Sympathy for the Devil

The portal was opening larger and larger. It was actually happening. Lucifer was set free. Dean pushed everyone to the door.

"Come on." But it was too late. Someone had shut the door on them. They frantically turned the knobs, but they didn't budge. The room got brighter and brighter. They all looked at each other and turned around as a very high pitched sound grew louder and louder. They dropped to their knees, covering their ears, and closing their eyes.

When they woke up, they were on a plane; completely confused.

"What the hell," Adonia asked.

"I don't know," Sam replied sitting next to her. Genna and Sam were in the two seats behind them. The pilot came on the speaker.

"Folks, quick word from the flight deck. We're just passing over Ilchester, then Ellicott City, on our initial descent into Baltimore—"

"Ilchester? Weren't we just there," Genna asked.

"So if you'd like to stretch your legs, now would be a good time to—"

"Holy crap," the pilot exclaimed. Everyone looked out the window and big, bright beam of light reached the sky. To dodge the light, the pilot lunged the plane to the left, causing passengers to fall down the aisles and the oxygen masks to fall. Screams came from everyone. It was like the plane ride that brought the hunters together all over again.

Once the hunters landed, the got a car. A nice one for once. They drove into the night, mostly in silence. When Sam started flipping through the stations, he stopped on one that mentioned an abandoned convent that could be a target for terrorists. Genna scoffed.

"Change the station." He changed it. The only other thing in the news were drastic hurricanes, nuclear testing in Korea, tremors, swine flu. Sam shook his head and turned it off.

"Guys, look-"

"Don't say anything," Dean said in a disappointed voice. Adonia leaned up and rested her elbows on both seats.

"It's okay. We just got to keep our heads down and hash this out, all right?" Sam turned back and gave her a weak smile, then looked back at Dean.

"Yeah, okay." She patted their shoulders and leaned back in her seat. Genna gave her a smile for being optimistic.

"All right, well, first things first—How did we end up on Soul Plane," Dean asked.

"Angels, maybe? I mean, you know, beaming us out of harm's way," Sam suggested innocently.

"Well, whatever. It's the least of our worries. We need to find Cas," Genna said.

They arrived at Chuck's house which was in terrible condition; thanks to the archangel. They also noticed the blood splattered all over the kitchen. They slowly walked around and found their way into the living room. Suddenly, Sam was hit in the head with a toilet plunger. It was Chuck.

"Ow! Geez," Sam held him head in pain.

"Sam," Chuck said in relief.

"Yeah!"

"Hey, Chuck," Dean said nonchalantly in the background.

"So...you're okay," Chuck asked, surprised.

"Well, my head hurts," Sam said. The girls laughed to themselves.

"No, I mean-I mean. My-my last vision... You were like full-on Vader. Your body temperature was one-fifty. Your heart rate was two hundred. Your eyes were black."

"Your eyes went black," Adonia and Dean questioned in unison. Sam turned to them.

"I didn't know," he said, ashamed. Dean looked him over.

"Where's Cas," Genna asked, interrupting.

"He's dead, or gone. The archangel smote the crap out of him. I'm sorry," Chuck said sincerely.

"You're sure? I mean, maybe he just vanished into the light or something," Dean suggested.

"Oh, no. He, like, exploded."

"Like a water balloon of chunky soup," Genna asked knowingly. Chuck nodded.

"You got a-" Sam pointed out something in Chuck's hair. Once he found it, he discovered it was a tooth.

"Is that a molar? Do I have a molar in my hair," Genna walked away as Chuck began crying.

"This has been a really stressful day."

"Cas, you stupid bastard," Dean said with remorse. Genna turned around.

"Stupid? He was trying to help us," she said defensively. He looked at her with eyes she had not seen in a long time.

"Yeah, exactly." It was that moment that she realized that Dean cared for him more than he led on. She gave a weak smile.

"So, what now," Adonia asked.

"I don't know," Genna replied.

"Oh, crap," Chuck said after a thought. Sam questioned him.

"I can feel them..."

"Thought we'd find you here." Everyone turned and Zachariah appeared before them with two other angels standing behind him like guards.

"Playtime's over, Dean. Time to come with us."

"You just keep your distance, asshat."

