Growing Suspicions

- Lucifer -

Lucifer began showing Elijah around the non-prison sections of Hell.

"We teach most things here. Magic, literacy, science, and current events of the other side. I find human advancements fascinating."

Elijah kept looking around at the village, which despite being cleaner and more well kept, didn't look much different from the villages he had seen in movies. He is surprised that such a place could exist right next to the prison he was just in.

'I can't believe all of this is real. It's not just a nightmare. All of this...I don't think...but how can it?'

Lucifer noticed Elijah's worried face and started to give his default reassurance.

"I understand the confirmation of another world is a difficult concept to swallow in just a few days, but I assure you many humans have gone through this before. The feeling of disillusion goes away."

Lucifer's words did little to ease Elijah's mind.

"I'm going to have you meet with a few other humans that have completed their contracts, but still continue to work for me. I've found that it's easier to cope with change if you experience it with someone familiar."

'As familiar as being another human who went to Hell, but it's the best I can do for him.' Lucifer thought.

Lucifer saw the human he was referring to and called him over. "Peter!" Lucifer yelled.

Peter started walking over to the two. Peter is a few inches shorter than Lucifer, (about 5'9"), he has light brown hair with green eyes. He leaned in to give Elijah a handshake.

"As I'm sure he's told ya and ya just heard from his shoutin', name's Peter."

Elijah shook Peter's hand and noticed how strong his grip is.

"Give him the usual rundown, I need to call Death about that problem we were discussing."

Elijah walked off with Peter while Lucifer conjured his wings and flew off. Elijah watched as Lucifer flew overhead.

"I thought his wings would be black?" Elijah said to Peter.

Peter smiled.

"There's a lot in this world that's different. I'm partially responsible for filling you in on those differences. I think there's one big surprise that you'll like though. Like finding out what your magical affinity is."

Elijah looked surprised. "I can learn magic?"

"Ya sure can, all humans in this world are capable of usin' magic."

Sometime later, as Lucifer lands in front of his office.

"Lucifer, we ne-" The figure trying to stop Lucifer was wearing a cloak that hid their features.

Lucifer cut off the person trying to talk to him with a quick "Calling Death, tell Satan."

Lucifer opened the door to his office and pulled out a small clear orb, known as an echo.

Lucifer's office was large, around 2000 square feet. The dark grey walls were lined with bookshelves that were filled with books of different sizes. There were multiple desks in the room, one by each wall. Lucifer sat down at the one in the back of the room and filled the clear orb with orange energy.

"Death," Lucifer said to the echo.

"Lucifer, I was about to call you." Death said, his voice coming through.

- Death -

"I just got confirmation that there's definitely a new resistance. The leader is still an unknown though."

Death had placed his echo in a holder.

Death started pacing around the room, waiting for a response from Lucifer.

Finally, Lucifer responded.

"So it's not a shapeshifter, mimic, illusion mage, or a possession?"

The sound of pages being turned could be heard from the other side of the call.

"Zach got confirmation that it was none of those. Whatever it is, it looks human, but clearly isn't." Death said, mumbling "maybes and couldn't be" under his breath.

More page-turning could be heard from Lucifer.

"Are you certain it isn't just some ancient human? They're extremely rare, but they do still pop up every century or two."

Death thought back to the ancient humans he had met in the past.

'Most of them go insane after a thousand years. The ones that don't, never involve themselves with this world's politics.'

"If it is an ancient, then they're different from any that I've met. Not only that, but there's a good chance they made a deal for power."

In this world there are various races that have the ability to make one stronger instantly, but for a price. They are often referred to as arbiters. Death had familiarized himself with all of these species because they tended to prey on humans. Humans were one of the weakest races in the Otherworld, and if they explored the world it wasn't unlikely they would eventually be approached with promises of power.

The sound of a book being closed on Lucifer's side was followed up by the clear thud of a heavy book hitting a desk.

"I can look through Satan's notes on the various arbiter races, but I need to know what kind of power this unknown has before I can make an accurate guess."

Death sighed. "That's another problem we have. The only power they've shown, if it's even a power, is having yellow eyes. While that is rare for humans, it's not new."

The page-turning could be heard again.

"Let's see, yellow eyes, yellow eyes. There are demon arbiters whose deals can have an effect on eye color, but knowing Satan he would have told you if he had heard anything about a new deal being made."

Death was now thinking about Satan and how well informed the Demon king usually was about his own kind.

'He'd tell me if a new resistance leader was given a deal. He has in the past, and knows what would happen if he hides information from me.'

Death clenched his left hand, and briefly questioned the loyalty of the demons, before quickly brushing the thought off as misplaced frustration. He understood now that there is only one way to quickly resolve this issue.

"Unfortunately, I think you need to go and investigate this. I hate when these things get out of control."

Lucifer sighed and closed the large book he had been flipping through.

"It's fine. I'll tell Satan that I'm leaving to investigate and-" Lucifer was suddenly cut off, and a conversation on the other side could be heard.

"What are you doing here? I told Ran'uk that-"

Lucifer is interrupted again.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I know what you said, buuuuut I figured you'd be havin' a talk with Death, and I remembered that I needed to tell him something." The other voice said in a rush.

Death, frustrated, spoke through his teeth. "What is it Satan?"

"Aw c'mon, I know I'm interrupting, but this is important. For you anyways." Satan said in a tone that shifted from joking to serious.

"Turns out, the unknown you've been wondering about has been telling his followers to take deals. Not only that, but it seems like whoever this unknown is, they have a good understanding of the various arbiters in this world."

Death was surprised by that information.

'The only ones well informed on arbiters tend to be the arbiters themselves. Most gods aren't knowledgeable of the various deals that can be made, let alone a human if that is what this unknown turns out to be.'

"I was just telling Lucifer that I was going to have him investigate. Will Hell be alright? Or should I send some reapers to help out?"

Satan responded in a flippant tone.

"We'll be fine. Doesn't seem like humans have any big wars planned on the other side. Then again, you never know." Satan ended with a chuckle

Death rolled his eyes.

"Alright then. Lucifer, assemble your usual team. If you need any help, call me."

Death went to deactivate the orb, but before he could Lucifer asked a question.

"What would you think about me taking the new guy on this mission? I've been looking for another person to replace David."

Death didn't answer for a moment.

"As long as you keep him safe. I'm sure Peter can't handle another loss."

There was a silence. Eventually, Lucifer responded. "I'll do a better job this time," Lucifer said before ending the call.