The last time Ozzie was at Morningstar Palace was roughly eight thousand years ago. The Imp Rebellion had been successfully and completely decimated; the event marked by the decapitation of the Imp Princess, who was the last of the Imp Royal Line, in front of her defeated, hopeless people. Ozzie (formerly Asmodel) and the rest of the Fallen had watched, conflicted, as Lilith granted the princess one last chance to submit, but the last Imp Royal had raised her head up, proud in spite of the white bruises marring her otherwise beautiful, red skin.
"You may have forced us to kneel at your feet," she had said; her glowing yellow sclera as bright as the moon bracketed between her tall, curving horns. The chains that bound her to the ground did not make her feel smaller at all. "But one day we Imps will raise our horns from the ground. And I will return to make you pay for your sins against my people."
Lilith had shaken her head, clearly disappointed. "Foolish girl. You would throw away the opportunity of a lifetime for such uncivilized wretches? I expected more from a princess."
"Those uncivilized wretches are my people," the princess had spat, her golden teeth bared. "And if you had any ounce of loyalty to yours, you would understand."
"Loyalty? What matters most to a queen is to create a kingdom that rivals any other," Lilith had said, scoffing. "And if you didn't let your pride cloud your judgment, you would understand."
"You have no right to speak about pride when you reek so much of it, demon," the Imp Princess had said, growling. "And it will be your downfall… just as it had been for you and your kin."
Ozzie remembers reaching out just as Lilith raised Lucifer's sword, which had been partially destroyed after their failed rebellion in Heaven. The Imp Princess didn't even flinch when the sword came at her; instead closing her eyes and whispering a prayer that made her glow for the briefest moment.
Until her head rolled onto the ground; the magic in her eyes vanished as her soul left her body forever. The image of her lifeless eyes had been planted in Ozzie's head since that day, and he remembered the cries of agony of the Imps as her body had been cruelly thrown to a pack of rabid Hellhounds; blinded by forced starvation under Lilith's cruel campaign.
Taking the Imp Princess' head with her, Lilith had vanished for a while after that, leaving Ozzie and his Fallen a chance to wallow in their guilt. With their leader still in shock from the failed rebellion, the Fallen had been briefly led by Leviathan and Satan (formerly Flumenel and Samael respectively), whose administrative and managerial experience in Heaven equipped them to do some damage control.
During this time, they had also come up with a plan to split the newly-conquered Hell (which Lilith had oh-so-kindly named after the fallen princess) into seven Rings, each led by the lieutenants and their former leader, in order to prevent such wickedness from ever happening again. As a matter of fact, they had wanted to banish Lilith completely, but that would all depend on how their Fallen leader reacted, as he was so in love with Lilith that they wondered if they had the power to do anything about her at all.
Several months of planning hadn't been enough to escape reality, however. The gravity of their actions became harder and harder to ignore as the proud trees and flora became dead and black, and the lush, fertile earth became an insidious, deadly red.
Looking back, Ozzie can't remember a time where he felt so racked with guilt before. They had longed for a place to call home after their Fall, but to forcibly take land from other beings? This wasn't what they wanted. But it was the will of their leader, so they followed his beloved's orders without question. Or so they were led to believe.
A year after the subjugation of the Imps and other Hellborn, Lilith had returned and summoned the Fallen to the newly-constructed Morningstar Palace, as she had arranged a grand ball to celebrate the founding of their new home. The palace itself had been created with both magic and Imp labor, something that disheartens Ozzie every time he thinks about it. Upon arriving late with the rest of the Fallen, Ozzie noticed their leader's wife rubbing elbows with the winged Ars Goetia Hellborn.
Ozzie doesn't know the details, but apparently they had betrayed their fellow Hellborn in order to consolidate power and lay claim on the Imp's nature-gifted magicks. The Fallen aren't exactly privy to what Lilith had promised them, but for them to stab the Imps in the back—with whom Ozzie understands they formerly had strong ties—it must have been a tempting offer, indeed.
That wasn't the only thing he and the Fallen had noticed: in the period of time they hadn't seen her, Lilith had also undergone a significant physical transformation. Instead of peach-colored skin and hair as black as night, her pallor had now taken an otherworldly, purplish hue, and her hair was as gold as the Imp temples they had plundered. On her head was also an impressive set of horns, and Ozzie knew it was no mere coincidence that they resembled the late Imp Princess'.
She also had magic now. Which was… concerning.
But just as Ozzie had decided to question Lilith on her new powers, their silent leader had suddenly woken up from his shocked stupor, entering the grand ballroom in a disheveled, wild-eyed sweep of his wings. Behind her is a worried-looking Belphegor who, instead of actively participating in the subjugation of Hell, had sat by his bedside to care for him. Despite the manic look on his face as he demanded to know what was going on, Lilith had greeted her husband merrily, leading him into the ballroom as she bragged about how she had finally crushed the Impish rebellion and founded their new kingdom.
"This will be our new Eden, my love," Lilith had proclaimed, sweeping her arm to the side as she held their leader's hand. "Our very own kingdom that we will grow to heights that even Heaven cannot reach. And I will be its queen, with you as its King… Lucifer Morningstar."
And the horrified look on his face confirmed the earlier suspicions of Beelzebub (formerly Zophiel): that he had not wanted to colonize the Hellborn's land, nor did he want to seize power so ruthlessly. Their hurt pride and thirst for vengeance had blinded them all to this very fact. And now they have the blood of billions of Hellborn soaking their hands.
Millennia later, some of them have learned to live with it. The rest are overcome with guilt up to this day, providing a service for the Hellborn in their own way. Though, if Ozzie is to be honest, only Leviathan and Satan are good at managing their Rings; he and the rest of the Sins have no leadership experience to speak of, so he admits that he and the other Sins are all lackluster leaders.
