If there was one thing Lucifer hated more than the mortal sinners he was surrounded by, it was the impromptu messages from Heaven. He hated getting them, hated reading them, really hated that he had to drop whatever he was doing just to answer their summons. Every time it was always the same, a golden scroll would appear politely requesting a meeting at the embassy which was always followed by Adam blathering on for an hour about how terrible Hell was and how low he'd fallen before finally getting around to telling him whatever ten second message Sera actually had for him.

Every time! I know Sera hates me, but she could at least just include the message on the scroll! Or better yet send a recorded hologram! But nooooo! She had to add one more layer to my endless torment.

This one had been even more annoying as it had appeared just after he decided to check up on Charlie and her little redemption project. Something he still saw as impossible but allowed believing she'd realize the impossibility of it and find something else. But he still loved her so until then he'd at least humor her. That and with Lilith being gone for nearly four years now Charlie was the only family he had left. So, he pulled himself away from his workshop and his growing pile of depression duckies to go and pay her a visit.

"At least she has Razzle and Dazzle, oh and that exorcist girl." that had been a surprise find out. Naturally he'd sensed her heavenly aura and pointed that out only for Charlie to say she already knew where Vaggie came from. But so long as she was willing to help out, she had a place at the hotel. Naturally he was suspicious and was tempted to kill her on the spot but seeing his little girl practically begging him to let her stay did pull at his heartstrings.

Of course, he only allowed her to stay after he forced her to make a deal with Charlie to always serve and protect her. "Charlie might be angry with me for a while, but it is better to deal with these things before they become a problem."

Plus, this assured this new fallen angel would be out of the reach of any overlords. Besides he thought creating a golden portal. At least I reconnected with her. Sure, our path is still rocky but hey we have all eternity. Hhmm... maybe I can even convince some of hell's nobility to give support in exchange for me showing up to whatever event their hosting.

Appearing in front of the embassy scroll in hand he grumbled about dealing with his other problem. Unlike all the other times this message wasn't formal and merely requesting a meeting, no this was different, just four simple words.

"Lucifer please come immediately." Sera's handwriting but more emotional than he'd ever seen. Which was already worrying as she was the definition of refined restraint.

With a push the grand doors opened, and he instantly was on guard. Why? Because the inside of the embassy, the normally always pristine beacon of light in Hell was dark. Normally he couldn't look anywhere without nearly being blinded by light, but now? Now it looked like all the light had vanished.

Summoning a fireball, he started toward the meeting room feeling an increasing sense of despair with every step. By the time he was slowly pushing the door open he'd fully transformed thinking Adam had finally lost his mind and was about to try and fail at assassinating him.

That thought vanished when he saw Sera. No, not just saw, he sensed her. She was really here, no hologram but physically here In Hell. Slumped over... weeping, hands trembling as they clutched something but very much here. Which told him something very bad had happened or was about to happen.

"Sera?" he asked hesitantly.

Her head shot up and he saw the scratch marks going across her face still faintly leaking blood. Though it was her expression that made him flinch. The same expression he'd seen thousands of times on mortal sinners. The "I deserve to be punished" expression that comes when they realize how badly they fucked up and that they deserve to be in Hell. Usually followed by a rapid descent into drugs or alcohol.

Seeing it on Sera was for lack of a better word haunting. "Sera?" he asked again.

She blinked seeing him here before her gaze sifted to a darkened corner. Following her gaze, he sensed it before he fully could stop himself.

That aura... a seraphim!?

His head whipped back to Sera who had started crying her eyes never leaving the figure. So, he decided to investigate himself and made the fireball hover over the figure illuminating it. "Lu-Lucifer please..." her broken tone only fueled his curiosity though he was quickly realizing he wasn't going to like what he saw.

What he saw however nearly made him turn off the light and wretch. Why? Because of her injuries. This seraphim, this girl looked to be barley two hundred, just younger than Charlie and yet here she lay covered in injuries with her dress still damp with golden blood. He growled feeling his paternal instincts kicking in making him want to kill whoever did this.

Her halo was missing, her eye was red and swollen shut, her cheeks red and tear stained, her hands had golden blood both on them and under her nails. He'd seen enough of Satan's handywork to know defensive wounds when he saw them. Which was all the more confusing as if this seraphim was in Heaven than how or why was she attacked? Golden blood means her attack happened in Heaven by an angel, but who? And why? He thought knowing he'd hate any answer he got.

Sadley, it got worse as he saw the blood still pouring from her back and side, already knowing what he'd see but still hoping he was wrong he looked back to Sera wanting to hear it from her.

"I...I... she...! - I'm so sorry!" before she started crying again.

Gently as he could he moved her to her stomach hearing her unconscious groan of pain from being moved. It only took him five seconds, but after those seconds he wished he hadn't.

"Sera..." he asked his horns sprouting from his anger and disgust rising. "WHERE ARE HER WINGS!?"

