February 24th, 2015
Hell

The hot, sulfuric air burned at Alex's lungs as she picked her way down hell's stairs, her wings drawn in tight to avoid the small burning flakes of stone that drifted down from the ceiling. She could hear the screams of the damned souls echoing through the hallways that sprouted off from the staircase like gnarled roots. Demons moved around her; some crept among the shadows, others twisted through the air, unhindered by a vessel.

The stairway split, and Alex turned left, ducking down one of the stone halls as a piercing scream bounced off of the walls. The winding hallways curved, branching off in a maze of identical corridors, but Alex's grace guided her feet.

From within shadows, a hand darted out to grab her wrist, and Alex's wings flared as she found herself yanked through a doorway. The door slammed behind her, leaving her enveloped in darkness, and Alex's grace rose to her eyes as she spun around, searching for her attacker. She caught sight of unlit torches on the wall, and her grace flashed out to light them.

Flames licked at the stone walls, casting moving shadows around the room, and Alex turned to find the demon who had grabbed her. "You — what the hell?" Her wings fell as she recognized the face in front of her, and she forced her feathers to lie flat.

Elias leaned up against the stone table in the middle of the room, his eyes pitch-black as he regarded the angel in front of him. "Heard you were looking for me." He crossed his arms across his chest, and his eyes faded from black to brown. "What do you want?"

Alex forced a harsh laugh at his scornful tone. "I didn't think you were still alive. I thought Lucifer hunted down all of Crowley's loyalists."

"You know me. Loyal to whoever holds the biggest gun." Elias' eyes narrowed, and he pushed himself off of the table to cross over to her. "I'm not looking to get myself killed anytime soon, so if you're wanting to get me involved in one of Lucifer's Ponzi schemes ..."

"It's not that." Alex dismissively flicked her wing even as she felt Lucifer's grace twist within her. "I'm looking for a demon, goes by Duke. He's been topside for a while, and he's using his souls to hunt down others when their time is up." She pulled open the door to peer out into the hallway with a thin scowl. "I just need his location, and that's all."

She turned back when Elias scoffed. "You're asking me a favor as if we're friends."

"Look, I don't know a lot of demons, alright? Usually I'd just go to Crowley on this one, but ... you know." Alex dismissively flicked a wing. "You're the next best thing I've got, and it's not like I'm asking for a lot."

Elias didn't answer, his lips pursed. "I don't know who Duke is," he finally said, "but I know who should. Assuming Lucifer hasn't executed her," he added sourly. "Name's Simmons. She's responsible for keeping track of all demons who are allowed topside."

"Simmons." Alex tested the name out on her tongue with a nod. "Alright, where can I find her ..." She trailed off as Lucifer's grace shifted again, this time stronger, and her wings flattened instinctively against her back as she felt him land behind her. Elias vanished, and Alex leaned back, resting her head against Lucifer's chest as she looked up into his face. "I was wondering when you'd show."

"What are you doing here?" Lucifer's cold fingers curled through her belt loops, keeping her close, and Alex's grace pressed up against his. "Hell's not a place for someone like you. It's too ... vile, too hot, for such a delicate angel."

Alex's wings twitched as Lucifer's fingers curled through the broken feathers, and she reluctantly stepped away and turned to face him. "I'm looking for a demon named Duke. We were hunting him up in Missouri, but I let him get away."

Lucifer stepped forward, and Alex moved back, the back of her legs bumping into the stone table. "I know. You threatened to sic me on him. What was it you told him? 'I'll whistle, and we'll see who shows up'?" He chuckled, but his humor didn't reach his cold eyes. "Do you think I'm a dog that comes running when you call?"

His wings curled forward, enveloping her, and Alex drew hers in. "Are you telling me you're not going to come whenever I need you?" she countered, and she tilted her head up to meet his gaze with a grin.

Lucifer didn't immediately answer, and Alex felt his fingers trail down her cheek on her blind side, leaving goosebumps in their wake. "No," he conceded quietly, his fingers moving down her neck, "but I just don't want you confused about which of us wears the leash." His hand momentarily slid across the bottom of her throat, a cold, heavy pressure that lasted only a second before it disappeared. Alex swallowed thickly as Lucifer's hand fell away, and she felt his feathers twitch against hers. "Time to go, little lamb."

The ground lurched beneath her feet, and Alex drew her wings in tight as they flew off down the hall. Lucifer's wings beat behind her, pushing them through the hot air, and Alex screwed her eyes up against the wind as they exited hell.

They landed in the Needham Asylum, and Alex stifled a shiver at the sudden loss of hell's heat. She stepped away from Lucifer, only to be yanked back into place by the archangel to avoid a collision with a demon who bustled past. "Whoa." Alex looked around the room, her good eye wide at the sight of the busy throne room. "What's going on here?"

"Take a seat." Lucifer directed her towards the throne with a flick of his wings, and Alex dropped down onto the iron seat. Two demons stood down to Alex's right, files in hand as they waited for Lucifer's attention. A table stocked with manila folders lay off to her left, almost blocked from view by the constant flow of demons. The flames of the candles flickered from the movement, and Alex tilted her head back to look at the grey, stormy sky behind her.

"Good, good." Lucifer's voice had Alex turning her attention back to him in time to see him accept a file from a demon. "Remember," he added, lifting his voice, "A-B-C. 'Always be closing.' " He stepped forward, wings folded against his back, and demons scurried out of his way. "The sooner you little storm clouds find me another Hand of God, the happier I will be." A demons stepped up to his side, and Lucifer turned to look down at her. "You want me to be happy, don't you, Dollface?" he asked.

The demon let out a small laugh, and her eyes flickered black. "Of course, my lord," she promised, and Lucifer's teeth flashed in a grin.

"Good answer." He circled around to walk behind the throne, his crimson wings trailing across Alex's lap as he turned his eyes out across the demons. "Alright. You're gonna look high, look low, far and wide. Search every warehouse, every farmhouse, every henhouse, outhouse, and doghouse." He stopped behind the throne, and Alex listened to his fingernails drum impatiently against the metal. They paused, and Alex watched him cross off to her left. "What about you, little puppy? You have something to add?"