But even then, their titles are truly just for show; as some of them had feared, Lucifer is incapable of saying no to his wife's face, so while they are granted their own domains, it is Lilith who truly controls Hell behind the scenes. And with her iron hold over them all (including Lucifer himself), they had no real way to ever undo what cannot be undone.
But now Lilith has fled to who knows where, and her absence is clearly affecting the magicks she had placed all over Pride. The neglected palace, which used to be impenetrable, is proof of her declining power. Or perhaps she never truly had any, as Lucifer had proven, quite clumsily, that he had the power to override her wards from the very beginning. Satan has already started creating wards to replace hers… which he will eventually get to applying once he gets over his stupid grudge.
In any case, Ozzie suspects that Lilith may return eventually, as he cannot see her staying away for too long — especially once she finds out what is happening to her former husband. Perhaps they may even search for her themselves, once Lucifer is stable. Either way, their paths will cross again, and this time, Ozzie will not hesitate to demand for answers.
For starters: what the fuck did Lilith do to all the windows in Morningstar Palace? This place is so fucking dusty and dark.
"Which is bloody blasphemy, by the way," says a high-pitched voice to Ozzie's right, letting him know that he must have said that last part out loud. He turns to see a tall, lanky man bent over a cloth-covered sofa, rummaging through… whatever it is he has found back there. "This is Lulu's home. He's the Lightbringer! He should never live anywhere dark. The travesty of it all!"
"Amen to that, Lev," Ozzie says. He and his two other heads squint up at the cathedral ceiling. There's hints of Leviathan's oil painting of the Pride Ring on the ceiling. Unfortunately, it's too dark to appreciate at the moment, even with his own fiery hair and Leviathan's glowing esca. "It is called Morningstar Palace, after all."
"Blimey, you'd think they'd hire help to clean this shitehole," Leviathan says, still ranting. His esca twitches above him with every junk he throws over his shoulder. "It's not that Pentagram City is lacking in sinners. Don't any of them need jobs? Oh, I suppose they were all too busy not being killed during the exterminations…"
"Or maybe they don't need sinners to help at all. They have magic, remember?" Ozzie says, frowning down at a pile of… dust. Father above, he hopes it's dust. "You think it was always like this?"
"Hard to say. I can't really imagine that wench living like this, even if she deserves it. Maybe after the split?" Leviathan hoists himself up using the top edge of the sofa. After shaking off his wings—which resemble dorsal fins now, after so much time spent in the deep seas of Envy—he turns around to face Ozzie, grinning as he waves some kind of device in his hand. "About bloody time, that, if you ask me. Father knows he deserves better—ha! Found the little bugger."
"Found what?" Ozzie asks, narrowing his eyes at the device. From what he can see (and it's not a lot because, well, darkness), the device has a few arrays engraved onto it. "What are you even looking for? And why were you looking behind the sofa, of all places?"
"The array circuit board! It should control all the wards Lilith set up," Levi says. "And no one ever tries to look behind the sofa. That's where everything is."
Ozzie shakes his head. "Right. Whatever you say."
Leviathan grins and fixes his hair, which is styled exactly the way Lucifer does it, and winks up at Ozzie. "Right then. Shall we shed some light on the situation? So to speak."
Ozzie grins back, despite himself. He bows to his friend and says, "If you would do the honors, Lev?"
"With pleasure!" Levi imbues some of his magic onto the device, causing it to light up dramatically. The same arrays on the device appear where the windows on the walls should be. After sharing a nod with Ozzie, Levi restructures the formation of the arrays, and the windows slowly start opening up; lighting up the large ballroom where that fateful ball happened eight thousand years ago.
Ozzie shakes off the image of Lucifer's horror-stricken expression. The movement causes the dust to spread, and he covers his nose just in time as he sneezes. "So, now that we fixed the light problem, what do we do next?"
"The kitchens? I daresay Lulu would probably be hungry when he wakes up. He's eating for two now, after all." Levi's turquoise eyes flash briefly, and his serrated teeth are bared as he snarls—steam coming out of the blowhole on the top of his head. "Which is so fucking unbelievable. It's bad enough that slag Lilith got to Lulu before I did, but now some faceless fucker is the father of the next sprog? If I ever get my hands on the little wanker who got him up the duff, I'm feeding them to the sharks!"
"Uh, I don't think your people would appreciate something so rotten, Lev. Even if they're scavenging folk."
"Oi, those Deep Dwellers will eat anything, I'll have you know! And they're happy with anything I give them, the little arse-kissers. If they would only stop trying to kill each other off behind my back, they'd be the perfect citizens!"
"Of course, they would, Lev," Ozzie says, smiling and nodding indulgently down at a seething Leviathan. "Anyway, so the kitchens should be—"
They are interrupted by a buzzing in both of their pockets. They exchange looks briefly before pulling out their phones, and they see a notification from the Sins group chat. They both blink as they realize it's from Belphegor… and then tap their screens so fast their phones crack.
"Lucy's awake," her message reads, which is followed by an apple emoji. "He's also hungry, so bring something up here for him to eat, Levi and Ozzie."
She tags them in her message, though that isn't necessary, as any unprompted message from Belphegor would make anyone check the group chat. Which is why the next few messages are from the other Sins.
"Make sure he drinks his fluids. And he should take vitamins, too, but whatever," types Satan, that prickly bastard. Then, after a few beats, he adds, "Do angels need pre-natal vitamins? Not that I care or anything."
"Already got him to take a few pills. Which I had to force down his throat, by the way. What a chore," Belphegor responds. "By the way, Levi and Ozzie, he said he's craving for something meaty. It must be his body telling him he needs more protein."
"And less sugar!" Mammon chimes in, adding several gifs of pancake ads with watermarks on top of them. "But don't tell Bee I said that, yeah?"
