Scarlet woke up to a fiery hell.
He was lying on his belly, his body aching everywhere. There was fire all around, trees and bushes burning in the night, sending eerie shadows in all directions. There was smoke, lots of smoke, which made him cough, awakening a sharp pain in his abdomen. He moaned and raised his head, trying to focus and to remember what had happened.
Nearby, there was the blazing wreck of an overturned car. His car, barely recognisable now, with its doors torn off and its front completely gone. Through the smoke, a little further away, he could see a delivery van, lying against the side of a tree, with its front smashed in. Still further up, he could just make out the two broken parts of the guard rail alongside the road.
He slowly recalled the recent events. He was on furlough, on a short visit to his family in Winchester. It just happened that his parents were throwing a Halloween party at their home, with many guests, lots of good food and even better drinks, which finished quite late after midnight. He was already driving back to London after the party, when a call came through his Spectrum personal communicator. He was called back to duty, due to a recent Mysteron threat. Lieutenant Green had told him than a SPJ was waiting for him at London International Airport, to take him back to Cloudbase as quickly as possible. He had just announced the news to Rhapsody when –
Rhapsody!
The rest suddenly came to him all at once. The dark road, the pleasant banter with Rhapsody… Everything was going fine, until that lone delivery van coming from the opposite direction suddenly smashed through the guard rail between the lanes and, blinding them, smashed right into the driver’s side. He remembered his warning to Rhapsody, at the moment of the violent impact, the pain, and Rhapsody’s scream as both vehicles went tumbling off the side of the road…
And then nothing.
“Dianne!”
His voice was harsh, filled with pain and dread. He pushed himself to his feet, as quickly as he could; the pain reverberated through his whole body, his head was heavy and he could barely stand. His right arm felt as if it had been torn from its socket and dangled limply by his side. Blood from a head wound was half-blinding him as he looked around, in search of the woman he loved.
Stumbling, he made his way towards the burning car, dreading that she might still be inside; but as he approached, he could see that the passenger seat was empty.
He quickly found her, lying on her side near the wreck, dangerously close to the fire. The pain driving him to his knees, he crawled the remaining distance to her.
“Dianne,” he rasped. “Please, darling, be all right…”
He reached for her with his good hand; she was badly injured, her clothes torn, blood all over her face coming from an ugly gash on her forehead, and with at least a compound fracture to her right leg, which was bleeding profusely. Her eyes were closed and he couldn’t tell right away if she was alive or not.
“Dianne,” he called again, his voice catching in his throat, “please, please, please, be all right. Be alive, sweetheart, please…”
His trembling fingers reached for her neck, searching for a pulse. At first he couldn’t find it, but then he felt it, beating weakly underneath his fingertips. He heard a soft moan escaping her lips. She was alive, but just barely.
Slowly, ignoring the throbbing pain he felt at each movement, he dragged her away from the burning car. He knew how dangerous it could be to move her – he didn’t know if she had suffered a back injury or not – but leaving her there might have been fatal to her. The heat from the car was already unbearable, and there was no way to know if the tank would explode or not in the few next seconds.
When he considered they were at a safe distance, he laid her on the ground; he sat by her side, and cradled her in his arms.
“Hang on in there, darling,” he whispered in her ear. “Just don’t die on me, please. You’ll be okay. I’ll call for help.”
“She can’t hear you, Earthman. She’s already too far gone for that.”
The taunting voice sent a shiver down his spine. He looked around, searching for the man who had said those ominous words. His eyes found him in the darkness, standing just a few meters away, not far from the delivery van, his silhouette and features lit by the fire, which gave him an eerie look. He had a gun in his hand and was aiming it at Scarlet.
“You,” Scarlet croaked. “You drove your van into our car... on purpose.”
The man smiled evilly. His clothes were torn, but aside from that, he barely looked like he had sustained any injury at all.
“Correct, Earthman.”
“You’re a Mysteron.”
The man chuckled. “How deductive of you. Of course I am. If it wasn’t the case, how would I have survived such a violent crash, like you did?” He pointed a finger at the unconscious Rhapsody. “But the woman will not survive,” he announced. “She will soon die.”
Painfully, Scarlet pushed himself to his feet and stood awkwardly but protectively over the young woman. “No,” he promised. “I won’t let her die.”
The Mysteron laughed. “You can’t save her, Captain Scarlet. How could you? You’re still too weak from the crash.” His evil smile broadened. “You have no way to call for help, at least, not in time to save her.”
Scarlet swallowed hard. He knew every word the Mysteron said was right; he was far from completely healed and it was all he could do to stay on his feet. He had no weapon to protect himself and Rhapsody, nor any communication device; both his sidearm and his Spectrum communicator were in the glove compartment of his car. While the Mysteron was talking, he had searched for his personal phone in his pocket, where it ought to be, and didn’t find it. No doubt, he had lost it during the crash.
“I’ll be damned if I let her die without doing anything!” Scarlet said between clenched teeth. That was an empty promise, as he felt totally useless – and hopeless. “I won’t let you harm her.”
The Mysteron chuckled. “I don’t have to. It’s already too late for her. I only need to wait until she dies – and then, she’ll be a part of the Mysterons’ plan and will carry out their orders.”
He had hardly finished speaking when a soft tut-tut was heard, quickly followed by the sound of a calm male voice, with a very cultured English accent, which came from behind the Mysteron agent: “My, my, my… Really, could you be any cornier? I swear, your lack of imagination is utterly depressing.”
Scarlet froze and the Mysteron turned on his heel, both of them startled. Crouched atop the remaining guard rail of the road, holding himself with one hand against the surface of a broken tree, was the silhouette of a man, clothed in dark attire, looking evenly at them.
“Who the devil are you?” the Mysteron snarled, turning his gun on the stranger. Evidently, he didn’t take kindly to being interrupted while threatening his victims.
