You're A Snake Under Cover (Open)

[Ethan Lovell]

It was of no surprise that Ethan wasn’t much for late nights out with the boys or with anyone for that matter, especially when it was a full moon. Ethan had found that life had become a lot more restricted when you had to watch the moon cycles. Luckily, tonight was his night off. He figured, since he had the chance it was nice to have some normality...at least for one night, perhaps? what was the harm?

Being a single parent was pretty difficult; especially when you were also relied on to bring the money home. Luckily, Ethan had a few good friends and Megan's grandparents around. After her mother had died, her grandparents pretty much took Ethan under their wing and did everything they possibly could have for him and Megan. It was funny because his own parents weren’t around (his father was still in contact with him and had seen Megan on numerous occasions) Layla's parents had been like a god send to him.

Ethan didn’t feel much like partying, especially given a twelve hour shift to recover from. But, the boys wouldn’t take no for an answer. To be honest, he probably needed a good night out which was why he didn’t argue against it as much as he’d have thought. He’d worked his butt off none stop for the past month and quite honestly, he deserved a little bit of a break. There was an arrangement that Megan’s grandparents would have her at the weekends, mostly so Ethan could catch up on his sleep due to the lack of during his weekly working schedule. Ethan never worked weekends because he needed the two days to recover. It was Friday night and Meg’s grandparents had offered to have her over night because they planned a day out early on Saturday morning.

He was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, and a pale grey shirt. He’d arrived at the club with three work friends; Leon, Brett and Carlos, and were due to have more arrive a little later. Upon arriving the four of them headed straight to the bar. Whilst Leon ordered a round, Carlos and Brett eyed the women. He leant against the bar, side by side with his friends as they scoped the room. Carlos nodded approvingly as two young women in short skirts (though if you asked Ethan he’d have said they were wearing belts) he smirked licking his lips. Leaning forward he pinched one of the girls butts, to be honest, he was damn lucky she didn’t punch him. The girl grimaced and brushed his hand away before blasting him with a good few obscenities. Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle, as he turned his head away. Carlos was a hand on kind of guy; he never really beat around the bush about anything, even his interest in women.

With rejection burning his ego, Carlos snorted. Carlos didn’t handle brush off’s easy, it really irked him. Leon returned with the drinks and the four of them went to find a table. Taking one of the stools he sat down, generously sipping on his beer letting his eyes scan the room. He’d never been to this place before; he was more for the quiet bars and playing pool never the flashing lights and music that he could barely understand the logic behind.

The trio began to converse, or rather as well as they could, given the situation. He didn’t want to seem like a grandpa but god was this music loud and obnoxious. Whilst Leon, Brett and Ethan talked, Carlos continued to eye up the ladies as they passed him by. Ethan couldn’t really get Carlos, he liked him, he was a decent guy and a good laugh but he didn’t gel as well with him as he did with Bret and Leon. Carlos was somewhat of a trouble maker and sometimes not even trying he’d succeed. Trouble followed him around like a bad smell. Also, conversation with that guy was..abysmal, anything you spoke about quickly turned into another. Carlos merely couldn’t have a conversation without the mention of tits or ass.

It was nice to get out and spend some time with his friends, even if this place wasn’t ideally somewhere he’d have gone. A change of scene was nice sometimes. Not much time had passed before Carlos found his first victim and was off on her tail. He shook his head as he continued to sip on his beer. Leon laughed “He’s like a dog..” the man stated, watching his friend as he followed after the blonde with his tongue hanging out of his mouth like an excited puppy. Brett second Leon’s comment before proposing they get a few shots in. Ethan grumbled “No way, last time I did that with you guys I woke up naked hugging the toilet bowl.” He replied, that was some bad times. Tequila and Ethan didn’t mix well. The boys began to mock him about being a pussy and not being able to handle his alcohol consumption.

