"Ezra!" Lucifer called out, ducking under a massive paw. "I need you to keep it busy for a minute. And when I give the signal, hit it with everything you've got!"
She nodded, understanding passing between them without need for further explanation. As Ezra engaged the Rebis in a flurry of sword strikes, Lucifer sprinted for the hydrant. Each step sent jolts of pain through his battered body, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on.
He placed his hands on the cold metal, feeling the water surging beneath. With a grunt of effort, he channeled what little power he had left into the hydrant.
The metal groaned and warped under his touch, heating slowly—far too slowly. Sweat beaded on Lucifer's brow as he poured every ounce of strength into his task.
Behind him, he could hear the sounds of Ezra's desperate battle. The clash of her sword against the Rebis's claws, the creature's furious roars, and—most worryingly—Ezra's increasingly labored breathing. She couldn't keep this up much longer.
"Luu, whatever diabolic plan you are cooking, you have to make it quick." Ezra gritted, fending of the Rebis's massive claws.
"A little more time, please." Just when Lucifer thought he might pass out from the strain, the hydrant began to glow a dull red. It wasn't the white-hot inferno he'd hoped for, but it would have to do.
"Now!" Lucifer shouted, his voice hoarse.
Ezra leapt back, raising her sword high. As she brought it down in a devastating arc, Lucifer released his hold on the hydrant and threw himself to the side.
The hydrant exploded in a geyser of scalding steam, just as Ezra's energy beam struck the Rebis. The creature howled in agony as it was engulfed in a cloud of superheated vapor and sword energy. For a moment, its shadowy form seemed to waver and distort, like a mirage in the desert.
But to their utter bewilderment, it wasn't enough. As the steam cleared, the Rebis still stood, wounded but very much alive. Its red eyes fixed on Lucifer with murderous intent.
"Shit," Lucifer muttered, trying and failing to summon even a spark of power. He was spent, utterly drained. As the creature advanced, saliva dripping from its jaws, Lucifer found himself facing the very real possibility that this might be the end. How ironic, to meet his final demise in a back-alley of some second-rate paradise.
Just as the Rebis tensed to pounce, a blood-curdling shriek split the air. Lucifer looked up to see Ezra, her face a mask of fury, plummeting from above. She had sneaked up on the creature when it's concentration was set on Lucifer.
Her sword blazed with blinding blue light as she drove it deep into the creature's skull.
There was a moment of absolute stillness. Then, with a sound like a thousand screams being silenced at once, the Rebis imploded. A shockwave of dark energy rippled outward, shattering windows and setting off car alarms up and down the street.
When it passed, there was nothing left of the beast but a scorched outline on the pavement and a foul-smelling mist that quickly dissipated in the night air.
Lucifer and Ezra stood there for a moment, panting and slightly stunned by their victory. Then, almost in unison, they began to laugh. It wasn't the laughter of joy or even relief, but the harsh, slightly manic sound of those who have stared death in the face and somehow lived to tell the tale.
"Did we just..." Lucifer gasped between wheezes, clutching his aching ribs, "take down a Rebis with a fucking fire hydrant?"
Ezra nodded, her usual stoic demeanor cracking as she fought to control her own laughter. "I believe we did. Very... unconventional tactics, Morningstar."
Lucifer grinned. "Hey, when you've got it, you've got it."
Their moment of levity was interrupted by the sound of slow, sarcastic clapping. They turned to see Margot approaching, looking as though she'd been dragged through Hell itself.
Her clothes were torn and singed, and a nasty gash above her left eye oozed blood. But there was a glimmer of grudging approval in her eyes.
"Impressive," she said, her voice dripping with irony. "Unorthodox, potentially catastrophic to city infrastructure, but impressive nonetheless. I don't suppose either of you thought about the water damage to the surrounding buildings?"
Lucifer mock-bowed, wincing as the movement sent fresh pain through his battered body. "We aim to please. So, is that it? Demonic invasion thwarted, crisis averted? Can we all go home and pretend this night never happened?"
Margot's expression turned grim, and Lucifer felt his fleeting moment of triumph evaporate. "I'm afraid not. That was just the opening act. Reports are coming in of similar incidents all over the island. And there's something else..."
She trailed off, her gaze fixed on something in the distance. Lucifer and Ezra followed her line of sight, and felt their hearts sink.
Rising above the Paradise City skyline was a massive, swirling vortex of darkness. Bolts of crimson lightning arced across its surface, and even from this distance, they could feel the malevolent energy pouring from it. It was as if someone had torn a hole in reality itself, offering a glimpse into the very bowels of Hell.
"What fresh fuckery is that?" Lucifer asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Margot's answer sent a chill down Lucifer's spine, colder than any he'd felt since his fall from grace.
"That," she said gravely, "is a full-scale interdimensional rift. And if we don't close it soon, this city—and possibly the entire world—is going to become an all-you-can-eat buffet for every demon in Hell."
Lucifer exchanged a look with Ezra. The triumph of their recent victory faded, replaced by grim tinged with a healthy dose of fear. This might be it—the moment everything had been building towards. And they were woefully, laughably unprepared.
"Well," Lucifer said, forcing a grin that felt more like a grimace, "I guess our night just got a whole lot more interesting. Shall we go kick some ass, partner?"
Ezra nodded, her hand finding his and squeezing gently. "Together."
The night was young, and Hell itself might be knocking at their door. It was going to be a long, bloody night—and Lucifer wouldn't have it any other way.
***