Summary: Tag to 9x10- "Road Trip". Dean & Castiel must find away to expel the angel Gadreel along with the unlikely help from Crowley, King Of Hell. DEAN'S POV
This is my first fic and I'd love some feedback- REVIEWS WELCOME
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"Now, he's covered pretty good, but I know that he is hurting. And this one was supposed to be on me. So for all that we've been through..I'm asking you. You keep a lookout for my little brother okay?"
-Dean Winchester "8x16"
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I turned the key to the impala, the engine coming to a stuttering halt.
"You sure this is the place?" I said, turning unwillingly to Crowley. I turned the lights off to the Impala.
The alleyway itself was grimy and dirty, the brick face of warehouse was worn with years of decay and abandonment. Windows were broken in various places along with Broken bottles and old newspapers which were strewn along the pavement.
"No of course not." he muttered acidly. "I was hoping we could all go on a bloody vacation for the holidays." I ignored him, my irritation rising. "Out, now" I said throwing the impala door open.
Cas was already waiting by the trunk, his expression concerned. Cas had Sam's body hanging limp over his shoulder. Sam's coarse brown hair hung over his face, shielding his face from my view. Despite Sam's large size it didn't seem to bother Cas.
"Dean," Cas started urgently glancing at the darkened alleyway. "We can not trust him. He'll try any means to elude his end of the deal." "You don't think I know that, Cas." I snapped angrily beside myself ,and instantly regretted it as I glanced as Cas' face. "I didn't mean-" I began. Cas held up his hand. "I understand, much has happened in such a short span of time. You have every right to feel angry." "Are you two lovers ready to get on with the show?" Crowley said with a sly smile.
I ignored him yanking at the leash that held both sets of his manacles. Crowley walked ahead of us holding the chains from his cuffs in his hands. I held the leash firmly, with the bag slung over my shoulder. His chains clinked slightly with every step he took. I could feel Cas' silent presence behind us without having to alley was poorly lit by two lamp posts. The acrid smell of piss, and decay assailed the senses as soon as we started walking. Steam wafted through a grate in the ground. Cigarette butts and large green dumpsters lining the brick walls. Crowley's shifty eyes roamed over each door as we walked through the alleyway.
"This way squirrel," Crowley said half irritated. "Shut it." I said already annoyed with him. "You're the one who needed a place to torture him. I'm just providing the venue, darling" Crowley with a slight smile.
"Ah, here we are." he said turning to touch the handle of a door that looked like it had been repainted over and over in the same black lacquered paint. Various angel warding sigils had been painted over the door in a runny red spray paint. Cas visibly winced, a sort of pained expression coming over him. Crowley hesitantly wiggled the door handle and wrenched it open peering inside the dark space. He flipped the lights on, the buzzing fluorescent lights illuminating the space before us. The warehouse had a sort of musty smell of rot and decay. Blood stained the floor in various places. Large lights illuminated the grates in the floor faintly. Those too were stained with blood. Carts with various instruments of torture sat around the room in intervals each used for a different creature.
"How did you acquire this space?" Cas said inquisitively peering around the room.
"I own various locations in which my operatives can go about conducting business. This just happens to be one of them." He turned a sort of sly grin spread across his face. "I'm the mighty King of Hell, angelboy." he said pointedly.
"Yeah, yeah. The mighty king shackled up by a couple of humans and held hostage for moths. Real mighty." I said mockingly.
Crowley frowned, his dark eyes slitting. "Well let's get on with it. I don't want to be bound by you lot any longer than I have to." Crowley said holding up his bound wrists.
Cas half dragged Sam, hoisting him up onto a sort metal chair with silver brackets holding a chin brace in place. No not Sam, I thought the idea angrily. It was some punk ass angel, not Sam.
"I don't like this." I said turning to face Cas. His expression was wary as he glanced over to Crowley.
"This is the only way in which we can save Sam. All other means of extracting the angel would kill him." Cas said and he reached over locking the chin brace over Sam's face.
