Michael entered the prison room with a scowled expression with Kate, Daniel, John, Demetrius, Ricky, Ashley, Timothy, Nathan, and a few angels behind him. Timothy walked next to Michael. Michael said, “Timothy will be watching Pitch.”

Sara couldn’t seem to stand up faster when the door opened and ran to her father. She hugged him tightly, “Is everything going okay?” She buried her face in his chest and her wavy hair fell behind her back.

Apparently, as she was nearly choking Michael with a squeezed hug, she couldn’t read the awkward tension in the room with everyone realizing Michael did not kill Pitch, and even a tighter tension between Lucifer and Michael; or she was just ignoring the atmosphere and happy to see her father.

“Sweetie, not the time,” said Michael. Sara didn’t hide her frown well as she stepped back with Michael’s sidekicks. The Archangel said, “Lucifer, come with me. We can discuss Pitch over dinner.”

Pitch folded his arms tightly, “So I’m just cut liver or something?”

Michael glared at him, “I killed you. I swear I did.”

“Yet, here I am,” Pitch said with a dominant grin.

Michael stepped forward to the glass, his eyes blazing with contentment, “Not for long, Pitch.”

Pitch gave a glance to Timothy and then turned his attention to all of the people looking at him as if he was a prized creature. Maybe he was. They seem to the thought of how he escaped death. He fisted up his middle finger and said blandly, “Fuck you.” And Pitch eyed Lucifer, “And you.”

“Seems like my brother and I are finally on the right page for once,” said Michael, giving out a frown of Pitch’s flipping off them, “We will be discussing your death.”

Pitch chuckled with a sly smile, “No, better yet, the world will be talking about how you messed up killing me. The most, well-respect powerful Archangel, has not managed to kill someone like me. But, yet, you haven’t managed to kill Lucifer.”

Sara snarled as she moved nearer to the glass, “That is my father you are saying too!” She pulled out a sword from her sleuth.

Michael gently placed a hand on her sword, “Not now. Let’s go, Lucifer.”

Kate pushed down the jealously boiling inside her. She would protect Michael in her way, “And if you try to hurt our leader, I will burn you without permission,” she hissed to Pitch. Although she felt lame saying that.

Michael shook his head. This was because he was sorely disappointed in himself. How could he have messed up this badly? He walked out of the room, unbearable by the looks as he passed through the Heroes’ Headquarters. He felt frustration come up to the surface. His face was tightened with fury going over how Pitch could’ve escaped. Everything was in place when he thought the angels dragged Pitch out from the prison, the warlock fighting each step of the way. The lavender eyes shone at him in horror as Michael held the sword up, asking if he had any last words.

He had heard Pitch say: “The day will come Michael.”

Michael never understood those words. He thought Pitch meant that Lucifer will finally be able to dispatch him, or that karma will bite him in his ass, but all Michael has done was goodness and nothing but kindness. He sliced Pitch’s neck, less than a millisecond, the sword slicing through the air in which the only whooshing noise as the blade slice across Pitch’s neck.

The Archangel now understood every bit of that sentence. He never could imagine this would happen. Pitch returning from the dead.

What an ultimate failure he felt right now.

Sara’s smooth hands slide next to his. Her body touched against him as she whispered a calm understanding, “It’s going to be okay.” She squeezed his hand lovingly.

Michael’s bashing thoughts and pain almost ceased. He gripped her hands tighter, “Thank you, honey.” He eyed Sara’s pistol that she was holding lightly. “You can put that away.” He stopped at his office door, “Ashley and Demetrius, you have Timothy's number if something goes wrong, Daniel and John,” he looked at Nathan, “Watch him.”

John questioned, “Do you want us to lock him up in a bedroom?”

Michael shook his head, “No, just watch him.” He went inside of his office, pulling a flash drive from his computer and into his hands. He gripped it and said, “Ricky, you can join Lucifer if you wish to be in the conversation.” He closed up his laptop with a snap.

Ricky grimaced, “Yeah, I would rather die than be in your little conversation.” He skipped backward and then dashed away.

Michael turned to Sara, “You come. Kate, your opinion would matter to me too.”

Kate beamed, “I would love to accompany you. By the way, Lucifer would probably tear you apart if no one watches him.”

Lucifer gave an uncaring glance at Kate.