For the first time, Alex noticed Crowley. He was crouched in the shadows of the room, hunched over as he scrubbed fruitlessly at the concrete ground with a wooden toothbrush. His clothes had turned ragged and dirty, and perspiration decorated his brow despite the chill to the room. He flinched at the sound of Lucifer's voice, pressing himself further into the ground as he ceased his cleaning. "N-Nothing, master," he stammered out, his eyes locked on the ground.

Lucifer wandered over to the demon, his eyes narrowed in contemplation, and Crowley cried out as the devil yanked his head up by the hair. "Really?"

"I would tell you, I swear!" Crowley gasped out the words, his neck straining against the spiked iron collar around his neck, and his eyes rolled back in relief as Lucifer released his hold.

"I believe you." Lucifer patted the demon on the head, smoothing down the strands of hair that stuck up in every direction.

Alex watched a small tremor pass through Crowley's body — fear or exhaustion, the angel couldn't tell — and he dropped his eyes back down onto the floor in front of him. "May I return to my task?" he whispered, and Alex's eye darted around the room as the demons slowed, their eyes on their former king.

"Oh, of course." Lucifer flicked a wing, and Crowley once again started scrubbing the toothbrush against the grimy floor. "Ah, ah." The devil clicked his tongue, and he placed his foot on the toothbrush, pressing it into the floor. "Just one minor tweak." He crouched down in front of Crowley and pried the toothbrush out of the demon's hands. His other hand went out to press against Crowley's lips. "Use your tongue."

The room fell silent, the only sound being Alex's feathers as the rustled. Lucifer, she chided as Crowley shuddered. Was that really necessary?

Lucifer's response came as a grin as he turned around, and Alex watched as Crowley lowered his head to the floor; he hesitated for only a moment before his tongue rasped against the stone. The demons gathered around to watch, and Lucifer crossed the room to stand in front of Alex, his crimson wings lifted to hide Crowley from sight. "Move over, le mohaoth." He nudged Alex so he could sit, and Alex scrambled up before taking a seat on the armrest beside him.

Lucifer's quiet chuckle was the only warning she had before an arm wrapped around her waist and dragged her down into his lap. She felt a hand come up to stroke her hair, smoothing down the loose strands, and a quiet Enochian praise fell from his lips, too soft to make out.

"Simmons." A demon hurried into through the doors, his dark eyes scanning the throne room. They landed on the demon who Lucifer had termed 'Dollface,' and Alex watched through narrowed eyes as the two spoke in hushed voices.

"Wait." She straightened up in Lucifer's lap, ignoring how the archangel muttered out his displeasure at how her wings fluttered. "That's Simmons?" She tried to pry Lucifer's hands off from her hips, but he held her tight. "Elias said I need to talk to her. She knows where Duke is."

She struggled, but Lucifer easily pulled her back, pinning her up against his chest as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Don't you think we have bigger priorities than one entrepreneur? What about Amara? Finding a Hand of God?"

"It'll take me a day. Two tops." Despite Alex's protest, she stayed pressed against the archangel with a despondent frown. "Fine. I'll ask her later."

She felt Lucifer's grace shift as he thought, and with a sudden push of his wings, they were on their feet. The demons who had been watching Crowley all turned their attention onto them, and Alex lifted her head defiantly as their eyes landed on her. "Alright," Lucifer announced, and Alex felt his chest rise and fall with every breath. "I want all you little rays of sunshine to keep working while I take a little personal time, okay?" Heat rushed to Alex's cheeks, and the archangel let out a quiet laugh as he moved his hands to rest on her hips. "Don't do anything I would do."

His wings carried them into the sky, and the world spun as he flew across the country. The grey, cold clouds disappeared, giving way to red rocks and clear skies, and Alex's feet touched down on sand. She pushed herself away from Lucifer, angrily shaking out her wings. "Well?" she snapped. "Why'd you drag me out here?"

Amusement crackled through the archangel's grace, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I thought you wanted my help to hunt down this demon friend of yours." He sidled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist to keep her close. "I just can't figure you out, little one."

"Oh." Alex drew her wings in close, and she twisted her head to look back at the archangel. "You seemed pretty against it just a few minutes ago." She toed at a red rock, and her wings pushed out slightly, putting some distance between her and Lucifer. He released his grip, and she stepped away, eyes turned up towards the sun. "You didn't need to drag me out here just to tell me that. What else is this about?"

She could feel Lucifer's presence behind her, a chill that beckoned her back to him, but she stayed where she was, head angled so she could watch the archangel out of the corner of her eye. "I think Crowley knows where another Hand of God is," Lucifer finally said, and his feathers glittered in the sun as he twitched his wings. "I just don't know how to get it out of him."

Alex jumped up onto one of the sandy rocks, head craned to look up at the mountains surrounding them. "Arizona?" she guessed, and when Lucifer shrugged, she sat down, her legs dangling off of her perch. "Well, obviously humiliating it out of him isn't working," she drawled, and Lucifer rolled her eyes as she added, "Have you tried torture?"

"Torture's pointless." Lucifer wandered closer. "Enjoyable, but ultimately pointless. Not to mention messy. No, if I want to learn what he knows, I'll have to take a different approach." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, and his grace twisted against hers when Alex frowned. "What's the matter?" His head tipped to the side as he studied her, and his eyes sparkled in amusement. "You don't like how I'm treating him, do you?"

"It's just ... difficult to watch." Alex pursed her lips together as she regarded the archangel in front of her. "I guess it gives me good incentive to stay on your good side. I don't want to be licking hell's floors."

A push of his wings had Lucifer appearing in front of her. His eyes flickered across her face, taking in her features as he thought. "Oh, trust me," he finally joked, "I can think of better uses for you." His eyes dropped onto her wings, and he reached out to curiously finger a dead, dull feather. "Persuasion is a delicate art. It can be so difficult to tell how much pressure it might take. Too little, and their will strengthens. Too much ..." The vane in Alex's feather snapped under the force of his hands, and Lucifer discarded the broken feather with a click of his tongue. "And they break beyond repair."