The newcomer smiled – a malicious, wicked smile that showed two rows of pearly white teeth, which seemed to glisten in the light of the fire. “I like it when they say that.”
There was a confused blur as the stranger moved – so quickly that it was impossible to follow him. One second he was on the guard rail, the next he was by the Mysteron’s side. The latter didn’t even have time to fire his gun; there was another blur as the stranger grabbed the Mysteron’s head with both hands – and then twisted it viciously. There was a sickening crack and the Mysteron flopped dead at the stranger’s feet.
“Well, I’m disappointed”, the man said, looking down with contempt at the dead Mysteron. “Considering your nature, I expected you to be more of a challenge. You should feel honoured – I don’t usually kill humans, certainly not as casually. But then again, thanks to your Martian masters, you foul, ghastly little beast, you don’t really qualify as ‘human’ anymore, do you?”
He turned his attention to Scarlet, while casually smoothing his jacket and straightening his tie. He was so close now that the Spectrum officer could clearly see him. He was a handsome man, dressed smartly, as if ready for an evening out. He was all in black: jacket, trousers, shirt, vest, tie – even his large coat, with the hem down nearly to his ankles, was as dark as his hair and eyes. His skin, in contrast, was deathly white.
Scarlet looked at him warily, unsure what to make of him. Was he another enemy, or an ally? Obviously, he knew about the Mysterons, so who could he be?
The newcomer seemed to notice Scarlet’s uncertainty, and mistakenly thought he understood why he stayed on his guard. He waved reassuringly at him. “You don’t have to worry about him reviving. He’s quite dead, I can assure you.” He nudged the Mysteron with his foot. “See? He won’t cause any trouble anymore.” He cleared his throat, and then added: “I realise I stole your thunder, and did what usually is your job, but I felt I had to get rid of him before addressing you. That way, I proved to you that we’re on the same side. And well, I’m afraid he was in my way. But then again, you won’t spend any tears on this… creature, will you?”
Scarlet swallowed hard, still suspicious of this stranger. Yes, he undoubtedly knew a great deal about the Mysterons, more than was commonly known by the general public. Was he a Spectrum agent as well? A member of Intelligence, perhaps? Or perhaps he was part of some secret branch of the World Government – very close to the Presidential cabinet, if he knew that much.
But that didn’t explain that superhuman speed and strength he had displayed just now, as he had so easily dispatched the Mysteron agent.
Scarlet tried to dispel his apprehension about this man. For the present moment, there was only one real concern that was more important than anything else. He fell down on his knees next to Rhapsody and gently stroked her face, checking her pulse at the same time. It was weaker than it was before. “Whoever you are… whatever your reasons for helping me… Please, you’ve got to help her, now.”
“Oh.” The stranger looked down at the wounded young woman, without any apparent emotion reflecting on his face. He plunged his hands into the pockets of his vast coat and considered the situation thoughtfully. “Well, yes, the young lady seems in distress. I’m afraid she’s dying, old chap.”
“Not on my watch, she’s not,” Scarlet replied. “Can you call an ambulance?”
The man shrugged. “I have a phone. But I don’t think human medicine’ll do her any good at this point.”
“It will if you would stop wasting time!” Scarlet raged savagely. “Just call it, damn you!”
“Now, now, calm yourself,” the stranger calmly retorted. “And mind your language, please.” He removed his hands from his pockets and showed the phone he was holding. “See? I’ll do it, if only to please you. Now, what… 999 is Britain’s emergency number, is it not? I like that number… It reads 666 upside down, you know?” Ignoring the murderous glare Scarlet was shooting him, he keyed the number and then brought the phone to his ear. “Yes, I’d like to report an accident… Well, technically, it’s more like an attempted murder… Yes, against two Spectrum officers, no less. We need an ambulance fast, someone has been badly hurt… Yes, on the M3… I don’t know where exactly –”
“Not far from East Stratton,” Scarlet informed him. “Tell them to use the phone GPS.”
“I’ve just been informed, we’re not that far from East Stratton,” the man repeated into the phone. “I believe you can zoom in on my phone via satellite and find the exact place easily? Yes, that’s right… Oh, you got it? Great, then. How long then before the ambulance arrives? Oh my… Well, if it’s the fastest you can do, we’ll have to make do with it, I believe… Yes, thank you… We’ll do our best to make the young lady comfortable in the meantime. Call back if you need more details.”
He closed the phone and casually pocketed it, under Scarlet’s disbelieving eyes. That man, whoever he was, was so aloof, it was almost impossible to believe.
“How – how long?” Scarlet asked, swallowing hard.
“Eh? Oh, between fifteen and thirty minutes. They have to send the ambulance from East Stratton, I think. Though seeing the delay, you would think it might be faster coming from London.”
“Thirty minutes?” Distraught, Scarlet looked down at the young woman. He heard the stranger sighing deeply:
“I doubt she will last even the next five minutes, let alone wait for a whole half-hour.”
“Will you please shut up?” Scarlet lashed at him. He looked around in despair. Where was his communicator? If only he could find it, he could call Spectrum for help. A helijet could be off Winchester Airbase in five minutes and with them in ten. Then they could go to the nearest hospital. Or better yet, if it wasn’t too far, directly to Cloudbase, and Doctor Fawn would be able to perform his miracles on Rhapsody…
“Calm, calm, now, Captain,” the stranger told him. “I didn’t mean to trouble you. I know I have a habit of stating my mind without really thinking first, but it’s no reason to bite my head off.”
“You… know who I am?” Scarlet asked guardedly.
“Of course I know,” the man replied whimsically. “Captain Scarlet, real name Paul Metcalfe, Spectrum’s number one agent – Indestructible, unable to die… well, not for long, that is. I know everything about you. And about your relationship with this young lady,” he added, gesturing at Rhapsody. “The beautiful, eh –” he gave a low chuckle, “Rhapsody Angel. ‘Angel’, really?”