"You're upset," Zach said sarcastically.

"Yeah, a little. You sons of bitches jump-started judgement day!"

"Maybe we let it happen. We didn't start anything. Right, Sammy," he rhetorically asked with a wink.

"You had a chance to stop your brother, and you couldn't. So let's not quibble over who started what. Let's just say it was- all our faults and move on. 'cause like it or not, it's Apocalypse Now and we're back on the same team again.

"And we're just supposed to trust you," Adonia said with red cheeks. His presence infuriated her.

"This isn't a game, doll. Lucifer is powerful in ways that defy description. We need to strike now, hard and fast- before he finds his vessel."

"His vessel? Lucifer needs a meat suit," Sam asked.

"He is an angel. Them's the rules. And when he touches down, we're talking Four Horsemen, red oceans, fiery skies, the greatest hits. You can stop him, Dean, but you need our help.

"You listen to me, you two-faced fuck," Genna stepped in, being held back by Dean.

"After what you did, I don't want jack squat from you! You listen to me! You think you can rebel against us? As Lucifer did?" Blood dripped from her hand.

"You're bleeding," he said with worry.

"Oh yeah. A little insurance policy in case you dicks showed up." She slapped her bloody hand against on a sigil drawn behind a door. The angel cried "no", but he vanished in white light; as did the other angels. Genna turned back to her friends.

"This sucks ass," Chuck said.

The hunters set up at the Regent Inn. As always, Dean was tending to his guns. Adonia tried to look up anything on the Four Horsemen in the Book of Shadows and Genna laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling with her hand behind her head and one leg bent. Sam walked in through the door. He pulled something out of his olive jacket and tossed it to Dean.

"Hex bags. No way the angels will find us with those," he explained.

"Where'd you get it," his brother asked.

"I made it."

"How? I never taught you how to do that," she said with a slight laugh as she shuffled through the book. Sam hesitated long enough for Dean and Adonia to look up at him.

"I...I learned it from Ruby." Adonia's expression changed. She was more than happy that she drove a knife into her condemned body, but the name still made her cringed. Dean set down his gun and walked towards Sam with a kind gesture.

"Speaking of, how are you doing? Are you jonesing for another hit of bitch blood or what?"

"I-it's weird. Uh, tell you the truth, I'm fine. No shakes, no fever. It's like whoever...put me on that plane cleaned me right up."

"Supernatural methadone," Dean commented.

"Yeah, something like that," Adonia said rudely. Sam paused.

"Addie-"

"Sam," she started turning the pages a little rougher. She stopped and put her hands on her lap.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything." In actuality, she wanted a nice long talk with him, but she wasn't in the mood.

"Well, that's good. Because what can I even say? 'I'm sorry'? 'I screwed up'? Doesn't really do it justice, you know? Look, there's nothing I can do or say that will ever make this right-" She stood up.

"So why do you keep bringing it up?" Sam sighed.

"Look, all I'm saying is, why do we have to put this under a microscope? We made a mess. We clean it up. That's it." Sam nodded, but it was clear that wasn't all Adonia wanted to say. She got nervous.

"Alright, so, say this is just any other hunt. You know? What do we do first?"

"We'd, uh, figure out where...the thing is."

"Alright. So we just got to find...the devil," she looked at him nervously. She knew what she said seemed off, but she couldn't get the right words out.

Sam went through John's journal. Dean and Adonia were watching TV and Genna drifted into a somewhat deep sleep shortly before the chatter between Sam and Adonia happened. Dean and Adonia kept making sarcastic remarks at the news anchors. There was a knock on the door. Everyone looked at each other confused, but Sam got up to answer. A slender, pale, younger woman stood there and gasped in shock.

"You okay, lady," Sam asked.

"Sam...is it really you," she said as if she was about to cry. She leaned in and put her hand on his chest.

"And you're so firm," she said happily. Genna woke up in utter confusion. Adonia and Dean stood, curious as can be.

"Uh...do I know you?"

"No. But I know you," she said as if that was a normal statement.

"You're Sam Winchester," she said pushing past him, "And you're...not what I pictured." She said towards Dean. He was insulted at the comment he has heard quite often in the past.

