A.N. - Sam and Tucker make an actual appearance in this chapter! This is also another crossover with Lucifer and I actually delve into the lore of both shows and hopefully make them make sense together!
(Quick note for non-Lucifer watchers, the Dan that Chloe mentions towards the end is her ex-husband and the father of her daughter Trixie).
Danny had to admit - the city of Los Angeles was a pretty cool place. So long as no one was forcing him into summoning circles in the middle of the night. Which, thankfully, hadn't happened again since, maybe because of the charm Clockwork had given him. It was a blue star-shaped amulet with a fancy eye carved into, affixed to a silver chain. Danny had worn it everywhere since he'd gotten it, even to bed.
His parents were attending a ghost convention in Los Angeles as speakers and had been given three extra tickets. Since this was winter break, both Danny and Jazz could go. Jazz had declined, wanting to stay at school and research. Danielle's break ended after New Year's, and a friend she'd met on the road would be stopping by Amity Park, so she had also passed. That left Danny with two extra tickets, so naturally he'd invited his two best friends, Sam and Tucker, who had happily accepted a chance to leave the Midwestern winter behind for sunny LA.
The convention didn't start until tomorrow, but his parents apparently had relatives in the area - their name was White, or Wright, or was it Spencer? - and had decided to pay them a visit. Danny's mom had wanted Danny and his friends to come too, but Danny had needled out of it by saying there'd be a lot of new people all in one place. Maddie told him it should be no problem, as their cousins lived in a mansion they'd inherited from some other cousin who'd been a pretty successful rock star until he died.
But somehow Danny had won his case, leaving him, Sam, and Tucker to their own devices. The trio had visited the beach to marvel at the Pacific Ocean for a while and then checked out the Hollywood sign. Sam visited an antique book store while the guys got food from different street vendors.
Now they were wandering around in a richer part of town, full of hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs not yet open for business. They waited at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. As they did, Danny looked at the sky, admiring how blue it was today, the same color as his eyes. The sun felt warm on his skin. Not even the noisy LA traffic in front of him or the bustle of people crowding on the sidewalk could ruin the satisfied feeling inside him right now. He'd been a little worried about returning to LA, afraid of running into another college-aged kid with the power to bind him as a ghost. But so far everything had been normal. Danny was optimistic it would stay that way.
"Well, if it isn't Danny Phantom! Back in Los Angeles so soon?"
Danny's spine stiffened at the familiar British voice, good mood instantly evaporated. Jerkily, he turned around, and sure enough, there was the man who had freed him when he'd been summoned to Los Angeles. The man was just as sharply dressed as then, now only wearing a red dress shirt underneath his suit jacket. His grin was also the same, a mix of charm and hunger as he approached the trio, arms spread wide.
How had he recognized Danny? He wasn't in ghost form, hadn't done anything nearly supernatural in the last two hours at least - how long had the man been watching them? Danny's heart sped up at the thought. And had anyone else heard?
"Danny? You okay, dude?" Tucker asked, nudging Danny's side lightly.
"Danny, who is this?" Sam asked, eyeing the man before them suspiciously.
Before Danny could say anything, the man answered, "Ah, yes, I suppose I never introduced myself last time, did I, Daniel? Something to rectify immediately!" His grin widened as he gave a little bow. "Lucifer Morningstar, at your service."
Tucker snorted. "Lucifer? Lucifer Morningstar? Come on, man, there's no way that's your real name!"
But that detective called him Lucifer, Danny thought, though he said nothing.
Lucifer looked at Tucker, amused. "Well, I grant you that it is not my first name, nor is it my only name, but I assure you that it is my real name." His gaze then flickered to Danny. "Are you quite alright, Mr. Phantom? One might think you've seen a ghost." His eyebrows waggled at his joke.
