautiful, terrifying combination of species, Maze crawled closer, curling her hands around Chloe's legs. She leaned in close, softly brushing her fingers across her friend's cheek. "I am the spark of inspiration that drives people to their doom," Maze breathed, her delighted voice shaking. "I am the fantasy of the wicked. And I have the divine approval of God himself."

Chloe tried not to wet herself as the beautiful demon finally withdrew. "You believe that, Decker? God thinks I'm perfect." She brandished a knife with alarming speed, pointing it at her. "He never said that to an angel."

"Well, ma... Uh, a-angels already think they're perfect," Chloe stammered, watching her demonic features retreat.

"What, you think I have low self-esteem? Or do you think I should?"

"No, why would you... Why are you always so―"

"Careful, Decker."

Chloe hesitated for a moment, flustered by the demon's constant resentment of everyone and everything. "Maze," she said weakly. "Maybe you're just... Maybe all you need is a soul."

"Oh. Chlo. I've already got one."

"Y-you do?"

Maze smiled, but there was still darkness in her eyes. "This is the new and improved me."

Chloe watched as Maze got out of the car. Alone and trembling in fear, she tried not to cry as her emotions overwhelmed her. Taking out her phone, she called Ella.

"I'm a little busy not keeping secrets here. What do you want?"

"I... We need to talk. I need to talk to you."

"Oh, I see. You're Chloe's twin. I mean, why else would you talk to me?"

"Ella, please, it's about Pete and Carol!" Chloe blurted, and hesitated when she heard how hysterical she sounded. She fought to get her voice under control. "And Lucifer. Okay, I...really need to talk to you and I-I told Linda we would drop by and..." Her voice was only getting more emotional. Great, she was literally bawling incomprehensibly. She sniffled and ended the call, then allowed herself to cry in her car.

"Hot damn. This place is a sty."

Maze's annoying voice echoed throughout Lux. Scowling irritably, Goddess was quiet as she upended her glass.

"Hey, you, at the bar. Where's all the fun people tonight?"

"Not in this room."

Maze walked to the bar, eying the familiar man. "Oh, I know you," she said. "You're dating Ella."

"I most certainly am not! How dare you."

Maze nodded slowly, pursing her lips. "Right... Well, it's about time you dumped her. Geez, not even a barkeep in this place?" she asked, and looking down she wiped a finger across the dusty counter.

"Lucifer's a little busy in hell, and Amenadiel's God. Surprised you don't know."

"I knew. Question is, how do you know?"

"I am Amenadiel's mother," the oddly male-looking being said.

Maze hesitated for a moment, then suddenly grinned. "Oh my God," she moaned. "That is hysterical. How are you holding up, you know...with all the necessities of a mortal's penis?"

"Well, sitting is certainly awkward. Urinating is a wonder of stupidity, and I think I'm a few millennia behind on how human males procreate."

Maze was still smiling. "Stop," she said calmly. "I'm going to laugh myself into a heart attack."

"I may embody a man now, but I can still force you into the same predicament, so don't tempt me, little demon. I'm not feeling all that playful."

"What's gotten your almighty tighty-whities in a bunch?"

"Michael was supposed to bring Uriel up from hell, but it seems he's chosen to ditch me. And contrary to conception, I am not almighty."

"Really!"

"If I was, I'd have the slightest clue where my son went."

Maze detached from the counter and walked around the bar, serving the Goddess a refill.

"You don't look too cheerful yourself," Goddess noted.

"I'm not. I'm having the worst time running hell. I'm supposed to be queen down there, and nobody wants to listen to me. Actually, it's more like they can't," she added, as she poured herself a glass.

"Perhaps hell can only be ruled by a devil."

"You know, I'm getting real sick of being told I'm not good enough."

The pair upended their glasses simultaneously, emptying them; and Maze immediately began to refill.

"So... I mean, if you can pop me into a man's body, why haven't you popped yourself into a woman's body?"

"Oh, I will, believe me. Once I find someone attractive." Goddess paused, gyrating her glass. "I do miss Charlotte Richards," she said wistfully. She looked up and tried to read the demon's face. "Don't get me wrong; you're attractive, possibly even...good enough. I just don't want to be inside of you."

"Thank God."

Goddess smiled, watching Maze empty her second glass, but frowned when her view of her began to blur. "Uh, I'm... I feel bizarre. Everything looks distorted."

That made the demon laugh.

"What? What are you cackling about?"

"It's the wine," Maze said, and kept chuckling. "The Goddess of all creation is tanked."

Goddess got up and began meandering towards the sofa. "Well, this is unpleasant. Why do humans consume this...toxin?" she asked, and then turned around. "Why do you?"

"Social validation, mostly."

Goddess sat on the couch, rubbing her (but really his) eyes.

"Let that be a lesson for you; your son... Nothing to drink over."

"And finding out I, of all beings, am inferior? That my peerless marriage contains more discrimination than... Well, all of them!" she exclaimed. She sat for a moment longer, then brought up his legs onto the couch and lay back, looking at Maze as she got comfortable. "I want to embody the perfect woman. Soon. Maybe that will get my husband's attention."

"Worth a shot, I guess. But she'll have to croak first."

Corbett sighed in irritation. "What are the odds of the perfect woman dying at the perfect time?"

"I do believe the odds increase when you know a demon," Maze said, causing the manly Goddess to suddenly sit up straight. "Your dead supermodel can be delivered right to Lux. But, what's in it for me?"

"You do this, and you can name your price later."

"Whatever I want?"

"Yes."

Maze tapped the counter with her long fingernail, then headed to the elevator with a mean smile on her face. Goddess lay down and listened to the elevator announce the demon's departure, then turned her face to the beautiful expanse of the city, shining in the dark. It didn't take long for the potent brew to carry her into a drunken sleep.