When you mock the Devil, you better expect revenge. According to the timeline in Hell, he was king for millions of years. So, he's damn good at vengeance. This time he also can't and won't deny that the Devil made a certain lady he loves do something, even if it was only a small suggestion he gave. Yes, sometimes the best revenge comes with the least effort and then it is just enjoyment for the Devil when he sees the target of his vengeance suffer. And if that one target happens to become multiple targets, then that's a bonus well taken...
The whole gang was gathered in Samantha's and Alex's suite. This was the night his parents would return. Six days before the jump and two days before the big day. Alex and Sam had already seen that Michael's face was on thunder while Celine sat there with a mean smile. The situation with Ella and Lucifer was not much better. In his head, he heard Sam:
"Love, your father and his twin look like they just bit into a lemon and their ladies seem to like this a lot."
"Yep, if you ask me this is going to be a lot of fun. I'm going to wait until Mams and Paps get here. After all, everyone deserves to enjoy themselves."
"Alex, that's mean!"
"I know darling but after all as the son of the Devil I have a reputation to uphold."
He heard her giggle and as always it did strange but very pleasant things to his stomach. At that moment, Aisha and Franklin entered with broad smiles. They were enthusiastically welcomed by everyone and dropped onto a couch near Robert and Salome. Aisha asked:
"And darlings everything ready for the big day?"
Samantha replied with a wide smile:
"Absolutely Mom. The day will begin with the elevation of Trixie to Angel, Ella, and Azi to Archangel, and Celine and Anthony to Archdemon. An hour break followed by the marriage of Anthony and Azi, another hour break, and then it's the turn of Ella and Lucifer. Finally last, Alexander and myself. A whole day of festivities in both halves of the city and both halves of Dis. Alexander will arrange for a temporary dome in our Dis so that the time there for the day will run exactly with the time here. He already made sure that time in his Dis ran equal to Heaven. That way everyone can perfectly follow what is happening and celebrate with us with time that is in sync."
Franklin said:
"We couldn't be happier for you, for all of you!"
Alex asked in turn:
"I take it everything is fine with our new universe?"
Aisha nodded diligently:
"Absolutely, brand new, and ready for your arrival. We take it that upon your arrival you will be diving headlong into it?"
"Yep, the first day immediately twenty thousand housing units. Everything okay with the multiverse so you guys can stay for a while?"
Franklin replied:
"Absolutely! We wouldn't want to miss this. The multiverse can manage a few days without our presence. After the big party we must go back for a while but the night before the jump we are back and can begin the big move. I know it is normally Robert who says this but now I am saying it; this could be fun!"
This sentence provoked laughter from the insiders and Aisha said:
"You do have a bunch more Angels not to mention that pile of containers we didn't account for. This is going to require very precise planning."
Sam said:
"Alex and I drew up the schedule Mom. It's going to have to run like a Swiss watch, but it certainly can be done. The square is going to be divided into quadrants, ten to be exact. The first ten groups will take their places. Then transfer group by group while the next groups take the empty spots. But that's for tomorrow. Tonight is private, for the whole family."
Aisha said with a broad smile:
"You're right darling."
Alex had watched Michael grow increasingly restless while Lucifer felt increasingly uncomfortable, he could tell by the almost continuous fiddling with his cufflinks. Silently he said to Sam:
"I think it's time for a little family fun."
She replied:
"Yes, because I'm kind of curious as to what those two have been up to now."
Alex pointed to Michael and Lucifer and with that, their ladies got a rather wide grin.
"Dad, Michael, you guys are sitting there like you could get a toothache any minute. What's going on?"
Everyone knew immediately that Alex had intentionally put the two in the spotlight and watched in amusement, anxiously awaiting the outcome. Michael said:
"Don't go exploding right away Alex. Luci and I have been thinking logically and analyzing as you said. We just can't figure it out."
"I don't always explode Michael. Okay, what can't you figure out?"
Michael sighed deeply. He knew he was the center of attention in the room and that Samantha and Alex would enjoy it.
"Luci and I have been thinking about this whole time travel thing."
