Lucifer clapped his hands together, the sharp sound breaking through the lingering weight of the previous conversation.
"Well!" he said, flashing a bright, mischievous grin. "Now that we're done with all the morbid nonsense, we can finally start painting the topic into something far more interesting."
Tony squinted. "What does that even mean?"
Lucifer ignored him.
Instead, he suddenly turned his head, his golden gaze locking onto a seemingly empty space just a few feet to his right.
His smirk widened.
"Ah," he mused, watching the air as if someone were standing there. "I was wondering when one of the hidden bosses would show up."
The entire group stiffened immediately.
Natasha's fingers twitched slightly, already analyzing the angle of his gaze, calculating whether or not there was actually someone there.
Tony glanced at Rhodey, who tensed instinctively.
"Uh," Pepper muttered, looking toward the spot Lucifer was focused on. "There's no one there."
Lucifer hummed, still staring at the unseen presence, completely ignoring her comment.
"Oh, don't be rude," he said, his voice dropping into something velvety smooth, though edged with amusement. "It took long enough for one of you powerful sorts to come say hello. I must say, I do appreciate the attention."
He smiled wider, his teeth just slightly too sharp in the dim lighting.
"Now then," he purred, "do I get a name?"
Silence.
No response.
Lucifer tilted his head, watching. Waiting.
Then, after a beat, he let out a dramatic sigh, placing a hand over his chest.
"Are you shy, little lady?" he teased, his voice dripping with mock sympathy.
Still nothing.
But Lucifer's smirk shifted.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly, focusing deeper, seeing past the veil of what was hidden.
Then, his amusement grew.
"Ah," he murmured. "Not so little, are you?"
A pause.
His gaze flickered slightly, his smirk turning knowing.
"My, my," he drawled. "You're quite old, aren't you? Well, at least, you are for a human."
The air shivered around them, the faintest ripple in the fabric of reality. Then, a golden ring of light flared into existence, forming a perfect circle just a few feet away.
The space inside the portal shifted, revealing a new location entirely—an ancient structure, nestled within mist-covered mountains. The architecture was intricate yet worn by time, adorned with symbols that hinted at knowledge far beyond mortal comprehension.
It was isolated. Hidden. Sacred.
Tony took an instinctive step back, eyes narrowing.
"Okay, that's new," he muttered.
Natasha, though her expression remained neutral, subtly adjusted her stance, ready for anything.
Rhodey exhaled sharply. "Can someone tell me why we're looking at a portal to Indiana Jones' secret temple?"
Lucifer, meanwhile, grinned.
"Ah," he murmured, stepping forward. His golden eyes flickered with something akin to recognition. "Now this is a proper welcome."
He tapped his fingers together, his smirk widening as he spoke directly into the air—to someone only he could see.
"Oh, this is perfect," he mused. "Truly inspired, darling."
A chuckle left his lips.
"An invitation? How thoughtful," he continued, ignoring the confused looks from the others. "And if it means I get to spend a bit more time avoiding that piss water Maze calls beer, well—" He flashed a roguish grin. "Even better."
Mazikeen, offended, smacked his arm. "Lucy, I swear—"
Lucifer barely acknowledged her, still watching the portal, still feeling the presence behind it.
"I do so love theatrics," he mused.
A soft breeze, one that shouldn't exist indoors, stirred the air.
The presence didn't reveal itself—not fully.
But Lucifer knew.
Oh, he knew.
His smirk softened just slightly.
"It's been a while since I had interacted with one of your sort. Sorcery, isn't it?" he murmured.
And in response, though she still remained unseen, The Ancient One opened the gateway wider.
An invitation.
A challenge.
A mystery.
Lucifer laughed, stepping forward. "Well, then," he said, looking over his shoulder at Maze. "Shall we?"
Lucifer took a single unhurried step forward, fully prepared to pass through the golden portal without another thought.
Mazikeen followed, bored but intrigued.
The others, however?
Not so much.
"Hold on," Tony snapped, stepping forward. "Nobody said anything about a—"
The portal snapped shut.
Gone.
The golden light vanished in an instant, the shimmering doorway collapsing before Tony, Natasha, or Rhodey could follow.
There was a beat of stunned silence.
Then—
"Are you kidding me?" Tony threw his hands up. "Did we just get door-slammed by a space wizard?"
Natasha's lips pressed into a thin line, eyes flicking toward where the portal had been. Her stance remained neutral, but there was a sharpness in her gaze—calculation. Analysis.
Rhodey exhaled through his nose, muttering, "Yeah, sure. Just another normal day."
Back on the other side—
Lucifer, now standing within the ancient, mist-covered temple, turned back just slightly to where the portal had been, a hand over his chest, mock sympathy painted across his face.
"Ah," he sighed. "A pity."
Mazikeen snorted.
"Boss, you're not even pretending to be upset."
"Of course not," Lucifer said, smirking as he noticed the difference in the air.
Not in a way that could be measured—not colder or warmer, not heavier nor lighter—but it felt distinct. Like a place that stood just outside of time, balanced between the physical and the ethereal.
Lucifer and Mazikeen stood in the grand, open hall, its stone walls etched with intricate runes, shelves stacked with ancient tomes, the scent of parchment and burning incense lingering in the air.
And before them, at the heart of it all, stood her.
She was poised, effortlessly composed, wrapped in flowing yellow robes that draped elegantly over her frame. Her head was smoothly shaven, her features delicate yet strong, and her presence…
Her presence was like a perfectly still lake—serene, calm, but beneath the surface, something deep, something unknowable.
