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Nothing coming from Mammon was predictable, Leviathan had learned at a very short age. Even back then, when they still lived in Celestial Realm, it was hard to tell what was going on inside his mind. Nobody knew what he was capable of due to his impulsive, but clever behaviour, so everyone tended to expect the worst from him. They were right to do so, no matter how heartless that sounded, because nothing would change the fact that Mammon was a dangerous being.
Not worse than Lucifer, but he was close. Exceptionally close, Leviathan would risk saying.
To this day, Leviathan believed that Mammon was created in a different way. He wouldn’t share that thought with anyone else, for he feared what Lucifer could do to defend his little brother’s honour, yet he couldn’t help but wonder if he was wicked since the beginning. After all, what kind of angel would feel so much excitement by dismembering a creature while it still lived? He never saw any angel acting like that besides him, not even Michael with his ruthless attitude.
Lucifer was violent, that was very much true, but this was due to his sadism. He needed to show who was in control, who was the true owner of their lives, all for the sake of his pride. And even someone like him had limits. He never lost his composure, never went too far with his punishments and much less treated his enemies with savagery. Mammon didn’t, and there was absolutely nothing that could explain why he was like that.
Lucifer felt pleasure with whatever could give him a sense of power, while Mammon felt relish with the brutality that his hands could inflict. He didn’t have a reason to be like that, to be a servant of havoc and chaos, but who was Leviathan to say anything? He was only the third-born, the weakest among the eldests. All he could do was lower his head and move on, submissive to the power discrepancy between the three.
Besides, Lucifer wasn’t blind. He saw Mammon growing up, he had raised him when everyone else refused to do it. Of course he was aware that the most composed brother among the seven was also the most brutal one. Leviathan wasn’t obligated to remind him that.
Also, he always found it weird that, regardless of Mammon being threatened by the witches every now and then, he never really clashed with them. Many demons speculated that they had some kind of agreement, but no one had a true proof of that. His brothers, meanwhile, believed that Mammon hadn’t died by their hands yet because of Lucifer’s interference. Well, that too, he supposed, since Lucifer became a whole new person whenever his favorite was in danger.
However, there was something more, Leviathan always had sensed due to the amount of times he saw him acting unpredictably. And now, this ‘more’ was happening right in front of his eyes.
The front part of their house was resembling a battlefield, but the house remained untouched. Mammon raised a protective barrier at the exact moment the witch threw him against the gates, protecting everything and everyone inside of it. His siblings came out to see what was happening, asking him what he was doing and who was that woman, but Mammon didn’t respond. And how could he, when all that was crossing his mind was to eliminate the target in front of him? When Leviathan noticed the golden glint in his eyes instead of the usual blue tone, he knew there was nothing they could do aside from watching it.
But, truth to be told, Leviathan wasn’t expecting to see that once again. His brother’s too, judging by their horrified expressions. What they were seeing was a fully one-sided dispute. All the invocations that the witch was making were being eliminated in a short period of time and in the most bloodthirsty ways possible. He never thought that there were so many ways to kill something with a pair of daggers, but Mammon was showing that yes, it was possible to create different types of cuts, each one being more painful than the previous.
Though, it didn’t stop just there. No, if that was all it would be fine, it would be another normal day at Devildom. What Mammon was doing that didn’t belong to the 'normality', however, was cutting these creatures to the point where they couldn’t fight anymore, but without killing them. He was leaving them to bleed to death, writhing in pain and agony as he laughed at their suffering. Not only that, but he was constantly reminding the witch that it was her fault that her familiars were in such pain, and that he would only stop after seeing her bathed in the blood of the beings she loved.
“He… He could have used magic to end it quickly.” Satan uttered, low and shakily. “Why doesn’t he use it? Why is he prolonging this?”
Leviathan sighed. This was Satan’s first time seeing Mammon in this state. He must be frightened, confused and revolted. The same man who raised him with so much love and caring was shattering someone up just for the sake of it.
It must be hard to watch.
“Because we’re demons. Every one of us have a fucked up taste.” Leviathan answered, though, far from wanting to comfort him. Just because he didn’t want to be into Satan’s shoes it didn’t mean that he would keep the truth hidden. “In Mammon’s case, he has a weird obsession over creating a carnage every time he gets into a real fight. You should get used to it, since it won’t be the last time it’s going to happen.”
Leviathan himself had thought that the last time he would see Mammon like this would be at the war, that things had changed now that they finally found a place to settle down. Well, as he could see, it didn’t, and he couldn’t allow Satan to think the same way as he did.
Asmodeus was disappointed with him, he could tell. Not that he cared, it wasn’t his fault that Satan grew with the wrong impression of their older brother. Mammon was strong and hazardous, always had been. It wasn’t his fault that their young brothers seemed to forget it.
