Journey to the Devildom | Obey Me!

Chapter IX

     Jackie watched the brothers.  They had been stiff around Belphie just a handful of months prior.  Now, it was as if he had never left. 
Jackie, upon spotting Lucifer, went to stand.  Their leg buckled under them.  Lucifer saw, his cast seeming to scratch his neck.  He rushed over to Jackie, his hand guiding them to their feet.  He handed them their crutches, his one arm moving quickly. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered, kissing their forehead.

"It wasn't your fault," Jackie whispered back, Lucifer stepping out of their way.

      It had been sudden.  Jackie was on a vacation with the brothers.  Diavolo, Barbatos, Simeon, Solomon, and even Luke had joined them. 
An incubus had sprung out of the ground.  It looked horrendous, swinging its stinger and roaring with it's pincers.  Mammon screamed for everyone to avoid it's stinger, Barbatos adding especially the angels and humans. 
Solomon performed a protection spell, protecting himself and the two angels.  In that moment, Jackie felt betrayed.  Why hadn't he protected them? 
    Lucifer stayed close to Jackie, Mammon and Beel jumping beside him.  Asmo and Satan were next, then Belphie and Levi.  The seven surrounded Jackie, protecting them from all sides.
Jackie couldn't remember a lot of what happened.  Lucifer had been thrown onto the ground with a sickening crack.  Jackie hadn't hesitated to run towards home, screaming in panic, forgetting he wasn't human. 
The incubus lunged at Jackie, their consciousness returning to them.  Jackie, unlike their sister, had been blessed with the instinct to freeze.  When their mind snapped back, screaming at them to run along with Lucifer, Jackie had tripped over their foot.  They screamed for Lucifer to help them, out of habit.  What would he have even done? 
The stinger piercing Jackie's leg caused them to erupt into panic.  Had they been thinking sensibly, they wouldn't have ripped away.  The stinger ripped away their flesh, leaving an open gash.  A shriek in panic rather than one of pain left Jackie. 
Jackie kicked at the incubus, managing to hit the grotesque insect in-between the pincers.  The incubus hissed, its spit flying in all directions.  Jackie had caused a small bleed, but the beast fled from the group. 
Lucifer has rushed over to Jackie, in pain when he moved his head certain ways, also having trouble moving his arm.  The brothers started fussing over Jackie, who still was running on adrenaline.  They didn't feel the pain in their leg.  They couldn't feel the blood running down it.
     The pain kicking in caused Jackie to scream.  Barbatos had barely touched their leg.  Simeon was covering Luke's eyes, telling him to not look.  At the same time, Simeon was trying to help Barbatos with soothing Jackie. 
Diavolo had asked if Jackie could stand.  He had asked a lot of things.  Jackie was soon receiving emergency treatment.
The doctors had treated Jackie wrong, Diavolo furious.  Jackie, rather, asked how Lucifer was.  Mammon said he was fine and would be getting painkillers.  It was almost surreal.
     Lucifer had come in a while later, Jackie still in a daze from a second surgery.  He spoke so gently, but Jackie hadn't actually heard or remembered.

"Jackson," Lucifer called, snapping out of them out their trance.  "You don't need anything, do you?  Medicine, water, anything?"

"Lucifer," Jackie breathed, rubbing his chest.  "Relax, I'm okay."

"Diavolo is still very angry at the hospital," Lucifer continued.  "I have never seen him so furious."

"What even happened that made him so angry?"  Jackie asked, Lucifer smiling gently.

"Don't worry about it," he whispered, kissing Jackie.  "He has it under control."

"Oi!  Get a room, would ya?"  Mammon yelled, not even looking up from his D.D.D.  "Makes us sick."

"No!"  Asmo shouted.  "I think it's cute!  Lucifer should share!"

"Jackie promised me," Satan said, Jackie removing their hand off of Lucifer's chest.  They had, they just forgot.

A knock on the door silenced their bickering.  Mammon seemed to know who it was, rushing up to the door. 

"Semyaza!"  He shouted excitedly after seeing who it was.  "I can't believe you actually came!"

Semyaza was a strawberry blonde with green eyes.  They were almost yellow, if Jackie was trusting their colorblindness.  He was slender and built like a model.  Asmo looked awestruck when he saw him.

"Semyaza?"  Lucifer repeated, turning around.  "You mean the founder of Moonlighting Corporations?  The modelling agency?"

"The one that's at constant war with Majolish!"  Asmo squealed, Semyaza obviously ignoring him.

"Sorry to disturb you, Lucifer," Semyaza said.  "I asked Mammon for some help with my math homework."

"That's fine," Lucifer retorted, now less annoyed than he had been thirty seconds prior.  "Hopefully my brothers behave with you here."

Levi was stealthily trying to take picture while Asmo was almost foaming at the mouth.  Belphie didn't exactly care, neither did Beel.  Satan seemed somewhat interested.
Jackie, on the other hand, had no idea who this demon was.

"Semmy, you haven't met Jackie," Mammon said, Semyaza following him over to Jackie.  "Jackie, this is Semyaza!  He's my best friend since we were angels!"

"Hi," Jackie said holding out their hand.  Semyaza eyed Jackie's leg before giving a sympathetic look.

"If I'm being honest," he said.  "You probably don't want me to touch you."

"Huh?"  Jackie almost continued to ask why, but Lucifer answered.

"Semyaza is an incubus," he said nonchalantly.  "While he's definitely not the one that hurt you, he probably doesn't want to make you uncomfortable."

Jackie looked at Semyaza.  Sure, his eyes were a little buggy, but he definitely didn't look like an incubus.  He actually looked pretty harmless.

"Are.. are you sure?"  Jackie asked, Semyaza laughing.

"Y'know," Mammon said, looking nervous.  "Incubi and Succubi always look harmless, at first.  It's how they get ya."

"But you know Semyaza," Jackie said, still having not moving their hand from a handshake that was yet to happen.  "Has he ever been dangerous?"

"I mean-" Mammon started, before realizing he had no argument.  "No, I don't think Semyaza really gets mad or dangerous."

"I'm right here," Semyaza said bitterly.  "If you insist, I'll shake your hand."

Semyaza hesitated, before completing the handshake.  His hands were soft and warm, probably from being in his pockets.  The handshake was professional, in his grip was firm and he smiled.  Of course, he owned a business.

"Behave yourselves," Lucifer called as the two started to walk away.  Mammon grinned, Semyaza looking slightly confused at the warning.  "Especially you, Mammon."

"You know I will, my favorite big brother!"  Mammon sung out, Semyaza smiling at Jackie.

"We should try to become more acquainted in the future!"  He said, his voice genuine.  Jackie smiled, nodding at him.

"Oh, if only he knew.." Lucifer said sadly, Jackie realizing why.
The exchange program ended in less than a month.