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.

42. Luck of the Pharaoh Hotel

Lucifer awoke feeling surprisingly well rested given the fact that he had been investigating a break-in earlier in the night. Perhaps, all he truly needed was a nice vacation. The cool Treachery air was a nice change from Pride's typically sweltering heat. Though, there was something rather warm on top of him once again.

Lucifer cracked open an eye to see Adam, practically crushing the duck plush as he was curled up on the Devil's chest. Well. He should have known this was coming. Really it was his own fault for letting Adam stay in the bed.

He was just too damn nice sometimes.

Fortunately, Lucifer knew how to handle the situation thanks to his previous experience. He gently placed a clawed hand against Adam's back sliding his tail around him as he put his other hand on his chest. Adam looked so peaceful, the soft glow from his Sinner form dimmed by the sunlight streaming in from the gaps in the heavy curtains covering the massive windows.

"Hey... wake up." Lucifer kept his voice soft, calm, as he used the hand on Adam's chest to gently shake him. "It's morning."

And with that, Lucifer used his superior strength to throw Adam onto the floor in one fell swoop. Adam, however, woke up enough to latch onto the covers like some sort of angry bramble so when he fell, the heavy, warm comforter and silken sheets all went with him. Lucifer was only able to save his stuffed duck before Adam hit the floor.

"What the fuck!?" Adam looked a little like a cocoon, tangled up in his blankets, his hair a mess as he tried to get his wits about him.

"You knew the bed was mine." Lucifer shifted to lay on his stomach, his hooves in the air behind him resting his chin on the stuffed duck.

"It's fucking huge, you don't need that much room. You're literally not even a fraction of the size of this bed."

"You're not that much bigger than I am, you know, since you're the same size you were when you were alive." Lucifer rolled onto his back so he could peer at Adam upside down, hanging playfully off the side of the bed. He lowered his voice to a stage-whisper before adding: "which wasn't very tall compared to modern day humans, asshole."

"Hey! I am a perfectly respectable height! Unlike some tiny, insignificant little Fallen Angel with a God complex that I could mention."

"So grumpy. That's no way to talk about Carmilla." Lucifer snorted, enjoying himself. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"I WOKE UP ON THE FUCKING FLOOR!"

"Because the bed was for me~ We discussed this like two seconds ago, don't you remember?" Lucifer kicked his legs to swing himself into a sitting position.

"Asshole." Adam flopped back onto the floor, curling up in the blankets. Lucifer snapped and changed back into his suit before hopping off the bed and levitating Adam in his swaddle of blankets. "AH, PUT ME DOWN!" Adam was guided over the bed before Lucifer dropped him, face first, on the plush, soft mattress. Adam scrambled to sit up. "Stop that!"

"What? I put you down." Lucifer straightened his bow tie. "Listen," he glanced back up at the First Man who was starting to get comfortable again on the bed. "Last night, you said something to me and I don't know if you were just rambling, or if you were serious." Adam made an effort to roll over so he could face the Devil, his eyes narrowed.

"I don't ramble."

"You do. A lot. You are actually pretty chatty in your sleep."

"That doesn't sound like me."

"Look, you told me: Heaven is where I got sick. Did you get Corrupted while in Heaven? Was that true? Or were you just sleep-talking?"

"I..." Adam started to speak, but went quiet rather abruptly. Lucifer tensed, as he kept a close eye on Adam's body language. The last time he had asked him a direct question like this, Adam had seized up, and lost consciousness. And one of the times Lucifer had pressed too far, he had gotten fucking bitten, so, he wasn't making that mistake again. Adam's eyes started to glaze over and Lucifer immediately had to intervene.

"It's fine, forget it." Lucifer used his magic to grab the corner of the blanket and pull it up over Adam's head, wrapping him up.

"Hey!" He could see Adam wiggling in the blankets, trying to find his way out. "What the fuck!? Let me out of here!"

"Tell me where you are."

"In a fucking blanket trap!"

"I mean, your exact location."

"Hell? The cold part? Dude, I don't know all the fucking names!" Adam sounded fine. But Lucifer wanted to be sure. He slowly unwrapped his head and saw the First Man glaring at him with those two different colored eyes. The eyes themselves looked clear, but Lucifer still wanted to take no risks. Adam had not had an episode in months. It wasn't worth the risk of relapse.

"And your sons' names?"

"Cain, Abel, and Seth."

"Okay." Lucifer released the rest of the blankets and Adam managed to scramble out. He immediately was struck by the refreshingly crisp and cold air of Treachery, and instantly turned, burrowing back under the blankets. His head popped back out; cheeks puffed out looking offended.

"What was that about?"

"I don't want you to bite me again."

"I'm not going to bite you. I'm fine."

"I... I think you are." Lucifer had to admit the fact that Adam seemed mostly coherent. He was almost afraid to accept that Adam might genuinely be getting better. All that puking on Lucifer's expensive things could actually be helping Adam improve. "Now, go back to sleep, I have work stuff to do."

"I could have still been asleep if you hadn't fucking thrown me."

"You were on top of me " Lucifer shrugged, "I reacted accordingly." Adam's eyes widened and Lucifer swore he saw a bit of golden color in his pale cheek.

"You were warm. It was instinct."

"Hmm, yes, but you really shouldn't have been in the bed at all, you see. You know, because it is mine and you had the couch."

"Look, I know you think you need room for both you and your massive ego, but other people deserve a soft, fluffy bed too."

"Well now you and your massive ego can have a nice place to stay." Lucifer had predicted a joke like that from Adam. He was just surprised it had taken the First Man this long to make it. "I'll check back in on you later. If you start feeling badly, you have my number."

"I'm fine." Adam started to relax into the bed. Lucifer watched him for a little longer, waking him up last night must have left the First Man rather drained. Adam had seemed out of it, maybe he had just been sleeping talking. He seemed fine now, if not fatigued from living with Corruption. (Also, Lucifer knew from experience all the vomiting could leave one exhausted.) Adam's breathing went even, and Lucifer felt safe enough to take his leave.

The old Lucifer would have gone right to Xan and Michael, but that wouldn't be the right thing to do. (For himself, obviously, because he was the Devil and only cared about how things affected him.) Instead, Lucifer walked to the room down the hall and knocked on the door. It took a moment, but a rather bright and cheery Charlie greeted him in a rather silly looking holiday sweater. He could see Vaggie behind her sitting at the table with a fresh cup of coffee.

"Dad! Hey!" Charlie stepped to the side to allow her father to come inside, closing the door behind him. "This was so nice!"

"I am glad you two are enjoying yourselves." Lucifer loved to see that sparkle in his daughter's eyes. Her energy was almost contagious.

"I would come here again." Vaggie lifted her cup in the air in greeting. "Morning, King Morningstar." Lucifer waved off the formality.

"Please, call me dad! No need for formalities from my daughter's girlfriend." He turned his focus back to Charlie. "I am so glad you had a nice time, crabapple. Are you staying longer?"

"No." Charlie sighed a little sadly. "We have a Sinsmas thing going on at the Hotel today. I got a lot of extra gifts for everyone from Treachery! I even got some extra decorations!" She pointed to a stack of bags in the corner of the room.

"Well, I want to update you on something from last night, you know, because I am keeping you included, the way you want." Lucifer made a show of putting his hand on his daughter's shoulder, pulling her close. Charlie looked genuinely touched.

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"Dad," Charlie took the opportunity to wrap her arms around her dad, picking him up and squeezing him tightly. "Thank you so much! This means a lot"

"Well, you are the Princess. This is your home too." Lucifer smiled up at his daughter. He knew he had made at least one right call in his life. "Do you want to discuss it in private? Or are you okay with talking about it here."

"Here is fine." Charlie looked back at Vaggie and smiled as her girlfriend gave her a thumbs up, before relaxing back in her chair and taking a big swig of coffee.

"Perfect. So," Lucifer cleared his throat. If Charlie trusted Vaggie, so would he. "There was a bit of commotion last night as someone broke into the office of Cecelia's late father." He felt Charlie's hands tighten on his own at the words late father. "We don't think anything was taken. But we did find a token from a casino."

"Casino? Was Krampus a gambler?" Charlie looked a little surprised as she listened carefully to every word of her father's explanation.

"According to Xan, no. But he is just the husband." Lucifer shrugged. "We are going to ask Cecelia when she returns from the Living World."

"He seems like a reliable source, but I understand waiting for her." Charlie looked thoughtful. "Do you need me to stay?"

"No, crabapple. I think Michael and I can handle this. It might not be anything important, and you have your Hotel to take care of but I'll be sure to keep you up to date." Lucifer assured her. Charlie watched him carefully, her gold and crimson eyes scanning his expression.

"You promise?"

"Well, a promise is meaningless for Hellborn-"

"A promise means something for family." Charlie cut her father's protest off. That sounded a bit like some bullshit that Michael would spew but Lucifer tried not to think about it too hard. "So, do you promise me you'll keep me informed?"

"I promise." Lucifer took both of her hands into his own, squeezing them gently. "We will keep you up to date on everything. Just have fun at your Hotel."

"I hope it's fun. We will lose Vox at the end of the month so I want to leave a good impression." Charlie's words made Lucifer a little uneasy.

"You can't convince him to stay?"

"I don't think Angel would love it if I did. And I really think Vox just tolerates the Hotel because I am forcing him to be there." Charlie sighed. "I can't force him to stay. That goes against everything the Hotel stands for." While it was true that holding people against their will wasn't really "on brand" for his daughter, the fact of the matter was that Lucifer still had his concerns about Vox. It would be harder to keep an eye on him when he went back to his old life.