Danny, hands gripping the fabric of his sky blue shirt, was not so amused. He didn't think the man meant any harm. But the fact he recognized Danny while in human form, and apparently had no qualms about announcing that to the world, was worrying. Most ghosts didn't care about Danny's secret identity, but Danny always worried another Freakshow incident might happen. The Guys in White and other xenophobic ghost hunters who passed by Amity from time to time were also still dangerous to Danny's human and ghostly health.
Danny took a deep breath to steady himself. "How did you know it was me?" he asked finally.
Lucifer winked. "Well, let's just say, my kin and I are well used to seeing what's beneath the skin."
Danny frowned. What did that mean? Were there more like Lucifer - whatever that was? Was Lucifer a halfa? Some ghosts could disguise themselves as human, like Spectra, but Danny's ghost sense hadn't gone off at any point.
Finally Danny sighed. Leaning in closer, he said, "Look, can we just…do this somewhere else? Somewhere more private?"
Lucifer blinked, looking at the people milling about on the sidewalk as if only seeing them for the first time. Then again, he lived here; LA crowds were probably nothing new to him.
But he nodded. "Ah, yes, I see. Follow me then, young ones!" He turned on his heel, fixed his suit jacket, and strode toward a tall gray building about a block over. Danny started to follow, but a hand on his arm held him back. He turned to see Sam looking at him with concern.
"Danny, are you sure this is a good idea, listening to him?" she asked. "Who is he? What is he? If he can tell who you are just by looking at you - !"
"Yeah, man," Tucker added. "This guy seems fun and charming and all, but like, the exact kind of fun and charming that a bad guy who's about to kill you after serving you dinner has."
Danny rolled his eyes. It was comforting that his friends had similar thoughts to him, but he couldn't let them get in the way of his answers. "Look, guys, I see what you mean. But...I have a lot of questions I want to ask him. And he did help me out when I was stuck last time. We should at least talk first, alright?"
Sam and Tucker exchanged a look. Then, reluctantly, they nodded.
A shout had them all turning to stare at Lucifer, who was beckoning them towards him with his arm. "Well, come on!" he called. "Get a move on!"
Danny complied, walking forward with his friends at his side.
...
The building Lucifer led them through was a nightclub, Lux, which he apparently owned. At 3 in the afternoon, it was completely devoid of people, but had an impressive array of tables, booths, and stools for patrons, a large bar on one side, and a sleek-looking baby grand piano in the middle of the floor.
Lucifer entered an elevator tucked into the corner, with Danny, Sam, and Tucker following suit. When it finally stopped at the upper floor of the building, the doors opening with a ding, Lucifer strode into his penthouse suite, extending his arm around the room as if to show it off. Plush couches sat in the middle of the floor alongside another piano, while a fully stocked bar was built into the inside wall. To the far right was a doorway framed by stone columns, as if lifted from an ancient temple; maybe it led to a bedroom? Across from the elevator, floor length glass windows opened onto a balcony with a view of the city.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Lucifer declared, pouring himself a drink at his bar. He gestured to the couches and chairs. "Please, have a seat."
The trio did as he suggested, settling down on the couch. Lucifer sat himself in a loveseat across from them, placing his drink on the coffee table in between.
"Can I get you anything to drink? You're welcome to anything behind my bar," he added with a smirk.
Tucker perked up at that but Danny put a hand on his friend's knee and said, "We're good, thanks." Best not to accept anything, especially alcohol (which Tucker had a horrible tolerance for anyway) before they knew who they were dealing with.
Likely thinking the same thing, Sam leaned forward in her seat, eyes narrowed. "Alright," she started. "Now you have to tell us -"
"Ah, ah, ah," Lucifer interrupted, wagging a finger back and forth. "Me first. Young Phantom here owes me a favor, and I intend to collect."
Sam scowled while Danny sighed. The maybe-man had been made it clear last time he didn't want Danny to hurt anyone, but a favor could still be anything.
"What is it?" he asked.
Lucifer beamed at him. "Simple, really! I want to know your story. Tell me how all this" he gestured to Danny with both arms, "happened, and I'll consider that full payment for releasing you from that circle."
