More to the Story

by MischaLoth

Something is wrong in Hell- other than the usual- and Lucifer has to take it upon himself to get to the bottom of it. But when old faces from Heaven pay him a visit, things are turned on their head as Lucifer starts to realize things go way deeper than he first thought. Will include a mix of lore including Lovcraftian Mythos. Subplot Pairings: Chaggie and Adam's Apple.

18. I'm on a Boat

"I am so glad you came by." Lucifer stood in the doorway, holding Charlie by the hand, looking up at her, the smile on her face brightening the entire mansion. Lysander had dragged Syn and Adam away, claiming that Lucifer needed alone time with his daughter. The Devil wasn't entirely sure where they had gotten off to, but it didn't matter. He could find them later. "Even if you didn't vote for me."

"Sorry." Charlie laughed, squeezing his hand. "But you said to be honest."

"You did the right thing." Lucifer gave a dramatic sigh. "Even if it did crush my ego and destroy me emotionally. Betrayed by my own flesh and blood."

"I think you'll live." Charlie bent down and pressed a kiss to her father's cheek.

"We... should do this again sometime. I liked having you here."

"Oh, for sure. I have plans next week to do a sticker exchange with Syn."

"You made plans with Syn?" Lucifer blinked. "When?"

"She came up to me when I was going to the bathroom. She is adorable, dad. Reminds me of the toys you used to make for me when I was little. Do you remember those?" There was a warm sense of nostalgia in Charlie's tone. Perfect, Charlie associated his current creations with the toys he would make when she was young. Lucifer loved creating those little playthings, Charlie's whole face would light up when she would play with them. Even if he couldn't be physically around all the time, he could still create something beautiful for her to have, a part of himself to always be close. To know Charlie remembered those times as fondly as she did, melted his heart.

"I remember." Lucifer pulled her close again, giving her an additional hug. "It's so good to have you here."

"And you know you can stop by the Hotel at any time."

"I know."

"Just maybe warn me if you're bringing Adam along. I know he needs more Redemption training, but the others still aren't super happy that I am trying to help him."

"You know you don't have to do this, sweet apple." He squeezed her hands tightly, assuring her that she wasn't bound to fixing Lucifer's problems.

"I know. But I stand by what I believe. Redemption is possible." She took a deep breath; he could see her expression soften. "And I know you believe in me too. And that means a lot. I like being included."

"I know." Ouch. Charlie was trying her damnedest to uncover the issues that Lucifer was trying to bury. It wasn't fair to Charlie to keep her at arm's length with all of this, she was the princess of Hell. She had the right to know about the present danger, but at the same time, that was his baby girl. He had watched her learn to walk. He had created her with all the hope and love he had left. She was his greatest contribution. All the stars in the sky that he had made in his angel days, paled in comparison to Charlie. And though she was grown, he still felt the need to protect her. "I love you so much Char-Char."

"I love you too dad." She smiled, letting go of his hands as she headed out of the door. "See you soon."

"It's never too soon to see you again." He stood in the doorway watching her as she headed down the winding path, waving. "By crabapple! I love you!"

"Love you too dad!" He could hear the laughter in her voice as she gave one last wave, before turning around and heading back toward her Hotel.

"Wow, that was a lot. I feel like I might fucking puke again." The grating sound of Adam's voice made Lucifer's face fall as he started to close the door once Charlie was out of sight.

"Shouldn't you be off celebrating your victory?" Lucifer turned around to see Adam; arms folded over his chest as he leaned against the banister to the stairs. "I'm sure you can gloat to Lysander for at least thirty minutes before he gets bored."

"Oh, more like an hour, he fucking loves me." Adam smirked. "But who doesn't? I'm a goddamn delight. And a winner. It's impressive how amazing I actually am."

"Mmhmm. Then why aren't you with him right now? I thought you three were off doing shots or some shit- actually, please don't take Syn to do shots. She's too young for the party scene."

"I was with him, but then I left because they were going to do karaoke and Syn always gets too close to the mic and it makes this soul-splitting feedback that-"

"Right. Adam, I don't actually care." Lucifer held up a hand to shut him up. He cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose since you're the cook now- on top of being the maid- you'll need to start figuring out our future menu. I personally am most curious about the future desserts-"

"We need to talk." Adam cut him off. We'll that was fucking rude. Lucifer gave an annoyed snort.

"We are talking. We're talking about food."

"We need to talk about today." Adam wasn't budging.

"What about it? You won a cooking competition, not a fucking war. It's not that deep, asshole."

"Something is going on with you. I saw the bite mark on your neck again."

"Why the fuck were you looking at my neck, you creepy weirdo?" Lucifer's face contorted into a look of disgust and unease. Fuck. Was Adam not as stupid as he looked? (Not that it was much of an accomplishment.) Why wouldn't he have brought this shit up earlier?

"There was blood on your collar. I was just confused by that and one thing led to another so I was looking at your neck. Listen, it's not weird unless you make it weird."

"I mean that's sounds pretty fucking strange even in context." Lucifer wanted very much to not be having this conversation, especially not with Adam. He wanted to just go to his room and start to think about his problems in a peaceful environment. Maybe in a bathrobe with a glass of wine.

"Did I get you sick?" There was no way in Hell that Adam was concerned, so Lucifer could only interpret his voice to be annoyed.

"No. I'm not Corrupted." That was probably true. The flecks of gold on his collar were all the proof he really needed. "The blood never turns black." Lucifer took off his coat examining the collar. He had kept one of the stained shirts just to be absolutely certain, and the blood never lost its glistening golden luster.

"But then what's going on with your magic? I mean, don't get me wrong, you're a screwup and that is your entire personality, but like, you are fucking up way more than usual." Adam's eyes were narrowed, locked on Lucifer, almost as if he was studying him as the devil put coat back on.

"I'm not fucking up dumbass, I'm fucking with you. Big difference. Huge even."

"No, you're not." Adam's reply was rather short. It was almost like he was trying to have an honest conversation with him, which was so unlikely that Lucifer half wondered if he WAS Corrupted and having delusions of some kind.

"Quite frankly I fail to see how any of this is your business. I don't typically discuss matters of health with my palace staff. Or with people who have a history of trying to kill me. Call me a private person, if you will." Lucifer straightened his posture and started to head up the stairs, past Adam, refusing to make eye contact to prove a point. Adam grabbed him by the arm trying to pull Lucifer to look at him. He couldn't. Lucifer was physically too strong; it was like an ant trying to pull an elephant.

"If something is wrong with you, I have a right to know."

"You really don't." Lucifer pulled his arm away.

"Yes, I fucking do. My life is in your hands." Adam went very quiet suddenly. Lucifer turned quickly to look at him, making sure he wasn't about to have another episode. Adam looked... upset? Confused? Worried? God he could be such a hard read sometimes. Lucifer could read his emotions- it was an angelic talent- but with the Corruption in Adam even that could be unreliable as his negative emotions were amplified, drowning out any positive feelings he might have. (If Adam was capable of positive feelings. It seemed unlikely that he was, just given his previous actions.)

"Adam...?" they had just been staring at each other in complete silence as Lucifer reflected on their prior interactions and Adam seemed to have some sort of existential crisis.

"I hate that so fucking much." Adam's face twisted into a look of anger and disgust. "I hate that it's true- but it is. You're the whole goddamn reason I'm still here. And I don't mean Hell- even though every second with you is my own personal Hell-"

"Same. Continue." It was Lucifer's turn to cross his arms over his chest.

"I mean, I hate you. You are the fucking worst. You are literally everything wrong with society and are the reason behind every bit of suffering I have ever experienced-"

"Is there a but at the end of this? Because, if there is, you should skip to that part because this pep-talk fucking sucks." Lucifer's eyes narrowed. Adam took a deep breath, he seemed to be building himself up for something.

"BUT," the word sounded incredibly forced. "You are also the only thing stopping me from completely falling apart. I... I hate you..." His hands were clenched into fists, but he took a deep breath and Lucifer could see the grip start to relax. "But I hate what the Corruption is doing to me more."

"..." Lucifer was quiet. He wasn't sure what to say. He was prepared for a lot of things, but an honest conversation with Adam hadn't been on the list of possible scenarios for the day. So, he was a bit thrown off. "Listen, I promise you I'm not Corrupted."

"Then what's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm perfectly fine."

"You're not fine. If I did something to you then we have to fucking fix it." Adam seemed to realize how insane he must have sounded because his face tinted gold and his eyes cast toward the floor. "At least until I get back into Heaven. Then you can just fucking die. Won't be my problem anymore." He looked back up.

"Right." Lucifer wasn't sure how to respond. Adam was shockingly insistent for a man the Devil had personally screwed over on multiple occasions. In all honesty, Lucifer was just a bit surprised that Adam was observant enough to realize something was amiss. But why wait to have this conversation until after Charlie had left? What was the point? He would have had more leverage if he'd called him out publicly.

"So, what's the plan? What are we going to do to fix this?" Adam was still staring up at him, mismatched eyes intense and focused.

"There is no we." Lucifer was quick to oust the idea. "There is a you and a me with our own respective, tangentially related, problems. But that is where this ends. I have everything under control." There was no way in Heaven or Hell he was going to let Adam think any differently. The First Man already thought the Devil was pathetic, Lucifer wasn't about to provide him with any proof.