Ethan tried to ignore them but it was hard and never had he succumb to pressure so easily then he did right now. He sighed “Fine..okay, but no tequila..” he told them, they agreed and Leon got up to go over to the bar. Ethan extended his hand stopping him “I’ll get them. You keep a watch on Fido over there, make sure he doesn’t get himself into trouble..” he joked with a grin. Leaving his bottle on the table, he emerged from his seat and began to walk toward the bar. Finding a place at the bar, he stood and waited for the tender to come over.

There were three on tonight and were easily run off their feet. Whilst he waited patiently his eyes scanned the bar again, before falling on a girl who was stood to his right. She looked a little perplexed and unsettled. Ethan raised a brow as the girl was quite literally staring at the bar top, trying to avert her eyes entirely. It wasn’t until he looked aside her that he saw the slimy sleaze ball drooling all over her. He was pretty drunk as it went, his eyes rolling slightly and his speech slurred but that was no excuse for the filth that was coming out of his mouth and putting this young woman in an uncomfortable spot. He bought his hand to her arm and she brushed him off, grimacing slightly. This guy, he looked like a douche, what with his half buttoned shirt, slicked back hair and fake tan. A real jersey shore, Guido looking son of a bitch.

The man grabbed her again, this time a little rougher which prompted the girl to not only brush him off but yell at him to stop. It seemed this dickhead couldn’t take hints, and even after the plea wouldn’t back the fuck down. He didn’t get involved, not at first, because she handled him well but upon the point of him putting his hands on her, and throwing a flurry of insults at her. He had to do something. She was obviously fearful and he wasn’t about to watch this meathead get the satisfaction of upsetting her just because she wasn’t interested.

He extended his hand to touch her again. He stepped aside of her and grabbed the guys hand just as he reached out. Ethan gripped the man’s wrist firmly, and glared down at him “She said stop..” he told him sternly, he wasn’t messing around. The man guffawed at him, but Ethan looked less then amused “Okay..okay..i’ll back off..” the drunkard replied, Ethan began to let go of his wrist as the man pulled it away. The next thing he knew, the man had balled a fist and threw it toward him. Ethan caught his hand again, only this time, twisted his arm behind his back and turned him to face the bar. In one swift move, he’d curled the man’s arm up behind his back and slammed his head down on the bar, pinning him. The drunk cried out, wincing as his face pressed against the woodened bar top.

Ethan lifted his hand off the man’s face and let him up. This guy, however drunk he was, wasn’t stupid. He took the warning and quickly bailed leaving Ethan being observed by watchful and somewhat cautious eyes. He sighed heavily, turning his eyes to the woman who was still present, looking a little shocked “You okay?” he asked her. She barely had time to reply when Brett made his appearance, placing a hand on Ethan’s back “Check you out, you’re like Jackie Chan..” he commented, slashing the air quickly with both his hands. Brett grinned, Ethan turned and handed him the shots to which Brett took back to the table. Ethan bought the girl a drink just out of kindness really, before watching her go back to her friends.

Turning on his heel, he glanced at the entrance seeing the slime ball leaving and then journeyed toward his table. Ethan was so taken in by everything around him, and now becoming instinctively cautious about the people in here and the chances of things getting a little crazy, that he wasn’t looking where he was going. He bumped into someone, and given his size in general almost knocked them off their feet. Ethan quickly extended his hands in a bid to catch the person before they lost their balance entirely.

[Gabriel]

If anyone had asked Gabriel what he was at the club for, he would have replied that he was looking for something. What he was looking for was another matter. Not a drink, not a woman, not the overloud and overdone music the club had playing. He simply knew that something had brought him here, something that would require his attention. He knew that naturally, by the fact of his presence there.

It was difficult to explain. Gabriel often received his instructions subliminally, without really realizing it until he was in the middle of things. He did not frequent bars - the two things that mainly brought people to clubs, drinking and fraternization, were a little unbefitting his position - so when he did, when he had the sudden compulsion to visit one in particular, it was a clear sign that something was about to go down.