His anger shook the room as he stared at her back. Where normally he would see six large white wings signifying her rank as a seraphim, now he could only see the gory aftermath of their removal. The entire back of her dress was gone clearly ripped off which was disgusting enough, but the area where her wings once were was even worse. Ripped skin, bone fragments still poking out, trace amounts of magic still lingering on her back either showing that someone either removed them with magic or tried to heal the wound. Sera probably tried to heal her but with this much damage... yeah, I'd cry to.

Then there was the one mark that made him blast a nearby pillar with fire. Just above her waist just under her dress was the unmistakable footprint.

Someone held her down before doing this. Doing his best to calm down he marched over to Sera. "Explain! Now!" Sera opened her mouth to speak but after a few moments of opening and closing her mouth she muttered the words that he didn't see coming. "...I warned her... I warned Emily."

To his horror he finally saw what she was clutching. "Her halo." it was when she let it go did, he see the golden blood on her hands. "Sera, what HAPPANED!?" unable to look at him she simply looked down at the halo that hours earlier had been atop Emily's head. She truly didn't want to tell him anything, but she also knew that there was no longer any going back.

"It all started a month ago. Emily overheard Adam talking about the exterminations, thankfully for once he kept his mouth shut. Of course, only because I was in the room. But Emily had heard enough to grow curious. She began asking questions about mortal souls, about Hell, about you."

"Me? Why me?" he figured his history was one Heaven would do their best to tell the bare minimum about.

"She knew you'd been cast out but began asking why. Asking why you weren't given the chance to redeem yourself and return." her hands shaking she remembered the incident. "When I wouldn't tell her... she snuck into the archives. At first, I let her do it thinking she'd realize it was pointless; I told myself after a few days she'd get bored and stop... but she just kept looking."

Already knowing where this was heading Lucifer sighed before speaking. "And let me guess, she discovered something?"

"No, in fact the opposite. She found out that we don't know how a soul gets to Heaven."

"What!?"

She ignored his outburst now to lost in the memoirs. "I told her to stop, told her that asking questions, questioning Heaven wouldn't lead anywhere good... but...but... then she uncovered the exterminations and demanded that I stop them. She was so angry, so hurt that I had kept this from her, from all of Heaven." unable or unwilling to tell the next she extracted the memory from her mind letting it play out for him.

"Lighten up Emily we're only killing the mortal souls that already screwed their chance to get up here." came Adam's annoyed voice as he laid on a cloud while nearby Lute nodded in agreement.

"b-but Adam that's horrible! They're your own descendants and yet you happily kill them!"

"Like I said they had their chance." he said dismissively.

Distraught she turned to Sera hoping for a better answer. "It is for the best Emily. This makes sure Hell can never pose a threat to us."

Her emotions running wild Emily then screamed "Then why keep it a secret! I looked through the archives and never once was this recorded!"

"Emily... there is a reason Heaven is unaware-"

"Well maybe they should now! Heaven is a place of truth and light. Not secrets and death!" seeing their expressions she spread her wings. "In fact, I'm summoning the council now."

Sera went rigid while Adam shot up. "Woah there kid let's not do something you'll regret. Don't want to end up like Lucifer."

"Don't mention him! I know he offered you and Eve the apple but nowhere is it recorded that he made you eat it. You choose to do it even though you knew it was wrong!" the room went silent as Sera, Adam and Lute sensed Emily was entering very dangerous territory.

"Emily...I understand you're upset but you need to stop."

Even the normally egotistical Adam was looking uneasy. "Yeah, listen to Sera kid. Tell you what, you calm down and keep this from the council and I promise no more exterminations...for a few years, just stop right now and we call this a bit of youthful rebellion." Sera shook her head ready to sweep this under the rug. "Yes Emily listen to Adam."

"Yeah kid, you don't want to...wellll...fall" But Emily wasn't listening she was to busy creating the summons for the council.

"The truth must come out! And maybe when this is done maybe we could even talk to Lucifer about coming back, I bet he'd give up his kingdom if it meant returning here."

That statement, that one simply sentence was enough for one of them to act. The blow came hard and fast as Lute grabbed Emily's hand stopping the creating of the summons before punching her in the face. "Such hearsay cannot be allowed."

Lucifer paused the memory looking at Sera. "You're telling me Heaven didn't know! That it has no idea how souls get into Heaven or Hell!?" ashamed Sera just shook her head.

His anger was boiling over at the realization that he probably had legions of people down here that could have gone to Heaven but simply been pushed down here for whatever reason. He began to pace back and forth his footsteps leaving firefly marks as he tried to comprehend everything. "Okay... okay...so she starts asking questions and Adams's little psychopath beats her up and rips her wings off. And what? You just stood there and watched!?"

When she didn't answer another thought came to mind. One he really really didn't want to consider.

The silence went on and through gritted teeth he asked the question he knew he wouldn't like the answer to. "Sera, what did you do?" when her hand went to the mark on her face he knew. It sickened him to his core and in that moment, he wanted to kill her, but he controlled himself enough to continue the memory wanting to give himself the smallest bit of hope he was wrong.

Emily hit the floor before Lute pressed down on her back looking at Adam as she unsheathed her sword. "Allow me to punish her sir." Adam for once was silent as he eyed her in shock.

To his horror Lucifer watched as Sera walked over. "I'll do it."