"Right... but Vox is Corrupted." Lucifer reiterated. (Charlie already knew that. Vox even knew that, too to some extent.) It was a mild case, but that didn't make it any less dangerous.

"Wasn't everyone at the Hotel kind of Corrupted?" Vaggie spoke up from the table. "And they have all been going around living their best lives."

"Mimsy's not Corrupted." Charlie corrected.

"Who?" The devil blinked.

"Mimsy, the blonde-haired Sinner who was hanging all over you at the... oh... no wait that was um-" Charlie cut herself off. "That was Michael. I forgot. Mimsy came to the dinner where the Shoggoth attacked, she's about this tall..." Charlie held up her hand to her waist. "And she's blonde, kinda chatty, and a big flirt?"

"Not ringing any bells." Lucifer shook his head. "But if she was at the Shoggoth attack, how did she not get Corrupted?"

"Not sure." Charlie gave a shrug. "But that's what Raphael said."

"I mean, she wasn't really in the fight." Vaggie took another sip from her cup. "She and Niffty got locked inside by Syn."

"But the wall collapsed. You would think if she was with Syn she still would have gotten some kind of exposure." Admittedly, Lucifer didn't really remember the fight as well as he wanted. It was a blur of blood, fear, pain, and rage. It was entirely possible that he was putting far too much energy into untangling the fate of some un-Corrupted Sinner. "Maybe have her checked again, and talk to Vox. See if you can't convince him to stay longer. I like having him where we can keep an eye on him." He was elusive even when he was staying under Charlie's roof. Lucifer hated to think of how much of a pain it would be to make sure Vox was taking the holy water prescribed to him when he was back to living his Overlord life. Lucifer's primary concern was nipping the spread of Corruption in the bud before Hell became a festering cesspool.

"I can do my best." Charlie looked a little unsure.

"Damn, I was looking forward to him leaving." Vaggie gave a sigh.

"He has done all our activities, though." Charlie looked a little more empathetic. Vaggie snorted at the response.

"Yeah, because he has to."

"Regardless of if you can convince him to stay or not, I want you to have fun at your Sinsmas event." Lucifer didn't want to weigh his daughter down too much with the heavy responsibilities she had asked him to burden her with. "I'll be in touch." He did want Charlie to take time for herself, for her project (especially if Michael's comments about a Sinner being redeemed were true) but he still had one more question. "Have either of you heard of the Luck of the Pharaoh Hotel? It's the casino name that was on the token we found." Charlie and Vaggie looked at one another before shaking their heads. Lucifer figured it was a long shot.

"Sorry, I'm not much of a gambler." Charlie looked genuinely apologetic. "I'm not really up to date on every casino in Hell."

"We could ask Husk. I feel like he would know." Vaggie suggested.

"It's fine. I am pretty sure Michael can just use his stupid Heaven mumbo-jumbo, holy, bullshit to find it." Lucifer waved off the offer. "I just wanted to check before I had to get the information from him so he can be all smug about it."

"I don't think he'll be smug, dad." Charlie assured him. "I'll still run it by Husk, just in case. Let me know what Lady Krampus has to say."

"Of course. I promised." The word felt a little funny on the Devil's tongue. It had been out of his vocabulary (outside of sarcastic uses) for so long it felt like speaking another language. "You girls finish packing, don't let me rain on your nice time."

"I'm glad you came and talked to me." Charlie gave him a tight hug.

"I am too." Lucifer held his daughter tightly. It was terrifying, knowing that she was now a part of all this. It was something he had been hoping to never discuss with her, but Charlie was taking it all like a champion. She was strong, stronger than he could have ever dreamed. There was still a part of him that feared that, at the end of all this, Michael was going to take Charlie away from him. He would take her to Heaven where a beautiful soul like hers belonged. He wasn't allowed to feel hope, or joy, it was a part of his punishment.

"I guess we should get back to packing. I may have bought way too many souvenirs." Charlie giggled at her own enthusiasm. Lucifer was just happy to know that he had actually gotten to spend a Sinsmas hanging out with (what was left of) his family. It felt like far too long since he and Charlie had spent the holiday together. It was before Charlie had moved out, if he was being honest. "Let me know what Michael says."

"I will." Lucifer walked to the door. "And let me know if you need me to take you back to Pride on my private elevator."

"We can use the public one." Charlie assured him. "I wanted to show the station to Vaggie anyway!" She ran up, giving him one last hug as Lucifer opened the door. "Love you dad."

"Love you too, Char-Char." He hugged her tightly. The determination to fix all this Eldritch bullshit was burning like a fire in his heart. He couldn't remember the last time he felt truly motivated to do anything. (Well, actually, he could. And the result of his last bit of inspiration and creativity had her arms wrapped around him. How had the Devil managed to make anything so good? It would always be a mystery.) "You ladies take care and I'll be in touch with all of our updates." He tipped his top hat to his daughter and headed out of the door.

He figured he would find Michael in front of the old office with Xan and Abdiel (and maybe the horse). Unless, of course, Michael's truly annoying personality had shown through and the Hellborns had to toss him to the curb. (That would be funny if it happened.) But Lucifer had to assume that Michael would be on his best behavior in front of the locals.

He found Michael standing in front of the office with Abdiel who was intently explaining something to the Archangel who nodded politely at every gap in the conversation. As Lucifer drew closer, he could vaguely make out what War was saying. "So, we all did a whole bit with the ghosts of Christmas, which I had no idea that holiday was haunted- that's badass- and Balaam doesn't even want to participate. So, that's why we made him Scrooge. I was a catch twenty-two. By not participating, he was participating perfectly. Oh shit, it's the king." Abdiel waved toward Lucifer as the ruler of Hell made his way up the stairs.

"Your majesty." Michael bowed to him, giving Lucifer that same mix of satisfaction and discomfort. "Welcome back. Xan just left to take a call from his wife."

"Is she back?" Lucifer rejoined the group.

"Nah, no yet." Abdiel checked the rather expensive looking watch on his wrist. "She should be soon though, if she rushed. Tom sent me a selfie from their night." He grabbed his own phone showing a picture of a Hellborn around Lysander's age taking a selfie with Krampus lashing out with her whip in the background.

"Oh. He's with her." Lucifer had slightly wondered where the son was, given how weirdly close Lysander's family seemed to be. Talking with one's own siblings more than once every several thousand years? That was the real Hell.

"Yeah, he helps out when she's doing the whole punishment thing. Like a secretary." Abdiel explained as Xan came walking out of a completely different room, phone in his hand.

"Cici says that she's on her way. But that her father definitely wasn't much of a gambler. She doesn't think the token belonged to him."

"Then it probably belongs to the wannabe thief." Lucifer was enjoying the feeling of being a detective, uncovering the mystery of the failed robbery of Krampus. "We just need to find out where this place is, and go there."

"She wants to get a look at the token when she gets back." Xan nodded. "But I feel like that is our best course of action once we locate the hotel in question. It's probably some desperate gambler in over their heads with debt trying to steal valuables from an elite family. But whoever it is needs to face justice."

"And they will. I am going to take Virgil for a moment. But please, let me know when Lady Krampus returns." Lucifer nodded to the siblings before grabbing his own not-brother by the arm and pulling him along behind him, out of the Krampsion, and back to the room in which Michael had been staying. He was almost pleased to see the bed looked as if it had been used this time around. "So, were you having fun with Abdiel? It sounded like I interrupted a great story."

"It was quite nice. Being a Horseman is difficult work, I'm pleased to know he's maintaining such a jovial attitude through what is one of the most difficult jobs there is. Though, it must help to be part of a supportive family." Michael replied as he shook his head and snapped back into his natural form the moment the door was closed.

"Yeah, pretty sure that whole loving family show is all bullshit." Lucifer waved it off.

"Is it? They seem happy."

"Nah, Lilith and I used to play over the top happy fucking family in front of dignitaries all the time. It's a way to show off."

"That's... sad."

"I mean," Lucifer realized what he had just said. "We were happy, but like, we played it up in front of company to prove a point."

"What point?"

"That we were better than them because we were so united and in love-" Lucifer cut himself off. "Look, do you know where the Casino is or not?" Michael looked like he wanted to say more, the eyes in the halos lingered on Lucifer even after Michael's face turned away to grab the divine tablet from its pocket dimension in which it was hiding.

"I don't have anything just yet, but give me a few seconds." Michael's fingers were a blur on the screen before Lucifer heard the distinct sound of ringing and the click of a phone being answered. The image of Uriel appeared, hovering over the screen like a hologram. "Sister!" Michael smiled upon seeing her. Lucifer slunk back a little, he wasn't aware they were going to contact one of the others. (Outside of Raphael- and of course Michael- the Devil had been successfully limiting his contact with the Big Four. Not that Uriel was as bad as Michael or Gabriel, but Lucifer wasn't really wanting to turn this Sinsmas into some sort of forced family reunion).

"Mikey! Good to see you. How have you been feeling." Uriel sounded so sweet and cheerful it made Lucifer want to roll his eyes.

"I'm well, thank you for asking." Michael's reply sounded almost automated. Fine was such a default answer that someone would give when there was way too much bullshit to unload. But, if Lucifer was being forced to be a part of this phone call, the least he could do was contribute with a little good, old fashioned honestly. Heaven loved that crap.

"Michael hasn't been sleeping."