He strolled into the place like any other guy. Dressed in a dark blue shirt and black slacks, he fit in pretty well. He even got a few looks from women as he passed them. Granted, he looked a little older than most of the guys there, but Gabriel liked to think of it as a "dignified" sort of age. Besides, what were a few years to someone who had been alive since before time began?

A hand trailed along his arm, causing him to stop and look over his shoulder. One of the women who had smiled at him as he entered stood there, giving him a devious smile. She wasn't bad looking - dark hair, subtle curves, full lips. "Hey," she said, and it turned out she had a soft, sultry voice too. "I'm Kristi."

"Gabe," he answered, shaking her hand. He had not worn a wedding band today. Usually, when he was going to be in these places, he wore one just to keep others from hitting on him. Tonight it had slipped his mind. He regretted it as she drew nearer to him, still with that smile, her body brushing his slightly as she moved in and then stepped back to look up at him.

"Gabe." She said his name slowly, as though trying it out on her tongue. "Could I interest you in a dance?"

He tried to return her smile. "I'm afraid I'm here on business."

"Such a shame." She pouted. "I bet you're always working. Always on the go. You could use a woman who would… cater to you."

She was partly right and didn't even know it. "A tempting offer," he said, and their gazes locked, blue eyes meeting hazel, and, encouraged, she smirked at him, leaned into him like a conspirator.

"And one you should consider." Something scratched against his palm; the point of a pen. She wrote ten numbers into his skin and then smiled again. "In case you change your mind."

She waited for him to respond, probably hoping for a yes or a nod, something to further encourage her. His attention had been redirected to what looked like the beginnings of a fight over a woman at the bar. The smaller of two men threw a punch, and Gabriel took a step in that direction, thinking to break up the fight; however, the other man soon had the aggressor pressed up against the bar, needing no interference from Gabriel.

"Looks like I was right." Kristi's voice purred near his ear. "You're all work. So tense."

He turned back to look at her. She still wore the same smile, watching him with all the patience of a big cat studying its quarry. He did not respond to her, only gave her an enigmatic tilt of his head. "Have a good night, Miss Kristi."

He turned and took a few steps away from the disappointed woman, and was promptly sent careening by a force knocking into him. A pair of hands steadied him, keeping him from falling all over the floor. Startled, Gabriel looked up and recognized the man from the bar, the one who had kept the almost-fight under control.

"Thanks," Gabriel said, regaining his balance and stepping back. He would have walked away then and left the whole thing alone, but then the woman, Kristi, stepped in and made matters worse.

"Hey, aren't you going to make him apologize?" Kristi asked Gabriel, her smile gone now, replaced by a look of anger and disgust, in defense of the man she hoped would take up her offer later. He couldn't do that if he was broken all in pieces. "He could have really hurt you."

"That's not necessary," Gabriel said quickly, straightening his shirt idly. Women were trouble, he decided. "No harm, no foul, or whatever it is they say."

[Lucifer]

Whomever invented the nightclubs should be given a gold medal in the eyes of Lucifer. It allowed these cretins that God created to divulge in their most carnal of desires and it made Lucifer a happy little fallen angel to see them give into temptation. Every little sin was one more strike against them, something that would deny them everlasting paradise and promise them nothing but pain and sorrow.

Lucifer never went to these places looking to tempt humans; he doesn't need to. When humans abused alcohol, Lucifer never really had to give them a gentle nudge in any direction because they would just blindly follow without reservation.

Humans . . . sometimes they were highly amusing.

Especially when they have no idea on who they happen to be 'hitting on'. One of them attempted to put the moves on one of his former archangel brothers, Gabriel. The poor girl just could not get the hint that good ol' Gabe was not interested. And why would he be? He was an angel of the lord, he was a good boy that did whatever he was told to do and all of that jazz. Lucifer simply rolled his eyes as he thought of the days when he was forced to serve his creator. Lucifer was far more happy ruling hell than serving in heaven.