"I can read just fine, asshole. And you're right next to me!!" Bee types, followed by an angry emoji. "And huh, meat? Isn't he, like, vegetarian now, or something? Does he even have any meat at his palace?"
"He eats beef and fish just fine. No pork or shellfish," Leviathan says out loud as he types it. Of course he still knows Lucifer's diet preferences by heart, having been his assistant back in Heaven. "We can probably get the other Fallen to help. They're worried sick about him, too."
"Oh my dad, are we having a reunion party????" Bee types out excitedly. "OMD let's make it a baby shower, too! And like, six hundred years' worth of all our birthday parties! And for Charlie too, 'cause she deserves the world. Oh, we need to discuss something serious about Charlie, by the way. But it's better if we do it in person."
"Oh, that's right," Ozzie says, lighting up. "They visited her hotel, didn't they?" And something they need to discuss about Charlie? What does Bee mean?
"How is Charlotte?" Satan asks. Then, after a beat, he types, "Not that I care about Lucifer's daughter or anything like that."
"Fucking get over yourself, Satan," Mammon says, sending gifs of people crying over spilled milk. "And the kiddo's pretty fantastic! She has horrible business acumen, though. Too generous and naive! Will sort that out in no time."
"Anything priced fairly is too generous for you, Mams."
"Shut up, Belph. At least I don't make drugs to avoid doing my work."
"My drugs do the work for me. The concept should be familiar to you, at least."
"I have people to work for me! That's bloody different!"
"Wait, why are they at the hotel again?" Ozzie asks as Leviathan types on his phone. Looking over his shoulder, Ozzie sees that he's sending orders to nearby Fallen to fetch fresh ingredients for Lucifer. "I'm pretty sure Belphy said something about an investigation? Whatever that means."
"I daresay it's to find out what triggered Lucifer to isolate himself again. Whatever it was, it must have happened at little Charlie's hotel," Leviathan says. After one final tap, he pockets his phone and faces Ozzie with a bright grin. "Right! I got some of the cadets to bring some food for Lulu. Fortunately Gadreel was around! Now, if only there was a food delivery service that can deliver anything you want. It would be so convenient, wouldn't it?"
"Run that by Bee or Mammon. I'm sure one of them will like the idea," Ozzie says, nodding. "Should we wait for the food or check on Lucy?"
"Check on Lulu, of course!" Leviathan says, practically vibrating. His esca glows even brighter as he clasps his hands together, sighing. "I get to see Lulu again after so long! Fuck, I'm so chuffed! I'm going to fill these halls with so many new paintings and sculptures of him, just you wait—"
"Aren't you already in the middle of a new art show about him? And I thought you visited him earlier when you arrived?"
"You can never have too many paintings of Lulu, my friend. And that's different! He was Sleeping Beauty… but now I get to see his beautiful eyes again! Joyous day! I will host a Lucifer painting contest back in Envy to celebrate—"
"Okay, fanboy." Ozzie laughs, holding onto a vibrating Leviathan's shoulders. With a snap of his fingers, a portal opens beside them. "Let's go visit Sleeping Beauty now, shall we?"
Lucifer smiles softly at the messages in the group chat. It baffles him how he has allowed himself to stay away from his friends for so long, but reading their banter, which hasn't changed much since they all got together to plan the rebellion, Lucifer realizes that Past Lucifer was truly a dumb fucker, seriously.
Then Bee mentions Charlie… which takes him aback. His frown deepens as he reads Bee wanting to discuss something about her (????), and Mammon's comments about her lacking business acumen (which is so not true!). After catching up with everyone's messages, he looks up at Belphegor, balking.
"What do they mean?" he asks, waving his phone around. "Why are they talking about Charlie? Are Mammon and Bee at the hotel? Oh Father, what are they doing there? And why didn't you tell me that's where Bee went?!"
"You didn't ask," Belphegor says, not even looking up from her magazine. She smiles as she sees Lucifer gaping at her in her peripheral vision. "And relax, Lucy. Stress isn't good for the babies. Bee and Mammon can handle themselves just fine."
"It's not them I'm worried about!" Lucifer runs a hand through his hair, which is a lot less greasy than it had been earlier. Did Belphegor give him a bath, or something? He smells like his old shampoo… which makes him want to vomit. "Ugh, wait, can I get a—"
Belphegor waves her appendage to summon a bucket. She flicks it at him, causing him to let out an "oof" in surprise. "Certain smells can cause nausea for you, by the way. You should let us know immediately if something is triggering that reaction so we can get rid of it or replace it."
"I think it's my shampoo," Lucifer says, groaning as he holds onto the edges of the bucket. His cheeks puff up as he feels that dreaded, disgusting need to just let it go. When he's done heaving, he wipes his face with a handkerchief that Belphegor gave him earlier. Then he accepts a glass of water that she floats towards him with a strained, but no less genuine smile. "Thanks. Anyway, my usual shampoo was making me sick, so I replaced it with something else. It's back at the hotel, though."
"That's fine," Belphegor pulls out her phone and types something fast. Lucifer's own phone vibrates, but he's too busy seeing the room swirl to check. "I told Bee to grab it for you, if she can. Do you know what's in your shampoo that's making you sick?"
"The cinnamon smell, I think." Lucifer pushes the bucket to the side, falling back on the fluffy pillows that are, thankfully, freshly laundered and clean. Even the sheets feel amazing on his skin. He looks down at his pajamas, frowning. "Also, did you give me a bath? I mean, I appreciate it, but you didn't have to go that far. You already cleaned my room."
"I didn't." Belphegor has long since returned to reading her magazine, flipping a page. "But Levi volunteered to do it. Wholeheartedly."
