It had been a month since the Battle of Hazbin Hotel — creatively dubbed by the sinners of the Pride Ring — and a month since Lucifer had moved into the newly built establishment. It wasn't a full-time thing as he still had many responsibilities that required his presence at the palace but he no longer spent any time there than what was needed. A large part of it was because Charlie had been the one to ask him to move in.
Well, really, she had built the apple-shaped lounge without him noticing as a surprise. Charlie wanted to rebuild their relationship and who was he to say no to her? He'd be lying if he said he hadn't wanted the same exact thing her entire life.
A small, dark part of Lucifer that he refused to acknowledge had agreed to move in because his old home was simply… empty. Lonely. Cold. It was no longer the manor he raised his daughter in with a loving wife by his side. It was no longer filled with a happy family. It was just him, alone and depressed.
Lucifer isn't quite sure how he survived the past decade but he was hesitant to consider that living.
So, with too much enthusiasm, he agreed to move into the hotel. It was a nice change of pace. Lively, filled with personal effects of the other residents. There weren't any new patrons yet as many sinners were too scared to approach the hotel after it became a battleground. The ones that lived here were closer than ever though. Having each other's backs in a fight that could very well end all their lives was a great way to deepen bonds.
Lucifer hadn't been able to actually get to know anyone inside the hotel. Ever since seeing how much Charlie cared about their people, he made a personal vow to play a more active role in Hell's politics. He wasn't as absent as many assumed but he simply never got involved with the sinners — even if it was his ring he should've been governing.
He was active when it came to issues concerning the hellbornes though. They were his actual people, and he stayed up to date with how the other seven rings were being run. Lucifer hadn't met with any of the sins face to face in… far too long but he still talked to them about business regularly. Asmodeus often tried asking how he had been and despite being a dear friend (used to, he's not sure if the Sin of Lust considered him that anymore), Lucifer couldn't bring himself to answer honestly.
The first order of business was to get the angelic weaponry distribution under control. Despite the fact Charlie and her friends were given these for free, it greatly disturbed him knowing there was an Overlord who hoarded all the ones left over from the Exterminations. Lord knows those angels discarded their weapons like they were fucking candy.
According to Vaggie, Carmilla Carmine was the sole Overlord in charge of all angelic weapons. She had long since taken out her competition, creating a monopoly that made Lucifer's job much easier. A little digging into her operation (and really, there wasn't much any demon in hell could hide from him) found that while a majority of her distributions took place in Pentagram City, she had no qualms selling weapons to the other rings as well. Lucifer still found it difficult to care much about the sinners but he cared deeply for the hellborne, even if they weren't the best people either. They were his first Creations after his Fall and held a special place in his heart. He tailored each species to each ring and he bristled at the thought of them being killed in such a manner under his nose.
Carmine was weary when he showed up in her office. She was wise enough to not try to attack — that wouldn't end well for her and Lucifer had no issue ending her life if she tried. She was probably worried he was going to put an end to her operation but he knew there'd be no point to that.
She'd find a way to operate more in secret and he couldn't have that. He made it very clear he no longer wanted her to sell her weapons to the other rings. Lucifer already has plans to put in some sort of security system in the train station to scan for holy blessed items. Fortunately for him, this was the only way to traverse between all the rings. He was linked to the pride ring itself, able to feel out the land through his magic to find any hidden passageways. Sinners hadn't found a way to create a black market transportation yet, so his demand would be easy to enforce.
As expected, Carmine wasn't very happy with it, but she agreed nonetheless. Lucifer wasn't one to make soul-binding deals like the Overlords and he really wanted to trust these sinners as much as Charlie did. He made it known that should he find her going back on their agreement, he would forcefully shut down her entire operation using any means necessary. He allowed just enough power to slip, relishing in the way she flinched under the pressure of it.
The paperwork that came with that was suffocating in its own right. All the changes he wanted to make, all the meetings he needed to have with the Sins and Ars Goetia to ensure they were performing their duties came with mountains of forms and slips he needed to look over and sign. For a chaotic place such as Hell, one would think they would've gotten rid of such trivial things. Then again, paperwork in itself was such a hellish idea. It made sense it would still exist here.
And that didn't even include the absolute mess the aftermath of the last Extermination was. Just thinking about Sera was enough for him to develop a migraine.
As much as he actually wanted to get to know Charlie's friends (with the exception of that radio bastard), it was hard to find the time now that he was making sure to be active both in his daughter's life as an actually decent father and in Hell. She had asked him a few times in the past month to join them for bonding activities and she'd get this wounded look every time he couldn't.
After years of maybe, possible, severe depression and isolation, he was loath to admit that his sudden intake of responsibilities was weighing him down. Only after a singular month too. Truly pathetic on his end. Of course, he had done this to himself for neglecting all of his fatherly and kingly duties for so long.
It had gotten to the point where Lucifer was feeling rather snappy. He never had a good sleep schedule to begin with and now it felt like he'd be doing something wrong if he stopped just to fucking eat. He almost yelled at Charlie for just checking in on him.
Lucifer needed a break. Desperately. He glanced over at the mountains of paperwork from where he was hunched over his desk, feeling exhaustion pull at his shoulders. There was so much that needed to be done and yet, the motivation to actually do it wasn't there.
With a groan, he leaned forward till his head hit the surface with a thud. Lucifer's eyes slipped shut and for once, he felt inclined to allow the tresses of sleep to lull him in. A nap sounded like a blessing right now. Maybe for just a few minutes…
Of course, because life was determined to eternally punish him, that was the moment his phone's ringtone went off, piercing through the quiet of his room. Lucifer only let out a single pitiful whine before he dug through his pocket to retrieve the offending device.
Sera's name flashed across the screen and he used his free hand to rub the last remaining vestiges of tiredness from his eyes. A golden light glowed between his palms and floated his phone in the air in front of him. His magic swirled until it projected an image of the High Seraphim. Lucifer forced a smile onto his face.
"Long time no talk, Sera." He couldn't help the bit of annoyance that slipped into his voice. They had spoken a dozen times now since the last Extermination. In fact, they just had a call a few hours ago! Surely, she had to be as sick of hearing him talk as he was her!
As if to show that she interrupted his work, he picked up one of the random files on his desk to flip through.
"Good evening, Lucifer. I'll keep this short." Sera cleared her throat and straightened her already perfect posture. "The Heavenly Council has come to a decision regarding Extermination Day and your daughter's Hazbin Hotel."
That got Lucifer's attention. He dropped the paper he had pretended to be interested in and turned his body to face the projection fully.
Shortly after the Extermination happened, Lucifer and Charlie had been summoned for a trial at the Embassy. The verdict hadn't been given during that time, as much needed to be discussed, but he'd be damned if Charlie would be punished. He was used to being Heaven's punching bag so he had no qualms taking full responsibility for Adam's death. Niffty wouldn't be spared Heaven's wrath and Lucifer was far more equipped to deal with whatever would be dealt out.
At least during the trial, it was made clear that Charlie was not at fault for what happened. That young Seraphim, Emily, vouched heavily for his daughter and there wasn't much even Sera could do to argue against it.
