(Ragnarok: Pandora) Chapter 79: Soul searching
-Shortly after the sixth round in the infirmary of the gods-
Michael is sitting on his bed, Lucifer sitting by his side. Michale clenches his fists. “I… I still wish to guide them from on high. I still wish to be their… their god. Does that make me a bad person?” Michael’s eyes begin to well up again. “I just… want to help. I want them to listen…” Lucifer leans forward gently pushing Michael against his chest, Michael gripping his tuxedo, getting it bloody with his crimson tears.
“I know, brother. I know. It will be alright. That much I know,” He gently pats Michael’s jet black hair.
Michael grinds his fanged teeth together. “I… will never be myself again… will I brother?”
Lucifer gently extends his arm, putting some distance between them, looking into his eyes with a blunt expressionless face. “You will always be yourself, Michael. Yes. It may not be the ‘you’ that you currently like being. However deep inside. This is you. That is your self-actualization. It is a cruel truth. You must work hard to subconsciously become the you that your conscious mind wants to be.”
Michael clenches the sheets. “What? Become like you? An emotionless monster in the meantime?” He pauses as Lucifer sits back. “That was… I didn’t mean that…”
Lucifer rests his hands on his knee, still as calm as ever. “Yes. You did. That is something I have always admired about you Michael. You speak your truth. No matter what.”
Michael heaves back on his bed. “Lucifer… thank you… I… It may be greedy of me to ask but… will you assist humanity in prospering? On my behalf? You are… You have your own truth. You will make the better choices of the two of us right now. I know it.”
Lucifer stands, grabbing his snake cane, his face remaining completely unchanged. “As you wish, brother. I will leave you to think. Think long and hard, Michael,” As he exits the room he sees Noah standing outside. "Hello Noah."
The human clears his throat. “Just… happened to be around,” Noah excuses and Lucifer raises an eyebrow.
“Oh is that so?” He simply asks walking down the hall, his calm smile returning to his face.
Meanwhile inside Michael’s room the angel is gritting his teeth, trembling. He looks at his reflection in the nearby mirror on the wall. His horrid red skin, his eyes and of course his giant grotesque wings are dripping the black sludge and red blood from each respectively. Suddenly however he sees something in the mirror. On the chair Lucifer was just sitting in. A large inhuman figure sitting in the chair. His eyes shoot towards the chair which is empty except for a single thin strip of yellowish cloth. He reaches out for it but as soon as he touches it, it wraps around his hand and slithers up his arm, disappearing as it seems to almost merge with his skin. “W-wha-?” “Oh Michael. Ever the optimist…” A voice suddenly echoes in his mind.
Michael grabs his head in a searing pain. “Argh! W-what… w-who…? Who are you…?” He groans.
“Pardon the intrusion. Don’t be scared. I’m here to help you. Think of me as… your conscience.”
Michael feels the headache subsiding slightly. “My… conscience?”
“Looks like you will have guests soon. We will talk more later. We’ll get you back on your feet, to your regular… happy… self in no time, my friend.” The figure vanishes from the chair in the mirror, Michael’s headache disappearing alongside him.
-Present-
Izanagi is standing at the entrance of one of the many large torii-gates of the central hub. “Hold on, my daughter. Your father is coming to find you…” He mutters to himself. He looks out of the corner of his eye, seeing someone stepping up next to him.
“Going to Earth? What for? At such a vital moment, should you not be with family?”
Izanagi grunts. “I could ask you the same thing… Lucifer,” He says looking down at the well-dressed fallen angel who has his usual emotionless smile on his face, glancing up at him. “Your brother has become a fallen angel much like yourself. Should you not be by his side?”
“Michael does not need me right now. He needs time to think. And besides you would be utterly lost on Earth.”
Izanagi furrows his brow. “I would not! It has been a meager 2000 years since Izanami and I went there on vacation!”
Lucifer nods. “I see. Then allow me to accompany you. I have some connections with humans in Japan.”
Izanagi huffs as the gate suddenly opens revealing a large circular, smooth white platform beyond it, suspended above what appears to be outer space. The two step onto it and a large flaming arrow appears, pointing down. “And what good will that do me? How could a human POSSIBLY help me find my daughter?”