Lucifer blinks one eye after the other. "What—"
He's interrupted by a bright light appearing in the center of the room. It opens up into a portal, and Lucifer watches as Ozzie steps out of it, carrying a sparkly-eyed Leviathan. Shaking his head, Ozzie drops Lucifer's former assistant, causing him to fall flat on his face. His wings, now dorsal fins, twitch as he groans from the impact.
"Oi! What's the—" Leviathan shoots up to jab a finger on Ozzie's chest, but then he pauses. Slowly, he turns his head to the bed where Lucifer is sitting in, and after a few beats, his turquoise eyes start filling up with unshed tears. "Lulu!"
It must be the hormones, Lucifer thinks, but it can also be because he hasn't seen Levi in so long that he too starts tearing up. He opens his arms, flicking his hands back and forth to beckon Levi close. "Come here, Levi."
Leviathan honest to Father squeaks and whistles, zooming past to tackle Lucifer against the headboard. Belphegor and Ozzie both shout at him, telling him to be careful, but both Lucifer and Leviathan are too busy laughing and hugging to pay what they're saying any heed.
"Lucifer," Leviathan cries out; tears and snot trailing down his face as he stares up at Lucifer with happy, sparkling eyes. "Lucifer, it's been so long! Oh, how I've missed you, my lord! I beat my breast and carved a sculpture every time I yearned to be by your side! You should come and see them; I filled up all my resorts with your light-bringing, awe-inspiring image!"
"He's not lying," Belphegor says, nodding gravely. "I saw them myself in their naked glory."
"I guess I'm going to Gluttony for my next vacation," Ozzie mutters to himself. "Or maybe Greed? I kinda miss the gas station milk…"
"I missed you too, Levi," Lucifer says, wiping the tears and snot away from Leviathan's face with the handkerchief he just used to wipe his… huh, maybe he shouldn't have used this. He quickly gets rid of it with his magic before holding Levi close. "Um, yeah, I totally missed you, bud. What have you been up to? Aside from making creepy sculptures of me, anyway."
"Oh, they're not creepy at all, I assure you! You're all artfully nude in all of them."
"Uh, yeah. Thanks? But what else? I know you're a little more… active, politically, in Envy, so I'm sure you're busy. You didn't have to come all the way here—"
"Don't be absurd, Lucifer! I'm never too busy for you, no matter how dedicated I am to the Deep Dwellers." Leviathan sits up, holding a hand to his heart. "Why, the moment I found out you were up the duff, I knew I had to come over to see for myself!"
Lucifer winces, looking down on himself. "Oh, yeah, that… I guess you want an explanation, huh?"
"All of us do," Ozzie pipes up, attracting their gazes. At Lucifer's guilt-stricken expression, his glare softens. "Not that we blame you or anything, Lucifer, but this… this is too strange to be just an accident. Belphegor says you've known for a while too."
Wincing again, Lucifer sighs and nods. With a gentle smile, he scoots away from Levi who moves to sit next to him on the bed. Lucifer twiddles his thumbs and bites his lip as he says, "Not too long, I think. I've known for… a month or so, I think? I dunno, it was all a blur. I found out the worst way possible and it just… I just needed some time to myself, you know?"
"And how long until you finally tell us? When you're in fucking labor?" Ozzie asks. Belphegor stands next to him to join him in frowning sternly down at Lucifer. "Not only would that be really dangerous, but it goes against your promise of being more open to us! I get that it's a process, Lucifer, but you really have to make an effort, you know."
"I know!" Lucifer exclaims. Then, after a deep breath, nods his head and says, more calmly, "I know. I'm a fucking coward and I deserve your disappointment. I know I should have reached out to you, any of you, but I just… I couldn't believe it! I didn't know how it happened this time around. I never slept with anyone, and Lilith's… well, she's gone. How could this have happened to me?"
"That is the question, isn't it?" Ozzie says, sharing a look with Belphegor. When she shakes her head, Ozzie taps a finger on his chin, thinking. "I mean, it's one thing for you to have had Charlie with Lilith around, but by yourself? You have the closest powers to dad, but creating out of nothing is still out of your reach. Isn't it?"
Lucifer shakes his head. "No, I still can't do that. Even for my rubber ducks, I need materials—speaking of, hey, Levi, I made a mermaid rubber duck for you. I made rubber ducks for all of you, actually! They should be in the pile… somewhere."
"Righty-o, Lulu!" Levi salutes before locking onto the first pile of rubber ducks he sees and diving in with a squeaky battlecry.
"Aww, that's sweet of you, Lucy. Thank you," Ozzie says, watching Levi vanish in a sea of rubber ducks briefly before turning back to Lucifer. "But back to the topic at hand: are you sure you didn't have sex with anyone? Even when you were partying it up at Bee's place?"
"If I did, I would remember!" Lucifer says, eyes inverting color as he thinks about it. He runs a hand through his hair, wheezing. "I've been trying so hard to figure out what could cause this, but nothing makes sense so far! Well, I had this one idea, but that's completely crazy! I would rather die a thousand deaths than accept that!"
"What idea?" Belphegor asks, raising a brow at Lucifer. At the way he suddenly closes his mouth shut, she narrows her eyes at him. "You know, I do recall you suddenly freaking out earlier. And when Bee said it's because you found out who the father is, you said there was no dad."
"Is that so?" Ozzie says, glaring down at Lucifer who is actively avoiding their gazes. Leviathan's head slowly rises from the pile of rubber ducks; his eyes flashing a dangerous turquoise. "Care to explain, Lucy?"