"I'm Becky. I read all about you guys. Although, I was hoping you two weren't real," she said to the girls. They laughed to each other in shock from the insult.

"No offense, Sam," she said with big, girly eyes.

"Anyway, Mr. Edlund told me where you were." Dean stood up.

"Chuck?"

"He's got a message, but he's being watched. Angels. Nice change-up to the mythology, by the way. The demon stuff was getting kind of old."

"Right. Just, um...what's the message," Sam asked trying to rush her.

"He had a vision. 'The Michael sword is on earth. The angels lost it.'"

"The Michael sword," Genna asked, stepping closer to the group, "Becky, does he know where it is?"

"In a castle, on a hill made of 42 dogs."

"42 dogs," Adonia questioned.

"Are...you sure you for that right," Sam asked.

"It doesn't make sense, but that's what he said," she stepped closer to Sam, "I memorized every word." She touched his chest.

"For you," she said with a shaking breath. Sam glanced over at his brother and friends, but they were trying not to laugh.

"Um, Becky, c-uh, can you...quit touching me?"

"No."

After a somewhat good night's rest, the hunters were expecting a visitor. They all had finally showered and changed their clothes after a few days of non-stop battles. There was a knock on the door and Dean got up to answer it.

"Hey, Bobby," Dean said. Bobby walked up and gave him a "manly" hug.

"Good to see you all in one piece," he said. He proceeded to hug Sam and the girls.

"You weren't followed, were you," Dean asked him.

"You mean by angels, demons, or Sam's new superfan," he asked. Sam laughed.

"You heard."

"I heard, Romeo. So...sword of Michael, huh?"

"You think we're talking about the actual sword from the actual archangel," Dean asked.

"You better fuckin' hope so. Why didn't you ask Red," he asked, pointing at Genna. It was a nickname she actually didn't hear often.

"I'm cut off from the angels. I only hear things from word-of-mouth anymore." He nodded. Bobby opened up a book to a painting of Michael."

"That's Michael. Toughest son of a bitch they got."

"You kidding me? Tough? That guy looks like Cate Blanchett."

"Well, I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, believe me. He commands the heavenly host. During the last big dust-up upstairs, he's the one who booted Lucifer's ass to the basement. Did it with that sword," he pointed out the sword in the book.

"So, if we can find it..." Bobby was interrupted.

"We can kick the devil's ass all over again. Alright. So, where do we start," Sam asked.

"Divvy up and start reading- try and make sense of Chuck's nonsense." Sam got up and headed for a pile of old books. He stared at them for a long moment.

"Kid? You alright?" Sam turned to his father figure.

"No, actually. Bobby, this is all my fault. I'm sorry."

"Sam..." Adonia protested.

"Lilith did not break the final seal. Lilith was the final seal."

"Sam, stop it," she demanded, now standing.

"I killed her, and I set Lucifer free."

"You what?"

"You guys warned me about Ruby, the demon blood, but I didn't listen. I brought this on." Adonia stood there with Dean, not saying a word. Bobby stood and walked closer to Sam. He stood there for a moment, looking into Sam's eyes without saying a word. Sam looked at him like a child.

"You're damn right you didn't listen. You were reckless and selfish, and arrogant."

"I'm sorry," he said with faint tears in his eyes.

"Oh, yeah? You're sorry you started Armageddon? This kind of thing don't get forgiven, boy. If, by some miracle, we pull this off... I want you to lose my number. You understand me?" Sam nodded, trying to hold back tears. Dean and the girls were at a lose of words. They had no idea Bobby would be so harsh.

"There's an old church nearby," Sam's voice cracked, "Maybe I'll go read some of the lore books there."

"Yeah. You do that." Sam left out the door. Adonia looked at Genna and sighed. She grabbed her grey-brown leather jacket and walked out the door.

"Sam, wait!" She ran down the metal stairs after him. A train rushed by. He stopped and turned to her. When she stopped in front of him, she reached up and gave him a hug. He hesitated out of surprise, but wrapped his arms around him.

"You're like a son to him. I'm sure he didn't mean it. He's angry now, but after some time, he'll be okay." She pulled away. He nodded and looked off into the distance.

"Hey," she gently grabbed a hold of his face and turned it to face her.