"The Council has found yourself, Princess Morningstar, and the denizens of Hell who fought during the Extermination not guilty." Lucifer heaved a sigh, not even caring that he was showing genuine relief over the ruling. Sera was kind enough to spare him any remark as he took a moment to compose himself. He hadn't even noticed the tremor in his hands.
"You mentioned the hotel as well." Lucifer spoke after a while, his voice a little more raw than he intended. Sera nodded as a somewhat guilty expression crossed her features. It was gone the next moment.
"Yes. The Heavenly Council has deemed the Hazbin Hotel a promising endeavor and wishes to form an agreement with Princess Morningstar in running this project. In the meantime, any future Exterminations will be postponed." Lucifer peered at Sera incredulously. He didn't say a word as he studied her. Sera's face was impassive as she waited patiently for him to speak.
Extermination was something that was never up for debate during their meetings. The only time an amendment was made was when Lucifer had a three am neurotic breakdown. Years after the initiation, he had demanded it be specified that his family would be safe. Even though Charlie was a hellborne, Lucifer was taking no risks in her being injured during the yearly killings. When it was clear he wasn't going to drop the topic otherwise, Sera caved to add that no Morningstars could be harmed during the Exterminations.
"What changed?" He asked carefully. She hesitated and Lucifer quirked an eyebrow at the silence.
Sera cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Because of Princess Morningstar's efforts, a sinner soul has successfully been redeemed into Heaven."
Somehow, Lucifer managed to choke on absolutely nothing at the revelation, sending himself into a harsh coughing fit. Sera took the opportunity to conjure a photo and she waited until he was mostly okay before transferring it between realms.
It dropped into his waiting hand and all Lucifer could do was stare with wide eyes.
In the picture were two angels: one he recognized as the young Seraphim Emily with an arm thrown happily around the shoulders of a smiling snake angel. A very familiar serpent that resembled the portrait hung up in the lobby of the hotel.
"No way…" Lucifer whispered, a genuine smile crossing his lips. Charlie had done it. She did the impossible.
She made her dream a reality.
For the Sin of Pride, Lucifer knew for a fact he had never felt this proud of anything in his entire thousand years of existence.
"In two days time, Heaven will be sending some angels to observe what your daughter has done to redeem a soul. I am unsure who they are sending nor how long their stay will be." Sera's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he nodded fervently, practically bouncing in his seat. He couldn't wait to break the news to Charlie. Her friend's death had taken a toll on not only her but many of the other staff and residents as well.
Sensing that she was losing his attention, Sera quickly said farewell before ending the call and Lucifer barely remembered to catch his phone before it fell to the ground. He didn't even bother snapping on his kingly attire, opting to keep his hat, cane, and overcoat on the bed as he rushed out of the room.
All previous stress and fatigue was gone, replaced only with jittery excitement as he started quickly down the hall. He hoped that everyone was already down there together because Lucifer wasn't sure he would be able to wait long enough to gather the residents before spilling the news entirely to Charlie.
About halfway to the foyer, he deemed it to be taking too long and his six wings sprouted from his back, allowing him to zip through the hallways until the stairs came into sight. Everyone was already gathered in the parlor for another group bonding session and he swooped down to land next to where Charlie was standing. She jumped at his sudden entrance, turning to give him a bewildered expression.
"Dad! I thought you said you couldn't…" His daughter trailed off once she took note of his appearance. His clothes were rumpled from sitting at his desk for hours (and his impromptu power nap) and hair disheveled from the frantic flight to the hotel lobby. Now that he thought about it, he could've just teleported there. Oh well, it felt good to spread out his wings.
"What's got you so excited?" Charlie asked, amused. A smile graced her lips as she took in his own cheek splitting one. Lucifer clasped his hands together, taking a deep breath to calm himself before deciding, screw that! This was huge!
"Charlie!" He pulled her into a hug and spun her around, laughing at the squeak she let out. "I have good news!" Lucifer finally put her down and Vaggie reached out to steady Charlie as she gathered her bearings.
"In fact, I have three pieces of good news!" He held up a trio of fingers as if to accentuate his point. "And not only are they good, but they're very, very, very good! That's three verys! One very for each thing I need to tell you!" It was Charlie's turn to laugh, her hands coming down to rest on his shoulders as he physically vibrated in his spot.
"Well don't leave us hangin', short king." Angel spoke from somewhere to his left and Lucifer finally registered the other inhabitants. The spider was lounging on the love seat, his legs thrown over Husk's lap who didn't seem to mind the contact. Cherri perched herself on the arm of the couch next to Angel and Niffty sat on the coffee table, legs dangling off the edge. The radio bitch was sitting in his chair looking far too judgemental for Lucifer's taste. Vaggie stood next to his daughter as always.
"Okay!" Lucifer clapped his hands, turning his attention back to Charlie. "I just got off the phone with Sera. First news! The Heavenly Court has found all of us innocent in what occurred during the last Extermination! In fact, all future Exterminations have been postponed for the time being!" Charlie gasped, shaking her girlfriend in her excitement. There was a small round of cheers from everyone else, a tension Lucifer hadn't sensed earlier leaving.
"My, what an unexpected turn of events!" Alastor's radio voice spoke clearly above the rest, his eyes curiously on Lucifer as he cocked his head to the side. "I cannot fathom Heaven willing to end the Exterminations. Perhaps you know why that may be?"
"Actually, that ties into my second very good news!" Lucifer turned to face everyone this time, his smile softening as he reached out to grab his daughter's hand. Pride was basically rolling off of him in waves and he snapped his fingers, gold magic swirling in front of Charlie.
"It appears Hell's dearest Princess has successfully redeemed her first sinner soul." Charlie's eyes flew to him, wide with shock. Lucifer tilted his head in the direction of the light and she slowly reached in to pull out the photo Sera had given him.
The reaction was instantaneous. A sob forced its way out of her lips and he watched her slap a hand over her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. Vaggie curiously peered over her shoulder, her own surprised gasp tumbling from her lungs. Charlie shakily handed the photo to Angel before her arms flew around her girlfriend with an elated cry.
There was only a moment of shocked silence before cheers of happiness broke out in the residents. Angel practically threw himself at a crying Cherri Bomb, unable to hold back his own waterworks while Husk patted his back with a grin. Niffty forced her way into the hug and neither seemed to mind. Alastor's reaction was much more subdued but Lucifer could make out the surprise flitting behind his smile.
"I… I can't believe—" Charlie sobbed and Lucifer quickly moved to pull his daughters — yes, he already considered Vaggie his daughter-in-law, sue him — into an embrace that was quickly reciprocated by both. "He's alive!"
Lucifer allowed everyone to get out their tears, a genuine smile playing at his own lips knowing how much this would uplift all of their spirits. In the months they spent together, this rag-tag group of sinners had become Charlie's family and he will always be thankful for them being there for her when he wasn't.
Sir Pentious' death had taken a toll on everyone who cared for him, especially Cherri Bomb as much as she tried to hide it. She had been looking after the only remaining egg minion left, but Lucifer had caught her in Angel's room crying many nights since his death. Regrets were a strong thing and she never took the chance to tell him how she felt.