“How can you know so much about me?” Scarlet asked suspiciously. “About us?”
“Easy now, Captain. You know I’m not the enemy, here. You saw how I… ah… disposed of this scum from Mars. I’m here to help you.”
“You have a strange way of showing it,” Scarlet said darkly. “You fool around, you waste time, you seem not to care that Rhapsody may die.”
“That’s not true,” the man defended himself. “I do care. I just said an ambulance wouldn’t save her. Whereas I…”
“You?”
“Yes, me. I can heal her.”
Scarlet wasn’t sure if he heard right. He checked on Rhapsody’s vitals; they were getting weaker by the second. “You’re a doctor?”
“Dear chap, a doctor couldn’t do anything for her at this point. I didn’t say I would treat her. I said I can heal her.”
“How?”
“Well, that’s for me to know, and explaining it to you might take a lot more time than this young lady might actually be able to afford. Suffice it to say that I can, and I will – depending on if you’re willing to pay the price.”
“Pay the price?” Scarlet asked, still uncertain.
“For me saving her. Hell, you’re certainly a thick fellow when you put your mind to it. Or don’t put your mind to it, shall I say.”
“Who the Hell are you?” Scarlet snapped.
“Oh, now, a variant on the old question. How typical.” The man approached closer, smiling roguishly. “I’m the Devil, of course.”
Scarlet stared at him incredulously. He blinked. “The Devil?” he repeated.
“That’s right, old boy. You can call me Luci.” He waved theatrically. “Short for Lucifer, you know?”
Scarlet frowned. “You’re insane. Or you’re still joking, which is even worse, considering the situation. Look, stop fooling around. If indeed you can help Rhapsody, do it right now.”
“And what about my price?” his interlocutor asked.
Scarlet was growing impatient. At this point he would have said anything – absolutely anything – if it meant saving the life of the woman he loved. He breathed in deeply. “If you can save her, I… I’ll give you whatever you want. Even my soul, if that’s what you want me to say.”
The so-called Lucifer sighed and rolled his eyes towards the sky. “Whatever would I do with your soul?”
He approached closer, with an assured step. He crouched in front of Scarlet, with Rhapsody between them, and examined her briefly. Then, he took her hand. He shook his head, slowly.
“Oh dear, how cold she is. Even if the ambulance were to arrive in the next second, it’d be too late for her. Lucky for you, I’m here.”
He held Rhapsody’s hand between his and pressed it against his brow, closing his eyes at the same time. Scarlet watched, unsure what to make of this. The man seemed to be deep in concentration – or in prayer, which definitely looked incongruous, considering he claimed to be… well, the Devil.
Apparently, the man was mad, but at this point, with nothing to lose, Scarlet was willing to do anything to save his love. He had no hope, though, and was somberly contemplating losing her, when suddenly, before his astonished eyes, the hands of the man started to glow with a bright white light.
If not for the concern of leaving the unconscious Rhapsody’s side, Scarlet would have backed away. He watched with growing incomprehension as the light enveloped the man entirely, blurring his figure. The light expanded to engulf Rhapsody as well, and Scarlet could feel its comfortable warmth against his own skin; at the same time, his heartbeat increased with both apprehension – and anticipation.
He looked down at Rhapsody’s face, which he could still perceive through the light; the unpleasant gash on her forehead was burning brightly; the light was so intense on her right leg, that he couldn’t actually see it.
After what seemed like long minutes, the light around Rhapsody’s body died out, seemingly returning to the stranger’s joined hands. It glowed briefly between his fingers, like a flame upon a candle about to be snuffed out. And then it completely disappeared.
Lucifer – as he called himself – gently put Rhapsody’s hand onto her breast.
Scarlet could barely believe his eyes; although there was still blood visible on her body and clothing, her wounds were mended to almost nothingness. With a shaking hand, he checked for her pulse; it wasn’t quite regular, but at least it didn’t look like she was in any immediate danger.
Scarlet took her into his arms, very carefully, and cradled her against his heart. She barely weighed anything, but at the very least, she didn’t seem as fragile as she did before. There was colour back in her cheeks, and she was now breathing much more normally.
She gave a low moan, frowned and moved slightly in his arms, but she didn’t open her eyes.
“Dianne?” Scarlet called in a whisper, stroking her blood-smeared cheek.
“She’ll be all right now,” Lucifer said with confidence. “I promise, she’ll make a full recovery, physically and otherwise, with no resulting aftereffects. I didn’t heal her quite completely. That would have taken me a little more time. And anyway, wouldn’t that look suspicious to the medics when they arrive? Not to mention to your superiors in Spectrum… They might think she’s a Mysteron.”
He sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt from his knees with disgust. A disgruntled furrow knitted his dark eyebrows.
“Look at that… These trousers are ruined for good, I’m afraid. Ah, I could heal you as well, of course, but I don’t think that’d really be worth the effort, eh? You’re quite able to do that all by yourself. I do think your right arm is already better.”
Scarlet looked up at him with uncertainty. “Who are you?” he asked again.
“It seems to me I already told you.”
“No, really – who are you?”
The man didn’t answer. He simply looked at Scarlet with an intense and burning look. The Spectrum officer swallowed hard; he found it difficult to divert his eyes from those of Rhapsody’s saviour. He finally found the strength to look down, turning his attention back to the young woman he was holding so close to him. He was almost afraid to let her go.
He returned his eyes to the man standing before him. “You saved her,” he said.
“Of course I did. I think I’m not mistaken in saying that, without me, she would be dead.”
Scarlet shivered. That eventuality was enough to fill him with dread, even though the danger had now passed. He frowned at the man. “You said you were the Devil.”
“I did. Goodness gracious, you’re not normally this slow, are you?”
“But… you don’t look like the Devil,” Scarlet insisted.
“How do you expect me to look like?” Lucifer asked with surprise.