"I have nothing to explain 'cause it's not the answer!" Lucifer barks out in a demonic voice, fire shooting out from his mouth. Then, more calmly, he says, "And anyway, it doesn't make sense, like I said! I was never like that with him. The prick doesn't like anyone touching him, so even if I was interested—which I am so not, no matter how conventionally attractive other people think he is—"
"Doesn't like to be touched?" Ozzie echoes. He exchanges looks with a confused Leviathan and Belphegor, but then his two heads seem to light up instantly. They whisper something in his ears, and Ozzie gapes. "Wait. Are you talking about the guy who had that holy wound before? What was his name? Allan? Alphard?"
"Holy wound?" Belphegor asks. She glances at Lucifer who is back to avoiding making eye contact with them. "There's someone in Hell walking around with a holy wound? And they're still alive?"
"An overlord sinner," Ozzie supplies, nodding. He jerks his chin towards Lucifer. "Remember when we met up at my place? He was ranting about that guy Albert or whatever who was dying from a holy wound from Adam. I advised him to just heal the poor guy, but Lucifer was insistent on not touching him, so I gave him Azazel's book on healing holy wounds on Hellborn and sinners—"
"Azazel's book?" Leviathan asks, blinking. Then drawing back with a hand up, he says, "Hang on. Are you talking about his thesis, by any chance?"
"Oh, was that his thesis?" Ozzie blinks back. "Yeah, that must be it. It talked about that one time he experimented healing a sinner from far away. I'm pretty sure he was the one who caused the wound, which is so unhinged—"
"What's the date of the publication? Or the edition?" Leviathan interjects.
"Uh, I dunno. He gave me a copy when it first came out." Ozzie stares at Leviathan's dumbfounded expression and frowns. "I don't think I like that look. What's going on?"
"The first edition wasn't edited by Satan yet," Leviathan says, running a hand through his hair. His eyes shift from side to side as thoughts run through his head. "Satan told me about it a few centuries ago when we got together for our monthly meetings. He said that it pissed him off that Azazel would publish something without having Satan edit it first, or at least proofread it, so he gave Azazel the edited copy to publish again."
"Oh, yeah, that book did have a lot of typos." Ozzie says as Lucifer flinches. "So what was wrong about it? Can you only heal holy wounds by directly touching people, after all?"
"No, both methods are correct. He just forgot to add a very important detail."
"... Which is?"
Instead of answering, Leviathan walks over to Lucifer's side. He kneels on the bed, unperturbed by the way Lucifer looks in the opposite direction when he asks, "Lucifer. This sinner that you healed—I assume that you healed him passively?"
"... Yes," Lucifer answers, nodding. Then desperately, he adds, "B-But that's because he doesn't like being touched! He'd never let me touch him ever, and if I ever bring it up, he won't take it well at all! Charlie is already so disappointed that we're fighting so often—"
"And where did you store the holy energy? In a relic?"
"N-No. I stored the energy inside me. I figured if I was carrying something around, he'd get suspicious, so the most discreet way to heal him is to just store the energy inside me!"
"Which you later expelled, right?"
"... Huh?"
Ozzie has been quiet since Leviathan started questioning Lucifer, but the moment he hears the word "expelled," something clicks in his head. Fuck, of course. "Shit."
"I see. So that's what happened," Belphegor mumbles to herself. She, too, must have realized.
"What's going on?" Lucifer demands, glaring at his friends. "What must have happened?"
"That's what Azazel didn't include in his thesis?" Ozzie asks. "That the energy should be removed from the living host eventually?"
"Yes." Leviathan roughly falls on the bed, and the force causes Lucifer to jump on his side. He covers his face with his webbed hands and groans. "If you guys recall Satan's research, he discovered how holy energy has transformative and transmogrifying properties. It is the energy that Father used to create the universe, and us, from nothing. So it follows that anything holy that is used with intent is the most powerful form of energy imaginable.
"But only Father can do that. The rest of us can only wield it for specific purposes," Leviathan pauses to sit up and face his friends. His eyes soften when they land on Lucifer, who is staring wide-eyed at the sheets. "So Satan did his own experiment, and he found out that angels who stored the siphoned energy for too long get sick. He theorizes that a bit of demonic essence is siphoned along with the holy energy, which causes the ill side effects. He immediately had Azazel recall all published books—but I suppose since yours was one of the first copies ever, he hadn't thought to replace yours."
"Fuck," Ozzie says, quite eloquently. He scratches his head, mumbling to himself. "I should have Satan check the books in my library. Who knows what else is outdated?"
"Wait a minute. You said angels get sick," Belphegor speaks up, narrowing her gaze at Leviathan. "So how in Heaven is Lucifer pregnant? I did the test myself, and there are two babies growing in his womb."
Lucifer's head shot up at that. Two? As in twins? He's having twins?
"That… I am uncertain," Leviathan says, frowning at his hands. "It could be because Lucifer was Father's first creation, and was technically His heir. He has powers of creation too, no matter how downgraded. I daresay Satan is probably the best person to explain all this, however. I just know all this because he rambles about holy energy like it's his magnum opus."
"But why pregnancy? That's so random."
"Because of intent."
The three of them turn to Ozzie, and while Leviathan and Belphegor look confused, Lucifer's eyes bear a light of understanding in them. Ozzie sees this, because of course he sees through Lucifer no matter what. Gently, Ozzie approaches Lucifer's side and sits next to him.
"Hey," Ozzie says after many beats of silence. When Lucifer finally looks up at him with large, shining eyes, he asks, "When you were healing Alexander, what were you thinking about?"
"Nothing. I was just healing him." Lucifer looks away, scowling. "What else is there to think about?"
"Come on, Lucifer. You don't have to lie to us." Ozzie's voice is gentle as it is firm. Lucifer hates it. "We will never judge you, you know. Well—okay, maybe we'll judge you a little. I mean, who gets pregnant by healing someone, for fuck's sake—"
"Ozzie."
"—Right. I mean." Ozzie clears his throat. "What I mean to say is, we've got your back. We followed you all the way here from Heaven, didn't we? If we didn't want to stick around, do you think we'd still be here?"
