Notes: I made a playlist for this whole thing, wanted to make it in 8tracks, but I couldn't. Anyway, I made it on youtube so, here: /playlist?list=PLpcamrUgj0Y6uvgBYWjuFTcSiBogRxq4B
(Part of the address at least, since links won't work :'D)

I was mostly listening to the track "Cold" doing this chapter, and since the tracks are somehow in order regarding the story, the last two are for chapter 10. This. lol

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He should have known...

He should have known this would happen.

From all the tortures, this sure had to be one of the worst. It pains him as he never thought it could happen, seeing his little brother there, silent, and with an emotionless expression on his face.

He was the one who stabbed him on the back. Lucifer was still alive only because Castiel didn't aim for his hearth yet, but it was there... So close to it.

You should have known.

We tried to warn you.

"Shut up..." He said to himself, to the voices he ended up developing along the way because of the Cage, because of so many things.

"Are you talking to me, or to the insanity within you, brother?"

"... You're not him... " Lucifer wanted to tell the hallucination to shut up. Because it had to be that, a hallucination, and he was right in the end. He let himself fall into the lie, the torture of the Cage.

The goddamn place had taken the memories and image of his baby brother to drag him in, and all he can think about is that maybe it was because he was still feeling regretful for what he did to him that day in the chosen field... Because he couldn't control his emotions well, because he let his rage fall upon someone who was like him in some ways. He was regretful of quite a few things, and that one was surely one of the curious ones.

"How can you be sure?" Castiel said, a soft grin forming on his lips for just a second.

One thing was sure; The pain he felt this time was new, to some level at least. Lucifer trying to cling to the usual idea that this was the cage, made him think that it was different because it was the first time the Cage used someone different. Instead of Father, Michael, Gabriel, Sam...

Even when the last three were involved at some level, it wasn't the same.

Because he fell in love with the lie.

Castiel let Lucifer fall to the ground, pulling out the Archangel blade, and the Morning Star rolls to one side, he clenches his eyes in pain... In abandonment... He was just tired of being alone, so alone.

But he refuses to cry. Not again. He was used to the pain, he should be used to the pain. This wasn't new for him, this wasn't-

"Poor Lucifer... Still trying to hold into the hope that this isn't real." Castiel should shut up, the hallucination, Lucifer reminds himself. Because even as a hallucination, it hurt.

It hurts.

The icy blue eyes looks even more pale, and Lucifer's sight settled before him, he tries to ignore this Castiel.

He just needed to wait, this was it.

The Cage.

This is it. The final moments before he wakes up in the middle of the darkness that was the cage, his prison, his cell in the ninth circle of Hell.

"No one loves you, Lucifer. Michael still believes he has to get rid of you, and you know that deep inside," Castiel said.

Lucifer didn't reply at that basically because it was true, it was something he could believe. Until that point at least, he thought that maybe, and just maybe, he was facing the real world. Which was just as bad as if it were a lie, because then he would be having this Castiel, and he didn't want to accept it. But then Castiel mentioned things that he thought as true as well, and saw as wrong in this universe...

"Why would Gabriel behave so nice to you in the end, I wonder? Why would Sam say Yes to you?"

"... Shut up." It was a soft plead, Lucifer's voice is hardly heard.

In his mind, Gabriel was dead. He killed him, even if he was trying to protect himself, he killed him, and he can't forget it. And Sam? There was no way Sam would say Yes to him just because he wanted to help him, he even doubts that Sam would risk that much, not even for Cass.

The two ideas were hard to dig in as well, because for a brief moment, it made him happy.

Gabriel was alive.

Sam for once believed in him.

And Castiel... The idea of him wanting to fight for him as well melted his heart.

"Why would I join your side?" Castiel turned around, gazing down at the Devil laying on the floor. He can see him shivering, again. Shaking like a wet puppy, complaining about the cold. "Not only that, but even fall in love. Yes... It's a great story."

So it was a lie... isn't it?