Danny blinked, then smiled. That wasn't so bad. Lucifer already knew both his identities anyway. "Alright," he agreed.
Then he transformed. The rings of light washed over him, and his ghostly appearance took its place. Levitating slightly, Danny began,
"When I was fourteen, my parents built a very...strange machine…"
In his telling, Danny kept a few major things out, such as the Reality Gauntlet, Danielle's creation, or his evil alter ego. He gave a small demonstration of his powers, ones Lucifer hasn't already seen - ice, duplication, and a small ecto ray. Sam and Tucker also chimed in a few times with their own stories.
Through it all, Lucifer sat enraptured. He hovered on the edge of his seat, eyes bright, lips slightly parted. When Danny formed a perfect snowball in his hand, Lucifer threw his head back and laughed.
"My, my!" He exclaimed, mouth stretched in an impossible grin. "Will modern marvels never cease! I've seen more wonders on Earth in the last handful of years than any in the last millennium!" He composed himself a bit, then chuckled. "Thank - well, not my Father, but somebody for vacations, am I right?"
Danny frowned, puzzled. "Um, when you say 'millennium', you mean, like…"
"Yeah, man," Tucker added, "are you gonna tell us what you are now? Are you some new kinda ghost?"
Lucifer looked surprised. He glanced between the three of them, seeming confused. "Didn't I tell you already? I'm Lucifer Morningstar." A beat. Then he added, "The Devil."
Sam snorted. "Excuse me? The Devil?"
"Yes indeed! You know. Satan, Old Nick, Old Scratch. Robbie Goodfellow." Lucifer's grin returned, amused once more. "You're telling me you believe in ghosts and half human ghost hybrids, but you won't believe in me?"
"I believe in the possibility of the Devil," Sam replied. She tapped her foot thoughtfully, then shook her head. "But I don't believe the Devil is you."
"Yeah, hard pass on that one," Tucker agreed. "Right, Danny?" He nudged Danny's side.
But Danny was staring at Lucifer, face serious. He was quiet, thinking. When Lucifer turned to face him, amused smile still in place, Danny said softly, "Your eyes. Show us your eyes."
Lucifer's smile faded. He stared back at Danny, head tilted in consideration. Then he nodded. "Yes," he murmured, as if more to himself. "Yes, that's fair. You show me yours, I'll show you mine, that's how it goes." He nodded again, and said louder, "Yes, alright. I'll show you more than just my eyes. I think you'll be able to handle it. Just know, children, that I mean you no harm. I am not the villain everyone makes me out to be."
"Wha - " Sam and Tucker started, but broke off when Lucifer's face changed.
Gone was the fair skin, dark eyes, and handsome features. In their place was a mess of raw flesh, punctuated by welts and burns. Lucifer's hair was also gone, leaving a dark red dome. It was as if someone had scalped him, scraping off his face in the process, and only the muscle and sinew beneath remained.
With a yelp, Sam and Tucker immediately sprang to their feet, leaning away from Lucifer. Danny stayed where he was, staring intently at Lucifer's new form. Normally he would be surprised at his friends' actions - they had faced ghosts just as ugly and disturbing as Lucifer was now - but there was something more going on with Lucifer than just a sickening visage. As Danny peered into Lucifer's flaming red eyes, he felt goosebumps erupt across his skin.
Fear me, a voice whispered at the edges of Danny's mind. At the edges of his heart. I am hatred, I am ruin. I am damnation incarnate.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lucifer's face returned to normal. Expression solemn, but human-looking, his gaze flickered to the three of them. "Are you all alright?" he asked.
Danny let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He glanced to each side, watching as Sam slowly retook her place on the sofa next to him, swallowing hard. Tucker stayed standing, arms wrapped around himself.
"Wha - wha- what was that?" Tucker squeaked.
"That was my Devil face," Lucifer replied. "Do you believe me now?"
