Chapter Text
Lucifer sighed, his fingers slumping over the keys of his organ, and the instrument grew silent. They were sailing through a murky fog, and little light permeated his room, not that he needed it to see. It would all be over soon.
At last, the longest seven years of his life were now coming to a close. He had spent those years travelling far and wide, visiting places he hadn’t seen for centuries, to say his final goodbyes. He tended to his job as well, going through the motions, sorting the damned souls from the saved, and escorting the former along to their new homes in Hell.
Lucifer knew the demons that made up his crew were restless from years of conflict-free sailing, not a single ship pillaged or plundered. Even Mazikeen was itching for a fight, her fingers twitching to the knives on her belt or in her sleeves at any unexplained sound, but she tried to pretend otherwise when he was around. Luckily for her, he no longer spent much time outside his cabin.
Inside or outside, he mused to himself. His siblings had a penchant for creating a mess, and even though, if all went as planned, he wouldn’t need it anymore, he was rather fond of his room. Outside it would be then.
The air outside was brisk, and Lucifer breathed in the salty breeze. He was going to miss that. The beauty of Earth’s seas. There were no seas of water in Hell, no, the seas there were filled with… something else. Something horrid. Hell didn’t really have skies either, not real ones like on Earth, and the only thing that fell from above was ash. So much bloody ash. At least there, though, he would be done with this hopeless game. He had come close to what he wanted, but it would always be just beyond his touch. There was no point in duping himself for the rest of eternity. He wasn’t free and he never would be as long as he remained here on Earth.
At least this way he would no longer be a source of amusement for his family. Look at the Devil! Watch him chase after love again and again like some sad puppy dog in a game of endless fetch! As if someone would ever love him. The Origin of Evil, the First of the Fallen, Lord of the Damned. He will always be feared, hated, abhorred. He was done. If they wanted the Devil, then the Devil he would be.
He raised his hands to his chest and bowed his head in prayer. It wasn’t long until he heard the telltale sign of wings, and one of his siblings appeared. Lucifer wondered who He had sent this time.
“Adversary,” a cold voice acknowledged him.
“Amenadiel! So good to see you. How long has it been, three centuries? Four?” Lucifer turned towards his brother casually, his posture feigning nonchalance. In truth, it had been far longer. He knew Amenadiel knew exactly when they had seen each other last. His brother had not changed at all in the time since. His wings were sleek and deep grey like an impending thunderstorm, only so much more deadly, and his dark skin was covered by the exact same boring robe he had worn the last time Lucifer had seen him. The jewelry was new, though. A long, thin, silver pendant hung down from a chain around Amenadiel’s neck. Lucifer chuckled to himself, imagining his brother getting into fashion.
“I’m not here to socialize, Lucifer. Father has reached a verdict on your request. Although why he sees fit to answer you is a mystery.” Amenadiel looked down his nose at Lucifer, frowning deeply.
Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Ever so charming, brother. All right then, out with it!” He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and paced up and down the deck, nerves forcing him into motion.
“Father has agreed to let you pass on to Hell, on the condition that you never return to Earth again. Exactly one day from now, as your latest set of seven years comes to a close, your remaining Divinity will start to fade. Once it is gone, you will lose your corporal body, and cease to be on this plane of existence. It is expected that the demons go with you. If they remain on Earth, they will be hunted down by the Host and destroyed. You understand that once you are in Hell, redemption will be impossible. Your request is irreversible. There will be no more negotiations, is that understood?”
“Yes,” Lucifer answered quickly before he could change his mind. Soon, he would finally be free. He met Amenadiel’s stare, a playful smirk on his face. Of course, it was a mask, but his brother would never be able to tell. Emotions had never been Amenadiel’s strong suit. Sure enough, his brother’s frown deepened, and he stretched out his wings. Lucifer felt a phantom pain roll across his back as muscles he no longer had tried to respond to the threatening gesture.
“If you cause any more problems, I will come, and I will see you wiped from existence.” The sound of wings punctuated his sentence, and then his brother was gone. Lucifer rolled his eyes at the space Amenadiel had occupied. Angels. So dramatic. He straightened his jacket cuffs and headed down the stairs to the main deck. Maze was the first one to notice him.
“I can’t believe you actually did it. Lucifer, what were you thinking, negotiating with those holy pricks?! You should have let me knife him. Maybe that would send a message to your Father.” Her posture was rigid and confrontational. Perhaps too confrontational for his liking.
“Stand down, Mazikeen,” he growled. “I am your captain, or have you forgotten? If that is the case, I’m sure I could find it in me to do some reminding.” His eyes flashed, revealing the monster he kept just beneath his flesh. He appreciated her companionship all these years, but he was her lord and captain and she would pay him his respect. He didn’t have to explain himself to her. “I’ll be in my cabin. You know what to do.” He turned and left her there before she could say anything more.
Lucifer pulled out a bottle of rum from his collection, only the best for him, of course, and poured himself a glass. He barely had time to sit at his desk before someone was banging on his door.
What do I have to do to get some bloody peace and quiet?! He huffed and checked himself to make sure he still looked presentable.
“It had better not be you, Maze. I’m really not in the mood to talk to you right now.” The door creaked open, and a face not belonging to Mazikeen peeked into the room. “Dromos!” Lucifer did nothing to keep the slight sound of annoyance from creeping into his voice.
“Yes, Captain, sir. I was wondering if I could have a quick word?” The door opened wider and Dromos shuffled into the room.
“Yes fine, get on with it.” Lucifer gestured at him lazily. Dromos approached the desk and clasped his hands behind his back.
“Captain, me and some of the others couldn’t help but hear… Is it true we’ll be returning to Hell?”
Lucifer sighed and took a large sip of his rum. “Yes. We shall all be going back to Hell at the end of this seven-year cycle. Is that all? I’m quite busy.”
Dromos fidgeted. “Well, we were wondering, sir, if we could have some freedom to act on some of our desires, seeing as it’s the last time we’ll be on Earth and all. Some of us have been a bit restless of late, and we would like to ‘go out with a bang’, as they say.” He looked up at Lucifer, eyes meeting his gaze.
Lucifer considered his proposal. Why not let them say their goodbyes as well? Maybe send one more obscene gesture in his Father’s direction before he left His precious creation for good. “Alright, Dromos. You have yourself a deal. I expect you and your companions to return the favour in the future. Dismissed.” He shooed his hand at Dromos, eager to be alone at last.
The demon grinned maniacally, no doubt eager to gather his companions and get started on corrupting some unsuspecting corner of Earth. He bowed to Lucifer before turning and sauntering out of the room. The second the door swung shut, Lucifer deflated. It would all be over soon, he told himself. Just one more day.