Extermination Day, 1933

There were few words exchanged after Adam arrived. Lute and the exorcists headed out with only a nod from Adam, who immediately took off.

Charlie tilted her head as Razzle followed after the First Man. "Adam? Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

"Raz, follow me," Adam called out without looking back, suddenly flying higher, much higher into the air.

"What? Wait, Adam? Where are we going?" Charlie called out in alarm.

Adam said nothing as they ascended until the Roof of Pride was a stone's throw above them. The bright red lines of the pentagram glowed ominously around them, the moans of souls long damned and lost echoing in the air.

"Did you...want to show me this...?" Charlie asked with a furrowed brow.

Adam approached with a glare on his face.

"Adam? You're...you're scaring me," Charlie said with wide eyes. "What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything to me?"

Adam's hands flexed, popping his knuckles as he loomed over Charlie and Razzle, the crimson rays all but shadowing the lights of his mask.

"Adam...?" Charlie whispered.

Without hesitation or warning, Adam's hand shot out and pushed Charlie off of the mount.

In the brief instance before gravity's grasp took hold, she looked at the disgusted mask of Adam with disbelief.

Right before six wings sprouted from her back, bringing her up to fly just about Razzle's back.

"What the Hell, Adam!?" 'Charlie' demanded with a voice that was definitely not her own. "You pushed my daughter off a fall like this?!"

"Lucifer," Adam said flatly.

Lucifer, still disguised as Charlie, tilted his head. "Oh? You knew this whole time?"

"I know your stench anywhere," Adam said in disgust.

"Oh, so you know me by smell?" Lucifer taunted with a smirk.

Adam elected to turn his attention to Razzle. "Hellflake back home?"

Razzle nodded with a grunt.

"You could just ask me, you know," Lucifer pointed out, crossing the arms of his small form.

"She knew about shitstain being out here?" Adam asked, pointing to Lucifer.

Razzle shook his head.

"Really? We're back to you ignoring me?" Lucifer asked blankly.

"If you're going to keep wearing Charlie's face, then yeah, I got shit to say to you," Adam said flatly as he turned to leave. "Hope you enjoyed the prank, Scratch. I'm going to go demolish that theme park of yours."

"Okay, okay, wait! First off, Charlie loves that place!" Lucifer called out. "And I didn't do this to trick you!"

"Right, the trickster isn't pulling a trick," Adam said dismissingly.

"It's about Bathory."

Adam paused, narrowed eyes. "I'm listening."

"Look, we were worried about Charlie this year. There have been a few ...incidents," Lucifer said vaguely. "And I was kind of hoping they'd try to take me captive if I pose as her this year."

Adam hummed.

"Look, Adam? I get it. I was going to tell you, but you were acting off from the start!" Lucifer defended.

"...At least you used your shapeshifting for something useful this time," Adam mused with an eye roll.

"Yeah, well, cover is blown now," Lucifer said with a sigh from Razzle's back.

"How?"

Lucifer blinked. "Umm, how, what?"

"Your cover being blown. Taking the Hellflake on a minor detour to see the damn Roof of Pride wouldn't seem that fucking off for me," Adam pointed out calmly, resigned to the situation.

"Oooookay, but I'm sure anyone watching saw my wings?" Lucifer reminded, fluttering them for effect. "And Charlie doesn't have any wings?"

Adam gained a smirk. "Oh? And how many people know that little fact about the Hellflake?"

Lucifer opened his mouth, holding up a finger. He slowly closed and lowered both as he sat down on Razzle and retracted his wings. "Touché? So, what, you willing to play along?"

Adam exhaled. "Yeah, whatever, let's just fucking get this done with and hope you get mugged."

"You would word it like that," Lucifer murmured to himself.

Without another word, Adam took off, softly soring down to an altitude that would be more tempting for any watching them. But the silence was heavy and strained between them.

"So, we should probably talk about something so we don't seem suspicious," Lucifer mused, pulling at his shirt. Well, Charlie's shirt. His shirt morphed into Charlie's shirt. "Charlie's had a lot of interesting questions, and-"

"You never planned on telling her, did you?" Adam asked flatly.