"I can't imagine any news that is better than this." Vaggie spoke somewhat wistfully as she stroked Charlie's hair. Lucifer broke away from their hug to clear his throat, blinking away his own tears that had formed for some reason.
"The very, very good news I don't think actually compares to this but I couldn't share it without telling you about your friend's redemption first." The others simmered down as they waited in anticipation for the last thing he needed to say. It was rare that there was anything good to report after a meeting with Sera. The fact that there were three was incomprehensible.
"In two days, angels representing the Heavenly Council will be coming down to observe the Hazbin Hotel. Redemption has been proven possible and the Elders are willing to take it much more seriously." Charlie gasped, her eyes lighting up and Lucifer hushed her softly so he could finish. "Sera didn't know who would be coming or how long they'd be here for, only that they'll be here on Wednesday at exactly twelve o'clock."
When it was clear he was done, Charlie pulled him into yet another hug before she turned to address everyone else.
"Okay, everyone! We have to make sure everything is perfect for the angelic ambassadors! Not only will this be a great opportunity to form a professional repertoire with possibly powerful angels but this will help your own paths to redemption." Her eyes softened, a shaky smile crossing her lips. "We can't just leave Sir Pentious up there alone now, can we?"
There was yet another round of group hugs, Lucifer deciding to stand back this time around. He was content observing. This was their victory — Charlie's victory — and he couldn't be more proud of what she was able to accomplish alongside her friends. Even Alastor had gotten dragged into a hug that he swiftly shadow-walked out of.
Yet, despite the light and airy atmosphere that had washed over the hotel, Lucifer couldn't help but feel a little queasy at the sinking feeling in his gut. His intuition told him something bad was going to happen, and there weren't very many times where it ever strayed him wrong.
He could only hope this was one of those times.
chapter two
Two days was not, in fact, enough time for the staff of the Hazbin Hotel to prepare for their Heavenly Ambassadors. Not that the other angels ever cared about the hosting party — everything was always done on their time. Still, it didn't mean Lucifer couldn't be peeved by this.
Niffty worked double time to ensure that all the rooms were spotless. Even though Charlie had already set aside the best rooms for their guests, she wanted to be prepared in case they asked to see every single room. It probably wouldn't happen but she refused to be caught unawares. Niffty, for her part, was doing a wonderful job but she eventually accepted the help from Alastor's shadow minions and Cherri Bomb when it became clear she wouldn't be able to get to every area that needed to be cleaned.
Angel and Husk had been delegated to stock the kitchen with anything they might need. For this to work, it would be best to avoid taking these angels out into Pentagram City… at least for the beginning. Lucifer was positive they would want to go on an outing eventually so the current plan was to allow them to get used to the Hotel's residents first and slowly work their way up to everything else.
Alastor, in a move that made Lucifer all too suspicious, suggested when that time came, they take them to Cannibal Town. Which was probably the last place he personally would ever take anyone from Heaven to. In fact, he'd much rather taken them to the Lust Ring than anywhere in Pentagram City.
Charlie was ecstatic, saying something about someone named Rosie, and that was the end of that discussion. Lucifer desperately wanted to veto that idea but, ultimately, it was Charlie's decision for the itinerary and he wasn't going to rain on her parade. He'd just have to make sure to give Alastor a quick talking to later.
His daughter and Vaggie focused on the decorations. They weren't going as over the top as the first time Lucifer visited the hotel, but just enough to be welcoming and luxurious at the same time. Charlie ensured no chandeliers would be falling this time around.
As for Lucifer… he unfortunately wouldn't be able to help much in the preparations.
"Are you sure you can't postpone this, Dad?" Charlie asked as she rearranged the parlor furniture for the eleventh time. She peered at it all for a moment before turning her attention to Lucifer, who was fully dressed in his royal attire. He smiled apologetically at her and glanced at the time on his phone. He only had a few minutes before he had to leave.
"I'm sorry, duckie." Lucifer took the moment to grasp both of her hands in his own and squeeze. "I really want to be here while the Heavenly Ambassadors are staying with us and in order to do that, I need to delegate a lot of my responsibilities to the other Sins. There's no one more I trust than Asmodeus and Beelzebub but I won't give them more work if they don't have time for that themselves."
Charlie sighed. "I know. I appreciate it. I really do." Then, she smiled, bright like the earthly sun. "Thank you so so much, Dad. For everything you're doing." He gave her a tight hug before letting go, watching fondly as she rushed off to help Vaggie hang some string lights.
Lucifer rolled his shoulders, took a deep breath and got ready to teleport himself to Asmodeus' office. He realized he probably should do that outside as glitter was infused into his magic and that would simply add a bigger mess that Niffty would have to clean. So he waved once more to Charlie as he headed towards the front door to leave —
And smacked right into Alastor's chest.
"Well, well, Your Majesty! I must say, I am quite impressed." Lucifer stumbled backwards to glare up at Alastor, straightening his hat and coat that had gone askew in the collision.
"Oh, yeah? Why might that be?" He grumbled with his cane clicking against the floor as he moved past Alastor to open the door. He followed Lucifer out with a hum and very annoyingly materialized to block his path.
"Why, for keeping your promise, of course!" Alastor's creepy smile widened. "It's always nice to see Charlotte's father attempting to abandon the role of a deadbeat. She deserves much better than that, don't you think?"
Lucifer felt the heat of his inner fire roll into his throat and he forced his anger down through deep breaths. When he felt calm enough, he managed to level the strawberry bastard with an indifferent stare and ignored the way his shit-eating grin managed to grow larger.
"Very funny." He jabbed his finger into Alastor's chest, not missing the way he winced at the contact. Alastor stayed firmly in place though and Lucifer narrowed his eyes at the reaction.
Well, two can play at that game. Lucifer smirked and opened his mouth to bring attention to it knowing Alastor would hate everything about that. It was a sign of weakness — a secret he attempted to hide but was completely foolish for thinking the King of Hell wouldn't notice.
Before he could say anything though, the alarm on his phone went off. Lucifer stepped back with a sigh as he shut it off. It was time for him to leave.
"Expect a visit from me when I get back. We need to have a talk." Alastor raised an eyebrow and the look he gave him was all too telling. Lucifer would heavily deny the golden flush that rose to his cheeks at the implication. "Oh, not like that, bastard."
And with that, he felt the familiar burning of his magic engulf his being, his body disintegrating in a burst of red and gold as he traveled down several rings until he made it to Lust. He reappeared in front of Asmodeus' secretary because unlike the angels up in Heaven, Lucifer didn't like dropping in on people with little to no warning.
The succubus at the front desk glanced up from her computer and her jaw dropped in surprise at his appearance. Ever since the Extermination a month ago, Lucifer had effectively stepped back into the spotlight after thousands of years of being out of the media. It was weird to walk around Hell and be recognized no matter where he went, unlike before. He wasn't sure if he liked it.
He watched as she scrambled to alert Asmodeus of his presence and shortly after, she waved him through the door with a bow. The fallen angel smiled in a way that he hoped was disarming but judging by how she shrunk back slightly, he missed the mark.
