Less Than Human

One Week Later

A swift kick to his gut.

"Again!"

Pinned to the ground, incapable of movement.

"Again!"

A forearm shoved roughly, against his throat.

"Again!" Lucifer cried. He was determined. If he could take down Bennett Clarke, at least once, the others wouldn't stare at him like he was a wounded animal. Pity, but an undeniable hunger to see him fail. It'd only been two days and everyone - demon or other - knew who Lucifer was. 'The Prophecy Kid', 'Rookie', Douche-bag' they called him. If he wasn't so confused about everything, he would've started fights with them all.

Usually, when he felt this way, he'd hole up behind some building or in the bathroom with couple cigarettes and cut and burn and hurt, adding to the array of pain spanning up and down both arms.

But his blade wasn't here. He would have to settle for this. Getting his ass kicked repeatedly by Bennett. He had been here for who knows how long, training newly-dead demons such as himself. This demon was the only one, besides a few of the fairies, who wasn't a complete son of a bitch to Lucifer. It was required that everyone trained with Bennett, who insured that their combat skills were just right, to handle any one who might oppose the Angeli Dei's cause.

"What is Angeli Dei's cause?" Lucifer asked the day before. Anio was introducing him to the lean trainer with tattoos covering his olive skin. A smirk seemed present on his face at all times, deepening as Lucifer asked questions he'd apparently deemed moronic.

"Wow, Boss picked a bright one." He muttered under his breath before answering. "Angeli Dei's legion of trained demons travel to the Surface using Shade energy. They then. . . eradicate souls who are unfit to continue their existence."

'Is that what I'm training to become? Taking the lives of strangers just because they're not good enough?' The thought swirled bitterly in his mind.

"We're purging the Surface of filth, sin," Anio prompted. "not shooting down toddlers. Try to keep your thoughts quiet, Kennan can read them just as well as I can." Lucifer asked who Kennan was.

He didn't get an answer.

###############

A punch to the jaw.

"AGAIN!" Bennett yelled in his usual deadpan, kicking Lucifer in the stomach. He crawled on to his knees before being kicked again, Bennett scoffing. Lucifer vomited on the ground, but stood up as best he could. He faced the recruit trainers back, stumbling but regaining balance.

"C'mon. . ." Lucifer struggled to finish. "One more!" Bennett turned slowly and shook his head at Lucifer's feeble fighting stance.

"Fresh Meat, I'll give you this. You have massive balls." Lucifer mocked him with a weak 'come hither' motion. "And you're a complete idiot. You take one beating before the fairies get to you and you're a goner for at least the rest of the week." Lucifer shook his head, though the statement was absolutely true. Bennett turned to walk away again but Lucifer refused to give in. He crouched low then swept his trainer's legs from under him. He pinned Bennett to the ground, pressing an imaginary blade to his throat. The demon's trademark smirk hurriedly schooled the shocked look from his face.

"Decent, but your attack was a bit slow." he pushed a grinning off, then offered a hand to help him up. They began to walk towards the hallway leading to the living quarters and infirmary. In his short time in the Nether, Lucifer had found that he didn't need food or water anymore. Just sleep and the odd shower. His senses had been heightened to the point where he could smell and sense not only people, but their emotions as well. Anio had informed him that the latter was a trait unique to Lucifer, that no one else could do it. He still had so many questions, though.

"Who exactly are the people we're training to fight against?" Bennett's eyes, which glowed a bright purple, flickered. Lucifer had become quite accustomed to the scent of annoyance. Bitter. Like a sharp, ancient wine, so old it's turned to vinegar. The stench surrounded him wherever he went, following him. Everyone seemed to be annoyed with him here. It was almost as if nothing had changed. Almost.

"They're a collection of Hunters mixed between all of the Nether-borne races. They call themselves Nec Angeli, Nether's Angels, consisted of anyone or anything against Angeli Dei's Reaper process. bastards think that they can stop us. That they're saving the Surface by doing so-" Bennett was interrupted by a loud smack on his on the bare skin of his back. Anio wrapped his arm around Bennett's neck, squeezing the obviously uncomfortable man into his side.

"Benny, your'e not filling Fresh Meat's messed-up little brain with lies again, are you." Bennett shook his head and removed the muscled, spray-tanned arm from his shoulders.

"Just giving the usual newbie brief on the enemy." He replied, giving Lucifer a look that lessened the smell of annoyance and created something new - anxiety. Lucifer quickly glanced at Anio who smirked evilly.