"Bullshit. If you had it under control your magic wouldn't be fucking up- in admittedly hilarious ways."

"Minor mishaps are nothing of great concern." Lucifer kept his expression and tone rather level. He didn't want to let Adam know he was on to anything.

"You don't make fucking mistakes with basic ass shit like summoning food or cleaning dishes. Like you are a terrible fucking bridge-troll, which honestly is probably insulting to bridge-trolls because at least they have some fun riddles. But you are good at magic. Like really fucking talented. This is shit you could do in your sleep. You don't fuck up like this."

"You really should work on your compliments, they're not as charming as you think they are." Lucifer's face stayed stoic as he watched Adam getting increasingly frustrated.

"I'm not complimenting you; I'm telling the truth. I'm the only one here who isn't constantly stroking your massive ego."

"The bridge-troll thing is the truth?" Lucifer arched an eyebrow. Adam let out a huge sigh, rolling his eyes with such ferocity his head moved with the gesture.

"You know what my point is."

"Do I?"

"Yes, you fucking do. You are just acting like a dick because you hate the fact that I'm right. But you can't just put this aside because you need your magic." Adam was weirdly passionate about this, given their history.

"I think you're overreacting."

"I don't think you're reacting enough!" Adam's hands clenched into fists again. "If something were to go wrong and I went crazy right this second, could you even stop me?"

"Adam, please." Lucifer forced a laugh, placing a hand over his chest. "You aren't that tough. I could stop you with one hand tied behind my back and blindfolded."

"Wanna bet?" Adam's voice went cold. His hands unclenched and his fingers flexed. He rolled his neck and shoulders.

"What the fuck are you supposed to be doing right now?" Lucifer didn't so much as flinch. "You can't force yourself to go feral, dumbass. That's not how it fucking works. And you haven't been a bitey little bitch in over three weeks." It was true, Adam hadn't had an episode in almost a month. It was a testament to the progress he had been making- despite Lucifer's insistence to the contrary. Adam's lip twitched, his body starting to go rigid. "Adam. Stop." Lucifer took a step back. Adam's eyes were starting to look unfocused. "Seriously, stop it." He could see Adam starting to hunch over, crouching down on all fours. "Fucking stop it, Adam!" He raised his voice, backing up again.

Adam let out a low growling sound before lunging forward. Lucifer yelped, jumping backward as Adam came charging toward him. He snapped, the glowing chains appeared on Adam's wrists and neck but to Lucifer's dismay, the shackles didn't fully clasp and Adam was able to jump from the ground toward him. Lucifer was not much for hand-to-hand combat when the playing field was even- but Adam was no Michael. Lucifer was physically much stronger and faster. So, when Adam came leaping toward him, he was able to get a clawed hand around his neck and pin him to the ground, slamming his head onto the top of the stairs. His horns were out, fire blazing between them, his tail thrashed wildly as he bared his teeth. Adam coughed as he hit the ground before giving a small, amused little smirk.

"I stand corrected. I guess you can still handle me. Of course, who knows how well you would have done if I had actually been having an episode.

"YOU WERE FUCKING FAKING!?" Lucifer had half the mind to just tighten his grip on Adam's throat to wipe that smug little smile right off his face. "I should kill you for that stunt! Do you know how dangerous that was!? I could have obliterated you into tiny bits of dust! You would have been atomized, you absolute fuckwit!" He was so upset his face was gold, he was, panting- not from effort- but from rage.

"Adam-ized?" Adam laughed and Lucifer let go of his neck with a fluid motion that also tossed him across the floor into the opposing wall. Adam gave a small "Oof" as he scrambled to get back to his feet. "I think we all can see that my point was made." He stood, dusting himself off.

"What point!? That you're fucking stupid!? Crazy!? That you have a goddamn death wish!?"

"That your magic is fucked up. So, now that it's been established, what's our next step? I think we should talk to some of the healing angels. You know Florence owes me a favor." Adam started walking down one of the hallways, but not toward his room.

"Where do you think you're going, jackass?" Lucifer hurried up the stairs after him- throwing Adam had sort of given him an unintentional head start.

"The workshop! I'm gonna call Heaven really fast!" Adam sounded remarkably sure of himself. "They can help you."

"Like Hell you will!" Lucifer managed to catch up with Adam's stride, grabbing him forcefully by the arm and spinning him around so they were facing one another. "I can handle this."

"No, you can't." Adam tried to pull away but found he couldn't. "Face it, we just don't have the resources here that Heaven does. But you know, you're still a big fucking deal up there- former Archangel and all that shit- they have to help. Trust me. I wasn't allowed to attack you."

"Okay, first of all: you did anyway. You literally came right for my daughter; we had a whole fight. You d-" Lucifer stopped himself. "And anyway," it was time to change that topic very quickly, "the reason you weren't allowed to attack me directly wasn't out of some sense of respect. It was because I would just destroy you."

"Sounds fake." Adam looked unconvinced. "Like I said, Heaven has to help. That's kind of their whole thing. You know? And Sera said she was going to tell Raphael everything. I'm sure he's already cooked up some amazing solution to cure us both." It was hard to tell if Adam's optimism was rooted in the genuine trust he had in Heaven; or if the stress of discovering Lucifer's situation was forcing him back into a delusion.

"That didn't happen, Adam. Raphael doesn't care. If he did, he would have called us back by now." Lucifer's grip lessened slightly. It was true, Sera had promised them that Raphael would be in contact when, and if, he was ready. However, Lucifer had burned his bridge with all four of the Archangels long ago.

"He's..." Adam's face faltered for a moment. "He's probably just busy. Listen, it looks bad, I get that. But it's Heaven." Adam pulled his hand away and walked into the workshop. He pulled the tarp off of the large mirror that Lucifer had used to contact Heaven. (He should have put the damn thing back in the West Wing, but he hadn't gotten around to it. He figured just covering the gaudy thing up with a sheet would be sufficient- out of sight, out of mind- but it seemed that choice- among many other things- was coming back to bite him.)

"He's not busy. He just doesn't care." Lucifer watched Adam looking into the glass. He was torn. He really might need help. But the idea of asking for it made him freeze in place. The way Adam had almost gotten the upper hand on him was still making his heart pound- and that had been faked. Adam was far quicker and more unpredictable when he was really consumed by the Corruption. If that happened again... if he couldn't stop him... Hell was already suffering as Lucifer felt his power drain. His fists clenched to try and stop his hands from trembling. He didn't want to look weak, but he couldn't risk Hell. Not when that meant Charlie could be in danger. "Okay, let's give Heaven a quick call." He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the glass. The mirror came alive with light and soon Sera's tall, towering firm could be seen on the other side.

"Lucifer." Sera took her seat across from him. "Adam." She nodded to each in turn, hands in her lap. "Two phone calls in only a few months' time, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"There's been a slight... hiccup here on our end." Lucifer kept his tone casual, waving going so far as to give a little chuckle as he downplayed the current situation. "Just need to talk to Raph, if you don't mind."

"Raphael is unavailable." Sera's reply was polite, but firm. Lucifer had heard it all before.

"I get that, but he will really want to know about this. And, I'll be honest, Sera, I know we're such amazingly good coworkers, but it isn't exactly something I wish to discuss with you." Lucifer gave his best, most charming smile to the Seraphim on the other side of the glass.

"I will let him know you called." Sera rea he'd toward the glass to hang up the call. Lucifer quickly sprang into action.

"Sera! Sera, Sera, Sera, let's slow it down, shall we?" This time his laughter was clearly more strained. "This is a matter of life and death."

"Sera, I accidentally bit Lucifer and now he's sick with what I have." Adam seemed to be fed up with Lucifer's elusive responses. Had Lucifer's magic had been functioning properly he might have zipped Adam's mouth by force- but given the current situation, Lucifer had to settle for shoving Adam aside and out of frame for the mirror.

"Excuse me?" Sera's expression did shift. She looked more serious, less distracted. She lowered her hand back to her lap. Lucifer straightened out the lapels of his coat, examining himself in the bit of his reflection he could see overlaid on Sera.

"It's more nuanced than that."

"You were bitten?" She sounded genuinely concerned. "Where?"

"Well, I fail to see how that is relevant-" Lucifer frowned.

"On the neck." Adam was the exact opposite of helpful. "You can see a bit of blood on his collar if you look for it."

"Hey, Adam, why don't you shut the fuck up for a second, okay?" Lucifer's lips drew into a thin smile as he started shoving Adam to the side again.

"What in Heaven's name were you two doing to get bitten on the neck?" Her eyes narrowed and Lucifer scratched at his neck, feeling judged under her gaze.

"Not sure what you're implying there, Sera, but I assure you I was simply helping Adam up after he had one of his super fun convulsive episodes. And anyway, the bite did seem to heal up, pretty much instantly. You know Adam isn't tough enough to do any real damage to me, I used to be your boss's boss." Lucifer played it cool.

"So, then there is no issue?" Sera sounded skeptical.

"A slight issue." Lucifer made a pinching gesture with his fingers to demonstrate just how small of a problem this was in the grand scheme of things.

