First Case
"Are you done drooling over my car yet?" Lucifer questioned, watching how Kami was still trailing her hands over his Corvette, which he had parked outside the Los Diablos bar at her request.
"Almost" Kami grinned, backing up a few steps so she could stare in awe at the impressive car.
"Do you two want a moment alone?" Lucifer rolled his eyes, as Kami turned to him with a grin.
"Okay, okay. Back to the case. The file said they found an imprint on the security guard's neck under UV light. Killer must've worn some kind of bracelet when he strangled the security guard. Cross look familiar?" Kami suggested, pointing to a bike with the cross painted on the side.
"Los Diablos. How long until the Detective figures out the cross came from here?" Lucifer asked.
"She's probably already on her way. I figure we just wait for her and…what are you doing?" Kami frowned, as she watched Lucifer stroll towards the building which she knew would be teaming with bikers.
"Getting my property back" Lucifer replied, as Kami gave him a confused look.
"You can't just barge into a gang's bar and just expect them to give you the answers" Kami pointed out.
"Of course, I can" Lucifer chuckled, marching up the steps to the bar.
"Where the hell did Chloe find this guy?" Kami shook her head, reluctantly following Lucifer into the bar.
Kami did her best to keep her head down as she walked through the dark room, but Lucifer didn't seem to share this feeling, as he strutted towards the jukebox and pulled the plug out, the music stopping instantly. Shouts started up from all over the room, as the bikers turned to the pair angrily. Kami's frown deepened as Lucifer decided to jump up onto a table, clapping his hands together to grab everyone's attention.
"…Great. He's insane" Kami mumbled under her breath.
"Excuse me! Pardon the intrusion, you Village People rejects, but one of you has stolen something that belongs to me. So please identify yourself, so I can punish you accordingly" Lucifer announced, as Kami's jaw dropped open.
The bikers quickly crowded around the pair, as a dangerous tension grew around them, and even Lucifer started to look unsure about his actions.
"Uh, I think what my friend here meant to say was…could you wonderful people who, uh…clearly bathe regularly, help us with finding his…what was it exactly that was stolen?" Kami questioned, as she joined him on the table.
"My wings" Lucifer answered, matter-of-factly, as Kami slowly turned to him with a look of disbelief.
"Right. Yeah, because that makes…complete sense…" Kami trailed off, looking down at the angry faces all around them.
"What the hell did you just say? Hmm? Harry Potter?" A man in a leather jacket questioned, pushing through the crowds.
"Well, that was a weak comeback" Kami scoffed, as Lucifer jumped down from the table.
"Since you're obviously lower on the human evolutionary chain, perhaps your hearing hasn't developed as well as it should, so I'll repeat myself. Who...stole...my...property?" Lucifer spoke slowly, as if he was talking to a child, while Kami came to stand by his side.
She was the first one to spot the man raising his fist, clearly planning on striking Lucifer. Kami quickly shoved the man back with her hand, hoping to avoid a fight breaking out. However, this seemed to have the opposite effect as the man became even more pissed off. Before anyone could stop him, the man turned his attention to Kami, punching her in the face as she stumbled backwards. Lucifer's jaw tensed at this action, as he took a step forward, ready to dish out punishment for the ungentlemanly act. He was surprised when Kami suddenly pushed past him, a dangerous look in her eyes. The biker raised his hand, most likely about to strike her again, but Kami grabbed his outstretched fingers, ducking under his shoulder and wrenched his arm back. Lucifer cringed as he heard a cracking sound and realised she had broken his arm. With a hard kick to the back of his knees, Kami pushed the biker to the floor, her hand still holding his fingers in a vicelike grip.
"The man asked you a question" Kami spat out, pulling his arm back further, making the biker cry out in pain.
"I'm definitely enjoying working with you" Lucifer grinned, letting his gaze roam over her body.
"What the hell is going on out here?" A bald man announced, shoving past the onlookers.
"Must I really repeat myself again? My property. I want it back" Lucifer insisted, with a roll of his eyes.
"Pardon my boys. They don't always have the best, uh, people skills. Would you mind letting Renny go, sweetheart?" The man suggested, raising an eyebrow at Kami, who reluctantly dropped the biker's arm.