"We all love you. We're not going to leave you." He gave her a smile and she let go.

"All of you?" She laughed.

"Let's go before it gets late," and she started to walk away, leaving Sam with a smile on his face and feeling a little better.

Dean, Genna, and Bobby sat at the small round table brainstorming. Bobby was talking about how he thought John was right in thinking that either they save Sam or kill him. Just by mentioning him, Dean got an epiphany and went through his duffle bag to grab his dad's journal. He found out that John had a lockup in upstate New York called, Castle Storage, on 42 Rover Hill.

"So, you think John had the Michael sword all this time," Genna asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure what else Chuck could have meant.

"Yeah. Okay. It's good enough for me," Bobby said before knocking Dean across the room.

"What the hell," Genna exclaimed, but she was kicked in the stomach, sending her into the closet door and laying unconscious with scraps of wood on top of her. Bobby pulled Dean up and slammed him back down. Bobby's eyes went black. Bobby grabbed Dean by the throat and dragged him to his feet. A brunette woman and young, bald man walked through the door.

"I always knew you were a big, dumb, slow, dim pain in the ass, Dean. But I never dreamed you were so V.I.P." The female demon saw Ruby's knife on the table and picked it up. Genna shuffled and stood up.

"I mean, you're gonna ice the devil? You? If I'd have known that, I'd have ripped your pretty, pretty face off ages ago."

"Ruby," Dean said angrily.

"Try again. Go back further."

"Meg," Genna questioned in disgust.

"Hi. These are the days of miracle and wonder. Our father's among us. You know we're all dreaming again for the first time since we were human? It's heaven on earth. Or hell. We really owe your brother a fruit basket."

"My god, you like the sound of your own voice," Genna said. The other demon appeared behind her, grabbed her hands and held them tightly behind her. She couldn't move.

"But you, on the other hand, you're the only bump in the road. So every demon, every single one, is just dying for a piece of you," she said approaching Dean. Dean smirked.

"Get in line."

"Oh, I'm in the front of the line, baby. Let's ride," she said and kissed him.

"What is that, peanut butter," Dean said.

"You know, your surrogate daddy's still awake screaming in there. And I want him to know how it feels slicing the life out of you." Meg handed the knife to Bobby, who raised it to Dean's throat. Dean struggled and Genna fought to get out of the demon's grasp, but he didn't budge.

"Bobby!" He ignored her. He pushed Dean against the wall and Dean fought back, but Bobby was too strong. Bobby's eyes went black again and he turned back to Meg.

"Now," she yelled. He pulled the knife back and Dean held up his hand.

"Bobby," Dean called out again. Bobby's eyes turned back to normal and he had a look of regret on his face. He struggled to turn the knife against him and lunged it into his stomach. His face flickered and he fell to the ground while looking at Dean. Genna and Dean got lose and started kicking ass. Sam and Adonia walked in and saw Bobby on the ground.

"No," Sam exclaimed, but Meg bashed his head with a yellow telephone. Adonia went after her, but she was lunged against the wall and hit her head.

"Addie," Sam called out.

"Heya, Sammy. You miss me? 'Cause I sure missed you." Sam looked at her angrily.

"Meg." Meg grinned. Sam took a swing and missed. She kicked him in the crotch and knocked him to the ground while the other demon proceeded to beat Dean. Dean and Genna were losing. Meg lifted Sam's head by his hair and punched him in the face. When he fell back down, she lifted his head again.

"It's not so easy without those super-special demon powers, huh, Sammy?" Adonia got up and kicked the other demon's legs, causing him to fall to his knees. She took the knife out of Bobby's stomach and drove into the demon. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Meg stopped and stood. She started backing up to the window. Adonia took out the knife, stood, and advanced to her. Meg left her vessel in defeat.

The hunters rushed into the hospital with Bobby. Sam and Dean tried to hold up his pale body while the girls guided them.

"What happened," a nurse asked, rushing up to them.

"He was stabbed," Genna said. The nurse got a gurney and they got him on it. The blood had spread through his shirt and he was sweating. As they carted him away, Sam started to go after him, but the nurse held him back.

"Just wait here."

"No, no. We-we can't just leave him."