She regarded them both with gentle curiosity, but there was something else there, too—a flicker of amusement, subtle yet unmistakable.
"Welcome," she said, voice measured but warm, but with a hint of a dry smile as she sat on one of the cushions near them, a small table near filled with what he was sure was tea.. "They call me the Ancient One in this order. Would you care to share a drink with me?"
Lucifer's brows lifted slightly, his smirk curling at the edges.
Ah.
So she was aware of the irony.
"Do they now?" he mused, tilting his head, golden eyes gleaming with amusement of his own.
There was no bite to her words, no defensiveness—just a quiet understanding of the humor in being called Ancient by a being who had existed long before the first stone of this temple had been laid.
And, for that, Lucifer found himself entertained.
"How delightfully humble," he murmured, before settling himself onto the cushion with practiced ease.
Mazikeen, on the other hand, groaned.
"Ugh," she muttered, arms crossing. "Plant water."
Lucifer chuckled.
"Now, now, Maze," he said lightly. "Tea is not my preferred indulgence, true—but unlike you, I know how to appreciate it."
Mazikeen scowled, muttering something in Lilim before she dropped herself onto a cushion without grace or care.
The Ancient One poured the tea, moving with a deliberate grace that spoke of centuries of mastery in every action.
Lucifer watched her with a sharp, unblinking gaze, his smirk still playing at his lips.
And then, after a moment, he offered his name.
"Lucifer Morningstar," he said, voice smooth, rich, but carrying a certain weight now, something older than the charming introductions he had given before.
"The Lightbringer. One of the three Demiurgic Archangels. First of the Fallen."
He paused, letting the words settle.
And then, with casual curiosity, he tilted his head slightly.
"And you, my dear?" he asked. "Have you truly lost your name, or was it something you sold?"
The Ancient One did not flinch.
She did not so much as blink at the question.
But Lucifer saw it.
Something subtle. Something deeply buried, but present nonetheless.
A single ripple in the stillness.
His smile sharpened.
"Ah," he murmured, his golden eyes flickering ever so slightly.
His gaze drifted upward, tracing the smooth curve of her forehead.
And then he saw it.
Or rather—what lay beneath.
It was hidden, veiled beneath layers of power, of will, of precise self-control.
But it was there.
A mark.
A stain of something other, something ancient in its own right.
And Lucifer knew exactly what it was.
His smirk returned—not unkind, but deeply, deeply amused.
"So that's it," he said smoothly, taking the cup of tea she had poured for him. He lifted it to his lips, inhaling the scent before taking a slow, thoughtful sip.
Then, without breaking eye contact, he murmured—
"Does it have to do with the Dark Dimension's mark on your forehead?"
Mazikeen's head snapped toward him.
The Ancient One remained still.
But this time, Lucifer saw it clearly—the smallest ripple in her gaze, the briefest flicker of something deep and old and weighted with purpose.
And oh, how delightful that was.
Then, after a moment, she smiled.
Soft. Sad.
"A deal," she admitted, her voice carrying the weight of centuries lived beyond their time. "To live longer."
Lucifer exhaled through his nose, tapping a single lazily poised finger against the rim of his teacup.
"A deal," he echoed, and though his voice remained light, there was something curious beneath it. "For power, perhaps?"
But even as he said it, his brow arched slightly, his golden eyes flickering with doubt.
"No," he murmured before she could answer. "No, that doesn't sound quite right, does it? Not power—not really." His gaze sharpened. "You don't look the part."
A slow, considering pause.
"Nor does your soul."
Mazikeen's lips quirked at that, because it was true—Lucifer would know.
But this time, the Ancient One chose not to answer.
Instead, she shifted—elegantly, deliberately—redirecting the conversation with a question of her own.
"Tell me, then," she said smoothly, "how did you find this universe?"
Lucifer, ever the observer, noted that slight deflection.
Oh, how interesting.
His smirk returned, though it was lighter now, almost idle as he tilted his head.
"Was it you?" he asked, tapping a finger against his knee. "Were you the one who hid it?"
The Ancient One shook her head.
"No," she said simply.
Lucifer's smirk widened slightly, but his eyes gleamed with real intrigue now.
"Then how curious," he mused, setting his teacup down with a quiet clink. "Because from what I gathered, there was only a fraction of a second in which this universe could be seen."
The Ancient One nodded.
"And you saw it."
Lucifer leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued.
"Why was it hidden?" he asked.
The Ancient One lifted her own cup to her lips, taking a slow, deliberate sip before meeting his gaze once more.
She studied him, considering, before finally speaking.
"It was not hidden by me," she admitted. "But by another. A being with power over time itself. He who created the TVA—the Time Variance Authority."
Mazikeen frowned. "Never heard of it."
The Ancient One glanced at her briefly before returning her focus to Lucifer.
"You wouldn't have. It's a force that existed to prune deviations in time," she explained. "To prevent this universe from branching. It was hidden—cut away—from the rest of the Multiverse."
Lucifer's smirk faded slightly, replaced with something thoughtful.
"Why?" he asked.
The Ancient One breathed in slowly, choosing her words carefully.
"We do not know," she admitted. "Kang—the being who hid this universe—ensured that much. Whatever he was protecting… or preventing… remains unseen."
Lucifer laughed softly, leaning back slightly.
"A mystery, then," he mused.
And oh, how he loved a good mystery.
Mazikeen exhaled through her nose, muttering, "I hate time travel."
Lucifer simply smiled, eyes gleaming.
"Well, well," he murmured. "Now this is getting interesting."
And the game, it seemed, had only just begun.
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