"Mikey!" Uriel's eyes all narrowed at her leader and brother. Michael's face laughed but the eyes in the halos squinted at Lucifer in annoyance.

"I am getting as much sleep as possible."

"B-bullshit." Lucifer hid the word as a cough.

"Uri, I have a question for you." Michael ignored Lucifer as he reached in his pocket and pulled out the token. "We found this in the office of the late Krampus. The family don't seem to think it belonged to him, and there was an attempted break-in."

"You think the thief might have dropped it?" Uriel looked at the token curiously. Michael nodded, holding it up so she could get a good look.

"Have you ever heard of Luck of the Pharaoh Hotel?" Michael returned his complete focus onto Uriel before him.

"Not off the top of my head but..." Uriel pulled a scroll out of nothing, looking over the paper. Lucifer knew that Uriel was the smart ass of the group, the know-it-all. As the Archangel of wisdom, she had access to more random (and honestly rather generic) knowledge than any of the other three. "It's a newer hotel, located in the living world. It's in Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States."

"The living world..." Michael frowned, glancing over at Lucifer. "Well, that narrows our suspect pool, doesn't it?"

"It really does." Lucifer wouldn't lie, this was getting more intriguing with each and every twist and turn. Not a lot of Hellborn could access the living world. This had to be someone of rank. (Though, there was that whole thing with some imps that Cerberus and Satan had both texted him about, but that didn't seem relevant to this particular story.)

"Uriel, I want you to go to the living world and see if you can investigate-" Michael was cut off as Lucifer realized what he was saying.

"Uriel? Really? Why do I need to go with Uriel? No offense Uriel, but you're kind of a fucking buzzkill. She'll stick out like a sore thumb in Vegas!"

"Wait, who said you were going at all?" Michael looked a little taken aback by Lucifer's comment. Lucifer was also confused, as it really should have been obvious.

"I appreciate you saying 'no offense', but that was still a little hurtful, Luc." The hologram of Uriel added rather quietly.

"Michael, this is Krampus we are talking about. And Vegas. It couldn't be any more hand crafted for me if it had come with a golden snake and apple." Lucifer chose to ignore Uriel's comment in favor of arguing with his not-brother.

"You're injured." Michael's reply was flat.

"I'm better Mr. Cthulhu-Fucking-Bit-Me." Lucifer snorted at the argument. Did Michael seriously think that would work?

"I never said I was going." Michael's expression on his face stayed stoic, but Lucifer could see the eyes in the halos all looking rather annoyed.

"But you were thinking it." The benefit of being the Devil was that Lucifer wasn't bound by angelic social customs. He could argue with Michael, the hierarchy of Heaven meant nothing to someone spurned by Divinity itself.

"No, I was sending Uriel." Michael gestured at the hologram of Uriel who held up both of her hands as if trying to escape the conversation.

"By herself!?" Lucifer covered his mouth with his hands. "That's not very Heavenly of you. When I was in charge, we did things in group-"

"Gabriel can go with her." Michael cut him off. The Devil knew he was succeeding at getting under the Archangel's skin.

"Then who is going to look after Heaven?" Lucifer protested, a smirk playing at his lips. He could see Michael heave a heavy sigh.

"Raph."

"So, you are just going to pile more shit on Raph. He is going to love that. You know how he does so well when he is left in charge." Lucifer was being facetious, of course. Raphael, historically speaking, hated when he got left in charge because it slowed down his medical work. He swaggered over, wrapping an arm around Michael's shoulders. "I mean, I would have thought that Raphael was already overwhelmed with everything else going on. You know, an actual plague of Corruption. But why would the Archangel of Healing be concerned with that?"

"Raphael has been busy researching." Uriel spoke up hesitantly. "Gabriel has been overseeing everything in Heaven, with my help of course. But if you take us both away that is asking a lot of Raph." Lucifer was shocked. Was Uriel taking his side?

"I suppose I could always join you. It has been long enough since I have been on the field." Michael replied, shrugging away Lucifer's arm. Uriel made a sound as if sucking air in through her teeth as she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"I don't think that Raphael would agree."

"I'm fine Uriel. The wound has made no progress. I am in Hell, so I would be showing symptoms if my condition was worsening." Michael folded his arms over his chest.

"You're not supposed to be on missions at all." Uriel's comment wasn't surprising, but it filled Lucifer with a smug sense of satisfaction to hear it. He knew that asshole had been benched. Michael was just too proud to say it.

"If I can be in Hell I can be in Vegas." Michael retorted, the eyes in the halos rolling slightly as he was visibly annoyed.

"Mikey, please." Lucifer felt like he had the upper hand here. He was a master of persuasion, after all, and it seemed as if Uriel was already seeing his point of view. The Devil very much wanted- no- needed to be on this mission. Treachery was part of Hell; the affected party were all his people. "I am the King. I have to go. This is literally all part of my domain. Plus, who is better for the city of sin than the Devil?" He used his tail to tilt Michael's chin up. "I'll make sure Uri here doesn't stand out like a sore thumb." If he had to have company, Uriel wasn't the worst. She was a bit uptight, but anyone was more tolerable than his budget clone.

"I don't think it's a good idea. You're recovering. Maybe we send some of the Seraphim-" Michael was interrupted by a knock at the door- or rather, the sound of someone slamming both hands onto the door full force.

"Hey! Boss-Man! Auntie's home!" It seemed Lysander's unique way of knocking wasn't solely limited to the mansion. Lucifer opened the door poking his head out. Lysander had a different, equally ridiculous sweater on as he stood outside the door.

"Master! Do you think Krampus will bring me gifts for Sinsmas. I have been very good this year!" Syn was riding around on Lysander's head.

"I... don't think that's how that works." Lucifer would admit he wasn't entirely sure since Krampus had mentioned some re-branding happening. Usually, the toys were for Hellborn children and they were just given if Krampus happened to see the child in question in the lead-up to the holiday. And while Syn was Hell-made; Lucifer wasn't entirely sure that counted.

"Auntie will give you something." Lysander reached up to pat Syn on the top of her little cylinder. She was now wearing a little red hat with white trim, a white puffball on the tip, and little red horns. Charlie had bought it for her from a doll-shop in Treachery.

"She made good time." Lucifer slipped out of the room without saying goodbye because Michael wasn't worth that kind of effort. (Also, he was the Devil. He had to be at least a little rude or people would assume he was losing his edge.)

"I think she was rushing. Tom says there was some kinda break-in last night at Grampus's old office." Lysander was at least up to date on things. Lucifer was a little surprised by how quickly information seemed to travel in this family. He hadn't told Charlie about a world ending infection until at least four months in because he was a good parent.

"There was, but nothing was stolen." Lucifer followed Lysander and Syn back to where Krampus was talking with her husband, the Hellborn Lucifer assumed to be Tom, was petting the horse which was still on the third story of the mansion.

"Your majesty!" Krampus ran to him. "Thank you so much for everything you have done for us this Sinsmas. I know you are busy, so it means a lot you have taken so much time for us." She bowed deeply, her towering form barely dipping below Lucifer's height. Lysander, Tom, and Lady Krampus were noticeably bigger than Azazel's sons, who were only about Adam's height- which for Hellborn, wasn't very tall. (Unless you were an Imp.)

"It was nothing." Lucifer waved off the praise and gratitude, though he was secretly eating it up. It was nice to feel appreciated. "I managed to locate the hotel in question. It's in Las Vegas, located in the living world."

"Living world?" Krampus looked genuinely surprised.

"Told you it wasn't in Hell." Abdiel looked over at his brother, proudly, his tail twitching. Xan put a clawed hand over his brother's mouth.

"Shut up, the king is talking."

"Yes. Do you know why that might have been in your father's office?" Lucifer ignored the sibling bickering.

"Nein." Krampus shook her head. "Vater didn't have time to gamble while he was in the world of the living. We have a rather tight schedule, and he liked to be home as early as possible to spend time with the family."

"Things are pretty crazy once we start doing our thing." Tom offered Lucifer a rather long bit of paper that seemed to be some sort of itinerary.

"And you did so well helping me this year!" Krampus grabbed Tom and dragged him into what might have been a hug, might have been a headlock; as Lucifer read over the itinerary. It did seem like there wasn't much time for leisure.

"Mum!" Tom tried to push her away. "You're embarrassing me in front of the King!"

"Eh, don't you worry about that, Tommy." Lysander managed to drag Tom away from Cecelia, tucking his head under one arm. (That was definitely a headlock this time.) "After all the stories I've told Boss-Man about you, you don't have any dignity left!" Tom tried to escape. He seemed to be laughing, as his tail swatted against Lysander's back.

"You prick! Good to see ya, cuz."

"Missed you too." Lysander rubbed the top of Tom's head, ruffling his hair before releasing him. "And this lovely lady," he pointed on top of his head, "is Syn!"

"Greetings Tom!"

"Syn! Good to finally meet ya, mate!" Tom waved. "I have heard a lot about you from this asshole here." He nudged Lysander playfully.

"What, he isn't in one of your group-chats, is he?" Lucifer was almost afraid to ask. Syn just seemed to have a secret web of group chats that he didn't know about. Lysander gave him a blank look, blinking, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Why would Tom be in a group chat? He doesn't work for you."

"Because your dad doesn't work for me either, and he's in a group chat." Lucifer gestured to Abdiel who still had his mouth covered.

"Yes, but Tom does not require a meeting either! Do not be so silly, Master!" Syn flew over so she could sit on Lucifer's head instead. "Lady Krampus! Was I a good enough girl to get a gift this Sinsmas?" Syn's massive, googly eyes turned their un-seeing gaze toward the leader of Treachery. "I wrote you a letter!"

