The tomb is dark, and cold.

A match flares - Lucifer lights up a cigarette and casually shakes out the flare as he takes a draw. Jesus covers his eyes from the brief glare from where he sits on the stone. He is wrapped in The Shroud. Lucifer blows smoke. They look at each other.

"Theyre coming" Lucifer says simply.

"Yes." Jesus answers.

"I was there you know"

"I know. I saw you. You followed.....You watched me on the cross"

Lucifer smokes his cigarette down. "So what now?"

"You know what"

"You're going through with it?"

Jesus sighs. "I have no choice. Its done"

Lucifer stomps on his cigarette end in disgust. "Your precious followers - you know they are fucking our book right up don't you? They are saying whatever the fuck they want to say and utterly ignoring what you intended!"

"I warned you. I told you, the purpose of the book was a million different interpretations"

"Yeah, go on. Make my fucking job harder why dont you. Make me out to be the goddamned liar when IM the one thats telling the truth, saying what YOU bloody wanted to say. For Fuck's sakes, why does it have to be this way!? Do you have any idea, ANY IDEA, the havoc this is going to cause? The wars that are going to be fought over your goddamned stupidity."

"You can stop saying my name in vain. I really dont care. Your not getting a rise out of me"

"No I dont suppose so, Mr Prince of Peace. You are going to be responsable for more pain and suffering than I ever will be - while they scream and bitch and war over what you say, I'll be there saying drink, party, screw and have yourself a merry time, and for hundreds of years humans will say I'm the Devil for it. And you, precious old you, is going to be the good guy, even though its in that goddamned book of yours that they should defend and protect your precious word."

"So they misunderstand. There is no help for it. I knew it would happen"

"So why did you let it happen?! I tell you what, how about if we walk out of here - right now, you and me, and tell them the truth, please. Stop this"

"What truth?"

"That we are'nt enemies! That the dark and the light need each other! Please, dont let it come to this! Dont let it be thousands of years of war! Dont let them fight over who's right and who's wrong! Lets just walk out, right now, and use the power of the resurrection to show them the way....The right way."

Jesus contemplates. He looks at the dark stone. " So we walk out of here together. We tell them, the dark and the light are wedded to one another, in love, and that the two are needed for the universe to exist at all. All souls become gray instantly. Except for my followers, who will go black, and yours, that will become white. A medium ensues. No up, no down.....No....Conflict"

"Exactly!"

"No."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because you said it yourself! The conflict is needed! They have to have the wars, the suffering! How else will they know how to become white? How else will they know to push for it, if I dont say the black is bad?"

Lucifer is breathing heavily, eyes wide. "So you are prepared to have humans, your 'innocent lambs' turned fully black? You are ready for that?"

"What colour is that one you told me about? The one that looks like us?"

"Its pale. Pale Gray"

"Perhaps thats what will happen"

Lucifer snorts. "Dont delude yourself. It was white. Already its twisted over the lies, thats why the gray has come at all. From looking to the future I think it may turn blacker than even me."

"Thats not possible"

"It is, and it shall be. You give me control of Hell, you let me decide what needs to be done for a soul to be ready for Heaven, and you expect none will turn black? Its gotta be balanced man, thats what you wanted isnt it?"

Jesus feels a sharp pain in his chest. "Balance...."

"Indeed. There will be balance. Between your fucking lies and my torture so many are going to go fully black you wont bloody believe it. Tell me.....Tell me right fucking now, just so we're crystal clear.....You really want this to become a war? A holy war?"

Jesus gestures hopelessly, "It already is. It cant be stopped"

"Well then." Lucifers voice is very quiet and soft "I didnt want it to come to this. I wanted us to work together. I wanted to tell them the truth. I wanted them to know all about the balance, and love and hate and dark and light. You just remember that. But since you want it this way, the cloak and dagger, I'll play. I'll make it a war. And Im going to win."

"Lucifer! No! The balance must be maintained! For the sake of the universe!"

"Fuck the universe, fuck the balance and FUCK YOU! It could have been easy Jesus! Easy for us and easy for them! You wanted a war, you fucking got it! I dont care if the balance DOES get overthrown, and the universe is thrown into complete disarray - thats YOUR problem now, Mr Fucking Holy Trinity! Im going to WIN this bloody war!"

"Lucifer, please, it doesnt have to be like this!"

"You just told me, in no uncertain terms, that it does. Fine. Let the games begin"

Lucifer fades into the darkness. Jesus hears the flap of wings.....Most likely Sin herself. So now it was a war, for real.....

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