"That...was intense," Sam said after a while, voice shaking slightly. Danny frowned at her in concern, but she managed a crooked smile for him.
Lucifer was quiet, patiently waiting while the three of them recovered from what he had shown them. Just as Danny was coming to terms with it, however, a horrifying thought sprang to mind.
"Wait a minute..." Now it was Danny's turn to leap off the couch, clutching at his chest. "Does this mean I made a literal deal with the Devil?! Are you kidding me? You - you're not gonna take my soul now, are you?"
Lucifer rolled his eyes, taking a long sip of his drink before answering. "Oh, come now, Daniel, I thought we were past all this. No, I do not want your soul. You've already repaid your favor with your story, remember?
Danny slowly lowered himself back on the couch. "Oh. Right. Well, that's...comforting."
"As it should be," Lucifer responded airily. Then he grinned again. "Now. I'm sure you have questions. So do I. Let's make a game of it, shall we? Tit for tat, question for question. You go first."
Danny thought for a moment. Then, "Well, what happened to that kid?" At Lucifer's blank look he added, "You know, the one who summoned me."
Realization dawned. "Ah, yes! Well, he was a momentary person of interest in a case of ours, but turns out he wasn't involved." Lucifer shrugged. "But I did give him a stern talking-to, so to speak, so he shouldn't bother you again in the near future."
Danny nodded his thanks, fingering Clockwork's protective charm.
Sam crossed her arms. "And your question?"
Lucifer waved a dismissive hand. "No, too easy. You can go again."
"In that case, " started Tucker, one hand on his hip. "If… if all this Heaven, Hell, Devil stuff is real - and I'm not saying it is, 'cuz I'm not fully convinced you're not just an über-old and powerful ghost like Clockwork - but if it is, then where does Ghost Zone fit in to all that?"
Lucifer looked thoughtful as he considered Tucker's words. "An excellent question," he mused. "I suppose it could only be a part of Purgatory. Very rarely do souls remain roaming free - either their guilt traps them in a Hell loop, or one of my brethren carries them to the Silver City. Usually Azrael, but she is terribly busy and 98% of my siblings are lazy or incompetent, so some souls may get forgotten in the celestial shuttle busing."
Danny, Sam, and Tucker all leaned in, as fascinated now as Lucifer had been earlier.
Lucifer continued, "If so, then their souls have no choice but to wait around on the Earthly plane to get picked up, or try and find their own way, such as through Purgatory. Whether it's anything like your Ghost Zone, I can't say; it's the only realm angels cannot enter. Only humans can." He tilted his head. "I've known living humans who've used magic to enter there, even given a few a special playing card myself, but I never would have thought humans could simply build a portal there through science. Your parents truly are remarkable, young Phantom."
Danny smiled, filled with a sense of pride for his parents - admiration from an honest-to-goodness angel, even if he was also the Devil, had to be pretty high praise.
"My turn, now," Lucifer declared. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Speaking of your parents, Daniel, you said they started out trying to hunt you before they knew about your powers. First off, antagonistic parents - I sympathize. Second off, how, exactly, did they finally discover the truth?"
Danny's smile turned sheepish. He rubbed the back of his head while beside him Tucker and Sam shared a look. "Um, yeah, well, about that..."
...
Detective Chloe Decker sighed in relief as she rode in the elevator from Lux's first floor up to Lucifer's penthouse. She'd had an uneventful but still busy day of filing paperwork, one look at which had had Lucifer running out of the precinct. His aversion to such "boring and superfluous activity" made her wonder sometimes how he kept his own business afloat. Then again, he probably paid people to manage it for him.
Regardless, they had made plans for dinner tonight, and Chloe was looking forward to it. It was her turn to pick what kind of meal they ate so after dropping her daughter Trixie off at Dan's place, she'd picked up some takeout from a great Chinese place nearby. The scent of chicken, broccoli, and brown sauce wafted from the takeout cartons she was currently holding.