Somehow, despite his isolation of the last century, the denizens of Hell had latched on to this persona of Lucifer as a harsh and cold ruler. A demon who was willing to strike down anyone and provide the worst eternal punishments tailored to every sinner. Much of that reputation was more so what was preached up on Earth yet that fear made its way into Hell and his absence did nothing to stop that.
Lucifer definitely knew how he felt about it. He hated it. A lot. At least the sinners at Charlie's hotel had stopped walking on eggshells around him… sort of.
With a sigh, he made his way down the shorter hallway and a more genuine smile making its way onto his face as Asmodeus' office came into view. The grand double doors were open and he could see the Sin of Lust sitting in his chair, talking to Beelzebub who was perched on his desk. There was an imp and a hellhound conversing off the side whom Lucifer didn't recognize.
As he stepped into the room, the occupant's attention was drawn to him and both of the Sins smiled brightly. Bee was the first to move, her wings fluttering as she flew towards him. He didn't get much time to react as he was swept into a bone-crushing hug that he returned with a laugh.
"Oh, it's been so, so, so, sooooo long since I last saw you, bitch!" She pulled back, one pair of hands never leaving his shoulders as she took him in. Bee was right, after all. The last time he had seen any of the Sins in person had to be over a hundred years ago. He had gotten so focused on raising Charlie that he found it easier to do meetings over the phone rather than face to face. Then, when he got divorced and Lilith took their daughter, well…
The Sin of Gluttony was a gift giver. She showered those she cared about in whatever they may desire. There were several times Lucifer would find a care basket full of self-care items and his favorite desserts. It was Bee's way of telling him that she was there to support him in whatever he was going through. She wasn't one to talk about feelings, and it made Lucifer feel less guilty for receiving gifts from her.
Even when he hadn't seen her in person since Charlie was small, she never stopped that habit. Sometimes, the knowledge that she cared enough to still leave him a basket full of goodies was the only thing that got him through the day, especially during the harder ones.
Aaaaaand this train of memories was going to a place he'd rather not visit at the moment. He mentally took those thoughts away and shoved them to the back of his mind. No use thinking about them now.
"It's good to see you too, Bee." Lucifer laughed, not minding how much he had to crane his neck to look up at her. Asmodeus was taller, after all, and unlike a certain creepy radio sinner, they never cared about his short stature.
"Don't forget about me now." Speaking of, Lucifer looked past Bee to see Asmodeus approaching and he allowed himself to be pulled into another tight embrace that he returned the best he could. He didn't mind though, the Sins were his family in everything except blood. Despite his own self-imposed isolation, he dearly missed them all.
Asmodeus had reached out to him several times during that period and was met with either false answers or radio silence from Lucifer. He hadn't meant to blow him off but it was so hard to just… accept help. Harder than it needed to be. The longer he stalled, the worse it became and soon enough, Lucifer resorted to just ignoring the calls until they eventually stopped.
He never blamed his friend for giving up. It wasn't like Lucifer was making it easy and there wasn't much Ozzie could do regardless. The fact he tried for as long as he did was a feat in itself.
"Alright, Ozzie. I'd like to be able to walk after this hug." He wheezed out once it began to border on painful and Asmodeus released him with a sheepish grin. Lucifer waved off his concern and fixed his coat as he used his foot to kick up his cane that had fallen when Bee first swept him up in an embrace.
"Sorry, LuLu. I've just…" Ozzie sighed. He turned around to lead them back to his desk. "I've just missed you. Bee is right; it has been over a century." Before Lucifer could say anything though, Asmodeus cleared his throat and gestured towards the imp and hellhound. They both looked very nervous to be in the room. Lucifer tried to ignore the annoyance in his chest at that. It wasn't their fault.
"I hope you don't mind that we brought our partners. They help us run a lot of what we do in our Rings and much of what we speak about here would be relayed to them regardless." Ozzie's hand came to gently rest on the imp's back and Lucifer realized fairly quickly he hadn't just meant business partners.
"That and we really wanted you to meet them. So!" Bee cut in and fluttered over to the hellhound. She pulled him into a hug from behind. She rubbed their cheeks together and Lucifer smiled at the display. "This is my boyfriend Vortex!"
"And this is my partner, Fizzarolli. Fizzy, this is Lucifer." They both swallowed. Fizzarolli inched forward to hold his hand out before retracting said limb and bowed deeply alongside Vortex.
"I-It's nice to meet you, sir." Fizzarolli spoke, a subtle shake to his raspy voice. Lucifer took note of the robotic appendages but refrained from asking despite his curiosity — that'd be an awful thing to bring up during their first meeting and it was, quite frankly, none of his business.
"If you don't want us to be here, just let us know and we'll leave, Your Majesty." Vortex followed up quickly, sounding more confident than Fizzarolli but his body language betrayed him.
Lucifer sighed and set his cane to lean against the desk as he touched their shoulders — feather-light so as to not spook them. Once they were looking at him, he gestured for them to straighten up and thankfully, they did.
"Please, none of the formalities. You're dating Ozzie and Bee, that practically makes us family!" Lucifer beamed. He threw his arms around them as best he could and dragged them into a weird side hug. Fizzarolli was about the same height as him but Vortex was much taller so the poor hound was dragged down to an odd angle. "Call me Lucifer. Or Luci. They both like calling me LuLu. I'm fine with that too. Just none of the titles."
There was a moment of silence, and Lucifer was worried he made things too awkward for them. He was the King of Hell no matter how much he wished others wouldn't treat him as such. Just when he was about to pull away and apologize, Vortex relaxed under his arm with a chuckle.
"You weren't kidding when you said he wasn't like his reputation, Bee." Beelzebub giggled and snapped a picture of the three that Lucifer had no doubt was unflattering for him. He let them both go after that, relieved to see they appeared to be more at ease than when he first walked in.
"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." Beezlebub cleared her throat, leaning forward to rest her chin on her hands. Lucifer eyed her warily. "LuLu, baby, sweetcheeks. How has our favorite little Lady Morningstar been?"
The smile that broke out on his face was blinding. He fumbled to get out his phone, nearly smacking the device into the desk in his haste. Lucifer pulled up more recent photos he had taken with her since they reunited and he quickly turned it around to show them.
"Charlie's been wonderful! She's found herself such a — surprisingly — lovely group of sinners to call friends and she has a darling girlfriend who I just adore. Keeps her dreams grounded in reality, ya know? They're perfect for each other!" Lucifer couldn't even register the shocked faces of Fizz and Tex, ones that quickly morphed into amusement as he continued to ramble about his daughter.
"Charlie has a girlfriend?" Ozzie piped up, smiling at the sickeningly loving photo of her and Vaggie that Lucifer showed.
"I know. My baby girl is all grown up." Lucifer sniffed as his eyes suddenly grew hot. Little Charlie learning how to walk and managing to get into so much mischief felt like it was just yesterday for him. He couldn't believe that she had a girlfriend now, one that he was fairly positive she would end up marrying sooner rather than later. It all felt so surreal.