"What is it then?" Sera was looking him directly in the eyes.

"My magic is a little... wonky, let's say? Sera, I'll be honest, I love you," he didn't. Lucifer tolerated Sera on a good day, "but this is really something I would rather discuss with a medical angel. So, if Raph is too much of a little bitch to talk in a professional setting, you can send Florence or Hippolyta in and we can discuss things further."

"I am the liaison for Heaven, you will talk to me." Her tone was a little sterner. "What happened? How did you get bit?"

"I want to talk to one of Raphael's angels." Lucifer's tone also got a little harsher. "This is important Sera."

"Which is why you must explain your situation to me. I am in charge of the contact between our realms. I will tell Raphael everything he needs. He was absolutely crestfallen to learn about Adam's Corruption."

"He was!?" Adam perked up. "Wait! What did he say?" He joined Lucifer at the front of the mirror, having to share the reflective space with him.

"He cried..." Sera's own expression wavered; Lucifer could see the tears in her eyes. "He swore he wouldn't rest until he found a way to Save you, Adam. To bring you back up here with us. Michael knows of all you have done for Heaven, and he is distraught about your fate. Hopefully the next Leader of the Exorcists will be more careful to avoid what has befallen you"

"Next leader?" Lucifer felt himself get angry. The very thought started to make his blood boil. "Oh no, no, no, no, Sera. There is no next leader. Adam broke the contract. Our deal is done."

"Done? No. Why would it be done?" Sera wiped the tears from her eyes as she looked back at Lucifer. His horns were still out from when he had fought Adam, his tail thrashed aggressively.

"Um, because Adam fucked up? Attacked my daughter? No Hellborns. That was the deal. Charlie is a Hellborn."

"Adam broke the contract. You have Adam. All is as it should be." Sera didn't bat an eye.

"The fuck do you mean all is as it should be?" Adam interrupted before Lucifer could get another word in. "You were just talking about how Michael is distraught over me?"

"Yes. Distraught that you would be so careless." Sera's face softened noticeably when talking to Adam, but to Lucifer it looked less empathetic and more like a tired mom who had to explain to her toddler why he was in time out. If Adam was offended by her tone, he should be. "You broke the rules, Adam."

"I was doing my job!" Adam was getting upset and that was the last fucking thing Lucifer needed right now.

"Adam, enough." Lucifer turned back to face Sera. "You don't have my permission to carry out the Exterminations any longer. The deal is done."

"They are not my project, Lucifer." Sera didn't bat an eye at his change in temperament. "You know that."

"Well, if Michael has fucking problem with it, he can come here and say it to my face this time." Lucifer didn't want to see Michael. But enough was enough. Charlie had been fighting off these Exterminations with her brilliant ideas and positivity. She had even gone on the front lines against Adam's hoard. He had to stand up for what was right, stand up for her sake.

"You should calm yourself," Sera's voice was calm, almost gentle, as she seemed unmoved by Lucifer's anger. "It could exacerbate your condition, and you are in no place to be making demands of us."

"Sera, you can't let the Exorcists come down here!" Adam was incapable of keeping his mouth shut despite Lucifer's command. "I can't let the girls see me like this."

"My child," Sera gave a sigh, her expression softened and she put her hand to the mirror glass. "My poor, Fallen Adam... the Exterminations were made for situations like this. You are putting Hell at risk by just existing..."

"W... what?" Adam took a step back, his voice cracked. Lucifer was even taken aback by the harshness of her answer. Adam was a fucking monster, sure, but he was on Sera's side. He was a loyal piece of shit.

"Look at what happened to Lucifer..." Sera made a sweeping gesture in Lucifer's direction. "He tried to help you, and now things are worse than before. You cannot deny that now, more than ever, the Exterminations are necessary, not just for the safety of those in Heaven, but for Hell as well."

"If I see one of your goddamn Exorcists on my soil," Lucifer could feel the intensity from the flames escaping his lips as he spoke, the air around him crackled with the heart, "I will fucking tear them apart, limb from limb. I stayed out of it the first time, as per our agreement- the broken agreement- but this time...?" His tail thrashed, striking the floor with a sound so loud he saw Sera jump in her seat. "This time, I am stepping in. And you have seen how your Exorcists fair against the King of fucking Hell." He saw Sera take a deep breath and slowly let it out, her shoulders relaxing as she looked at him through the glass.

"I mean this with all due respect, your majesty, but in your current state, could you even stop us?" Her reply was like a slap to the face. Lucifer was stricken, words seemed to get stuck in his throat as he looked up at her stoic gaze. "Of course we are happy to assist in any way we can, we do not wish death upon even you- however- before we assist, I feel it is necessary to renegotiate the agreement for the Exterminations."

"Fuck you." Words were finally able to claw their way out of Lucifer's throat. "I want to talk to Raphael."

"Raphael has the information regarding your plight and will speak with you at his discretion." Sera's voice was stern, cold. "You should be lucky he is willing to hear you out at all."

"Sera you kn-" Adam started to talk and Sera's eyes opened in her hair and halo, all of them looking directly at him.

"Adam, you have done enough. You served Heaven well, and for that we are grateful. But we never told you to break Lucifer's contract. I cannot keep covering for your mistakes. Whatever becomes of you... is your own fault."

"..." Adam went very quiet. Lucifer hadn't seen him look so small since he had walked on Earth.

"Fuck you, Sera. Fuck Raphael, fuck Uriel, fuck Gabriel, and especially fuck Michael." Lucifer was at his wits end. If the Archangels wanted to stay in their elitist little club, judging from on high while Hell suffered and collapsed- that was fine by him. They had made it very clear that they didn't give a fuck what happened to the damned the day Lucifer received the Order of Extermination complete with Michael's signature. "I don't need your help." He wasn't going to beg, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction. He was the Sin of Pride for a goddamn reason. He was creative, he was determined, and he was too fucking powerful to let this hinder him. "No new contract. I stand by what I said."

"Even you must be able to see that you need our help." Sera seemed unconvinced by his newfound determination.

"No. I don't. I was only doing this to humor Adam, maybe prove to him that you aren't as charitable as he thought. All these years and you still haven't found a replacement for me, I guess." Lucifer gave a small shrug, knowing he had hit a nerve. Back in the day, before his halos had shattered and his wings had been sliced by Michael's sword (they did grow back, thankfully, but they were never the same) Lucifer had served as the Virtue of Charity. (Maybe that was why he had agreed to house Adam, despite everything the First Man had done- no. Lucifer was doing this solely to uncover what had Corrupted Adam. Once that was solved, the First Man could be back out on his ass without a second thought- assuming he was no longer contagious.)

"These are serious matters. I am doing this to keep the souls safe." Sera did look taken aback by Lucifer's comment, it seemed dredging up his old job had gotten under her icy exterior. "Can't you see that?"

"No, not really." Lucifer kept his expression stoic. "If this is one of those: Heaven works in mysterious ways bits, it's reading more like: Heaven works in stupid, borderline psychotic ways. I hate to break it to you." Sera was getting frustrated, he could see it in the eyes in her halo, the way they were narrowing when they watched him. (Angels had a harder time masking the expression in their halos than they did concealing their feelings on their face.)

"If you are incapable of understanding why this is necessary then you are more forgone than initially feared."

"Or," Lucifer spoke up with an almost peppy tone, "hear me out: your plan is fucking bad and you should feel shitty for thinking of it." He grinned, snapping his fingers and making finger guns with his hands as he gave Sera a wink.

"If you are not going to take this seriously, I will hang up." Sera's face was completely stony, but Lucifer could see the anger in the glaring eyes in the glowing halo above her head.

"That's a little immature for someone your age, right?" Lucifer looked over at Adam who was still looking as if someone had let all the air out of him.

"I'm hanging up now, Lucifer." Sera reached her hand out toward the mirror.

"Sera! Wait!" Lucifer quickly called out to her. She stopped, looking at him expectantly. "You didn't take any notes during this whole meeting. How are you going to remember to tell the Archangels to go fuck themselves?" And with that, the call was ended. Lucifer let out a long breath and took a moment to sit down on the floor. He looked up at Adam who hadn't moved much since Sera had torn him down. "You good?" Adam didn't respond. "Hey fuckface, talk to me or I'm going to put the muzzle on you again." He could be a little gentler with Adam, but experience dictated that wasn't something Adam wanted.

"That fucking bitch." Adam's hands clenched into fists. "After everything I have done for Heaven, she just wants to leave me to rot!?"

"Speaking from personal experience," Lucifer drew his knees up to his chest, "No matter how much good you've done in the past, Heaven operates by a: one strike and you're fucked, kind of rule."

"This is bullshit." At least Adam was talking. He was clearly distressed, but if Lucifer could keep him focused, Adam shouldn't go feral. The Devil held up both hands as a show of understanding.

"Preaching to the choir."

"I just... UGH!" Adam let out an angry cry, Lucifer swore he could see moisture building up in the corners of Adam's eyes. Lucifer turned his head a bit so he wasn't looking directly at the First Man, giving him a bit of privacy. Lucifer knew how much of a letdown Heaven could be, he could empathize with Adam in this moment.

