Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

“I have waited so long for this day,” Lucifer mused, watching his sisters and their charges stepping from within Stonehenge. “From the dawn of this millennium, I have watched as sign after sign has come to pass. Now the final sign is within my grasp. Once the false King is awakened, and slain by my hand, I will rightfully reign over this miserable den of humanity.”

Richie snorted. “In your dreams,” he taunted. He held the sword of Dorado aloft in his right hand.

“No, Chosen; in reality.” Lucifer looked up and checked the positions of the stars. It was a cloudless night, with the moon almost directly overhead. In the small clearing, it was almost as light as day. “In a matter of minutes, the Avalon portal will open and I shall have my kingdom.” He looked at his sisters. “Which of you will be my key?”

Fiona spat at her brother’s feet. “I would sooner be recycled than help you.”

Lucifer laughed. “I do not truly need either one of you – you would be a mere convenience. No, all I require is your dear mother. She will certainly come to your aid if you were in mortal peril.” He lunged for Fiona, grabbing for her arm, but she was too fast for him. She blinked out and reappeared behind him, brandishing a long silver sword in one hand and a deadly looking dagger in the other.

“I see you have been training,” Lucie laughed. “It will do you no good. I am more powerful than you are.”

Jon stepped up, holding Excalibur across his body. “That may be so, but are you more powerful than we are together?”

Lucie’s eyes darkened in fury. “We shall see, mortal.” He gestured toward the trees where his minions had been hidden, and watched in satisfaction as the demons came forth; all snarling, snapping jaws and hulking shapes melting out of the darkness.

“Shit this again?” Jon asked, shaking his head and trying to stay calm. He met Richie’s gaze and nodded once.

Richie nodded back. “Ready ladies?” he asked, checking to make sure that Fiona and Morganna were ready for what they needed to do. He had to practically shout to be heard over the din.

“Aye,” Fiona yelled. “We are ready. We have been ready for this our whole existences.”

“Be alert,” Morganna warned. “These demons are fighting with an audience and will be overly aggressive.”

Lucie spied a boulder a short distance away from the foursome, checked the stars once more, and sat down to wait. He cleared his throat, and an earth-shaking baritone spewed from his mouth. “Do not fail me,” he ordered. The demons paused for half a second, before pouncing.

“Holy shit,” Richie said, as one demon practically flew through the air at him. He raised his sword defensively, and the creature impaled itself on the weapon. With a puff of smoke, the demon disappeared.

“Nothing holy about any of this,” Morganna answered, slashing her own sword at an oncoming beast. “Do not delay in using your gifts,” she advised. “Every advantage should be taken.”

Jon and Richie needed no other prompting.

“What d’ya got in mind?” Richie yelled, slashing at a demon in front of him.

“A little R.E.M. maybe?” Jon answered.

Richie had to laugh as he realized what song Jon had in mind. “And just how long have you had this planned, asshole – OW!” Richie winced as a demon sunk his teeth into his calf. Richie hadn’t seen the beast crawling up behind him. “Fuck, if I get an infection from this piece of shit, I’m gonna be pissed off.”

“You alright?” Morganna shouted; her own sword flashing.

“Yeah, yeah,” Richie answered.

“Then DO IT already!” Fiona screamed.

“Go man,” Richie said, waiting for Jon to start.

“That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane, and Lenny Bruce is not afraid...” Jon sang the opening line with an almost perfect imitation of Stipe’s inflection.

Richie joined him for the next lines. “Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn, world serves its own needs, dummy, serve your own needs...”

With every word sung, the demons moved a little more sluggishly. Lucifer frowned as he watched his demons move more slowly, more clumsily as the men sang. “Sirens,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He watched as his sisters and their charges foiled demon after demon, running them through with their blades and sending them back to Hell. He had to admire the men’s proficiency with their weapons. He knew the Chosen had not had possession of the swords for very long, yet it appeared as if they had wielded them since birth.

“Watch yourselves!” Fiona screamed, taking Lucie’s attention.

“Left of west and coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck,” Jon sang, as he swiveled to slice the neck of the demon who was trying to blind-side him.