Lucifer taps his staff as the platform begins to rapidly descend faster than gravity would seemingly allow. “You ask the wrong questions. If there was even the slightest chance a human may know where to find Lady Amaterasu, should you not speak to every human you come across? After all you are entering Earth with nothing but a hunch.”
Izanagi grits his teeth, clenching his spear. “You are…!!! Correct… However I still do not need YOUR help to do so! NOR do I plan to speak to EVERY humans! The mere thought annoys me. I will speak to the powerful leaders of Japan. Certainly, if Amaterasu is alive she is hailed and celebrated as the deity she is amongst them!”
As the platform reaches Earth it stops, opening up to a shrine somewhere in Tokyo. as Lucifer and Izanagi steps up each pick up a little iron ring, and upon putting it on, Izanagi’s traditional yukata is replaced by a t-shirt and vest in the same green color, studded denim jeans with matching modern sneakers in brown with pink laces. His vest has a lotus symbol on the back and a small embroidered flower on the front, finally finishing the look with some green-lensed armless glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. Ame no Nuboko transforms into a simple wooden cane.
“Humans wear this… voluntarily? How dismal,” He says checking to make sure his wedding ring is still on his finger. It is. He fidgets with it a little. “Now. Shall we get go-” He looks down at Lucifer and pauses, seeing Lucifer. His suit has remained entirely intact, except it has turned white. Most notably his horn and demonic eye are gone and his hairstyle has changed to cover one of his eyes and his hair has turned blonde? “... your hair. The disguises do not ordinarily change hair.”
“I changed it myself. Gotta take every chance to try something new. Now shall we?” Lucifer twirls his staff as the two step out of the shrine, which is devoid of people currently.
As Izanagi steps out into the streets he eyes suddenly water and he coughs a bit. “Gah! What madness is this!? This air is FILTHY with grime!” He yells out angrily, Lucifer sighing.
“Yes well… you get used to it. They need to make energy somehow,” Lucifer looks around a little. “You know… Earth really hasn’t changed much since 1000 years ago. How odd.”
Izanagi grunts with annoyance, seeing people walking by, the streets bustling as expected. Izanagi towering over every person by a solid head. “Ungrateful pests. Do they not pay their respects to their creator!? The ground on which they walk, the air which they pollute with their filth and breathe. The water they drink? The plants that supply them material… and not a shred of gratitude. Hmpf!” He grunts as he walks through the crowd of people, knocking them out of his way without a care. “You had ways to assist me did you not?” He says trying to steps out where there are less people for some reason, however Lucifer holds his arm out to stop him. “You dare halt my-”
“Izanagi. The light is red. That means we stop until it turns green.”
Izanagi grunts, unamused. “There are too many lights to begin with! And I do not answer to some BOX,” He steps out onto the paved street just as a massive truck begins to pass, hitting him dead on, sending the crowd into a state of shock, everyone ducking in surprise except Lucifer who remains standing.
“Oh god that old man stepped out!? W-why didn’t anyone stop him!?” The crowd begin dialing the emergency line when the smoke clears and Izanagi steps out of the dented front of the truck, unscathed. Not even his clothing is dirty.
“Lucifer. What is this monstrosity of a vehicle? It has neither the elegance of a chariot nor the strength of a carrier.”
Lucifer leans to the side to look at the side of the truck. “It appears to be a truck, Izanagi. Filled with…” He reads the kanji on the side. “Bricks,” He finishes before stepping out to grab Izanagi and apologizing to the crowd with a smile. “Yes yes. He is fine,” He says before spinning on his heel walking away.
“Annoying distractions…” Izanagi follows. He looks around squinting at the fluorescent lights and billboards hanging all around. “This is giving me a headache…”
They step into a large building, Izanagi following Lucifer. Izanagi rubs his eyes as they enter. “Finally. Is this the location of your informant?”
“No but here. You can sit here and wait for a moment. I have to go conduct some business. Check in on my investments,” He gestures to a row of chairs where other elderly men and women are sitting patiently.
Izanagi scowls at Lucifer. “You dare treat me as a senile old man?”
