"Question?" Stacy asked, her tone dripping with mockery. "You were attacked by a hobo?"
Ken shot her a sharp look as she snickered. "And then, when our neighbors came to help, you attacked them too, saying they were part of a cult?"
She was on the verge of bursting into laughter. "Then you started calling my name and yelling that you knew this was all a prank!"
Stacy finally let out a hysterical laugh. Bethany, who had been talking to the officers, walked over to join her family.
"I take my eye off you for a moment, and you're already causing a scene and attacking potential neighbors!" she exclaimed.
Stacy, now reduced to giggles, could barely contain herself. Bethany shot a glare at her, and suddenly she looked worried.
This was Ken's version of the story: He had felt someone stalking him, and upon turning, found no one. But then he came face to face with a disheveled man who immediately started rambling about how Ken should accept some savior. The man's words were jumbled, but a strange name stood out. Just as Ken tried to make sense of it, the man attacked him. Then, two men—strangers to Ken but apparently known to his parents—rushed in to help. The next thing Ken knew, he was being accused of attacking an officer of the law. The homeless man seemed to vanish into thin air.
"You remember you're black, right?" Stacy asked. Moments like this made Ken wish he could slap her. The two men who intervened were Daniel Lorenzo and Robert Acker. Unfortunately, they had met his fists and kicks.
"Thanks, guys!" Steve told the two as he pulled his wife aside. The couple reduced their conversation to whispers before rejoining the group, continuing to speak in hushed tones. Ken was suspicious; they were hiding something. He doubted what he heard about a spell but couldn't shake the feeling something was off.
He got into the car where his younger brother was napping. It had been a long day for the kid after a drawer fell on him. Ken opened the glove compartment, where he kept his comics and weed—risky but worth it. He pulled out the Old Scratch series, the only comic that made sense to him. Whoever wrote about the devil walking the earth was a genius. Just as he began to relax, he saw the man again! Startled, he fell out of the car, landing at the feet of a tall guy in a suit.
"My! My! You bring falling to a new meaning. Tell me, do you enjoy reading this?" The man picked up his comic, flipping through the pages with a satisfied look.
"Not really accurate, but I like it."
"Ken!" His mom was already helping him up.
"Ah! The famous Bethany Loocker! Pleasure to make your acquaintance! And you must be Steve Grime! Wonder what she saw in you. And you two," he glanced at Rob and Dan disapprovingly.
"Could we talk inside, Ryan?" Robert asked, looking anxious. The man didn't seem to like being called Ryan.
The Council would soon meet. Going against Lucifer was no different from asking for death. Sisera had no option, multiple worlds, a missing God, that bothered him. Where was God was a question he kept asking himself. Ever since the rebellion he went silent. He was always distant from them after creating humans but the humans stopped hearing from him. Metatron said he hadn't been summoned for any reason whatsoever. Metatron the human who God dragged from earth. Then there was this thing about Gabriel missing, he was a mischievous cherubim but he was nowhere to be seen and then stories of how there could have been worlds that had faced the apocalypse and ended.
He remembered how bitter Lucifer was when God told him he'd never be governor of earth or any world he created. He then rebelled, they went and began claiming planets and heavenly bodies saying they'd form their own civilizations. Problem was angels did not have the breath of life and none wielded it. Then Lucifer came up with the most absurd idea. He'd get it. Truth was Lucifer only got a deal. To rule hell till the end of days. The end of days was when the angels would acquire the rest of his creation. Of course the son would have the humans who were true to him and they would be free to start their own. Lucifer would rule over those who chose him. That was his thinking at least. Then came signs of other universes then came Gabriel is gone. He took his mind back to Lucifer's visit to him. He had to take the body of a business because his corporeal form was compromised. How was he supposed to explain his association with the Nazis and why he was still around in the twenties, so he didn't exactly recognise him. He was seated at his desk going over some paper work.
"I almost didn't recognize you in the body of that.... which Asian is it exactly ? Dad made them all similar. I cant tell," he said almost mockingly. He wasn't going to answer him.
"What do you want?" he asked nonchalantly and coldly. "My! Former president of hell have you forgotten how to address the king of hell ?" "My lord! What the fuck do you want ? " he asked him not even blinking.
"A rebellion is boiling in hell figuratively, there are people disappointed with how things went!" He walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself some scotch "What does that have to do with me?" "That is exactly what I want to know!" "Have you ever thought it is because you are an asshole ?" He told him as he continued rummaging through his paper work. The desk was suddenly lifted and thrown away and he felt hands grab his collars and immediately he was lifted above the ground. His wings of fire were out! The fiery red wings were just amazing sadly only archangels could do that. "You and Lilith were the first to walk out of hell and come to this pest infested planet! I find out you are going behind my back to plan some bullshit,I will personalty end you! " "Yeah we are throwing you a surprise party !" He let out a sarcastic chuckle then put him down. He was not amused at all he sat on a chair and placed his feet on another in the other side. He sipped on his drink and looked outside the window.
"You are working with Asbeel right ?" That was an unexpected question. Did he know ? If yes who spilled ?
"What would you want with my rebel principality of hell ? " He asked a silent and visibly Sisera," Pazor?"
He had figured them out what would they do ? Lucifer was a back stabbing scumbag. What he was thinking would always fuck someone up, eventually.
"Well, real estate isn't a dark societies strong suit, not even the Illuminati does this!"
He wasn't sure if he should've told them about the visit. Three other figures walked into the office that had now been restored.
Damien his son, Lilith mother of all demons and him Azazel the first captain who stood with Lucifer. All this was to find four vessels so they themselves would bring the apocalypse father's plan had failed and it was flawed. It was time his creation took over. He wondered how Micheal felt, He was their Dad's zealot. Trusted him with every last thing. Hell was breaking and heaven they didn't know what to do.
"Why is the Grime alive ?" Lilith asked Damien. Damien just shot her a dirty look and let out a huff. "Which one are we talking about ?" he asked his tone closely hinging towards rebellion.
"Which Grime are we talking ?" He asked a scowl under the words, they irked him and working with his controlling dad and his ever demanding mistress was some thing he wanted to end.
"Morningstar was here!" That for a moment took their minds off ripping each others throats. Lilith didn't like him much. Damien had encountered him a few times but nothing much was born out of the interaction. A Spanish inquisition and he burned a few people who were with him in England and Salem at the stake, all ordered by his dad.
"What did that brat want ?" Lilith asked feeling enraged.
"He knows !" Was all he said.
Meanwhile Ken sat in the car sulking at his parents! He had gotten it for his little incident, something was different. After that encounter with the Ryan guy, his parents looked petrified one could have said they saw the devil. He looked at some papers next to his dad on the cup holders. They looked signed, rules and regulations ? They already were in !
"Guys when are we moving out ?" Ken asked it even got Stacy's attention . " Why does it matter ?" His mom asked. "Cause it is us moving out?" "By tomorrow!
Ken felt his rage surge as he thought of the little regard they had.
"Fuck you!"