"Ozzie is right, Lulu." Leviathan scoots over and reaches his hand out—flicking it back and forth. Lucifer smiles despite himself, and he places his hand in Levi's to feel the warmth in his slippery skin. "We're with you all the way, no matter what happens. And if you ever stumble, you can be sure we'll be there to help you up. And you'll be right as rain!"
"We want to help you, Lucy, but we can only do so much." Belphegor reaches out an appendage to place it gently on Lucifer's shoulder, drawing his attention. Her antennae flicker and sway softly above her head as she smiles. "You can trust us with the truth, Lucifer. And once we understand what really happened, we can get back to making sure that you and the babies are healthy for the delivery."
"Nothing but the best for the future royals of Hell!" Leviathan cheers, grinning.
"We're going to spoil them rotten, just so you know." Ozzie winks, chuckling. "And let's not forget Charlie, too. We have over two decades of birthdays to make up for."
Lucifer gapes at his friends as they make their little speeches, and his eyes well up with tears the longer they speak. But when Ozzie mentions his precious Charlie, the tears start streaming down his face, and his throat is overcome with sobs before he can stop it. He hunches forward to rest his head on his knees, crying louder when he feels them huddle closer to embrace him.
He doesn't deserve his daughter, his friends, or Hell, the twins growing in his womb. But by Father, is he ever so grateful to have them all in his life.
"I thought about it," he says after what feels like centuries of silence. He lifts his head up, rubbing his swollen eyes and accepting a new handkerchief to blow his nose into. "I was just trying to do what I thought was right. That fucking prick wouldn't let me get close without a reason, so I started picking fights again. And it worked 'cause I was able to heal him… but Charlie was so fucking disappointed in me. I knew that I was doing it for her—because fuck if I was going to watch her cry over another dead friend—but I hated that she had to look at me like I was the worst scum while I was doing it.
"So I thought about starting over. I had dreams of her when she was a baby. Fuck, I even dreamt about the day Lilith and I made her!" Lucifer wipes the new tears falling from his face, and he stares down at his useless wedding band. He kisses it, unaware of the frowns his friends make when he does so. "I just wanted to be a better father, so I just… became one again, I guess? I don't know. I just wanted another chance."
"And since you were storing that holy energy during all that time, it listened to your desires and made you pregnant. That was your intent," Belphegor surmises. At Lucifer's nod, she asks, "Is this… how you and Lilith made Charlie, after all? I knew you couldn't have gotten pregnant from sex alone. We angels aren't built for that."
"... I think so," Lucifer says; his eyes clearing. He remembers Lilith saying something to him that night—about storing her energy here, in his core. He rubs a hand down the bump, humming thoughtfully. "She told me to do what I do best and create. Then I thought about having my own daughter—my little Charlotte. And… poof."
"Extraordinary," Leviathan says. Just as he is about to say something else, the phone in his pocket starts vibrating, breaking the moment. He smiles sheepishly at them all before checking the screen. Then, with a happy gasp, says, "Oh, Gadreel is here with the food delivery!"
And as if on cue, Lucifer's stomach starts rumbling. With a sheepish grin of his own, he says, "Oops?"
"I guess we can have a little break," Ozzie says, grinning back. He and the rest of the Sins step back from Lucifer to give him space, and he watches Leviathan portal out to meet with Gadreel outside. Belphegor sits back on the chaise lounge to resume reading her magazine—obviously not interested in any social interactions for the time being. "But thanks for trusting us with the truth this time, Lucy. We can figure out what to do with the father some other time—"
Lucifer balks. "What do you mean? We don't have to tell him, do we?"
Ozzie gives him a look. "Do you seriously think you can keep the babies hidden forever? And we have Charlie to consider on top of that. You have to tell her about her new siblings before the delivery. And maybe come clean about her birth while you're at it."
Lucifer winces. "I understand telling her about the twins, but does she have to know I gave birth to her, too?"
Ozzie shakes his head. "You think she won't figure it out eventually? It would be so much better for the truth to come from you. You'll end up hurting her more than you already have. Believe me."
"Fine," Lucifer says, hugging his knees. "But maybe after? I need some time to prepare myself. And I don't want to overwhelm her with so many things. This pregnancy will probably be bad enough."
"I can't tell you how she'll react, but I know she deserves the truth." Ozzie gives him a stern look as he adds, "Charlie and Alfie."
Lucifer groans. "Fine, fine. Just give me time. I'll… call Charlie soon. And by the way, the Radio Prick's name is Alastor."
"Good. She's probably worried sick about you," Ozzie rubs his head, smiling when Lucifer gives him the finger. When Leviathan reappears with a tray of meaty goodness that makes Lucifer's mouth water, Ozzie waves a hand at him as he walks over to grab the tray. "And I know his name. Doesn't mean I'll acknowledge it."
Lucifer lets out a surprised laugh at that. As his friends prepare his food, Lucifer reaches for his phone. He unlocks the screen and searches for Charlie's name, wincing when his phone logs missed calls and even texts from her. With slight trepidation, he opens the message thread with her; tearing up immediately from reading the latest texts from her.
"Dad, I hope you're doing okay. Husk says you might be sick. Is that true?"
"Dad, I feel awful. Please let me in the Palace? Please?"
"I'm so sorry, dad. I didn't mean to jump to conclusions. I love you. Please call me."
"Dad, Auntie Bee and Uncle Mammon visited the hotel today. They said they know how you're doing. Can I come with them next time? Please? I want to help."
"I love you, dad."
Oh, his precious Charlie. So kind and brave. He wonders what he did to deserve such a sweet daughter, because Father knows he's been an awful father to her as of late.