"If you want to just go apeshit on the Heaven phone, you can. You won't break it. It's indestructible." Lucifer waved his hand in the direction of the now-blank mirror. "Might make you feel better."

"I just might take you up on that." Adam let out another, angry, bitter scream and he marched toward the Heaven phone looking it up and down. "I bet I can break it."

"You can't." Lucifer watched as Adam examined the target. He saw Adam rear back, arm raised, putting all his energy into a swing- that might be a bad idea. "Don't break your fucking hand dumbass."

"Fuck you. I won't." Adam looked back in Lucifer's direction as he wound up the punch. "And most importantly: FUCK YOU HEAVEN!" He swung his fist forward and- "Wait! SHIT!" Adam's hand had slid through the glass as if it were water and the First Man ended up losing his balance and falling through the mirror, vanishing completely.

"Adam!?" Fuck. Where did he go!? Was the Heaven phone boobytrapped or some shit!? Lucifer scurried over to the inactive magical artifact. He could see Adam sitting on the ground of his workshop. By all accounts, Adam should be right in front of him, but he wasn't. He was in the fucking mirror. Lucifer's reflection was standing just to the side, beside Adam who was looking around at the reflected version of the workshop behind him. He spotted Lucifer's reflection before he saw the real thing.

"Did you fucking trick me?" Adam got to his feet, dusting himself off. "What is it? Like a reflective curtain or, like-"

"You weren't tricked. It's a solid mirror." Lucifer would have been impressed had this been literally anyone else (and perhaps on any other day).

"Bull fucking shit." Adam gave an exasperated groan. "You got me. The old fake mirror trick. I bet you think you're sooo smart and clever."

"The fuck is: the old fake mirror trick?" Lucifer took a moment to wonder if there was some awesome mirror related prank in Heaven that he had missed out on.

"I dunno, dude, I'm just pissed. I was already having a shitty enough day, and now you gotta pull this fuckery on me." Adam was still talking to the reflection of Lucifer. "And you don't even have the balls to look me in the eye, either. Wow. Just wow."

"Hey dickhead, turn to your left." Lucifer replied flatly. Adam turned his head. Seeing the real Lucifer staring at him from the other side of the mirror's glass. He jumped for a second before rolling his eyes, looking annoyed.

"Seriously? You shouldn't be dicking around making clones of yourself when your magic is jacked the fuck up."

"Dumbass, that's not a clone." It seemed Lucifer would have to spell this shit out. Adam must have used up all his brain cells on uncovering the secret of Lucifer's magic. "You're in the mirror."

"That just doesn't make sense." Adam poked the Lucifer beside him. Lucifer felt the pressure from Adam's finger on his opposing arm. "Did you fuck up another spell and trap me in here?"

"First of all, genius, I wasn't using any magic when you decided to one-v-one the Heaven phone."

"You said I could-"

"Shh shh shh shh sh. Let me finish." Lucifer was annoyed enough at Sera; he didn't need Adam adding to his frustration. (Fully Corrupted or not, negativity was like a catalyst for it.) "So, I didn't do anything to you. Which leads me to believe you might have just uncovered your Sinner power."

"Of fuck! For real?" Adam actually perked up. "I was starting to think my power was just my dashing good looks and my flawless powers of observation. You know, since I'm the only one who can see through your bullshit."

"It only took you several months." Lucifer was remarkably unimpressed. His powers were flakey and Adam picks this time to unlock his damn Sinner ability. Fucking impeccable timing. "I mean most Sinners figure it out in less than a week, but I guess everyone has to learn at their own pace." Most Sinners were probably forced to learn their abilities pretty quickly or risk being torn apart by their new surroundings. Not every damned soul had the luxuries Adam was gifted thanks to his deal with Lucifer.

"Hey, shut the fuck up." Adam finally got to his feet, looking around him. "So, I'm in here, now what?"

"How the fuck should I know? It's your fucking power."

"Can I get out?" Adam became slightly concerned.

"Probably not." Lucifer smirked. This was a nice distraction from his current issues. "It might be one of those Sinner powers that only works once and then traps you for eternity in a secret, second version of Hell. Double Hell, if you will." Adam was quiet for a moment and Lucifer felt as if he could almost see the man mentally piecing apart his comments. After a few seconds of complete silence, Adam finally spoke.

"You're fucking with me, aren't you?"

"No. I would never. This is a serious situation, Adam, I expect you to try and understand that."

"There's no such thing as Double Hell!"

"Of course you wouldn't know about it, it's a secret, I thought I made that incredibly clear."

"Come the fuck on," Adam put his hand to the glass and again fell through as if it were nothing more than water under his touch, landing gracefully on his face and giving the Devil a much-needed laugh. Lucifer picked Adam up off the floor.

"Did you have fun?"

"I touched mirrors before and I never went through them." As if trying to prove his point, Adam touched the glass. This time it was solid beneath his palm.

"I told you to go touch grass, Adam, not glass, do try and understand better when I'm insulting you." Lucifer patted him on the shoulder, shaking his head, his tone dripping with condescension.

"Why am I not going through it?" Adam was ignoring him. Probably for the best. Getting Adam worked up might result in him either going feral or falling through the mirror again and either way Lucifer was going to be responsible for fixing Adam's mess. (Though maybe leaving him in the mirror would be like a nice time-out. At least until Adam got a firmer grip on his abilities.)

"Probably because you're not in the right mindset? It's like any other magic, idiot, it's a learning process."

"I understood how to use my size-shifting abilities instantly when I was in Heaven."

"Yeah, because it's Heaven. I bet you understood how to send a fax too. And you didn't accidentally send important documents to a pizza restaurant rather than a diplomat."

"Okay, first of all- Heaven doesn't use faxes. We're better than that. And secondly- we both promised to never speak of that incident again."

"No, you promised. I just laughed." Lucifer was feeling a bit more like himself. Somehow the bickering was helping. "The point is, that shit is easier in Heaven because that's their whole fucking shtick. Come to Heaven, we have toasters that always make the perfect toast and Wi-Fi that's always connected."

"It's also high speed."

"Thank you, Adam." Lucifer sighed heavily. Adam took his hand off the glass, looking the mirror up and down before turning to Lucifer.

"It doesn't matter. They're fucking pricks anyway." Adam's reply was surprising, to say the least. But Lucifer knew Sera's words had hit him hard. (Though, there was some truth to them, it was not going to help for Lucifer to point that out.) "They're gonna be so fucking pissed when we fix your magic without their help. Then we can tell Sera to suck our dicks!"

"I take it you're still mad about the phone call?" Lucifer appreciated the enthusiasm, though he would never admit it. All the talk of Heaven had inadvertently gotten Adam back on the topic the Devil was hoping to drop.

"Of fucking course!? Like, you are fucking terrible and deserve bad shit, but this wasn't because of something you did. There's nothing divine about this. It's not justice." Adam folded his arms over his chest. Lucifer could see the signs of distress. Sera had a history of making Adam flip, and Lucifer couldn't afford another incident. Not like this. "This isn't how I wanted to kill you."

"You really do need to work on your inspirational speeches. I'm dead serious." Lucifer was a bit bemused by Adam's rant. If the First Man had truly wanted him dead, he would have made an attempt by now and he certainly wouldn't be bending over backwards to try and find a way to fix his only effective attack.

"Hey, shut up. I'm trying to save you, dickwad." Adam looked annoyed by Lucifer's amusement. "If Sera's gonna be a massive, frigid bitch, then maybe we break into Heaven and fucking egg her house. I know where she lives."

"So do I. But there is no getting inside Heaven." Lucifer knew that from experience. Their forcefield was quite impenetrable. If they did not want you in, you wouldn't be getting inside. Plus, he doubted his direct routes in would be available now that Sera knew he had been bitten. (Despite the fact that he doubted he could pass on the Corruption given that he was far more capable of fighting it off than Adam, he didn't blame Sera for not wanting to take the risk. She had Heaven to protect, and at the end of the day she was just Gabriel's errand girl. She couldn't take any risk that he didn't approve of.) The only other way to get to Heaven was through... "...huh..." Lucifer paused for a moment, deep in thought.

"Huh?" Adam was either repeating him or simply hadn't heard what Lucifer had said. "You look more scheem-y than usual. You have an idea."

"Maybe." Lucifer tapped his cheek with his clawed finger, deep in thought. "Also, scheem-y isn't a word."

"It could be, you don't know." Adam scoffed. "So, what's the plan? We set her mailbox on fire? Smash all her windows? Kidnap Emily and slowly poison her against Sera until eventually she steals Sera's position and casts her out of Heaven to forever walk the streets of Hell knowing she was destroyed by someone she truly loved?"

"Wow." Lucifer blinked, slowly turning his head to look at Adam. "That got really fucking dark, dude. You need to talk?"

"No. Why?" Adam waved off the concern. "Was that your plan? I nailed it, didn't I?"

"No. No, you did not." Lucifer wasn't sure if his expression could portray the concern he was feeling in the moment. "Also, I was just thinking about Purgatory."

"What about it?"