"Take a breather, Renny. Now! Be cool" The man told Renny, who pushed himself up from the floor with a murderous expression.
"She broke my freaking arm, Hank!" Renny growled, clutching at his injured limb.
"I'll break your face next if you're not careful" Kami retorted, as Lucifer's lips twitched into a smile.
"Now, there's no need for that. Hank Cutter. I'm in charge here. Why don't we chat in my office, okay? Follow me" Hank stated, as he ushered the pair to follow him, careful to give Kami a wide berth.
She was still practically bristling with rage, clearly having a temper, yet another difference from her old sister. Lucifer mused that Kami would probably get on well with Maze, he would need to introduce them at some point.
"We heard that you control the docks, and if anything goes down, Los Diablos are in on it" Kami explained, as the entered Hank's office.
"Really? We're just a riding club" Hank shrugged, sitting down at his desk, watching Kami roll her eyes.
"Don't bullshit us, Hank. I'm not in the mood" Kami insisted, crossing her arms.
"Hey, look, just because we have a reputation as outlaws doesn't mean we had anything to do with a murder" Hank told her, as Lucifer took a step forward.
"You like being considered a criminal, don't you? Yeah, you do. What else do you want?" Lucifer questioned, coming to stand in front of the man, staring intensely into his eyes.
Kami frowned as she saw how Hank seemed to fall into a trance, chuckling to himself nervously, while becoming lost in Lucifer's eyes. A strange serene expression grew on Hank's face, as Kami wondered if he had been drugged.
"To own a clothing line" Hank suddenly burst out, as Kami's frown deepened further.
"I-I did not see that one coming" Kami scoffed.
"Why did I just say that?" Hank muttered, clearly confused.
"Managing bikers must be so exhausting. All that brawling and pillaging" Lucifer nodded, as Kami was still trying to figure out what she had just seen.
"I'm 54. I'd rather be in my hammock playing my Stratocaster. All this motorcycle riding's enlarged my prostate" Hank informed them, as Kami held a hand up.
"I'm gonna' stop you there, mate" Kami grimaced.
"Look, we've trademarked our name. We're selling T-shirts and jackets, and we're gonna re-brand and go legit. See, we used to cover the docks, not anymore. I specifically ordered them off-limits" Hank explained, as Kami raised an eyebrow.
"You sure everyone caught the memo? Killer wore a bracelet with an iron cross. Left an imprint on the dead security guard at the warehouse" Kami challenged, holding out her phone to show him the cross, watching how his jaw tensed.
"My boys don't do anything without my say so" Hank insisted.
"You just expect them to change just like that? With a click of your fingers? A leopard doesn't change its spots, Hank" Kami pointed out.
"Well these ones have. Now I'd like you to leave now" Hank stated, standing up from his chair.
"But we're not finished yet" Lucifer exclaimed, as Kami patted his arm.
"Yeah, we're done. I'm sure Mr Cutter here would know if any of his boys were acting out. They wouldn't dare go behind his back…so, let's go" Kami told him, watching how Hank became angrier with her words.
"But why are we leaving? He's obviously hiding something" Lucifer complained, as they made their way out of the bar.
"We're going to let him stew for a bit…then follow him as he leads us to the killer" Kami said, in a hushed voice as they made their way back to Lucifer's car.
"And how will he do that?" Lucifer questioned, unlocking his car, as Kami went to sit in the passenger seat.
"He knows who owns that cross, it was written all over his face. He's gonna' be pissed, but he won't want to deal with this in public. He won't want anyone to know there's be a challenge to his authority" Kami explained, as Lucifer came to sit next to her.
"And how did you figure all this out?" Lucifer frowned.
"I'm a people person" Kami grinned, as Lucifer shared the expression.
"So, what was that back there? Why did Hank just spill his guts to you?" Kami inquired, curiously.
"I have a way of drawing out people's deepest, darkest desires," Lucifer told her, simply.
"…Okay, care to elaborate?" Kami queried.
"I suppose in your terms it's akin to something like mind control…hypnosis maybe?" Lucifer shrugged, as Kami turned to him.
"So, you just look at someone and they tell you all their secrets?" Kami scoffed, watching Lucifer nod.