"Just don't move. I've got questions," and she walked off.

"Sammy, we got to go," Dean insisted to his stressed brother.

"No. No way, Dean."

"The demons heard where the sword is. We got to get to it before they do if we're not too late already. Come on." Sam hesitated, but followed.

Dean drove as fast as he could into the night. When they arrived at the Castle Storage, they were on the lookout for anyone that could be watching them. Dean opened the trunk so everyone could grab a weapon. They loaded magazines and bullets. They used John's key to get in. When they popped in with their guns ready, two demons were on the floor, dead. A large, red devil's trap decorated the floor.

"I see you told the demons where the sword is," Zachariah said from behind them. They aimed their weapons in his direction. Two angels stood by his side as usual.

"Oh, thank god. The angels are here," Adonia said sarcastically.

"And to think...they could have grabbed it any time they wanted," he added, ignoring her. He waved his hand to close the door.

"It was right in front of them."

"What do you mean," Sam asked.

"We may have planted that particular piece of prophecy inside Chuck's skull, but it happened to be true. We did lose the Michael sword. We truly couldn't find it. Until now. You've just hand-delivered it to us."

"We don't have anything," Dean commented.

"It's you, chucklehead. You're the Michael sword." Everyone stared at Dean blankly.

"What, you thought you could actually kill Lucifer? You simpering wad of insecurity and self-loathing? No. You're just a human, Dean. And not much of one."

"What do you mean, I'm the sword?" Zach sighed.

"You're Michael's weapon. Or, rather, his...receptacle."

"I'm a vessel?"

"You're the vessel. Michael's vessel."

"How? Why-why me?"

"Because you're chosen! It's a great honor, Dean."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. Life as an angel condom. That's real fun. I think I'll pass, thanks."

"Joking. Always joking. Well...no more jokes." Zach raised one hand, fingers like a gun, and pointed at Dean, then shifted to Sam's leg.

"Bang." A loud crunch sounded and Sam fell, unable to stand.

"God," Sam cried. Adonia ran to him and knelt beside him, looking him over.

"You son of a bitch," Dean yelled back.

"Keep mouthing off, I'll break more than his legs. I am completely and utterly through screwing around. The war has begun. We don't have our general. That's bad. Now, Michael is going to take his vessel and lead the final charge against the adversary. You understand me?"

"How many humans die in the crossfire, huh? A million? Five, ten," Genna asked, furious. She was getting flashbacks as to why she hated some of the angels so much.

"Probably more. If Lucifer goes unchecked, you know how many die? All of them. He'll roast the planet alive."

"There's a reason you're telling him this instead of just nabbing him. You need his consent."

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Well, there's got to be another way," Dean protested.

"There is no other way. There must be a battle. Michael must defeat the serpent. It is written."

"Yeah, maybe. But, on the other hand...eat me. The answer's no."

"Okay. How about this? Your friend Bobby, we know he's gravely injured. Say yes, we'll heal him. Say no, he'll never walk again." Sam glanced up at Dean.

"No."

"Then how about we heal Adonia from...stage four stomach cancer?" Adonia double over, coughing. She spit blood into her palm. Dean flinched.

"No," he said nervously.

"Then let's get really creative. Uh, let's see how...Genavieve does without her lungs." Dean turned to look at Genna, who gasped for breath.

"Are we having fun yet? You're going to say yes, Dean."

"Just kill us," Dean begged.

"Kill you? Oh, no. I'm just getting started." A bright light flashed and Zachariah turned. One of the angels collapsed, a bloody hold in his throat. Castiel stood beside him. The other angel fought Cas while Dean and Zachariah stared. Cas drove a knife into the angel's throat and killed him. Cas walked closer to the group. In the background, everyone was still and grew silent.

"How are you..." Zach couldn't find the words.

"Alive? That's a good question. How did these four end up on that airplane? Another good question. 'Cause the angels didn't do it. I think we both know the answer, don't we?"

"No. That's not possible."

"It scares you. Well, it should. Now, put them back together and go. I won't ask twice." Zachariah vanished. Everyone looked up and around, surprised, and stood.

"You four need to be more careful," Cas warned.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get that," Adonia commented.