"Raphael has texts in the Archive in Purgatory. I have a few of them, but I was rushing, I probably missed some." It was a long shot, but it was better than just sitting around waiting for the problem to solve itself. If nothing else, he might be able to sneak into Heaven on the ferry. But that was a last resort as Heaven's defenses were rock solid. Maybe he could bring Adam along, it might not hurt to see if anything in Purgatory jogged his memory, Lucifer might find an answer to how Adam had gotten Corrupted. That would be worth a phone call from at least Uriel who would want it for documentation purposes. Then Lucifer had a better shot at negotiating for Raphael to fix him.

"There's an Archive in Purgatory?" Adam sounded more surprised than he should have, given he had flown through Purgatory on many occasions.

"It's in the city."

"Oh, yeah that makes sense. I wasn't allowed to fly over the city, for... obvious reasons."

"Yeah, I can see why." Lucifer had to agree that an army of angels swarming overhead probably would panic the processing souls. It also made sense as to how Adam might have come across something he shouldn't. Areas outside of the city were incredibly dangerous, not just for the risk of getting lost for all eternity, but all sorts of creatures could wander the woods that surrounded the winding, ever-changing rivers that comprised the realm between. "Well, the Archive is in the main city. Hopefully, Raph decided to put some actually useful information in there for once in his fucking life." If anyone needed to know about the risks Corruption posed, it would be those in Purgatory.

"So, when do we leave?" Adam seemed accepting of the idea. It was bold of him to assume Lucifer was bringing him along. He was but Adam had no way of knowing that.

"The sooner the better. If we wait too long, Sera might get the same idea and steal all the good shit and hole it up in Heaven." Lucifer took a deep breath. He didn't love the idea of dragging Adam along, but it was necessary. (And if Adam annoyed him too much he could always "forget" him in Purgatory. Then he'd be Jezebel and Jazeerael's problem.) "I suppose I have to tell the staff I'm leaving."

"We're leaving." Adam corrected.

"You can only come with me if you're going to be on your best behavior." Lucifer gave a small smirk. It was a pointless stipulation, as he knew it was physically impossible for Adam to have good behavior, but he could still get a reaction out of him, and that could provide him amusement for his trip.

"I'm always on my best behavior. Cause I'm the fucking best." Adam's attempt to reassure him failed on all counts.

"Adam, lying isn't really helping your case." Lucifer's expression was stoic.

"Hey!"

"Anyway, we should begin to head out." Lucifer walked toward the exit of the workshop. He reached the hallway looking around, "Syn! Staff meeting!" He had no idea where Syn was in proximity to him, but he assumed she would show up. She always seemed to know when he needed her. He wasn't sure if he had programmed her with that ability, but he would take credit regardless.

"MASTER!" Sure enough, she came zooming around a corner.

"Syn, good to see you. Where is Lysander?" Lucifer tried to keep his tone professional, which was a bit hard when he had to look at Syn's giant googly eyes. (Fucking Adam, decorating his invention.)

"Lysander has been notified and is on his way!"

"Very good." Lucifer was quiet for a moment. "And good work today, Syn, with Charlie. I think you made a good impression on her."

"I did!?" Syn did a little flip in the air. "Hurray! I like Charlie! I can see why you cry over her continuously! I will cry over her too!"

"That is really not necessary." Lucifer replied quickly. Charlie was already concerned enough without Syn bursting into electronic wails whenever she stepped into another room.

"Okay!"

"Oi, boss, what's this about?" Lysander came meandering in not long after Syn. Though he seemed to be in far less of a rush. He had his hands in his pockets, his tail swishing lazily behind him.

"Welcome back, traitor." Lucifer's eyes narrowed a bit. Yes, Lysander was right about Adam's food being delicious, but his loyalties should have been firmly with Lucifer. There was no excuse.

"I voted for the best food, boss-man. All I did was follow the instructions you gave me. If anything, I was extra loyal. And Syn's the problem."

"Master! No! I am never the problem! Only the solution."

"Damn, she has a good point." Lysander looked oddly at ease for an employee who had voted against the man who decided his paycheck. (Well, okay, Syn technically decided the paychecks, but Lucifer's word was law as far as she was concerned.)

"I have to step out. Adam is coming with me because he's not fully housebroken and I don't trust him alone with my things." That seemed as good an excuse as any to drag Adam along behind him. It would at least fool Syn, and Lysander probably didn't need an explanation. The good thing about the intern was that he didn't seem to give a flying fuck what Lucifer was doing so long as he got paid.

"Hey! Fuck off." Adam gave an annoyed pout. "I have to go with him for important reasons, FYI."

"While I'm gone," Lucifer was content to ignore Adam, he'd be having to deal with him enough on the way to Purgatory. "Syn, you're in charge."

"Hurray!"

"Ah fuck, again?" Lysander made a big show of looking defeated. Syn did a little flip in the air and Lucifer had to try his best not to laugh as the googly eyes spun wildly. "One day I'll be left in charge. Just you wait, Syn."

"Never." Syn replied in a sing-song voice as her lights flashed in a variety of colors. "Please take care, Master! I do hope Adam is housebroken soon!"

"Syn, he's making shit up." Adam's pleas fell on deaf ears- or lack of ears, as Lucifer had not made her ears in a traditional sense.

"Be good in my absence, I will be home before you know it." Lucifer took off his hat, giving it a flourish. "Come along Adam. We have places to be." He headed down the stairs as Adam trailed after him. Syn and Lysander seemed none the wiser about the current events that weighed heavily on Lucifer's mind. That was for the best. Syn had made contact with Charlie now, and the last thing he needed was Syn to find a way to call Charlie and tell her all about her father's magical issues.

"Goodbye Master!" Syn followed him all the way to the door. Lucifer gave one last wave and turned to face Hell before him.

"Well, I guess I'll have to carry your ass to Purgatory since your wings don't work." He closed the doors to the house with his tail. Adam was staring at him looking even more annoyed.

"I'm not gonna let you carry me. That's fucking embarrassing." His arms were crossed over his chest, and as if proving his point, his wings popped out and fluttered. Lucifer looked him up and down.

"I mean, prove me wrong, I guess." Lucifer did want to hurry, but it wouldn't take long for this to all sort itself out. He relaxed against the door as Adam started flapping his wings. He let him keep trying, the wings pumping madly as Lucifer checked his phone. He sent Charlie a little message explaining how much fun he had at their impromptu family dinner. He looked up to see Adam still very clearly on the ground. "You done?"

"No, I-" Adam looked rather frustrated as he jumped up in the air, wings fluttering as quickly as he could force them. He fell right back to the ground. He let out a frustrated scream before just sighing in defeat. Lucifer almost found himself feeling sorry for the Fallen First Man. He had been on the ground, wings torn off, letting out an angry cry to the Heavens once before... he could relate.

"Come on, we'll be so fast that no one will see you." He wanted to say more, but the words just wouldn't come.

"Whatever." Adam remained sitting in the ground. Lucifer bent over and lifted him up with ease. Adam weighed nothing compared to Lucifer's strength. Adam didn't really react to being lifted; Lucifer had to look down at him to be sure he didn't have that glassy look in his eyes. He seemed fine, just upset.

"Let's go." Lucifer spread his own wings out. He took to the sky, holding Adam tightly so he didn't drop him. He headed toward the very top of Hell, that invisible barrier that separated the Sinners from any hope of Salvation or peace. As he started to get close to Purgatory's entrance, his wings started to slow down. He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him so suddenly he had to stop racing forward, and simply hovered in the air, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" Adam was looking up at him.

"Yeah. Fine." Lucifer certainly hoped he didn't sound quite as winded as he felt, but judging from the lack of conviction in Adam's expression, he probably failed in that matter. "What?"

"Your neck is bleeding again."

"It's nothing. It just... happens sometimes..." Lucifer's wings were starting to feel heavy. The heat of Hell's climate, which usually didn't bother him, was beginning to feel stifling. Lucifer was slowly starting to lose altitude.

"It's not nothing. I don't want to be dropped." Adam wrapped his arms around Lucifer's neck, trying to stabilize himself. Lucifer was actually starting to feel the weight of Adam in his arms. This was, to put it lightly, not a great development. He could leave Adam behind, but even flying the several hours to Purgatory's main city would be nearly impossible in his current state. He couldn't risk collapsing in some unknown location. They would never fucking find him.

"I have a better idea." Lucifer landed for a moment, catching his breath, dropping Adam back on his feet. "You move way too fucking much for me not to drop your sorry ass. So, we'll just have to take the boat." Hopefully Adam bought his excuse.

"The boat?" If Adam didn't believe him, he was keeping his thoughts to himself. "Is that actually a possibility?"

"Yeah, I've ridden it before. It's a little slower, but that way I don't have to worry about you trying to bite me again." That was also a major concern for Lucifer. If Adam went crazy mid-flight and Lucifer was lacking in the magic department, his options would be: dropping Adam or getting mauled. Neither was a particularly great choice, though he would prefer the dropping to the mauling.

"As long as I don't have to wear the fucking muzzle again." Adam seemed to accept the change of plans without much question. At least one thing was going well for Lucifer today.

"Not unless you really piss me off. So, watch your mouth." Without warning, Lucifer scooped Adam up in his arms once more and took back to the sky. Their next destination was much closer, so, though his wings felt like cement trying to push through Jello instead of air, he forced himself to continue. The flew toward the red sun, stopping just beneath it. Lucifer waved his hand and the sky above them shimmered. Lucifer flew through the shimmer onto the other side. The heat was temporarily even worse and Lucifer was hit with the sound of human souls screaming. Ah fuck. They must have just dropped off a load of passengers.

