^Vices and Virtues^Tordtom^Biblical au^

Episode 15: Taking the lead

Lilith left the council with her lips pursed, it felt wrong, but it had to be done. She pushed the heavy wooden door of the Asmedai Castle and was immediately greeted by the embrace of her twelve daughters.

"Where's your father?"

All of them pointed towards the library, her lips turned into a scowl as she realized what it meant; She pushed her daughters to the side and asked for them to join their husbands in the courtyard, all of them rushed out of her way and closed the door behind them. After she was left alone, she pushed the doors to the library and saw her husband hunched over the wall of pictures.

The hallways were decorated with portraits of the family, every daughter had their pictures hung on the walls. Nobody was allowed in the library, only the King and his wife could enter it; inside was a wall dedicated for the first child, a whole wall with only his pictures that the king took himself.

"Dearest, shouldn't you be outside celebrating with your daughters and your new sons-in-law instead of lamenting over that?"

Asmodeus sadly grazed his thumb against a picture of Tom as a lamb, he took another swig from his bottle and slumped in his seat. Lilith avoided the bottles of liquor on the floor, she sat down on the armrest of her husband's throne and nuzzled her face against his neck. A low growl came from the ceiling, Slatrao--the king's steed--Lilith threw her shoe at the mutt and continued to nuzzle her husband's neck.

"We should focus on the positive things, like you choosing wonderful husbands for your daughters and hell being more prosperous than ever, I don't see why you are so worried about someone so insignificant, we can always make a new one-"

"You can't make a new Tom ".

Asmodeus held his head in his hands, seeing his children happy was enough to make him feel joy but the worry he had for Tom's well-being lingers in his mind; the anger Lilith had towards Tom was something he tried to keep under his control, leaving her would cause for her to wreak havoc and ruin his family forever. He takes a final swig from the bottle before swatting Lilith off his side,

"Stop pretending like Tom doesn't exist, for once why can't you show him a bit of love? Do you ever wonder about our eldest child at all? I know you said you'll take care of them but all you do is cause them more heartache!"

Lilith raised her thin eyebrow and sauntered towards the pictures on the wall before angrily ripping it off with her talons.

"Stop that!"

"You wanted daughters, you got a wannabe, the least I can do is make him act like one, you should be more thankful".

Asmodeus clutched Lilith's wrist and dragged her outside. The two then make their way into the bedroom and before locking the door with a heavy metal lock. A lance was suddenly pressed against her throat.

"I don't know why you have such a vendetta against Tom, but it doesn't give you any power to invalidate their existence".

"Invalidate? It's called discipline! A kid doesn't learn if you don't make them respect you, especially if there's something wrong them, it's just tough love".

Lilith watched as her husband's face turn red in anger, she crossed her arms knowing that she was right. Asmodeus balled his hands into a fist and counted to ten, he can't get angry now, he still needed to do something that would go right for him.

"That doesn't make him any less of a demon, different or not, they're still my kid and there isn't anything wrong with him. If anything, there's something rotten within you".

"I am the bar that others follow, I know what I'm doing and what I'm doing is the best"

"Your best--it isn't right for Tom, you give them these impossible standards, they were never truly themselves with you, with us and everyone! You're making them lie to themselves, making them think they're inadequate. Their whole life was controlled by you, personal choices were all on you. That's where the line should be drawn, it's no longer discipline and respect, that's abuse and fear".

Lilith took a step back and rested her hands against her hips, a thought suddenly formed inside her twisted mind, it would truly break Asmodeus if he heard it, but she wasn't going to lose this argument,

"You're right, I'm not the prince from Heaven that spent all his time criticizing humans as a form of redemption for an ethereal deity that barely gives him a chance. Who am I to talk about what's right? You're the angel here... Oh, that's right, you aren't one anymore, yet you still act so self-righteous, afraid of admitting that you're just as rotten as everyone here".

Asmodeus dropped his lance onto the floor, he turned his back and broke down the barricade. Lilith's lips curled into a grin as she watched Asmodeus ride Slatrao and leave through the window.

Slatrao landed on the throne room and watched as her master knelt in front of the throne and mutter incoherent words into the air. Asmodeus pressed his palm against the throne to peek into the future.

Another demon sits on the throne with Tom sitting on the armrest; their hands are entwined with each other's, they seem happier than what he and Lilith have, Tom looks very happy with the person that would take his throne. However, the demon does not resemble Matt or anyone that he knows of.

The sound of Tom laughing and seeing them genuinely happy despite what Lilith made them suffer through was enough to make his heart fill with joy if Tom was happy, he didn't mind who inherits the throne.

Although there were sacrifices to be made, like controlling his anger to possibly not break the bond that Tom would make with a lover on Earth. It would all be worth it. Just to see his child happy again.

Lucifer rushed out of his castle as he rushed down the stairs to see the council bundled up on the second circle murmuring and gossiping. He pushed through the crowd and saw Lilith and Beelzebub eyeing the broken-down gates,

"What happened? All of you commoners, leave!"

The demons who were bustling to see the commotion left the scene and left the authority to handle the issue. Lilith placed her hands on her hips and sauntered towards Lucifer,

"We had a bit of a fight, and he was such in a state of despair that he had to leave".

"Did he know about the plan?"

"Obviously not, but now that he's gone the plan is going to finally be in motion."

Beelzebub flew over to limbo; two angels descended from the staircase and kneeled in front of Lilith.

"Virgil, Raphael, this is a mission for the greater good of humanity, now that the king of lust is mortal-"

"How is he mortal? Any weapon would just bruise him! not to mention that his steed is at his disposal! this is a terrible-"

Raphael cut Lilith off, Virgil pushed his head back down and made him kneel again.

"By sucking out his life force, now go kill him"

Lilith kicked the two angels with her heel and watched as the two of them ran down the stairs to reach the core. Lucifer grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a kiss.

"If they are successful in killing Asmodeus and his child, you will be elected as the queen of hell".

The feeling of control circled around her veins, it felt euphoric to finally have dominance over something. Things were finally going her way, and under her supervision, hell will finally be built into her image.