"I saw!" Krampus clapped her hands together. "Lysander made sure I got it." She reached into the basket on her waist and pulled out a rather large book, covered in glitter, with shimmering letters on the front. "I think someone asked for a new sticker book." Syn's lights all rapidly changed color as her little wings spun around her body.

"THANK YOU, LADY KRAMPUS!"

"Lady Krampus," Michael finally made his appearance as Virgil. It took him long enough to get there. He was probably stuck trying to say goodbye politely. It was difficult to get off the phone quickly in Heaven. It was a lot of: 'Are you sure there's nothing else?' And 'No, no, please, finish what you were saying, I would hate to interrupt'. "I have the token in question." He bowed before holding out his hand, the token flat on his palm.

"Hmm..." Krampus took it from Michael, flipping the clue over in her hands. "I definitely have never seen this before. It's nothing of vater's."

"Well, don't you worry about a thing, Krampus. I, your King, will go to the human world and investigate this myself!" Lucifer made a big show of tapping his cane on the ground, bowing at the waist, and tipping his hat to the Hellborn in question. "It's just a show of appreciation for all of you, and your family's hard work." He winked at her, straightening back up. Lucifer made a show of not turning to face Virgil, though, he swore he could feel eyes boring into the back of his neck. He also heard a very quiet, but distinct:

"I'm sorry what?" from behind him.

"Oh, my King, I could not ask that-" Krampus looked genuinely thrilled by the promise. Her hands covered her mouth before she made yet another attempt to bow to her Devil King, this time in appreciation.

"I insist." Lucifer cut her off.

"Um, your majesty," Michael's voice sounded polite, but Lucifer could hear the faint strain that he assumed was Michael holding back what he really wanted to say. "Do you really think we have the time-"

"Nonsense, Virgil my servant," Lucifer had Michael trapped by societal convention. Michael was an underling here in Hell and there wasn't shit he could do. That also meant that Lucifer would not be able to say an official goodbye to Charlie, but she would understand once he explained the situation. "I think we owe the Krampus's at least this much after we didn't even send them a sympathy card or a wedding gift!"

"I really think you should reconsider." Michael had the eyeless sockets of the Virgil façade narrowed at him as Lucifer could only smile.

"Well, I'm the King. And you are not." Lucifer cleared his throat, taking a step back. He needed to act here and now, while the Archangel had his hands (metaphorically) tied. "And I know what needs to be done for my people!" The Devil was still recovering, and was not supposed to be using magic, but an exception had to be made. He clapped his hands together, and as he pulled them apart, sparks of infernal energy emanated from between his palms, seeming to melt the very air around them so that where there was nothing, the image of a blood red door started to emerge. There was a golden emblem and a snake, wrapped around the outline of an apple, all within the unmistakable image of the Devil's crown. The Hellborn all stepped back as the door materialized from nothing, burning into being as the sparks tore apart the very fabric of reality. "BEHOLD!"

The Krampus family and Syn all looked on in awe. Michael looked stoic, but Lucifer could almost feel the anger radiating off of him. The horse yawned.

"Thank you for looking into this, your majesty." Krampus bowed to him deeply, gesturing for her family to do the same. Her husband and son followed in her lead as Abdiel and Lysander chose, instead, to give Lucifer thumbs up.

"Master is so amazing!"

"I know." Lucifer nudged Syn to get her off of his head. She may not be on the same technological scale as Divine technology, but she was still too advanced for what Earth would be accustomed to. "Now, Syn, I'm going to have to run a quick errand. I want you to say goodbye to Charlie for me! Also," he waited until she was off his head and floating before him. "You're in charge while I'm away." Syn's colors all changed rapidly once again.

"HURRAY!"

"Ah damn." Lysander crossed his arms looking disappointed as he leaned back against the horse who was generally disinterested in everything happening around it. But Lucifer wasn't here to impress a horse. (It shouldn't have been on the third floor anyway.)

"Apologies, Lysander! I am just better!"

"I'll let you know when I catch the thief." Lucifer didn't have time for petty employee drama. He had a mystery to solve and an ex-brother to piss off. He put his hand on the gilded handle of the newly created door. He felt someone grab the tail of his coat.

"Your highness-" Michael was holding to him.

"I know it's the holidays, Virgil, but a King can't afford to take breaks." Lucifer cut him off. "Now, I have places to be." He tried to pull away but Michael's grip was like the strongest steel. "I know you'll miss me, Virgil, but you don't want to make a scene in front of all these Hellborn, do you?" Lucifer made a point of nodding toward the onlookers. Michael didn't move for a moment; the Devil could see him considering all of his options.

"Hurry back." The Archangel's hand finally released the Devil's coat and Lucifer threw open the door. While it looked like it led to nowhere, Lucifer knew better. (At least, he was fairly certain the spell had worked, it HAD been a while since he had used this one.) He stepped through, his body felt a warm, tingling sensation, and in a split second he was standing, not in a frozen mansion, but on a plush, red carpet in a rather tacky looking hotel lobby. His body had instantly changed into something more human looking, the horns and tail vanishing, the claws beneath the gloves simply changing into nails. He kept his suit and top hat, but the decorations became more simplified. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, after all.

His phone rang.

"Listen, I know you're pissed but this was my fucking mission and you know it." Lucifer picked it up before that angelic asshole could fill his voicemail with enraged shouting.

"Oh, are you already investigating the breach in Treachery?" The voice on the other end was, most assuredly, not Michael.

"Oh, Bernadette, hi. Was the breech you're talking about just now?"

"Yes! How did you-"

"That was me." Lucifer sighed a bit. It was great that the sisters were being more attentive to everything that was going on in regards to Hell and the barrier. But it seemed like they were always one step behind.

"Oh."

"Whoopsie." Rusti could be heard giggling in the background. "Oh well! Are you and your maid having a nice trip?"

"I'm going to hang up the phone now." Lucifer didn't have time for chit-chat. (Especially not with Rusti who seemed to be in some weird gossip train with Syn, and every important Hellborn.) "Thank you for checking in."

"Wait did you get us anything for Sins-" Before Rusti could finish, Lucifer hung up the phone. He really should get the girls something for Sinsmas. They were rather loyal employees, after all, and he had not been the best boss recently. Maybe he could grab them something from the gift shop. But first: he had a mission.

"Greetings!" Lucifer sauntered over to the desk with his most charming smile, weaving the token in and out between his knuckles. The receptionist at the desk looked up at him as he approached. "How are you doing this lovely morning?"

"Very well, thank you, and may I be the first to say: Welcome to the Luck of the Pharaoh Hotel!" She giggled at Lucifer's dramatics. He smirked, pleased to know he still had a way with the humans. "How can I help you, sir? Do you have a reservation?"

"Alas, no. I sort of... fumbled the vacation plans and forgot to make one. I don't suppose you have any availability?"

"Oh," the receptionist looked at her computer. "I'm... afraid not, sir." For what it was worth, she did seem genuinely apologetic. "It's the holidays after all, and we are quite booked." Lucifer didn't really care about the hotel as much as he did the casino inside. But having a room might have at least made it easier to explore. Oh well.

"No, no, no, no, it's my own fault." The Devil made a big show of heaving a heavy sigh before showing the token to the woman before him. "Then, I don't suppose you have a place where I can hide from the old ball and chain for a while?"

"Oh! You want to go to our casino? A wonderful choice! It's on the third floor. We also have some events if you're interested in wasting time. There's a band, several different comedians, we have magicians, all sorts of entertainment." She reached beside her into a drawer and pulled out a little brochure to hand to Lucifer. The Devil glanced it over. It was all fairly generic.

"Thank you, and if you see my old lady, don't tell her you saw me." He winked playfully, putting the brochure in his pocket.

"If any rooms open up, I can let you know. Do you want to give me your number? We get a lot of cancellations and no-shows, especially this time of year." She lowered her voice, "a lot of people lose the money for the room and can't pay."

"Aren't you a doll?" Lucifer smiled, giving her a fake number. "I'll be sure not to lose all my money then, just in case." He gave her a playful smile. "You're a real-life saver though, thanks." He shot finger-guns toward the receptionist as he backed away from the desk. He walked back toward the elevators. The Hotel itself wasn't giving off any sort of bad energy. The only thing the Devil felt was tired but that was probably from his whole display of magic. He was a little surprised that Michael hadn't broken character to force him to stay.

Then again, what exactly could Michael do? Outside of cutting his wings off again and the asshole was pretty good at that.

Lucifer headed to the elevator, sending a quick text to Lysander. (He would rather have texted Lady Krampus, but he had forgotten to get her number.)

Me [Sent: 12:45 PM]: Do you have a picture of Krampus's human form?

He received a thumbs up emoji in return. At least Lysander answered quickly.

The Casino was going to be the first place he needed to look. He pressed the button, and the elevator opened. He stepped inside, and right as the door closed, a tan hand reached in, stopping it. A dark-haired woman entered, as the doors opened back up. Something immediately triggered Lucifer's senses as she stepped inside.

The door closed.

"You really shouldn't have run off like that. You know Michael is very upset." Uriel. No wonder Lucifer felt something the moment she entered.

"I'm surprised he didn't come here himself to stop me." Lucifer had never really seen Uriel's human form before. Though, as shape-shifters it didn't really matter, given the Archangel of Wisdom could look however she damn well pleased. Her pink sweater and large red glasses would make her stand out in a place like this. But Lucifer knew there was no accounting for fashion when it came to his siblings. He would just have to deal.