"Oh God..." Adam covered his ears.

"Give it a second." Lucifer didn't like the sound either. He turned his head so he wouldn't have to watch the souls plummeting from their luxury boat into the realm of torment below. Lucifer was at least able to stand on a very small dock that was floating above Hell, invisible to those below it. Above his head was a massive, ostentatious cruise liner the likes of which humans would only dream about while on Earth. It was, sleek, a beautiful white with black and gold accents and every amenity a human could imagine on board. However, it was currently upside-down and all the passengers who had, moments ago, been partaking in the best parties and niceties in this life and the next, were now being flung out to their final destinations.

Finally, there was silence.

"I... is it over?" Adam looked up; his hands were shaking. Lucifer was a bit taken aback by how affected he seemed. He had always kept a rather cold exterior to the Sinners that he slayed during the Exterminations. Surely, he had heard his fair share of horrified shrieks. So why did he look so... queasy?

"Should be." Lucifer walked along the doc, looking around for any of the boat staff from Purgatory. He knew Jezebel wouldn't be on board, but the rest of the boat staff were already automated, so he should be able to flag down at least a cleaning crew member before the boat took off. He saw movement on the ship and immediately took off toward the deck. There was a member of the crew in her uniform dragging out a screaming soul and throwing it down below. Lucifer felt Adam tense at the sound.

"Enjoy your stay!" The crewman gave a little wave as the Sinner plummeted down, past the dock and into the fiery pits below. She was able to walk with ease on the upside-down deck, unphased by the gravity of Hell as she started to wipe away the desperate fingernail marks in the deck where souls had tried to cling to the boat as the realization of where they were had hit.

"Crewman, I need to board this vessel." Lucifer wasn't sure how to address the woman cleaning. The automated crew didn't have consistent names. They would only ever use human names when dealing with souls, and thus were subject to change depending on the soul with whom they were dealing. The Hell-Liner's staff were made to be beautiful, head-turning, and to feed into any vice the Sinner had. They would keep Sinners from paying attention to where they were headed, and thus, they were a little more interactive than the automated shop keepers in Purgatory city, or fucking Port Gatory, since apparently, they were all in on that new name.

"I am sorry, but all passengers must be dispatched before returning to the Port." She didn't turn to look at him.

"I'm not a passenger. I'm Lucifer."

"One moment please." She went quiet, staying very still. Lucifer wondered for a moment if she was broken. However, she started moving again, looking him up and down. "Lucifer Morningstar: Accepted Passenger." Good. At least something had gone right today. He would only need to stay in the air until he could get inside his personal cabin (he had one for when he wanted a more leisurely travel with the family. The way back to the Port was quite a nice ride, it was just the ride down that was a crowded party with an absolutely horrible end). The crewman looked at Adam, reaching toward him and grabbing him tightly by his robes. "I am sorry, Sinner, but you are destined for eternal damnation! Please vacate the premises."

"Ah!" Adam grabbed more tightly to Lucifer.

"He's my guest!" Lucifer quickly pulled away from the crewman. Of course she would try and throw Adam back out. He was a Sinner. To her he was no different than the souls they'd just deposited. She went quiet again, frozen in place.

"My apologies! Would you like to be escorted to your personal cabin?"

"Yes. Please." Lucifer's wings were exhausted from flapping, he couldn't get inside soon enough. The crewman turned and began walking toward the doors that opened automatically as she approached. Lucifer followed her in. He jumped as two more crewman passed them, dragging a shrieking Sinner along the floor.

"I DON'T FUCKING BELONG HERE!" The Sinner was trying desperately to get a hold of something as the two, beautiful, smiling members of the ship staff (one male, one female) were dragging him toward the door.

"Our records indicate you do belong here! Any complaints can be brought up to our public relations department. Please enjoy your stay!" And with that the doors slammed shut. (Lucifer could actually tell that man did, in fact, deserve to be in Hell. But he wasn't going to say anything. He could let the boat crew do the job they were programmed to do.) The woman helping him came to a sudden stop. She picked up a phone off of the wall, pressing a few buttons and holding it to her ear.

"Attention crew! We have a special guest on board for our return. King Morningstar will be partaking in his usual accommodations with a new guest. The guest is a Sinner. Please be sure not to throw him off! Thank you, and continue to clear the ship for our swift return to Port Gatory!"

"Not loving the please try not to throw him off part of that." Adam was still holding to Lucifer, eyeing the crewman with a suspicious gaze.

"Here!" She reached into her pocket pulling out a red bracelet and grabbing Adam by the wrist, sliding it over his hand. The bracelet instantly tightened to fit. "Wear this and it will register you as an authorized guest!"

"You had better just stick close." Lucifer put Adam back on his feet now that they were inside. They were walking on the ceiling for now, but the gravity would shift soon enough. He just had to wait for them to set sail. "I don't want them to throw you off."

"Yeah, I got that." Adam was looking around with a disturbed expression. The ship was currently in a state of disarray, a bunch of expensive items all tossed around in a blind panic. It wasn't exactly the most inviting scene, especially after their poorly timed entrance. (But it was necessary. The Hell-Liner didn't stick around for all that long before it took off.) Lucifer and Adam were led deeper into the ship, constantly passing members of the crew who would stop, examine the two, and then get back to work. It was incredibly unsettling for someone who wasn't accustomed to the boat. They eventually reached an upside-down room: Room 999, though that wasn't currently how the designation appeared. Their crewman opened the door and Lucifer hurried inside. It was a large, fancy cabin, with a beautiful bed, large windows that currently looked out at Hell, a massive bathroom complete with a hot tub, and a kitchen stocked with the finest delicacies imaginable.

"Thank you." Lucifer turned to their guide. She never lost her smile as she gave a little wave.

"Enjoy your stay!" And with that she shut the door.

"Do I just stay on the ceiling...? Or like... how does this work." Adam looked at all the many luxuries in the room that were currently above his head.

"The boat flips back over." Lucifer assured him. It was a little... strange being back in his suite. He hadn't been in here since he had taken Lilith and Charlie on a family vacation to the Port. The room held a lot of good memories for him... and some bad ones too... being here with Adam felt... almost like a betrayal.

"Greetings Hell-Liner! Please ready the cabins to set sail as we are cleared of souls and are heading back to Port Gatory!" There was a male voice over the speaker. It was definitely different than Jezebel's usual spiel. There had certainly been fewer jokes. Lucifer still couldn't believe the ship had become fully automated.

"Don't hang on to anything, just relax." Lucifer instructed as he took his own advice and laid out on the floor.

"How am I supposed to- AH!" Adam was launched upward as the ship turned back over. Lucifer landed gently on the bed; Adam hit the carpet face first. Lucifer snickered, okay, that had helped him feel a bit better. "Owwwww." Adam slowly sat up, gingerly rubbing his nose.

"I told you to relax." Lucifer laid back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. This was definitely going to take longer, and being stuck on a trip with Adam wasn't exactly ideal, but here they were. The lighting in the room changed as Hell vanished and the bright blue sky and beautiful rivers and forests of Purgatory took its place. The sunlight made the golden wall ornaments sparkle, casting golden stars across a white ceiling. It was beautiful, relaxing, as it was supposed to be as Lucifer had helped in decorating his, personal suite. He heard Adam get up and he turned his head to see the first man go to the window, looking out of it, hands against the glass. Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "You've flown through here before, you know."

"It looks different from ground level." Adam retorted.

"Careful not to fall in." Lucifer snorted.

"There's a fucking window, dumbass. I'm not going to break it." Adam beat his palms against the glass to prove a point about the sturdiness.

"That mirror was solid too, you know." Lucifer rolled onto his side to get a better look at what Adam was doing. It was best to keep a close eye on him, given this was probably where he was first Corrupted. Adam pulled his hands off the glass, stepping back, away from the window.

"That can happen? I thought it was just mirrors..."

"Who's to say?"

"You know I've touched mirrors before in Hell and that never happened. Not once." Adam seemed rather proud of the fact that he had touched mirrors. It seemed like a bit of a weird flex to Lucifer, but he could let Adam have it.

"I know. You told me. And like I said earlier: Magic is linked to your emotions; it takes a bit to master." Even Lucifer, who was born with knowledge of how to use his gifts, still needed to train. Adam hesitantly put his hands against the glass again. He scrunched up his face, pushing his weight into the window. Lucifer sat up on his elbow. "What are you doing?"

"Focusing my emotions." Adam replied, his cheek squished against the glass. Lucifer squinted back at him.

"Constipated isn't an emotion, Adam, it's a medical condition."

"Listen here you fucking baked bean sac of-AH!" And mid-insult, Adam fell through the glass again. Lucifer didn't really want to get up, but he felt like he should. So, he hopped to his hooves and walked over to the window to see Adam getting up and brushing himself off. Lucifer did have to admit, he was curious about the limitations and possibilities of Adam's Sinner power, as he hadn't come across one like it before. It made sense for Adam to be powerful- he had been powerful in Heaven. Lilith had been incredibly strong as well. They were the first humans, those not made through traditional means. They were, technically, magic from the beginning, just not in a traditional sense. If there was more to Adam's ability than just falling on his face inside reflective surfaces, Lucifer wouldn't be surprised.