"Why would Father let you, and Michael, free?"

/

"I'm so disappointed in you, Lucifer..."

"Why? If I spoke as I did it was because you are not making sense, Father."

"I know what I'm saying, you should obey. Do as I say. Like Michael, like the others. You shouldn't be rebelling against what I asked of you, to all of you."

"Father... I can't. These human beings are flawed, murderous! And you are asking us to love them more than we love you, and I don't... I don't understand-"

"You shouldn't be questioning my command."

"I can prove to you that you are wrong-"

"Stop talking."

"You can't ask this of us, you can't ask this of me..."

"Lucifer..."

"I'm not against the idea of watch over them if that's what you want, but I won't love them more, because I can't... I can't lie to myself, to my sense of justice. They are evil, they are-"

"You don't belong to Heaven anymore, Lucifer. You need to go."

"You can't be serious... I can't leave. This is my home."

"Not anymore."

"You can't... do this to me..."

...

Why this memory just now...?

He remembers refusing to leave, and then Father asking Michael to deal with the situation. He remembers how he fought his older brother in anger, at the betrayal when not even his brother tried to defend him, to make Father understand his point of view. Nothing... but a kick on the ass.

He couldn't believe his eyes. Gabriel was there, standing in front of him, and even pushed him away before he dared to step on Kali. He can't believe the brother he taught so much in Heaven was now against him. And why?

"Lucifer, you're my brother. And I love you. But you are a great big bag of dicks."

"What did you just say to me?" He couldn't believe it, really. Now he was mistreating him. And Gabriel spoke some more, he talked about things, things he listened, he remembers... Things that helped him later on to understand things he wasn't sure of before. But Gabriel got a few things wrong himself, and when he tried to stop him and not make him fight him, the messenger of God just decided to attack him from the back.

And the memories were just reminders of how alone he has always felt since he was cast out.

"So you haven't changed a bit, little brother. Always blaming everybody but yourself. We were together. We were happy. But you betrayed me, all of us, and you made our father leave."

"No one makes Dad do anything. He is doing this to us."

"You're a monster, Lucifer. And I have to kill you."

Why Dean chose Sam, but Michael didn't choose me...?

Was I so unworthy?

My mistake was speaking my mind out loud when I thought something wasn't right. Father made me who I am, so why...?

…

"Oh, I don't know, Sam. I think it will. I think it'll happen soon. Within six months. And I think it'll happen in Detroit."

"You listen to me, you son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I'm going to rip your heart out!"

Oh, Sam...

...

"Castiel. I don't understand why you're fighting me, of all the angels."

"You really have to ask?"

"I rebelled, I was cast out. You rebelled, you were cast out. Almost all of heaven wants to see me dead, and if they succeed, guess what? You're their new public enemy number one. We're on the same side, like it or not, so why not just serve your own best interests? Which in this case just happen to be mine?"

"I'll die first."

/

"Shut up," the Devil tried to yell this time, only that it didn't come out as he wanted. The hallucination kneeled beside Lucifer, but Lucifer was still too lost within his own memories.

Watching his older brother saying he was a monster, and that he had to kill him, still affects him. And he doubts he'll ever see Michael one day, trying to stand by his side.

He remembers Sam's words, and how they hurt even when he knew that part of him was supposed to crave for him, as his other half. He remembers trying to do his best to try to convince him to be by his side, not to fight him. To have him as the partner that was supposed to be, as a companion, one he was promised so long, long ago, someone that was supposed to understand him. He would have given him everything he have wanted, everything.

And he remembers Castiel, and how defiantly he turned him down.
But he liked that, the loyalty he showed...
He liked to see that rebel side of him, and that he wasn't the only one being cast out of Heaven for disobeying direct orders.

Loneliness is something hard to dig in, even for him.

There were tears in his eyes when the hallucination of Castiel finally decided to sink the Archangel blade on his chest again, only that this time it was the right spot. The pain is sharp, and Lucifer closed his eyes, not because of it, but because he was more than ready to let the lie go...