“I don’t know… More terrifying, certainly… All red… or maybe black… skin all leathery… With a crooked nose, fiery eyes, horns, bat-like wings and… a tail, maybe…” As he was speaking, Scarlet was gesturing around his own body. His voice trailed off as he noticed the discontented way Lucifer was now glaring at him.
“A tail? Really? And horns? What do you take me for, a blasted goat? Don’t answer that,” he quickly added as he noticed Scarlet opening his mouth again to speak. “I just can guess what you are thinking.”
“Actually, there are indeed references about you having goat-like feet,” Scarlet commented matter-of-factly.
Lucifer huffed. “My dear Captain, you are grossly confusing me with someone else. Hoofed feet belong to Pan. Not to the Devil. Really, do I look like a man-goat to you? I don’t have anything to do with that mythical creature, I can assure you... Although, if you believe the stories, he was quite successful with the ladies.” He chuckled, smiling wickedly. “That might be one thing we have in common, he and I, come to think of it.”
Almost despite himself, Scarlet briefly smiled – and then sobered up. He didn’t know what it was about this man that appealed to him to the point of dropping his guard and speaking freely to him. Maybe it was his witty banter or his friendly demeanour… He didn’t look threatening at all – despite his outlandish claims of being the Devil. And anyway, he did save Rhapsody… How exactly he did that, Scarlet had no idea.
On the off-chance that he was indeed who he said he was, then maybe it would be a good idea not to provoke him – all the while keeping a careful eye on him.
Carefully, he laid Rhapsody back onto the ground; he removed his jacket, tucked it into a ball, and gently raised the young woman’s head to put the make-shift pillow underneath it. Her breathing was normal at this point. If not for the traces of blood smearing her face and her clothes, she would look like she was deep in a peaceful slumber.
The so-called Lucifer had removed his dark coat, and leaned down to put it on her body. It was so large that it covered her from neck to toes, like a huge blanket.
“There,” he said, springing back to his feet. “She’ll be warm and comfortable while waiting for the ambulance.”
Scarlet gave a last glance at Rhapsody; reassured that she was indeed out of danger, he stood up, slowly. “You can’t be the Devil,” he commented. “The Devil – if he exists – doesn’t go around saving people.”
“Oh. Don’t I, now?” The stranger waved at Rhapsody. “What makes you assume this? Didn’t I just give you proof to the contrary?”
“Yes,” Scarlet said. “Yes, you did save her, and you did it in a way that was rather…” He was lost for words.
“Fantastic?” Lucifer suggested with a broad smile. “Wonderful? No… Spectacular would be the word.”
“I thought the Devil had powers that came from darkness. Isn’t he called the Prince of Darkness, after all? I wouldn’t quite expect him to be able to harness such... well, light energy, I would say?”
“I’m King of Hell, actually,” Lucifer précised. “I do have dark powers that come with my charge. But I use them against those deserving of it. As for my being able to use ‘light energy’ as you say, that’s quite normal, since I’m a celestial being.”
“Celestial being?” Scarlet repeated with a frown.
Lucifer nodded. “Meaning I come from Heaven. It just happens I can’t go back there anymore.”
“Of course, the fallen angel angle,” the Spectrum officer continued. “You said you would save Rhapsody if I was willing to pay the price. So I guess that yes, you must be the Devil.”
Lucifer narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You know I can tell when somebody’s lying to me? I can hear in your voice that you still doubt me, so this crap you just said is just to humour me.”
“Can you blame me for not being convinced?” Scarlet asked, almost challengingly.
Lucifer sighed. “Oh, all right. So you need further proof, then.”
In a blink of an eye, he wasn’t there anymore, disappearing into nothingness. Scarlet froze, wondering what just happened.
And then he heard Lucifer’s voice coming from directly behind him: “If I wasn’t who I said I was, could I do this?”
Startled, Scarlet swiftly turned on his heel, to see the self-proclaimed Devil standing there nonchalantly. He grinned mischievously, and raised his hand. “Or could I do this?” He snapped his fingers, and disappeared again.
Surprised, Scarlet swore. “What the Devil –“
“Precisely!” an amused, disembodied voice answered, seemingly coming out of nowhere. Scarlet turned around, fully expecting to find Lucifer behind him. However, he wasn’t there. He heard a snigger echoing into the air, but couldn’t imagine where it was coming from. Scarlet turned on himself, looking all around, frantically searching for his interlocutor.
“Now, now, Captain – The Devil never play the same trick twice,” the ethereal voice told him. “I’m never where you expect me to be.”
“Where are you?” Scarlet called.
“Still here. Not far. Look up.”
Scarlet’s head jerked up and he saw Lucifer, hovering in the air, his feet dangling about ten feet above the ground. He was staring at Scarlet with deep intensity, his eyes glowing a deep red. Behind him visibly attached to his back, there were large feathery wings, so white that they seemed to shine with a pure light.
Stunned, Scarlet stepped back, slipped on the uneven slope and almost lost his footing. He couldn’t detach his eyes from the strange creature there in front of him. It was a sight such as he never saw in his life – more surprising than seeing a Mysteron agent revive from death, or witnessing Captain Black evaporating into thin air for the first time – or even discovering that Mysteron complex on the Moon.
They were nothing compared to this.
Lucifer was now slowly floating down towards the ground, until his feet touched. He chuckled, seemingly appreciating Scarlet’s expression of complete surprise. “So much for leathery wings, eh? You see now, that you must not listen to every rumour that goes around. Especially when it concerns me. They are mostly wrong.” He gave a robust shrug, and the wings disappeared, seemingly sinking into his back. He gave a deep sigh and straightened his jacket. “Now, I think I completely convince you – and that I’ve got your full attention, haven’t I?”
Scarlet swallowed hard, his eyes wide opened with uncertainty – and a certain amount of dread. “It’s true, then?” he asked, his voice catching in his throat. “You are –”
“The Devil, yes. You can call me Lucifer. There are other names people give me, but they don’t really appeal to me. I much prefer the name that means ‘Bringer of Light’. And now you know why I’m called that.”