"Maybe Crowley doesn't need to be persuaded." Alex reached up to remove the devil's fingers from her wings; she had few enough feathers as it was without his help. "Maybe he just ... needs to be manipulated. He knows what this thing can do, and if he thinks it can kill you ..."

She trailed off when Lucifer grinned, and his hands grabbed onto the back of her thighs, hauling her closer until she had to wrap her legs around his waist to make room for him. "I like the way you think," he praised, and Alex felt warmth bubble up in her chest at the praise. "If Crowley were to escape, it would be the first place he would go. He'd lead us directly to it."

"We'd need someone to go with him and keep us updated," Alex reminded. "Normally I'd be his go-to person for this kind of thing, but I'm guessing not anymore."

Her eyes fell to her lap, but Lucifer chucked her under her chin until she lifted her gaze back onto his face. "I know just the demon for the job." His lips pressed against hers, and Alex reached up to wrap her fingers around the back of his neck, keeping him close to fight back the dry heat of the desert. "However," he added after a moment, and his fingers drummed on her jawline, "you're not going to like it."

Alex sat propped up on the rock, looking out over the plateau of granite rusted red with iron. The sun was stretching towards the horizon, turning the sky a palette of indigo and orange streaks. Her wings were twitching, torn between pressing against her hot skin or resting against the sun-baked stone, and she shifted uncomfortably as she watched Lucifer. The archangel was standing a few paces in front of her, his head lifted as he studied the sky around him.

"You summoned me, sir?" Simmons appeared at Lucifer's side, and the archangel turned, his teeth bared in a grin.

"Why, yes, I did." His teeth teased at his bottom lip, and Alex rolled her eyes as his wings curled forward towards the demon. "Thank you for meeting me."

With Simmons' dark skin, it was impossible to tell if she was blushing, but her delight was clear from her smile and how her eyes momentarily flickered to the ground. "Of course," she murmured, too quiet for Alex to hear without the use of her grace. "You know I'd do anything for you."

Lucifer chuckled quietly, and when Simmons' eyes shifted over towards Alex, he took her chin in his hand to draw her attention back onto him. "Alex," he began, his voice brisk with authority as he held the demon's gaze, "give us a moment, would you?"

Alex hesitated for only a second before she pushed herself to her feet with a nod. "Yes, Lucifer," she intoned, and she felt the archangel's grace twitch, surprised and pleased at the submissive acquiescence. She waited until her back was turned before she rolled her eyes. Obviously this is what Lucifer had meant by 'not going to like it.'

She climbed up the rocks to choose a perch some twenty feet away, reaching out for Lucifer's grace to listen in on the conversation. She felt it shift, making room for her to rest as he spoke to Simmons. "There. Is that better?" Alex couldn't see Simon's expression, but she could feel Lucifer's amusement. "Good. Now, I've got an itsy bitsy proposition for you. You see, I have reason to believe that Crowley does in fact know I where another Hand of God is."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Simmons agreed disparagingly. "How do you plan to find it — if you don't mind me asking, sir."

Alex watched a grin spread across Lucifer's face. "I don't mind at all," he promised. "I think the best way to discover its location is to have Crowley lead us there himself." He reached out to cradled Simmons' head in his hands. "I need someone to help me, someone I can trust beyond a reasonable doubt. Someone ... someone who can fly beneath Crowley's suspicions and convince him to seek it out. Hmm?"

"I'll do it." Simmons straightened up, her voice dancing on the edge of eagerness. "I've worked directly under Crowley for almost five years," she added, and the eagerness was replaced with disgust. "He'll trust me."

One of Lucifer's hands moved to cup the back of her neck. "What would I do without you, Dollface?" he murmured, and his eyes glinted in pleasure as he pulled away. "Scamper on back home, and I'll meet you there in a little bit."

Simmons turned to go, and Alex felt her dark eyes linger on Alex for a moment. "Sir, if I may ..." she began. "It's in regards to your angel friend ... I don't know if you should put as much trust into her as you do. She and Crowley have a long history ... and the Winchesters —"

Alex's feathers bristled when she fell silent, and Lucifer chuckled. "I know all about her time with Crowley," he promised softly. "Don't you worry your pretty little face." He playfully tapped her on the nose, and the demon disappeared in the blink of an eye. Lucifer watched her go with a smile before he flared his wings, and Alex shifted over on her perch as Lucifer flew up to land beside her. "Simmons will get the job done."

"Yeah, I heard." Alex drew her wings in close with a sour frown. "Good job sweet-talking her, by the way. Should've gotten Duke's location out of her while you were at it."

"You ... you're jealous." Lucifer's lips twisted into a smile when Alex snorted. "You're jealous, aren't you?" His head tilted back as he laughed, and Alex smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand. The laughter softened into a low, faux growl, and he leaned back, planting his hands behind him on the rock to prop himself up. "Simmons was the obvious choice," he reminded. "She's so ... starstruck. All she needs is a soft touch, a smile here and there, and she'll do anything that I ask." Crimson feathers brushed against her arm, and Alex turned her head to frown over at him. "Don't give me that look," he chided. "You're the one who doesn't want to be my mate. What do you want me to do, sulk?"

He reached over to touch her shoulder just beside the neck, and Alex jerked away as she felt her grace jump upwards, displeased to be touched where she was bonded to Castiel. "Well you weren't exactly pleased at the rejection," she muttered, batting away his hand as she shifted away. "Good thing you need my genuine consent, huh?"

Her deadpanned quip was met with silence. She could feel the immediate change in Lucifer's demeanor, and she clamped her jaw shut at her mistake. "You know, I don't think I like what you're implying," he warned, and he straightened up, his shoulders in line with hers as his feathers ruffled. "First off, I'm still an angel, you know. Consent, that's basically our middle name. Secondly," he added, his tone darkening, "even with that ... hindrance, I could make you my mate if I wanted."