Lucifer went silent.

"About everything that actually happened. I'm sure that bedtime story makes her parents look so tragic and romantic," Adam mused bitterly.

"We just want to protect her, Adam," Lucifer said with a scowl. "Surely you-"

"Finish that sentence and your cover will be blown," Adam warned harshly. "And don't fucking lie to me. You weren't trying to protect Charlie. You just couldn't take the idea of your child looking up at you in horror and ask why the hell did you do shit like that? Ask you both, what the fuck were you thinking?"

Lucifer flinched. "Even if that was true, can you really-"

"Yes. Yes, I fucking can blame you. Welcome to fucking fatherhood you asshate," Adam said venomously.

Lucifer seethed. "What the fuck can I say without setting your ass off? Dammit, Adam, I'm not TRYING to have an argument with you here!"

Adam honestly considered the question for a moment. "Charlie hates the violin, doesn't she?"

"I...what?" Lucifer asked in surprise.

"That year a while back, when the Harp broke? Fucking violin box flew across the floor. But Charlie barely paid attention to it. The case looks practically brand new, so she either loves it or is trying to hide that she hates it," Adam mused. "And she doesn't love it."

Lucifer furrowed his brow. "I...No. She isn't very good at it yet, but she is always happy to have lessons."

"Idiot, she doesn't give a shit about that, she cares about doing something with you," Adam informed flatly. "She wants to spend time with your ass and is happy to pretend to have common ground."

"How the hell would you know that?" Lucifer asked, half as a challenge and half as a question. "You only see her once a year!"

"You asked for a topic that doesn't set me off," Adam reminded with a bored tone.

Lucifer muttered something to himself.

"Shut up," Adam said abruptly.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "I wasn't talking to you."

"No, seriously, shut up," Adam said as he slowed to a stop. "...The fuck is that noise?"

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Screams? One of your locusts ending a soul?" he suggested.

"Then why isn't it stopping?" Adam asked with a furrowed brow as he looked around the city below. "And my girls haven't been here yet."

Lucifer hummed, realizing that Adam was corrected. This street wasn't covered in bodies and debris yet. And that scream was one impossibly long scream. There was no inhale, no pause, nothing.

Adam led them down to the street, causing several sinners to scurry further into hiding at the sight of the Leader of the Exorcists. But Adam paid them no mind, focusing on a store window. On display was a simple device.

A radio.

It was on though, and it was emitting a sound of screams. Horrible, terrible screams.

Adam narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Morbid, but no accounting for tastes in music I suppose," Lucifer mused, one leg crossed over the other on Razzle's back. "What, did you want a souvenir this time?"

A ping noise emitted from Adam's halo, causing him to tap and silence it. "What's up, Lute?" he asked curiously.

"Sir, we have a situation. We've found the heads of several demons pilled up," Lute answered.

"That the one who brought Dazzle home last year?" Lucifer asked with a smirk.

Adam ignored him. "What, someone have trouble keeping count?"

"It wasn't us, Sir," Lute informed. "They were all in a display case with a-"

"-a radio that is literally screaming?" Adam predicted. "Seems someone has an interesting routine."

"Sir, at least some of these are Overlords. Big ones too. Jezebel, Henry, even Dubh Sith to name a few," Lute informed.

"Wait, wait, Fatass Henry? Dammit, two of his wives are going to be disappointed," Adam mused.

Lucifer hummed but didn't poke that topic any further.

"Hey, you know who could have killed those three?" Adam asked pointedly.

"I don't even know who those souls are," Lucifer answered flatly.

"I...how do you NOT know about them?" Adam demanded pointedly.

"Why would I?" Lucifer asked, crossing his arms with a frown.

Before that conversation could escalate, the radio suddenly buzzed as the screams faded into the background. "Greetings, to our heavenly visitors from upstairs!"

Adam raised an eyebrow at the voice as he stared intently at the device.

"I hope you have enjoyed the gifts I have so generously left for you. I am new in these parts, but I heard tale that you lovely folks loved the smell of dead Overlords on an Extermination Day. I apologize if I left the pool a bit thin."

