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“Sir? Sir!”
Lute had barely managed to turn the pain and adrenaline into something useful to get herself away from the crumbling hotel. She completely blocked out any thoughts of her left arm as she watched the Fallen and his Hellspawn toss Adam into the ground.
It suddenly occurred to her just how monumentally they’d fucked up.
They had been so focused on teaching miss Second Chances a lesson she wouldn’t ever forget that they hadn’t even considered Lucifer; the agreement stipulated that the Hellborn were exempt from the Extermination. They should have known that going against it would bring him around, especially when the Princess herself was involved.
Please don’t let his wings be broken. Lute thought desperately to herself as she swooped down before anything else could happen. She knew that she didn’t have the stamina to help fly him back home. The strewn bodies of her sisters littered the ground but Lute kept her focus on the crater. Adam was still alive and she was determined to keep it that way.
She landed just as her commander was struggling to get back up. “Sir,” Lute crouched next to him and took a brief stock of his injuries. He seemed able to move, at least, which was a good sign. “We should go.”
“I’m not letting that fuckin’ clown get the best of me-!”
“Adam.” Lute pressed his chest desperately with her remaining hand when he tried to get up again. “I want these fuckers dead as much as you do, you know that, but we need to retreat and regroup.”
Adam was fully prepared to shove past her and climb out of the crater until he noticed her arm.
Or lack thereof.
“Lute-“
Footsteps approached the edge of the crater before he could finish and Adam scowled when Lucifer stood there. Lute moved in a flash and flared her wings out to either side to shield him, remaining arm held out while what was left of her other continued bleeding.
“Go home!” Lucifer ordered, before a saccharine, “Please.” Lute wasn’t foolish enough to think that she would ever stand a chance against the Fallen but she longed for just one solid punch in that moment.
“C’mon, danger tits.” Was all the warning she received before Adam unceremoniously scooped her up into his arms from behind, folding her wings in safely as he handled her with ease. They took to the air and both of them glared down at the wretches, “This isn’t over,” Adam vowed to them. “Not by a long shot.” He whistled and headed up higher. “Ladies! Get your asses moving!”
The remaining Exorcists followed obediently as their commander opened a portal back Up.
Lute gave Vaggie a vicious look before they were out of sight and hoped that her promise was clear; things would go very differently, next time.
🎸
She was numb by the time they made their way back to Heaven.
The girls headed off for their usual post-Extermination check-ups and check-ins. Adam lingered by their training arena instead and Lute could feel him seething. It came out in a rush, eventually, and he supported her easily with one hand while the other crashed through a nearby pillar.
It was made of clouds so unfortunately the action did little to quell his rage.
It was all her fault.
She’d failed him.
Lute pried herself from his grasp despite his, “Lute, you crazy bitch, what are you doing? You shouldn’t-“ and only stumbled briefly before she was on her feet. She threw a punch that nearly collided from element of surprise alone.
“Did that cunt do a number on your head, too?!” Adam demanded as he dodged another blow, “Lute, what the fuck-!”
“One last spar.” She spat and went for a kick to disorient him.
“One- what?” He took advantage of the lost equilibrium from her missing arm and managed to pin her before she could try anything else. “What the fuck are you rambling about?”
She turned her head to avoid his questioning gaze. “I’ll be demoted. There’s no way I can serve as your lieutenant after a fuck-up like this.” Lute closed her eyes against the despair of it all.
Adam snorted, “Newsflash, bitch - I decide that kind of shit around here and you aren’t going anywhere.”
“I can’t be what you need-“
“I decide what I need!”
She flared her wings against him but Lute didn’t have it in her to break free. “She took my arm!” Lute snapped, “That traitorous bitch - I lost! To her!” Something hit her, then, and Lute was somehow more ashamed when tears welled in her eyes. “My left arm.”
Her ring, forever lost to Hell.
“Lute…”
“How can I serve at all, like this?” She sobbed and had no will left to try to keep her pride in tact, “The girls won’t be able to respect me after this kind of loss.” Lute was meant to be unflappable and strong; a steady presence to guide them. Instead she’d let rage get the best of her and paid the price.
“Come on.” Adam pulled her up by her remaining hand, nowhere near the headspace even remotely able to try to talk to her about… Any of that. “Gotta get you looked over.” Lute said nothing as she was lifted into his arms again.
She wasn’t surprised when he dropped her off with the Healers and left her to her shame.
Lute remained in a daze and barely answered any questions given to her. Eventually they stopped and tended to her in silence. She gave a faint hiss when her shoulder was prodded but was quiet otherwise. “This will be… Unpleasant.” The Healer informed her before there was a searing pain from her missing arm.
“What the fuck!” Lute tried to thrash but apparently in her stupor she’d been restrained without even realizing it.
“There,” The burning subsided and she went limp on the cot. “When you’re comfortable and able please test your range of motion.”
“My…” Lute trailed off before the golden prosthetic fully registered. “Oh.”
She could only stare for a few moments before she managed to bend her elbow, followed by her wrist. She flexed each finger carefully and blinked back tears. “Everything seems fine.” The Healer sounded pleased but Lute barely heard them.
She only moved again when she was cleared to go and completely unstrapped. Lute flexed her wings before she headed over to the table where her clothes had been carefully folded.
She shed the medical robe only to jump when a loud wolf-whistle echoed.
“Adam!” Lute wrapped her wings around herself. “What the fu-“ She cut herself off when he ambled in and pulled the curtains around the room to give them complete privacy.
“Let me see.”
She wasn’t eager to show off the glaring reminder of her failure. “Fuck off.”
“Lute.”
She grumbled wordlessly at his gentled tone. “Why?”
“Just show me.”
Lute rolled her eyes but unfurled her wings just the same. He took surprising care as he prodded at the seam of her skin and fresh prosthetic. “Adam-“
“Shh.” He hushed her without any heat. She closed her eyes when golden light overtook his hands while he continued. “There.” Adam announced a minute later, satisfied.
Lute rolled her shoulder and found that nearly all of the pins and phantom pain were gone from the new limb. She bit her tongue to keep tears at bay. “Thank you.” It didn’t keep the wateriness from her voice, though.
“What?” Adam noticed because of course.
“It’s just…” She shook her head and swiped at one eye idly, “My left arm.” Lute knew that he would understand.
He frowned down at her hand. “Right.” Adam considered that before a wide grin overtook his replacement mask. “No problem!”
“Adam-“ The air grew heavy around them and Lute’s stomach turned. He was doing something stupid for her sake. “Stop it—!”
“Fuckin’ - Just lemme concentrate, here.” His voice reverberated with Grace.
“A-“ She didn’t have the chance to continue protesting when there was so much Light that even she had to shield her eyes against it. The pressure around them lessened and Lute only opened her eyes again when she was certain it was safe. Her breath caught immediately. “You can’t… What-“
His halo was around her wrist.
Well, not entirely.
Adam’s own halo remained above his head but it was notably smaller than it had been. He’d taken some of his own Grace from it to make her a bracelet. A perfect, miniature copy of his halo with her always…
“That fucking sucked so you don’t get to complain about it.” Adam told her matter-of-factly, “You’re welcome.”
Fresh tears traced down her cheeks.
“I love you, too.”