As the woman continued to attempt Gabriel into a compromising situation, Lucifer felt compelled to involve himself the situation. Lucifer removed himself from his table, having to move past a bevy of beautiful women as he did so(this is the Devil that we're talking about here). However, before he could even interject himself into this potential highly amusing and highly entertaining situation, Gabriel collided right into someone. It looked to be purely accidental in nature, however the woman that was putting the moves on Gabriel seemed to be far more upset than Gabriel actually was. She demanded some kind of apology, bringing up the point that Gabriel could have been seriously injured.

Lord help us all, poor little Gabriel could have broke a fingernail.

"If I may be as bold to say; it would seem that this man was at fault," Lucifer chimed in as he motioned to Gabriel, placing a hand on his former brother's shoulder. "How ya doin' Gabe, long time no see."

ooc - There is nothing that I love more than a threeway thread with Rayne and Tina.

[Ethan Lovell]

Ethan hadn't meant to bump into the guy, it had been inevitable. Thing's kicked off pretty quickly up ahead and Ethan was always one to get involved. It was something that got him into a lot of shit, often coming to others assistance and defence which sometimes resulted in both parties turning against him. He recalled many times where he'd get involved in some dispute that didn't necessarily concern him, often domestic and find himself then being attacked by both those involved. Ethan wasn't the type to help everybody, but sometimes he couldn't help himself. He wanted a decent night out, as did the rest of the people here so he'd be damned if some jerk off was going to ruin that.

He grabbed out and stopped the guy from falling, the man himself seeming pretty courteous of the fact but the girl with him well...she appeared to be more bothered then he was. "Hey, aren't you going to make him apologize?" Ethan raised a brow at her, she was decent looking but then again a lot of the girls in here looked the same to him. "He could have really hurt you." She added, boy she had no idea. Ethan could have hurt them, both of them and in fact everyone in this place had it been one of those nights but tonight was his night off.

"That's not necessary," Gabriel replied quickly, straightening his shirt out. "No harm, no foul, or whatever it is they say." Ethan eyed the woman before turning his gaze toward Gabe. There was something about him, something strange. Ethan had a very heightened sense of smell and along with being able to smell absolutely everything, he could also differentiate between certain particulars. Species for one. There was something not quite right about him, but Ethan couldn't figure out what.

After a moment, he spoke "No, no she's right. I'm very sorry." He said sincerely, before shooting a slight frown at the interfering mare standing beside Gabe. What was with these women tonight, seemed as if everywhere you looked there were two guys and a woman in the middle stirring up crap. He blamed it on the alcohol. People became animals under the influence and she was an idiot.

Ethan was ready to part ways when another man approached. "If I may be as bold to say; it would seem that this man was at fault," The man chimed in. Ethan felt kinda cornered now, what seemed like a small issue had quickly become a debate. He winced slightly, forcing a small smile "Either way, no one got hurt so..it's fine." He assured, if anything just looking for a way to cut himself off from this now. However, Ethan slowly turned his eyes toward the new face.

It was kind of like running into a brick wall, or a wall of smell if you will. His brows furrowed a little as he eyed the man for a couple of moments. If he thought there was something off with Gabriel, well this guy..he stunk bad. It wasn't a pungent aroma, not some kind of terrible, foul smell but just something that was different to that of humans and where Gabe showed signs..this one, he reeked of it.

He was silent for some moments, then finally spoke "..Well, I should go." He excused himself, taking a step back before hesitantly turning on his heel to leave. Ethan would only have to take a few steps to reach his table but each would come with a glance back at the two. Something really wasn't right there, he'd need to keep an eye out.

ooc - lol XD a kain sandwich

[Gabriel]

There was something to be said about women and their ability to distract. The moment Gabriel stepped in the club, he should have recognized the presence of a certain aura, but he was quite quickly set upon by Kristi and her charms. They had a conversation, and then as he made his getaway Gabriel bumped into someone, and that was where the trouble began.