"Is he bragging to you and your murder of Exorcists?" Lucifer inquired idly, unimpressed clearly.

Adam didn't respond, continuing to listen to the broadcast.

"I do so hope you all enjoy the music of my broadcast, a fitting tune to accompany your yearly purge of us damned souls," the voice continued. "And before I go, allow me to add one more to the...chorus."

The line went silent for a moment, only the distant screams of broadcast being heard, until...

*THUD!*

"W-wait! What are you doing?!"

*dragging noise*

"Hehehehe."

"Do you have any idea who I am?!"

*wood being stabbed*

"W-we can make a deal! I can...I can..."

*creaking sound*

"NO!"

*crunch*

"HE'S EATING MY LIVER!"

*munch*munch*munch*

"GET OFF OF ME YOU SICK DEER FUCK!"

"Hahahaha!"

"AHHHHHHH!"

The scream went on and on as it blended into the background, joining the rest of the screaming voices of the audio.

"Mmmm, tasty!" the voice returned. "That was one Atys the Starving Lord, better known as Tantalus. I hope you all found his screams delicious. I would same the same for his flesh, but there wasn't much on him you see. Happy E-Day, my fellow hunters!"

There was a short silence.

"Lute? The first prick that can tell you about this radio fuck gets to go free for the night," Adam instructed bluntly.

"Yes, Sir," Lute answered.

"What, don't like someone else moving in on your "fun", O Great Exterminator?" Lucifer asked uncaringly, kicking his Charlie-legs back and forth.

Adam slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder.

Lucifer blinked as he saw the wide, nasty grin on Adam's face.

"You remember who Tantalus was, right? You at least know that fucking much, right?" Adam said, a chuckle in his voice.

"I...Yeah, he's the guy that cut up his own son and tried to feed him to you and some other angels," Lucifer answered. "Why?"

"That slippery fuck has been avoiding us for nearly four thousand years now. I've been wanting to tear him apart ever since," Adam said with sadistic glee. "But hearing his ass getting eaten alive like that?"

Adam paused, allowing the screams of the radio to wash over.

"Music to my ears," Adam said in amusement.

"Ugh, this is why I don't like Charlie being around you. Sometimes I'm more worried about you corrupting her than the rest of Hell," Lucifer said with an eye roll.

"If that's how you feel, just head home on your own," Adam barked out rather loudly, walking down the street.

"What? Adam, where are- and he's gone," Lucifer said flatly. "Asshole, where did that come from?"

"Looks like you're on your own, Girly."

Lucifer blinked as he was suddenly grabbed and pulled off Razzle, who suddenly neighed and ran off, taking to the fly. Just like Lucifer had told him to do.

Lucifer blinked, looking to the left to see a literal bat demon with four arms holding his Charlie-disguise by the back of the shirt.

'Ahh, Adam realized they were coming after me and made me a tempting target. Smart,' Lucifer thought. He swallowed, using the chance to change gears, switching back to his full-Charlie imitation. Or rather, general-scared-child imitation, because he didn't want to think about Charlie being in this situation! "W-who are you?! What do you want with me?!"

"Nothing much Princess, just someone wanting to meet you," the hellbat answered with a grin, holding up a sack and pulling out some rope.

Blessed rope.

Lucifer didn't need to fake his surprise as the demon tied him up. 'Okay, I can break this in like, two seconds at most, but wasn't expecting that. Bathory called in some favors to get these.'

"Don't try anything and this'll all be over real soon for you," the bat demon mused before throwing the shapeshifter into the sack.

Lucifer hummed as he lay upside down in the sack, debating on how long to let this go on. He could wait for the demon to arrive at Bathory's location, or he could just go full devil-mode and get the answers from this winged rat.

'I wonder if Adam ever told Charlie about him and Lilith making bats?' Lucifer thought idly, mind drifting back to Eden.

One of Lilith and Adam's more cooperative projects. A winged rodent, but they could never figure out how to make the wings "feel" right.