The years he spent without her, missing so many important moments haunted him as he reminisced. There was so much he couldn't take back, so many ways he wished he was a better father for Charlie than he actually was. Somehow, in her overly kind heart, she found it in herself to give him another chance. He wouldn't mess up this time. He couldn't.
"I'm so proud of her." He looked up at the other four with misty eyes. "She started this place in Pentagram City called the Hazbin Hotel. The whole point of it is to rehabilitate sinners. A noble cause that I whole-heartedly believe my princess can accomplish. And she did!" Lucifer laughed, pride rolling off of him in waves.
"She rehabilitated a sinner! He's up in Heaven, right now! I'm so fucking proud of her. She and her girlfriend and friends made all of it possible and never gave up on each other despite everything—"
"Woah! Slow down, bitch!" Bee interrupted frantically, and it was enough for Lucifer to finally take in everyone's expressions. They all appeared flabbergasted.
"Was it something I said?" He asked with his head cocked to the side. Fizzarolli sputtered.
"Uh, yeah! She — Heaven — rehabilitation?!" Was the intelligible response from Fizz and it was like a light bulb went off in Lucifer's head.
"Oh! Shit!" He facepalmed and pocketed his phone with an apologetic smile. "That's actually the whole point of why I'm here. Charlie needs a favor. Well, actually it's more of a favor for me but it's so I can be there for her so by an extension, it's really a favor for Charlie and not me—"
"LuLu, calm down." Ozzie laughed, a heavy hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Take a deep breath and start from the beginning again."
Lucifer did just that. He closed his eyes to gather himself before he started at a much slower pace.
"Charlie created the Hazbin Hotel, a place where sinners can go to seek rehabilitation and redemption to make it into Heaven. I got her a meeting with the Heavenly Council, where her dream was dismissed." He hissed that last part through his teeth. "Then, when the Extermination rolled around, Adam targeted the hotel like the bastard he is."
Lucifer couldn't help but grin at the equal looks of fury that flitted across the Sins' faces. Just as they thought of each other as family, Charlie was their most precious niece. There wasn't anything they wouldn't do for her, just as he would.
"Adam ended up breaking the terms of the treaty. Not only did he kill Dazzle, a hellborne, but he harmed Charlie as well. I intervened and let's just say the fight came to a resounding end after that. However… during this fight, one of Charlie's friends who fought alongside her, Sir Pentious, ended up dying to Adam. It wasn't until yesterday when Sera called me to bless us with the information that Sir Pentious had been redeemed and that Charlie's hotel worked. Now they're sending Heavenly Ambassadors to see why it succeeded and hopefully set up a working agreement between Heaven and Hell for this. They're set to arrive tomorrow." Lucifer paused in his ramblings to allow the information to sink in.
They were, for all intent and purposes of the word, speechless. Just when he was about to say something to break the prolonged silence, Ozzie managed to gather his bearings with a resolute shake of his head.
"Okay. Wow. That's — wow." He chuckled lowly, running a hand down his face. "Well, if anyone could do it, it's Charlie."
"So, what do you need from us exactly? I'm not sure whatever angels Heaven sends would be down for one of my totally killer hound parties." Bee hovered to sit on Ozzie's desk again, leaning her back against Tex's chest.
"Definitely not." Lucifer smiled, taking off his top hat to set it on an empty chair. He ran his hand through his hair. "As you know, I haven't been particularly… active in Hell's politics for quite some time. After everything that happened with the last Extermination, I've been determined to change that. Unfortunately, that means I'm either holed up in my study or out for meetings and I can't dedicate as much time to Charlie's hotel as I'd like."
Lucifer stared at the mahogany of the floor beneath him. He couldn't stop the shame from bubbling up in his chest. If he hadn't let his depression get the better of him, he never would have fallen this far behind in Hell's political landscape. There were so many wrongs that needed to be righted and he wasn't sure how long it would take to ever accomplish that.
Just another one of his failures to add to the pile.
"I'd never ask for you two to take up some of my responsibilities, but —" Lucifer glanced up to look at them again. "I don't know who Heaven is sending. I don't know how many will be here. I have to be there to protect Charlie. If something happened to anyone in that hotel, I'd never forgive myself. If something happened to Charlie, I don't know —" He cut himself off with a shaky breath and dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. Spots danced in his vision.
Lucifer heard some shifting before a hand came to rest on his back and he only hesitated a moment before dropping his arms. He had to blink away the tears that threatened to fall because, no, he would not start crying in front of the Sins' significant others, thank you very much. It took him far too long to register that Ozzie was the one touching him.
"You can count on us, LuLu." His smile was soft, the edges of it tainted with a hint of melancholy. Bee hummed in agreement before she threw an arm around his neck. She bent down at her hip so she was eye-level with him. Lucifer had almost forgotten what it was like to have someone do that in a manner that wasn't condescending.
"Don't you think you have to face those holy assholes by yourself, sugar. If you need back-up to fuck them up, we're one phone call away." Her grin was sharp-toothed — threatening — and Lucifer couldn't help but match her energy with his own manic smile. Bee's moods were always contagious for as long as Hell had been around.
"You'll be the first one to know." Lucifer's hand rested on her back for a moment in solidarity before he extracted himself from Bee's touch. He picked up his hat from the chair to fix it atop his head once more. Lucifer twirled his cane between deft fingers as he turned to face everyone once more.
"I'll send you the details of the duties I need you to temporarily take over. It won't be much, just the important stuff that can't be pushed off." He bowed slightly with his arm crossed over his stomach and the other came to rest on his back. "It was a pleasure to meet you both."
"Lucifer." Ozzie called and he looked up at the sound of his name. "If you need anything, even after those angels leave, just call, okay?" Despite his own social ineptness, Lucifer knew what Asmodeus really meant by that. He was reaching out, in a way that was subtle enough as to not push him away, and it meant more to Lucifer than he was willing to admit.
"I will. I promise." One he was fully committed to actually keeping this time around. Being near Charlie… her friends, the people she called family, had made him realize how much he truly missed simple social interaction. Of course, he didn't want to force himself into their little group and he did have his own friends back in the day.
Maybe he could rekindle those relationships with some of the more bearable Ars Goetia too. Paimon was insufferable but many of his older offspring weren't.
With one last farewell, Lucifer summoned enough of his magic to feel the red glitter encase his body and reappeared once more in the foyer of the hotel. It was quiet and a quick look outside told him that the meeting went far longer than intended. The night sky wasn't much different from the day in Hell, simply a darker red that the first sinners deemed to be evening.
Lucifer stood there for a few minutes, ears perked to hear if anyone was moving around nearby. The bar was empty and he couldn't make out any noise coming from the kitchen. His shoulders slumped a bit as the pull of exhaustion weighed on his limbs. There was nothing more he wanted to do than crawl into bed. Luckily for him, he had the forethought to create lists for Ozzie and Bee before he even left for the meeting. The only thing he needed to do now was send it and then have a chat with Alastor.
He was pretty sure the man never slept anyways.
