They were not in LA. Lucifer knew as much by now.
As a matter of fact, they could not be anywhere on Earth. If the woman's last statement hadn't made it clear, then everything else did.
The alien-like ship. The gaping rift in the sky, which weirdly their captor seemed to find normal. Not to mention all the manner of wierd creatures and junk that surrounded them.
Less than a metre from them, a creature with the head of a pig and the body of a horse lay dead, impaled by a thick metallic pole.
Such a creature definitely did not belong on Earth.
And it wasn't the only one.
Many more lay dead all around them, and those that weren't, were being rounded up by other scrappers with ships similar to their captor's.
Lucifer recalled the woman identifying herself as Scrapper 142. That meant there was a whole lot of scrappers Who made a living through this endless junkyard.
He quickly caught Maze's questioning gaze but didn't say anything. She too had noticed the anomalies.
Their captor had climbed on a pile of junk and was scanning the horizon trying to find anything else of interest.
So far, she didn't seem to have much luck.
All they saw was chaos and battles as weird groups fought over one thing or another. Lucifer realized that even the weapons here were too powerful and too futuristic.
He felt like they had just stepped into Temu's version of a futuristic planet .
142 jumped from the pile of garbage, smiling. She looked quite fit despite having been staggering a few minutes ago.
"See," she said, drawing their attention to another commotion.
A group of ravenous-looking scavengers were tearing at something that looked alarmingly human.
It was a human... and They were eating him raw and alive.
lucifer couldn't hide his disgust.
142 placed one hand on his shoulder. "In Sakaar you are either useful. Or you are food."
He had An urge to ram his head into her face but checked that impulse.
She was very much in control, seeing the way she held onto that button that controlled the disc on their necks.
Besides, compared to what he was seeing around them, she seemed a lot gentler. He decided until they had a grasp of what was happening, it would save them a lot of trouble if they cooperated.
Her turn would come,He swore to himself.
He hadn't spoken to Maze, but he knew she would follow his lead.
"Enough sightseeing. Now we go in," 142 urged, pointing toward her ship.
They hesitated.
142 smiled and placed her thumb on the button. "Easy way or my way, Mr. Devil."
Lucifer smiled though it never reached his eyes.
"Ladies first," he answered too gleeful for someone who was a captive.
She looked like she would press the button, but she didn't. Instead, she turned to Maze.
"Oh, I am not," Maze growled, her eyes piercing into their captor's.
For a second, she seemed to succumb to Maze's gaze, but then she dropped eye contact and laughed it off.
"Such a lovely lot, unfortunately, Lovely doesn't sound like something that can survive a night in Sakaar."
Lucifer could feel Maze's scathing gaze as they climbed after her.
"Easy, Maze. Vengeance is best served in hell."
The ship's hatch closed automatically once they were inside.
Their captor crossed to the pilot's side, and again another barrier sealed that section off.
A sudden latch threw them forward and they found themselves rolling off the surface of the ship.
They quickly got up and found something to hold onto.
They could feel the aircraft had already lifted.
"Lucifer… where the fuck are we?" Maze whispered.
He didn't look at her but he didn't have to. having spent thousands of years around each other, Maze knew he didn't know any more than she did.
"Fuck," she cursed furiously, letting go of her support and flying again across the deck.
Lucifer grabbed her on the return. "Calm down, Maze. Something tells me the worst is yet to come."
"Wise guy," 142's voice filled the deck. She must have been eavesdropping, hoping to hear something.
"Sakaar is a gladiator planet. Which means you lovely lot will have to fight to survive. So yes, the worst is yet to come."
Lucifer and Maze exchanged intrigued glances.
It wasn't fear. But it explained the humans and other creatures being hunted in the junkyard.
In other words, they were about to become slaves on an alien planet.
Lucifer felt his blood begin to boil in fury.
Slave?
He was a slave?
He reached with one hand and tried to rip the disc buried in his neck. He could feel pain tearing through his nerves, but he kept going until it was too much. He would have to tear his neck open to get rid of it. He let go and it slapped back in place.
He took huge gulps of air as he groaned in pain. Beads of sweat broke out all over his face.
"So much for a smart guy. That is the quickest way to die. For those who have balls, of course."
He heard her laughter through the speaker and quickly scanned the deck for the camera. He caught it on the barrier separating them.
"Hello, Mr. Devil," she jeered once she saw he had found the camera.
It was all he could do to stop himself from ramming into the barrier just to reach her.
"Save yourself the pain and face the reality. You are out of your depth here."
She was silent for a while, and for a moment Lucifer thought he would enjoy some peace. But then her voice returned over the speakers.
"If it makes you feel any better, you might not actually live past the intake. Like I said, Sakaar ain't the place for a gentleman and a lady."
Maze was seething as she glared at the camera.
"Pretty. That face might scare a few. But still, not enough And... here we are."
They felt the aircraft's movements slow, then it steadied and came to a stop.
The cockpit barrier slid down and the woman walked toward them just as the ship's entrance opened.
Lucifer's face creased in surprise. They were in what was clearly an airship bay, but they were overlooking another crowded area that was teeming with all manner of alien creatures. Lucifer gave up trying to figure out which one was weirder. Each time he thought he had identified the weirdest, the next one outdid the last.
Camera drones as well as armed ones hovered above the square, their hum giving him the impression of a giant mosquito.
"Looks like it's a busy day. It may take a while to be processed. In that time, several of them will probably murder each other," 142 said as she joined them.
Lucifer watched as the line crawled its way toward the furthest end, which seemed to be where the processing was done.
"Of course, those who are more powerful and special get to skip all this and receive direct admission."
It was some sort of question, Lucifer could tell, but he played dumb.
"How amusing. I suppose you get off watching all this."
142 ignored the sarcasm.
"So, does any of you have any… say, a gift or a skill I should know?" she asked, scanning the two of them.
Lucifer could see the hopeful glint in her eyes. Of course, what she had said could be true. If this was a gladiator planet, then obviously skill and abilities would be more valued.
What she wasn't saying though was that it would also mean she got a better bargain.
"Sorry to disappoint you, love. We are the lowliest of the lot." He smiled at her face and she pulled back in frustration.
"Suit yourself. It's intake for you then. Get the fuck out of my ship."