August 6, 1939
Adam raised an eyebrow when he found the door to Charlie's bedroom not only closed but locked. Magically locked.
But the barrier was clearly not stopping him. So it wasn't Lilith. Which only left...
"What is it, Old Scratch?" he asked, knowing the Devil was standing behind him on the balcony.
Lucifer said nothing, waiting until Adam turned to face him. The Devil wore a look of angry suspicion that made Adam in turn suspicious.
"What happened to Charlie?" Adam asked bluntly.
"She's fine," Lucifer answered with a furrowed brow. "She's been having nightmares."
"And let me guess, I'm somehow at fucking fault, despite her living in fucking Hell? There are literal warzones she can see from her balcony," Adam reminded flatly.
"Just...fucking shut up for a moment," Lucifer said, rubbing between his eyes with a sigh. "I'm not blaming you, exactly. But Charlie mentioned something in her dreams, and I don't know where in Literal Hell she heard it. I didn't say it, Lilith didn't say it, and you are probably-"
"Stop fucking around, what did was in her dream?" Adam asked bluntly.
"...Breaker of Horns," Lucifer answered with a small glare.
Adam paused in open surprise. "Haven't heard that in a long time," Adam mused.
"So, you didn't mention it to her?" Lucifer asked pointedly.
"Why the fuck would I tell her about that? No, back the fuck up? Why the fuck would she not tell you I told her if I did? That's not a fucking topic a kid like her forgets," Adam said bluntly.
"I don't know, okay!?" Lucifer snapped. "Maybe she was afraid to make you mad or just thought we'd make her finally stay away from you!"
"Oh, take a fucking shit and eat it, Lucifuck," Adam snapped. "The fuck is your actual problem? Cause you're obviously not scared of me hurting the Hellflake! Fuck, I don't even think you're scared of me 'poisoning her mind' or anything like that. I'd get that-"
"You're taking her from me!"
Adam stopped as he saw Lucifer's eyes go red with a glare. "...The fuck you say to me?" Adam asked in surprise.
"You know how much I hate how I see her eyes light up when she talks about you!? How excited she gets when she knows she'll get to see you soon? She danced her way across the manor when you first said you'd come to her birthday! She makes plans with Razzle, Dazzle, and Keekee to try and catch you before you leave! She talks with her friends about you!" Lucifer ranted off, gripping his cane as he screwed his eyes shut.
Adam said nothing, merely crossing his arms and watching the Devil vent.
"My daughter draws pictures of her flights with you! You, who she wants to stop from killing sinners, and she smiles so wide whenever she thinks about you! And every time she asks me something and she doesn't look happy with my answer? I know, I KNOW she's thinking about if it'd be better to ask you instead! She learned the fucking names of your locusts! My-!:
"Lucifer!"
He paused in surprise, looking back up at the First Man.
"I'm not trying to steal your daughter," Adam said firmly. "I see her once or twice a year. That's fucking all. And she HATES what I do on E-day."
Lucifer tried to say something, but for once, no words came out.
"If it feels like she's being stolen away, you have only yourself to blame," Adam said pointedly.
For the first time in ten thousand years, Lucifer seemed defeated before the First Man.
And Adam cared nothing for this pitiful victory. "What did you get her?"
"What?" Lucifer blinked in surprise.
"It's your daughter's fucking birthday, what did you get her?" Adam repeated in annoyance.
"Oh. I got her a stuffed Monkey. It's enchanted and dances. It'll even play pretend tea party with her," Lucifer answered with a small smile. "You?"
Adam held up a blue, crystal-like cube with a note attached to it. "It's a recording of this movie on earth. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Seems like something she'd like."
"Snow White?" Lucifer asked skeptically. "I'm not sure she'd be a fan of the part with the Evil Queen in the iron slippers."
"Nah, nah, this shit is a lot less dark," Adam assured, waving him off. "Not my style, but I like the style."
"If you say so?" Lucifer said questioningly.
"So, you going to let me put it on her bed or what?" Adam asked impatiently.
"Hmm? Oh, right, right," Lucifer said, waving his cane.
Adam entered the room freely now and deposited his present on the bed. Without a word, he turned around and was about to make a portal back to Heaven.