'Whose idea was it to make their arms into wings instead of having six limbs?' Lucifer tried to recall.

It was hard to remember. Not because the memories were foggy or unclear. Just the opposite, his memories were as crystal clear as the day they happened. He recalled everything and he could revisit anything from his past.

But revisiting Eden meant his mind, in all its chaotic nature, would drift to...everything else about Eden. Everything that happened, everything they did. And everything that came after. Their Fall from Heaven, Mankind's Fall from Eden. And so much more.

He hadn't talked about Eden in over seven thousand years. Everyone he would care to tell either saw everything happen themselves or heard it long ago.

He sometimes wondered, just how Adam bared to talk about it? With Charlie of all people?

Some part of him wanted to be suspicious. Because it was Adam. Of course, he would want revenge, and who better to do it through than Charlie? What better way to twist the knife?

But his Pride wouldn't allow him to act on that possibility. His pride as a father was wounded that Adam had to defend Charlie for him...but also grateful he did.

The bat demon, carrying the bag on his back through an alley, looked over his shoulder in annoyed confusion as his prize started moving weirdly, practically hitting him in the back. "Watch it, brat or I'll-!"

The bag suddenly caught on fire. And as a horrid chanting reached the edge of the demon's hearing, he dropped the bag and turned in shock. But the bag didn't fall, it floated as that dark and terrible fire grew.

With a single flutter of a wing, the flames burst out, sending the kidnapper onto his rear as the alley was coated in literal hellfire. He looked on with terror as he saw the figure that hovered before him. The horns, the six pale wings, the pure red eyes, the flaming halo, the spotted cheeks.

The Devil himself.

Lucifer's grin was just a bit too wide, wider than he'd ever show Charlie as he leaned down, flicking his finger up.

The bat was suddenly choking as he was forced to stand on his knees, the King of Hell leaning down to look into his eyes.

"Now, who were you kidnapping again?" Lucifer asked toyingly.

"I-I-I had no idea that was-" the bat demon stuttered in terror.

"Shhh," Lucifer silenced him with feigned softness. "That was a joke. I know EXACTLY-" He snarled the word with fire at his tongue- "who you tried to kidnap. I'm more interested in...just where were you taking my daughter?"

The bat demon knew he was screwed, utterly and eternally. But he knew which way would get him into a worse pit.

"She's hiding in a theater at the southeast triangle, the Sanguidrome. You can't miss it. Big building with giant red fangs on the front," the bat answered quickly.

Lucifer growled, actually growled, in a pleased way. "Thank you. I'll deal with you later."

With a snap of his finger, the demon was gone, consumed by flames and vanished in the winds of Hell.

Elsewhere, Charlie tossed and turned in her sleep. It had always been hard to sleep on Extermination Day. It didn't sound too different from how Hell normally did, but it was still harder to ignore the sounds, knowing what they were.

But now? She had been seeing Adam on this night for fourteen years, this would be the fifteenth. Her mind just automatically looked forward to it again, expecting it.

She didn't know why, exactly. Her parents told her that it wasn't to keep her away from Adam, and she believed them. It might be about an Overlord like the Blood Countess. She had overheard her mother speaking with Hellborn on the other rings about Bathory when she didn't think Charlie was close by.

Ultimately, she let out a breath and gave up, pulling her sheets off. She climbed out of bed, mindful not to wake up Razzle or Dazzle as she carried herself to her vanity dresser. It was supposed to be where she fixed her hair, but she also spent a lot of time drawing pictures of it.

She hummed to herself, not paying much attention to what she was drawing, allowing her mind to wander. It did that a lot now, trying to shift together pieces of a puzzle she had only a few pieces to. What was once a bedtime story about how her parents met was now a huge mystery to her. How much of the story was true? What had Adam meant by the Exorcists not being the only ones to raid Hell? What had happened in ten thousand years, that no one had tried to settle or put an end to?

How did they all end up here?

She was a few years shy of a hundred-thirty now, but she wasn't even a teenager yet in body and soul. The cost of being born too powerful, it could be said- someone like her either came into existence fully grown or took a long time to grow into her power.