The idea of Sam being put up on the chopping block, and I had no way of stopping it tore at me. It was my job to protect the kid and here I was letting a demon torture an angel out of him. Cas went about binding Sam's hands in place along with his legs. A dull lazy light filtered in through the grimy windows, as dawn broke outside. I washed my hand down the face, realizing I hadn't slept in days. Not with everything that happened with Sam, and with…Kevin. I thought the last name unwillingly. The angel would get what was coming to him. I would hunt that son of a bitch down if it was last thing I did. Kevin deserved that, and so did Sam. But I couldn't think of revenge right now. Sam needed me. Crowley dragged a another chair, its legs scraping across the cement floor harshly and placed it directly in front of Sam. He sat down lazily, his eyes scrutinizing Sam's face.
"He should be waking soon." Cas said, going to lock the warehouse door behind us.
"I have just the thing for this." Crowley said reaching over, rummaging around in one of the carts. He carefully unfolded a worn piece of cloth, exposing a set of sharp needles, the ends tapering off with a large bolt. "Perfect for angel decoding." Crowley said with a faint smile.
Shards of ice twisted in my stomach at the thought of Crowley stabbing those into Sam. I trailed over to the opposite side of the warehouse behind Sam trying to get ahold of myself. I had to focus. Sam needed me right now, I told myself once more. All of this was my fault. If I hadn't let the angel in, Sam wouldn't have to deal any of this. Kevin would be alive and well. But Sam would've died. He would've died in that hospital, all because I had told him to stop the trials. What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to live with that? I wouldn't live without Sam. I'd made the promise long ago. Memories flashed beneath my lids, and pain seared through me. Sam as a little kid waking up in the middle of the night when he had a nightmare. A blur of images passed beneath my lids once more, it was a case Sam had found we were teenagers. It had been some standard Salt 'N' Burn,but Sam had researched that case all by himself. Or some nights when we got a a lead and I would wake up to find him sprawled over his research with papers stuck to his face. To imagine the loss of him was worse than any torture I went through in the pit. He was still that wide eyed, snot nosed kid that I was bound to protect. It didn't matter how old he got. He would always be Sammy to me. Sam stirred, struggling against the braces that restrained him. Anger surged through me, as I turned to face him.
"Welcome to the party, pal." I said to the angel my hands in fists at my sides. "How we looking Cas?" I said looking over at him. Cas' face was furrowed in concentration as he looked at Sam.
"Most of Sam's internal burns have healed. I should be able to fix the rest." I exhaled sharply through my nose, slightly relieved by the news. Not enough to make the anger ebb from my body. The angel held my gaze cooly. This face wasn't the face I recognized. It wasn't Sams. His hard green eyes glared at me without emotion. His mouth was pursed in a flat line. He looked over at Cas then back down at the floor. Cas cocked his head to the side, sizing up the angel that sat before him.
"What's your name?" he said, his eyes squinting slightly. "I thought I knew every angel in heaven, but I've never seen you." he remarked, confusion saturating his voice.
"Why would I tell you anything?" The angel said in an almost mechanical voice. Hate seethed from every pore in my body.
"Well, I don't give a damn who you are. You need to get out, now." I barked lividly.
"And if I don't?" The angel challenged, his tone icy.
"Then you and I will have a lovely little play date." Crowley drawled from the chair across from Sam.
"Even bound, I can rip this body apart. Tell them Castiel." The angel said deliberately, his tone humorless as he glanced at Crowley then at me.
Rage flowed through me so strong it was nearly pain. All I saw was red. "You do, you die." I uttered through terse lips. The angel met my enraged expression, scrutinizing every flicker of emotion.
"You want this to end?" he said, a sort of faint smile spreading across his face. He closed his eyes, fidgeting in the chair. He took a deep breath, opening his eyes.
"Go ahed, put a blade through your brothers heart." he said malicously, glancing over at me. My mouth twitched slightly as I felt the angel blade weigh heavily inside my jacket. Every fiber of my being was telling me to kill him, to end the angel that had caused so much pain. But I couldn't. I couldn't gank him without burning Sam out too. The angel knew it just as much as I did. I looked away, suddenly at a loss for words. I could feel Cas' eyes on me.
"If if makes you feel better," the angel continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. "I have Sam locked away in a dream. As far as he knows the two of you are working a case right now. Something with Ghouls… and Cheerleaders." he said with a vague smile.