"He was going to. But Raph and I talked him out of it."

"So, you'll be my babysitter then?" Lucifer wasn't surprised to see her, but he was a little annoyed. He was the King of goddamn Hell and Michael was treating him like a teenager who had just gotten his driver's license.

"Your partner." Uriel corrected as the doors opened. "I knew there was no talking you out of investigating this. And in your defense, a place like this," she gestured around the casino as they stepped onto the third floor, "you will be far more at ease here than one of us would be. I love my siblings, but outside of Gabriel, we don't have the best people skills."

"The fact that you think that overgrown pigeon has anything resembling people skills makes me very sad for you." Lucifer had not expected Uriel of all angels to take his side. While she was not the big bluebird with the wing-cutting fetish, she was starkly against him during the rebellion. (Something about it not being a wise decision or some shit like that. He had been bleeding too much to pay attention to her lecture.) "You were right about this, though. I guess you're not as hopeless as I thought." Lucifer looked around the room. The casino itself was rather crowded. There were all sorts of games, a bar in the back, the lighting was dim, aside from the bright flashing lights from the various machines.

"I also volunteered because I wanted to do a mission with you."

"What?" Lucifer turned back to face Uriel. She looked a little startled by his sudden movement, he could see her brown eyes glancing around her uncertainly.

"I... wanted to do a mission with you?" She repeated herself hesitantly.

"Why?"

"You're my brother, and I miss you."

"I'm not your brother. I'm more like your ex-boss who got mutinied because you happened to like the replacement better." Lucifer didn't like to think about the past. If Uriel was going to try and guilt trip him so that he would lose focus, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. "But since you are here, stick close and try not to say anything weird."

"O... okay." Uriel moved so she was standing practically against his back. Lucifer took his hand and slowly pushed her away.

"Yep, you are already being weird. This bodes well." Lucifer gave an awkward smile to one of the patrons walking past and eyeing the two in confusion. "Sorry! She's a bit tipsy." Lucifer turned back to Uriel. "Now, our best bet is to talk to the patrons, see if they know anything about what might be going on." Lucifer's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to reveal a picture of an older looking man with sunken eyes, his white hair was slicked back, he had a full beard. Lysander hadn't failed him. Well, at least he had a starting point. "All right, now in a place like this, money talks, and winning will get us attention. So..."

"So...?" Uriel looked at him blankly.

"So, I want you to play the games."

"What? I can't!"

"Look over there." Lucifer nodded his head toward the blackjack table where about six people were sitting. "What are their odds?" Uriel went quiet, he could see her mind running rapidly behind her eyes as they scanned the table.

"Only the person in the third seat has any real chance of winning judging by the cards in play and the cards played when we first entered the room. Of course, that could be a little off-"

"Exactly. You're natural."

"Lu, that's cheating."

"And? I'm the Devil."

"But I'm not."

"Fine." Lucifer walked up to one of the tables where a group of humans were watching a roulette wheel spin. "This one is based on luck. Do you think you can play this?"

"I mean... I am naturally lucky as an angel-"

"Uriel, I swear if you are going to just be a hinderance we can split up."

"Okay, okay." She followed him to the table. Lucifer could have played the games himself, but Uriel was far more disarming. She looked like an easy mark. And while people were distracted by her, he could help her cheat.

"Can my sister join?" Lucifer offered the single token to the dealer, his hand on Uriel's back, nudging her forward. "It's her first time here and she's a bit shy." They only had the one token, so if she won, it would save him all the trouble of making more.

"Of course, come in!" The dealer waved her over. He gestured to the table to place her bet. "You can start easy if you-"

"Double zero." Uriel cut him off. "I-I mean, double zero, please." She must have startled herself because she immediately backed off.

"A... are you sure?" The dealer looked down at the chip uncertainly.

"Y... yes please." Uriel nodded. Lucifer sighed. She just had to go for a one in thirty-seven chance on her first try. Well, it was fine, he was planning on cheating anyway.

"She's got a lot of spunk, what can I say." Lucifer laughed as the others began placing their bets. "She gets it from our dad." He noticed a few odd looks. He and Uriel HAD chosen rather different human forms. "She's adopted." The wheel started to spin and Lucifer made a show of pulling out the phone and holding it where the dealer could see. Sure, Krampus had been dead for years, but if this wasn't a new employee, there was always a chance.

"Double Zero!" The Dealer didn't seem interested in the photo. The group around started patting Uriel on the back as she was handed her payout of more tokens. Lucifer blinked. He had been planning to help but it looked like Uriel didn't need it.

"You are lucky for a first timer!"

"Beginner's luck!"

"You should go again!" There was a great deal of interest in Uriel now, and that is what Lucifer wanted. He put an arm around her shoulders as the Archangel stood, awkwardly, holding her chips as if they were somehow on fire.

"That's our dad, helping you from beyond!" Lucifer made sure to have the phone visible again. There was no reaction, so he helped pull Uriel away. "Damn," he waited until they were as far away from the roulette table as possible. "You are lucky."

"You know we have to donate all of this to charity, right?" She held out her tokens and Lucifer quickly snatched them out of her hand.

"These are for us to use to research."

"But the rest go to charity, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." Lucifer actually didn't have an issue with donating the money. It wasn't like it could do him any real good in Hell. But at least he had a system in place.

It was surprisingly successful.

Uriel hadn't been kidding about her good luck. It seemed like every game she would win, Lucifer would interact with the dealer, telling the tragic story of how this was their first holiday without their adoring father who used to love coming to places like this, and he would show the picture. They had it down to a science, (and Lucifer wasn't having the worst time with Uriel, so that was a little weird.) But things were starting to feel a bit like a dead end.

"Oh, I've seen that guy before." Lucifer nearly did a double take as the bartender glanced down at his phone. He had only put it down for a second as he was trying to maneuver two drinks into his hand. (Of course, the alcohol was actually pointless when it came to Uriel and himself. Human drinks did nothing to supernatural entities.).

"You have?" Lucifer shifted so he could free one hand to offer the phone to the bartender, who was a rather tall, lanky man. He was bald, wearing an eyepatch over one eye, the other eye was a pale blue. He scanned over the picture, deep in thought.

"He hasn't been by in years." He handed the phone back to Lucifer.

"He died."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. He seemed like a good man. I knew he had a daughter, didn't realize about the son."

"Eh, we weren't on great terms. I was the odd one out in the family." It was easier to lie when there was some truth in it.

"Your sister seems like a wonderful young woman, but she doesn't look a thing like her photos." The bartender's pale eye glanced over at Uriel who was surrounded by humans watching her as she rolled a pair of dice. Right. Uriel's human form probably didn't look like whatever form Cecelia might have taken. (Krampus must have taken her on trips to the living world from time to time- it made sense he would have photos of her.) So, the old man had been here.

See, every family had their secrets.

"She's had some work done." Lucifer laughed playfully as he carefully put the phone back into his pocket. Well, that had almost been a disaster. Fortunately, he had the perfect exit strategy. "I better get over to her, I'm her good luck charm." And with that he hurried back to Uriel as she was surrounded by excited cheering. Her bag of tokens was only getting heavier. Damn, the charities of her choosing were going to have a great holiday.

"You're back!" She smiled at him as he returned to her side.

"Sorry sis, I got us drinks!" He handed her the drink. Uriel took it, then immediately turned the glass so that the cocktail splattered all across the front of her crimson sweater. Thankfully, it only discolored slightly but that seemed intentional.

"Oh whoops! All this excitement is getting to me, my hands are shaking! Where's the bathroom?" Uriel was doing an impressive job of acting, as she laughed and looked at the front of her sweater, holding the fabric away from her body.

"Oh, right back that way, miss!" The dealer at her table gestured to the opposite side of the casino. Uriel giggled.

"Thank you! Bro, can you come with me? I need you to hold my purse." She dropped the coins into Lucifer's hand before grabbing him by the arm and starting to drag him away. Something was definitely up.

"Did you pre-game?" Lucifer kept his voice jovial; they were still being watched. That was the downside of Uriel's vast success.

"Yeah! I started at like... three o'clock." Uriel snorted, throwing her head back to drink what was left of her drink. Lucifer saw her eyes flicker to the side. Three o'clock? That was a location. Lucifer tried not to be obvious as he glanced over past the slot machines. There was something... strange... a shadow of sorts barely visible in the flashing lights.

It had... horns?

"Let's get you cleaned up. You are a mess." Lucifer shifted to a less direct path. Uriel had made some progress too, it seemed.

"Who is texting me?" Uriel gave an annoyed sigh, making a show of fumbling for her phone. She tilted the screen toward Lucifer.

We need to call Michael.

"Just ignore it. We need to get you cleaned up as soon as possible. We don't have time to dick around or the stain will set in." Lucifer had his eyes on the shadow, as it moved away from them. If they called Michael, they would need to get away from the people. (It wasn't exactly like they could discuss matters of Heaven and Hell where the humans could- and would listen in. People were still looking at them. Uriel was quite the celebrity.) They might lose whatever they found before they could glean any information about it. Something was here that shouldn't be. It looked as if it was from Lucifer's domain, so he should be the one to take care of it.

"I dunno," Uriel resisted a bit as Lucifer dragged her in the direction in which the shadow was moving. He was closer now. Whatever it was appeared to be moving freely amongst the humans. It was a little strange that none of them seemed to react, but it was dark and they were focused on their machines. "I think I need to answer."