"Oh, it's quite effective most of the time. Your sister seems oddly immune…which makes me wonder if you are too…" Lucifer trailed off, raising his hand to gently touch Kami's cheek, as their eyes connected.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Kami frowned, feeling her heart speed up a little.
"What is it that you truly desire? What's really drawn you back home?" Lucifer asked, as Kami stared into his brown eyes, a strange emotion rushing through her.
"C'mon, little Decker. You can tell me. What is it you really want?" Lucifer pushed further, as Kami's mouth opened and closed a few times.
"I…I want…" Kami trailed off, feeling like she was falling into a strange trance.
"Go on. What is it?" Lucifer grinned, leaning in closer, as he watched Kami gulp.
"I want her to love me-" Kami was cut off, as the radio in Lucifer's car suddenly came blaring to life and a nearby streetlight burst, the glass falling to the ground behind them.
Kami instantly pulled away from him, her eyes wide and frightened. Lucifer reached out to turn off the loud radio, confused at what had just happened. Just when it seemed like the girl was about to tell him what she desired; his powers had faltered. That had certainly never happened before.
"What the fuck was that?" Kami gaped, pushing the car door open and stumbling backwards.
Lucifer could tell she wouldn't be able to handle the truth, not that she would believe him anyway. No one ever did, he thought to himself.
"I told you, it's a sort of hypnosis-" Lucifer started, but she stopped him instantly.
"And when exactly did I ask you to try to fucking hypnotise me?" Kami yelled, even angrier than Lucifer had seen her in the bar.
"I didn't mean to upset you, Kami" Lucifer mumbled, guilt flashing over his face for a moment.
"You can't just…don't do that, okay? Don't you ever do that again" Kami insisted, hating how angry tears were welling in her eyes.
"I won't. I swear" Lucifer replied, his eyes softening.
"…People aren't usually so upset when I do that" Lucifer mumbled, as Kami slowly walked back over to the car.
"Well, have you ever actually asked them?" Kami pointed out, as a strange expression grew on Lucifer's face.
"…Hank's on the move" Lucifer stated, watching the boss walk out the side entrance of the bar.
Kami's eyes widened as she realised if he saw her, he might realise they were onto him. Frantically, she surged forward and jumped into the backseat of Lucifer's car, making sure to duck her head.
"Do you think he saw me?" Kami whispered, hearing Lucifer chuckle from the front seat.
"Luckily, he seems to have missed you running around like a maniac" Lucifer exclaimed, as Kami peaked past the car door to see he was driving away on his motorbike.
"Follow that bike!" Kami ordered, jumping over the seats as she flopped into the passenger seat.
"Yes ma'am" Lucifer grinned, as he quickly sent them surging forward.
"I think this is the longest time I've ever sat in a parked car without having sex" Lucifer announced, as Kami giggled lightly.
They had followed Hank to an abandoned building site where he had been pacing around for almost an hour. Even Kami was beginning to grow bored and question her plan.
"If you're expecting an invitation, you're about to be very disappointed," Kami told him, watching Lucifer pout.
"I don't know how the Detective enjoys this. Waiting around endlessly for something to happen" Lucifer mumbled, taking out a small flask from his jacket pocket.
"This is probably Chlo's definition of fun," Kami said, as Lucifer took a swig of his drink.
"How incredibly sad" Lucifer mumbled, as Kami ushered for him to hand his drink to her, once again surprising him.
"So, where in England are you from?" Kami asked, taking a large gulp of the alcohol, finding that it was whisky.
"Uh…South" Lucifer replied, taking the flask back.
"Same here. East or West?" Kami inquired, as Lucifer started to look uncomfortable.
"Whichever side you're not from?" Lucifer suggested, as Kami gave him a look.
"You're really committed to this whole mysterious vibe, huh?" Kami pointed out, as Lucifer took another swig of his drink.
"As are you. Quite closed up about your past?" Lucifer retorted.
"Okay, okay. I hear you. I'll back off" Kami nodded, holding her hands up in mock defence.
"…Look, I'm sorry about earlier. You just…freaked me out" Kami admitted.
"I suppose I should count myself lucky to still have all my limbs in working order" Lucifer teased, as Kami bit her lip.