Alex scoffed, but interest got the better of her, and she glanced up at Lucifer with a small, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can be very persuasive. And I think it would be fairly easy." Lucifer tucked a strand of loose hair behind Alex's ear, and she pressed her grace against his, curious to know more. Lucifer chuckled, but he obliged."If you thought hell was bad, imagine being dragged down to its darkest corners. Hours of torture everyday, your only reprieve being at the end when I appear to heal your wounds and ask you one simple question."

Alex drew her wings in tight; despite the shiver that ran up her spine, she found herself asking, "And if I don't say yes?"

She felt surprise faintly pulse through him, followed by amusement. "Then, maybe one day, I'd be late. Let you stew in the pain and the heat until you start to fear that I'm never coming to save you from your affliction. But I will." Lucifer hesitated, and Alex watched his eyes flicker across her face. "But maybe after that I wouldn't. Not until you were begging for me. And," he added, and a faint hint of humor crept into his words, "how could I say no to that?" He slid off of the rock to stand in front of her, and his wings curled around her sides. Alex's eyes flickered down to the ground, and she felt his posture soften as silence followed his words. "What?"

Alex shifted uncomfortably on the hot stone, studying her hands as they toyed with the hem of her shirt. "You just sound like you've thought that through before."

Lucifer chuckled, and he tucked a finger under her chin to lift up her head. "A lot of things cross your mind when all you can do for years is think," he said. "If it makes you feel better, I don't think I could find any pleasure in your suffering. I'm hoping my natural charm will be enough. I am, however," he warned, "serious about making you beg." Alex scoffed, a quiet, barely-there noise, and Lucifer's hands grabbed her thighs to pull her closer. "I think I've been rejected enough times to earn that."

His gaze came to rest on her clouded eye, and his hand moved up to press on the skin just below it, feeling along the thin bone. His grace moved inwards, and Alex's muscles locked up at the ice that rushed through her nerves, an overwhelming power that overtook her grace. She could feel every cell in her body vibrate, buzzing with life; she could feel the ground thrumming, how each tiny grain of sand rattled beneath her fingertips. And she could feel the neurons in her brain alight as Lucifer's grace centered in her head, washing away the damage beneath the flood of its power.

And then he pulled back, and it was gone. "What —" Alex tried to speak, but there was no air in her lungs to form the words. The blackness on her left side was gone; there was sun and sky and rocks, stretching out as far as the horizon.

"I hope that wasn't too much." Lucifer's voice had Alex turning her two eyes back onto him. "I didn't want to overwhelm you and burn you out, but I had to make sure I healed it properly." A hand came to rest on her sternum, and his grace trickled inwards. "Alex?"

"I'm fine. I just ..." Alex covered his hand with her own, her grace pulsing against his cold skin. "What was that?"

"That was me." Lucifer's voice was underlined with smug pride, and the piece of his grace that rested within her shifted; Alex felt her eyes glow orange as it rose up. "You thought this was powerful? It's just a small fraction of what I am. Even what you just felt was so controlled —"

"Okay, now I think you're just bragging." Alex planted her hands against Lucifer's chest to push him away, but the archangel didn't budge. "Come on." She fruitlessly shoved again, and when it didn't work, she grabbed the lapels of his coat. "We have a demon and a Hand of God to find, remember?"

"You're right, as always." Lucifer grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her to her feet. "Time to set our plan into action." His lips brushed hers, and then the ground disappeared. Alex tucked her head into Lucifer's shoulders as they returned to the asylum, watching his crimson wings carry them away.

They landed in the front hallway of Needham Asylum, and Alex stepped away as soon as her feet touched the ground, shaking out her wings so her feathers would lie flat against her back. You sure this is going to work? she prayed, looking up into Lucifer's face in search of any sign of doubt, but the archangel's eyes shone with confidence.

"Absolutely." He led the way down the hall, and Alex trailed after him, eyeing his thick, well-groomed wings as they walked. The blood-red feathers glimmered like crystals in the flickering torchlight; the long, thick primaries grew darker and darker along the vanes until they faded to black at the tips. They twitched as she watched, and Alex drew her own wings in closer, small and frail in comparison.

Lucifer threw open the throne room doors, and Alex followed him in. The sea of demon parted as Lucifer wandered through, his blue eyes turning across the room. They lingered on Crowley, and Alex quickly diverted her eyes at the sight of the demon still crouched in the corner. Crimson wings stretched out, blocking her sight and ushering her up towards the throne, and Alex curled up on the iron seat as Lucifer turned to look out upon the demons. "Alright, I think it's time for everyone to take a five minute coffee break," he announced to the gathering crowd. A low murmur passed around the room, unsure of whether or not the archangel was joking, but when no other comment came, they started off towards the doors. "Simmons." Lucifer motioned the demon closer, and she hesitated, her eyes darting around the room. "A word?"

"Yes, Lucifer." Simmons folded her arms in front of her as she waited for the room to empty, and Alex pushed herself to her feet, her eyes turning onto Crowley. He had paused in his task, his dark eyes warily watching the three of them.

"Alex, why don't you put the puppy back in his cage, hmm?" Lucifer flicked a wing off towards the side, and Alex hesitated only a moment before she nodded. She crossed over to Crowley, unable to make eye contact with the former King of Hell.

She crouched down to fumbled with the chain that hung around his neck, and she watched how he flinched away at the brush of her skin against his. Pity thrummed through her, and Alex paused, letting her hand lay flat against his neck in a moment of comfort before she nudged him upwards. "I'm sorry." The whisper was barely audible, and the demon trembled, crawling past her to curl up in the small, cramped hole in the wall. The iron bars fell down as soon as he was inside, and Alex turned her eyes away as Lucifer's grace beckoned her backwards.

The archangel was seated on the throne, one leg crossed as he held Simmons' gaze. Alex crossed the room to stand at his side, and Lucifer's nails drummed softly on the armrest. "Now," he began, his voice echoing through the deserted room, "a little birdie told us that you have some information of use." He flashed a grin when Simmons' eyes darted over to where Crowley hid in the shadows, and the archangel clicked his tongue. "We're looking for a demon named Duke."