He was immediately briefly interrupted by Alex placing his first jab:
"Michael you do know that thinking is dangerous for you two and it's especially bad for Dad because he's not used to it."
Lucifer suddenly felt a lot more uncomfortable and Ella and Celine's pleasure increased a little more.
"Anyway, what don't you guys understand about time travel?"
Michael continued:
"If Aisha and Franklin started that universe eleven days ago, how can we make the jump? Five hundred years ago that universe didn't exist. So where do we end up? Into nothingness?"
Alex said quietly to Samantha:
"I was wrong darling. This is not going to be fun; this is going to be very very fun."
He could already hear her chuckling in his head.
"Dad and Mom didn't take eleven days to make that universe gentlemen. After a minute or so they had already rocked it and were back making their preparations so they can stay here for a few days."
Michael began to turn red very slowly:
"How can that be, they said themselves, you said it too, that it would at least take ten days!"
"True it took eleven days to build that universe, Michael."
The contradiction he had thrown on the table caused everyone to giggle softly. They realized that Michael was in over his head and that Alex would get value for his money and squeeze every penny out of it.
"But they were back after a minute you just said!"
"Yep absolutely right. Mom and Dad started building that universe not eleven days ago but five hundred years ago. They started building on the 20th of December 1499."
The desperation in their eyes only increased and Michael asked:
"But then that new universe no longer exists. After all, your Mom said that the Gods must be bound to the throne or else that new universe will disappear as quickly as they were able to create it."
"At least you paid very close attention in class Michael. Moms and Paps are right. That new universe already disappeared again five hundred years ago. In fact, our two universes that are now linked will disappear from the moment we make the jump and consequently, we are no longer linked to the thrones. Poof, all gone."
Now just about everyone was hanging on to Alex's every word. Lucifer said totally in despair:
"Then how are you going to save everything and everyone if there is no more universe to be saved? Ours was doomed to disappear anyway but Samantha's. Then why tie her universe to ours if it's going to disappear now too?"
Alex was pretty sure that with his next answer, he would hear the brains of the two creaking to a halt.
"Well, Mom and Dad started building the new universe on December 20, 1499 and were finished on December 31, 1499, close to midnight. It takes a few days for the universe to begin to crumble. If Sam and I were in the first group to make the jump we arrive on the first of January 1500 at six o'clock in the morning. So that universe was only a few hours without Gods, so nothing happened. About twelve hours after we arrive Sam's universe begins to cease to exist. Our universe is already imploding so ten years after we make the jump both original universes are gone. Like I just said, poof all gone."
Lucifer was staring at him open-mouthed, and Michael shook his head.
"But then why are we doing it? If everything is gone, how can we link and save souls and people?"
Alex was having more than fun with this. His next answer would probably break the two of them. With a sneaky smile, he asked:
"Who said everything, and everyone is gone, Michael?"
In frustration, the latter just about shouted:
"You said that Alex, a few seconds ago!"
With this answer, just about everyone was laughing softly. Even though most didn't understand a hundred percent of the whole time travel thing themselves. Their trust in Samantha and Alex ensured that they didn't have to, either. Lucifer and Michael's reactions were just too good not to enjoy the spectacle and what Alex was doing to them.
"Hmmm, absolutely right Michael. Ten years after we left, everything is gone."
"Then how the hell are you going to save everything and glue the three universes together?"
With a perfectly serious face, Alex first slowly poured himself a glass of his mix and said:
"Oh, piece of cake. We're just going to change the timeline of the two existing universes."
This answer was enough to break Lucifer and Michael. Both stared into nothingness. When their brains came back online a while later, Lucifer asked:
"Bloody Hell Alex. Take pity on us. What the bloody Hell do you mean by changing the timeline what is that all about?"
Alex again manifested the three lines he had used earlier. Two of them were already linked.
"Remember the dates I used when I first explained this?"
Both nodded and Alex continued:
"Okay so the first of January 2000 at midnight is our jump-off point and we go back in time five hundred years."
The third line suddenly became a lot shorter than the other two.
"Time is linear. That means time moves forward at the same rate in the same direction everywhere. At least if you are not moving at ridiculous speeds as would be possible with a spaceship."