Rubbing a hand across his face, he finally forced his legs to move in the direction of the stairs as he took out his phone. Lucifer pulled up their individual text conversations and only minorly winced at the fact he left them on read more often than not. Oh well, this was a new leaf for him. He hoped so, anyways.
He sent both of them their individual lists — he ensured they knew that they didn't need to do anything they didn't want to or were too busy for — and paused at the top of the staircase of the top floor. He hadn't even noticed he climbed several stories already. Perks of angelic endurance, he supposed.
Lucifer spared a glance at his own door to his left and he could practically hear his lush comforter singing its siren song. It was so tempting to just give in and go to bed.
But he forced his body to move to the right, releasing a breath as he carefully slipped into his silver-tongued devil persona. He would need it for this next part.
After all, Alastor was a master manipulator just as he. He was good at it too but the Radio Demon had never had an opponent like the Devil. Lucifer would just have to make sure he knew exactly who he was dealing with
chapter three
Lucifer stood still in front of Alastor's door. His ears were perked to parse out anything from the other side. He's pretty sure it was soundproof so him standing there was definitely not stalling, thank you very much.
Alastor was just… a migraine waiting to happen.
The Overlord — if one ignored how well Lucifer could actually read people's desires — was an enigma. Sure, Lucifer could easily peer into Alastor's damned soul to pick him apart as a person: how he grew up, who he cared for, what he did to end up in Hell. As ruler of this cursed place, it was something he was able to do for anyone living here, hellborne included.
It wasn't something he utilized often. Despite his faults, Lucifer wasn't willing to invade on someone's privacy in such a way. The only time he ever went back on that moral was for the souls who needed a more personal approach to their eternal suffering. They truly deserved the torture they were put through and he never once felt bad about that.
Lucifer would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about looking into Alastor, though. From the very first moment he met the infuriating demon, he could tell that his intentions for being at the hotel weren't as righteous as Charlie was led to believe. Alastor was the type of man who only did things that'd benefit him and because of that, he couldn't be trusted.
Not to mention, there wasn't anything Lucifer wouldn't do to protect Charlie.
The only reason he hadn't peered into his file was because he knew if Charlie found out, she'd be upset with him for breaching Alastor's privacy. She cared for him and the bastard knew it. He used that fact to poke at Lucifer to get him to break — to make him look bad in front of his daughter.
Alastor was lucky. Truly. Lucifer would love nothing more than to put him back in his place and really remind him of just who the Hell he was taunting. All it would take is a single snap of his fingers and Alastor be nothing more than another stain on the carpet for Niffty to sweep away.
And wasn't that thought tempting?
Lucifer groaned and scrubbed a hand down his face before he straightened his back to knock on the door. There wasn't any response for a while and he was half tempted to just poof into the room, manners be damned. They really couldn't postpone this much needed talk any longer. Who knew how much time they'll have before their guests arrive?
Just as Lucifer was about to barge into the room, the door swung open to reveal Alastor in his full glory and still formally dressed. The smile was tight on his face, eyes twitching with barely concealed annoyance at the fact that it was Lucifer standing in front of his door. To be fair, he did tell him they were going to talk when he got back.
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you to actually show up tonight, sire." One of Alastor's ears flicked and Lucifer's gaze lingered a little too long on that. "How was your oh-so important meeting that caused you to leave poor Charlotte to tidy up the hotel on her own?"
Lucifer sighed. "Yeah, let's go ahead and cut the small talk here. I'm tired and you have creepy ass things to do, I'm sure, so let's make this fast." He used the apple end of his cane to push Alastor's arm out of the way and entered his quarters. There was a brief spike of feedback and Lucifer could practically feel the way he was being glared at.
"Oh, yes. Do come in, Your Majesty. Make yourself at home." Alastor spat and shut the door far harder than necessary. Lucifer only grinned before he sat down in one of the chairs near the fireplace. The room was far more normal than he expected save for the half that turned into what looked like a swamp. He wrinkled his nose at the sight.
Alastor moved over to the other chair and lowered himself with far too much grace. His legs were crossed neatly over one another and Alastor snapped his fingers and the microphone that rested to his left hummed to life with gentle jazz that filled the background nicely.
"What is so urgent that this could not wait until morning?" Alastor asked as he picked up a cup of coffee that Lucifer hadn't even noticed. He seemed to have collected himself within the few seconds it took for his space to be invaded. He didn't recognize the song but the singer was pleasant to listen to nonetheless.
Lucifer waved his hand until his own cup of tea appeared in his palm. He took a sip to hide his smile at the annoyed ear twitch from Alastor. As much as Alastor got on his nerves, he found it quite enjoyable to do the same for him. It wasn't often someone was willing to challenge the Devil in a game of wits.
Engaging with Alastor was very much like a round of chess: one wrong move and your king ends up cornered. Quite literally, in his case. Lucifer wasn't that worried. After all, the Radio Demon couldn't even dream of standing a chance against a seraphim, even one that fell from grace millennia ago. He could certainly stand toe to toe with him in a battle of words and it was imperative Lucifer kept all the cards in his hand.
In his experience, it was always best to keep demons like Alastor on the defensive. Control the conversation and never allow your opponent to ascertain what you'll say next.
"The first matter I'd like to discuss is why, of all the places in Hell, you recommend Charlie to bring our angelic guests to Cannibal Town." He quirked an eyebrow expectedly, ensuring he appeared as calm as one could be in this situation.
"Cannibal Town is quite charming, Your Majesty. It would be rather unbecoming of you to judge a book by its cover." Alastor hummed as he took another sip, his smile sharp and dangerous. Lucifer's eyes narrow.
"Right." He leaned back in his chair. "Forgive me for thinking it unwise to bring angels around a group of cannibals who just got a taste of angelic blood. Silly me." The corners of the deer's lips somehow grew more and a suffocating darkness took over the room for only a moment before it fizzled out.
"Don't you worry your tiny head about it, sire. Rosie adores Charlie and will make sure her cannibals are on their best behavior." Lucifer saw this for exactly what it was: a way for Alastor to pull the strings. Every move he made was to keep the ball in his court and his connections with this Rosie character would mean that day was for him to control.
Lucifer brought the tea to his lips, watching Alastor over the brim of his cup. His posture was the epitome of relaxed as he sipped his own drink. Truthfully, his hands were tied in this matter. Lucifer was desperately trying to stay out of the decision making process during this entire fiasco. This was Charlie's call — her dream she was trying to make a reality — and Lucifer would support her however she needed. But he refused to veto anything his daughter decided unless he knew, without any doubts, that it'd be a bad idea.
"I'd like to meet this 'Rosie' before then." It wasn't really a request and Alastor narrowed his eyes at the tone. He could argue all he wanted but Lucifer didn't need his approval to approach her. He was simply extending it as a courtesy for Cannibal Town's Overlord.
Alastor must've come to the same conclusion. "Very well. I'll contact her to set up a date. Is that all?"
"Unfortunately not. We need to discuss our behavior towards each other. I think some improvements need to be made while our heavenly guests are here, wouldn't you agree?" Lucifer set his cup down before crossing one leg over the other. He folded his hands neatly in his lap as he watched Alastor cock his head curiously.