"I must say I did enjoy the show though. It gave me a bit of a thrill...in certain areas" Lucifer said, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously, as Kami giggled.
"Well, you might have enjoyed it...but my sister thinks I have anger management issues" Kami stated.
"Now, whatever gave her that idea" Lucifer grinned, as she gave him a look.
"Prick" Kami scoffed, punching him lightly in the shoulder, as Lucifer's grin grew wider.
"Speaking of the Detective. Why haven't we told her about our lead? I doubt she'll be happy when she finds out you and I have taken this investigation into our own hands" Lucifer explained.
"I hacked into the police database. I can't tell her about our lead without admitting that. I just got back home, I don't want to give her a reason to throw me out just yet" Kami muttered, fidgeting with her hands.
Just as Lucifer opened his mouth to protest this, not believing for a moment that the Detective would do something like that, a rumbling caught his attention. The pair turned to see someone riding up to Hank on a motorcycle, as Kami leaned forward, trying to get a look a closer look. Her eyes widened when she saw it was a man with his arm in a sling and quickly put two and two together.
"I knew it" Kami exclaimed when she watched the figure take their helmet off, revealing that it was Renny.
Hank immediately began shouting at Renny, pointing his finger angrily towards him, looking thoroughly pissed. Kami's eyes were quickly drawn to where Renny was reaching towards his back, as he suddenly pulled out a gun. Before Hank even had time to react, Renny had shot him in the chest, the loud sound making both Kami and Lucifer jump.
"Oh shit…shit!" Kami gaped, immediately rushing out of the car, just as Renny was driving away on his motorbike.
Kami ran towards Hank as quickly as her legs would carry her, kneeling beside his bleeding body. She immediately shrugged off her jacket, placing it against the gunshot wound, as blood spilt onto the ground below.
"It's okay. It's okay…I'm gonna call for help" Kami told Hank, who was beginning to shake, clearly going into shock.
Just as Kami was calling for an ambulance, she heard Lucifer's car start up, and turned to see him racing away from the scene…going after Renny. She couldn't imagine that was going to end well. After telling the 911 operator what she could about Hank's wound and their location, she briefly thought about leaving him there. With a shake of her head, she knew she couldn't. You don't leave your patients, Kami thought to herself.
"G-go. Go, now" Hank stuttered, reaching out to press her jacket against his wound, brushing her hands away as he did so.
"You could bleed out. The ambulance won't be here for another ten minutes-" Kami warned him, but he cut her off.
"Go get the bastard" Hank insisted, an angry look in his eyes, as Kami nodded slowly.
Luckily, the bullet had an exit wound and didn't seem to have struck anything major, only piercing through the man's side. As long as he stemmed the bleeding well enough, he would be alright. Or at least that was what Kami told herself as she rushed away from him. Finding Lucifer was easier than she had expected, discovering his car in the middle of the road a few blocks away. She ran into a building nearby that had been broken into, hearing gunshots from upstairs, making her panic. Was she already too late? Once she finally reached the roof of the building, she was surprised to see Lucifer looming over Renny, who had a look of horror on his face.
"Oh, you're going to be more than sorry unless you tell me everything" Lucifer growled, as Renny practically began to whimper.
"Please. Please, don't…" Renny trailed off, as he began to scream.
Lucifer was slow to react as Renny pushed himself to his feet, running towards the edge of the roof. Out of nowhere, Kami was suddenly lunging towards Renny, grabbing his good arm just as he jumped off the roof. She was almost pulled to the street below with him, as she struggled to keep her grip on his arm, digging her feet into the small barrier on the roof. Renny let out a howl of terror, as he kicked his legs around manically, feeling nothing but air beneath him. The more he struggled, the further Kami was pulled off the roof, until she was leaning over the barrier. All of a sudden, she felt strong arms grabbing her waist just as she was falling forward, the shock causing her to lose her grip on Renny.
"No!" She screamed, her hand flying to her mouth when she heard a thump from the street below.
"Get away from the edge. C'mon, there you go…" Lucifer's voice soothed, his arms still wrapped around her.
"I should have saved him!" Kami exclaimed, shrugging his hands away from her, and storming back into the building.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" An angry voice cried, the tone making even Lucifer jump.