"Sera?" Emily asked seeing her sister grab her wings. "You were warned Emily." her screams as she pulled her lower two wings off were something Lucifer knew he'd be hearing for some time. Sera wasn't quick or precise, not that Lucifer knew how to quickly remove wings but seeing Sera slowly pull and tear... well even Satan killed those he was truly angry at quickly.

He watched as Emily in pain unleased her power pushing Sera off and trying to fly away, only for Sera to grab a wing with a glowing hand. Emily whipped around in a panic and brought her nails across Sera's face drawing blood. She let go and he saw how even in pain Emily realized what she done and rushed to Sera. "Oh my gosh Sera I'm so sorry!"

No Emily, take the chance and fly away! He mentally screamed.

This proved to be a mistake as Sera reached around her and with two glowing hands began pulling. "Sera please don't!" he looked away as her pained screams filled the room before he paused it again.

"...I didn't have a choice! Lute was going to remove them with angelic steel. You know injures caused by those won't ever heal!" she pleaded. "But if there was even a chance, even the smallest chance they would grow back I had to take it."

His response was to slam his fist down on the table crushing it. "So instead of simply removing them with magic... you did it by hand!?"

Her hands trembled as she recalled the feeling of her sister's wings in her hands. " I...I tried to do it quickly, but I di-did't want to hurt her...I thought if I used magic to amply my strength it would be quicker." But she could still recall the sound of the crunch, the sounds of bones breaking as Emily tried to break free when she hesitated for even a second. How she had to force herself to keep pulling as Emily pleaded for her to stop. Promising she'd be good only for her words to fall on deaf ears as Sera added more power causing her to scream and black out as they were removed.

Seeing the blood still on her hands and the frozen memory of Emily in pain, she couldn't stop from turning around and vomiting.

Lucifer backed up disgusted in more ways than one as he resumed the memory and saw as Sera removed the remaining two before pulling her halo off. "so..uhhh what now Sera? I know she's going to Hell, but you know people will ask questions."

Clutching Emily's halo with enough strength to nearly shatter it Sera with a cold focus responded. "My sister having seen the horror's of Lucifer's realm decided to sequester herself so she may pray for humanity to be better. That is all anyone needs to know and the only thing you will tell anyone."

"Right got it, I'll open the portal and we can chuck-"

"You will leave immediately! I will handle this." he didn't need to be told twice and took Lute before flying off leaving Sera to pull Emily into a hug her hands coating in her blood. "I'm sorry Emily. I'm so sorry!" with those words the memory died.

"So once again someone asks questions and Heaven's first response is to cast them out?"

"Lucifer...it's different this time..."

"Your right Sera this time it was different." he said sarcastically.

"This time someone was punished for doing the right thing and trying to expose your dirty little secrets. Frist you lie to Heaven, then you torture your own sister, WHILE SHE BEGS FOR MERCY! oh and let's not forget how you're lying about where currently is. That about sum things up? "

"Lucifer!"

"At least this time you had the decency to personally escort them to Hell for their exile. That is why you brought her here right? Can't risk her telling anyone so you banish her down here. Which is probably worse than death as now she'll spend an eternity looking up and asking why. You should have just kill-"

"SAMAEL!"

Hearing his old name, his original name shut him up. "...please Samael" she pleaded on the verge of a breakdown. "Please watch over and protect her. If only for one more time, please be the lightbringer and help guide her through this dark time...I know I messed up, but I'm begging for your help." he wanted to refuse her; to tell her he wasn't going to clean up her mess.

He could have; he should have. Simply say no and walk away leaving her to deal with this herself. But damn it all if hearing Sera plead for him to embrace his old role, to do what nobody else could if even for one more time did fill him with the same pride that led to his fall.

So, with a sigh he brought out his wings offering her his hand which she took officially sealing the deal."One last time Sera, but make no mistake, I'm only doing this for Emily."

For the first time she smiled and opened her arms wanting to hug him "Thank you thank you thank-" in one motion he summoned his cane and unsheathed the angelic steel sword hidden within and brought it down across her face. He felt it connect, saw her stumble back before he turned around and saw the golden blood dripping off his sword. "I said I'd protect her, not that I wouldn't harm you. Let that be the start of your penance." he heard her scream in pain before hearing the portal appear. Although what made him want to swing again was what he felt coming from her. Pain, shame, guilt, but worst of all, the one emotion that made him want to truly kill her was acceptance. The realization that she deserved the pain she was feeling right now. Thankfully she left seconds later, and he knelt down to Emily seeing her eye starting to open. "...who?...where?" her vision was blurry but she could just barely make out the six winged man crouching in front of her.

"shhhh little Emily you just go back to sleep." he said scooping her up. "Now let's get you to Belphegor she'll patch you up." Emily barely conscious simply nodded before blacking out again. As he walked, he summoned his phone and dialed Charlie.

"Hey Charlie, big favor but meet me at Belphegor's hospital like right now, oh and bring your angel friend I may need her help with a blood transfusion."

"...what?! for who?"

Emily groaned and gripped his suit tightly. "For your new little sister."