"Is that so?" Alastor hummed, his smile somehow managing to grow in size. Seriously, Lucifer has no idea how his face muscles aren't sore. "Afraid you'll embarrass yourself, Your Majesty?"
Lucifer chuckled. "Hardly. I just won't allow our constant bickering to get in the way of Charlie and her dreams." He sobered a bit and leveled Alastor with a serious look he had rarely used before. It had his spine straightening just enough to be obvious.
"We don't know which angels Heaven are sending. I can assure you that many of them are already prejudiced against the human souls in Hell. Everyone in this hotel needs to be on their best behavior, yourself included. Which means no killing." Alastor rolled his eyes at this and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table between them.
"What do you suggest we do should the hotel be attacked again, hm? Let it be ravaged?" Alastor inquired and if Lucifer didn't know better, he'd almost assume it sounded genuine. He did know better though, and he knew Alastor was not here out of honest care for Charlie and her project.
"Then, they'll be handled humanely." Lucifer pulled his cane into his lap and fiddled with the apple on top to appear disinterested. "Besides, I don't think you'll be able to do much fighting anyways."
The air in the room stilled and Lucifer had to fight back the smirk that wanted to crawl on his face. For a master manipulator, Alastor was surprisingly easy to read sometimes. Takes one to know one, he supposed.
"I have no idea what you mean, sire." The static in Alastor's voice was heavy — a warning he was sure. It was a cute attempt, really, but Alastor wouldn't be able to intimidate his way out of a conversation with the King of Hell.
And unlike Alastor, Lucifer didn't need to throw a tantrum to get his way.
"Sure. Like you already don't have one foot in the grave with that wound Adam left on your chest." Lucifer stood up. He circled the table until he stood behind Alastor's chair. The demon was tense, eyes long since turning into radio dials at his words.
"Fun fact about angelic injuries. When done to other angels, they'll heal just like a normal wound. However —" Lucifer's finger trailed along the arm of the chair until he stood in front of Alastor. From their position, he was able to look down on the usually taller man. "When left on demons, it slowly drains their life force. It was designed to rend your very being. No matter what you do, it'll end your soul one way or another."
Lucifer shrugged and adjusted the sleeve of his coat. "Using your eldritch abilities only sped up the process. So, congratulations. At this rate, I give you maybe one more month if you're lucky."
Their eyes met and Lucifer finally let his smirk take hold. If looks could kill, Alastor would have put Lucifer six feet under Hell's surface. Alastor's claws were digging into his knees, the fabric of his pants torn under the pressure. His antlers were much larger, and he was no doubt considering his options. Part of Lucifer hoped Alastor would actually lunge. He could claim self-defense then.
"How did you know?" was what Alastor settled on, and Lucifer clicked his tongue, shaking his head in mock disappointment.
"It's adorable you think you could hide an injury of angelic origin from me. Holy light is drawn to other holy beings. I knew about it the second you reappeared after we finished the hotel." Silence fell over them once more as Alastor inhaled to calm himself down. Lucifer was patient this time.
Then, all the tension was forced from Alastor's body and his limbs slowly morphed back into their proper form. He took a deep breath before meeting Lucifer's eyes once more. His claws never retracted from his legs.
"Come here to brag then? Get the last laugh in before I finally perish?" Alastor snarled, his teeth bared menacingly. Lucifer only crossed his arms to stare out at the bayou.
"As much as I would love to see your sorry ass croak, Charlie would unfortunately be distraught." Lucifer sighed and glanced back at Alastor. "And after learning it's because of an injury Adam caused, she'd blame herself for your death too."
"I don't quite understand why you are here." Alastor was far less menacing now, his antlers back to their usual size as he regarded him carefully. Lucifer simply huffed as he waved a hand in his general direction.
"Let me spell it out for you," he said as if he were talking to a particularly stupid child. "As a seraphim, fallen or no, I am more than capable of healing your injury. Then, you won't die a frankly embarrassing death and you can salvage what little pride you still have left."
Alastor's eyes narrow. "Are you proposing we make a deal?"
"Absolutely not." Lucifer shot that idea down quickly, albeit bemusedly. "I don't do deals. Consider it a quid pro quo for being there for Charlie." 'When I wasn't' was left unsaid.
"As far as I'm concerned, that does not constitute a repayment such as this. I refuse to allow myself to be in your debt." Alastor finally dislodged his claws from his legs to carefully grab his coffee cup, a signal that this discussion was over. Lucifer raised an eyebrow as he took a moment to reign in his annoyance. Overlords somehow managed to rival Mammon as the most irritating beings in all of Hell. Kudos to them, Lucifer just wished it was someone else dealing with it.
"Did you not hear what I just said or are you simply slow? You wouldn't owe me anything." When there wasn't so much as an acknowledging glance in his direction, Lucifer pushed himself off the table with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Fine. I'll certainly be amused by the headlines that TV guy will slander you with. Hell was never a place that respected the dead, after all." He readjusted his coat before spinning his cane with practiced ease. "Or whichever self-righteous angel Heaven decides to send will make a big deal of it. No way of hiding that from everyone in the hotel and Charlie can be quite the mother hen."
He flashed him another dazzling smile and made his way over to the exit without sparing another glance Alastor's way. Lucifer waved over his shoulder and opened the door. "Ta-ta, Alphonso!" He lifted his foot to step out of the room — before the door was slammed shut in his face.
Alastor's shadow was on the wood, its hollow eyes bore into Lucifer. He chuckled at its deadly expression.
"Wait," the deer grit out, back still facing Lucifer. He was only a little amused at how much Alastor hated all of this. If he were a lesser person, he'd hold this over his head for all of eternity. But alas, Lucifer didn't feel like fending off a murderous Radio Demon at every turn, even if he couldn't actually harm him.
Lucifer stayed silent this time, opting to just stand by the entrance until Alastor was ready to speak. He may not like the guy, but he wasn't a total asshole. The demon was all about control and he found himself in a situation where all the variables were unpredictable and dangerous. Letting your guard down enough to allow someone you despise to heal something vulnerable wasn't easy for normal people. Alastor was not a normal person. Frankly, Lucifer's surprised he hadn't decided to just keel over dead.
"What would be required for you to heal me?" Lucifer took that as his invitation to approach him. He came to stand a respectable enough distance away. He set his cane and top hat down on the opposite chair and began unbuttoning his overcoat. There was no way in Hell he was going to get blood on it.
"I need to see the wound before I answer that. From the amount of angelic magic I can feel radiating off your chest, just removing that will be a process on its own. I don't know the actual extent of the injury itself." Lucifer maintained eye contact, allowing enough sincerity into his expression without coming across as pitying. Something told him Alastor wouldn't appreciate that.
There was another beat of silence, Alastor weighing his options before he looked up at him with another glare. This one was reminiscent of prey trapped by the predator. It almost made him feel sad for the little deer.
"After tonight, you will not so much as breathe a word of what happened here to anyone." His tone was unquestioning and Lucifer begrudgingly respected the audacity to demand something from the Devil.