"Just text them."

"But it is nice to wait for a response, right?"

"You can multitask." Lucifer wasn't waiting around for Michael to bark orders at him. He had almost caught up to the horned figure. He rounded the corner, revealing they were almost back where they started. Lucifer saw a vaguely human shaped creature making a run for the elevators. It looked like... an Incubus? It was struggling to hold its human form, the tail and horns seemed to almost be breaking through the human skin, revealing bits of blue underneath previously pale flesh. The incubus scurried onto the elevator and Lucifer dashed behind it. If Uriel was going to slow him down to contact Michael, then she would just have to catch back up.

"We really need to-AH!" Uriel was cut off as Lucifer released her to make a break for the elevator, managing to catch the doors right as they attempted to close. He pried them back open with his hands, looking inside the reflective, ornate elevator. "Do NOT run off like that." Before the doors could close, Uriel slid in after him. "We are a TEAM!"

"Where did he go?" Lucifer ignored her. The incubus had come into this very elevator. Lucifer had seen it with his own eyes.

"Up." Uriel sighed as she hit the close door button and the elevator surged to life. She pointed toward the ceiling, and Lucifer could see one of the tiles was shifted just slightly out of place. Lucifer let his hands turn back to claws as he started to climb. "No." Uriel pulled him back down. She lifted her hand and the tile moved all on its own. "It looks like... he's going toward the top of the building." She was staring straight up, but Lucifer saw her brown eyes had turned a solid red. The Archangels really did have some impressive vision. It was probably all the fucking eyes.

"Then up we go." Lucifer hit the button, his hands returning to normal. "I do always love a good penthouse." He reached in his pocket for the brochure. "And uh... sorry about trying to ditch you back there."

"Don't do it again." The eyes on Uriel's cheeks opened solely to glare at Lucifer. The devil cleared his throat as he looked down at the brochure, leaning casually against the wall while Uriel's primary gaze was on the Incubus moving above them. He could hear it clambering desperately up the wires. (Even in his human form, his senses were still greatly enhanced- though they were still nothing compared to what they used to be... before the Fall.)

"Look at that, the theater is on the top floor. Seems like kind of a waste. I would hate to be the floor underneath when they're having concerts."

"The floor below it is business offices." Uriel replied flatly. The elevator came to a stop. Lucifer quickly looked at Uriel.

"You didn't enchant the elevator so it wouldn't stop!?"

"That would be rude, this is a type of public transportation and the humans need it- hi!" Uriel's head snapped back down as the doors opened and a nice, young couple stepped on the elevator. Lucifer gave an awkward wave.

"Are you guys going to see the show?"

"We are excited as can be!" The man smiled, as the Archangel and Devil did their best to look casual and not stare at the still missing ceiling tile.

"It's our honeymoon." The woman added sweetly.

"Oh, congratulations." Uriel smiled before shifting so she was closer to Lucifer. It was only a few moments before the elevator reached its destination. The couple got off the elevator first and Lucifer and Uriel waited a moment before following.

"Do you see it?" Lucifer stepped into a small lobby. The only real way forward was through a massive set of double doors. Uriel was moving a little slower, her eyes were darting around as they followed the couple into the nicely lit lobby. Ahead of them, the double doors were closed, with two ushers standing on either side. She had her phone out, staring at the screen. "Uriel?"

"Can we call for backup now?"

"I mean," Lucifer sighed, they had lost sight of the Incubus in question. "Now that we aren't in the middle of a chase I guess-" He cut off as the couple walked through the massive double doors and he saw the tip of the Incubus's tail shift out of view. "Shit! That way." He wasn't going to force Uriel to come with him. It might even be better if she stayed behind. So, Lucifer ran forward through the doors, looking around for the incubus.

"Are you kidding me!?" The doors swung open behind him as Uriel ran back in. "Stop doing that!" She hissed, grabbing his arm to stop him from making any more sudden moves. Lucifer rolled his eyes, but didn't fight her grip.

"I thought you would stay behind and call for help and the others would catch up."

"I can't let you go in alone!"

"I would have been fine." Lucifer sighed as he surveyed the area. It was quite the nice theater, it had multiple sections, all quite crowded with excited people. The couple from the elevator were directly in front of them. The railings were gold, the carpeting a nice, new red. There was a large stage with heavy, crimson curtains, closed and covering what was behind. There were ushers in the aisles, taking tickets and guiding excited patrons to their seats.

Shit.

Did they need tickets for this?

"Tickets please." The usher held out her hand toward Lucifer and Uriel. The two exchanged uncertain glances.

"Sorry we were just looking for someone." Uriel smiled.

"We left them in our other coat." Lucifer talked over her. "But you haven't seen a guy in a Halloween costume around, have you?" The Usher didn't really react to either of them. Her hand still extended toward the pair.

"Tickets please."

"Um..." Uriel looked at the hand that was palm up toward her, and before Lucifer could stop her, she gave the human a high five.

"Why did you do that!?" The Devil hissed toward his companion. "I am so sorry, she's still a little drunk."

"I thought that was socially acceptable!" Uriel was clearly still out of touch with humanity. Apparently, a few hours of gambling hadn't completely fixed her social skills. The usher's hand fell limp to her side as she shone her flashlight toward the steps.

"Balcony."

"What?" Lucifer blinked.

"Balcony."

"O... kay?" Lucifer felt something like a chill under his skin as he guided Uriel past the usher. He saw the Incubus again, moving through the aisle toward the stage. Lucifer went to go after him, nearly barreling over the couple from the elevator who were going to take their seats. Uriel had to stop and help them up.

"Are you all right?"

"We are excited as can be!" The man smiled as he got back up from the ground. His wife stood there, watching him.

"It's our honeymoon."

"Shit." The Devil breathed through his teeth.

"We have to go." Uriel's grip tightened on Lucifer's arm. Repetition. It was never a good sign- not in a situation like this. He nodded and they made a dash toward the double doors just as two ushers placed a heavy bar across them, locking them closed.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice came over the speakers, "put your hands together for or favorite magician the amazing, astounding, unfathomable: Niall Hotep!" The moment the doors shut Lucifer felt something wash over him, a wave of nausea, dizziness, and dread. He fell to his knees. Uriel turned, whispering under her breath, her hand still grabbing his. He felt burning on his skin, and then he felt better. A mask appeared over Uriel's face, similar to what the Exorcists bore during their Exterminations, but more akin to what Michael wore into battle back when they first fought the Old Ones.

"The door..." he tried to speak but he had had the breath knocked out of him by that awful, wretched feeling. Uriel raised the hand that wasn't holding to Lucifer and he suddenly saw it, a ward, not Infernal in nature, not divine... but Eldritch. The very image seemed to be slithering and shifting as if the ward itself was alive and suffering.

"Are you ready folks?" The announcer sounded like one of those over enthusiastic assholes from one of Vox's game shows. The crowd was shrieking, cheering for the magician, nearly climbing over each other to get to the stage. "You may know him as: The Crawling Chaos, the God of a Thousand Forms, the Stalker Amongst the Stars, the Face-"

"I think they get the point~" A voice pierced through the screams and the room went dead silent. It was so quiet; Lucifer could hear the thud of shoes on the worn wooden stage. The curtains began to draw, back as Uriel pulled Lucifer away.

"Let's give our heart, our lives, and our very souls up for Nyarlathotep!"

"Fuck." Lucifer had not felt genuine fear in a long time, at least, not from anything that wasn't from Heaven. But as his eyes fell on the smooth, inhuman flawless skin, the long black hair, the dark, glistening eyes of the magician on the stage, he realized the situation they were in.

"Ladies," the monstrosity on stage smiled with its human face, "gentlemen," he walked toward the edge of the stage. The Hellborn Lucifer had been following had dropped to its knees in front of the magician in question. "Archangels." Suddenly Nyarlathotep was gone. Lucifer heard Uriel gasp as the human in the seat next to her exploded into a burst of black, viscous goo that reshaped into Nyarlathotep leaning toward her, his elbow on the arm rest, his chin in his hand. "And..." the body reverted back to its original human shape, but the person was unmoving as one of the ushers behind them began to convulse before the black goo oozed out of their eyes and mouth, sticking to their skin, and turning them into the grinning magician, as he made a show of looking the Devil up and down. "Lucifer? What are you doing here?" The body melted back into the form of the usher who fell limp on the floor as Nyarlathotep re-materialized on the stage. Lucifer felt himself jerked away from Uriel, the very theater seemed to shift under him and suddenly he was on the stage sitting in a chair as Uriel was in the audience. "You don't belong with those losers." The Crawling Chaos put his hands on the chair behind Lucifer looking down at him. "Come hang out in the cool kids club."

"Get away." Lucifer's human form shattered, his horns erupted from his skull, his tail thrashed as he pulled himself out of the chair turning to face the Eldritch monstrosity before him. Nyarlathotep held up both his of hands, and the chair melted into black liquid that seemed to get reabsorbed by the very stage itself.

"Wow, okay. You're a little bitter about something. Troubles at home?"

"Stay away from my fucking domain!" Lucifer sent a ball of fire directly toward the Eldritch abomination who simply vanished letting the fire strike the stage causing the wood to start to burn, as the flames began to spread.