He stopped, looking up at the sky of Pride. A new soul dropped in every few seconds, sometimes more than one.
Lucifer followed his gaze with a head tilt. "Still 'hearing' something in the mortal world?"
"Yeah," Adam said absently. "They're trying something new up there on Earth. They haven't named it yet, but I already know what they'll call it."
"And what is that?" Lucifer asked in morbid curiosity.
"Total War," Adam answered, still staring up.
"Ah. As if wars were less-than-total before," Lucifer said with an eye roll.
"They're redefining the entire focus of their countries, putting everything into their war potential. Imagine that shit for a second. Every ounce of will and effort of millions of people, dedicated to sustaining and advancing a conflict. It's impressively disappointing," Adam said with a scuff. "The worst part is I can't blame you for this one."
"Oh? That's refreshing," Lucifer said mildly as Adam opened a portal. "...Why?"
"Did you forget?" Adam asked as he stepped through. "Because I invented it first."
The portal closed and Lucifer paused in consideration. "Yes, I suppose you did," he realized, his mind drifting back to a more ancient and terrible time.
September 28, 1939
"Welcome to LuLu World!"
Charlie grinned widely as she got off the roller coaster ride. Her parents had surprised her with a trip to LuLu World. Things had been tense lately. Another war started on Earth, and with it came an influx of souls. Souls ready to keep fighting even in death.
She was a bit disappointed that her friends couldn't come, but while LuLu world was outside of Pentagram City proper, it was still in Pride.
"Mom, look! The person behind me threw up!" Charlie said with a giggle as she received a picture taken of her during the ride.
Lilith smiled with a tittered of laughter of her own, stroking Charlie's hair gently. Today she was absent of horns, to avoid getting caught in decorations. "Any more rides you want to go on, Charlie?"
Charlie hummed in thought. She had already tried all the new rides. And did the petting zoo, obviously. "Maybe the Fun House?" she mused, trying to remember when the last time she even went in there was? Ten years maybe?
"The Fun House it is," Lilith agreed as they walked hand in hand, handing Charlie a Behemoth Ear.
"Where'd Dad run off to?" Charlie asked curiously as she ate the treat.
"Oh, some ride broke down and he decided to fix it himself," Lilith explained offhandedly.
Charlie nodded. Some children might be disappointed their father ran off to do work in the middle of a family trip. But her father could fix the ride in about ten seconds or less thanks to his magic, so it wasn't much different than a bathroom break really.
The line to the Fun House was thankfully short. More Hellborn children were in front of her, waiting their turn. Some gave them curious looks, probably figuring out who they were, but thankfully, nobody made a big deal of out. Some even waved awkwardly at her. Being a Princess was like that at times, awkward.
Suddenly, her mother's grip got firmer, causing her to look up curiously. Lilith was looking off to the side with a glare. "What is it?" Charlie asked softly, following her gaze.
"I thought I heard something," Lilith answered vaguely before glancing back. "It looks like it's your turn."
"Huh? Oh!" Charlie said as she headed on in. "Be back soon, Mom!"
"Have fun!" Lilith called a smile before turning back to glare to the side.
For a long moment, nothing happened, and Lilith was just a parent impatiently waiting for her child to finish with a ride.
Her horns emerged.
Something small was thrown over the wall and into the park.
That was when all Hell broke lose.
Charlie happily climbed over the obstacles and explored the attraction until, without warning, an explosion shook the air and startled Charlie. "What was that? Was that part of the fun house?" she asked in confusion, hoping but doubting that to be the case.
She was proven correct as she heard the sounds of gunshots and screaming echoing into the funhouse from outside, followed by more explosions and sounds she couldn't really describe.
She ran back towards the exit, only to impact with a barrier. It shimmered purple at the touch and she knew it was her mother's. Right, she remembered this. Her mother had shown her this years ago. If she ever found a shield like this of her mother's magic, it meant she needed to stay put because something dangerous was happening. Which was obvious.
She winced as a loud roar erupted from nearby. "And Dad just started fighting," she said knowingly, trying to ignore her nervousness. It was fine. Her parents would deal with it and it'd all be over soon-
Someone screamed.
Charlie looked further into the Fun House as more gunshots erupted nearby, and saw a young demon running out of another section, only to be cut down with a shotgun blast to the head.
