But more than that, he saw the man beneath the Hellspawn's armor-a man grappling with the darkness of his own soul while trying to make sense of a world that no longer made sense to him
"Justice," Lucifer murmured to himself as the scene dissolved. "Or something close to it."
The memory shifted again, the dark and suffocating basement fading away. Lucifer found himself standing in the middle of a desolate alleyway, the faint glow of flickering streetlights casting long, eerie shadows against the brick walls. The air was heavy, charged with tension, and a low, mocking laugh echoed through the night.
Lucifer’s sharp gaze moved to the scene unfolding before him. Spawn stood in the center of the alley, his chains rattling as they hovered, poised to strike. His glowing green eyes burned brightly, but his posture was tense, defensive.
Facing him was a grotesque figure—a distorted version of the clown Lucifer had seen earlier. Violator’s true form was monstrous, his hulking body a mass of jagged muscle and grotesque features. His elongated limbs ended in sharp, clawed fingers, and his massive jaws were filled with uneven, razor-sharp teeth that gleamed in the dim light. His glowing red eyes radiated pure malice, and his guttural laughter sent chills through the air.
“Well, look at you,” Violator sneered, his voice gravelly and dripping with mockery. “Big bad Hellspawn, all puffed up and ready for a fight. Too bad you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Spawn’s chains lashed out with blinding speed, aimed directly at Violator’s chest. But before they could connect, the demon moved with inhuman agility, dodging the attack effortlessly.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow as he watched the exchange. Spawn was powerful—he could see the raw strength in his strikes—but there was a distinct lack of precision, a sense of inexperience that left him vulnerable.
“You’re too slow!” Violator taunted, his grotesque grin widening as he darted around Spawn with unnerving speed. “Didn’t they teach you anything downstairs? Oh, wait—of course they didn’t. You’re just a pawn.”
Spawn growled, his necroplasm surging as he swung his chains in a wide arc. The attack clipped Violator’s shoulder, drawing a spray of dark ichor, but the demon barely flinched.
“Not bad,” Violator said, licking the wound with his grotesque tongue. “But you’re gonna have to do better than that, rookie.”
Violator lunged forward with terrifying speed, his massive claws slashing through the air. Spawn managed to dodge the first strike, but the second caught him square in the chest, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. The impact shattered the bricks, leaving a crater in the alleyway.
Lucifer winced slightly, his eyes narrowing as he watched Spawn struggle to his feet.
“You’re predictable,” Violator said, his tone almost bored as he approached the fallen Hellspawn. “All power, no finesse. It’s almost embarrassing.”
Spawn’s glowing eyes flared with rage as he surged forward, his fists crackling with necroplasmic energy. He landed a solid punch to Violator’s jaw, the force sending the demon stumbling back a few steps.
But Violator only laughed, the sound deep and guttural. “Oh, you’ve got spirit,” he said, his grin widening. “Too bad it’s not enough.”
With a roar, Violator lashed out, his claws raking across Spawn’s chest. The Hellspawn cried out in pain as the attack tore through his defenses, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Lucifer observed silently, his expression unreadable. He could see the raw determination in Spawn’s movements, the unyielding refusal to give up even as the odds stacked against him.