With this, the lines began to get longer. The two that linked only a tiny bit, the detached line until it was almost as long as the other.
"Even though we are going to the year 1500 at some point in the new universe it will be the year 2000. On the first of January 2000 at 4 in the morning, I link the new universe to the other two. Instead of those two universes disappearing ten years later, Sam's universe continues to exist because we have not been gone five hundred years but four hours at most. Our universe does disappear because it is imploding but we can carry out the original plan and evacuate everyone."
Michael shook his head and growled:
"I fucking give up. From now on I don't want to hear your fucking explanations. Point me in a certain direction and spare me the rest!"
Ella said:
"Ah, you poor babies..."
Which elicited hearty laughter from all present.
The next morning, Samantha, Alex, Salome, Aisha, Robert, Franklin, and Celine were sitting in his office. Everyone had a copy of the plan in front of them on how to execute the jump. Alex asked:
"Moms, Paps is this feasible?"
Franklin replied:
"Yes, this is possible. In the first group you two will go, the children, Robert and Salome, and the rest of the department heads except Michael and Celine. Those two will organize the drill in the square and come with the last group. Your group will further bring 815 people from BAM and will be supplemented by the people you selected to make the first group complete. Arrival is on the first of January 1500 at six in the morning. Then groups of 750 Angels plus one hundred containers each until the containers run out. Arrival each morning at six. The last group to arrive will be on January 24. We're going to have to build in some rest after that because this is going to take a lot of energy."
Samantha said with a warm smile:
"You guys get five hundred years of vacation just like Mom and Dad. Then the four of you can be wonderful grandparents to your grandchildren together. As Alex said, it's simply changing the timeline. In your case, the timeline of the multiverse."
She wanted to address Alex but saw that he was staring into nothingness as he usually did when thinking hard. She could almost hear his brain rattling. After a while, he lit one of his perpetual cigarettes and asked with a wrinkle on his forehead:
"Where does time come from? I know, I realize that it must always be linear. Were this not the case we would get a time loop with unimaginable consequences for the entire multiverse. But how are the universes kept apart? I mean, how is a universe like ours prevented from interacting with a universe where the civilization has only just reached the Stone Age?"
Aisha answered hesitantly:
"Every universe we have created exists alongside the others, there are no overlaps, Alex."
"Mom, I just did that a few days ago. It never happened before in the multiverse because as I said ten years ago, I am unique. I don't exist in any other universe, and I hadn't done it yet."
Samantha asked:
"And what would that mean Alex?"
"That I think I know who pushed back."
"Then who?"
Asked Franklin.
"The creators of the Omniverse. One of them wanted us to do what we have done and are still doing. The other wants to prevent it."
"Alex, they haven't made themselves known yet."
He nodded:
"Don't necessarily have to. This could be something like Godfry and his experiment. With Godfry, it was each race neatly in its corner. Here that would be all universes neatly separated on their own timeline. Evolution has the same impact on me as it had on Dad. Him in the garden with humanity. Me in the multiverse by sticking universes together. As a result, the experiment of one of those Gods flew off the rails."
Salome looked at him worriedly:
"Alex, this could get very dangerous. Those two Gods are more powerful than your mom and dad and so incredibly more powerful than Robert and I were, then Sam and you are now."
He got his sneaky smile on his face that they all knew all too well and said:
"Not necessary Mom, absolutely not necessary. I think Celine is right with her theory but so am I at the same time. Samantha and I are the exception and both theories hold water. Celine's theory is that love is the key and there is one God, mine is that there must be two Gods diametrically opposed. Had Mom never met Dad then Sam and I would never have met, we would never have been able to link two universes then we could not have taken this trip. In a few days, we are going to be bound to not one, not two but three thrones. We already have the power of two Gods and two Goddesses. Soon that will become three Gods and three Goddesses, and I am tied to two more thrones through my bloodline. To the one of Hell through Dad and to the one of the multiverse through Mom."
The six sat looking at him with wide eyes. He got a wide smile and said:
"This could be fun."