Charlie stared numbly as the hellborn child collapsed near her feet, blood pooling around the body.
Hellborns weren't like sinners. Sinners respawned after death, again and again, unless Angelic Steel was used. That this was effectively true for very powerful Hellborn like the Sins and the Ars Goetia. But the everyday Hellborn? That was it. Once they died, they were gone.
From around the corner came two more sinners. A rat and a buzzard
"Ahh, more little vermin to clean up," the rat said with a smirk, shotgun over his head.
Charlie barely registered the words, placing a hand over her mouth as she felt the urge to vomit, trying not to imagine the corpse as any of her friends.
There was another rumble in the ground. "Sounds like the Devil and his bride are getting serious," the buzzard said with a smirk.
The lights in the fun house began to flicker.
She shivered and, out of fear, summoned her trident and held it out defensively.
The sinners only laughed at her efforts, the darkness growing as the lights flickered more and more.
One aimed a gun at her. She felt the barrier behind her pulse protectively and knew that her mother's magic would protect her. That didn't make it less scary.
Charlie stopped shaking all at once, wide eyes slowly drifting up.
The sinners blinked and noticed it too.
The flickering stopped, but...
"Swathes of Nothing."
They weren't alone in here anymore.
There was a blur of golden light and the sinners fell to the floor in a bloody mess, bodies cut in half and arms cut off, all in one strike.
Charlie looked around in confusion and worry. "He...Hello?"
"Be careful with your calls, O Princess of the Pit."
Charlie turned and saw...something in the dark corner of the room, almost hidden by a tube leading to another room. As soon as she saw the figure, he stood up.
Dagger-like hands reached out to find purchase, clawing into the wall while dragging the large figure to their feet, dreading out to where Charlie could see them.
It wasn't a sinner, Charlie knew that, but it didn't feel like a demon. It almost felt like...an angel.
But it looked nothing like them.
No wings, no halo.
The entire body looked like one solid mass of shadows. Yet it was also like a cape, moving in the air even without wind. Only the face was distinct. It kind of reminded her of Asmodeus, as if made of a dark blue flame. Solid gold orbs for eyes blazed in the head, the light bright through the mouth and leaving a trail through the "hair" of flames.
He walked forward, and about him were golden orbs of liquid. Angel Blood?
"You never can be sure who might answer," the being cautioned with an ancient and raspy voice.
"Who...who are you?" she asked slowly.
"One who came to see your blood remained unspilled this day, Heir of Gehenna," he answered with a dip of the head and smile on his near-ethereal visage. "But you may call me Abaddon."
"Abaddon?" Charlie repeated. "I thought...I thought that was another one of my father's nicknames."
"Like Satan, Beelzebub, and Leviathan?" Abaddon retorted knowingly. "I hear tale that you now speak with the Tender of Eden and his flock."
"You mean Adam," Charlie said with a furrowed brow. "Why is that important to you?"
"Is it unkind to ask how an old comrade fairs?" Abaddon questioned rhetorically.
"Old comrade...?" Charlie repeated, eyes wide as her gaze drifted once more to his lack of wings. "You're a fallen angel?"
Abaddon hummed. "The Grigori once counted me amongst their numbers," he answered, tilting his head at Charlie's lack of comprehension. "The Watchers, child."
"Oh. Them," Charlie recalled somewhat. "You're not going to hurt me."
Abaddon looked just behind Charlie. "Even if I was, I would not be so foolish to wound a dragon's hatchling before her mother's gaze."
Charlie turned and saw her Mother standing there, a stern look on her face and shadows moving at her feet, eyes on Abaddon. "Mom!" She exclaimed, reaching to hug her around the waist."
Lilith smiled and rubbed Charlie's head comfortingly before turning her attention back to the newcomer. "Hello, Abaddon," she greeted levelly. "I wasn't expecting you here."
"Nor should you have, Serpent's Queen," Abaddon said mildly. "Tread carefully, Child of the Morningstar. A grand war has been set loose, and a dying leader might turn mobs of rabble into waves of ruin in the blink of an eye."
"I...thank you?" Charlie answered uncertainly, looking back up at her mother for a second.
When she looked back, Abaddon was gone.
