- Lao and Lucifer -
Lucifer landed in front of Lao. "Alright, what's going on?"
Lao stared into's Lucifer's eyes defiantly and didn't speak.
Lucifer leered back. "Okay, I'll make this simple for you. Tell me, or I'm dragging you back to the coliseum and getting Dimitri to pry it out of you."
Lao looked away and clicked his tongue. "What if you had died?"
"What?" Lucifer was confused.
Lao looked at Lucifer. "What if you had actually died to Poseidon? What would our team do?"
"Death would have handled it," Lucifer responded in a sharp tone.
"What if Death wasn't here?" Lao pushed. "I don't want to live an existence where I'm reliant on someone else to keep me and those close to me safe."
"I know you want to get stronger," Lucifer softened his tone. "But I doubt whatever thoughts you're having now are the right way to do it."
"That's not it!" Lao shouted.
"It's about not feeling weak," Dimitri said from behind Lao.
- Dimitri, Lucifer, Lao -
Dimitri tilted his head to the side and spoke to Lucifer. "You really think I was gonna leave this to you?"
"Be my guest," Lucifer sighed. "I just wanted to stop him from running off."
Lucifer flew out of earshot but stayed in line of sight.
Dimitri rubbed his neck as he spoke. "You need to learn to speak before you snap."
Lao kept his eyes on the floor. "I have..."
"No you haven't," Dimitri corrected. "You can't say something once every few years and expect that to be good enough."
Lao looked up at Dimitri with worried anger.
- Lao and Peter -
(Past)
Peter and Lao were eating at a table in one of Hell's cafeterias. Lao occasionally rubbed his arm while eating, prompting Peter to ask him a question.
"Ya still doin' that insane trainin' with Sabu?"
Lao kept rubbing his arm. "It's valuable training. I need to get better at dealing with armed opponents while Sabu gets even more experience with a knife."
Peter smirked. "I don't think lettin' Sabu bloodlet ya is goin' to teach ya how to fight the average opponent in this world. Besides, ya would normally use gauntlets against an armed opponent."
"I will eventually," Lao said. "Once Sabu's better with his magic."
Peter looked at Lao's hands. "I'm just surprised he hasn't gotten sick of ya knockin' the knife out of his hand. The number of times ya broke his wrist at this point I think he'll develop a similar pain tolerance to Luce."
Lao stood up. As he went to leave, Peter stopped him. "Just curious, are ya with anyone currently?"
Lao was surprised. "Why?"
"A friend of mine," Peter leaned back. "He's not with anyone right now. I think ya two might get along well."
"I'm not looking for anything serious," Lao said.
"Course," Peter scratched his face. "He's the same. His name's Dimitri, I'll introduce ya later."
"Fine," Lao said in an uninterested tone.
- Peter and Dimitri -
(Past)
Dimitri was sitting alone in a tavern, reading a book and occasionally taking sips out of a bottle of clear alcohol.
"I talked to him for ya," Peter said as he sat down next to Dimitri.
"Didn't need you to," Dimitri said, not looking away from his book.
"I doubt that," Peter huffed. "What are you readin' now?"
"Book of the Church of Life and Death," Dimitri said.
"Where did ya get that?" Peter asked. "It doesn't matter," He sat closer to Dimitri. "Ya can't keep starin' at Lao durin' his trainin' sessions and expect him to get the hint."
Dimitri sighed and closed the book. "You're talking about me like I'm some kind of shy maiden. I was going to ask him and then I saw that insane shit he was doing with the other one. I can deal with dangerous men, but only to a point."
"It's not what ya think," Peter insisted. "My team likes to stay prepared for what we might encounter past the border."
"I know you're crazy, Peter," Dimitri chuckled and took a sip from his bottle. "But I figured that was just because of how fucking old you are."
"Not that old," Peter pouted.
"Whatever you say, grandpa," Dimitri laughed and wiped his mouth. "I'll give Lao a chance but if I get any hint that he's as crazy as you, then it's not happening."