"Good news. We figured out that it's not just mirrors." Lucifer clapped his hands together in a small applause. Adam glared at him from within the window.

"Thanks. I got that."

"I had to be sure." Lucifer smirked. Adam rolled his eyes and walked toward the bed in the reflection, sitting down on it. Curiously, Lucifer looked behind him at the real bed. He could see the faint indentation of where Adam was sitting in the reflection. "Hey do me a favor, pick the pillow up off the bed."

"Why?"

"Fucking humor me."

"Whatever." Adam grabbed the pillow, Lucifer watched as the pillow was lifted up off the bed, he could even see the fabric wrinkle under Adam's claw-like nails. The Devil walked over and waved his hand around the pillow where Adam would have been. Nothing. He couldn't feel a thing. "Oh, fuck do not turn away from the mirror, that is so fucking creepy."

"Is it?" Lucifer had no frame of reference for what Adam was seeing on his side.

"You look all blacked out like some kind of fucking... well I was going to say like a fucking monster, but I mean... you're the Devil... so... you know... moot point."

"You are really gunning for my feelings, aren't you?" Lucifer wasn't actually all that bothered by Adam's comments. His insults had become less biting over time, or maybe Lucifer was just becoming number to them.

"Look, you can't see things from in here; when you turn away from the mirror you look worse than usual."

"Probably because you can only see what's reflected." Lucifer turned his head so part of his face was visible. "You were denied access to my beautiful face, for that I apologize."

"You know what? I take it back. I was overreacting." Adam stuck his tongue out, looking disgusted. Lucifer was amused to see even his tongue was split down the middle in black and white. "I miss the no-face version of you already."

"Don't get an attitude with me." Lucifer was more amused than anything. He had a theory, and now was the perfect time to test it out. So, he moved his body so he was blocking the pillow entirely from window's view.

"Hey!" Adam let out an annoyed cry and Lucifer watched the pillow fall to the floor. "Dude, you made part of the bed disappear too. Fucking asshole." Lucifer could see the indentation of Adam scooting farther up on the bed. He felt pressure on his arm and turned his head to see Adam was pulling on his reflection.

"Don't do that."

"Wait," Adam let go for a moment. "Can you feel that?"

"Maybe I just don't like you getting your dirty hands all over my pristine image." Lucifer wasn't sure how much he wanted to divulge to the First Man. It didn't matter, it seemed Adam had figured things out on his own. Lucifer felt pressure on his cheek, watching as Adam started poking his reflection in the face. "Don't do that." Lucifer moved his hand so the reflection would bat Adam's hand away. It wasn't as successful as he wanted. In fact, Adam didn't seem to feel Lucifer as intensely as Lucifer could feel Adam, which would be great for combat if Adam was at all a reliable fighter. Perhaps it was best to not allow Adam to hone these abilities until Lucifer was in a better condition to counter him. "That's enough."

"Hang on, I'm learning." Adam put both hands on Lucifer's face. "It's hard to touch you, but I can." He moved his hand and in one swipe Lucifer's hat fell to the floor. Adam started to laugh. Lucifer didn't appreciate how the situation was starting to spin out of his control. He needed to get Adam out of the fucking window. He made an attempt to shove Adam but it didn't seem to have much of an effect. Adam pushed back but this time Lucifer didn't budge. Even if they weren't face-to-face, Lucifer was still stronger.

"Adam, stop."

"You started it."

"I'm still stronger than you. I can kick you out of there. And I will."

"Bullshit." Adam tried to shove Lucifer again, he could feel the pressure of Adam's hands on his chest, but then the pressure was gone. And so was Adam.

"Adam!?" Lucifer ran to the window. Where the fuck had he gone!? That was when Lucifer noticed his reflection wasn't running. It was standing there staring rather blankly at the Devil who had briefly been panicking.

"What?" Lucifer's reflection spoke, in Lucifer's own voice. Oh fuck no.

"Get out of there, right the fuck now."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Hey, wait..." Adam took a confused look around. It was a bit uncanny for Lucifer to see his own reflection moving independently. He could do that on his own with magic, but knowing Adam was piloting his image didn't exactly leave a great taste in his mouth. "Where's your reflection?"

"Just get out."

"..." Adam looked at himself. "Oh. Wow. I do not like this."

"And I do!?" Lucifer tapped on the glass. "Get out of there."

"Maybe I don't want to."

"You can't, can you." Lucifer's eyes narrowed. Of course. Adam was just learning about these abilities. He didn't even realize he could go in Lucifer's reflection. It made perfect fucking sense that he wouldn't have any idea how to get out. Lucifer took a deep breath. Magic could solve this easily, but he needed to avoid using it if at all possible. So, in the absence of magic, logic would have to suffice.

"Of course I can. I just enjoy seeing you annoyed." Adam was smirking with Lucifer's face, and somehow made Lucifer's perfectly handsome features look obnoxious. That was a crime so egregious the Devil was surprised that Adam wasn't struck down where he stood by some sort of divine, or unholy, justice. Of course, Heaven didn't give a shit about him, but they didn't really give a shit about Adam either, so the idea of punishing him for his transgressions against Lucifer's image should still hold some water. But Heaven wouldn't step in. They only made themselves available to make Lucifer's life worse. No. He would need to fix this himself. He took a deep breath and walked out of the bedroom into the bathroom, disappearing from the mirror completely. He could peer around the corner and see Adam had returned to normal.

"Fixed it."

"That's cheating!" Adam put his hands to the window glass from the other side. He couldn't see Lucifer, though the Devil could see him. Adam looked thoughtful for a moment before he seemed to have an idea. He turned and ran to the right side and completely stepped out of the narrow field of view of the room's reflection. Lucifer wasn't exactly sure where Adam had gone, but he wouldn't admit it.

"You know if you hide too well, I can't help you get out when you inevitably get stuck." Lucifer mused.

"Won't be a problem." Adam's voice came from behind him. Lucifer could feel a hand on the back of his head. He jumped and whirled around to see Adam in the bathroom mirror. So, he could go between reflective surfaces nearly undetected. That was a fucking terrible turn of events.

"I think you've had your fun." Lucifer walked over to the mirror, careful not to let his reflection fully overlap with Adam, less the Sinner find a way inside it again. He tapped the glass. "Time's up."

"Make me."

"Okay." Lucifer grabbed a towel, tossing it over the mirror.

"Hey!" He heard Adam's voice protest, but he was already grabbing more towels to drape over any reflective surface he could find. He started to cover the window when a hand popped through it, trying to pull the towel back down. Lucifer grabbed the inky, black wrist- Adam's skin on that side was surprisingly cold- and he pulled the First Man back out into the room. Adam was holding half of the ornate little end table that sat right in front of the bed. It must have been all that was visible at the time Adam was pulled out. Lucifer finished covering the window as Adam examined his half-finished piece of furniture. "Killjoy."

"No, she's a news anchor. I'm a king." Lucifer snatched the bit of the end table Adam had brought out of the mirror, holding it by the leg. So, he could also bring stuff out with him. Fan-fucking-tastic. The implications of that were increasingly horrific the longer Lucifer thought about them. As far as the Devil could tell (he was wearing gloves, after all) it did feel like the smooth marble from which the original table had been carved. He squeezed it hard and it vanished. Well... at least what Adam brought with him didn't seem to be super durable.

"You're a buzzkill." Adam corrected.

"No, you're being careless." Lucifer finally looked back at Adam. "What happens if you can't get back out? What happens if you get overwhelmed and aggressive while you're in there? I'm at a disadvantage. I can stop you, sure, but with my magic being as unreliable as it is right now, I could just as easily fucking kill you."

"... oh..." Adam went a little quiet again. "I uh... I didn't think about it that way."

"No. You didn't."

"Fine, no more jumping into stuff. But can you at least uncover the window? I want to look outside." Adam seemed to accept Lucifer's logic, which was a relief as he had no desire to chase Adam through a rather reflective ship.

"I don't trust you." Lucifer went back to sit on the bed.

"We can shake on it." Adam offered out his hand. Lucifer hesitated, but took it.

"Fine, but if you jump into the window, I get to keep your third born child."

"... Seth?" Adam blinked. "Why the fuck are you going to single out Seth?"

"Because I already have Cain, and Abel's been through enough, don't you think?" Lucifer moved their hands up and down in a shake.

"Oh! Cain! I have to tell him I won!" Adam dropped Lucifer's hand and began fumbling with his phone.

"You talked to Cain about the competition?" Lucifer walked to the window, pulling the cloth off. The deal had been made, whether Adam was aware of it or not. Lucifer didn't actually want Seth, but he knew Adam wouldn't dare to fuck around if his kids were involved. "And he didn't hang up on you?"

"I mean... he did... but the conversation was kind of over already..." Adam sounded pleased. "We're making progress."

"I guess." Lucifer didn't know if he should comment. If Cain was pushing Adam to try and purge his Corruption, Lucifer didn't want to crush that hope out of him.