Lucifer nods. “Yes. I will be right back,” He walks off, looking around the bank, seemingly searching for something. “Not here… Hm… I would expect them to have eyes in a bank…”
Izanagi angrily falls back on a chair, the chair nearly breaking under his gigantic weight. An old woman smiles up at him, smacking her equally old husband next to her. “Honey look. Why are you not THAT big, ohohoho?”
The man grunts. “Oh I was once. Remember?” The two share a little laugh. “My friend,” The husband continues addressing Izanagi. “Would you care to divulge your secret to us fellow old folks?” Izanagi rolling his eyes.
“Hmpf…” He pauses a little looking down at his hand. This old couple reminding him of the fight he had with Izanami. “... The willingness to do anything to protect my family… Even then…” He clenches his fist tightly. “It was not enough.”
The woman gently puts a hand on Izanagi’s arm. “Oh dear… Our condolences. Your wife?”
Izanagi scoffs. “...” However, after a moment he speaks. “My eldest daughter. However, it is a mistake I intend to rectify,” Izanagi tries to scan the room for Lucifer. “Where is that youngster?” He says crossing his arms grumbling to himself again. He looks towards the entrance seeing a large group of people enter. All dressed in dark clothing. Sunglasses and scarfs covering their mouths. “The fashion of you humans varies quite significantly,” Izanagi silently grumbles. One of them pulls out a large metallic contraption and fires it into the air. catching everyone’s attention.
“Get on the FUCKING ground right now!” He yells, the old couple trembling next to Izanagi.
“Oh dear… Oh dear…” The wife mutters while the husband tightly clenches her hand while the robbers scatter around to disable cameras, knock down the guards, threaten the clerk.
“Everything will be okay,” One of the robbers stomps over, waving a gun in their face.
“I said ON! THE! GROUND!” He yells at Izanagi and the old couple.
“P-please, s-sir… my wife has a bad hip. S-she cannot get on the ground.”
“I don’t give a FU-” Izanagi suddenly stands, towering over the man. “W-what!? You some kind of tough guy!? You know what this is!?” He pokes Izanagi’s cheek with the gun.
“My son owns a few items of similar make. But I am leaving. This is a waste of my time.” He steps past the robber who simply looks dumbfounded.
“AS IF! Hey STOP!” He shoots at the ground at Izanagi’s feet, causing him to stop.
The old woman is sobbing. “Oh gosh… oh dear…” She mutters the robber angrily turning back.
“Would you make her SHUT! UP?!” The old man furrows a brow.
“Young man… your parents would be disappointed in you. Treat your elders with at least a modicum of respect,” The robber raises his gun to strike at the old man, before he suddenly feels his wrist SNAP like a twig.
“NGH!? GAAAAH!” He screams out, dropping his gun as Izanagi lets his wrist go. “W-what the FUCK!?”
“To strike a defenseless old man trying to protect his wife? It is no wonder you humans have doomed yourselves. You would strike an elder out of greed? Uncontrolled rage? Stupidity?”
The other robbers notice the commotion and a few rush over pointing their rifles at Izanagi. “Hey! Don’t go playing hero, old man! We WILL put you in the ground!” Izanagi turns around.
“Your associate would dare take a loved one from her betrothed. HE is at fault!” Izanagi angrily takes a step towards them, one of them firing his rifle, causing the old couple to flinch. And equally so to the robbers when they find that Izanagi… didn’t flinch. Instead Izanagi bites down before spitting out a flattened bullet with tooth marks. He reaches forward, crushing the guns with his bare hands.
“W-we’re… sorry?”
“Not good enough.”
Lucifer stands at the help desk. “Would you please look up account number 666-666-66?”
The woman trembles but still seems shocked as she looks to Lucifer who has been standing there, completely unnoticed by the robbers. “S-sir? We’re… being robbed.”
“I can see that. Now… my account?” Suddenly the two robbers over by Izanagi come FLYING slamming into the glass. “... one moment please.”
A few minutes later the two are exiting the bank, and turning the corner just as the police arrive. Lucifer looks up at Izanagi. “How unlike you to involve yourself with ‘human matters’. Was that not all beneath you?”
Izanagi huffs. “Silence. What did you even need in there?”
“Good news. I am a trillionaire now. Turns out investing in things since the dawn of humanity does wonders for one's bank account.”