They could have walked away like normal human beings - or something - had Kristi not opened her mouth. The other man took it in stride, though, and actually did apologize for running into Gabriel. It was an humbling moment, and Gabriel was getting ready to respond with a smile when the pressure of a hand on his shoulder erased that smile from his face.

Lucifer, of course, was simply looking to stir things up. Gabriel shot a glare in his direction as he claimed Gabriel was at fault. There was no way this was his doing - but he kept his mouth shut, preferring to keep matters from spiraling further.

It was then that he realized this man was sensing something untoward about this situation. And there was, of course. One was usually not so lucky to find both an archangel and a fallen archangel in the same place at the same time. Especially not standing before someone who did not seem to be entirely human himself. The woman, at least, seemed to be normal.

Remembering that she was there, Gabriel turned to her. "Will you excuse us, please?" She pouted, but slinked away, back to her table, where she kept her drink to her lips and her eyes on Gabriel. She had realized that the new arrival knew Gabriel in some way, and decided they maybe needed some time to catch up. Oh, well. She knew he had her number, at least.

The other man, the one Gabriel had bumped into, excused himself as well, taking a short walk back to his table, while keeping an eye on Gabe and Lucifer. A healthy suspicion. Good. That was always a helpful thing to have when the Devil himself was around.

"So…" Gabriel turned to Lucifer. It seemed it was just the two of them, which is what Gabriel had wanted. He really did not need his fallen brother corrupting the mortals in his presence. Not that it could be helped. "I suppose asking 'what brings you here' is pointless, isn't it, Lucy?"

Gabriel's demeanor was fairly passive, neither overly happy to see Lucifer nor extremely annoyed by his presence. Somehow, Gabriel always felt a little relieved to see his former brother. He figured it was some residual habit from the old days. But at the same time, he knew there was nothing good to be gained from this meeting. The two perspectives canceled each other out, leaving Gabriel feeling numb.

He had received no instructions as to handling Lucifer here; indeed, he had not expected to see Lucifer at all. That meant his hands were tied; he could talk all he wanted, but in the end, Lucifer would be able to do what he wanted, while Gabriel simply stood by.

Yay, lack of free will.

ooc- *enjoys*

[Lucifer]

Normally, his angel brothers said that it was good to see Lucifer even though that was a horrendous lie. No angel was ever happy to see their fallen brother because it usually meant that the situation was close to going out of control. It was very surprising to Lucifer that the angels he did happen to run into never made an attempt on his life, Lucifer figured that God's orders were to kill the traitor on site. That was a little hit to the Devil's ego, but he disguised it very well. Besides, the longer he lived, the better. Every opportunity that angels had to take down Satan were missed, which gave him more opportunity to take reign over all three of the kingdoms.

Lucifer eyes the man that was nearly knocked over by Gabe, someone that had a look of fear in his eyes. Lucifer smiled but it wasn't a welcoming one. If anything, it was a rather disturbing one. Their was nothing happy behind Lucifer's smile because the man knew what there was something up. Lucifer knew that he may look human, but could be farm from it.

Lucifer guessed that he was some kind of werewolf, had to have been the smell that put him off because sulfur had a very distinct smell to it. All the demons smelled of rotting eggs, but Lucifer reeked of it. The smell wasn't something easily noticed by most humans until after the demon or Lucifer had left. But werewolves could smell the Devil practically a mile away; they had that whole enhanced smell ability going on. The man was wise to leave as quick as he did, Lucifer wouldn't take to kindly on some half breed attempted to throw himself in the middle of two angels.

"Now, now Gabe . . . you know I hate that name," Lucifer said, anger growing in his voice. With the spike in his emotion, a few lights hanging from the ceiling busted and went out. It wasn't an explosion that would cause the party-goers any kind of concern, but it was fairly noticeable when a few lights went out without reason. "Call me Lucy one more time and see what happens."