The next time he opened his eyes, the vision was familiar as only he knew.

The darkness in the cage didn't change, not one bit.

Thunders and lightning sometimes could be seen through the cracks of the prison's walls, but still... The darkness down there, inside the cage was just too much.

He can't see Michael, but he guesses he's still around, probably dealing with his own hallucination and torment. The Devil had tried before to reach his older brother, but Michael was mad at him, even after falling into the cage together. After all... Lucifer helped Sam to drag Michael with them in that moment. Michael knew that, and it wasn't strange for him to be mad at his brother.

He had a mision, and he failed.

The eldest has failed in so many things at this point, and in some way he believes that maybe it was the right thing to be here, and be punished. But Michael's ideas were... Well, let's say they weren't right, not completely at least. He was doing what he was told, but he was wrong when he chose between what he had to do, instead of what he should do.

He abandoned Lucifer when he begged him not to fight, but he couldn't rebel... How to rebel? He wasn't like him. He always did what Father asked, so...

But Lucifer made it clear in his own way, that he was willing to put his anger aside, as long as they could be together again as brothers. And that's Michael's regret.

And who knows where Adam is, is not as if Lucifer cares. He was probably Michael's responsibility anyway, so he must be around, maybe clinging to the first Archangel ever created. Even when Michael wasn't in condition to watch over anyone right now.

Now the Sword of Heaven can't be seen, Lucifer can't see him, and that's why he had just awaken from this trick, from this lie. He's weak and everything hurts. His vision is blurry, and he's shivering without control. His damaged wings try in vain to provide him some warmth.

But it doesn't work. Not anymore.

Trembling limbs try to drag his body to the corner, fingers, fists, he's against the ground, but he wants to stand.

He can't.

His palms are on the frozen wall, it burns at the touch, but that was normal for him. It was just the everyday down in Hell for him, for anyone who had to waste the rest of a life in this cage.

So Lucifer is on his knees, he whimpers slightly in pain, eyes closed, clenching...

Crying won't do it.

Father is not listening.

He has to accept it once and for all... That he's alone.

No one is coming for him.

No one will come to the rescue.

His chest goes in and out, everytime he has to breathe in and deal with the cage's atmosphere, a faint sound comes out of his throat in protest, it resembles the high-pitched screech of Angel speech, only that it's subtle... So subtle.

And something is changing...

You were an enemy since the beginning, Morning Star.

You might as well get used to the idea.

A soft laugh can be heard in the back of his mind, and he knows he's losing it.

Maybe if you embrace the feeling, something changes...?

Well... That makes sense.

Of course it makes sense.

'Maybe Father would listen...'

It's better than staying in this place for all eternity.

You crave for death, for mercy.

'For mercy.'

If you got out, maybe someone else could be the hero.

This hero might as well end your pain.

'Michael is in no condition to be my match...'

Maybe someone else...

The bright in his eyes fades, and the Morning Star is no more. He's lost somewhere within himself, and he can't help it. He doesn't feel like reaching out. To fight it...

When there's no hope.

'Maybe someone else.'

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Final notes: Sooo, this is it.

Lucifer was right in the end, this was an angsty story, and I hope the ones who loves Lucifer at least liked it...? It was also my attempt to make some remember that the Cage was made to contain Lucifer, to torture him. That means it's stronger than him, and he basically can't do much inside of it.
I'm sorry if there was people waiting for a happy ending, but well... Not in this case (I even threw hints through the course of this story that meant it couldn't end well :'D). Though I was planning to work on a sequel from this story in future, maybe do something in which Lucifer really gets out of the cage, and make things different. Even try a happy ending for him, hmm? Let me know what do you think of that, I'd appreciate it~
Let me know if you hated this, liked it, blah. Don't be too hard on me though, english isn't my first language I repeat. I'm still practicing. Thanks again to my buddy Renezinha, who helped me in this project by beta-reading it all.