“And you saved Dianne –”
Lucifer waved dismissively and smiled. “Don’t thank me. Really, it was a pleasure to do so.”
Scarlet bristled. “And what do you mean by that?”
His outburst seemed to surprise Lucifer. “Nothing more than what it sounds like. I like the young woman. It would have been a shame to let her die so needlessly. Don’t you agree?”
Still apprehensive, Scarlet boldly stood his ground and glared darkly at the Devil. “You must have had an ulterior motive to save her,” he said almost accusingly. “You want something for that good deed of yours… You said I had to pay a price. What is that price then? My soul?”
Lucifer tutted. “Oh now, weren’t you listening to me at all? I don’t want your soul. I have no interest in it whatsoever. Beside, you’re practically an immortal. You might think that gives value to your soul, but believe me, you couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Her soul, then?” Scarlet asked guardedly, glancing down at Rhapsody.
Lucifer sighed. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Do I really need to spell it out for you? Contrary to rumours, I am not in the business of trading for souls. Man, you are as slow as you make it appear. I’m disappointed in you, Captain.”
“I thought demons wanted souls because they like to torture them.”
“Ah – when it comes to torture, that much is true. For demons, as you pointed out. But I’m not a demon. I’m an angel.” Lucifer thumbed towards his back. “Remember the angelic wings? Demons don’t have those. That’s an angel attribute only. But don’t look for halos – that’s bullshit. And can I tell you about my wings in particular? None of my siblings have wings as magnificent as mine, if I do say so myself.”
“If I remember the stories correctly, you’re a fallen angel,” Scarlet précised.
“ButI am still an angel. And yes, the stories are true. I told you, Captain: I’m a celestial being. What, do you think celestial beings turn into demons on a whim? Demons are entirely other beings. Although it’s true I rule over them, I am not one of them.”
“Then, if not souls – what do you want?” Scarlet asked.
“I only need a favour from you,” Lucifer answered. “Oh, maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But sometime, in the future – I will come back to you, and will collect on that favour. Maybe once. Maybe more than once. I don’t know, that’ll depend what the future holds for all of us. And even I don’t know about the future, my friend.”
“I am not your friend,” Scarlet defended himself.
“Ow. That hurts,” Lucifer said, making a face. “Never say never. You might become one, eventually. And sooner than you might imagine.”
“Look, I’m grateful for what you did for Rhapsody –” Scarlet stopped himself. Was it actually safe to say he was grateful to the Devil? Just by saying that, wasn’t he condemning himself to Hell? He wasn’t as God-fearing as some of his colleagues within Spectrum were – Blue and Magenta, and even Rhapsody came to mind. But now he was facing a creature that definitely had something godlike about him – celestial was actually the word he used.
Maybe he ought to be careful about what he was saying, on the off-chance that he wasn’t being delusional following a hard blow to the head – and that he was indeed talking to the Devil.
He sighed deeply. “I told you I will pay your price,” he said. “But, not if it involves hurting other people in the process.”
“What makes you think I’d want you to hurt someone?” Lucifer asked with a shake of his head.
“Well, you do have a rather bad reputation of doing just that.”
“Ah yes, that… Well, it’s greatly exaggerated, I can assure you.” The Devil nodded thoughtfully. “It’s true I’m a mischievous being… and I like the pursuit of pleasure for my personal benefit… I’m a rebel at heart, actually.”
“You rebelled against God.”
“Yes, I did. I rebelled against my Father. It was a brief rebellion, and as you know, I lost. ‘You want your own kingdom to rule?’ God told me, ‘then I’ll give you one, with so much responsibility that you won’t have time to covet mine ever again – and that for all Eternity.’ So He sent me to Hell to reign over it. Do you know what Hell actually is, Captain? It’s the largest prison in the universe, and I am its warden. It’s filled with souls of the sinners and the guilty, and it is my role to punish them, because of their bad deeds on this plane of existence.”
“Do I have to feel sorry for you?” Scarlet said defiantly. “If you rebelled against God –”
“Damn, man – for only a brief instant, which counts for mere seconds in the infinity of the universe! And I was cast out of the Silver City for the rest of eternity. Don’t you think the punishment’s over-exaggerated considering the crime?”
“I don’t know you well enough to have an opinion on the matter,” Scarlet replied. He tilted his head to one side. “Why are you telling me all this, to begin with?”
“I’m telling you all of this so that you can understand that I’m not as bad as my reputation might lead you to believe,” Lucifer explained. “Contrary to rumours, I’m not responsible for whatever people do. Humans have their own free will – my Father saw to that. It’s up to them, whether they do good or bad. It’s not me who forced them to sin, before they end up in Hell. They have only themselves to blame for that.”
“Right. And I should believe you implicitly?” Scarlet said doubtfully.
“Something you should know about me, Captain: I never lie.”
“You are called the Prince of Lies,” Scarlet reminded him. “Surely, there must be some truth behind that title, isn’t it?”
“None whatsoever, I can assure you.”
“Mmm.” Scarlet nodded slowly. “Well then, even this affirmation is subject to doubt, isn’t it?”
Lucifer shrugged. “Oh well, it doesn’t matter. With time, you’ll come to realise that indeed, I don’t lie, Captain.”
“It’ll take a lot to convince me,” Scarlet said. “And we can debate this til the end of time –”
“Quite literally,” Lucifer said with a chuckle.
“Now to the point – what is it exactly that you want of me?” Scarlet asked with impatience.
“That’s quite simple: the pleasure of your company,” Lucifer answered. “And you’d be paid tenfold in return: you’ll get the pleasure of mine.”
Scarlet felt his heart missing a beat, dread filling his mind anew. He felt for sure that his inner feelings showed on his face, because the Devil laughed out loud.