That last statement was far from a threat; Gabe knew it to be a promise. However, when Lucifer actually acted upon that promise always remained to be seen. Lucifer was not expect his brother to be at a place like this, so he was far from prepared for a fight with his brother. However, with Gabriel actually conversing with the Morning Star and not trying to kill him, it seemed as if Gabe wasn't ready for a fight either.

"We both know the reason that I'm here, Gabe. However, why is it that you are here? We both know that you won't dare disappoint our father by laying with one of his precious little humans. Did you come here to actually sway opinions and get all these insects to bow to the Lord?" Lucifer asked with a quizzical look. "If you've come here to do that, I would be obliged to sit back and watch. It would be very hysterical seeing you turn these people onto God."

Lucifer looked at the crowd, anger ever present on his face. He hated humans with very last fiber of his being. Much like Lucifer, his father had created them but didn't hold humans to such a high standard. Lucifer thought that to be pure bullshit as most humans didn't even believe that God existed. "Gabriel, how could you care for such things that don't even believe we or our father even exist? He gave them free will to do whatever they want and they refuse to bow when we were not given the same choices. It was either bow or be expelled from paradise forever. How is that right? You know it isn't right by any stretch of the means," Lucifer eyed the crowd, his eyes landing on a girl that would have loved to have been Gabriel's latest conquest. "Take her for example . . . you aren't the first that she's taken home from this place. She sleeps with a lot of men and a lot of women. She's drinks to excess and takes God's name in vain. If any angel did that, than it would be all over. That angel would be cast out of heaven forever."

Lucifer took a drink from a waitress that walked past the two of them. The drink wasn't order by Lucifer, so the waitress looked a little pissed when he snagged it. But when Lucifer gave her that infamous 'evil eye', she quickly turned and walked away.

"Everybody in here tonight is a sinner and not one of them confesses to it. Well, except for that young gentleman that bumped into you. He appears to be on the up and up but he's not human. He is an abomination of our father. You know good and well there's no hope from that, so his soul is mine," Lucifer turned back to the crowd once he finished his drink. "All of their souls are mine. I'm just here to watch them burn . . . which brings me back to the question; What are you doing here?"

[Ethan Lovell]

Ethan was certain that he was not mistaken, both men just a few steps away were neither human. The one apparently worse off then the other, he reeked..not like the obvious smell you found in a club of booze, cigarettes and a little bit of b.o..no...this was something else, something ungodly. One thing he was sure, that the newer face was bad news. He stunk of trouble.

It was because of this that Ethan remained close by, watching the two like a hawk because he had a bad feeling about them..or at least the one. Ethan had a feeling that whilst this man was about, something was going to go down. What that was, he didn't know, but the feeling he got in the pit of his bowels he did not like. Ethan wasn't human, which made him less inclined to judge but when a man smelt the way that this guy had smelt...he had to judge. He was bad, no doubt about that.

A plus side to his 'situation' was that his hearing was pretty damn sharp, sharp enough to hear what the two were saying but not so cleverly over the loud music bursting from the speakers. He was able to pick snippets of the conversation, more then others around with regular hearing would do. Of course, the small parts he got were of no help in figuring out what type of creature this foul stinking man was..though he was able to understand that he was definitely not a fan of Ethan himself, either.

He watched him carefully, shifting his eyes from the man to his group of friends and back again. The burning question still remained due to the fact that he wasn't able to hear all words spoken, who was this man and what was his deal here?

[Gabriel]

Any other time, Gabriel would have loved to take a tug at the tail of the beast by referring to the fallen angel as "Lucy" once again. Here, though, there were far too many innocent - or, at least, uninvolved - lives at stake, lives that could be changed or even ended by witnessing the power of a fight between the two powerful beings. Gabriel knew the supernaturals of the world were not exactly trying to be outed, and besides, he had not come here with orders to battle Lucifer, Truth be told, he hadn't even known Lucifer would be present.

