Master of Deception!

Lucifer sat on the roof of his apartment building, legs dangling over the edge as he stared out at the glittering skyline of Paradise City. The events of the past few days swirled in his mind like a demonic whirlpool, threatening to pull him under.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He turned to see Ezra settling down beside him, her usual stoic expression softened by what might have been concern.

Lucifer snorted. "Pretty sure my thoughts are worth at least a nickel. Inflation and all that."

Ezra's lips twitched in what was becoming a familiar almost-smile. "Seriously, Lucifer. You've been... different since the warehouse. Quieter. Are you okay?"

With a psychotic priest and his zealots vying from my head on a silver plate, and a bunch of wannabe-demon lords pushing their measly weight around because they know I have gotten weaker, how in hell would I be okay? Lucifer thought with an overrated sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"Define 'okay.' Am I physically intact? Sure. Mentally? That's... complicated."

He fell silent for a moment, struggling to put his turmoil into words. "It's like... imagine you're doing a jigsaw puzzle, right? But you don't have the picture on the box, and half the pieces are missing, and some of them might be from a completely different puzzle. Oh, and also the pieces keep changing shape when you're not looking."

Ezra nodded slowly. "Your memories."

"Yeah," Lucifer said softly. "Ever since I... whatever I did back there, it's like floodgates have opened in my head. I keep getting these flashes, these fragments of... before."

He closed his eyes, and images danced behind his eyelids. A vast, shining city unlike anything on Earth. Wings of light stretching towards an impossible sky. And then... darkness. Pain. The sensation of falling, endlessly falling.

Of course, he was revisiting the classic biblical story of old. His memory of it was as intact as humanity's hatred for him...

I'm sorry I have to keep lying to you, Ezra, but I have to protect you from the truth, from myself. Even in thoughts, in case Sword Saints can read minds. Lucifer snickered inwardly, then slid back into character.

"I was... something else," Lucifer whispered, his voice rough with emotion. "Someone else. Someone important. Powerful. And then... I Fell."

Ezra's hand found his, squeezing gently. The simple gesture of comfort nearly undid him.

"Do you remember why?" she asked softly.

Lucifer shook his head. "Not really. Just... flashes. Anger. Betrayal. A burning need to... to prove something. To be *more*." He laughed bitterly. "Fat lot of good that did me. Look at me now – the some supposed entity, struggling with high school algebra and getting his ass kicked by overgrown demon dogs."

Ezra was quiet for a long moment, her thumb tracing absent patterns on the back of his hand. When she spoke, her voice was uncharacteristically hesitant.

"Maybe... maybe this is your chance to be more in a different way," she said. "You're not bound by who you were before. You get to choose who you want to be now."

Lucifer turned to look at her, really look at her. In the soft glow of the city lights, her face was open, vulnerable in a way he'd never seen before.

I didn't know I was this convincing... perks of the Devil, I guess... I should quit Lou's Liquor and become a movie star. Probably, after all this mess subsides. he thought.

"And who do you think I should be?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ezra met his gaze, her blue eyes intense. "Someone who uses his power to protect, not destroy. Someone who values friendship and loyalty over pride and ambition. Someone who..." she trailed off, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"Someone who what?" Lucifer pressed.

"Someone who isn't afraid to care," Ezra finished softly.

The air between them seemed to crackle with unspoken tension. Lucifer found himself leaning in, drawn by some force he couldn't name. Ezra's eyes widened, but she didn't pull away.

Just as their lips were about to meet, a deafening explosion rocked the building. They sprang apart, Ezra already reaching for her sword as Lucifer scrambled to his feet.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded, scanning the skyline.

His answer came in the form of a massive, winged shape silhouetted against the moon. It let out a bone-chilling screech that set every dog on the island howling.

"Oh, come on," Lucifer groaned. "Seriously? Now?"

Ezra was already heading for the roof access door. "We need to move," she said, her professional mask firmly back in place. "Whatever that thing is, it's big trouble."

As they raced down the stairs, Lucifer's mind whirled. Part of him – a larger part than he cared to admit – wanted nothing more than to grab Ezra and finish what they'd started on the roof. To lose himself in the simplicity of human connection and forget about cosmic battles and ancient identities.

But as another explosion shook the building, he knew that wasn't an option.

"Hey, Ezra," he called as they burst out onto the street. She turned, eyebrow raised questioningly.

Lucifer grinned, feeling that familiar spark of power igniting in his veins. "What do you say we go kick some demonic ass?"

Ezra's answering smile was fierce and beautiful. "Thought you'd never ask."

The winged monstrosity screeched again, diving towards the city below. Lucifer felt power building within him, familiar yet changed. Fierce, yes, but tempered with purpose.

"Ready?" Ezra asked, her sword gleaming in the moonlight.

Lucifer nodded, flames dancing at his fingertips. "Let's do this."

The winged creature plummeted towards them, its massive form blocking out the moon. At the last second, it pulled up, powerful wings creating gusts that sent debris scattering across the street. Lucifer and Ezra braced themselves, shielding their eyes.

"What is that thing? It's not a Rebis." Ezra shouted over the wind.

Lucifer squinted upward. "No idea, but it's definitely one of these hideous demons."

The demon circled overhead, its movements oddly precise. It dove again, this time skimming so close that Lucifer could make out rows of gleaming scales and eyes that burned like molten gold. Those eyes fixed on him, filled with an unsettling intelligence.

"I don't think it's here to fight," Lucifer muttered, flames flickering uncertainly around his fingers.

Ezra nodded, sword still raised. "It's studying us."

The demon made one final pass, letting out a screech that sounded almost... questioning. Then, with a powerful beat of its wings, it soared back into the night sky, quickly becoming little more than a silhouette against the moon.

Lucifer and Ezra stood in stunned silence for a moment.

"Well," Lucifer said finally, "I think we just got sized up by whatever's pulling the strings."

***