He and Richie continued to sing, and it helped slow down the demons some, but not as much as the last times they had fought. Having their boss in the room so to speak made them just a bit less susceptible to their voices.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath as Richie continued singing. They were getting tired. Maybe this wasn’t going to work this time. Their voices were wobbly under the strain of the fighting.

Fiona and Morganna noticed that the voices were not quite as effective as they had been. Fiona fought her way over to stand by her sister. Now the men were on one side of the clearing, and the women on the other. “Do something!” Fiona cried, as the demons they fought seemed to gain strength. “The Chosen are flagging!”

“I need my hands,” Morganna said, stabbing a particularly ugly creature through the left eye. She pulled her dagger out and spun on her heel, only to plant the weapon into the throat of yet another beast coming up behind her. “If I’m to help them, I need to use both my hands.”

“Then use them!” Fiona shouted. “I’ve GOT this.”

Morganna stepped back slightly as Fiona redoubled her efforts against their brother’s minions. She quickly stabbed her weapons into the ground, and simultaneously stroked the earring in her ear and the tattoo on her forearm. She murmured an incantation as she stroked, and her eyes burned fire-red before settling back to violet. She smiled as she heard the men’s voices grow stronger, louder, and pitch perfect once again.

Jon noticed Morganna rubbing his tattoo on her forearm and felt the muscles in his throat relax, his voice gaining strength again. Only then did it hit him what she had done. “Holy fuck!” he yelled into the din, even as he sliced at a demon going for Richie’s back.

Richie glanced over his shoulder at Jon and smiled his thanks, only to realize Jon’s eyes were on Morganna.

“Last night? That was you?” he demanded of the violet eyed beauty.

Richie groaned and shook his head. “Now? Jon, you wanna talk about that now? Shit, brother. We really need to have that whole right time/right place discussion when this is over.” He lunged at a demon spearing him in the side just as the nasty thing raised its arms to jump at him.

Jon’s gaze moved from Morganna to Fiona and noticed the blush creeping up her cheeks, the slight twinkle in her green eyes. “You’re right, Rich. This time.” He moved to step between Richie’s back and another attacking demon, meeting the attacker with a slice from Excalibur.

“It's the end of the world as we know it,” they sang, standing back to back, legs braced against the weight of swinging their swords.

“It's the end of the world as we know it,” they sang, slaying beast after beast as they came at them from all sides.

“It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine,” they sang, as the last of the beasts vanished in a puff of gray smoke.

The sound of one man clapping filled the sudden silence. The foursome whirled around to find Lucie standing by Stonehenge. “Very amusing,” he said.

“Aw,” Richie complained panting heavily and limping slightly. He stepped up slightly in front of Morganna, shielding her from her brother. “You didn’t let us finish the song. I like that one.”

“Yeah,” Jon said, stepping in front of Fiona, his arms burning from the weight of Excalibur. “We could do that shit all day, why’d you call it off?”

Lucie laughed and shook his head. “They are as you have said, Centurion – bold and without fear.”

Jon and Richie stood agape as Alec stepped out from behind the trees that had shielded the demons. “What the FUCK are you doing here?” Jon asked Alec. He had a hard time keeping his attention on Lucie, who was slowly edging closer to them.

“I am fulfilling my destiny,” Alec answered, “much as you are.”

“What the hell are you talking about, man?” Richie demanded. He flicked his eyes between his friend and his current nemesis. “Your destiny? Your destiny is to – what – make friends with the Devil? Seriously?”

“It is not what you perceive,” Alec said, holding his hands out in front of him, placatingly.

“Fuck you, it is exactly what we perceive,” Jon said. “After all this time,” he said, shaking his head; his attention fully on Alec now. “You fuck us over NOW? We’re friends, man!” He didn’t see Lucie smile his evil smile. “Practically brothers!” He didn’t see Lucie’s eyes locked on Excalibur with a shine of lust in them.