At the exact moment Asmodeus wrapped his arms around Satan to embrace him, the witch summoned the fifth and final creature. Its appearance resembled a dog mixed with a bull, but the canine features were what stood out the most. Poor thing, Leviathan thought, she must have thought that Mammon would show mercy just because he liked hellhounds. That would’ve been a good move, indeed, if Mammon was in his senses. But he wasn’t, so it wouldn’t make any difference for him.
A long and golden chain formed on the hilts of Mammon’s daggers, connecting them. Everyone seemed to foresee what this would lead to, everyone except the witch, who was too blinded by rage to think rationally. Then, after cutting off various parts of its skin, he curled the chains around its neck and began to strangle it, strong but slowly. It began to jerk desperately in a failed attempt to free itself while making distressing choking sounds. The witch tried to hit Mammon with fireballs, but missed all of them, fearing to hit her last remaining familiar.
Blood began to spurt from the creature’s neck. Leviathan began to wonder if it would suffocate to death or if it would live until it was decapitated. Either way, he was sure that both methods would please Mammon, and disgust their brothers on the other hand.
Mammon’s retaliation was in check with his monstrosity. Leviathan wasn’t as shocked as he should be.
“STOP!” the witch screamed, getting on her knees right after. Leviathan heard Belphegor grinding his teeth. “I’VE ALREADY DESTROYED THE CURSE! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM US?!”
A loud, cracking sound made everyone jump.
Mammon broke its neck.
Huh, so Leviathan got both possibilities wrong.
“Where are the other’s hiding?” Mammon asked, sternly, as he got down from the creature’s body. The witch didn’t answer. One second later, he spun one of the daggers by the chain and threw it against her, but missed purposely. “I’m not asking again, Amélie.”
The witch, Amélie, looked at them. Leviathan twisted his lips. Gaining unwanted attention was unpleasant. He wished Mammon would end her soon.
“You’ve always played with us and we never fought back. We always knew our place and never went too far with you.” she said, staring at Mammon again. “The curse my sister threw on the human was mild, and I undid that the moment I noticed it. So what more do you want from us, Mammon?!”
“Amélie, dear.” he chuckled, and bent down in front of her. “I’m the Avatar of Greed. I’m always seeking for more. Besides, this isn’t about that stupid curse, nor your dumb sister.”
“THEN WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS?!”
Leviathan bit his lower lip as he realized that Mammon had whispered something to her. He wanted to know what was that about, what the hell was able to make him lose his mind like this, but Mammon was also notorious for keeping secrets from his family. Whatever it was, at least he knew it was serious, because the witch went from a state of pure hate to panic in a snap.
“No, no, no, Mammon! Please, listen to me: I wasn’t aware of that. If I knew about this, I would’ve given him to you, I swear! B-But please don’t…” she choked, grabbing him by his clothes desperately. “Don’t kill my entire family because of my uncle’s betrayal, I’m begging you!”
“Oh, Amélie.” Mammon called her, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “I need survivors to serve as an example.”
Within seconds, Mammon was on top of her, choking her with both hands as he brought their faces closer.
“Unfortunately, it won’t be you. I can’t spare someone who attacked me in my own house, can I?” Mammon stated coldly. “Now, tell me where they are and I’m going to spare your sister, at least.”
There was pain in her eyes, but there was nothing she could do but accept it. “On… the mountains...”
Mammon nodded, smiled at her and cut her throat.
Leviathan turned on his back, ignoring Satan’s enraged screams, Asmodeus’ sobs and the twins’ scared faces. He was tired of Mammon making him feel so weak, reminding him of who the second-born was and why he deserved that place.
Still, he was proud to say that he didn’t envy his brother. He wanted to be strong, sure, but not his type of strong. The idea of being a slave to his own craving was terrifying, so no, Leviathan didn’t envy what Mammon had. But still, he couldn’t hold back a smirk after thinking of how cool his brother looked right now.
_______________________
A metallic and warm scent invading his room made Lucifer stand up quickly.
Mammon came back, and a blood-soaked heart was resting in his arms. He froze in place, feeling his chest getting heavier at each blood drop that was falling on the floor.
When he first read Asmodeus’ message, he couldn’t believe in its content. Better, he didn’t want to. But then, Lucifer’s eyes were attacked by several photos of what had happened, and his mind could no longer sabotage him. Once again, Mammon got out of control. This time, he wasn’t there for him. He failed with his duty, letting his brother deal with a conflict all alone while the others could only watch helplessly.
“What did you do, brother of mine?” Lucifer whispered, walking towards him at a slow pace. It was, in all its essence, unsettling to see Mammon like this, with a blank stare, cold expression and menacing aura. He seemed lifeless, a dead body crawling around in search of destruction to satisfy its hunger.
“I eliminated the enemy.” Mammon declared nonchalantly, extending the disgusting heart to him. Lucifer hesitated, but ended up taking it, fearing what he could do if he didn’t. “I protected our family. I protected us.”