Which naturally led to Lucifer asking what Gabriel was doing in a seedy, sinful place such as this club. It was a fair question. Once Gabriel had the answer himself, he would be glad to share it. Lately, Gabriel had taken up checking places like this for demons, who had a habit of hiding out in human clubs and brothels and the like. Perhaps that same goal had brought him here. He seldom did things with a specific purpose these days; that is, the purpose was never known to him. It was mildly disconcerting, but there was nothing Gabriel was willing to do about it.

But no, Gabriel was not here to be some sort of traveling evangelist. When he walked amongst the humans, he kept his beliefs quiet, understanding that they were unpopular in this day and time. There had been a time when everyone believed in God in some form, but events had shaped the world differently now, and all Gabriel could do was hope there was a method to the madness. There had to be.

He listened as Lucifer went on about what was right and what was wrong about what had happened to them. It was tempting to agree with him. It would be freeing, even. But it would also separate Gabriel from the Father he loved so much, and that would destroy him, destroy his purpose. He could imagine a life as a fallen angel, and to him, it was not a pretty one.

Glancing at the werewolf that had bumped to him, Gabriel silently agreed that it did seem the young man was on the up-and-up. A shame, since Lucifer's words here were spot-on. His soul would be going to Hell no matter how well he lived. It was another of Heaven's rules that Gabriel secretly found fault with but could do nothing about.

Returning to the question of the hour, Lucifer seemed to have finally wrapped up his speech. Inwardly, Gabriel sighed. He knew exactly what Lucifer's reaction to his words would be. Laughter, degradation, the usual. How he missed the days when all of his brothers got along, when nothing divided them and they were all happy together with their Father in Heaven.

"What? I can't stop in somewhere and have a good time? I like to kick back and enjoy myself on occasion," Gabriel said, putting on a grin that did not reflect in his eyes. "And when I'm looking for a good time, I seek out some of those demons you created and send them careening out of this plane. They're some destructive little critters." He was exaggerating, of course, since nothing he did was really his choice, but either an order given him or something he was moved by his Father to do. Since he had no instructions in this case, he winged it, carefully staying within the confines of the many rules that bound him while doing his best to be irritating.

"I didn't expect to come across the Deceiver himself, though. If I had, I might have brought a bigger sword." Surely Lucifer would understand his meaning. He was still smiling, however darkly. "It's been a while since we faced off, hasn't it? Maybe we should clear the place out and have a bit of practice."

As he finished speaking, a sudden spark in the ceiling caused a few scattered shouts around them, as people ducked and cowered. Gabriel looked on impassively as they scattered, more sparks going off here and there to force everyone out. If anyone paid attention, though, they would see that Gabriel and Lucifer remained behind, completely unfazed by the sparks of electricity, since they could not be harmed by them and it was Gabriel who was causing them anyway.

Gabriel folded his arms. He was not entirely certain of what he was doing. It was one of those things that he kind of did because an unseen hand was guiding him. The last time he had fought Lucifer, some decades earlier, Lucifer had won something of an unclear victory, since neither of them had accomplished the task of killing the other. With the absence of archangel blades at present, Gabriel was not too worried about dying, but he did prefer not having his butt handed to him.

The loud music continued to play, and the ceiling, composed of pipes exposed in a grunge-like attempt at style, continued to spark, occasionally illuminating the dark club, and adding a nice dramatic backdrop to the possible fight, if Lucifer decided it was a good a time as any to flex his muscles.

"Are you so sure that these people don't believe in God, brother? When they depend on fate or destiny, is it not our Father they're calling on? They may not know the truth, but we do, and that is why I care for them. They haven't been lucky enough to see the Face of God, yet they go about their lives clinging to the hope that there is something better coming tomorrow. That is a belief, and as close to one in God as many Christians have. Others may fault them for their unbelief, but I do not."