His grace brushed against Alex's, signaling for her to take over, and she stepped forward. "He's using people whose ten years are up to hunt down and kill other deal holders. Last I saw him, he was in Missouri heading south towards Memphis."

She watched Simmons blink in surprise. "Duke?" she repeated. "Uh, yes. I can have his location in two minutes." She waited for Lucifer to nod before she disappeared, and Alex leaned up against the backrest of the throne with a roll of her eyes.

"I don't like her," she muttered, and she let her eyes wander over towards Crowley. The demon was curled up, his head tucked into his chest, and Alex tore her eyes away as Lucifer tugged her down into his lap.

"I know, but we need her. For now." Lucifer situated her so she sat with her back against his chest, stroking her arm as they waited.

Simmons returned a minute later, and her eyes tried to seek out Lucifer without acknowledging Alex's presence. "Sir, Duke is in Osceola, Arkansas," she announced. "That's as much as I can tell you on such short notice. If you give me an hour I can send ..."

Lucifer waved his hand to cut her off. "That's plenty," he promised; his hand didn't stop stroking her arm, a slow, almost mindless motion, but Alex could feel the intensity that rested beneath his skin. "I imagine that we'll be gone for most of the night. Keep everyone busy but, uh, keep them out of this room, would ya, sweetheart?" He nudged Alex to her feet, his eyes turning towards where Crowley was hiding. "I don't want anyone getting too close when I'm not around to supervise."

Simmons followed his gaze, lingering on Crowley before she nodded. "Yes, sir," she promised. "You can count on me."

Lucifer grinned, and he tapped her on the nose. "I know I can," he praised, but the playfulness died from his eyes as he glanced over at Crowley. "Stay put now, puppy," he warned. "We'll be back tomorrow."

Alex let Lucifer pull her close as he flew them away, her eyes narrowed against the wind. She watched the ground move, trying to make out the land below her, but Lucifer moved too quickly for even her, and Alex eventually shut her eyes. Her feet touched the ground a few moments later, and Alex looked around the empty alleyway. "Alright so, uh, where is Duke, huh?"

"We're just going to have to find out." Lucifer squeezed her hand, and Alex followed him out of the alley. "There's a demon in the bar over there." He flicked a wing towards the neon sign across the street, and Alex stretched out her grace to feel through the building. "Might be your friend."

"Might be," Alex agreed. She could feel the demon in question in the bar, and she let Lucifer lead the way across the street, her hand tightly clasped in his. "Wait, Luce ..." She tugged on his hand as they stepped up onto the sidewalk, and the archangel gave a dramatic roll of his eyes as he stopped.

"Let me guess." He put a finger up against her lips so she would stay quiet. "You want to do this inconspicuously, hmm? No — no human casualties?" Alex nodded, and Lucifer's lips curled up into a smile. "Tell you what, le mohoath." He nudged her towards the door with his wings, and Alex reluctantly dropped his hand. "Why don't you go inside and flush him out, and I'll nab him when he comes out the back door."

Alex glanced up at the bar with a small nod. "Good plan. I'll be right back." She hurried up to the door and slid inside, her wings drawn in tight as she stepped into smoky room. Her eyes traversed the bar, passing over the slick bar counter on her left. The bartender and the two men sitting in front of him were human; they gave Alex little more than a quick glance as the bell on the door above her clinked.

Duke sat in the corner of the room, half-hidden in the shadows. The collar of his leather jacket was turned upwards, and his fingers toyed with his whiskey glass as his eyes calmly traveled around the room. They drifted past her before returning, and the some of the collected tranquility faded from his face. Alex's wings lifted, still folded tight in the small enclosures, and Duke pushed himself to his feet. His eyes darted behind him in search of the exit, and Alex trailed after him as he moved towards it, keeping her distance to make sure he didn't snap his fingers and disappear on her.

He vanished through the back door, and Alex quickened her step as she felt Lucifer's grace twist within her. Her grace rose up to her eyes as she stepped out of the bar and into the alley. Duke was to her left, stopped dead in his tracks by Lucifer, crimson wings filling the air between the two brick buildings.

Duke's head whipped around, and Alex mimicked the archangel, her broken arches stretched upwards to try and reach the bricks, and the demon's face paled. "L-Lucifer." He dropped down onto one knee in front of the archangel, his gaze on the cracked asphalt. "My lord, I didn't — I never thought —"

"Hmm?" Lucifer wandered closer, tapping his chin as he regarded the demon, and Duke immediately fell silent. "You never thought that I'd personally come to check up one one of my men when he starts breaking the rules?" Duke opened his mouth, ready to protest, but Lucifer cut him off with a click of his tongue. "You know, I appreciate your ingenuity, but I just can't have anarchy."

His wings crooked, beckoning Alex closer, and she drew her weapon as she approached. Duke's head cocked; he heard her footsteps. "With all due respect, my lord," he rushed out, "I'm a businessman. We can make more deals, collect more souls, all with less demons ..." He faltered when Lucifer cocked an eyebrow, and Alex scoffed.

"It doesn't look like he's interested," she joked."Pity."

Duke's shoulders tensed, and a low whistle under his breath was the only warning Alex had before he twisted, using his momentum to jump to his feet and throw himself at the young angel. She barely had time to react, her weapon flying up to protect herself, but Lucifer's grace surged upwards with a clap of thunder, and Duke exploded into black smoke.

Alex coughed as the ash was carried away on the wind, and her hands batted it away as she sought out Lucifer. "You were right." Lucifer beat his wings towards her, dispersing the blackened cloud with a thin, casual frown. "He was trouble." A howl cut through the air, and Lucifer curiously glanced behind him even as Alex shivered. "Hellhounds."

"Duke must've called them." Alex stepped closer to him. "They're going to be pissed."

She pressed her grace up against his, silently conveying her unease as more howls joined the first. Lucifer's wings curled around her, and Alex let him nudge her even closer to him, her feathers entangling with his. "They won't hurt us. Well, me," he corrected. "They won't hurt me."