“Now then, relax! I’m not planning to take you to Hell – you’d have to be dead for that, and well, deserving of it. So far, you are neither. And I don’t plan to possess you – that’s something only demons can do – and only with the recently-departed damned to Hell – when the soul leaves the body and goes down there. But since I forbade demons eons ago to do that, well – they’d be stupid to try, and risk my ire. Mind you, some low-ranked demons are pretty stupid – or ambitious. I have to be firm with them to keep them in line.”
“What do you mean then by ‘you want the pleasure of my company’?” Scarlet asked suspiciously. “If you’re not planning to take me to Hell –”
“Neither am I planning to stay by your side twenty-four seven,” the Devil cut in. “No… I just want to visit you – on occasion… Have a little chat with you, have a beer or two, paint the town red, watch a match of that boring sport you call cricket. Maybe I can get you interested in ice hockey or extreme wrestling – there’s more action in that… Nothing wrong with a little violence in sport, you know – that’s more entertaining.”
“But – why?” the incredulous Scarlet asked. “Why me?”
“I told you – you’re practically an immortal. And so am I. Well, no; me, I’m totally an immortal. I don’t get to meet people like you often. I see my siblings sometimes – you know, the other angels, those who weren’t kicked out of Heaven? We meet from time to time, but they’re kind of boring, really… They really are the goody-two-shoes rumours make them out to be. I’m a guy who likes his fun. I’m pretty sure I’d have more of it hanging out with the likes of you instead.”
“You just want to hang out?” Scarlet asked with surprise. “With me, because I might live forever?”
“You’re highly likely to, yes. That is, if you don’t have a violent encounter with an electrical power plant next week.”
“That’s really all there is to it?”
Lucifer gave it some thought. “Yeah, that’s pretty much all… What? You were thinking I was going to ask you to go full Rosemary Woodhouse with me?” Seeing Scarlet staring blankly at him, he thought he needed to explain himself: “You know, as in ‘Rosemary’s Baby’? That old movie where – Oh, forget it,” he said catching the now threatening glare in Scarlet’s eyes. “You’re really not into movies, unlike your friend Richard, so the joke’s lost on you.”
“Not that much, I can assure you,” Scarlet replied. “I just don’t find it very funny.”
“Why? I do find it funny. Even if that funny is all wrong… Oh yes, you’re not really into that kind of relationship, are you?”
“If you mean contemplating having sex with the Devil – no, I don’t think I’d like that,” Scarlet replied.
“Oh well, what a shame. That’s your loss… But then again, you find all you need with that other beautiful Angel now, don’t you?”
“I find that even less funny,” Scarlet snapped. “I’m not in the habit of discussing my private life with people – especially with strangers – and even more so when that stranger is the Devil.”
Lucifer threw his arms in the air. “See, that’s the problem with you – you lost your sense of humour at the same time you lost your mortality.”
Scarlet sighed with exasperation. “Never have I heard – or read anywhere – that the Devil could be such an infuriating ass,” he growled. “Nor that he could be such a buffoon!”
“A buffoon?” the Devil repeated, visibly offended. “A buffoon?! Really now? That’s all the gratitude I get for what I did for you?” He huffed disdainfully. “Dear me, it’s a wonder I do take such an interest in you. Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered –”
“Wait,” Scarlet interrupted swiftly. He was now concerned that his benefactor – however odd he might be – would undo whatever he had done to save Rhapsody and that the young woman’s life would be doomed once again. He glanced at her, making sure that her condition had not changed. She was still sleeping restfully. “I didn’t mean it to sound like that,” he said in a softer voice. “I am grateful, I told you so already, but –”
He hesitated, wondering if it was safe to speak as forthrightly as he felt to the hellish – angelic? – being standing in front of him. He decided that the best course of action was to be honest. After all, if it was true Lucifer never lied, he would certainly appreciate being spoken candidly.
“The truth is, I’m terrified,” he admitted. “You have to understand – a stranger who seems to know an awful lot about me shows up and saves the life of the woman I love. And then, he tells me he’s the Devil. The Devil, of all people… And obviously – it’s the truth.”
“Of course it is,” Lucifer said casually.
“Admit it: that’s enough to scare anyone out of his wits. Don’t you think so?”
Lucifer nodded slowly, smiling thinly. “I do get that reaction quite a lot,” he declared. “There’s very few people who know of my true nature. Or who believe in it.”
“Being afraid isn’t something that comes naturally to me,” Scarlet confessed. “I’ve always been the reckless one. There’s very little I wouldn’t risk – the little fear I felt before, I was able to push it as far away as possible, so I could do my job properly. But now there’s even less I fear, since I’ve become – what I am now.”
“Which is – unable to die,” the Devil commented.
“Yes,” Scarlet confirmed.
“Well now, again, I know you’re lying to me,” Lucifer said softly. “And what’s worse, you’re even lying to yourself.”
“That’s so obvious?” Scarlet asked with a low voice.
“For one such as myself – yes, it is quite obvious. It made you feel uncomfortable when I mention your relative immortality, didn’t it? Your current condition scares you. It’s bound to. You wouldn’t be human if it didn’t.”
“But am I still human?” Scarlet asked with uncertainty.
“Well, to me, you are – although you’re a very unique specimen. But what I think isn’t important. It’s only how you feel inside which is.”
“You’re right,” Scarlet admitted. “It scares me. My indestructibility. It scares me quite a lot. To know that I will survive where everyone I know will eventually die, to suddenly find myself all alone, with no-one. That’s why everyone around me is important for me. My family, my friends, my colleagues –” He looked down at Rhapsody again, this time with a painful look. “– and most especially the woman I love.”
“That’s a feeling I quite understand.”
Scarlet looked up. Lucifer was looking gravely at him, and the smile on his face had disappeared to be replaced by a completely serious expression. He approached slowly, and came to stand only two feet away from Scarlet.