"Oh, fuck yeah! He sent me a thumbs up!" Adam seemed as excited as Lucifer did every time he got a text from Charlie. "We're practically back to our old relationship!"

"That's good to hear." Lucifer didn't feel like destroying his spirit. Cain was never much for texting, so Adam was probably about to be left on read. But the Devil had already ruined Adam's exploration of his powers, he wouldn't put any more of a damper on his time on the boat.

"And he stopped responding..." Adam's face fell.

"He's probably just busy." Lucifer had also been on the receiving end of Cain's inability to text back. "You know, there's a lot to do on this boat. You should enjoy it. There's a club with all the drugs and alcohol you want; there's a casino, there's even a luxury spa... there won't be any lines since it's just us."

"Eh, that stuff sounds lame as shit." Adam was looking at his phone still. "I think I'm fine just staying around here. I mean, what am I going to do? Party with the automated staff?" He had a point. The automated staff were also probably busy cleaning the ship. Adam sighed heavily, putting his phone away and going to look out of the window.

"Don't you dare jump in the reflection or I get to keep Seth." Lucifer reminded him as he sprawled out on the bed.

"I won't, but for the record, I never agreed to those terms."

"Record actually states we shook on it. I would pull out your contract to show you the addendum, but I'm taking a break from magic right now." Lucifer put his arms behind his head, closing his eyes. "I'm taking a nap, don't run off."

"Literally where would I go? I'm on a fucking boat."

"If you could think of a way to make me more miserable, I'm sure you would." Lucifer cracked one eye open to look at Adam who had walked over to sit in front of the massive window, watching the trees zoom by as the boat sped through the deceptively peaceful waters of Purgatory. "Which begs the question..." Lucifer bit his lower lip, something had been bothering him since the cooking competition. "Why did you take the fall for me with Charlie?"

"The fuck are you talking about?" Adam didn't bother turning around to face him.

"With the ducks... you told Charlie you put them there as a prank... why?"

"I dunno, assfucker, maybe I just don't like to see parents fail in front of their kids..." Adam's words were harsh, but his tone was a whole lot less self-assured than usual. "I mean, you're a goddamn disaster, but like, Charlie doesn't need to know that."

"Oh." Was that genuine empathy? Lucifer almost couldn't believe it, coming from Adam. "Well..." he closed his eyes again and relaxed on the bed. "Thanks."

"Don't get used to it."

Lucifer hadn't meant to fall asleep, he had only been joking about the nap, however, when he opened his eyes again hours had passed and he was in the room alone. Lucifer sat up, pinching himself to make sure he was truly awake- his dreams had been more realistic as of late. He was. But that didn't explain where Adam had run off to. Lucifer looked around for a moment and noticed a sticky note on the window.

Went to the deck to look at the water. Get Fucked. And there was a small drawing of Adam flipping both his middle fingers up. Lucifer was amused to see that Adam had actually drawn his Sinner form. (He wasn't a bad artist, surprisingly.) There was a second note underneath. PS: I didn't go through the window; I took the stairs. You don't get to keep Seth. Eat shit.

A truly charming man, that Adam. Lucifer crumpled the note and tossed it in the trash as he headed to the upper decks to make sure that Adam, in all his infinite wisdom, hadn't accidentally flung himself off the ship. It was a little annoying. Lucifer had told Adam to stay close. Though, hopefully, the wristband was enough to deter the automated crew from launching Adam into the sea below. If that fucker ended up in the water, Lucifer liked to think it was by his own stupidity.

"Greetings Lucifer!" each of the staff would wave to him and smile as he passed them by, but they were occupied with returning the ship to its spotless glory. He headed through the lavish hallways, up the ornate, stairs, and found his way to the deck. It was massive, there was a huge water-park sized series of pools and slides that he assumed were of no interest to Adam, simply because they didn't seem to be running at present. He wandered along the deck until he found Adam at the bow, arms draped over the railing, looking out at the water. Lucifer blinked, looking him up and down.

"We must be close." Lucifer walked to his side, leaning over the railing next to Adam, looking out over the crystal-clear water. It was deceptively deep, and there were all sorts of creatures that lurked underneath that shimmering surface. Usually, the beasts below wouldn't bother the boats, but Jezebel had given reports of a few incidents here and there where the boat had taken a hit. (How were the automated staff at dealing with such incidents? That was actually a good question.)

"How can you tell?" Adam glanced over at him before returning his gaze back to the water. Lucifer pointed to Adam's hands as they dangled off the railing.

"Look."

"I'm normal colored!" Adam looked at his fingers, wiggling them excitedly. "I look like an angel again!"

"You look like you did when you were alive." Lucifer reached up and waved a hand over Adam's head. "No halo." Adam ran to the window to look himself over. He was back to his living form, blue eyes, brown hair, skin that was all one tone. Even his sharp teeth and nails had vanished. Adam covered one eye with his hand and frowned.

"I'm still blind in one eye..."

"Wel yeah, this is all an illusion. Purgatory City- or fucking Port Gatory, that's what they're calling it now, just so you know- can't have you in your Sinner form running amok with the unprocessed souls. You'd freak them out."

"And they let you walk around with your face?" Adam scoffed.

"Fuck you, I'm beautiful."

"I like: Port Gatory. It's kind of clever." Adam walked back to the edge to look out over the water once more.

"You fucking would." Lucifer narrowed his eyes. He could see Adam staring out into the water once again. He was a bit surprised to see him so enthralled. He had lived in Eden and spent most of his eternity in Heaven, Purgatory's blue skies, clear water, and green plant life were pretty, yes, but they shouldn't be anything special. "You really like it out here, huh?"

"It reminds me of Eden..." Adam had his cheek in his hand, watching as the water rushed past the sleek, painted sides of the boat. Lucifer smiled a bit. This was reminiscent of Eden, in a way. So long as you avoided the creatures that roamed the labyrinthine forests and rivers.

"Yeah, it's kind of a nice change from Hell..."

"And I can hear singing from under the water..."

"What?" Lucifer's smile instantly faded. He saw Adam looking down into the water more intently.

"I couldn't hear it in the room, but I hear it out here. I can't understand what they're saying... but it's beautiful..."

"Let's get inside." Lucifer took a hold of the back of Adam's robe, pulling him away from the railing. There was nothing good in the water. And anything that was singing to Adam was a bad fucking sign. (Especially because Lucifer couldn't hear it.)

"What? Why?"

"The boat is about to arrive; we don't want to be in the way."

"We're almost there?" Adam looked back toward the water but Lucifer pulled him inside the nearest door. Once it was closed Adam stopped struggling to look back. "You know? All in all, it's not a bad boat. It's just the destination that sucks."

"Yeah, I guess you never got to ride it, huh? Falling kind of skips this part." Lucifer felt relief wash over him as Adam seemed to lose interest in the water. "Come on, I'll show you around."

Lucifer was able to fill the remaining time by navigating the absolutely massive vessel. He hadn't been on it in some time, a few things had changed, but most of it was still the same. Adam seemed the most interested in the spa, but before they could partake in any of the luxuries offered, there was a soft ding from overhead.

"Attention Hell-Liner crew! We are now approaching the port! Please be sure your area is spotless as we have a full boatload awaiting us!"

"Awesome. We're here." Lucifer was less pleased about the apparent "boatload" of Sinners that were going to be literally dropped on him as soon as the ship returned to Hell. He wasn't surprised but that didn't make things any easier. He really did need to go over the food numbers with Cain again. The population was growing at an exponential rate. (At least it was in the Pride Ring). "Now, we're going to be surrounded by unprocessed Souls, so try not to call me anything Devil related while we're near them. Some of them are probably going to end up in Hell and I don't want to be associated with you." Lucifer straightened his bowtie. (It didn't really matter as the souls wouldn't remember their time in Purgatory, but that didn't mean Lucifer wanted to risk it.)

"I mean, if you think about it, you're the stain on my image." Adam retorted sounding amused.

"Right." The boat came to a stop and Lucifer began to head toward the exit. The doors were opened for him and he stepped onto the loading bridge. He could see Sinners lined up to take their final ride. He looked the other way, holding out his arm to stop Adam. "You don't hear any more singing do you?"

"Singing?" Adam looked confused by the question. "I mean there's a group of people doing an absolutely terrible rendition of Bad Romance in the line over there." He lowered his voice. "Lady Gaga did not deserve to have that done to her work; I can see why these guys are ending up in Hell." Lucifer snorted at the response. Port Gatory was safe, that was its appeal. Adam should be fine here. Plus, they weren't going to be long. This was an in-and-out mission. Hopefully they came across something that could jog Adam's memory, but if not, it wasn't a huge loss. That was a bit of a long shot anyway. Then again, so was this whole fucking mission. It was funny, if Lucifer didn't know any better, he'd think that he, the Devil was actually feeling hopeful.

"Right, let's head to the Archives."

---

A/N: So we got Adam's Sinner power! And the implications of its use are DEFINITELY not something Luci wants to think about right now. Also, pour one out for Seth lol.

You have no idea how excited I am for the next few chapters- starting with this one! This is the first in a series of BIG plot chapters! I hope you guys are ready to go back to Purgatory next Friday- sorry, I mean Port Gatory!