“... human currency is worthless. Now can we go meet these ‘connections’ of yours!?” Izanagi grumpily yells, stomping his foot.
Lucifer nods. “Very well. But how about some food first?” He points to a small ramen shop, heading in. Izanagi grumbling something under his breath as he follows. “Pardon?”
“Welcome customer!” The shop owner calls out as the two sit down on the stools, Izanagi nearly crushing his simply from his size. They’re handed a menu, Izanagi refusing to open it. “Is something the matter sir? Already know what you want?”
“Ramen. Your finest bowl. No less will do,” He says with an angry glare.
Lucifer opens the menu, briefly looking it over. “I believe that would be Shoyu. I will have the same,” He hands the man the menus back, the man blinking a few times looking at Lucifer’s expressionless face. Lucifer peeks around at the other customers. “None of them here either…” He whispers.
The shop owner seems to snap back to reality, nodding. “Yes, sir! Coming right up!” He goes to begin cooking. ‘Strange. That young man had… no presence whatsoever. I didn’t feel a single thing until he spoke!’
Lucifer sits and stares blankly into the air as he waits. “Izanagi. Are you okay?”
Izanagi grunts. “What does that matter to you?”
“You would not ordinarily accept help. And you did not notice the large truck that slammed into you.”
Izanagi taps his finger angrily against the desk. “Silence…”
“And ordinarily I doubt you would help a human. Yet you did help that old couple,” Lucifer continues.
“You have no understanding of the word ‘silence’? … Do you think me incapable of feeling?” He adds turning to face the much smaller man, an aura of anger flowing over him.
Lucifer turns to Izanagi, and gives him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “I know a lot about overflowing with emotion. I am aware that you, Izanagi, feel more than most. Love, pride, anger, regret-” Izanagi flicks Lucifer’s hand away.
“Tsk!”
“... fear.” Izanagi grits his teeth.
“You think I am afraid!? ABSURD!” Their food arrives and Izanagi takes a single slurp of the food. “Hmpf…” He scoffs. “Izanami makes this many times better…” He mutters, standing to leave. “Waste of time,” He grunts and Lucifer quickly slurps down his food, patting his mouth with the napkin gently.
“Thank you. It was delicious,” He places down a stack of yen from his pocket. “Keep the change.”
“Sir this is… this is WAY more than the food is worth!” The owner tries but Lucifer has already left along with Izanagi.
The two walk back down the street. “Now let us go see my informant.”
“It is about time. So many useless distractions.”
Lucifer walks, tapping his cane along the ground. “You are afraid, Izanagi.”
Izanagi crosses his arms. “This again? Do you mean to intentionally rile me up? What have I to fear here on Earth!?”
Lucifer turns down a dark alley. “You’re afraid Amaterasu is not here. That she is actually dead. That you will fail again. That you upset your wife for nothing. Stirring up old feelings in her and your children unnecessarily,” Lucifer suddenly feels himself lifted off the ground by the collar and slammed into the concrete wall, cracking it behind him, his expression still ever unchanging.
Izanagi winds back his arm with his cane, Ame no Nuboko in disguise. “Silence! What do you know?! You are naught but an unfeeling fallen angel! How could you understand how I am feeling? I am Izanagi! Creator god! The eldest god in Heaven and you mean to ‘read me’!?”
Lucifer gently puts a hand on Izanagi’s grip. “Put me down, Izanagi. You are not mad at me. Nor do you want this fight.”
“What makes you so sure?” Izanagi grunts. “I do not take kindly to disrespect!”
Lucifer’s face is ever unchanging. “I mean no disrespect, Izanagi. Acknowledging your feelings is the first of the necessary steps to overcome your own fears and doubts.”
“Hmpf! And what makes you such an expert on emotion, fears and doubts!?”
Lucifer raises his cane slightly. “Do you even care?” He says still with a blank expression on his face.
Izanagi slams his fist into the wall beside Lucifer’s head, Lucifer jerking his head in the way, Izanagi instead striking him in the face before Izanagi drops him in shock. “Why did you do that!?”
Lucifer taps his nose seeing a bit of blood, picking out his red napkin and tapping it off. “We would not want to bother the people in that building with unnecessary destruction of their homes,” He says stepping further into the alley. “Come now.”