"I won't tell a soul." He promised, face straight and voice steady. Alastor's gaze lingered on his own for a while — searching for a lie perhaps — before it dropped to his lap and he began unbuttoning his own coat. Lucifer turned away to give him some privacy because again, he wasn't an asshole and Alastor acted like a Victorian prude.
Lucifer rolled up the sleeves of his shirt past his elbows, hand hovering over the line of his gloves that ended about mid bicep. It would be cleaner, he knew, to take them off but the idea of showing Alastor his mangled arms just… didn't sit right with him. He wasn't ready for that. He hadn't even shown Charlie them yet.
Looks like he'd just have to deal with ruining these gloves. He did make sure to slip off his ring, pocketing the golden band so he wouldn't get any of Alastor's blood on it. Lucifer wasn't sure why he still wore it but he chalked it up to habit. He and Lilith had been married for millennia after all and some rituals are just hard to break.
"You can turn around now." The static in Alastor's voice was thick as Lucifer did just that, unable to stop the wince at the sight before him. Alastor had removed all his upper clothing which left his chest bare. There was a pile of dirty bandages on the wooden floor that did nothing to actually stop the bleeding.
The wound itself was oozing sluggishly, starting at his left shoulder and cutting across to his right ribs. It was deep where it sat over his sternum and the insides were blindingly gold with Adam's angelic magic. The parts that he could see clearly had white patches that told Lucifer it was infected, though how far along he couldn't quite tell.
"How, uh… is this room soundproof?" Lucifer pursed his lips, not even bothering to hide his worry or disgust at what he was looking at. It was a miracle Alastor was even still alive and he's sure he already knew that.
"It's a radio tower. I cannot allow outside noise to ruin my broadcasts," was his snippy response, and it was enough for just a little of Lucifer's tension to leave his shoulders.
He moved closer to Alastor, kneeling in front of where he sat to be face-to-face with his chest. The smell was — well, it was awful and if Lucifer hadn't dealt with his own fair share of gruesome injuries, he'd have emptied the contents of his stomach just by looking at it.
"May I?" Lucifer asked. He glanced up at Alastor while his fingers hovered just inches from the gash. The usually permanent smile was barely even visible underneath the grimace he wore but he nodded nonetheless.
Lucifer pressed the pads of his first two fingers gently on the outside of the wound, pulling and pushing the skin just enough to get a proper idea of what he was working with. Above him, there was a hiss at his prodding but he didn't stop. The sooner he got this done, the sooner he could get to the worst part, and the sooner he could go to fucking bed.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat it," Lucifer said after a few minutes of inspection and leaned back on his heels to look up at Alastor properly. "Because you waited a month, Adam's light burrowed deep into your very soul. Removing it is going to hurt like a motherfucker and take some time. The wound itself I'll be able to heal in half an hour — tops."
He rolled his neck and shook out any remaining stiffness from his arms as he placed the palm of his right hand against the largest concentration of angelic magic. He met Alastor's eyes once more. "Once I start, I cannot be interrupted. Are you ready?"
Alastor hesitated, death grip on the arm rests tightening enough to tear the fabric entirely. "I'm ready."
Lucifer nodded. He closed his eyes as he called upon his divine light to concentrate it in the palm of his hand. Like a magnet, Adam's magic began pulling towards it, becoming pliant underneath the stronger aura. As unruly as the first man was, he was nowhere near as powerful as a seraph and taming his magic wasn't the part Lucifer was worried about.
No, the holy light was left to fester for a month. For demons, the presence of such things in one's body was much like a cancer of the soul. It had snaked its way into Alastor's very being and if Lucifer didn't want to accidentally eviscerate the guy's entire existence, he had to remove it very carefully.
He could feel the essence of Alastor's life-force pulse beneath his palm. It was dark, full of oppressive energy that gave him the power he used for status in Hell. Despite being a creation of pure light, it was enough to make even Lucifer shutter.
He pushed past that and towards the first strand of holy energy and carefully wrapped his magic around it to tug it loose. Vaguely, Lucifer registered a gasp of pain but he couldn't dwell on it for long.
It was a slow process to de-root every single individual string of Adam's light meticulously. Alastor's sounds of pain had only gotten worse the deeper Lucifer went. He couldn't judge him — his soul was being torn open several times and any wound on someone's life force was worse than a physical one. No one would be able to withstand this without screaming. He wished there was something he could do to soothe the pain, make it a little more bearable.
With the last of the angelic magic removed, Lucifer began to pull back out of sifting around in Alastor's soul when he noticed it. It was hidden underneath the more prominent facet surrounding it before but now… now there was nothing to keep him from feeling the warm, constrictive embrace around Alastor's being.
Chains.
The breath was knocked out of his lungs as his mind was unceremoniously forced back into his body and Lucifer stumbled backwards with wide eyes. His right hand burned from absorbing Adam's energy yet despite that, his blood had run cold at the revelation. Alastor himself was unaware of the entire thing — hunched forward in pain as he was — and he grasped his still bleeding chest. The light there previously was gone.
Lucifer turned around to practice those breathing exercises Charlie had taught them all. They came out short and shaky. He needed to finish mending Alastor. He needed to get the Hell out of there.
"The healing part shouldn't take long." Lucifer croaked and spun on his heel to start the last thing that needed to be done. Luckily for him, it seemed Alastor was too far out of it to really pay attention to his odd behavior. He prayed to a God that abandoned him that it'd stay that way.
His knees popped as he crouched again, unfurling his wings to pluck one of the long feathers off the bottom set. Lucifer cut the palm of his left hand with one of his claws and pushed against the wound until enough of his golden blood appeared. He set the feather down and waited a moment for the pristine plume to absorb the ichor. Then, he crushed it in his grasp, chanting some blessings in Enochian that was long forgotten. He spread his fingers open to a ball of divinity glowing a gentle, healing green.
Without waiting any longer, he held it up to the wound and watched as it worked its magic. The torn muscle and splintered bones regrew to how they were before the fight and the sight of it was as mesmerizing just as it was gross. As promised, it was only another twenty minutes before the last of Alastor's skin was stitched shut and the energy faded from the room entirely. All that was left was a new scar to adorn his already tattered torso.
"Your chest will ache for a few days but other than that, you're as good as new." Lucifer stood on shaky legs, waving his hand so his belongings he discarded earlier were transported to his own living quarters. He couldn't spend anymore time redressing himself. His vision was unfocused, and he was half-aware of Alastor's observant gaze following his every move.
"Get good sleep. The hotel will be busy tomorrow." Lucifer swiftly moved towards the threshold, not even waiting for a response from Alastor as he left. He slammed Alastor's door a little hard to be considered normal, but Lucifer couldn't care.
His mind was reeling.
Alastor didn't own his soul.
And no matter how long it has been since Lucifer last saw it himself, he'd recognize those chains anywhere.
He stumbled his way into his quarters. His knees buckled immediately and Lucifer barely caught himself from face planting into the floor. Belatedly, he registered the feeling of tears that trickled down his cheeks.
Lucifer didn't know what to do. He didn't know what he should say or if he should say anything. He wasn't even sure what he should think. Because… because…
Because Alastor's soul was owned by Lilith.