"Well," Nyarlathotep was suddenly behind Uriel, "I don't know about you, but I feel like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Uriel didn't react, she didn't even turn, she had her hands clasped together, eyes on her face closed as she was back in her angelic form. A bolt of pure, holy light shot from Uriel back at Nyarlathotep who vanished again before it hit. "I just came out here to have a good time, and honestly, I'm feeling so attacked right now. Look, you guys can be as bitter and angry as you want, but," He waved his hand and massive, writhing wards appeared consuming the entirety of the theater, "it's just going to be us in here." The wards would block out any attempt to reach help from the outside. Nyarlathotep was toying with them, like a predator taking sick enjoyment in drawing out the kill. "Can you believe this? Heaven attacking innocent souls? Must look pretty familiar." Lucifer took a deep breath. He needed to think.

"I would hardly call you innocent."

"Oh, come now, what I offer is simply another, better option to what you do." Nyarlathotep seemed to think Lucifer was at least open to his side. Maybe he could use this. How... how had he slipped by under their radar? How was it that they couldn't sense him until he closed the doors? The magician walked to the Hellborn on the floor gesturing for it to stand, which it did. "Be honest, you're happy, aren't you?" The Hellborn nodded furiously.

"Yes! Oh yes!"

"Would you rather be back in Hell, or would you rather be with me?" As Nyarlathotep interrogated one of his Corrupted underlings, Uriel inched her way closer to Lucifer. The Devil wanted to stop her. He couldn't lose any advantage he might have. But he didn't want to draw attention, either. He knew what he needed to do, and it was going to suck.

The Archangels had a telepathic link. He had been a part of it before, and, he had the feeling Uriel would let him in if she felt him trying to contact her.

Don't help me. I don't think he knows we're on the same side.

Lucifer sent the message as he watched the Eldritch monstrosity like a hawk. Suddenly his head was searing with pain.

I tHinK hE kNowS.

Uriel's reply was like daggers directly into Lucifer's brain. His Infernal mind was no longer equipped for this type of communication.

"With you!" The Hellborn was throwing himself toward Nyarlathotep who kept him at arm's length. "You showed me the truth!"

"The only truth." The Old one smiled, caressing the cheek of the Hellborn. The fire was still blazing, though it would not bother Lucifer who was the one mostly surrounded. It had burned away part of the wood of the stage revealing something black, and pulsing beneath. Lucifer spread his wings knowing better than to come in contact. "I mean it's no apple off a tree, but we each have our own aesthetic." He appeared behind Lucifer again.

"It actually wasn't an apple-" the Devil tried to keep the Old One's focus on him. Hopefully the Archangel of Wisdom had some kind of plan.

I wiLl tRy tO bReAk thE WaRD.

"It was a ticket, a way in." As Nyarlathotep walked, the black mass beneath the stage would rise up to meet him. "I don't think we ever got to thank you for that."

"Uh, no, never got a gift basket or anything." Lucifer shook his head, keeping his eyes on the Old One as Nyarlathotep circled him like a shark.

MaKinG pRogResS.

"Well, that is truly a tragedy. I will have to tell Yog Sothoth to send another one." Nyarlathotep fanned himself, shaking his head. "This fire is also kinda tragic. I mean, if these humans had still been alive, you would have put them in real danger." Indeed, the audience was unmoving, staring at the stage with unblinking eyes. "And you," all of the sudden the humans lunged for Uriel. They struck a barrier she had made around herself. Nyarlathotep vanished, as all the humans clawed at the barrier, and it began to ooze with black goo once again. Lucifer could see the black burning through the holy barrier like a potent acid through paper. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing over there, young lady."

"What threat can she pose?" Lucifer used his magic to create a ring of infernal fire over the rapidly disintegrating barrier. He could hear the shells of what we're once humans, screaming as they tried to claw their way through the fire.

"I mean, more of one than you do. Honestly, she was kind of coming to this fight underprepared. I was expecting Michael, or at least the green guy. But you?" Nyarlathotep placed a hand on Lucifer's shoulder but immediately pulled back as if in pain. Uriel had put a protection spell on him, on the Devil. No wonder he had felt burning. "You aren't really anything."

"I am the King of Hell!" Lucifer took the opportunity as the Crawling Chaos pulled back, to rejoin Uriel. He sent a pillar of fire to give her room to escape. Her wings spread and the infernal fire rolled off of her like water off a duck's back. She joined Lucifer in the air.

"The Prince of Lies, too. Don't forget that part. You did just try to lie to me- adorable, by the way- you two have been all chummy in my casino downstairs, and I'm not stupid. I feel like the only one you're really good at lying to is yourself." The Elder God stepped off the stage and the humans surged to make a platform of bodies on which he could walk. "I'll be honest, though, I did not have Lucifer teaming up with the Archangels on my Apocalypse Bingo Card. I think Yog did, but we all know he cheats. He can't win the prize."

"Leave Lucifer out of this, your fight is with us!" Uriel spread her wings, flying so she was between the Devil and the monster. She held a scroll in her hands, the text glowing with pure, holy magic, so bright Lucifer couldn't even look.

CloSe yoUr eYes.

"It wouldn't have to be a fight if you angels were a little more open minded." As Nyarlathotep drew closer, Lucifer shut his eyes tightly. A light flared up, so bright it burned the Devil's eyes behind his closed lids. He opened his eyes again as the light died down, the humans that had been beneath the Elder God were on the ground, but more were shifting toward them. This all seemed a little excessive as they weren't even very high up, and Nyarlathotep could easily reach them if he shed his human form. But he didn't seem interested in winning. "Am I right, Lucifer?" The mass beneath the stage surged forward like water over the brim of a cup. It began to absorb into the human corpses on the floor and they stood back up, crawling on top of one another to make a path for the magician to walk toward the Devil and the Archangel. "Heaven is always so against new ideas."

"You are a monster who destroys everything you touch." Uriel held out her arm as if protecting the Devil from any sudden attacks.

"Monster?" Nyarlathotep chuckled to himself, hand over his chest. Below him, the people in the audience began to laugh. The laughter soon became screaming hysterics. He waved his hand and the room went so quiet Lucifer could hear the collective muscles shifting in the human tower. "Oh, no, my dear, I'm a God." When he said the words, the very building shook, the wards, pulsed, and there was a surge of raw, anger in the air. "But I'm not unreasonable like some of the others. You're great, Uri, really, but you're more defensive than anything else. Best case scenario here, we're gridlocked. Your attacks aren't strong enough to beat me, and my attacks can't get through your defenses and we are both stuck here for all eternity. Which, while that does sound fun doesn't really fit in with the game plan." In a flash he was gone, reappearing behind Uriel so he was closer to Lucifer. "And let's be real, you're definitely fighting at a... shall we say... disadvantage." Uriel whipped around so she could still be between the Devil and the threat. It was true. If Lucifer hadn't had been there, Uriel could fight at her full power. But in the current state, she would hurt him- and fuck- she was too nice to just do what she needed to do Lucifer be damned. "Really good to see you, Lucifer, honestly, it's been too long. I am going to talk to Yog about like a muffin basket or something for everything you've done for us. Or are you more of a souls of innocent babies kind of guy? I am not here to judge, I'm just asking." Lucifer's mouth felt dry; his chest felt heavy as his mind raced for a plan.

"Let her go." The Devil hoped his voice wasn't shaking as he spoke. "If it's going to be a stalemate, then just let her go."

"That is a great idea!" Nyarlathotep clapped his hands and the audience around burst into applause. "You see, that's why they pay you the big bucks. Ideas like that? How did they ever kick you out of Heaven. I should just let everyone go, tell the others that we should go back to sleep, and maybe just give up on helping humans all together."

"I know you are being sarcastic, but I do actually like that plan." Uriel spoke up, shifting positions so she was once again in the front. (Lucifer hated it, hated the way she would try to protect him. Hated feeling like he needed protecting. Things would be so much simpler if the Archangels would just live up to the horrors, he had been building up in his head for all these years.) The room broke into more hysterical, uproarious laughter. It sounded more and more unhinged as it reverberated off each wall. Nyarlathotep raised his hand and the deafening silence fell again.

"Unfortunately, that one isn't on the table." The Crawling Chaos held out his arms, and the room spun around the outsiders and Lucifer once again found himself facing the abomination. "But like I said, I'm a reasonable guy. I understand that we all have places to be. So, I have an offer: Lucifer," something Lucifer couldn't see pulled him forward by the collar. "Why don't you go home? This has nothing to do with you, so why don't you run along? Go crawling back to your bed, your sad little circus, and we all go on with our lives. Or," a spotlight fell on Uriel, "Uriel, you go home. Go back to Heaven, report in to your little siblings, and you leave the Devil here to rot, because what is he's really doing for society, other than drawing them more toward us every day?"

"I would never-" Uriel began to speak but the room erupted into the screaming, desperate laughter once again.

"Stop the presses, the Angel isn't taking the deal." Nyarlathotep tossed his hair behind him as he vanished again, so he was between the Devil and the Archangel. "I'll be honest," he arched his back as if his spine were made of rubber so he could gaze upside-down at Uriel behind him, "I was only offering it to you to be nice." He melted into nothing once again and reappeared behind Lucifer, an arm on his shoulder- despite how Uriel's protection spell might have hurt him. "But you, you're not nice. It's kind of your whole brand. I should know." A snap of his fingers and the humans below him were suddenly all wearing Lu Lu World T-shirts and hats. Nyarlathotep, himself, had on a shirt with Lucifer's face. "By the way, the prices on these things are a little outrageous. I know you're evil, but come on." The merchandise all vanished. "Lucky for both of us, I stole all this." He put his hands on his hips, rocking on his heels on the back of a scratched up, writhing, human corpse.