But he can change that. Taking a deep breath, Lucifer starts typing with shaking fingers:
"Hey, kiddo. What are you up to these days?" he writes. "And how did your Auntie Bee and Uncle Mammon's visit go?"
"Bloody hell, I was wondering why your name was so familiar!" Alastor's ears twitch at how loud that green-clad buffoon is. It almost makes him want to drop the smile. Almost. "Bee, love! This wanker's that Alastor the Arsebandit Lulu was telling us about!"
Alastor jolts. What?
Mammon reaches out and, without warning, locks his hand tight in an iron grip as he shakes it. Alastor can practically feel his muscles straining and his joints dislocating at the surprising show of force. With bared, neon green teeth, he greets, "Nice to finally meet you, you fuckwit! We've heard so much about you!"
"T-The pleasure is all mine, good sir!" Alastor says through gritted teeth, pulling his hand out of the greedy jester's grip when it loosens. He folds his arms behind him as he discreetly flexes his strained fingers. "Yes, yes, quite the pleasure! To receive such… an enthusiastic welcome from the Sins, why, I feel honored! And even more so that our deer sovereign has considered me worthy enough to be mentioned. What a generous and thoughtful leader we all have."
"Oh my Dad, how fake can you get?" Beelzebub kicks Mammon out of the way with so much force it makes him roll across the parlor, crashing through furniture as if he were a bowling ball. She looms over Alastor; her fiery, glowing hair erratically moving behind her as she snarls down at him. In response, Alastor's antlers grow, and he extends his torso to meet her height, because he is not going to let a mangy mutt look down on him. "I don't know what your deal is, you little shit, but I see right through you and your fake smile. You better shut your damn mouth if you know what's good for you, you son of a bitch."
"Why, your Infernal Highness, I see nothing wrong with my tone! I was raised to be civilized and gentlemanly. Unlike some." Alastor's radio dial eyes look down at his sharp claws, looking very much like a bored lordling talking to a simpering serf, rather than a sinner fucking around with a powerful Sin. "And my mother was a delightful lady, bless her soul. Though I suppose you would know what a bitch is like, yes?"
Gasps resound in the parlor, and Alastor ignores the indignant cries from a certain jester behind a broken sofa and the surprised rebukes from Charlie. All he cares about is relishing the look of utter shock on the Gluttony Queen's face, knowing fully well that besides him, no one has had the gall to talk back to her like this.
He smirks at her. Truly, the Sins are a joke. Lucifer should have chosen better to fight alongside him during his rebellion. Why, if Alastor had been there, he is sure they would be celebrating their victory for the umpteenth time now; rejoicing over crooning jazz tickling their ears and sweet rye warming their throats.
But his smugness is not meant to last, it seems, as the next thing Alastor knows, he is flying across the room, the bones in his back splintering as he crashes through the wall. He barely registers his environment—is that the pot of jambalaya from this morning?—before his throat is being crushed under a bare foot. He snarls and squirms against her weight, his saliva dripping down the side of his mouth as he is choked by foot.
Despite his darkening vision, he can still see her looming over him—monstrous as her moniker, lord of the flies, as she stops looking like a fox-like creature, and more like a hideous, bug-eyed abomination with hellish feelers and a fiery mane.
Fuck. Has he miscalculated? Again?
"Aww, what's the matter, hotshot? Can't handle a little kick from a bitch?" Beelzebub accentuates the word by adding weight to her foot, laughing when Alastor tries to use his sharp claws to scratch and pull at her leg. "That's not gonna hurt me, babe. But this is going to hurt you—"
"Auntie Bee!" Charlie enters the kitchen, along with the others. Mammon stands behind them and watches the scene unfold before them with a satisfied smirk. "What are you doing? Please let him go!"
"But Charlie, we're just playing," Beelzebub says; her garbled, demonic voice grating on Alastor's ears. "And your little friend here started it, so I thought he could take it. I guess between the two of us, he's the little bitch, isn't he?"
"You fucking mutt—" Alastor snarls.
"What was that, tough guy?" Beelzebub makes a show of cupping a hand over her ear as she bends down closer to his level, but this just adds more weight on his neck, causing him to scream from the pain. "I can't hear you, you know. You gotta turn the volume up on that annoying voice of yours if you wanna speak your mind!"
"Auntie Bee, hold on." Charlie sounds much closer to Alastor's ears, and true enough, she is standing beside them, looking frantically between Beelzebub and Alastor. "I—I understand that he pissed you off, and I will have words with him after this, but please, spare him! It's just his personality! He doesn't really mean it. He picks fights with dad all the time but it's not—"
"That's because your dad is a softie, sweetie." Beelzebub's sweet croons sound so wrong with her demonic voice. "But sad to say, I'm not as patient as he is."
"Wait, please," Charlie grabs onto her arm and tries to pull her off of Alastor. "Please don't kill him—"
"I'm not gonna kill him, Charlie," Beelzebub reassures, but her wicked grin belies her soothing words. "Though I'll probably fuck him up a little. Just to make sure that the lesson sticks, ya know? You don't mess with Sins without paying the price."
Fuck, he can't let this happen. Suffering from that god-forsaken wound was enough humiliation for Alastor to last several lifetimes. He needs a way out of this.
He looks up at Charlie's conflicted expression and freezes. Of course.
"Ch-Charlie, d-dear," he croaks out, using one hand to push against the heel of Beelzebub's foot. He sets his radio-dial eyes on Charlie, who looks down at him when he calls her. "I— I am calling in that favor."
Silence.
Beelzebub's form shrinks at his words, but her eyes are still a full-blown color. She sets her gaze on Charlie who gapes down at him, and she asks, "What favor? You owe him a favor?"
"I'm—" Charlie looks between her aunt and Alastor. After taking a deep breath, she nods and says, "Okay, Alastor. But I'll remind you, I won't hurt or murder anyone for you. Nor will I help you do so."