The barking sounded again, distinctly closer this time, and Alex twisted her weapon in her hands as she pushed her grace out towards the hellhounds. "Can't hurt you or won't hurt you?"

"Both." Lucifer lifted his wings as the hellhounds turned the corner, and Alex stepped backwards, her angel blade poised for defense. The three beasts prowled closer, their black hackles raised, and their sulfurous breath clung to the chilly air. Alex shifted, and three pairs of glowing eyes snapped onto her. Lucifer's gaze followed, and his wings flicked. "Put that away," he chastised, "You'll scare them."

"I'll scare —" Alex snapped her jaw shut, but she did as Lucifer requested, stowing her blade in her jeans.

Lucifer turned back to the hellhounds, and his face softened as he stepped forward. "Hello, sweethearts," he cooed, crouching down five feet from the hounds. "Do you recognize me?" His wings curled, and the largest of the beasts tipped its head, its black ears pricking forward. The hound on the left growled, and the bigger one whipped his head around, his jaws snapping around open air. Lucifer whistled, and eyes turned back onto him. "Come here."

He held out a hand, and the hellhound crept forward, sniffing curiously at Lucifer's fingers. He growled when Alex crept forward, but Lucifer reached out to put a hand on the hound's thick neck. "Why did you ask them if they recognize you?" Alex crouched down at Lucifer's side, and the archangel rubbed at the hellhound's scruff.

"Do you know who created hellhounds?" he asked, and when Alex shook her head, he released his grip on the beast. "My Dad made them back when he was in his creative phase, but they were too brutal. They didn't exactly play nice with his other toys, so he was going to put them down." Lucifer's hand fell away, and the hellhound nudged at it with his nose, whining until the archangel reached up to scratch its chin. "I managed to save one of the pregnant ones before he destroyed the rest."

The other hellhounds slunk closer, their hackles lowered, and Alex hesitantly reached out to place a hand on one's back, surprised at how coarse the fur was, how hot the skin burned beneath her fingers. "They're amazing." She ran her fingers along the flank, and thick muscle twitched beneath her touch. "So you created a whole new population from ..."

"From Ramsey. That was her name." Lucifer pushed himself to his feet with a flick of his wing. "Don't get too close," he warned when Alex shifted closer, her finger moving towards the head. She pulled back, and he added, "They may be calm now, but they can turn without a moment's notice." Alex reluctantly rose to her feet, and the hellhound snorted, leaving a cloud of steam hanging in the air. "Go back home," he ordered, waving his hand to shoo them away. The hellhounds hesitated, and his grace crackled. "Go on, shoo! Get out of here!"

The hellhounds fled, nipping at each others' heels as they went, and Alex grinned. "They obey you."

"They do. And so does Ramsey." Lucifer pulled her close as the hounds disappeared from sight, and Alex let her wings fall flat to allow him to press closer. "I'll show her to you one day if you want."

"I'd really like that." Alex gently extruded herself from the archangel's cold touch, her broken wings flicking towards the bar. "How long until Simmons calls us in? Because we can wait inside until she does." She tugged on his hand, pulling him down the alleyway and in through the back door. The bar was filling up, and Alex dropped down into Duke's vacated booth with a small frown. "And how will we know when they're ready?" she added.

"She'll pray." Lucifer tapped his temple twice as he joined her in the booth, and Alex grunted as she slid to make room for him, displeased to find that he wasn't choosing to sit across from her like social etiquette generally dictated.

"And you're not ... you're not going to kill Crowley afterwards, right?" Alex drew her wings in tightly as Lucifer threw an arm across the booth behind her, his own wings hanging lazily over the back.

She felt some of the archangel's confidence loosen, and he hesitated. "He'll try to kill me," he warned. "Now that he's out of his cage, he'll do anything in his power to avoid being put back in. And if it comes down to me or him ..." Alex rested her head against his chest with a sigh, and she felt his arm drop down to rest across her shoulders, his large hand gently rubbing at her arm. "What makes you so attached to him, le gipah? After everything he's done."

"I ... I'm not sure. I've just spent so much time with him these past few years, and he's not ..." Alex struggled to find the right words. "He's not as bad as he lets on to be."

"He put a mark on your soul. Your grace."

Alex crossed her arms. "I approached him with the deal. Besides," she added in a sullen tone, "you've probably heard about Sheol, so you know he already had a claim to it." Stiff silence met her words, ad she chanced a look up into his tight face. "You don't ... no one told you?"

"Sh." The hand on her shoulder snaked around to cover her mouth. "I'm sifting through Castiel's thoughts. I see they discovered your real name."

Alex pried Lucifer's hand away. "You don't sound surprised," she muttered, her grace wincing at the touchy subject. "How long have you known?"

"Since the first day I was in here." Fingers tapped on her skull, and the hand returned to her lips. "Now, shh. Let's see. I haven't even thought about Sheol in a long, long time." A few more seconds of silence followed, and finally the hand fell away, allowing her to speak. "Very interesting. It seems I was right about your little 'universe' theory."

"Yeah, congrats on that one —" Alex cut off when Lucifer rose to his feet, all but hauling her up with him.

"Time to go, little lamb. Our birdie is singing." His arms enveloped her, and the air spun as he carried her away. They landed a moment later inside a cement storage facility, and Alex stepped away, shaking out her wings. Lucifer placed a finger on his lips, a signal for her to remain quiet, and Alex nodded, drawing in her grace as she walked in the archangel's footsteps.

He led the way down the hall, anticipation prickling at his grace; if Alex focused, she could almost believe that it was tinged with desperation. "A Hand of God?" Simmons' voice drifted down the hall, and Lucifer's feathers rustled in barely-contained excitement. "Can I touch it?"

"With all due respect, Simmons," Crowley returned, "I don't think you can handle my rod."

Lucifer's wings pushed him forward towards an open door, and Alex felt his grace tremble before he stilled it in suave determination. "I bet I can." He strolled into the room, his hands shoved cockily into his pockets. "Is it just me, or it is getting a little phallic in here?"