They ventured outside and Charlie was dismayed to see the park was now the remains of a battlefield, or at least this side of it. Her father stood nearby, smoldering attractions and desolated bodies littered behind him. Demons, Hellborn and Sinner alike, combed through the bodies. Both to check the dead for those they knew and also to scavenge what they could.
After all, it was still Hell.
"Charlie!" Lucifer exclaimed, picking her up quickly, and hugging her with a relieved smile. "Are you okay? No cuts or bruises?"
"I'm...I'm fine, Dad. But everyone else...," Charlie trailed off solemnly, looking around at the bodies. The Sinners would come back, but the Demons would never rise again.
"I'm sorry, Honey," Lucifer said with a sigh. "We were planning to close down the park for a few years anyway. I just wanted to give you one last time before we did."
"I know Daddy, but how'd they get in? Doesn't the park normally have wards so people can't sneak in?" Charlie asked in confusion.
"Someone dropped them just before the attack," Lilith informed with the barest scowl on her regal face.
"I thought that's what I sensed," Lucifer growled. "I'll deal with that later. I'm just glad you're safe, CharChar."
"She had a protector, it seems," Lilith remarked, getting her husband's attention and caught her gazing off to the distance.
There stood Abaddon, perched on the highest curve of a rollercoaster, his form illuminated by the red moon of Hell.
"Is that who I think it is?" Lucifer asked with a frown.
"Abaddon," Charlie answered, watching the figure curiously.
Lucifer looked to his wife, who nodded meaningfully.
The Infernal Royal Family looked back up, seeing Abaddon fade away as wisps of shadow.
Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Show off."
Extermination Day, 1939
This year was a bit different. With more and more warring souls pouring into Hell, no one exactly felt safe leaving Charlie flying above the literal warzones of Pentagram City for any period of time.
Thus, this year, Adam joined Lute in showing up to the Embassy early. She would spend time with them here, and then Adam would portal her home.
And if Adam agreed, Charlie decided it probably meant it wasn't safe to be flying without heavenly imminence.
"Are you going to help?" Charlie asked curiously as she and Lute made donuts.
"Nope!" Adam answered, leaning back in his chair. "I don't bake."
Charlie gave him a long, long stare. "Please tell me this isn't a "cooking is woman's work," thing?" she all but pleaded.
"Oh fuck no. I cook a LOT," Adam said with a grin. "And I fucking rock at it."
"He does. He really does," Lute agreed with something approaching reverence. "Lady Sera actually begged him to cook Emily's birthday dinner when she turned a hundred."
"Little tyke looks like she just arrived in heaven instead of being Heavenborn," Adam said proudly.
"Oh...so why...?" Charlie asked, motioning to what she and Lute doing, then to Adam doing nothing.
"I cook, but I don't bake shit," Adam answered bluntly.
Charlie stared for a long moment, utterly confused. "What's the difference?"
"Cooking is an art! I can fine-tone and change shit up when I cook. Baking is like some kind of science shit. I mess around with a baking recipe and that shit will turn into a mess," Adam explained honestly.
"I don't really understand, but I believe you," Charlie said with a smile. "Well, I think we're done with the donuts. Now we just need to get them in the oven."
Lute and Charlie moved their trays to the oven, Adam opening them with his wings, just because he could.
Charlie hummed. "Adam, who is Abaddon?"
Lute tripped hand landing on the hot oven door. If she weren't an angel, she'd be in a lot of pain right now.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Charlie said quickly, helping Lute stand back up.
"You said Abaddon?" Lute asked evenly. "Where did you hear that name, exactly?"
"I met him," Charlie answered to Lute's surprise.
"Yeah, I heard about this," Adam said with his arms crossed. "Your parents took you to that fucking amusement park and shit went sideways."
"LuLu World," Lute said in annoyance.
"Yeah. I wasn't in any real danger, but he still showed up to help me, just in case," Charlie said with a frown. "He asked about you?"
"He asked about Adam?" Lute asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at Adam as well. "Abaddon asked about you?"
"He also said he was one of the Watchers, one of the angels who left Heaven sometime after my father's fall," Charlie remarked.
"What did your parents tell you about him?" Adam asked curiously.
