The woman froze when she noticed Lucifer looking at her.
Her hands trembled as she pulled out her phone and started dialing 911.
“Hey, wait a second!” Lucifer straightened and raised one hand.
“Listen, I can explain.”
Unfortunately, that only made her more nervous.
She quickly finished dialing and lifted the phone toward her ear.
Lucifer saw the situation getting out of control and blurted out, “Do you believe in the Light?”
Golden radiance immediately appeared in his palm.
[Holy Light activated.]
The woman instinctively looked up.
Her ice-blue eyes widened as she stared at the warm glow floating above Lucifer’s hand.
“Oh my God…”
A dispatcher answered through the phone.
“911.
What’s your emergency?”
The woman swallowed and continued staring at Lucifer.
After several seconds, she slowly lowered the phone.
“Sorry.
I dialed by mistake.”
She ended the call.
Lucifer finally relaxed.
I haven’t even made any real money yet, and I almost ended up getting arrested.
He pointed toward the unconscious Robert.
“Sorry you had to see that.
He was possessed, and I was dealing with it.”
“Possessed?”
Her fear immediately mixed with curiosity.
Lucifer nodded confidently.
“Exorcism.”
The woman glanced between Robert and the Holy Light in Lucifer’s hand.
She clearly didn’t know whether to believe him, but she had just watched golden light appear out of nowhere.
Lucifer decided to reinforce the story.
He activated Holy Seal of Justice.
[Holy Seal of Justice activated.]
Golden light flashed through his eyes, and faint glowing patterns appeared across his hands.
The woman’s expression became even more stunned.
“Oh my God…”
Lucifer smiled.
“See?”
She touched the small cross pendant around her neck without seeming to realize it.
Lucifer looked toward the darkening sky.
“You should probably get out of here.
This neighborhood isn’t the safest place to wander around after dark.”
The woman nodded and started walking away, but she moved slowly and kept glancing back at him.
Lucifer noticed.
“Wait.”
She stopped.
Lucifer jogged over.
“Can I borrow your phone for a second?”
She hesitated before handing it to him.
Lucifer entered his own number and called it.
His phone rang in his pocket, confirming the exchange before he ended the call and returned hers.
“That’s my number.
If you ever run into ghosts, possession, demons, killer dolls, or anything else that shouldn’t exist, call me.”
The woman smiled slightly.
Lucifer extended his hand.
“I’m Lucifer.”
She accepted it.
“Jennifer.
Jennifer Check.”
Lucifer paused for a moment.
The name sounded strangely familiar, but he couldn’t immediately remember why.
“Nice to meet you, Jennifer.”
“You too.”
Lucifer glanced toward the street.
“Now seriously, get going before it gets darker.”
Jennifer nodded and walked away, touching the cross pendant around her neck again as she went.
Lucifer watched her disappear down the street before returning his attention to Robert.
The man was still unconscious.
No one else had entered the alley during the delay.
Lucifer stood silently beside him for several moments.
Whatever happened next would cross a line he had never crossed before, and he knew that once he did it, there was no pretending otherwise.
He closed his eyes.
Then opened them.
Lucifer raised the oak club and brought it down.
CRACK!
Robert’s body jerked once before going completely still.
Lucifer searched his pockets and pulled out a little over a thousand dollars.
“Guess Kenny didn’t pay you much.”
With a thought, Robert’s corpse disappeared into System Space.
A short time later, someone knocked on the door of Kenny’s pawn shop.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Kenny frowned from behind the counter.
“Who is it?”
No one answered.
He looked toward the enforcer and gestured at the door before drawing his handgun and releasing the safety.
The larger man grabbed a baseball bat and walked forward.
The instant he opened the door, Lucifer slammed into him.
The enforcer barely had time to grunt before Lucifer drove him backward into the shop.
Kenny jumped out of the way and raised his pistol.
Lucifer had already activated Blessing of Might.
[Blessing of Might activated.]
[Strength +3.]
Holy Seal of Justice was still active from outside, raising his effective Strength to eleven.
Kenny aimed.
Lucifer swung first.
BAM!
The oak club smashed into Kenny’s head with overwhelming force.
He collapsed instantly.
The enforcer staggered back to his feet and cursed at Lucifer.
Lucifer turned toward him.
“You talk too much.”
The club came around again.
BAM!
The heavy blow struck the man before he could properly defend himself.
His body stumbled sideways and crashed to the floor without moving again.
A notification appeared.
[G-rank Villains eliminated ×2.]
[Reward: 2 Holiness Points.]
[No EXP awarded.]
Lucifer stared at the message.
“That counts too?”
He quickly dismissed it and began searching the shop.
The stolen Rolex was still inside Kenny’s drawer.
Lucifer recovered it along with several pieces of gold jewelry and loose cash he found while going through the valuables.
“Returning stolen property to its rightful owner.”
His attention eventually shifted toward the locked safe against the wall.
Lucifer tried it once.
Locked.
He shrugged.
“I’ll deal with you later.”
With a thought, the safe disappeared into System Space.
Lucifer then removed Robert’s corpse and left it inside the pawn shop.
He scattered accelerant across the room, struck a match, and tossed it onto the floor.
Flames quickly spread through the shop.
Lucifer watched for a moment before pulling on a hat he had found inside and walking away.
“Let the fire clean up the rest.”
He returned to Edward’s pickup and called his friend while driving away.
Edward answered quickly.
“Where are you?”
“Heading back.
What are you doing?”
“Packing the apartment.”
Lucifer smiled.
“Good.”
Edward sighed.
“I still don’t understand why we’re moving to Los Angeles.
It’s more expensive.”
“To make money.”
“That’s your entire plan?”
“Pretty much.”
Lucifer paused before asking more seriously, “You’re coming with me, right?”
Edward stayed quiet for a moment.
Since Lucifer had awakened in this world, Edward had been the one person who consistently looked out for him.
He was the original body’s best friend, but Lucifer had come to value that friendship himself.
Finally, Edward sighed.
“Fine.
I’ll go.”
Lucifer smiled.
“But what are we even supposed to do in Los Angeles?”
“Exorcisms.”
Edward immediately groaned.
“Absolutely not.
I’m a coward.”
Lucifer laughed.
“Relax.
You don’t have to fight anything.”
“Then what am I doing?”
“You’re my manager.”
Edward became quiet.
Lucifer continued, “You handle calls, clients, money, scheduling, and all the annoying explanations.
I’ll deal with the ghosts.”
“That actually sounds slightly less terrible.”
“Exactly.”
Lucifer grinned as the Chicago streets passed outside the windshield.
The storage auction had started as a desperate attempt to make rent.
Now he had money, supernatural abilities, a manager, and a destination.
Los Angeles.
The City of Angels.
Lucifer laughed as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“City of Angels, here we come.” 500 = +1 Chapter]
[Review Goal: 10 = +1 Chapter]