"Ugh, would you please keep it down in there." Anio groaned. He jabbed his pointer finger at Lucifer's forehead, tapping it a couple times. "It's like a goddamn rave in here with all the questions, and the fears, and the 'emotional issues', and. . . whose K? You're thinking about her an awful lot." His eyes narrowed and his face inched closer. Lucifer own neon eyes widened and he nodded a goodbye to Bennett, who returned it briskly before striking up a conversation about the hot fairie in comms.

After stopping by the infirmary to get patched up, Lucifer headed into his shabby room, locking the door behind him. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. Lucifer had told Bennett about his mysterious red-haired girl, his K. Wait, when did she become his? Never mind, that wasn't important. Anio knew now. He'd been not-so-subtly interrogating him all week about the dreams he had about her. Bennett thought she was a guardian angel, someone God sent to ease him into the Nether. Lucifer didn't think that was right. K knew too much about him; she was too real. He missed her.

He fell back onto his bed, rubbing his face and yawning. There's was nothing to do but sleep, now. He wasn't so sure that was a bad thing.

###########

Flames. Orange and red and sprinkled with bright yellow hues. Cinnamon. Her hair looked like flames and smelt of spice. Warm, against the skin of Lucifer's shoulder as they laid side by side. She compared the bright blue of the Scotland sky, to that of his irises. Her thick accent was so warm, inviting, lovely. . . compared to the harsh tones of the Nether. She sighed and it was fascinating, the way her lips moved and her face flushed. Lucifer traced her profile with his eyes.

Every night was the same. He would close his eyes and open them looking into her so very green ones. Each encounter was different. The second time they'd fought, fear and hurt and confusion blocking reason. Irritation flowed in waves off of K- dark chocolate.

Everything smelled different with her. Always pleasant; it was as if she could never get as bad bad as the bastards in the Nether. She was pure.The perfect opposite of them. When she laughed, tilting her head back and exposing the creamy skin of her neck, he had never smelled, anything sweeter, anything better. Her happiness was. . . amazing.

The third time he'd seen her offered reconciliation and K explained everything as best she could.

"Ah'm a-a friend from yer future. In my' past and yer future, we developed a psychic link. Yer subconscious already knows me and tha's how you can travel here to me in yer dreams. Did'ja get tha' because I'm not explaining it again."

"Who are you?" Lucifer asked curiously. K rolled her eyes and swiftly flipped her fire-like locks, sending him a wave of chocolate and cinnamon.

"Ah' told ye' who Ah' am-"

"No. . .Who are you to me?" The question had been at the back of his mind. K seemed a bit startled by the inquisition, and her back stiffened. He could smell- sadness? Like dust after rain and storm clouds. She turned to look at him and opened her mouth to respond. He woke up before she could.

#########

Now they were looking at the sky, shoulder to shoulder on the grass. The blue had mixed with the pinks of sunset leaving the great canvas lavender stringed with misty white. This was the longest Lucifer had ever stayed. He'd never wanted to keep his open forever before. One look into her eyes, one glance at her freckles could be the last and then he would blink and be alone . Again. She'd be gone.

K sat up to untie her jacket from around waist as the wind picked up, slipping onto her now chilled skin of her arms. Warmth still radiated from her pores, though. She'd said that was because lucifer was cold-blooded or something. he couldn't remember now that he was stuck in her brilliant gaze. Eyeshopeher bottom lip caught inbetween her perfectly imperfect teeth. Lucifer sat up and placed his handon hers. The breeze blew her signiture scent of contentment, cinnamon and smoky firewood, towards him and he was overwhelmed by it. Head swimming, he broke the silence.

"How-why. . ."Lucifer began unsuccessfully. "Why is it that you come here every day, just to. Just to be there for me. God knows there's better stuff you could be doing then hanging out with some messed-up prick like me." K looked down before glancing back up at him, smirking.

"Ye' forget Luc. Ah'm yer friend. Ah know ye'." She ran her hands up and down his arms, thumbs brushing smoothly against his scars and burns. Lucifer's eyes widened. "Yeah." K picked up his hands and laced they're fingers together. "Smile. Smile fer me please." She released one of his hands to cup his face, a determined look in her eyes until he grinned. "Ah come here because Ah know ye need me. Ah know that ye need someone and a somewhere. It's hard to find a way out, innit? Tha's why. Ah'm yer way out."