Kami slowly turned around to see her sister marching towards the pair, pushing through the crowds of officers that had covered the scene quickly. Renny's body had just been rolled away by paramedics, a painful reminder of what had happened that night. Lucifer thought if looks could kill, both he and Kami would be dead, as Chloe came to a halt in front of them.
"Look, I screwed up, I know but-" Kami began, but Chloe cut her off instantly.
"No! No buts, Kami. A man is dead. And you could have been too! This must be the most childish, immature shit you have ever pulled! What, did you think you could have been the hero? Are you that screwed up in the head?!" Chloe yelled, as some of the officers nearby slowly backed off.
"Detective, I asked for your sister's help. I was the one who pushed for us to investigate Los Diablos. And after I persuaded her to hack into the police database-" Lucifer started, but was immediately stopped by Chloe.
"You did what?! Your hacking again?" Chloe gaped.
"No! Well...I mean, yeah, technically..." Kami trailed off, looking down at her shoes, with a guilty expression.
"She didn't want to tell you because she was afraid you would send her away" Lucifer finished, as Kami gave him an exasperated look, obviously not happy that he had divulged that information.
"…You really think that?" Chloe sighed, as Kami shrugged.
"I didn't want to put you in the position where you had to choose between work and me" Kami mumbled.
"Because you thought I'd choose work over you?" Chloe frowned.
"A steady, well-paid job versus a difficult, delinquent sister? I think the answer's pretty logical" Kami pointed out, as Chloe's eyes softened.
"Yeah, it is. I'm not going to send you away, Kami. I'd never do that" Chloe told her, as Kami looked genuinely surprised.
"Oh…can't find a cheaper babysitter, huh?" Kami joked, as Chloe ruffled her hair with a grin.
"Well, as heart-warming as this, there's still the issue of my missing property, Detective" Lucifer insisted, as Chloe's grin widened.
"Not missing anymore actually. We found it…and I'm going to watch you open it" Chloe informed him.
"Wow, a secret compartment? That is very Harry Potter" Kami announced, walking into Lucifer's large metal container, surprising the older man.
Moments after the Detective had left, he had pressed a panel on the container, revealing where his wings should have been. Not even a feather was left. Only the metal structure that used to hold them.
"You didn't go with the Detective?" Lucifer asked, slowly turning towards her.
"When Chloe told me that the only thing in here was Russian Doll's…well, let's just say I smelt bullshit" Kami explained, coming to stand beside him.
"Someone has them. Someone's stolen my wings" Lucifer growled, his hands balled into fists.
"We'll find them" Kami told him, as Lucifer's forehead wrinkled.
"We?" Lucifer asked, as Kami nodded slowly.
"Someone's dead because of all this. I'm going to see it to the end" Kami went on.
"Why did you try to save that man on the roof? You just watched him shoot his friend at point-blank range. He didn't deserve your help" Lucifer couldn't help but wonder, watching a conflicted expression grow on Kami's face.
"I've got a sort of…saviour complex, as Chloe and numerous therapists like to call it. It's the whole reason why I became a nurse. Save as many people as I can" Kami informed him.
"Even the bad ones?" Lucifer pointed out, causing her to shrug.
"Yep. But I can still rough them up a bit" Kami stated, as Lucifer's lips twitched into a smile.
"And what brought on this saviour complex?" Lucifer inquired, curiously.
"…My dad died when I was a kid. I couldn't save him. Simple as that" Kami mumbled, as Lucifer raised an eyebrow.
"That doesn't sound so simple" He exclaimed.
"So, what's our next lead?" Kami inquired, obviously wanting to change the subject.
"You've seen how dangerous this path is, why would you still want to help?" Lucifer insisted, not understanding his intentions.
"Your dad gave you these wings, right?" Kami questioned, as Lucifer nodded.
"And I'm guessing he's not on the scene anymore?" Kami went on.
"It feels like it's been an eternity since I saw my father" Lucifer scoffed, harshly.
"Well, I'd do anything to get back something that my dad had given me" Kami stated, watching Lucifer shake his head.