Sara groaned, “Do I have to?”

Michael threw the flash drive in the air and caught it, without even looking up, his eyes narrowing to his daughter, “Do you have a date or something?”

Sara nodded with a passive smile, “I have a date with Netflix.”

Kate grabbed Sara’s cloak’s hood and pulled her to Michael’s walking footsteps, Lucifer’s footsteps close at their heels. “Where are we going, exactly?”

“Something where you girls can eat and a quiet spot to have a private talk,” replied Michael, stepping into the long hallway.

“How about hamburgers!” exclaimed Sara.

Kate agreed, nearly drooling at the sound of a juicy burger, “Sure.”

Michael smiled warmly, “I know just the place.”

Demetrius and Ashley watched as their leader found what he needed in his office and left with Kate and Lucifer behind him, Sara close by Michael’s side.

Demetrius lead his girlfriend into her bedroom and laid down on her bed, letting out a long sigh, “Pitch is alive. I saw it with my own eyes,” he sat up, “And still, couldn’t believe what I was seeing.” He gave an unbelievable scoff, “And Michael didn’t kill him. I feel so bad for him right now.”

Ashley was combing her wavy, tangerine hair, “Me too.” She mused, “I wonder what my sister will think of that.” She stared up at her boyfriend with her light brown freckled, smooth face, “Don’t worry, Demetrius, everything will fall in place. What could happen? We have Pitch locked and now we have many powerful, trustworthy allies.”

Demetrius complained as he flopped back down on the bed, “Not everyone is trustworthy.” He grumbled, “How on earth did Pitch escape?”

Ashley sat on the edge of her bed, looking at her boyfriend, smiling, “Demetrius, everything is going to be fine.” She was confident when she said that.

Demetrius, again sat back up, their faces close to almost a near kiss. He kissed her, feeling her body gasp when he pressed his lips to hers. He could feel her hot body burning through his clothing and he blushed down, feeling his temperature rise as his heart bounced in his chest.

Ashley drew her hands along his thighs covered in his jeans and came to the skims of his gray shirt. She raised his shirt, Demetrius letting her slip his shirt off of him.

Ashley’s walnut eyes shimmered through Demetrius’s chest, seeing the long scar across his chest. She traced her slender finger across the scar, feeling the slight toughness and pull. “Demetrius,” she inhaled and pressed her ears against his chest, feeling his heart beat happily, resting her head on him “I love you.”

Demetrius closed his eyes, feeling at ease as he hugged her. He could feel her brushed hair bush against his body, “Me too.”

The wait for their food wasn’t long and Sara scuffed down her burger and fries. Kate ate her meal and sucked on her fingers after she finished, “That was an amazingly great choice.”

Sara nodded vigorously, “Thank you, Dad!”

Michael nodded and stared out into the darkening sky as deep azure started to fade into black. He was trying to be cheerful, but what he was doing he was letting himself go down into deep despair. He couldn’t be called the leader of the angels. His mind kept going into the same rymthetic thoughts: This mistake could’ve hurt countless lives. But doing those years Pitch escaped, Michael did not recall any big tragic events happening that dealt with magical creatures. Besides Lucifer’s minions, nothing seemed out of place.

His mind slowly came across if Pitch and Lucifer worked together, but as he gazed his eyes across Lucifer’s, he couldn’t imagine after all this time what happened...Lucifer wouldn’t dare work with Pitch—after what Pitch didn’t do. “You don’t know anything of Pitch’s strange escape from death, do you?” asked Michael, narrowing his eyes to his twin brother. He wasn’t in the best mood and was alerted to sense anything suspicious.

Lucifer chuckled and rolled his harsh eyes, “You think I would allow Pitch to work with me after what happened? You think I’m that stupid, Michael?” He scoffed and stared down at the table, biting his bottom lip in revolt, “Except, you always think so lowly of me.” He glared hatred in Michael’s hurtful eyes.

Michael shouted back, “I have never. You were that idiotic brother turning against our Father just because you thought you knew better!” He wanted to bang his fists down on the table. What was happening now, this wasn’t Lucifer’s fault. Michael didn’t kill Pitch when he promised his people a safer world when the warlock...when the warlock what? Stop blaming Pitch for your wrongdoing. But Pitch escaped. No! Michael made a fucking error and he needed to live up and own his mistake.

