Chapter 834: A Family Conversation
Lucifer and Michael spun around the room, the both of them wearing equally confused faces.
It isn't rare to hear impish laughter in hell, but it is a new phenomena to hear laughter that sounds like it belongs to an actual child.
"What is the meaning of this, brother...? You bring children to spy upon me in my prison now..?" Lucifer accused.
Michael would have fought against such an accusation more fiercely if he were not also deeply perplexed.
"As if I would dare to bring a life of innocence into this palace of decrepit sin and treachery." Michael muttered back.
Truth be told, Lucifer didn't think that his brother would have dine something like this even when he accused him, but hearing him deny it was still rather upsetting.
"Then why in our father's name am I hearing a child laugh in my great hall..?" he hissed back.
Before Michael could answer, a strange portal up in the middle of the room.
As the men suspected, a child stepped through the opening.
He appeared no older than five or six.
His outfit made him look like quite the dapper young fellow, with black slacks and suspenders paired with a white button-down shirt and a bow tie.
As far as children go, he had a very cute appearance that, while not the most unique, was distinctive all on it's own.
A soft, creamy white complexion with twinges of rosy pink in his chubby cheeks. He had a shock of black hair that was combed neatly.
His eyes were goat-like and bright red- a truly frightening spectacle to witness, even for these beings.
When he smiled in amusement, he revealed that all of his teeth were pointed like sharp stones. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
"The day brings many smiles for me. And a laughter that I have not known for quite some time. I suppose that at the very least I must thank you two for that."
Michael, no longer fooled by the child's appearance, drew his flaming sword and pointed it at the demon. "One of yours?" He asked his brother.
"There are none among the 72 who look quite so 'cute'." Lucifer almost sneered saying the word.
The demon chid gushed. "I believe that might be the first compliment I ever received from you, father.... It doesn't move me as much as I thought it would."
Now, not just Lucifer and Michael, but even the quiet Igrat was reeling in shock.
"Ah... I guess that counts as a spoiler." The child rubbed his chin. "Oops."
"Spare me this game, imp." Lucifer clearly felt insulted. "I've produced no heirs over the course of this lifetime and I surely haven't-"
"No, not this one. But luckily, 'this' isn't all that there is, is there?" The child smiled eerily.
A chill ripped through the room.
Any being born as a being of primordial strength has the power of parallel awareness, yes. But with that power, they can see events as they are happening to their alternate selves in current, real time. Or tap into memories from the past.
They cannot use their abilities to see into the future. Which is why they still make use of oracles and or visions to get a glimpse into their path.
Some say it is the reason why some primordials go mad. Watching millions of different versions of themselves go down the same, or only slightly different paths all at once.
They more than anyone like to believe that fate is not binding, but...with evidence like this stacking up to say otherwise.. it is more than a little unsettling.
Perhaps that is the reason that Lucifer's psyche fractured so severely during his fall. He saw his millions of alternates falling all at once just like him.
Broken hearted. Defeated. Betrayed.
Humiliated.
Lucifer was not even aware of the fact that he could procreate. Especially since his father told him that his punishment would not be a minor trifle.
"...Father just made the announcement the other day..." Michael said hollowly as he kept his eyes locked on the child. "Your child will come to confront his own during the end of days. He is to be the challenger of divinity. The Anti-Christ."
"And no one thought to send me notice of this revelation. I remain both painfully unsurprised and weary of his cold shoulder." Lucifer rolled his eyes.
The child slowly turned his head in an unnerving manner and stared at Michael, making him tighten his hand on his blade.
"I'm surprised you listened to anything that your father had to say. What with you sulking over the dragon in the dark after all."
Michael flinched. Lucifer raised a brow.
"Tathamet? Are you two still butting heads? My, not even my leaving can make you two get along... I suppose it is nice to know that some things haven't changed at home." Lucifer nodded, satisfied.
"Shut up." Michael snapped.
"It's the entire reason he came here, father." The child began walking around the room like the it was his own. His little feet even carried him up the wall so that he could pace about the ceiling.
"He couldn't shake that unnerving feeling in his chest that maybe this being might have impure intentions.
He is the only one of his ilk after all. There are others that share his namesake in the multiverse, but they are so far removed from the prime version of himself that he's basically a new creation. A singularity.
Uncle here has begun to fret over this. The multiverse's most powerful creature, who, for all intents and purposes, should be nowhere near as strong as he is and should have joined you in your rebellion and been punished by your jailor, decided to do nothing at all as heaven burned.
Uncle wonders... is the dragon perhaps planning something even more nefarious? He is a dangerous cocktail if you can keep your wits up when you're around him.
A face and voice that can drive one mad with attraction.
A 'body' that comprises the entire cosmos.
The heartbeat of every supernatural beating according to his discarded blood...
The two energies that comprise the entire multiverse beat within his chest and lungs, and he hasn't even become the ultimate warrior ye- Ah, spoilers again. I really have to watch those." The child clicked his teeth at himself.
"Anyway, that's why he has come to you, father." He smiled again. "He wishes to have you confirm his suspicions about the dragon since, even though you two are enemies, you are still his twin. There's no one he trusts more than you. Isn't that an oxymoron?"
Michael gritted his teeth as he adopted a fighting stance. "I knew it. You're some creation of his."
"I most certainly am not!" The child seemed offended as he straightened his bowtie in a huff. "If we weren't several million years away from DNA tests I would slap you with one and scream 'He is the father!'"
Michael's headache was only getting worse by the second because he had absolutely no idea what any of that meant.
"Besides..." The child sighed as he slipped his hands back into his pockets. "I've never met the Red God or even observed him. I fear that bit about dragons being able to see the truth throughout creation makes that conversation a bit of a non-starter for now."
Lucifer looked at his brother like he was a schizophrenic fool. "Is this true..?"
"Don't give me that look." Michael snorted back. "Am I truly the only one who sees it? Everyone's so taken in with the Eldest that they don't even see him as a monster. He could have us all eating out of the palm of his hand at any given moment now.
He's already gone wild once before already what's to stop him from doing it again if we all turn. What's t to mindless slave?"
The child raised a finger. "You know, the fact that you can even form that thought would insinuate that he might not have an interest in you at all and this may just be all in your mind."
"Or perhaps because I am aware of what he is doing, that renders his hypnosis null and void."
"Your logic is flawed, I'm afraid. Are you aware that those who don't think they can be brainwashed tend to get brainwashed the easiest?"
"You've just made that up." Michael's eyes narrowed.
"Jeez, and I thought I was the baby here…"
The child floated down from the ceiling with his legs still above his head like a bat.
He didn't stop until he was at eye-level with his uncle.
"I wish you'd just come out and say it. You thought that with my father banished that you would automatically become the new favorite son. But it looks like old daddy gray beard is going to pick over you again, doesn't it?
"RAAAA-"
Michael lashed out. And the child with seemingly no strength in his body caught this with one hand.
"Gotta say, I was hoping that this thing would be more noteworthy. As sad as it is… I'm not impressed."