He raised his eyebrows. The place had been nearly cleared out now, save a few spectators, some of whom were probably too stoned to figure out that they should run. Gabriel set off a spark over their heads, and they ran too. "So, brother, what will it be?"

[Lucifer]

It was quite a sight to see an angel as devoted to their father's cause like Gabriel in a place such as this. It was a seedy little place, full of people indulging in whatever they wanted and not caring if their actions had repercussions. Sure, they may have believed in a higher being but they certainly didn't hold enough respect for it considering how everyone here was looking for some company for the evening. These people were sinners and as far as Lucifer was concerned; they belonged to him.

"Gabriel having a good time? Oh how the times have changed since I've been gone," Lucifer said. "Last I remember, you stood about until daddy told you want to do . . . like a little dimwitted attack dog," Neither Lucifer nor Gabriel were expecting to run into one another at this moment, so neither one was prepared for a throwdown, but a war of the words was still in the cards for the two of them.

"Is that right? Is that how you spend your vacation? Sending those destructive little creatures from existence?" Lucifer knew that very few of his demons could actually stand toe-to-toe to any angel, let alone one of God's Archangels. Most of them would just shiver in whatever they wore on their feet when coming face to face with an angel.

"They are messy, this is true but at least I let them do as they please; unlike someone else I used to know," Lucifer stated. "They aren't bound to a set of rules, like you are Gabe. They don't want on me to tell them which move to make or which foot to put in front of the other. No, I allow them to do as they please . . . so if they make a little mess, than it's not really my fault now is it?"

"I didn't expect to see Dad's lapdog either, so I guess we both go caught with our metaphorical pants down, didn't we?" There was nothing more that Lucifer wanted to do than wipe that little smile off of Gabriel's face. Gabriel could certainly be cocky at times, something that got under the skin of his fallen brother on occasion. "Last I recall, you brought you're biggest sword to the battle . . . yet here I stand," Lucifer said as he stepped backwards, spinning on his heels. The last time Lucifer and Gabriel went twelve rounds, it was quite the epic battle. Neither of them gave an inch and both of them were fighting with every last ounce that they had. Lucifer easily chalked that up as a victory because he was able to get away with his life. This time, however, Gabriel didn't bring along his Archangel sword; the only thing that can kill the Devil himself.

"Practice? So what, you want a sparring session?" Lucifer chuckled slightly. "You should be the one to know that I never go half speed in a fight, brother."

Lucifer stood his ground, staring holes through his angel brother as the lights above him exploded once again. Unlike when Lucifer had done this, Gabriel did it to the extent to clear out the club. Even though he never would, Lucifer had to admit that Gabriel was a clever one. Gabriel wasn't allowed to let harm behalf one of God's precious little humans, so he did what he needed to get them clear of any danger.

"But it is that unbelief that will ultimately cause their fall! It is that unbelief that I feed upon! Tell me brother, how many souls rise above to the heavens instead of sinking downward into the pit? Not many, Gabe. Not many at all," Lucifer shook his head as part of him still couldn't fathom why Gabriel cared about these critters as much as he did. "We both know that these people don't believe in God nor do they confess their sins. They may believe that something better will come tomorrow, but it won't. And when they die, their soul won't end up on everlasting paradise; it'll wind up in a pit of despair, pain, and suffering. So you may not fault them for their unbelief . . . but I do. And I live off of that!"

"What will it be? I'll tell you what it'll be, brother. It'll be grand, epic and all sorts of amazing. But when it is . . . that's my decision and not yours. But when it does happen, you'll fall brother and I . . . I shall reign over Earth like I do Hell. And when that happens, you of all should now that nothing can stop me. But don't worry, you'll be the first I inform when I decided to kill you," Lucifer smiled before vanishing from thin air, leaving nothing more than a cloud of reddish-orange smoke.