He couldn’t be a mopping Archangel, he was going to face the consequences and move on.

But someone as high-ranking and powerful shouldn’t be letting something this slide.

How did he do it then? He knew if he found the key to that answer, everything would make more sense. He placed the flash drive on the table and tipped his finger on it, “This is the camera that focused on that day he was supposedly put to death.” He powered on his computer.

Kate had asked for a menu for the desserts, deciding between two. Sara snatched the menu impatiently, “You take so long to pick.”

“I am trying to be on a diet, Sara,” Kate said.

Sara patted her stomach, “Diet? What’s that?” She looked up at the waiting waiter, “I would like the triple chocolate sundae with extra whipped cream and…the strawberry shortcake, please.”

Lucifer closely leaned into Michael, but no body parts were touching, a safe distance “Does she always eat this much?” He didn’t negatively ask this question but was surprised that she was eating good portions.

Michael fidgeted with the flash drive as he waited for his computer to boot, which only took five seconds, “She exercises at least five hours a day.”

“Five hours?” Lucifer questioned, “You let your daughter do that much exercising?”

Sara chimed in, frowning, and pulled her arms out, flexing them. Magical cuffs were on her writs as she gestured to her muscles, “I don’t get these beauties out of nowhere.”

Lucifer nodded in approval, “Nice, but do you rest?”

Sara answered, “Of course I do, I sleep.”

Michael's eyes perked up like a proud father, “She draws too.” He typed in his password, facing the computer backward, making those seconds of typing the pin an awkward one, since he was sitting next to his brother who claimed to want to help them.

“Dad,” Sara muttered, “My drawing sucks.” She slumped in her booth, letting her hood fall naturally over her head.

Michael said, “Sara, take off that nasty cloak you wear all the time. You need to wear a new one and you are going to get a heat stroke. Aren’t you sweating underneath all the heavy weapons you are carrying?”

Sara grabbed the silverware knife and studied it, “I deal with it.”

“Take it off,” ordered Michael and inserted the flash drive.

Sara slumped even further on her booth, and Kate sitting next to her, crossed her arms.

Michael did a gentle kick on her leg as he prepared the video. Sara let out a long sigh and unclasped her cloak, Kate taking it off and dripping the cloak over the booth, feeling the heavy weight of it.

Lucifer looked at Sara’s bare, slender but muscular arms to their fullest. She was wearing a tank top and a mini skirt, her ribs slightly visible. She must have a fast metabolism.

Michael tilted the computer so everyone could see the screen, the computer’s back pressed against the wall, “If you see anything out of the ordinary, tell me.”

“Okay” answered Kate and Sara, and Lucifer nodded.

Michael hit the space key and the video played. They all sat in silence, staring intensely as the video played Pitch moving back and forth during his three days stay at the Heroes’ Headquarters’ basement. The video was on the fast speed and they did slow it down to its regular speed as Michael, Kate, and Sara walked in with Daniel monitoring Pitch closely as Michael spoke.

Nothing seemed to interest any of the heroes and villains sitting at the table. Michael paused the video as dessert came and spoons were passed out. A few minutes of the silence of blissful sugary carvings and back to the video.

Then the scene as little Sara asked with gaunt big, black eyes, tugging at Michael’s shirt, “Why are you killing him? He’s nice. Don’t kill him. You always said to give everyone a second chance.”

Kate responded restorative, “If we give him a second chance, a World War would probably break out. Or he would kill all the heroes. Do you want that, Sara?”

Sara’s small frame had looked at Pitch as like anyone else, someone who was incredibly dangerous, “Why are the handsome ones always the most dangerous ones?”

Sara couldn’t help but chuckle at her immature, little self. She knew she was pretty, not fully mature but she didn’t realize how much she had grown after all this time. As she wondered, cutting off the video’s noise to her thoughts: I do remember asking for Pitch having another chance. And part of Sara, still felt that way. For what she had known, Pitch hadn’t done anything wrong at all while he skipped the meeting of death.

As the video ended, Kate breathed breathlessly, shaking her head in shock, " How could he have possibly found a way out of that situation?” Kate couldn’t see any flaw when the scene went forward of Kate, Sara, Michael, and Daniel leaving Pitch in the darkness. Morning and evening angels gave him trays of food and new clothing, with a bar of soap. When the doors opened and angels came to drag him out, everything seemed fine, and he fought back, but they had him with strong grasps. Everything is going so smoothly. The video clicked off as she watched Lucifer finish off the triple chocolate sundae.