Once the elevator doors opened, Chloe stepped out. "Lucifer, I'm here! I'm hungry so let's eat before the food gets -"
She stopped abruptly once she realized Lucifer was not alone. Immediately Chloe's detective instincts kicked in and she appraised them, taking in every detail that she could. Three teenagers, two males and one female, sat on Lucifer' couch opposite him. The girl had pale skin, purple eyes, and black hair gathered into a ponytail. She wore a black tank top and a dark green skirt. One of the boys was black and wore a red baseball cap, a yellow T-shirt, and red shorts. Lastly, the other boy, fair-skinned, had very short black hair, bright blue eyes, and a sky blue shirt and white shorts. All physically fit-looking, especially blue-eyed boy, as if they regularly worked out.
The three of them, as well as Lucifer, were now looking at her.
Lucifer shot her a brilliant smile. "Detective! Is it time for our date already? Time certainly flies when you're discussing the secrets of the universe."
Chloe kept her gaze on the strangers, frowning. "Lucifer, why are these kids up here? I doubt they're even legally allowed in this building."
"Hey!" cried one of the boys, the black one with the red hat. "We're totally legal!" When Chloe raised an eyebrow, he quickly amended, "Well, to vote, anyway."
"Not to worry, Detective, I haven't corrupted them - not with alcohol, at least," Lucifer replied, giving her a winning smile. "Young Daniel here was just repaying me a favor."
Chole glanced over at the other boy, Daniel.. She didn't like the idea of a kid this young owing Lucifer favors. She knew Lucifer would never deliberately hurt anyone, but she also knew the types of business that some of Lucifer's associates dabbled in.
Finally she sighed. "Do I even want to know?"
"Well, that depends, Detective. Would you like to hear a story involving a gross disregard for lab safety, the untimely death of a minor, and constant invasion of the Earth by otherworldly creatures bent on destruction?"
Chole blinked. She didn't even know where to begin with that one. "I...don't think so. Not tonight. I've had a very long day."
"Very well, another time then." Lucifer looked back at the trio. "Well, my young friends, this has certainly been illuminating! A far more thrilling day than I imagined when I woke up this morning, so thank-you for that!" He picked up his glass and toasted them before throwing it back.
The teenagers stood up. "It's been pretty enlightening for us, too," Daniel answered. "I'm glad we were able to meet again, Lucifer."
"Likewise, Mr. Fenton. You and your friends are welcome here anytime," Lucifer replied. He raised his now-empty glass in a salute. "Until we meet again."
Daniel nodded, then turned away, giving Chloe a small smile. She returned it, watching curiously as the three of them piled into Lucifer's elevator. The gate shuttered shut, and then they were gone.
A.N. - I snuck in one more fandom here; the Wright family is from the cartoon Dude, That's My Ghost! which I discovered from a DP/Dude crossover. I also thought of making a reference to Jump City from the animated Teen Titans (2003), but I figured this chapter had enough crossovers for now.
Lucifer from Lucifer is a well-meaning guy. But he loathes liars and is constantly telling people who he really is, so I figured he would either be flabbergasted or displeased by the idea of secret identities. Regarding his ability to see Danny as Phantom even in human form: short version - I headcanon angels being able to see the spiritual side of angels and demons, that includes half-ghosts like Danny.
Long version - angel physiology in Lucifer is really interesting. They have physical bodies on Earth (i.e. they don't have to possess humans, unlike Supernatural) and their wings can be seen and felt (and even thrown away) by humans. They also explicitly have souls like humans and can die and go to Hell, as Lucifer does twice. However, their bodies are impervious to injury except from special Hell-forged knives and they have superhuman strength and stamina. They can also travel between realms with their wings. Lucifer is able to hide his Devil face with a glamour, as well, and angels can tuck their wings away so there's some perception twisting power there as well. So...I headcanon angels being able to see the spiritual side of angels and demons, and that includes half-ghosts.