At the end of the relatively short alleyway is a bar with a couple of large bouncers out front. “You got an invite?” One of them asks and Lucifer looks up at the two of them.
His deathly gaze. “I’m here to see your boss,” The two bounces look to Izanagi who is standing taller than the both of them. “And this is my… … associate. Mister Lucifer should be on your list?” One of the big men gulps as Izanagi huffs at them with an almost animalistic snarl. One of them glances at their list. Top of the list it reads ‘Lucifer. No questions.’
“R-right this way. Is your associate on the-” Lucifer and Izanagi strides past them without hearing them finish. The bar is filled with various high class people sitting around with beautiful women on their arms.
Izanagi narrows his eyes glancing to Lucifer. “Lucifer. These are criminals are they not?” He grumbles, unafraid of the consequences of calling them out.
The club falls silent awaiting Lucifer’s answer with some angry glares. “Yes. They are. Criminals are well-connected. They have good logistics networks and are great at finding people.”
A large man steps in front of the two as they try to go into the back of the bar. Behind him sits a rather well-dressed man with raven-black hair, scars and a few golden rings. “We don’t take kindly to being called out like that old man.” He cracks his knuckles threateningly.
The black-haired man shakes his head. “Stand do-” He starts before Izanagi has shoved the giant man into the wall with a light shove. “Well that works too. If it isn’t the famous Lucifer! My old man told me LOTS about the guy with all the connections and money you could wish for!”
“Greetings Kenjiro. I am here because my associate has a question he would like answered,” Lucifer looks at the scantily clad women around him. His eyes stay on one of them suspiciously long. “Hello there. Found one…” He says, the woman seemingly a little nervous at his staring.
“Ladies, you are excused,” Kenjiro nudges them on their way, Lucifer following the woman as she disappears from the booth. Kenjiro and Izanagi both confused at the strange obsession with her. “Fancy her, Lucifer?”
“Not in the way you imagine. Now Kenjiro. My associate Izanagi here has a question you might be able to help with.”
Kenjiro sucks a puff of his cigar. “Izanagi? Ha! Like the mythological god? Amusing! Get these guys some drinks will ya!?” He yells to the barkeeper.
Izanagi grunts, remaining on his feet while Lucifer sits down. “Not ‘like’ boy.”
Kenjiro narrows his eyes. “You got a question and you want me to answer huh? Then you had better show me some respect.” He leans forward. “You know I have a question for YOU, Lucifer. My… organization has existed for quite a long time. Since my great great great grandpa was a young man and even before that I’m told. And yet all of them knew a man named ‘Lucifer’. Who was described a lot like you. What’s that about?”
Lucifer sits himself down across from the man as he gets a drink served to him. “It is a name which runs in my family. Something of a title. And my father has strong genes. They say I look like all my predecessors. Anyways I need not remind you of the vital role me and my family have played in helping yours?”
“Huh? So you look like the spitting image of your dad huh? Interesting.”
“We need some assistance.”
Izanagi interjects as he refuses the drink. “I am looking for my daughter, Amaterasu! Goddess of the Sun!” He snaps and the bar erupts in laughter before Kenjiro holds up his hand, instantly silencing them all.
“A man’s daughter’s missing. Regardless of her name, that's serious. I wish I could help, Lucifer. But I haven’t heard anything about a woman like that. But tell ya what. As a favor I’ll send out some feelers to find her. Why’s she missing?”
Izanagi clenches his fist tightly. “I failed to keep her safe. And I will not fail again…”
Kenjiro shakes his head. “I’m sorry to hear that…” He picks out a phone sending a few texts around. “There we go. They’ll contact you if they find anything Lucifer. Right. Anything else I can do for you? You want some girls? Drugs? Weapons?”
Izanagi scoffs. “A criminal indeed,” Kenjiro simply shrugs it off.
Lucifer shakes his head and stands. “No. That was what we came for. By the way… when last… a Lucifer was here you had a brother. Your father was hoping you two would run this organization together if I recall.”
Kenjiro laughs. “Yeah. He did want that I remember,” He takes a sip of his drink. “Yeah I killed him.”