Silence met his words, and Alex rushed after him, sliding into the room with a huff. "That's what you went with?" Her eyes flickered across Crowley, frozen in surprise and fear, and she shook out her broken wings. "Phallic? Really?"

"I didn't hear you offer up anything better." Lucifer dragged a finger across a black chest on the shelf beside him, inspecting it for dust.

"Anything would have better." Alex watched as Crowley shifted from where he stood, his brown eyes flickering over to a rusted metal box that lay in off to his right.

Lucifer followed his gaze, and he clicked his tongue disparagingly. "Crowley, Crowley, Crowley. You really thought you could double-cross me? Me?" He pulled a thick black book off of the shelf, momentarily pretending to study it before he discarded it and moved forward. "You know, I invented the double-cross. Like, literally. Of course, I couldn't have orchestrated all of this without the lovely, talented Simmons here." He stopped in front of Crowley, and Simmons shifted to stand at his side with a smirk. "She, um, she hates you, b-t-dubs."

"Yeah, I really do," Simmons agreed, and Alex slunk forward to stand behind Lucifer, her eyes flicking between him and Crowley.

"Yeah, they all do. Like, every demon in Hell." Pride crept into Lucifer's words, and Alex watched Crowley clench his jaw. "Can't really blame them, can you? I mean, maybe once you were the evilest evil that ever eviled ... present company excluded," he added with a grin, but it quickly faded into faux disappointment. "But now ... you're nothing but Dean Winchester's number one fan. But I knew — I knew you were hiding something. I could see the last spark of defiance in your eyes." His wings suddenly ruffled, the only outward sign of his anger before he grabbed Crowley by the jacket and pulled him close. "And rather than beating it out of you, which ... doable, but messy ... I let you lead me here." He shoved Crowley off to the side, and Alex jumped away to avoid being hit by the stumbling demon as Lucifer turned towards the rusted box. "So I'm going to take this ..." He tapped the box before turning his head back towards Crowley, "and then I'm going to take you. And, puppy ... you're not gonna like what comes next."

His fingers undid the lock even as Alex shifted closer, her wings folding forward. "Please, you promised me you wouldn't kill him."

Lucifer chuckled as he lifted the box's lid. "Oh trust me, I can do so much worse —"

The words died in his throat, and Alex felt his grace still in surprise before he whipped around. "You looking for this?" From behind his back, Crowley produced a wooden staff, and Alex ducked, dropping to the ground as he swung it through the air. The blow landed directly on Lucifer's face, and the archangel was thrown towards the door, hitting the concrete ground with a heavy thud. "You really think you could double-cross me? Me?" he taunted as Simmons rushed to Lucifer's side, and Alex scrambled after her, hesitantly positioning herself between the two parties. "I perfected the double-cross. Like, literally."

The staff in his hand began to glow red, thrumming with power, and Lucifer pushed himself to his feet with a pained grunt. "Alex, get back," he warned, and Alex felt his grace pull her backwards. She didn't hesitate to obey, retreating to his side, but Lucifer ushered her further behind him with his wings until she was standing on the threshold of the storage hallway.

The red glow had traveled up Crowley's arm, settling in his veins, and the demon's eyes bled red as he sought out Lucifer's gaze. "So this is what it feels like to be God," he began, and his voice reverberated through the small room. "Not bad. Tingly." He blinked, and his eyes faded to brown as they turned onto the staff. "If this can hurt something as powerful as the Darkness, I wonder ... what can it do to you?"

His hand glowed red, and that was all Alex saw before hands shoved her down the hall, out of Crowley's sight. Lightning cracked, blinding her, and Alex hit the ground as thunder shook the walls around her, drowning out her own fearful shout. "Lucifer!" There was a crash, and she scrambled to her feet, steadying herself on the wall as the ground pitched uneasily beneath her. "No!"

Lucifer was slumped against the wall, his eyes closed and his chin to his chest. The cinder block wall had shattered behind him, and chunks of stone and dust were settling on the cracked floor. Alex rushed to his side, dropping to her knees as she shoved her grace up against his. His wings were still there, laying limply at his side, but his grace didn't move, stunned by the blow.

"What ..." Alex breathed the word out, and her head whipped around to find Crowley standing in the storage room, the staff still in his hand. Simmons was nowhere to be seen, but the pile of ashes in the doorway answered her unspoken question. Crowley's face was twisted in anger and frustration, and Alex's wings rose threateningly as she held his gaze. Their eyes met, but Alex quickly pulled them away when Lucifer stirred beneath her, a low groan pulled from his lips.

She scrambled backwards as he heaved himself to his feet, and he rubbed at the back of his skull, a deep scowl forming across his face as his fingers came away red. "You made me bleed my own blood." His grace seethed beneath his skin as he stalked forward, and Alex moved after him, her broken wings flapping twice, one in relief, and the other in anger. Crowley lifted his hand, but the glow had left his veins, dissipating into the air. "You're out of juice, huh?"

"Bollocks —" Crowley's curse was cut short by Lucifer's fist; the strength of the blow sent him tumbling back over the table, and Alex jumped forward to grab Lucifer's hand. He shook her off with a snarl, leaping over the table to haul Crowley back to his feet, but the demon was gone.

"Fuck." Lucifer ground out the curse, and he spun around, his wings flared out in fury. His eyes glowed orange, and Alex stepped backwards as they landed on her. "He's gone." Lucifer's gaze fell onto the discarded staff, dropped by Crowley only seconds ago, and he kicked it across the room. "Dammit."

His wings fluttered before they drooped, and Alex curled hers towards him. "I-I — I'm sorry," she started. "I didn't —"

"It's not your fault." Hands cupped her cheeks, and Alex closed her eyes at the cold brush of skin. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Alex's eyes slipped past him towards the pile of ashes on the floor, resting there momentarily before moving on to the cracked hall. "And what about you?" She reached up to feel the back of his head, and the archangel winced, hissing as her fingers brushed the open wound. "You're lucky this is the worst you got."