"Why are you doing this, huh?" I uttered quietly. I looked away. "We fought together." I said turning to face him. "I trusted..you." Getting angry despite my best efforts. "I thought you were one of the good guys!" I barked angrily.
The angel fidgeted avoiding my gaze slightly. "I am doing what I have to do." he said, his expression burning with a sort of ferocity that I couldn't place. I leaned away, disgusted with the words that came from his mouth.
"Well so am I" I said curtly glaring at him with unconcealed hatred. He held my gaze defiantly. I looked over to Crowley. He met my gaze and nodded with a sense of understanding. He stood, his chains clattering the floor beneath him. He leaned over and picked up one of the serrated needles ,and turned to face the angel.
"So am I" He exhaled, sounding almost bored. He pressed the needle into the side Sam's temple, lazily as if he had done this hundreds of times before.
An agonized scream escaped the angels lips, though it sounded like Sam. He grimaced a sort of tortured guttural sound coming from his throat. I knew it wasn't him, it wasn't Sam, but it was too familiar. I had heard that cry far too many times to mistake it for anyone else. Agony burned through me rooting me in place, at the sound of Sam's screams. It wasn't Sam, I had to remind myself. I glanced down at my watch marking the time. I stood there, watching Sam be tortured. Every cell in my body screamed at me to stop Crowley, to save Sam. The anguish writhed through me, as the angel continued to scream with Sam's voice. His tortured cries, twisted in my stomach like a serrated knife. It wasn't until Crowley poked a few more needles into Sam's brain, that his screams peaked to new crescendos. Hours passed, the soft early morning sun fading into the early afternoon.
I wished that the city sounds would be loud enough, in the hopes of blocking out Sam's cries. I wished for a siren, cars passing, a bird flapping by,something that could distract me. But Sam's screams drowned out any sound within a few blocks. I could feel Castiel watching me, as I paced back forth along the warehouse. I couldn't look at him, not now. Pacing was the only thing keeping me sane. I glanced over at Sam, hoping he would look at me. That it would be Sam's warm smile, and not the dead stare of an angel who wanted him dead. But all I saw was the cold harsh stare of a stranger. My thoughts were scattered by Sam' cries every few moments. I couldn't take it. I couldn't watch any longer, it would drive me crazy.
I sauntered away from Sam, down the hallway. I could feel Cas following behind me. I struggled to gain composure, and hold back the despairing anguish that threatened to consume me. The flat musty air settled around me as I turned and began pacing once more.
"Hey" Cas said softly.
"I can't watch that anymore." I said despair seeping into my voice. I couldn't meet Cas' gaze, because I would lose it.
"I understand." he said simply. "It's not Sam, but it's still Sam." I nodded curtly.
"Pretty much, yeah." I said breathlessly, looking away from him. The piercing sounds of Sam's screams echoed faintly behind us as he spoke. I turned to look at Sam, the torturous cries cutting through me.
A distraction. I needed a distraction, to keep myself from going insane. I looked at Cas, hardly meeting his gaze.
"How are you doing?" I said quickly, desperate for anything that would stop me from hearing Sam. A sort of bewildered expression came over his face as he squinted at me. "You want to talk about me.. now?" he said incredulously.
I was on the verge of breaking down. "I want to talk about anything that's not a demon sticking needle's into my brothers brain." I said pointing to Sam, agony shredding through me. I turned away from him, the pain too much to bear. I rubbed my eyes, holding back the emotions that burned below the surface.
"Yeah, humor me man, How ya doin'?" I said aiming to sound cheerful.
"I'm okay." Cas said solemnly. Sam's screams continued to reverberate against the walls. Each scream assailed my ear, grating against my eardrums viciously.
"Good…Good. That's uh…" I started at a loss for words. "So what, you just change the batteries out, power back up its that easy?" I said eyeing his trench coat.
There was something off about this version of Cas. He no longer wore the tie from before the fall, and his trench coat color was off too. I almost smiled, thinking how comforting it was to have Cas back. Evne if it wasn't the Cas I was used to.
"It wasn't easy but.. I didn't have a choice." he said earnestly meeting my gaze. I half scoffed.
