Chapter Text
"There is a LOT of pain down there!"
Lucifer was shaking, in pain, and bleeding. He could barely stand but was trying to make light of things by pretending it hadn't been so bad. He saw Charlie looking over at him, was she still mad at him? Mag...Vag...her girlfriend hadn't actually answered that question. Did that mean she was?!?
His stomach clenched when he thought about her last words. She hated him, he had fucked up. And then when he had thought she was reaching out, he fucked it up even worse letting himself be tricked by the TV head and caught. Used to destroy the people she cared about. There's no way she'll ever forgive him now.
He tried to walk away but collapsed face down onto the ground.
"Dad?"
"Sir?"
He tried to speak but all that came out was a kind of moan mixed with a grunt. He could feel his body healing from the wounds the machine has caused, but the pain was still there. He could still feel where the cables had been stuck in his skin electrocuting him, he could feel the energy still crawling across his body. So he laid there. No one touched him.
Eventually he lifted his head and saw Charlie and her girlfriend crouched in front of him. Charlie looked...worried? Was that right? That couldn't be right, he knew she hated him. It was probably just her kind nature made her compelled to check on him.
He struggled to his feet. Charlie reached towards him like she wanted to help but then pulled her hands back looking conflicted. Lucifer sighed but didn't say anything, what could he even say? Sorry wasn't enough, but he didn't know where else to start. At least the pain had stopped, but now he just felt exhausted.
Suddenly the large screen lit up and there was a snake winner speaking urgently, but Lucifer couldn't focus on anything he was saying. It was so fuzzy, like he was underwater. He heard Charlie saying something, she sounded excited. That's good, all he wanted was for Charlie to be happy. But Lucifer felt his legs start to give out. He couldn't see clearly anymore either, like a veil was over his eyes.
The noise stopped. He felt people move next to him, was it still Charlie? She had been there earlier. Someone took his arm and started leading him somewhere. He felt his feet moving, but his head dropped, he was so tired. He didn't care anymore, he knew the weapon was destroyed and the TV guy was gone. So he just hoped whoever had his arm wasn't another sinner planning to hurt him. But then someone grabbed his other arm and he felt a surge of panic and pulled away, stumbling back and almost falling. Charlie and (shit, he really needed to learn her girlfriends name) were looking at him. Oh?? Charlie had been the one guiding him, and then Vaggie had grabbed his other arm. Oh no!! And he'd just pulled away?!? He was the worst father in existence.
"It's ok Dad, we were just trying to help. You look about to collapse." Charlie looked scared. Had he scared her?!? She was afraid of him now too? Lucifer felt like crying.
"Haha, yeah. Just got startled for a second, you know...silly me." He smiled, or at least tried too, but judging by the look on her face it must not have been a very convincing one.
He started shuffling forward again, his legs felt like Jello and he couldn't lift his feet properly. Both dragging as he tried to keep moving. He felt the girls take his arms again, but this time he didn't flinch. His mind was racing, Charlie was helping him. Does this mean she didn't hate him anymore? Or did she just feel an obligation to at least get him off the streets. He wanted so badly to believe the first option but he couldn't let himself.
As the three of them moved forward he caught sight of another Seraphim. One of her wings had been sheared off by something, but only a ton angelic power could do that to an angel of that rank? He froze! He felt himself start shaking again, he had done this! Logically he knew it wasn't him directly, but he'd let himself get caught and his power be used in the weapon. If he hadn't been so gullible, so stupid, none of this would have happened. He felt the panic rising in his chest.
The Angel just looked at him, but she didn't look angry. Just curious. He hasn't seen her before meaning she must have been created after his fall, but what was she doing down here?
"Come on Dad, let's get back to the hotel" Maybe Charlie was worried he'd try to attack this angel. He took a deep breath trying to calm himself and started moving forward again.
The next person he saw was Alastor. Oh great, that's the last thing he needs right now. Alastor had somehow known before their first meeting that Lucifer couldn't harm sinners, so as much as they bickered, it was all for show. But Lucifer had never found out how Alastor knew, it's not like he could threaten him for the information. So Lucifer had just pretended there wasn't anything wrong.
But now the secret was out, all of Hell knew. Lucifer could never intimidate any sinner again. He couldn't even protect his own daughter against them. Alastor would never let him live that down. He'd throw barbs about how Lucifer is a terrible Dad and useless King while also bragging about how much better he can take care of Charlie. As the trio walked past Alastor, Lucifer braced for the comments to start. But Alastor remained silent, the only sound was the usual static.
As they kept walking Charlie's earlier words finally penetrated Lucifer's brain. "Let's get back to the hotel". The hotel? But she had told him to leave, was she really taking him back there? It was probably just to rest, then he'd have to leave again. But the palace was much farther away and he didn't have the energy to teleport or create a portal, so Charlie must have realized the hotel was the only option for now. Even hating him, she was still a caring person. She wasn't going to just leave him laying in the street. He loved her so much, why couldn't he ever do things right for her.