"Simmons threw herself in front of me to take the brunt of it." Lucifer's grace flicked, and Alex felt along his grace for any sign of grief; all she felt was anger and surprise. "Pity, I suppose. She was loyal to a fault." The anger returned, and Lucifer's feathers rustled. "We'll have to move fast. Crowley will be on the lookout for another Hand of God, and then he'll return to retake his throne." His shoulders sagged in exhaustion, and for a moment, his face reflected his true age. "I'll take you back to your room," he finally decided. "Then I'll take care of hell." He pulled her close, drawing in a deep breath before his wings carried them up into the air.

Lebanon, Kansas

The bunker hummed quietly as they landed, and Alex's feet had barely touched the ground before Lucifer was gone again, his wings carrying him away. Alex frowned as he left, and she let her grace stretch out through the bunker in search of Sam and Dean. There was nothing; the bunker was empty. With a shrug, Alex started off down the hallway towards the library.

Her duffle bag was on the war room table, and next to it lay a folded sheet of paper, her name scrawled across the top in Sam's writing.

Alex. Dean and I are out in Wisconsin. Call when you get in. Talk to you later, Sam.

"Huh." Alex dug her phone out of her pocket and dialed Sam's number as she slung her bag over her shoulder. It rang once, then twice, and then three times, and then the line clicked. "Hey, Sam, this a good time?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah." Sam's voice rattled through the line, and Alex started down the hallway with a pleased hum. "How'd it go? Did you find Duke?"

"I found him, and Duke is no mas. His hellhounds are on their way back to hell, too. They disbanded after he died," she lied after a moment's thought. The shadows flickered off to her left, and Alex's eyes turned towards it. "And I, uh ... ran into ... into Lucifer. More like he ran into me," she quickly added before Sam could speak. "Apparently, uh, being bonded to Cas makes me an easy target to find. He ... sends his regards."

She paused at the intersection of the hallway, her wings twitching nervously as Sam sighed. "He said that?"

"Sort of. He ... he healed my eye. He called it, uh —" A sign of good faith. Lucifer's voice echoed in her head; Alex whipped around in search of the source, but nothing but empty hallways met her eyes. "He called it a sign of good faith," she repeated.

Sam was silent, and Alex started towards her bedroom, adjusting how her bag hung from her shoulder as she awaited his response. "I'm glad you're okay," he finally said. "Just be careful. He's dangerous."

"I know." Alex flicked a dismissive wing. "Anyways, I just got back to the bunker and saw your note. Why are you guys in Wisconsin?"

"It was Dean's idea. Bobby's got an old storage facility up here, and we thought maybe there might be something about the Darkness or about helping Cas or — or who knows."

Alex nudged open her bedroom door with a quiet huff. "Well?" she asked when Sam's silence lengthened. "Have you guys found anything?" She tossed her bag onto the bed and leaned up against the foot of the mattress, her nails clicking on the side of her phone.

"We've got nothing. We're going to bring all of this stuff back to the bunker to go through it again in more detail, but it's not looking promising." Sam ended with a heavy sigh, and Alex heard Dean's voice in the distance, sharp with agitation. "I need to go," Sam finally said. "I'll text you when we leave."

"Alright. Drive safe."

The bed dipped, and Alex hung up with a muted curse. She could feel Lucifer behind her, sagging against the mattress, and she turned in time to watch him gently cradle the back of his head with a low groan. "Where's tweedledumb and tweedledumber? Thought they'd all over this joint."

"They're just leaving Wisconsin." Alex circled around to stand at Lucifer's side, hesitantly reaching out to examine his head. "Hey, how's that doing? It is not healing?"

"It's taking longer than it should because of that damn rod. Flying seems to make it worse." Under Alex's persistence, Lucifer reluctantly leaned forward, hissing as her fingers danced across his hair. "Be careful. It hurts."

"Of course it hurts." Alex studied the bloody cut with a thin frown. "It's not deep, but you've split your scalp open pretty good. Let me clean it up." She crossed over to her dresser and dug out a first-aid kit, ignoring how the archangel muttered out his displeasure. "You weren't gone long. Where'd you go?"

She ripped open a gauze pad and pressed it up against the cut, and the archangel hissed in surprise. "I went to hell. I have — ow! — I have demons clearing out Crowley's locker to see if — ouch! — to see if they find anything. What are you doing?"

"I'm working. Shut up." Alex pressed the gauze into the open cut. "What about you? And what — what about Crowley?"

"Crowley." Lucifer spat the name out. "Once he finds what he's looking for, he'll come for me. And for you to get to me." His grace twisted, and Alex suddenly found herself on the bed in between his legs, her back up against his chest and his nose buried in the crook of her shoulder. "If the Winchesters aren't here, I think I'll stick around here until I'm healed."

"And then?"

"And then I'm going back to hell and I'm sending Ramsey after him." The words were muffled, spoken into her skin, and Alex shifted at his cold breath. "And if that doesn't work ... and then I think you and I will pay heaven a visit. Our return is long overdue." He settled back into her pillows, pulling her with him, and Alex turned so she was on her side, curled up against his chest. "How does that sound to you, le pas agi?"

My little one. Alex stifled a sigh as she pressed her cheek into his shirt, her fingers wrapped around the silk tie. "It sounds like fun," she admitted. "Except, the angels there ... they don't exactly like me." Lucifer laughed, his chest rising and falling beneath her, and she added, "And they really don't like you, so I don't know how you plan to get in."

Cold arms enveloped her, holding her close as Lucifer closed his eyes. "How long have you known me?" he asked with an amused flick of his wingtips. "I always find a way to get what I want." His grace curled around hers, and for several seconds he was silent. "You should rest," he finally said. "Once I'm back on my feet, I'm going to return to hell. You'll come with me."

"I shouldn't." Alex rolled off of the devil, propping herself up on an elbow as she looked down at him. "Sam and Dean will wonder where I am." Lucifer's eyes flashed orange, his grace twisting anxiously, and she settled back down next to him, cheek resting on his shoulder. "We can talk more about it when you're feeling better," she finally decided, and she felt the archangel's grace relax ever so slightly. "For now, just try and rest."