"Well, Dad said that he betrayed the other watchers when they betrayed Heaven? Is that still a betrayal? And Mom said I could trust him, and that he was probably looking out for me because of you?" Charlie answered curiously.
Adam hummed in consideration. "They basically left me to explain all this shit."
"Sir, if I may?" Lute answered, getting both of their attention. "Princess? What do you know about the Old World?"
"Nothing, really?" Charlie answered. "I thought it was Eden for the longest time."
"It seems that Emily isn't the only one whose history lessons were lacking," Lute realized idly.
"Do they have any damn history books in Hell?" Adam asked curiously.
Charlie blinked in surprise. "History books? Well, yes, but...I can't read them."
Adam furrowed his brows at her. "You can't read?"
Charlie nodded. "The oldest books are in this strange writing that I don't understand. Mom and Dad say I'll know it when I'm older."
Adam stared before snorting. "The Lilin Script."
Charlie tilted her head. "What's that?"
Lute rolled her eyes. "Another thing they should have told you."
"Look, in the beginning? We all spoke the same tongue. Angels, Demons, Humans, everyone. But after Eden, there were two written languages. What the humans made, and the Angels adopted. And your mother made her own scratchings to make a language all her fucking own."
Charlie furrowed a brow. "Why didn't the Angels make their own?"
Adam shrugged. "Hellflake, up there? History and Memory are the same thing for us ancient fucks. If we got to teach something, we'd rather do it ourselves than just write it down," he elaborated. "That language is...it's not fucking genetic, but you're a Demon, a Hellion. All Souls of Hell can read Lilin Script, just like everyone upstairs can read Angel Script. It just takes a while to kick in."
"How is that possible?" Charlie asked curiously. "If it's not genetic?"
"Oh boy, getting into the conceptual shit now," Adam said with a head shake. "Hellflake, there are these...things that exist. The Elders call them the Foundations of Reality or the Pillars of Creation. I call them the World-Bones. But on those fucking bones are carved certain...rules of reality. Your parents carved the Lilin script into Hell's World-bones, the Angels wrote the angelic script into Heaven's."
"..." Charlie was looking at him as if he just explained one of the secrets of the universe to her.
In retrospect, he kind of did. "Don't get funny shit in your head, Hellflake. World-bones are not fucking wish-granting genies. They take a lot of power to fuck with, and it's even harder to make them work right because they can NOT do everything. They just make things already possible fact. Anybody could, technically, learn the scripts of Heaven and Hell the old fucking way. The world bones just let them skip the learning process," Adam warned sternly.
"I get it, I get it!" Charlie said quickly, holding up her hands in surrender. "I don't even know how to find them even if I was that careless."
"Let's keep it that way," Adam said with a hum. "Look, on the subject of Abaddon? Don't worry, you can trust him. He's just keeping an eye on you while this fucking war is unwinding."
Charlie stared at him as something started to line up. "Wait, did you...did you actually ask him to keep an eye on me?"
"Look, this isn't me shitting on your parents, this fuckery is just going to get chaotic," Adam explained firmly. "I don't even fucking blame them for taking you to the damn park one last time, just bad fucking luck at the timing."
"...I thought you always assumed the worst of my parents?" Charlie asked, pleasantly surprised.
"I do. I will also admit that, sometimes, shit happens," Adam explained. "So...you like the movie?"
"I watch it once a week," Charlie said, wide-eyed with wonder. "It is amazing!"
Adam almost snorted in amusement but stopped as he caught Lute holding back a giggle of her own, biting her lips.
He savored the view for a moment until Lute noticed. "...Sir?"
"Donuts are getting crisp," Adam informed suddenly
"FUCK!" Lute cursed, turning quickly to the oven.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Charlie said in worry.
Adam just shook his head.
Later in the night, with Charlie home and the Exterminations underway, Adam hovered in front of his exorcists, his seven captains at the front.
"Ladies! "Adam called out. "As you all know shit is rolling on Earth. This'll probably be the last year we don't have quotas again. But same rules as always: Target any and all organized groups of fuckers, and tear their asses apart. You get attacked, you fucking annihilate them. If they're fighting each other already, fuck all of them up. These assholes want to keep fighting? Well, they can fight our asses!" Adam declared loudly. "Now, let's fuck them up!"
