Paradox

Chapter 10: Dark night part 1

Chloe did not call Lucifer that day when another body turned up in a local park - there were no signs of devil worship. He needed to rest and the last thing he needed was another bout of hellfire and hellhounds. There were no reports of strange dogs and unearthly howls so she hoped the last of the escaped souls had been dispatched back by the hellhounds and everything was back to as normal as possible.

He had fallen asleep by the time she left. Even though she had practically interrogated Maze and Amenadiel to try and find out why they had all been so upset but she received no answers. Amenadiel still looked shaken, and Maze just glared.

She called a few hours later to check up on him and Amenadiel answered and told her Lucifer had gone downstairs to Lux with Maze -- something about setting up for an event. She decided to leave him alone until the next day. Lucifer had Maze and Amenadiel -- he was well taken care of and she needed to spend a fun long overdue evening at the movies with Trixie.

When Lucifer came back to the penthouse Amenadiel came and stood directly in front of him. "We have to talk about this -- we can't just ignore it."

"I'm sure she will come to us...there is nothing we need to do but wait," Lucifer stated.

"In the meantime, she is out there murdering humans!" Amenadiel said forcefully.

"We don't know that for sure. Remember others escaped from hell as well." Lucifer reminded him.

His brother nodded. "Don't you think the missing children situation points directly to her?"

"You of all people I would have thought would defend her. You were after all her favorite, she treated you with ... honesty."

Amenadiel swallowed heavily as if trying to get rid of an obstruction in his throat. "I can't defend her after the things she did. Luci, I wish with all my heart things hadn't happened the way they did but she's volatile...you know that...in some ways, you take after her - are a lot like her - a lot more than I am. Therefore you must be able to understand her better. What would she do?"

"Oh, you think that I'm like her? Why because I'm the devil and have the most deplorable reputation in heaven, earth, and hell? How dare you compare me to her!" His voice shook with outrage and passion.

"Luci, what did she do to you?" His brother asked as he reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Piss off!" He pushed Amenadiel away but his brother didn't let go of his arm. "LET GO!" he shouted as his eyes flashed red and Amenadiel suddenly cried and fell to the floor.

"Lucifer!" Maze threw a pitcher of ice-cold water at her boss.

He gasped and fell back glaring at Maze. "How dare you come to the defense of an angel. You exist to protect and serve ME!"  

"You are out of control. We don't hurt each other with hellfire!" Maze growled itching to throw a demon dagger at him as he disappeared into the elevator. Shocked she dropped down to the floor next to a shaken Amenadiel.

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After having received a plea from Lucifer, for an evening session on a Friday night, Linda hurried back to her office. She wouldn't have done it for everyone but he was special to her and he worried her having caused her sleepless nights wondering how to best help him -- the man who believed himself to be the devil.

She found Lucifer on the floor leaning back against her door with his eyes closed. "Lucifer?" She crouched down beside him. He opened his eyes. The tortured look on his face tore a hole iin her heart. "What happened?"