"That—That won't be necessary," Alastor says. He takes advantage of Beelzebub's shock by using his shadows to dematerialize himself. He reappears in the corner of the room, bracing himself against the wall.
He meets Beelzebub's gaze, scoffing when she just snarls at him. Pathetic.
"I want you," he says, breathing heavily. "To protect me from your family to the best of your abilities. No matter what happens."
"WHAT?" Mammon barrels in, knocking over Husk, Niffty, and Vaggie. He himself starts transforming; his eyes glowing a ghastly green as his body starts to resemble an arthropod's with sharp legs. "You fucking cunt! I ought to wring you like a fucking flannel for even daring to lure Charlie into a demonic deal—"
"Wait, uncle Mammon."
They all turn to Charlie, whose hand starts glowing a green color—the same shade as Alastor's magic. Alastor's grin grows as the magic fades away, finalizing both the deal as well as sealing Charlie's end of the bargain.
"Charlie," Vaggie calls out to break the silence, reaching out to place her hand on her shoulder. She sends a death glare Alastor's way before turning back to Charlie with a softer, but more miserable expression.
Charlie sighs, placing her hand on Vaggie's briefly. Then, she takes the first step towards her aunt and uncle, who look ready to launch themselves at Alastor and end his second life.
She stands in front of Alastor and holds her arms out, looking very much like a martyr waiting to be crucified. "Auntie Bee. Uncle Mammon. Please stand down. You can't hurt Alastor. That's… part of the deal I have with him."
"Charlie, love," Mammon says after he and Bee revert back to their normal forms. They share wide-eyed and helpless looks with each other before he turns back to her. "What… What were you thinking, making a deal with a sinner? Does your da know you did this? Your soul shouldn't be placed in the hands of someone so lowly —"
"Oh, goodness, everyone is so obsessed with souls here, aren't they?" Alastor says, taking deep breaths. His back still hurts like a bitch, but he can at least stand up straight. His monocle, which is broken, bounces as he laughs lowly to himself. "Rest assured, your Infernal Highnesses, that your niece's soul is safe and sound. I simply offered… life-saving advice in exchange for a favor I can call in at any time of my choosing."
Alastor maintains an air of amused indifference as he says this, but deep inside he is seething with rage. That favor had been meant for when his leash holder ever appears to demand for Alastor's end of the deal, which he does not plan to honor ever . But now he will have to find another way to avoid his cruel mistress.
His mind's eye shows him Lucifer's face. That may be a better choice. He will have to find out how to get his deer sovereign to agree to a deal. Perhaps this bitch's pups can serve a purpose, if he can't get rid of the abominations himself.
"No fucking way," Beelzebub mumbles to herself, gripping her head as she stares at the floor, wide-eyed. She turns to Charlie who looks back helplessly. "Tell me he's lying, Charlie. He doesn't have that much hold over you, does he?"
"I'm afraid it's true," Charlie says, wincing. Then, she holds up her hands in front of her. "B-But, you know, even without the deal, I would have stood up for him! Because he helped protect the hotel from Adam and risked his life to save us—"
The side of Alastor's mouth twitches.
"—so really, deal or no deal, I can't let you hurt him. So just forgive him for now. Please?"
"Unbelievable." Mammon looks up at the sky and laughs, shaking his head. He turns around and kicks a nearby table, sending it crashing through the wall. "Bloody unbelievable!"
"Oh, let's not get too worked up now, my good man," Alastor says, appearing between the Sins in a flurry of shadow and smoke. He grins up at their snarling faces, reveling in the way they shake with rage, but cannot do anything about it. "I believe we all got off on the wrong… foot. I was just merely teasing all of you! You Sins should learn how to take a joke every now and then."
"Y-Yeah, it's a joke!" Charlie joins him, forcing a laugh as she looks up at her relatives. She sends a brief glare Alastor's way, and he shrugs with his hands in the air, as if to say, 'oh, well.' "But I'm sure Alastor is sooo sorry for being insensitive. Aren't you, Alastor?"
"Of course, of course!" Alastor acquiesces, turning on a laugh track that doesn't ease the tension at all. Not that it matters much to him. Side-stepping a sighing Charlie, he stands next to his pot of warm jambalaya which, much to his delight, has completely avoided the destruction of the kitchen. He opens the lid and sweeps his free hand towards it in a flourish. "Now, I'm guessing you must all be famished from all that excitement. Who wants some of my mother's famous jambalaya?"
In spite of everything, Niffty raises her hand excitedly, causing everyone to stare at her dumbfoundedly. Alastor's eyes crinkle as he grins at her fondly—ah, what a delightful little lady.
Notes:Damn, that first part got away from me xD It was supposed to be short, like 3k words, but it is more than double that somehow. I had to cut the hotel scene short because of this, but I think it's better off that way? I don't want to overwhelm you all with too many scenes. Plus, I still got to write about Bee stepping on Alastor non-sexually HAHA! (Credits to glitter_witch for the idea!)
Also YAY WE FINALLY MEET LEVIATHAN <3 he's such a fanboy, I love him. Also, I made him British because somehow it just felt right? And because aside from Satan I picture him as someone who is more present as a leader, given his backstory here. Idk if that even makes sense but just roll with it xD
Oooh, Alastor was forced to call in the favor he had with Charlie. I'm sure he isn't happy with that. I was actually debating about using it here at all, but I guess we're here now so :)))
Thank you all for sticking around and reading this behemoth :)) I appreciate your kudos, comments, subscriptions, bookmarks, and even shares as well! I have a convention to go to next weekend, so I probably won't update at all until next, next week. I hope this keeps you fed until then huhu
See you guys next time! And I hope you have a great weekend <3