"Before or after ya two-" Peter was interrupted by Dimitri shoving the bottle in his face.
Peter grabbed the bottle.
"After," Dimitri said, standing up and walking out of the tavern.
- Lao and Dimitri -
(Present)
Dimitri couldn't help looking over at Lucifer. He gave a look of clear irritation that he wanted Lucifer to take as a sign to leave. Seeing Lucifer shake his head "no" made him want to insist further. He knew he didn't have time for that though and decided to simply focus on Lao.
"Talk," His accent was getting thicker.
Lao sighed. "You know the answer. Why should I have to say it?"
Dimitri cracked his neck and did a sharp inhale of air. "I've been patient enough with you. All I'm asking is that you speak so I can at least get some closure before you inevitably leave."
"I don't..." Lao stammered.
"You do," Dimitri corrected. "As dangerous as those missions were it was obvious, to me at least, that you enjoyed them," He tried softening his tone. "When your team lost David, I thought that shook something in you. I thought it showed you that challenging this world was suicide. I underestimated your resolve."
Lao clenched his fists hard. His mind flashed to his past life. Memories of people throwing rocks at him while others laughed played. He pictured his fists clenching dirt in his hands before the memory fades out from a rock hitting him in the side of his head. He rubbed the side of his head and closed his eyes. He lightly exhaled and opened his eyes.
"I don't want to live in a world where I feel weak."
Even knowing that was the reason, Dimitri couldn't help but scrunch his face. Those words had always hit him harder than he expected, no matter how many times he heard them.
Lao continued, "I know it's impossible for me to be the strongest. I know no matter how much I train all it would take is one well-placed blade to end my current life. I've always been okay with the idea of dying. The idea of dying without being able to put up a fight...it makes me sick to think that could ever happen again."
Dimitri bit down on his tongue hard to stop himself from tearing up. He drew blood from his tongue before speaking. "Don't let your fear of not being strong enough make you weak," a dribble of blood ran down his chin.
Lao put his hand on Dimitri's cheek and healed him. "Bit down too hard again, didn't you?"
Dimitri wiped the blood from his chin and grabbed Lao's hand. "Thinking that relaxing once a decade will be the difference between you being strong and weak is an excuse, you know that. I know Lucifer's awful decision-making can make you question your mortality, but don't let his insanity infect you."
Lao looked over at Lucifer. "You don't know his story. His real story," He looked at Dimitri and pulled his hand away. "I don't agree with everything he's done but I do admire his tenacity...and the fact that he gives people like us a second chance. We can talk more about this when we get back to Hell."
Dimitri went to speak but Lao walked past him with his head held low. Dimitri wanted to stop him but couldn't bring himself to do it.
Lucifer flew up to Dimitri. "Blaming me won't help."
"So you were listening?" Dimitri glared.
"Just assumed," Lucifer said as he started walking back toward the coliseum. "I'm used to it."
Dimitri wondered about his blame for Lucifer. It made him think about when he was offered his contract.
"You know all about how us Reborn died and lived, right?!" Dimitri shouted.
Lucifer turned his head to the side. "Yes? Why?"
"Why did you give me a contract then?" Dimitri asked.
Lucifer turned his head back around and put his hands on the back of his head. "You seemed like someone who deserved a second chance," He chuckled, "Of course, I'm not a flawless judge of character by any means."
Dimitri stomped forward and put his hand on Lucifer's shoulder. "Why?! Why did you think I deserved a second chance?!"
Lucifer stared deep into Dimitri's eyes. "Maybe I just have a soft spot for those who had shitty fathers," He turned his head back and kept moving. He felt like he had already said too much.
Dimitri stood still for a moment. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around at the Underworld. His eyes scanned the tall buildings that were illuminated in blue light. As he stared at the roads, he pictured his past life. He pictured himself, drunk, lying on the side of an old dirty snow-covered path, wearing soiled clothing, his face covered in a messy beard. He tugged at his current shirt and then felt his face.
Dimitri thought about words he had heard from Peter long ago, ''Luce has more faith in humans than humans do.''