Chapter 96

Lucifer isn't sure how long he spends alone in the library, but it does eventually become more interesting than just reading the Bible. He got bored of that at some point and tossed it aside — literally. He probably ripped a few pages, but he couldn't care less. Maybe he saved someone else from boring themselves to death by reading it.

It must be early morning by the time he finds he's not alone — not anymore. It's probably been a few hours since Sam gave up trying to call him to his room, which, in hindsight, was rude to ignore, but Lucifer has never really cared about manners anyway.

He ignores the presence in the doorway for a minute or so, but when it doesn't go away, Lucifer finally looks up, giving Jack an exasperated look, which doesn't seem to register.

"Do you need something?" he asks, because it's the only reason he can think of for "his son" to want to talk to him. It doesn't even feel right to call this kid his son. He's really just some stranger who happens to share the DNA of a vessel he may have inhabited in a different world.

Jack shakes his head. "Nope."

Lucifer looks at him expectantly. There has to be more he was going to say. If he's not looking for something, he wouldn't be here.

"Well, actually," Jack says, "I was looking for... well, anyone. Where did everyone go?"

"To bed?" Lucifer says uncertainly. They go to bed every night. Why is this a surprise to him?

"Castiel — Castiel — told me angels don't sleep," Jack protests.

"We don't," Lucifer replies, not bothering to elaborate. He can ask someone he actually likes tomorrow. "Is that all? I'm a bit busy."

"Right, sorry." Jack walks away, then pops back in a moment later to ask, "What are you doing?"

Lucifer rolls his eyes. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Jack eyes the hunk of metal on the table before answering haltingly, "Making a... bomb of some sort?"

Lucifer scoffs. "A bomb? Fat lot of good that would do." Chuck wouldn't let it kill anyone — unless he wanted them dead, at least, but even so, he wouldn't just let Lucifer kill someone like that. It gives the impression that the rules are bendable, if not entirely breakable. No, Chuck would have to ask him to kill someone before he would let it happen. He wants his rules made clear.

Jack tilts his head in confusion — much like Castiel does, oddly enough. "But what is it, then?"

"What do you care?" Lucifer counters.

"I'm just curious," Jack replies, sounding slightly put off by his attitude.

"Well, don't be," Lucifer snaps. He glances around the room, muttering under his breath, "Where did I put the... Ooh, there." He reaches out a hand, and a long piece of wire flies into his grasp. He must have left it on the bookshelf when he grabbed one of the textbooks. He never did understand how these apes made some of their electronics, but at least the books here can be somewhat useful now.

"Can I help?" Jack asks.

"Can you — You're joking. You don't even know what I'm doing. It's —" Lucifer glances at a clock on the library wall before finishing, "It's three in the morning. Nothing good happens at three in the morning." Anyone who's seen any sci-fi or paranormal movie or television show knows that.

"Then tell me what you're doing," Jack suggests with a grin. He walks across the room as if he thinks he's welcome and stands at the table with his alternate dimension dad. "So, what is it?"

Lucifer sighs, running a hand over his face in exasperation. This kid never lets up, does he? Finally, he answers, "It's a dog."

"What?"

"A dog," Lucifer repeats. "A robotic dog, like K9 from ."

"I'm confused," Jack tells him. "You're doing what?"

Lucifer rolls his eyes. "I'm making a robotic dog." In hindsight, the comparison probably didn't help. The odds that this kid has even seen a tv are pretty slim, what with the exciting lives of the Winchesters. It's no Tardis adventure, but it's got to be more fun than watching one on the television.

"A robotic dog," Jack repeats, eyeing the thing on the table. "That's a ?"

"Will be," Lucifer replies, turning his attention back to the wiring as he mutters, "If I can figure out how to put it together."

"I can help," Jack offers.

"No, you can't. Bye!" Lucifer doesn't even look up. Maybe he'll take a hint that way.

Apparently, he doesn't, because he asks, "What are you going to do with it when you finish?"

"Crush it." He really doesn't have any use for it. It's just something to do to pass the time. Maybe he'll make something more interesting afterwards, once he has a basically understanding of mechanics.

"That's a bit harsh," Jack observes.

"It's just a robot." Granted, he would probably do the same to a small human, too. He really does enjoy crushing things.

"Will it have feelings?" Jack asks. "A life of its own?"

Lucifer rolls his eyes at the idea. "No, because it's a robot."

"But a responsive one?" Jack asks. "Is it alive?"

"Does it matter?" Lucifer counters.

"Well, yes, kind of," Jack replies. "You can't kill it."

"It's a robot. Chuck won't care." He doesn't really care about anyone. He's just trying to keep his playthings in order down here, and K9 2.0 isn't one of his.

"Chuck?" Jack repeats, clearly not sure who that is or where the name came from.

"God," Lucifer specifies.

"From the Bible?"

Lucifer scoffs. "You've read the Bible?"

Jack nods, seeming somewhat pleased with himself. "Dean — my world's Dean — gave it to me."

"He would do that, wouldn't he," Lucifer mutters under his breath. That's some heavy reading, and definitely not a page turner. It shouldn't be surprising that it's Jack with his annoyingly constant positive attitude who managed to read it all. He probably didn't find it tedious at all.

"But what's God got to do with this?" Jack asks.

"Nothing, never mind." He doesn't even bother trying to explain it. This kid seems way too curious and way too happy and way too much of everything Lucifer hates. He wouldn't be happy with any brief explanation he got, and explaining the whole thing would take far too long.

They lapse into silence, which Lucifer is completely content with. He doesn't really want to talk to this kid, so this is nice. Unfortunately, it doesn't last too long before Jack says, "I don't think Dean likes me."

Lucifer waits for him to continue, but that seems to be all he wanted to say, so all Lucifer manages to think of to respond with is, "Okay?"

"Do you know why?" Jack asks.

Lucifer shrugs. "Because you're related to me. Well, kind of." He's related to Satan, which is close enough in Dean's mind.

"But you seem different from the Lucifer of my world," Jack tells him. "Nicer. Why would Dean hate you?"

Lucifer sighs and looks over at the kid, exasperated. "It's a long story — is a long story — and I don't feel like explaining it to you, so either shut up or go away, okay?"

Jack just looks at him for a moment, then walks away. Lucifer returns to trying to build his robotic dog, but Jack's presence is like a small tickle in the back of his throat, and he eventually decides he can't ignore it.

"That's not away," he snaps, not looking back at the nephilim in the doorway.

"You said 'shut up or go away,'" Jack reminds him. "I'd rather be quiet here than alone somewhere else."

Lucifer sighs. "Fine, whatever." He'll just ignore the kid until he decides he has something better to do. Easy peasy, right?