Then it hit her, she gazed up at Michael and Lucifer, “Everything seems so perfect and fine throughout the video...so put in place. We expected Pitch to give out a fighting chance at escape when the angels start to drag him to his death. Everything is so flawless…” she couldn’t believe if she was even right about this, “What if it was staged?”

“What?” stared back at Michael in wonder, “What! Staged? Please do elaborate.”

Kate glanced at Lucifer’s cold usual face, also trying to seemingly understand Kate’s meanings. “What if Pitch had managed to get out before his trails? I know we have thought of this,” she could feel her heart racing as she began, “but, think about it. Literally, we see what we would expect from Pitch and it is given. Nothing out of the ordinary at all to report. I am saying Pitch—”

Michael gave a deathly paled expression, “Had a helper.”

“Yes,” declared Kate, a little bit of proudness beaming of this ridiculous idea...but was it that ridiculous after all?”

Lucifer chimed in, “So, you are saying Pitch staged his death? How? He couldn’t use his powers...but you say someone else was helping him all this time?” One eye very quickly flickered to Sara.

“Or,” Sara said, “He could’ve used whoever to help him find a way out.”

Lucifer’s soft words echoed in his thoughts: To give him a second chance. The Devil had never seen the video of that day, but now he was understanding more of the importance of how Pitch fled. And she doesn’t remember anything. Lucifer almost pitied the poor girl—except she was Michael’s daughter and the second-highest-ranking hero at the San Francisco headquarters. And she freed Pitch What else could that possibly that girl add to her title? Lucifer hoped that was it.

Michael’s mused over this, leaning back in a mindful approach, “But...everyone that I allowed to had connections with Pitch I was strict. I trusted everyone who came to observe Pitch in which we thought was his final days.”

“Then,” Sara waved her hands as if this situation was as easy as a slice of pie, “Then interview all the people who came to connection to Pitch.”

Lucifer felt his heart tighten, this was going way easier than he liked. He had to talk to Pitch soon.

Michael gave out a dashing grin and smacked his forehand dumbfounded, “Of course, Katerina and Sara, you guys are life savers. I should’ve thought of that soon.” He stood up and came out of his booth, “Yes, I will start that process of talking to each individual.”

“Good,” Kate said.

The bill came and Michael gave the tip and paid with his credit card. He asked, “Do you still have my other credit card, Sara, sweetie?” as he wrote down his name.

Sara said, “Yeah, it’s in my wallet someone in my cloak.”

Michael looked at Lucifer, pressing his lips together, and then said, “At least I don’t have to interview you, you never did visit Pitch during his last days.”

Sara blurted out the question without much thoughtfulness to Lucifer, “What did Pitch even do to you?”

Michael gave her a jagged stare and Kate scowled, but they let Lucifer answer for himself.

The Devil replied, “He didn’t…” If he had to be honest with himself, he was a little upset with Pitch, but it wasn’t his fault. His mind wasn’t clear during those hard few months, “I blamed him for killing my sister.”

“Oh fuck,” gasped Sara.

Michael shook his head, “Language, darling.”

“What?” stated Sara in confusion, “That’s depressing as shit.”

Lucifer chuckled, “Thank you, I guess.” He quickly looked at Michael and back at the oak table filled with empty plates and cups. He inhaled the cool air in the dark restaurant, “I put everything into thinking Pitch could save her and when he didn’t, I was so disappointed and frustrated.”

Silence leaked in the air like a disgusting funeral procession.

Lucifer cleared his throat, “Anyway, now you think I would work with that monster?”

Michael had little understanding of what Pitch did that drove Lucifer insane into having him killed. He knew Pitch was one of the few people that took Lucifer into a different consideration as not just the Devil, but as a person with feelings.

Sara’s mind wondered if Pitch should’ve died that faithful day, but in her deepest heart, she still felt he deserved another chance. She whispered, her heart filled with sorrow but she tried to bury that feeling deep; because Lucifer was a beast and that’s all she should think of him. She so wanted to press further into Lucifer’s sister and what possibly happened to her. This was the first time that she knew that Lucifer had a sister—her eyes startled Michael, “She was your sister too, wasn’t she?”