"Yeah.. well that's usually how it goes." I said going to stand in front of him. "Cas…" I began, suddenly unsure of how I wanted to apologize. But I had to. Not even the sincerest apology could make up for what I had done to Cas. He was family.. and I shut him out. "I'm sorry." I said looking up at him.
"About what?" he said, looking confused.
"Kicking you out of the bunker..that um." A fresh wave a guilt mixing with the pain and anguish.
"You know, not telling you about Sam." I said simply, ashamed to even look at Cas.
"You thought his life was at stake.." he said shaking his head, his voice filled with compassion.
"Yeah I got played." I said, sarcasm dripping into my voice.
"I thought..I was saving heaven. I got played too." A sort of sheepish smirk flitted briefly across his face. I half smirked, realizing Cas and I weren't very different.
"So you're saying we're both a couple of dumbasses?"I said almost smiling, despite myself.
"I prefer the word, trusting." Cas said with a sort of small smile. "Less dumb, less ass." he said in attempt to lighten the mood. I glanced down, deep in thought.
"Laverne! Shirley!" Crowley called impatiently from down the hall. His voice echoed along the concrete walls. My feet shot forwards unthinkingly, unable to stop my self. Anxiety threatened to paralyze me as my gaze roamed over Sam's inert body. Crowley unhooked the brace from Sam's chin, his head lulling forward. His bangs brushed over his face, his expression slack. Dry blood crusted around the needles that had been gouged in Sam's head.
"Pinhead's out cold. But watch this." he said reaching over and twisting the needle that had been drilled though the side of Sam's forhead.
In a sort of involuntary monotonous voice the angel uttered, "Zira….Noco….iad…Gadreel.". He repeated it once more before Crowley turned the needle once more, shutting off the angels automated system. Castiel cocked his head to the side, listening intently.
"What's he saying?" I said bewildered by the enochian that the angel was spewing.
"His name..Gadreel." Cas said in shock.
"Does that mean something to you?" I said confusion clouding my tone. It didn't care if the thing had a name. Ezekiel, Gadreel, didn't matter. It would get what was coming to him.
"Well it's why I've never seen him, he's been imprisoned since the dawn of time. Gadreel was the sentry who allowed Lucifer into the garden." Cas said anger brewing beneath his calm voice.
"My, my.. a celebrity." Crowley said mockingly, a slight smile perched upon his lips.
"Wait the garden..like Eden?" I said seriously. "Adam and Eve? Fig leaves garden?" I said attempting to piece my lore together. It was Sam that had read the bible, not Dean. He was the one that believed in Angels even before Dean had.
"It's his fault." Cas said getting more enraged with every passing second. "All of it. The corruption of man…demons…hell. God left because of him. The archangels…" he continued sucking in a sharp breath. "The apocalypse. If he hadn't been so weak..None of it would have happened" he said through his teeth, reaching over to shake Sam. "You ruined the universe you damn son of a bitch." he said irately, shaking Sam violently.
Sam's head fell forward, whipping from side to side as the Cas shook him. For a second, Cas looked violent enough to want to kill Gadreel. I couldn't take that chance, not with Gadreel still in Sammy's body. He had to calm down.
"Cas! Cas! Hey!" I said reaching forward and grabbing him by the shoulder. He whipped around, his expression fuming.
"Dean, he-" "I get it." I said in a soothing tone, cutting him off. "But you gotta chill." I said in a more subdued voice. That's Sam in there, I wanted to say.
He shrugged my arm off of his shoulder, still beside himself. I held my hands up, trying to diffuse the situation. Cas went over and sat on the opposing table his back to me. I wanted to help Cas right now, but it had to wait.
In a calculated manner, Crowley leaned in and prodded the needle once more. Though this time not a sound escaped Sam's lips, as he continued. Another hour passed by sluggishly. The sun had nearly set, leaving the sky outside various shades of orange and yellow. I drummed my fingers on the table impatiently. I folded my arms over my chest and glanced at Crowley.
"What's taking so long?" I inquired numbly. I felt almost hollow, icy on the inside.
"Other than the fact that I'm trying to unravel a living multi-dimensional knot of pure energy, not much." he said cuttingly, hardly looking at me.