Izanagi grits his teeth. “You W-!?” But Lucifer raises his arm to silence him and Izanagi feels… something.
Lucifer leans forward a little, resting his hands on his staff. “I see. I’m sorry it had to come to such a thing. What happened if I may inquire? Disagreement and he attacked you?”
“Nah. He wanted to share. I didn’t. Simple as that. I guess it was something of a disagreement.”
Lucifer takes a deep breath. “I see. And you regret this decision? What will you say when you see him again?”
Kenjiro raises an eyebrow. “He’s dead? When I see him again? Heh. And regret? Hell no. Don’t need that sissy judging every decision I make. Running a business is a one man job. Hehe. You know how it is.”
“Allow me to reiterate one moment,” Lucifer reaches over the desk, gently taking Kenjiro’s hand. “You killed your brother. Your precious younger brother whom you grew up with,” He suddenly pushes one of his fingers back, breaking it and Kenjiro screams out in pain. “Whom you shared many precious memories and home-cooked meals with?” He breaks another finger to another scream of pain, the guards trying to step forward but they feel something. Izanagi feeling it as well. “Who was by your side all of your life?” A third finger goes, Kenjiro trying bear it without screaming. “Because of greed?” The fourth finger snaps like a twig. “Do you not know the importance of family? A brother is not a tool. A brother is someone you know. Someone you cherish. You… YOU!” He starts as his disguise begins to slightly fall, his demonic eye reappearing. One of the small runes on his cane’s orb begins glowing red. “You do NOT THROW AWAY SOMEONE LIKE THAT SO CASUALLY, KENJIRO!” He lets his hand go, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up, his face twisting into a dark rage. “You have made your last mistake on this Earth, Kenjiro. I appreciate your help finding Amaterasu. I’ll give you a ‘premium’ treatment when I see you down in Muspelheim.”
Izanagi would never admit that he stood frozen in shock at what he witnessed in the following moments. But the creator god blinks a few times before turning around. The guards, bartender, and Kenjiro himself are lying scattered around, guns drawn, dead. A red trail flowing through the air, seemingly following the trail of destruction. Holes burned in walls oddly ‘person shaped’, guards having their heads buried in walls, or with desks broken over them, stabbed with the metal legs of chairs. Everything seems melted and burned. Izanagi spotting Lucifer standing and grunting and shaking in a hazy rage, seemingly transforming back from some burning form, holding the sphere from his cane in front of his heart. “Lucifer?” Izanagi asks. Lucifer takes a deep breath, inserting the orb back in his cane. ‘Unbelievable…’ Izanagi looks around. ‘He did all of that… but…’ He sees the trembling girl waitresses in the corner, completely unharmed. ‘He protected the civilians in THAT state…?’
Lucifer sweeps back his hair. “Pardon me. It appears my emotions got the better of me,” He taps the orb back into his cane’s snake-mouth. “Now. Kenjiro did send out a message to look for Amaterasu. Now all that is left is to wait for a response. In the meantime…” He sees one of the women in the corner, trembling. The one he had previously stared at. “You.”
“W-what?” She says her eyes darting back and forth between him and Izanagi. “W-who are you two!?”
Izanagi scoffs. “What is with this girl?”
Lucifer kneels down. “You are one of ‘them’ aren’t you? I happened to notice you showing signs that you recognized me and Izanagi,” He takes her hand and gently kisses it. “I need to find someone of my own. Unrelated to Amaterasu. Someone who is… shall we say ‘out of place’, but human?”
The woman nods in a panic. “Y-yeah we’ll… we’ll help! Just… please don’t hurt me!” She calls out and Lucifer leans close to whisper something and the woman nods. “Y-yeah I think we’ve seen him around! W-we’ll find him!” She gets up to run to the changing room past the bodies.
“Thank you. Say hello to the big guy up there from me.”
Izanagi raises his head. “Who was that?”
“I do not know. But I know that she did not belong the moment I saw her,” Lucifer begins walking out of the destroyed bar.
“And you won’t tell me?” Izanagi asks, crossing his arms grumpily.
Lucifer gently grabs the door and it falls off the hinges from the fight and he simply walks over it. “Have you heard of ‘Illuminati’?”