Since this is a redesign based off of the original design here, the owner is free to choose which version of the design that they want to use the most!
Trigger/content warnings: death (abuse-induced murder), child abuse, panic attack depiction
Headcanons/notes from the author: As of now, this is being put under the “one-offs” of my human AU. If I get enough motivation to write more of the stuff that happened before the Morningstars moved I might put them into their own sub series. Due to it jumping right in, there is no before the cut paragraph.
Brief Blurb: Lilith dies, and Lucifer does what he needs to do.
Taglist: @graveswrites
The yelling had finally stopped. Their father had left the room. Beel, shaking as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, called out for his mother. “M-Mommy?”
No response. He patted around the floor, finding Belphie’s arm almost instantly. He shook his twin, crying weakly. “W-Wake up…” When Belphegor didn’t wake, he crawled towards Lilith’s direction and patted around the floor to find her as well. Tears rolling down his cheeks, Beel desperately called out for his mother again before finding Lilith’s leg and shaking it. “Lilith… Wake up…”
The one who had heard Beel’s pleas for his mother rushed to his side. Lucifer enveloped him in his arms, violently trembling but attempting to somehow seem calm. After all, how could Beel feel comforted if he was crying too?
“D-Daddy… he…”
Lucifer hushed him and pet his hair. “I-I know, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t here, little one.” He rubbed Beel’s back and rocked him. “I’m here now. That… Th-That..” Words died on his tongue as Belphegor began to squirm beside them. Lucifer wasted no time pulling the small child into the hug, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m here. I’m sorry. I took too long. I’m so sorry.”
“L-Lilith won’t wake up…”
With the little strength he had, Lucifer stood up and took his little siblings up with him. They weren’t very heavy in his arms, but he felt like he was going to topple over. Hurrying down the hall with them, Lucifer found his way back to the spot Mammon and his other siblings were hiding in. “W-We need to leave. Right now.”
Mammon kept Levi and Asmodeus’ ears covered as he asked, “Where are we goin’? What happened?”
Lucifer shook his head, blinking out tears. “C-Can’t say.”
“So…” Mammon glanced at his little siblings, then behind Lucifer. “Where are we goin’?”
“Simeon’s. M-Miss Peugeot will understand.”
Mammon carefully let his siblings out of his arms, then helped them stand up. “‘kay.” He took Belphegor from Lucifer, and Levi’s hand. Asmodeus clung to Leviathan’s side, holding their bunny plushie in their arm. “W-We’ll have fun there. Miss Peugeot is nice, remember?” He squeezed Levi’s hand, and the child nodded.
“We h-have to be quick.” Lucifer hurriedly ushered them all to the front door. He checked through the front windows and peephole, then slowly opened the door in hopes it wouldn’t make a sound. After the others exited, Lucifer heard the stairs creak. He froze, heartbeat increasing as the steps got closer to them. He set Beelzebub on his feet, then told him, “Hold [Azzy]’s hand.”
Wide-eyed, Mammon asked, “What are you doing?”
“I need y-you to take them there. I’ll make sure he c-can’t catch up.” Lucifer wanted his body to stop trembling, but it wouldn’t. Voice low, he insisted, “[Mammon], you need to go now.”
Sniffling and nodding, Mammon lead the children away from the house. Lucifer closed the door, and ran into his father’s chest immediately upon turning around. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“D-Daddy…” Lucifer backed into the door, shaking and wiping off his face. “I… I didn’t do anything.”
“Lying won’t get you anywhere.” Adam grabbed Lucifer’s chin and forced him to lock eyes. “Who were you talking to?” Despite his situation, Lucifer couldn’t help being relieved. He didn’t realize what was going on… so they would be safe. “I know Evelyn won’t be home for another hour.”
“Th-The neighbors were asking about the noise. I told them th-that we w-were playing.” Adam narrowed his eyes, then let go of Lucifer’s face. “That’s all. I-I swear.”
“On your life?”
A few tears rolled down Lucifer’s cheeks. He swallowed and nodded fast. “On m-my life.”
“Good.” Adam walked towards the kitchen, and Lucifer’s body tensed. There was a moment of silence. “[Lucifer], come here.”
Lucifer joined his father in the kitchen, legs feeling like jelly. “Y-Yes?”
“Where are the twins?” Adam demanded, grabbing Lucifer’s arm. “You swore on your life, so tell me.” Lucifer whimpered and flinched when he was pulled closer. “Where are they? Tell me.”
“I-I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? I have a hard time believing that when those little shits cling to you and Evelyn every chance they get.”
“I-I said I don’t know.”
Adam threw Lucifer to the floor, and his head hit the refrigerator. A weak yelp escaped him, and he held the spot that hurt. “I’ll deal with you after I get rid of this.” Adam kicked Lilith’s body, and Lucifer both wanted to kill the man as well as run for his life. “Can’t believe she didn’t get right back up. You always did.” Watching his little sister’s body lay limp, Lucifer could feel a sob in his throat. How could he not care less about his own daughter? His little toddler… who he just murdered not even ten minutes ago…
Lucifer could see Adam digging around the cupboards in the corner of his eye. Attempting to keep his labored breath minimal, he silently crawled to the counter and used it to help him to his feet. When Adam said nothing, he began to look for something to attack with. He grabbed the frying pan hanging from the above head counters. He’d accidentally hit his head on it a thousand times before, and it hurt, so surely if he used enough force it would do something…
As quiet as he could, Lucifer stayed on his toes and stepped towards his father. With no reaction from the man, Lucifer swung as hard as he could and banged the pan against Adam’s skull. He fell to the floor, knocked out cold. Lucifer realized he was lightheaded and leaned back against the countertop, beginning to hyperventilate. He looked around the kitchen again, eyes landing on the knife block. Somehow he felt like the knives were calling to him, wanting him to use them.
If he killed Adam, none of them would ever be hurt again…
He stared off, imagining it, wondering what the consequences would be, would he be able to live with it…?
Sniffling, barely breathing, and crying, Lucifer hurried upstairs to his room. He grabbed his phone from his parents’ bedroom dresser, hid in their closet, and dialed for the authorities. He felt like he was going to pass out, and couldn’t get himself to slow his breathing…
By the time the police arrived, Lucifer was curled up in a tight ball and sobbing. A police officer had found him quickly, and she escorted him out of the house. “You’re safe now.” Lucifer wasn’t registering anything she said, too focused on the panic overwhelming his mind and capturing his body. “We’re taking your father away. You’re safe now, so let’s try to simmer down, okay?”
Sat in a small Noxian cantina, Jhin had fully intended to infiltrate the place on the role of bartender, as he had in earlier months at that little bar back in Zhyun. It had been easy enough then, and he was half certain Noxus would be even more lackadaisical about any untimely deaths they might discover days after the fact. He hadn’t had breakfast that morning, though, and, feeling peckish, he opted to get some food before he’d go about his more dubious business.
By the time he finished his third plate of tacos, he decided conclusively that he would not be causing any sort of trouble for this facility in particular. He wanted to come back; never in his life had he experienced such a dramatic ensemble of flavors.
“Perhaps Noxus isn’t all bad,” he thought to himself, leaning back into his chair to digest while he ignored the odd looks that were given to him by the patrons of the establishment, who had only come there to imbibe.