"Your frat brothers are bigger dicks than I thought," Dean added.

"I don't mean the angels. Lucifer is circling his vessel. And once he takes it, those hex bags won't be enough to protect you." Castiel put one hand on Dean's chest, the other on Sam's. They gasped.

"What the hell was that," Dean asked in pain.

"An Enochian sigil. It'll hide you from every angel in creation, including Lucifer." Cas turned to the girls. They looked at each other and Genna gave Adonia the okay. Cas awkwardly put his hands on the girl's chest and performed the same act.

"What, did you just brand us with it," Dean asked.

"No. He carved it into our ribs," Genna told them. They paused in disbelief.

"Hey, Cas, were you really dead," she asked.

"Yes."

"Then how are you back?" Castiel vanished, leaving the hunters alone with the dead.

"'Unlikely to walk again'? Why you snot-nosed son of a bitch! Wait til I get out of this bed!" The doctor rushed out of the room. Sam and Dean leaned against the wall while the girls sat on the bed with Bobby.

"I'll use my game leg and kick your fuckin' ass! Yeah, you better run!" Bobby looked at his family.

"You believe that yahoo?"

"Screw him. You'll be fine," Dean said. Genna looked at Adonia as she glanced off to the side, knowing that what the doctor had said was true. Being a nurse, she tried her hardest not to intervene and tried to keep a smile on.

"So, let me ask the million dollar question. What do we do now," Sam asked.

"Well...we save as many as we can for as long as we can, I guess. It's bad. Whoever wins, heaven or hell, we're screwed," Genna said.

"What if we win," Dean asked. Everyone looked at Dean for being unrealistic.

"I'm serious. I mean, screw the angels and the demons and their crap apocalypse. Hell, they want to fight a war, they can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off it. We take 'em all on. We kill the devil. Hell, we even kill Michael if we have to. But we do it our own damn selves."

"And how are we supposed to do all this, genius," Bobby asked.

"I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED and a give-'em hell attitude, and I'll figure it out."

"You are nine kinds of crazy, boy."

"It's been said." Dean patted Bobby on the shoulder.

"Listen, you stay on the mend. We'll see you in a bit." Dean headed for the door and everyone followed.

"Sam," Bobby called. Sam and everyone else stopped to listen.

"I was awake. I know what I said back there. I just want you to know that...that was the demon talking. I ain't cutting you out, boy. Not ever." Sam looked relieved and sighed.

"Thanks Bobby."

"You're welcome. I deserve a damn medal for this, but...you're welcome." Sam smiled and they left.

They went outside as an ambulance rushed by.

"You know, I was thinking, maybe we could go after the Colt," Sam suggested.

"Why? What difference would that make," Dean asked.

"Well, we could use it on Lucifer. I mean, you just said back there-"

"I just said a bunch of crap for Bobby's benefit." Dean stopped in the middle of the road, as did the others.

"I mean, I'll fight. I'll fight til the last man, but let's at least be honest. I mean, we don't stand a snowball's chance, and you know that. I mean, hell, you of all people know that." Dean walked around Sam.

"Dean..." Dean stopped and turned back.

"Is there something you want to say to me?" Dean thought about it.

"I tried, Sammy. I mean, I really tried. But I just can't keep pretending that everything's all right. Because it's not. And it's never going to be. You chose a demon over your own brother and look what happened." Sam rolled his eyes.

"I would give anything, anything, to take it all back."

"I know you would. And I know how sorry you are. I do. But man...you were the one that I depended on the most. And you let me down in ways that I can't even..." Dean paused, struggling for words.

"I'm just- I'm having a hard time forgiving and forgetting here. You know?"

"What can I do?" Dean laughed slightly.

"Honestly? Nothing. I just don't... I don't think that we can ever be what we were. You know?" Sam nodded, looking at the ground.

"I just don't think I can trust you." Sam looked up. This, he wasn't expecting. Dean left to his car and Genna followed. Adonia was stunned. After what she had told Sam and the feelings she was getting from Dean, she didn't expect him to say anything like that. She felt like she had lied to Sam. She turned to him, tears in his eyes. She gently grabbed his hand.

"Come on," she said. He looked at Dean and back at her. He nodded and she led him to the Impala.