Sam gasped sharply, sucking in a sharp intake of breath through his teeth. A sort of foggy expression came over him. Crowley looked over at me, expectant. Hope bubbled up in me, realizing Sam was awake. Before I could allow my self to be happy, the foggy expression disappeared and was replaced with a cold steely expression of pure contempt. Gadreel, I thought vicously.
"It won't work" Gadreel said, in a lifeless voice. He looked over to me hatefully. "You will never find your brother." He looked up at Crowley. "Go ahead. Poke and prod. I can sit in this chair for years, and watch you fail. Over, and over again." he said challengingly. "I've endured much worse than this, Dean. So, much, worse. And I have all the time in the world" he said dangerously.
The emotions I had been suppressing from the moment Crowley had begun to torture Sam began to bubble up inside me. Rage and hatred made me see red. I was done with listening to Gadreel, and his threats. I wouldn't listen to it a second longer.
"SHUT UP!" I barked at him hoarsely. I was shaking with rage as I glared at him. Gadreel leaned back in the chair fidgeting, as he scowled at me. This wasn't working, we needed Gadreel out, now. I just wanted my brother back.
"Alright, Plan B." I said looking over to Cas. "Cas you need to possess him." I said coldly, eyeing Sam out of the corner of my eye. He looked at me, bewildered by sudden change in demeanor.
"What?"
"Do it now." I ordered tersely. "Get in there.. and tell Sam what's going on. And help him get that lying son of a bitch out." I spat through my teeth. My head pounded furiously, my heart thundering in my chest.
"It might work but I can't possess a vessel without permission." Cas said carefully.
My shoulders sagged with defeat as I glanced over at Gadreel. Crowley cleared his throat, a sly expression plastered across his face. He held his hand up innocently. No. I would be damned if I was going to let another punk ass demon screw us over again. Sam and I have been down that road before. I wouldn't do it. Not again.
"No. Not happening." I said lividly, shaking my head.
"Dont be daft. Demons can take, what they want. I can borrow into that rat's nest of a head." He said turning to face Gadreel. "I can wake Sam up. Just call me Plan C."
It was our only shot of getting that dickbag out of Sam. I knew that.
"You can't be-" Cas began to object.
"You got a better idea?" I asked Cas desperately, defeat weighing on my shoulders. Cas pursed his lips, not answering me.
"What about the angel?" I said tersely.
"I'll work fast."
"And if he finds you?"
"I"ll run. I'm not dying for you lot." he said wheedlingly. "'Course if I do this, you're going to have to-" he said gesturing to the manacles that hung from his neck and wrists.
"Take off the leash, yeah I know." I said glaring at Gadreel. We would lose all leverage with Crowley. He could smoke out and leave us to deal with Gadreel. But what other option did we have?
"And it stays off." Crowley growled sharply, interrupting my reverie. "I save Sam, I leave here a free man." he said coaxingly, letting the offer hang in the air. "So so we have a deal?" he said cooly. I didn't have another option and I wasn't about to let Sam be an angels meat puppet for a second longer.
"Cas, burn off Sam's tattoo." I said quietly, not meeting his gaze. Crowley smirked, looking almost pleased with himself.
"Dean." he said in a reprimanding tone.
"Do it." I said quickly, indecision tearing at me. "Do it." I repeated.
Castiel walked over, and pulled down Sams shirt exposing the anti possession tattoo . He held his hand over it, a rich silvery light surged beneath his fingertips as he burned it off. Gadreel cringed as the tattoo was burned form Sam's skin. He stepped away from Sam, the tattoo now gone. I whipped around to look at Crowley.
"If you mess with Sam, If you try anything!" I threatened, pointing a finger at him. I would kill him, if he even thought of messing with Sam.
"I keep my bargains. 'Sides I don't want to be inside your bother any longer than I have to. I'm not one for sloppy seconds" he said mockingly, drawing the chains up in his lap and sat down in the chair facing Sam.