Sheltering her was one reason why she didn't have many friends. But the other was just that grew up too slow. She would still be a child when they grew to adulthood.

Charlie blinked and looked up suddenly.

It was quiet, she realized. The sounds of Extermination Day had stopped, but it was too early. She ran over to the closed doors of her balcony to look outside but stopped.

Her windows were foggy.

Why would they be foggy? Why couldn't she see outside?

Her heart skipped a beat as the door suddenly slid open as if it had never fully been closed.

Her feet moved almost on their own. Some part of her told her going outside right now might not be a good idea, but something was drawing her forward.

'She was charmed beneath the tree'

It was singing. A voice in the air. A beautiful, haunting voice. Was that her mother? She couldn't tell.

'His eyes are stained with fear'

"Mommy? Are you...are you out there?" Charlie whispered as she crept to the door.

There was no answer. Maybe she was on the next balcony and didn't hear her call?

'A dream unbound and smeared with blood'

But why would her mother be singing outside on Extermination Night? Why would Extermination Night be silent?

'the forging of mankind's tears.'

She stepped outside and felt a heat rush over her, making her flinch back with a wince.

'The Pride that tore away her place,'

She slowly opened her eyes.

'yet the pits couldn't tame her.'

A crayon fell from her hand.

She numbly walked out to the edge, staring in disbelief.

Blood.

Pentagram City was gone.

And there was so much blood.

'The rot erode by the plunge'

A vast sanguine ocean for as far as the eyes could see, high enough that it lapped at the edge of her balcony. The crimson view was sprinkled with dots of what might be ruins piercing the surface. And a soft mist came off the sea of blood, filling her lungs with every breath.

'The ashes gathered by myrrh'

She trembled and numbly looked down over the railing. Floating in the red were bodies. Countless corpses drifting along aimlessly, their unblinking eyes staring up lifelessly.

'Emption made with children's blood'

"What...what is this? What happened?" Charlie whispered in horror.

For a moment, there was only silence.

And the singing. She was eerily aware that someone was still singing.

'A slight against all fairness.'

Charlie gave a small scream as the balusters suddenly snapped, the section falling out from under her grasp. She barely caught herself as the frame fell into the blood.

'The trapped erased for all they wrought'

Like a hornet nest disturbed, the bodies seemed to come to life without warning, crawling and clawing at the balcony, reaching to her, their hands trying to pull her down into the depths.

Charlie backed away, breathing hard. She turned to run back into her room, but the door snapped closed.

"No! Razzle! Dazzle! Help, I can't get in!" Charlie called, pulling desperately at the knob. Over her shoulder, she could see the demons failing to climb up, but only because the blood made their limbs too slippery. "Mommy...?! Daddy!? Someone, please!"

But no one answered.

'The Hidden unblessed bereft of fraught'

Charlie stilled as the singing grew louder in her ears. She looked out again, and up to the sky.

There was something in the sky, a bright light, descending as a comet. But it was slow, graceful as it descended into hell. The corpses seemed more desperate at its arrival.

'His mask yet shown without a crack'

The comet touched the crimson sea.

'The burden of all he is defending'

And the sea boiled!

Instantly, blood bubbled and a wave of steam rushed across the ocean! And before Charlie's very eyes, that endless expanse of corpses were set fire, falling away from her balcony as the air was choked with their burnt flesh.

'Violence against all she adored'

Through the blood and the steam, she could see the comet.

'Here comes the Breaker of Horns'

And she felt in her heart that the comet saw her too.

Charlie slowly slid down against her door, tears falling from her eyes.

She stopped with a start as she felt something touch her hand. She looked down and saw it.

The crayon she dropped. A white crayon.

As golden crayon, as bright as angel wings.

"...Adam?"

"I got you, Hellflake."

Charlie gasped at his voice, right in her ear as-

Charlie opened her eyes, groggy and warry. She dimly realized she was looking out at Pentagram City from her balcony and Adam.

Adam was holding her, propping her against his shoulder. Her parents held her like this a lot.