Feelings were hard to understand. Contradictories on several occasions. Although Lucifer was feeling remorse and guilt, he couldn’t help but feel proud of Mammon too. He got his hands dirty for their sake, and this time he didn’t even have to ask him to do it. As twisted as it sounded, this was also a show of love on his part. He cared about their safety, therefore did everything to keep the dangers away from them.
But that didn’t nullify the horror of Mammon’s actions, nor could bring relief to Lucifer’s soul. He was more worried than ever, asking himself what could’ve happened if his brother wasn’t strong enough to deal with it on his own. He might be the second-born but Lucifer was still the first, so it was his responsibility to face whatever threatened his siblings. Not Mammon. Never him. Especially with his… unbridled behaviour.
“Are you disappointed?” Mammon asked calmly, but Lucifer could tell that he was nervous. “I apologize for taking too long to find his hiding spot. I promise I’ll do better next time.”
“No, Mammon, that’s not it.” he corrected quickly. It was depressing that Mammon, even after all of this, still found ways to blame and belittle himself. “You did an excellent job. I’m grateful for it.”
Mammon smiled, happy for being praised. Lucifer, on the other hand, swallowed dry. He shouldn’t think that he looked cute when he was all covered in blood. He couldn’t allow his brotherly instincts to take the reins and pretend that nothing had happened, replacing his pain with affection towards his baby brother.
“But I must tell you that it was unnecessary.” Lucifer warned before he could be misunderstood. Mammon flinched. “You took it too far. You didn’t have to deal with this alone. We must always share our concerns with each other, so why didn’t you contact me?”
“Because you were his target! He was plannin’ somethin’, I heard on the last time I entered their territory!” Mammon growled, crossed his arms and kept his eyes steady on Lucifer’s face. “Don’t ya think it would be stupid to drag the prey to the predador’s den?”
Lucifer ignored half of what Mammon said, more focused on realizing that his brother was slowly coming to his senses.
“Indeed, but since when I’m not capable of defending myself? You, more than anyone else, should know that not just anyone can bring me down.”
“So do ya mean I can’t be afraid, only you? Only you can think that a threat can take your brothers away from you? Don’t be a fuckin’ hypocrite, Lucifer!” Mammon snarled as he took two steps forwards, cornering Lucifer against his desk. “You have no idea what kinda fucked up things I heard that motherfucker sayin’. He was planning to give you a fate worse than death, and do you expect me to pretend none of that mattered and that you could handle it alone?”
Raw frustration was being thrown on Lucifer’s face. He sympathized with how Mammon was feeling, and comprehended that he should take his feelings into consideration, but Lucifer was a selfish individual. A self-centered, proud man who lived to carry the weight of the world on his hands.
“That's right, you should have left everything to me.”
And Mammon needed to understand that.
“YOU––!” But before he could say or do something, Lucifer brought the heart close to his face and took a big, hungry bite of it. “W-What…?”
“I’ll take that as an apology on your part.” Lucifer clarified, not bothering to wipe the blood out of his mouth. “But if you repeat the same mistake, I won’t be as considerate as I am now.”
Now, it was his turn to approach.
“You don’t understand? All of you are my responsibility. All of you belong to me. You belong to me, Mammon.” he said, grinning at Mammon’s shocked expression. “It’s okay for you to defend your brothers, to defend me, but to protect? This is my duty, not yours.”
His brother lowered his gaze, shed his demonic form and gave signs that he wanted to run away. Lucifer, however, didn’t allow it. He placed the bitten heart on the desk and grabbed Mammon by his cheeks, stared at him for a few seconds and finally pulled him into a hug.
“Did I make myself clear?”
“Y-Yes, sir.” Mammon said, in a thin voice, way calmer than before.
He sighed.
Behind so much confidence, there was still a man who was scared of what had happened. Everything Lucifer said was true, he meant each and every word, yet it was undeniable how much this whole situation affected him. This was the first time in a millennia that Mammon went ballistic, and he realized that, this time, his reaction was worse than before.
Lucifer feared that the more his brother lost control, the further from sanity he would be. He needed, therefore, to act with a firm hand to avoid this fate. He needed to protect Mammon from himself, no matter what it cost.
“Now, let’s clean you, shall we?” Lucifer uttered, breaking the hug slowly. “I didn’t say it before, but you’re stinking.”
Mammon scoffed, and looked at his bathroom’s door. “Can I take a bath in your tub?”
“Suit yourself,” Lucifer paused, considering what he wanted to add, and decided to turn off his ego for a second. Mammon needed softness, and he deserved it after all he went through, so that was what he would give him: a little bit of tenderness. “…dumpling.”
“What did you say?!” Came as an amazed gasp. Lucifer rolled his eyes and trotted towards the wardrobe to get a towel for him. “Luuuucy! Why do you always say those things when my phone is nowhere to be seen?! That’s so unfair!”
“Ah, such a whiny…”
Yeah, that was the true Mammon, the second-born. Annoying by no end, a true scumbag who wouldn’t hesitate to use someone he was fond of to gain profit, but perfect just the way he was.
And Lucifer wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world.