“Jon!” Richie screamed. “Watch out!” He took two giant strides and shoved Jon to the ground. Lucie had launched himself toward Jon but his hands closed around Richie’s neck. Lucie screamed in anger and pulled Richie backwards, toward Stonehenge.

“Enough!” he bellowed. “There will be enough time for you to catch up when you are all in Hell!” The skies darkened as black clouds passed in front of the moon. “Sister! If you do not wish me to slit his throat, you will call your mother forth now to aid you.”

“NO!” Richie screamed. “Don’t do it!”

“Richie, man, what the FUCK?” Jon was furious at Richie for putting himself in danger. When he saw Richie’s current predicament, his fury evaporated, and cold fear took its place.

Lucie gave Richie a shake, rattling his teeth in his head. He squeezed his hand tighter around Richie’s throat. “Shut up, mortal,” he snarled. His crazed eyes glittered as he addressed his sister once again. “You are running out of time, sister. I swear I will kill him if you do not call your bitch of a mother NOW!” He drew his blade and rested it against Richie’s jugular, pressing hard enough to dimple the skin, but not hard enough to break it.

“Do you swear not to hurt him?” Morganna asked, taking a small step forward.

“Morganna!” Fiona put a hand on her sister’s arm. She had not forgotten the feel of her brother’s dagger point pressing through her skin. “Our brother will most certainly kill him, regardless of what he tells you now.”

“Come, come, sister dear,” Lucie said, his voice now soothing and calm. “Of course I will spare him if you help me. Come. Come and take his place.”

“Just hold out a few minutes longer, and the time of the equinox will be past,” Fiona begged, pulling her sister back. “You cannot risk the world on one man.”

“But surely the guardians can defend Arthur? Is that not why they were chosen?”

Richie could see the sisters whispering to each other, and the look of utter sadness in Morganna’s face. In that moment, he hated Lucifer more than he had ever hated any one or any thing in his entire life. “You rotten bastard,” he said to Lucie.

Lucie ignored Richie, anxiously checking the sky, and waiting for his sister to come close enough to grab.

Only a few more steps; he was running out of time.

“Jon,” Richie croaked, looking at his best friend. “Take care of Ava for me.”

“What?” Jon answered. “Rich, no.”

“Yes,” Richie answered. “There is nobody I’d trust her with more than you, and I can’t let him win.” Richie mustered up what little bit of strength he could and pushed with all his might against Lucie’s chest. He hoped he could throw Lucie off balance and have a fighting chance to survive long enough to let the equinox pass.

Lucifer staggered back one step while Richie backed up as quickly as he could. The Devil fairly roared with rage. “You shall pay for that,” he screamed, and held his dagger out as he charged Richie.

“No!” Morganna and Jon screamed together, frozen with terror.

At that moment, Alec rushed past them and put himself between his liege and his friend. He had moved so quickly, that nobody realized he had done so until Lucie’s blade sunk deep into his belly.

“Run!” Alec screamed as blood poured from the wound. He knew this would not be fatal; the fates would not be that kind, but it hurt like a bitch. Richie skirted his bleeding friend to take his place on Jon’s right, as he had for half his life. Lucifer pulled his blade from Alec’s abdomen and whirled around, seeking Riche once again.

Alec looked at the sky, then looked at Lucifer, and started to laugh. Every breath was an agony, but was oh so sweet.

The laughter drew Lucie’s attention. “You traitor!” he screamed, pulling his blade from Alec’s form. “When I slay Arthur, I’ll – ”

“You are too late,” Alec said with a grimace. “Check the stars; you shall see I speak the truth.”

Lucie looked up and consulted the stars. He screamed loudly into the night, shaking the very trees around them. He looked at Alec, and an eerie calm settled over his features. He held his arm out to his side, and Longinus’ spear appeared in his hand. Without a word, Lucie set fire to the spear, turning the handle to ash, and the blade to a useless lump of metal. “Damn you,” he said. “Damn you to Earth.”

“I was damned from the first day I did your bidding,” Alec wheezed.

Lucie turned to his sisters. “You may have won the day, but the next set of charges will not be as lucky. This I guarantee you.” With a burst of fire, he disappeared.