Chapter Text
Maverick was looking over Angel’s shoulder, watching as he scrolled on HellTok. It had started as a friendly pillow fight over Angel calling Mav and Charlie sisters, but had ended with Charlie deciding to take a nap because it had turned into a pillow turf war, and Angel crashing on the couch, Mav deciding to just sit with him.
“Did you know that blobfish-”
Angel scrolled quickly, landing on a video of a sinner doing a pole routine.
“They should have their hand lower, it’d give them more grip,” Angel muttered, making comments as the video went on.
“Probably makes the move smoother,” Mav mumbled back, practically falling asleep.
The duo watched the phone until a disapproving tut made Mav’s eyes shoot open.
“Angel, Maverick does not need your technology to rot their brain.” Alastor loomed above, staring disapprovingly at the device.
“Can’t rot my brain if I wasn’t even watching it,” Mav defended, their voice slightly slurred from the rest.
Alastor rolled his eyes and flicked his wrists, his shadow pulling Maverick off the couch to their feet, with the teen objecting quickly.
“Time for a little field trip,” Alastor announced, pulling Mav to his side.
“Where the hell are we going…?” Maverick fixed their matted fur from the nap, looking up at Alastor.
“That would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?” Alastor replied.
-
“Woah,” was all that Maverick could manage when they saw the cathedral worth of books, the dust on the room sitting atop of everything like a dusting of snow.
“See? Those droning pieces of metal could never compare to this, dear,” Alastor smirked, “And we have access to it all.”
“Is this all… yours?” Mav whispered, running a finger down a book nearby reverently.
“Well, my own library is quite extensive, this isn’t mine,” Alastor walked over, inspecting the book Maverick had touched before putting it back with a pointed look, “Your first lesson: to be able to harness magic, you must be able to understand its roots. We are finding a Grimoire focused specifically on botanomancy.”
“On what the fuck?” Mav raised an eyebrow, completely not understanding what Alastor was saying.
Alastor sighed, “Botanomancy, my dear, is-”
“It’s been seven years, Lucifer! You think I’m here for hugs and hellos?” A voice yelled from the room next door, making Alastor freeze and Maverick tense.
“Hush,” Alastor whispered, walking closer to the wall near the doorway into the next room, while simultaneously motioning for the teen to follow.
Maverick moved silently as well, following Alastor, but the guilt in their gut outweighed the fear.
“Well, assuming that you left, you’d think you’d be back for your daughter? Do you know how hard it was to look Charlie in the eyes every day when I know that you abandoned her? That you left her for the same place you and I had gotten kicked out of?” Lucifer yelled back, his voice wavering slightly.
“The silly hotel Charlie is running is the problem, Lucifer! Now that Adam is dead, Lute wants blood! She will not hesitate to involve the Archangels to twist it! I’m trying to keep the peace, and all you are doing is messing things up! Involving yourself in the hotel, parading around sinners? What are you, a charity?”
“Being responsible where others weren’t there isn't a ‘charity’, It’s stepping up!” Lucifer argued.
“Stepping up to take care of a stray because you feel guilty you couldn’t even raise your own daughter right? That’s what it is, right? It wouldn’t really matter who it was, would it? You’re just looking for an excuse to make yourself feel like you aren’t worthless!” Lilith yelled, “Why are you spending your energy on a soul that will just die in the next extermination anyway?”
Maverick froze, the pure, melodic voice assuring every fear they had. “Alastor, can we please go now?” Maverick pleaded, pulling on the coat next to them.
Alastor narrowed his eyes. “Not yet,” he replied coolly.
“Don’t you dare-” Lucifer started, his voice growing slightly polyphonic, but Lilith cut him off.
“I’m done talking to you about this,” Lilith sighed, “When Heaven destroys that hotel, and those in it, don’t run to me.”
Alastor put a hand on Maverick’s shoulder, making less of a comforting gesture, but rather, rooting Maverick to the spot, which you could interpret as comforting if you squinted hard enough.
“I am teaching you one thing here,” Alastor whispered harshly, “The company we keep is a hard choice. Idolizing authority figures… often leads to disappointment. Wouldn’t recommend it, dear.”
“I-” Maverick started, their voice catching. They were interrupted though, by a dramatic open of the doors connecting the two rooms, an exhausted Lucifer stepping through.
“Fuck,” Lucifer muttered, before noticing the figures leaning against his bookshelf, his more demonic traits immediately showing with tall horns, white & red wings, and eyes reduced to pure red light.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Lucifer fumed, marching towards the duo.
“Simply utilizing the library you had given me access to,” Alastor replied offhandedly, while Mav practically shook at his side. This was a side of Lucifer Maverick had seen once or twice before, when Lucifer was really mad at Alastor but Maverick had never seen said anger directed at them.
“I’m sorry, please, I didn’t mean to,” Mav stammered, lifting their hands slightly placatingly, “I didn’t want to-”
Lucifer deflated once he saw the fear in Maverick’s eyes, remembering how their stepfather had been and what had happened in their house. If a human had seemed scary at the time, then Lucifer…
“No, It’s okay Maverick, I would never-” Lucifer reached out, but they pulled back, to Alastor’s amusement.
“The summary for today’s lesson - is that power and status are lovely things, but one must always be careful about the company one keeps. Even the brightest lights,” Alastor’s eyes bore into Lucifer, “cast the darkest shadows. It is best to know exactly who holds the leash, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Maverick,” Lucifer started, his voice trembling, reaching a hand out. “She didn’t mean—”
“I’m ready to go now, Alastor,” Maverick interrupted, their voice hollow. They didn’t look at Lucifer. “I think I’ve learned enough for today.”
Alastor chuckled darkly, his shadow rising to engulf them. “I suspect you have, my dear. I suspect you have.” Lucifer lunged forward as the shadows swirled. “Wait! Maverick, please—!”
But the mentor and mentee disappeared, leaving the King of Hell to his own guilt.
“I am so fucked.”