“I know of the loneliness an immortal can feel. I know of the hard duty no-one else but you can perform. I know that those you care about are important to you – even more so when their lives are so fragile compared to yours…” His voice trailed off, and he looked away. The pain reflected in his eyes was now somewhat similar to Scarlet’s. It didn’t last long though, and the roguish smile returned to his lips. “So you see, I can indeed relate to you. I bet this does not really reassure you, does it?”
Despite himself, Scarlet smiled in turn. “No – I can’t say it does. But somehow, that doesn’t frighten me as much as it did earlier.” He nodded his understanding. “You truly do relate to what I’m going through, do you? Perhaps the same happened to you?”
“Perhaps.” Lucifer didn’t seem inclined to commit himself.
In any case, right at this moment, the sound of an approaching siren echoed in the distance, which caused both men to raise their heads and look towards the road.
“Well, it’s about time!” the Devil commented, checking his watch. “And late, as should be expected. Good thing you didn’t have to wait for them, old chap, or your Angel lady would be gone by now.”
Scarlet nodded absently, but didn’t reply, now confident Rhapsody was truly out of danger. He watched silently, as Lucifer took a step back, buttoning his jacket before straightening his cuffs.
“You can keep the coat,” he said, glancing at Scarlet. “Think of it as a gift – and as a reminder for you not to forget this night – and that you didn’t dream this encounter.”
“It’s unlikely I’ll ever forget – as for dreaming…” Scarlet shook his head. “I still have difficulty believing this happened for real.”
“I know you’re a sceptic, Captain… In all things remotely religious, if I’m not mistaken. Wouldn’t it be ironic if I – of all people - made a believer out of you?”
Scarlet shivered despite himself. “I’m not that keen to become a… Satanist,” he replied darkly.
Lucifer laughed heartily. “That’s not what I meant – not by a long shot. I’m not looking for a devotee, I assure you! Believe me, I’m not out to create my own religion. Never asked that of anyone, despite the fact that some crackpots obviously thought they should make one in my name – there’s a special place in Hell for them, by the way, because that often ends badly. Sacrificing beasts to me, especially chickens, is bad enough – but killing people in my name?” He shuddered. “Personally, I’ve never been too keen on religious rites of any kind… Too many rules, too many restraints… not enough freedom. Remember, I’m the original rebel – so a rebel I shall remain all the way.”
“You sound almost too good to be true,” Scarlet commented.
“I’m neither good or true – Well, apart from I don’t tell lies, that is. I’m not bad or vile either. I’m just… me. That’s who and what I am: a unique being amongst the celestials, just as you are unique amongst humans.” The sound of the siren was growing louder and from where both of them stood, they could see the approaching lights of multiple vehicles. Lucifer cleared his throat. “I’ve got to run. We can talk about all that at our next meeting.”
The Devil gave a powerful shrug of his shoulders and then his enormous wings sprouted out of his back. They were truly superb things, just as Lucifer had said earlier, radiating so much light that it almost illuminated the night. Scarlet blinked and took a step back.
“Lightbringer, remember?” Lucifer said with a mischievous wink.
“And why do you have that name?” Scarlet asked with curiosity.
“Ah, that’s more like a title. But I’ll keep that for next time.”
“When?”
“Who knows? When I feel like it, really. Next month, next year, in ten years… at the turn of the Century, perhaps? Today was only first contact. Now you know I exist and that I have an interest in you. Maybe it’s you who’ll seek me out next time.”
“Unlikely,” Scarlet replied.
“Ah, still unsure of my true nature, I see. Well, no matter, I’m used to it.”
Lucifer flapped his wings; the strong wind they created almost knocked Scarlet off his feet. Then the fallen angel started rising in the air, slowly, the light emanating from his wings engulfing his own body, to the point where it became almost impossible to discern anything of him, except his silhouette.
“Gotta fly, Captain,” Lucifer said, his voice echoing eerily. “But rest assured, we’ll meet again, and we’ll meet often. We’re immortal, you and I – and if this War against the Mysterons ever goes sour, you and I might be the only people walking the Earth at some point in the future.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Scarlet promised.
The Devil’s laugh echoed into the air, sounding ethereal as his illuminated body rose higher towards the sky. “Talking like a true hero. How admirable you are. No wonder I like you. I wish you luck, then. Maybe one day I’ll join your fight. After all, I have an interest in this plane of existence. So look over your shoulder for now on… I’ll never be very far behind. Bye for now – my immortal friend.”
The light became very bright, so much so that Scarlet thought it would burn his eyes. Then it exploded into a shooting star.
And finally, there was nothing left.
Scarlet stood like a statue, looking up into emptiness, at exactly the spot where the incredible creature had been. He was still there when the ambulance arrived at the scene and people rushed down the side of the road to join him and Rhapsody. He was barely aware of someone asking him if he was all right and recoiled when he felt a hand carefully touching his shoulder.
“Easy there, Paul, it’s only me,” he heard a gentle voice he knew very well tell him. He lowered his eyes to finally notice one man, dressed in blue, staring at him with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Adam?” Scarlet whispered. “How do you –” He shook himself. “Dianne?” He looked around, with a lost expression and a renewed sense of worry. He saw two men, dressed in white crouching by Rhapsody’s side and tending to her.
“She’ll be all right,” one of the men told him. “She’s mostly bruised, and she might have a concussion.” He looked at what remained of the burning car. “You were in there? Quite frankly, it’s a miracle she didn’t sustain more serious injuries. And so are you,” he added, giving Scarlet an intent look. “You shouldn’t be standing there.”
“He’s right,” Blue added quickly. “Please sit down, before you fall down. You might have a concussion as well.”
“I’m all right,” Scarlet replied with a tired voice.
“Yeah? Well, you don’t really look too bright.”
Scarlet let his friend help him into a sitting position; he kept his eyes fixed on Rhapsody, as the two medics were loading her onto a stretcher. “How did you find us?” he asked Blue.