There was a battle cry of agreement from the Exorcists as they all scattered to the winds of Hell.
Adam himself made a rapid flight to a certain radio tower, finding a certain overlord waiting casually on one of the steel bars. "Stag."
"Exorcist," Alastor returned. "You'll be happy to know that soul you asked me to deal with is gone," he said, holding up his cane as the screams echoed through it. He tapped the side, and the screams filtered until a certain voice could be heard screaming over the others. "Such a strange taste Germans have these days," Alastor remarked as he silenced the transmission. "Tell me though, why the interest in this one? Besides making him have one of the shortest reigns as an Overlord in the history of Hell."
"You should have seen the shit Gaius and Temujin pulled when they got down here," Adam said with a snort. "Entire legions and hordes ready to fight for them, to give their souls to them. More than that, they had lesser Overlords in their powers. Their generals and allies, having brought some fucking order with them."
"I see," Alastor said with a hum. "So, you don't want them to be a bigger problem when their leaders get down here?"
"Got it in one, Stag," Adam admitted. "What happened at the trashy park of Old Scratch? That was them celebrating cause they got word Poland was defeated."
"Luckily, they were foolish enough to attack on the same day that the royal family was going there," Alastor mused with a hum. "And I hear another fallen angel was there. Quiet interesting."
"Careful, Stag. That one will eat you alive," Adam warned with a smirk.
"I'd rather not be on the menu myself," Alastor admitted. "I can tell this one is of some import to you, but I have to ask."
Adam was almost amused when Alastor's smile got even wider.
"Are there any other Fallen Angels I should avoid taking a bite out of?" he asked, drooling from his fangs.
"Feel free to hunt above your weight class if you really want to," Adam said. "But I doubt you'll find them. They may be in Hell, but they're not bound to Pride like your sinner ass is. And they avoid Pride, obviously."
"Hmm, how disappointing," Alastor mused. "Still, I have nothing but time. I can wait for the right chance for such a rare prey."
Adam just shook his head. "By the way, I'm borrowing your radio tower."
"Excuse me?"
"You're fucking excused!" Adam said, using his wing to send a blade of holy energy to cut the beams of the tower, above where Alastor stood. The severed half of the building quickly slid and fell off, bending the bottom half before it fell on top of another building. The structure was crushed completely, sinners screaming within as they were crushed, the rest fleeing as they were able.
Alastor had escaped into his shadow, reappearing on top of a bent beam, giving Adam an annoyed look. "Was that necessary?"
"No, but it was fucking awesome. Grab a meal while you can, I'm going mass extermination mode now," Adam said with a grin as he flew down.
"Hm. I could use a snack," Alastor decided, traveling through his shadow in search of a particularly tasty soul.
Assuming Adam didn't kill them all first, which was a distinct possibility.
End of Chapter
Well, Lucifer vented some of his parental insecurities to Adam, and Charlie is still having nightmares. Just as important, Adam introduced the Disney Princess of Hell to the very first Disney Princess movie, snow white and the seven dwarves. Also the topic of Total War came up, which Adam feels somewhat responsible for, for some reason.
And then...LuLu World.
Okay, real talk, I debated trying to write the scene without showing Lilith. I honestly did. But it didn't really feel right. And I don't think this really detracts from the mystery of Lilith, just shows she can be a normal mother around Charlie. Cue the first showing WW2 soldiers fucking shit up in Hell. Yeah, turns out two german generals died in the Invasion of Poland. The second one, the one that caused this mess, is Werner von Fritsch. Real fanatic.
But here enters Abaddon. Someone that has some ties to Adam, and most people that know of him are still surprised to see him or hear his name. Still, yeah, he looks like a badass Shadow demon. And Adam is strangely okay with him around Charlie. But yeah, Abaddon is around just because of how bad WW2 is going to get.
And I dropped two bits of worldbuilding. World-bones and the Afterlife Scripts. So, yeah, the Original, pre-babel tongue is a thing, but Adam and Lilith both had their own written languages. This stuff is basically what is used in high class document, magics, and more. But everyone in Hell can eventually read Lilin Script and everyone in Heaven can eventually read Angelic Script.
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this! Until next time!