Samantha seeing the sparkle in his eyes got as sneaky a smile as Alex had on her face. Robert watched the two and said:
"For fuck's sake, you two want to take on the creators of the omniverse!"
Samantha replied in Alex's place:
"Correction Dad, against one of the creators, and if Alex is right the other one is in our corner so we might start getting some help."
Franklin sighed deeply:
"Bollocks, those two kids of ours have gone completely insane."
Alex still had the same sneaky smile on his face and decided it was time to tease his parents a little:
"As I said before Mams and Paps, your multiverse is broken but don't worry I'll fix it."
Aisha had just the same reaction as when he had used that phrase ten years ago.
"You're going to do what now?"
"Exactly what I said, Mom. So old folks, move over it's time for a new generation."
Celine and Samantha hooted it out while her parents and his parents looked at him perplexed.
The rest of his day consisted of two meetings. One with Michael and Celine to plan the drill in the square to perfection, what a choreography that would be. Every seven minutes a group would leave which would ensure everyone was transferred in less than 170 minutes with a little slack left. His last meeting, of course, was again spent with BAM and their nightmare of scheduling everything in very rough terms. After the workday, he walked up the stairs to the suite and suddenly saw Celine standing at the door.
"Why are you waiting here? You can always go in, you know you can do that right?"
"Not tonight boss!"
The Demon said with great amusement. She added another surprise:
"Yep, tonight is lady's night only for lack of a stag night. So forbidden for men and with emphasis forbidden for you. Furthermore, the bride and groom sleep separately the night before the wedding. Your tux and accessories can be found at Lucifer's!"
Alexander squeezed his eyes shut for a moment:
"For fuck's sake... Celine then why are you standing here instead of being inside with the rest?"
She looked at him amused:
"Because I am a Demon and I wanted to see your reaction first my little prince."
He took a deep breath, shook his head, turned on his heels, and blew the retreat. He stepped into Lucifer's suite and the latter looked at him with a great deal of gloating. Alex plopped down on the couch and immediately manifested a large glass of his mix as he muttered:
"Thank goodness this is all over tomorrow because this is starting to get ridiculous!"
The Devil asked nonchalantly:
"How is this over son? This is just the beginning."
He shot upright and growled:
"What do you mean the beginning? Spill it, Dad!"
"Well from what I've been told, you didn't just leave the door ajar to a terrible nightmare. You just kicked that door in."
"For fuck's sake Dad what do you mean? What on earth are you talking about?"
"By agreeing with your graceful Goddess to have a ceremony like on Earth you have given her a taste for Earthly traditions."
"So what?"
"Oh, there's a lot of pain, sorrow, and sleeping on the couch in your future kid."
"Dad, I swear if you don't start talking crystal clear immediately I'm going Old Testament on your ass!"
The Devil found this getting more and more entertaining:
"Well Let's start with the children. Only Beatrice has a date of birth, the other five do not have an exact birthday so Sam, Ella, Jo, Cas, Molly and Anna chose one for them. That naturally led to a date for Anna, Jo, Cas, Freya, Azi, and Anthony. When this became known during the day Celine and Muriel followed who simultaneously chose one for the two Michaels and of course Raffa, Fuzzy, Azrael, and Laila could not be left behind. Jo and Azrael naturally chose one for Belios and Bearus as well. Thus, was born a wildfire that burned down Paradise City and Dis in no time flat. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone chose a birthday at this point. Unfortunately, son that is still just the beginning of your problems."
Alex sat with large, frightened eyes:
"How can this get any worse Dad?"
"Ella came up with the idea that if a birth certificate is not possible because everyone except Sam, Trixie, Ella, Molly, and yourself were not born but created. So some kind of birthday certificate should be created and officially issued through Metaron. That idea, as far as I heard drove Metaron a bit crazy because on top of what he has to do now they expect him to give out those certificates. He is kind of pissed at you I might add. And of course, there are a few other dates you absolutely won't be allowed to forget on penalty of sitting in the doghouse for a while."
Alex practically snarled:
"What the hell might those be?"
Lucifer was now taking great pleasure in torturing his son. After all, he was the Devil.