"This isn't about my father. He doesn't deserve even a moment of my time" Lucifer retorted, as Kami raised an eyebrow.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting these wings back, Lucifer. It doesn't make you weak. You can hate your father and still you know…not hate him at all" Kami explained, making Lucifer frown.
"That makes absolutely no sense" Lucifer complained, as Kami shook her head fondly.
"C'mon, I can be just as good a partner as Chloe. You'll see" Kami insisted, holding out her hand, with a hopeful expression on her face.
"…You've got yourself a deal, little vixen" Lucifer grinned.
"Told you I could be pretty persuasive" Kami smirked, as the pair shook hands.
Kami walked through the crowds of Lux with nervous excitement, looking around the bright flashing lights and half-naked men and women. It definitely didn't seem like the type of place her sister would have ever gone if it wasn't for her job. Kami had been pleasantly surprised when she had turned up at the front door of Lux, and found that they had been expecting her, allowing her to jump to the front of the cue. Lucifer had told her he had found the next lead in the search for his wings and she was more than happy for the distraction. Renny's death was still playing on her mind, no matter how hard she tried to push it out. She approached the bar, leaning against the cold surface as she scanned the crowds for Lucifer.
"Are you even old enough to be in here?" A voice purred, from the other side of the bar.
"Old enough to know that leather on leather hasn't been in since the 90's" Kami retorted, looking at the gorgeous brunette bartender that had spoken.
"The kitten has claws" The woman mumbled, with a raised eyebrow.
"She's got bite too" Kami exclaimed, watching the woman's lips twitch into a smile.
"If you're looking for Lucifer, the position of annoying human has already been taken…no matter how hot are you" The bartender informed her.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm the sister of said annoying human, so…" Kami trailed off, watching the woman's eyes widened.
"Your Decker's sister?" The bartender gaped, letting her eyes sweep over Kami appreciatively.
"Kami. And your…?" Kami questioned, watching as the woman's face dropped.
"Lucifer hasn't mentioned me, huh?" The woman scoffed, clearly hurt by this.
"Clearly he didn't want you averting attention from himself" Kali pointed out, ushering to her figure.
"…I like you. What's your drink?" She questioned.
"Surprise me" Kami grinned, as the bartender grabbed a nearby bottle, pouring the contents into a glass, spilling a little on the counter.
"I'm Mazikeen, but you can definitely call me Maze" She smirked, giving the glass to Kami, as their fingers touched lightly.
"I see you've met my little demon" A familiar voice announced, as Kami pulled away from Maze's hand.
"Is that a nickname or something?" Kami frowned, as Lucifer and Maze shared an amused look.
"My new lead just entered the club…over there. Sergei Bok, a known smuggler. He moves just about anything he can get his hands on" Lucifer explained, ushering over to a man sitting on the seats on the other end of the club, watching a scantily clad woman dance.
"I'll get his attention" Maze stated, giving Kami a wink.
"Actually, that may not be so easy, Mazikeen. I've heard Sergei tastes are a little…younger" Lucifer admitted, turning to Kami.
"Jeez, everyone wants to remind me of my age today, huh? I'm twenty-one, not a kid" Kami grumbled.
"Two decades of life…I've had parties that have lasted that long" Lucifer pointed out.
"Twenty one" Kami corrected him.
"Maybe it is unwise to put you in Sergei's sights…" Lucifer trailed off, feeling a strange feeling of panic at the thought of what could happen if things went wrong.
"Well, from what I've seen the girl can handle herself. Besides, we've got her back…and front if she wants it" Mazikeen grinned, watching as Kami giggled.
"…Alright. All you need to do is get him upstairs. We'll sort out the rest" Lucifer nodded.
"Don't worry, Lucifer. I've got this" Kami insisted, seeing the conflicted look on his face.
As the pair watched Kami slowly saunter over to Sergei, Lucifer grabbed Kami's forgotten drink, feeling nervous.
"Let me guess. Your worried about what Decker is going to think about you putting her little sister in danger" Maze rolled her eyes.
"…It's not the Detective I'm worried about. You forget, Mazikeen, we're surrounded by mortals. One wrong move and they end up a bloody mess on the floor. I'd rather not see that happen to Kami" Lucifer admitted, surprising Maze.
What was it with the Decker girls getting under his skin?