But he still couldn't bring himself to say anything, and Charlie hadn't said anything else. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. He didn't want to see the hate or anger in her eyes again. That look she had given him a few days ago was permanently seared into his brain. He didn't want to see it again. So the three of them just continued in silence as his feet shuffled across the ground.
--------
Lucifer didn't remember most of the walk. The next thing he registered was Charlie opening his bedroom door at the hotel. She led him inside but stopped as she looked around. Oh yeah, she hadn't been in here lately, there were a lot more ducks than last time.
But he's so tired he can't bring himself to say anything. Not sure what he could say that doesn't make things worse. So he just starts moving towards the bed and falls onto it. Fully clothed and still covered in blood, but he'll deal with that later. He just wants to sleep.
Charlie and her girlfriend both seem to recognize this need and head for the door. As they walk out he hears Charlie say "Get some rest Dad" and the door closes.
He lays there, the light from outside illuminating the room in the usual red glow. His body aches, he's so tired, he can't move, but he can't quiet his mind. All he can think about is what happened after the phone call he thought had been from Charlie. He was so desperate to reconcile with her he had missed all the warning signs. How could he have been so blind?! His biggest secret had just been revealed to the entire Pride ring. He should have been more careful, but he let the same Pride that got him throw down here in the first place guide him. Because he was Lucifer, sure he couldn't hurt sinners, but he knew they also couldn't harm him either, he was still a Seraphim. There's never been any reason to fear. And he had walked right into the trap.
Even after the chains had bound his hands and feet, he still hadn't grasped how bad things were. Alastor had been there tied in a chair (not sure what that had been about) and the TV sinner was gloating over capturing both of them. Lucifer just laughed it off. He might be trapped but what did it matter? He couldn't be hurt...he had thought. When the pain first hit, he was so surprised he didn't realize what was going on. But as the shocks increased he realized this was not a tickle. It felt like lightning was coursing through his body and at the same time he felt his power being drained. Oh...oh no!!! This was bad. His power was being used as a weapon in some way, the pain and power drain kept going. Then it stopped, was it over? He didn't think so. Now he actually tried to break free from his bonds, but he couldn't move them at all. He heard something and pressed his face to the glass bubble he was trapped in. Charlie's girlfriend!!! Does this mean Charlie sent her? He asked if Charlie was still mad, but the girl didn't answer, just said she'd get him out. But all he could think about was that she didn't answer his question.
The lightning was starting again, the girl rushed out. He was glad, he didn't want her to be hurt by this, by him. This time the pain was more intense. Cables appeared and dug into his body. The lightning increased but this time just kept coming, it was pulsing through him over and over. He could feel his power draining, he actually didn't know how much was left. This was something he'd never conceived, having his powers drained like a battery. He had lots of power, practically unlimited, but this...this...Lucifer realized he might die. That had never been a concern in his entire existence, but now, he was afraid. Not of dying, he'd wished for that many times since his fall, but of how things were ending with Charlie. He was going to die without being able to apologize. He loved her more than anything, but he was going to die and her last words towards him were pure hatred.
His will broke. He just hung there. There wasn't much time left, he could tell. His body was almost used up and he could feel the machine building up again. He knew this next time the lightning coursed through him, it would be the last.
Was that singing? That sounded like Charlie? And there were other voices too. He looked towards the sound trying to figure out what was going on. He could still feel the machine, but the song seemed to be creating a shield. He could see it forming above him but didn't understand the purpose. But if Charlie was part of this then it had to be a good thing. Then there was a lot of noise, something huge was being ripped away above him, and it broke the bindings holding his hands. The glass around him shattered and without power, the bindings around his feet opened. He yanked out the cables, ok that hurt, and used all his strength to crawl out of the hole
-------
Lucifer was still laying on his bed but sleep wouldn't come. Charlie's words from days ago, his capture, and the pain just kept replaying in his mind over and over.
He got up and headed up the stairs. They led to a large room with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the Ring. But what he wanted was the ladder to the trapdoor which led to the roof. He climbed up, closed the door and sat down. There were no railings, he could fly so didn't see the point of installing them. This way he could sit with his back to the leaf and have nothing in his view. He hated this view, he hated the Pride Ring, he hated Hell. But for whatever reason he always found himself sitting up here at times like this, when he felt overwhelmed. At the palace he'd always sit on the roof when things were too much. Maybe it was just being out in the open, without walls.
He didn't know how long he sat there. He didn't even "look" at anything, just stared ahead. If he had looked around, he might have noticed Alastor watching him from his radio tower.
Then the tears started streaming down his face