"Well first of all your wedding date of course, how long you've been married, what the years are for an anniversary, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, of course Christmas for the kids and the wife, your parents' birthdays because I heard they got a date too and of course the rest of your intimate circle. And I forgot a few more I think."
He shook his head and muttered:
"For fuck's sake, I created a monster."
At that moment very grumpy-looking Demons appeared in the suite, three to be exact; Belios, Bearus, and Anthony. Followed by two Gods who had an equally sullen look. The two Michaels and Samael were clearly in the worst shape. Micky asked quite venomously:
"What the fuck have you done now Alex? It's a madhouse out there. And why do I suddenly have a birthday? Remembering Samantha's and yours was bad enough and that was the same fucking day! Now there will be twenty thousand! Are you fucking crazy?"
"But I didn't do a damn thing, Micky!"
The Devil sat with a sneaky smile quietly following everything. Lucifer simply loved this. Robert interfered in the conversation:
"Why did you have to leave the choice of which ceremony it would be to Sam? Are you some kind of idiot? You know how she is! You knew she would want to please you!"
"Robert I didn't do anything at all. You and Mom came up with that idea for a ceremony, remember? Who said they couldn't allow us to live under the same roof for five hundred years without being married, that it would not be a good example for the little ones? Sam asked me what ceremony I wanted. I simply replied that I really had no idea. No experience with it you know, died when I was thirteen remember? Before you and Mom came up with that idiotic stuff everything was quite fine for Red and me because, in our hearts and minds, we've been married for a long time damn it!"
The Devil began to enjoy the situation more and more. Everyone seemed to want a piece of his son and as far as he was concerned that was perfect. Samael said:
"Why on earth did you have to supposedly punish Cas and make her chair of the party committee? She's not just an Angel of joy, she's THE Angel of joy loaded on happy pills! You know how she is man. Apart from Samantha, she is the youngest! They differ what? Two years? when you let go of the reins, she goes absolutely wild. In no time she and Molly have made Heaven and Hell crazy. Now she can whip up one party after another and make up a few more just for the fun of it or because she feels like a party. Rumor has it she even wants to introduce an Independence Day! Independent of fucking what then? Something like the Fourth of July because there are such fun lights involved!"
Micky said:
"It was so quiet in Heaven until you two wanted to bring a little fun into our lives. Well, congratulations you have finally succeeded in breaking the city. And not just the city, both halves and both halves of Dis in the bargain!"
Alexander had felt a giant headache coming on. He closed his eyes for a moment and hid his face behind his hands. A few seconds later, they suddenly flew open again with Hell's fire visible for a few seconds and he pointed at his father:
"You son of a bitch!"
The Devil replied with a smug expression on his face:
"I could say you should watch your language young man and go rinse your mouth with soap. However, I must admit that my mother is indeed an ice-cold bitch."
Michael asked:
"What's the matter, Alex?"
"What's going on? This whole thing has the fingerprints of your twin, the Devil, all over it! This may be the one exception in history but in this case, it's definitely the Devil who made someone do something!"
Everyone was now looking at Lucifer with murder clearly readable on their faces. Alex continued:
"He fucking whispered a suggestion in the ear of Ella and Cas. Those two are so alike that they started drooling over the idea and they pulled Sam and Molly into this madness. From that moment gentlemen, we were helplessly lost! This is the Devil's revenge for last night. I'm sure he enlisted Celine as well. That Demon likes nothing better than throwing a bucket of gasoline on the fire just to drive me crazy!"
With that realization, the massive headache had become a reality. Robert asked:
"But why? He's in as much shit as we are!"
Alex growled:
"Forget it! His secret weapon to escape this misery is Ella. That woman never forgets a holiday or a birthday. Those dates will be on her special party calendar in no time. All the Devil has to do is follow her example when she is about to go overboard!"
A collective sigh could be heard in the room. The Devil was more than satisfied. A new form of torture and a lot of victims all at once. Not a bad result for a few sentences casually uttered at a strategically chosen moment. He knew there would be revenge from his son, but this was more than worth it.