"What happened?" Charlie asked groggily.

"You fell asleep on the balcony, kid. You sleepwalk or something?" Adam asked idly.

"Don't think so. Had a bad dream," Charlie murmured with a sniff. "Adam? Do...do you know where my Mom and Dad are?"

"Your old man is out dealing with Bathory, or her goons," Adam explained casually. "Your mom is probably waiting on my ass to leave."

If Charlie was more awake or less upset by her dream, she might have commented on those answers. "...You came to see me?" she realized with a smile.

"Yep," Adam answered without hesitation.

They both paused as a rather loud explosion echoed across the city, a small rumble in the ground as a column of hellfire and smoke rose in the distance.

Charlie sat up in surprise. "Is that the Exorcists?" she asked in surprise. Normally only Adam did things like that.

"No," Adam answered knowingly, pausing as a terrible roar echoed over the Ring of Pride. "That would be your father."

"Daddy is...?" Charlie realized in disbelief.

"Never seen him get like this, eh?" Adam realized.

"Are you...are you going to take me to see him? Like that?" Charlie asked uncertainly.

Adam gave her a flat look. "I already fucking told you, Hellflake. I'm not breaking whatever precious image you have of them."

That...somehow didn't make Charlie feel better, but she was glad she didn't have to see whatever it was right now.

"You've...seen him like this before, haven't you?" Charlie realized.

Adam's silence and unimpressed stare told her enough.

Charlie looked down, her head spinning with thoughts she couldn't put together.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Adam said as he took her inside.

"We didn't get to talk tonight," Charlie muttered, unhappy.

"Eh, don't worry about it," Adam said with a smirk. "When you wake up, just ask your mom for the story about the missing possum nipple."

Charlie squinted. "...What?"

"Some possums have an odd number of nipples, your Mom is the reason why," Adam informed with a grin.

Charlie almost felt too curious to sleep, but the yawning won out as she was placed on her bed with Razzle and Dazzle. "Adam?"

"Just one question, Hellflake, make it count," he warned with a smile.

"Eve made you the sun, right?" Charlie remembered. "Did you make her something too?"

Adam almost lost his smile, but caught it again. "I painted the sunset. So that when our sun went to sleep, the sky before night would look as beautiful as Eve. That's why I called it Evening."

Charlie's eyes gleamed in amazement even as they drifted away. "Why do you sound...so mean...in the story...?"

She probably hadn't meant to ask that aloud, so Adam didn't answer, letting her drift off to slumber.

Elsewhere, Lute watched over the burning wreck of the sanguidrome, knowing full well the Devil was down in those flaming ruins.

"Aren't you that one that brought Razzle back for my Charlie?"

Or, he had been.

Lute glared to the side, seeing the short, fallen angel floating nearby with a toothy smile. "Sorry, it's just so hard to tell with those masks on," Lucifer remarked.

Lute didn't answer, merely narrowing her eyes.

"Fine, I confess, that's a lie. I can tell you're the same soul, of course. Fallen or not, I haven't lost that power," Lucifer said with a smirk

Lute still didn't respond.

"What? Adam not give you permission to talk to other men?" Lucifer asked teasingly.

"Sodomize yourself with a cucumber and gag on it," Lute said flatly. "There, I have spoken. Satisfied?"

"Tried that once, but in reverse," Lucifer mused, unoffended. "So, did Adam have a child in heaven or are you wife number three?"

"You don't remember me, do you?" Lute asked flatly.

"Should I?" Lucifer asked with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, I've met with a few exorcists, but-"

"We met before I was an exorcist, Filth," Lute informed, glaring through the mask.

"Oh?" Lucifer said in surprise. "When was that?"

"Scratch."

Lucifer glanced up to see Adam looking over him with a glare. "Adam! I was wondering where you were?" he said with a grin.

"Your daughter had a nightmare," Adam informed flatly.

Lucifer froze as the smile fell from his face. "Is she...alright?"

"Yeah, I put her back to bed after she calmed down,," Adam informed flatly.