“Green intercepted the call to 999,” the American officer explained. “Something about a murder attempt against Spectrum officers… So he hacked into the GPS signal of the phone which made that call. I was right behind the ambulance when it arrived here.”
Scarlet looked towards the road; he saw the huge frame of a SPV, parked right next to the ambulance. “Yes – ah…” Scarlet shook himself. “The delivery van hit us full speed and threw us into the ditch.” He nodded towards the vehicle in question, then pointed to the dead body lying on the floor a few meters away. “That’s the driver. He’s dead. He was a Mysteron.”
“How do you know?”
“He told me as much – when he tried to finish me after the… accident.”
“You killed him, then?”
Scarlet shook his head, almost mechanically. “No. He… he did.”
“He?” Blue repeated with a frown. “Who’s that ‘he’? I know it wasn’t you who called for the ambulance – it wasn’t your voice. So someone helped you, then?”
Scarlet nodded, very slowly. His eyes fell on the long dark coat, which now lay on the ground, where the medics had thrown it. He took it with a shaky hand, as if wanting to make sure it was real. It was a very fetching coat, almost princely, visibly expensive, half suede, half leather, smeared with Rhapsody’s blood in places.
“Who was it, Paul?” Blue asked, watching how his friend kept staring at the piece of clothing. “The owner of this coat?” Again, Scarlet answered with a nod. “Where is he now?”
“I don’t know…” Scarlet answered. “Back to Hell, I suppose…”
“What?” Blue said, in confusion.
“He killed the Mysteron. He helped us, calling the ambulance and… Then we talked… and he left when you arrived.”
“In which direction?”
Scarlet hesitated. “Actually – I’m not that sure.” He knew that Blue wouldn’t believe him if he told him the truth – that the ‘man’ who had helped them had literally flown away.
Blue noticed how shaken his friend looked – and how unwilling he appeared to answer. He followed the direction of Scarlet’s eyes; they were still riveted on Rhapsody, whom the medics were carefully carrying towards the waiting ambulance.
“I almost lost her, Adam,” Scarlet said, almost in a whisper. “She almost died tonight, and I could barely help her.”
Blue sighed and then reassuringly patted Scarlet on the shoulder. “Forgive me, Paul. I shouldn’t press you like that. You’ve been through a lot. I should have realised. Don’t worry about Dianne. She looks like she’ll be okay now, she’s in good hands. These guys’ll take her to the hospital, and she’ll make a full recovery.”
Scarlet nodded slowly, grateful for his friend’s words of encouragement.
“They’re not Spectrum,” Blue continued, almost in confidence. “They’re going to want to check you out any moment now. We’d better take you to the SPV right away and back to Cloudbase before they decide you should climb into that ambulance and go to the hospital as well.”
“I will,” Scarlet answered. “I want to go with Dianne to the hospital.”
“But –”
“I know the colonel won’t like that, but there’s no discussing it. I’m going with her, Adam.”
Blue sighed. “All right, but you’ll go in the SPV, and we’ll follow behind. We’re not giving these guys the opportunity to examine you. We’ll stick some band-aids on you and put your arm in a sling. That ought to give them the illusion that you’ve been incredibly lucky.”
“I’m not letting her go in that ambulance all alone,” Scarlet insisted.
But Blue was adamant. “She won’t be alone. Ochre’s with me. He’ll go with her. Paul,” he said in a firm voice, seeing that Scarlet still wanted to protest. “We’ll do it that way, and no other way. End of discussion.”
Scarlet capitulated. “Help me to the SPV, then,” he requested in a weak voice.
Blue nodded and took his friend’s good hand. Slowly, they started walking behind the trolley carrying Rhapsody. “You really don’t look that good at all,” the American said. “You will have to rest until your mind clears up. Then maybe you’ll be able to answer some questions. Like – who that guy that helped you and Dianne was. Do you know him, by any chance?”
“I’m… not sure of that either, Adam.”
“My God, Paul – you’re pale as death! You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something like that.”
“A ghost?” Scarlet shivered. “If only that had been the case. At the very least, I would be much less worried.”
His answer left Blue utterly mystified. The American captain could only imagine that the accident had truly muddled up his friend’s brains to the point that, for the moment, he was too confused to even have a decent conversation.
As for Captain Scarlet, he wasn’t so sure himself about the strange encounter he had had that night. If it was indeed the Devil who had helped him and Rhapsody, he wondered about the motives behind his actions. Nothing of what he had told Scarlet truly made sense. Was he just a misunderstood being, with a reputation worse than what he actually really was, as he pretended so fervently? Or to the contrary, was he a malevolent manipulator, attempting to win sympathy and lull the Spectrum officer into a false sense of confidence, so to better strike at his unsuspecting victim, for his own nefarious plans?
Somehow, Scarlet knew he would eventually learn the truth about this ‘celestial being’ that had appeared to him and seemingly wanted to be his friend. He didn’t know when, or how, and he wasn’t in any hurry to find out. He only knew that the Devil had promised to meet with him again.
And if there was one thing that Scarlet was absolutely sure of about the Devil – it was that he always kept his word.
Acknowledgements
Captain Scarlet and all of his universe are, of course, a creation of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, and all those who worked with them on this wonderful show, which still inspires and entertains us today. Many thanks to all of you.
The Devil as described in this story is inspired in part by the ‘Lucifer Morningstar’ character of the TV show ‘Lucifer’ which in turn is inspired by the character of the same name, originally created by Neil Gaiman for the comic series ‘The Sandman’. I’m just borrowing ideas, and adding some of my own, with great thanks to the original author and all those others who wrote about him.
The ending is purposely left ambiguous, with Scarlet unable to decide if the Devil told the truth or was trying to manipulate him.
Thanks to Hazel Köhler for beta-reading this story. Any mistake left are mine alone.
Chris Bishop