Michael stood up, “We need to go, Sara, drop it.” His eyes gave a warning sign if she indulged in this conversation anymore, he would snap at her in an ugly way that she hated.

Sara felt Lucifer’s dark eyes on her and she hugged herself as Kate and she came out of the booth, feeling now quite stupid. She should’ve seen the sensitive atmosphere when she asked those silly questions that were none of her business. She would keep her mouth shut from now and keep that topic away as far as possible, “Sorry I asked, Mr. Morning-star.” She gazed her eyes down to the cream-colored soft titles on the flooring.

Lucifer said calmly, “It’s fine.” He kept his face neutral that Michael’s daughter didn’t know any of that story, but wasn’t a bit surprised either that his brother wouldn’t tell that heartbreaking story to her. A secret

Michael could bury in. They thanked the waiter again and went outside to the rising stars and a hardcore full moon shining back. Lucifer turned to Michael, ahead of them, “Thank you for letting me catch up on the events of Thomas Pitch with you.”

Michael smiled, “No problem.” He tried to suppress his feelings about enjoying his brother’s company. He missed Lucifer so much, it sickened him how he could still feel some kind of love and remorse for his twin brother after what so much had happened between them.

“Are you going to plan to put a final death on Pitch?” inquired Lucifer, gazing at Michael’s soft eyes.

“Yes. But, I need to persuade him how he manages to escape and find whoever let him out.”

Lucifer said, still facing Michael, but his eyes darting to Sara, unnoticeable, “What will you do to the person whoever helped Pitch if that is even true.”

Michael sighed, seeing people walk by them, some college girls giggling at Lucifer as they passed by and even giving his daughter a strange look, the way she sullenly held her poster and where her cloak gave her off a mysterious allure. “I don’t know, Lucifer. I don’t want to kill people left and right.”

“You do that to my demons,” Lucifer flatly answered, knowing that statement was a lost cause.

Michael said, “Because they hurt others.”

“This world deserves nothing but pain,” growled Lucifer, “And even half what my demons do to you, you think it affects the humans in this disgusting world? They kill their people willingly. I don’t even have to slip demons into their minds giving off commands. The humans are so used to sin that it’s worthless trying to save them, Michael.”

Michael scoffed, shaking his head, and glared at Lucifer now, “I protect God’s people from that wrath of people like you trying to put an end to them.”

Lucifer said with no feelings toward this world, “There is no human here that I think is worth saving,” he took a step down the busy road. He grinned handsomely, people giving him questioning looks, “Unless, Michael you can prove someone worth saving this world, which is impossible, this world deserves to perish.”

Michael was wishing he never brought Lucifer along. He already gave him his promise as they came to the restaurant that Lucifer could assist in any way, “Save your breath, Lucifer. Every soul in this world deserves to be saved.” He cast his eyes lovingly at his pained brother, “Even yours.”

Lucifer let a bark of laughter, “Me? Redemption is out of my life. Everyone knows that, even those disgusting mortals.” He stepped further into the streets into the middle of the lawn that separated the two lines.

Michael knew that his brother was right. There was never going to be redemption for him, but, deep in his soul, for the first time talking to him like a full-on conversation which they hadn’t for ages, he wished Lucifer was happy.

As the car by Lucifer, Lucifer vanished unseen.

Michael hugged Sara protectively and took Kate’s hands. The Archangel had everyone he wanted and loved. He was content. What was happening in the events of Thomas Pitch was just a little bug in his way.

Michael, for the first time, was regretting all the harsh things he had done and said to Lucifer, and even thought his brother deserved nothing but torment...he knew that Lucifer never deserved any of that. He was just trying to do what he thought was right.

He gazed up to the beautiful sky full of wonder and endless life...and he prayed. "Father, hear my plea. You know what I want and you want for your son, my brother to feel…" To feel what? The word snapped into place, "To feel love again.”

When he finished his deep praying for only a few seconds, he tugged at his girls. They started to walk down the busy night of San Francisco back home. Michael’s locks flowed behind him into a beautiful golden swirl. But even as Michael wished well for his evil twin brother; and felt love for Lucifer which he hadn’t since before the Holy War—he couldn’t vanquish the bitterness that coursed through him.