"I just go home and turn my back while you destroy Hell?" He tried to keep an eye on both Uriel and the monster using them as entertainment.

"I mean, destroy seems like a bit of a big word for something that isn't really great to begin with, but I digress." The unnatural, glimmering, black eyes of Nyarlathotep seemed to roll at Lucifer's stand. "Listen, I'll be real with you. If we wanted Hell, we'd have taken it by now. It's not even a challenge. Case and point," he nodded his head toward the Hellborn still standing on the stage watching the show.

"TAKE ME WITH YOU, MY GOD!" The Hellborn was almost manic looking, smiling up at Nyarlathotep as if he were the Metatron herself, offering the Incubus salvation in her open arms. "YOU ARE THE ONLY TRUTH!" The flames were fully surrounding him at this point, but the Incubus hadn't moved. Lucifer could see burns, clearly visible from Uriel's attack, all across his face and arms, some of his clothing seemed to be melting into his skin.

"Did you kill Krampus?" Lucifer couldn't look at the Hellborn any longer. There was nothing behind those wide eyes but what the Elders had whispered to him.

"I mean..." The Elder started to melt once again. Lucifer felt something so cold it was like burning wash over his shoulders as he saw the black goo slide over and stain his coat, reforming into Nyarlathotep standing in front of him. "Maybe. I'll be real with you: I have killed a lot of people. Especially recently. I mean..." he gestured below him, "I'm sure you were able to figure that one out for yourself." He vanished, reappearing behind Uriel, raking his hands down the holy barrier she had made around herself causing it to sizzle. "I know you could! You're the smart one, after all. Which is why I'm a little shocked that you wouldn't just take my deal." He reappeared behind Lucifer, arm around his shoulders once again. "But you haven't said no yet. So, let me sweeten the deal. Go home and we will leave Hell alone. You don't belong here, and that territory is kind of... awful. You leave, and we let you rule your charred rock in peace. I mean, you have a family to think about, don't you?" Nyarlathotep's eyes were wide, gleaming, the smile on his face was so wide it looked as if it could rip his mouth in two. "And I don't mean the assholes who banished you, who tortured you... don't you think it's time to return the favor." Lucifer took a deep breath.

"Okay."

Nyarlathotep knew about his family. About Charlie. There wasn't much else he could do. He had to keep his daughter safe.

"Good boy." Nyarlathotep turned him away so he couldn't see Uriel. "Now go home." The Elder raised his hand and one of the Wards on the wall in front of him slowly began to pull apart.

Uriel...

Lucifer could stay and try to be the hero. But he was outmatched. He was recovering from an injury and he shouldn't have been here at all.

"I'm sorry." Lucifer watched as the gate opened. For a moment, he could see Hell again.

I uNderStaNd.

The Devil was no hero.

And he knew when he was fucked.

And he knew that the Elder Gods were not like Devils, or Angels. They were not bound by deals, or contracts, or promises.

They were a bunch of fucking liars.

and so was Lucifer.

"RELEASE THEM," the glimpse of Hell was suddenly consumed by blue fire as a flaming sword wedged itself into the door Nyarlathotep had created into his prison.

You got through to him.

i diD tHanK yOu foR geTtInG thE dOor oPeN.

Lucifer had only been able to hope that Uriel knew what he was trying to do. They needed an opening. And now, they had one.

Michael's fingers buried into the wall, getting burned by the bits of the ward he touched, as he climbed through the gateway like something out of a horror movie, body contorting to fit through the gap. "YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME!"

"Ooooooh, there he is." Nyarlathotep looked less scared, and more... mildly surprised by the Archangel's appearance. "Well, not to be a stickler, here, but your fight is with Cthulhu. But you seem to be doing a whole bit so I'll just wait."

"Try me, beast." Michael's voice was booming from underneath the helmet. His halos had turned to flame, his body was so bright it was painful for Lucifer as Michael drew closer. His blue feathers of his wings were parted by eyes of pure, holy fire. Lucifer felt himself moving. He saw a blur of white beneath him, moving him toward the portal to Hell being held open by Michael's sword.

"It's God not beast, but you Morningstar boys love your theatrics so, I'll forgive it." Nyarlathotep's eyes were watching as Gabriel dragged Lucifer out. "But it's no fun if you're all here. My friends are all spread out doing important work." Lucifer didn't get to hear the rest as the next thing he knew he was in front of his mansion. Gabriel was gone. Lucifer grabbed his phone, fumbling for a second as he pulled up Charlie. He had a text from her.

Charlie [4:39 PM]: Hey, Husk says that casino had a bad reputation.

He dialed her number with shaking hands.

"Hello?"

"Charlie! Where are you right now?" He used every trick in the book to keep his voice calm. Her voice was doing more than anything to steady his racing heart.

"The Hotel? Why, is something wrong?"

"No... no... everything is fine. I just... wanted to check on you. We'll talk later." Relief washed over him. "I love you, crabapple."

"I love you too." Charlie sounded concerned, but Lucifer felt better. He hung the phone up and watched as Gabriel appeared with Uriel in his arms, setting her on the grass as well. Finally, Michael appeared beside him. Lucifer scrambled to his feet as Michael threw open the door to the mansion, storming inside, the grip on his sword so tight Lucifer could see his hands shaking. The Devil followed as Michael stormed into the foyer, Uriel and Gabriel following behind like obedient birds. Raphael was sitting on the couch, jumping to his feet the moment they entered.

"You're back!"

"Yes." Michael's reply was flat. Lucifer was quiet. No one was really talking. Gabriel walked forward, putting a hand on Michael's good shoulder but he was shrugged away.

"Nyarlathotep-" Lucifer started to speak but he was cut off by Michael's cold and curt reply, as the helmet vanished from his head. The eyes in his halos seemed to be boring holes into the Devil, their glow so bright it was almost painful.

"Gone. He fled."

"Well..." Lucifer didn't like the tension in the room, it was like a wet blanket trying to suffocate him. "I managed to uncover a secret Elder run hotel-"

"Are you kidding me, Lucifer!?" Michael whirled around to face him as Raphael started to look over Uriel, careful to give Michael a wide birth as he walked. "Are you that dense!? Are you that desperate!?" Michael still had his sword out, the temperature in the room was starting to plummet. It was worse than being in Treachery.

"Excuse me?" Lucifer straightened his shoulders, eyes narrowing, still in his regal Devil form, his beautiful red wings flecked with feathers of gold from the holy water.

"I have been nothing but patient with you." Michael was drawn up to his full height as well, still a bit smaller than Lucifer. He raised his hand and holy wards surrounded the room to block out any unwanted ears or eyes. It was just Lucifer and the angels. "I kept telling myself that things would be different this time. That you were different. You are a parent for Heaven's sake! But no." Lucifer could see his own breath as he locked eyes with the angel who felled him. "I guess I'm the idiot for thinking you've changed."

"What the fuck do you mean by that? I found a goddamn Elder plot-" Lucifer wasn't going to let himself be cut down like this.

"You endangered Uriel! You nearly got yourself killed!" Michael was the only one talking. Raphael was looking the other two over, but no one would look at Lucifer.

"But I got him to open the doors and let you in-"

"You should have never been in that situation to begin with!" Michael refused to let him get a word in. "You asked me before; what I really think of you. Do you really want to know?" Lucifer's eyes narrowed as he gazed down at the angry blaze of blue before him.

"That I am bad. That I am the reason any of this is happening."

"No." The answer was so quick Lucifer was almost taken aback. "But you would love if that was true, wouldn't you? It would be so easy if I was just the bad guy and you were this innocent, misunderstood dreamer with big ideas and only big, bad Heaven was keeping you down. You are the same today as you were then. Not bad, not evil, not misunderstood, not innocent- selfish. You are so freaking selfish that you nearly got Uriel killed so you could, what? Be the hero? Prove a point? What was it that you so desperately needed to prove that it was worth both of your lives!?"

"I..." Lucifer felt that same, trembling sensation in his body again, but he resisted. He wasn't scared of Michael, goddamnit. He looked to see the other Arcs were watching him, Raphael was carefully tending to Uriel. It looked like she may have been hurt after all.

No...

It wasn't fear that Lucifer felt... it was... guilt.

"Well?" Michael stared him down, waiting for an answer.

"I was following a lead. I didn't sense anything. I had no reason to believe there was an Elder in that building. I should have been able to feel that from a mile away. I didn't think-"

"No, you didn't think. You never think! Not about anything other than yourself and the immediate moment. You never cared about how your actions affected others- affected those you used to call your family! We could have lost-"

"Uriel. You could have lost Uriel. I know, I know. Jesus, fucking Christ, Mike. If you hate me just say it to my face. Don't lecture me like I'm some sort of kid." Lucifer could feel himself getting defensive, he hated how even after all those years, Michael still knew how to cut him where it hurt the most. Michael looked up at him, his gaze softened, the air still frigid.

"You." He grabbed Lucifer's clawed hands the Devil tensed up at the contact. He had just gotten his wings back; it would be a shame to lose them again. "We almost lost you too. I don't hate you Lu... I just..." Michael sighed; he released Lucifer's hands. "I'm tired. I'm tired of cleaning up your messes." Lucifer had never seen Michael look like this before. He never noticed how sunken the eyes on his face looked, he saw him wince as he moved his arm.

"Michael I-"

"Sorry," Michael suddenly hunched over, his body rigid as he fumbled for something. He settled on the trash can beside the couch. His body gave a rather forceful shudder, and suddenly...

Michael threw up.