I glanced at Cas, his expression was equally as pained as mine. I warily walked over pulling the key to Crowleys chains from my jeans pocket. Crowley leaned his neck away as I slid in the key and turned it. The collar fell away with a massive clang. Crowley stared at Gadreel with a sort of sly smirk. Gadreel watched him with the same intensity. There was no way Sam was going to believe Crowley if he actually managed to find him. He needed to know that it was real.
"When you find him say 'poughkeepsie'" I said turning to look at Crowley. His brow furrowed as he glanced to the side. "It's our codeword. It means drop everything and run." I said, feeling more apprehensive with each passing second.
"Fine." Crowley muttered. "While I'm gone, hands off the suit." he drawled, turning away from me. Gadreel leaned forward, his vicious expression twisting Sam's face.
"I will destroy you." he vowed, his dark eyes blazing. Cas pushed him back holding him against the chair, restraining him.
"Eat me." Crowley said in an almost bored voice.
My heart thundered in my chest, making everything seem quiet for a few seconds. Crowley's body seized and a rich powdery red smoke hurled itself from his mouth and made a somersault in the air. Instead of the smoke being an inky black color the smoke was a brilliant crimson. It lingered there for a moment, and took ahold of Sam. It was quiet for two beats as we waited to see who would get to Sam first. Worry clouded my every thought, as I began to pace again. What if Crowley didn't get there in time and Gadreel killed Sam, erasing him forever? Or worse, Crowley and Gadreel fought it out and Crowley bites the dust leaving Sam defenseless. I paced for another ten minutes then glanced up at Cas.
"A demon and angel walk into my brother…Sounds like a bad joke." I said bitterly.
"Dean, if this doesn't work-" Cas said averting his gaze. I couldn't entertain that thought. I wouldn't.
"It'll work." I said, my voice void of emotion. Minutes ticked by, as I paced, each passing by more slowly than I would have thought possible. Without warning Sam's body seized, his back arching upwards, the pure white light of angel grace came pouring from his mouth forcing it's way out as Gadreel was cast out. Sam's body went limp, his head slumping forward. Sam leaned forward, only this time it was Crowley, the rich crimson smoke pouring out of Sam and into Crowley;s meat suit. Sam fell limp once again, the jagged needles still poking out from his head.
"Sam!? Cas!" I said my body springing into action. I unlocked the restraints that held Sam's hands.
"I'm fine, thank for asking." Crowley said sarcastically, though I didn't care. All I could think of was Sam. Cas pulled each needle from Sam's head. C'mon Sam wake up. I thought watching his lifeless face. You're not going to leave me here all by self, I thought in desperate attempt to will Sam into waking up. Sam inhaled sharply, his face scrunching with confusion. I exhaled my body sagging with relief.
"Sam? Are you okay?" Cas said, trying to get Sam's attention. Sam looked up at Cas, in a sort of dazed state.
"Cas?" he said confusion saturating his voice. Headlights from a car, flashed through the grimy windows above the stairs. Castiel walked up the steps, peering out through the window.
"It's Abaddon." Cas called, leaning away from the door. Dammit it was always something. The Winchester's could never catch a break could we? I looked over at Crowley.
"Go." he said simply. He looked more annoyed than anything else. I stopped confused by his offer.
"The back door." he said pointedly. "I'll handle this."
"Oh 'cause you're such a good guy." I said dubiously.
"Right now I'm the goodest guy you got." he said, handing me my duffel bag. Cas helped Sam up from the chair. Sam groaned in pain, leaning forward. I would have to worry about Crowley later.
"This don't make us square, I see you again-" I threatened angrily.
"I'm dead, yes I know. I love you too." he said carelessly, waving me off. He sat down in the chair, a sort of bored expression plastered across his face.
I slung one of Sam's arm's over my shoulder supporting his weight. He had paled considerably, his frame too thin for my liking. But he was going to pull through. IT was that knowledge that let me breathe. And whatever was still wrong with Sam, it wasn't anything that Cas couldn't heal. I pushed the back door open, the night settling around us. The door swung shut with a harsh groan behind us. Sam hung on to me wordlessly, though I could sense he was angry with me. The various pinpricks of light dazzling the purpling night sky. He could be angry with me, that was fine. I deserved it. But I would be there for him because, that was my job. No matter what happened we would deal with it,as brothers, just like we always did.