"That was...nice of you," Lucifer said. "I should really-"

"Lute, head out and get some kills, I'll deal with him," Adam informed bluntly.

"Sir," Lute said with a nod, flying off.

"Was that really necessary? Lucifer asked with an eye roll. "I was just talking to your-"

"You talking shit to the women in my life usually ends fucking badly. For everyone, present and future," Adam reminded harshly.

Lucifer balled his fist at that but bit his tongue.

"Now skip the bullshit. What happened with Bathory? She dead?" Adam asked pointedly

"Sadly no," Lucifer admitted with a sigh. "Turns out, she has a special ability."

"That being?" Adam asked, mildly interested.

"A very select few Overlords of the very scummy kind have the rather nasty trick of being able to sacrifice a soul they own to save their own. Basically, the two souls switch places physically, transferring all damage in the process," Lucifer informed with mild distaste.

"So that's why Rasputin came back once, among other things," Adam muttered. "So, she's in the wind?"

"Yes, but she is running out of lives," Lucifer mused, looking down at the flaming theater. "That trick gets more likely to fail every time she uses it. And she's used it at least three times, I think."

"Think she'll be stupid and attack your home while Lilith is guarding it?" Adam asked idly.

'"I can only hope," Lucifer said with a snort. "Adam, be honest with me for two minutes."

Adam just grunted.

"Is there an ulterior motive for spending time with Charlie?" Lucifer asked pointedly. "And I'll know if you're lying."

"Oh, fuck you, Scratch. I'm not the damn Prince of Lies here," Adam waved off.

"I'm serious," Lucifer said pointedly.

"Yeah, there is," Adam answered, looking over at the fallen seraphim. "I want to see if Charlie is better than her parents."

Lucifer stilled at that.

"Pretty fucking low bar, I know," Adam added on scathingly. "But it's always good to see some people turn out great INSPITE of their damned parents.

Lucifer frowned. "You'd know a lot about spite, I suppose."

"What can I say? I had some excellent teachers," Adam said accusingly.

"...I think we should go now," Lucifer said, starting to fly away.

"Lucifer."

He stopped and glanced back.

"Keep an eye on Charlie," Adam said, looking up at the red sky. "Shit is rolling downhill in the human world, I can hear it."

Lucifer turned and looked at him strangely.

"And keep me posted if Bathory is killed or not," Adam said before taking off.

"Yeah, sure, fine," Lucifer accepted halfheartedly, rubbing his head to massage the headache away.

He'd worry about all that later. Right now, he was just going to go home and make sure his daughter was okay before talking to his wife about everything that happened.

Oh, and he had some minions of Bathory to torture for a little bit, where Charlie wouldn't see or hear them of course.

End of Chapter

Another one-year chapter, buuuut it was Alastor's year, it was always going to be special. So, yeah, Adam has a lot fewer Overlords to target, Lucifer fucked up Bathory some before she pulled soul-swapping bullshit. Could Lucifer have stopped that? Yeah, it's just so rare yet easy to fatally misuse he's usually surprised to find someone who has it.

So, yeah, 1933 is an...interesting time in some ways. Among other things, the worst of the Holodomor happened(big famine in Ukraine) and this was the same year the Nazi party got into power in Germany. Now, Adam isn't seeing the future, he doesn't know all the horror that's about to happen, but he can...tell when the living are about to do something terrible.

And Charlie had one HELL of a nightmare, complete with some creepy singing in the background. Song is based on "Blood Red Roses by C21 FX" but I changed all the lyrics while trying to keep flow the same. Had a lot of fun with this song, might tune the lyrics a bit in the future.

Full lyrics I made up:

She was charmed beneath the tree

His eyes stained with fear

A dream unbound and smeared with blood

the forging of mankind's tears.

The Pride that tore away her place,

yet pits could not tame her.

The rot erode by the plunge

The ashes gathered by myrrh

Emption made with children's blood

A slight against all fairness.

The trapped erased for all they wrought

The Hidden unblessed bereft of fraught

His mask yet shown without a crack

The burden of all he is defending

Violence against all she adored

Here comes the Breaker of Horns