*please review if you would like me to write more.
Yeah, some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give,
oh, they only answer, more, more, more, yoh,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no military son, SON, NO
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate one, NO NO
The two Winchesters stood dead silent as the conniving demon, Crowley, pranced ever so cordially into the warehouse building. His eyes were directed straight at the two brothers, who were both battered and bruised to holy hell. Dean clung tightly to the only weapon they had against Crowley, what appeared to be a lovely stick to him. But according to Castiel the rod of Aaron had enough mojo in it as a part of heaven's arsenal to annihilate Crowley from history. Crowley circled around the two brothers noting the apprehensive glances they were directing toward each other. These two guys after all had managed to take down three hellhounds and well as four demons in pretty much four direct shots. Even though they had come out looking worse than they had thought they would.
"Sam's body is mine. I got the strings, you're just my puppets. I say the word and Sam's body is incinerated. It's really not nice to play with me."
The demon brashly said directly to their face. He dusted off the top of his shoulder from the slight dust that had fell from the rafts above in the old discarded warehouse. They wanted a war, he would give them one.
Crowley lifted his fingers in a threatening gester but decided reluctantly against it. He liked to play with his prey. Sam flinched knowing in all likelihood what would come next. Crowley offered the Winchesters a mocking grin instead. He noted Dean's face, which looked like he would rip him to living hell if he didn't think his brother would be a pile of dust afterward.
"Who shouldn't be playin with whom now? Your prize flea infested hellhound is dead and we have the only freakin weapon that can kill you and Sam isn't entirely soulless anymore. You're not exactly in the best position to be ..."
Dean backed farther away from the shadows as he saw the figure slowly creeping up behind Crowley. The demon had not come well prepared. He could feel his and Sam's soul growing with horror. The blood slowly began to stain the corner of his eyes as it seemed to sweat down from his forehead. Sam was gasping for breath as he was reaching for the gash just below his rib.
"So you say you found a weapon that gave you back dear Sammy's soul and can kill me. Aaron's rod is nothing compared to what my partner's got. I'll show you mine if you show me yours, boys."
"Now that's just gross." Dean mocked as he clutched the twig tighter in his hand.
Crowley stepped to the side so the brothers could fully see Balthazar in all his horrific glory. Balthazar, the free to be angel, gave a little nod to Crowley as he acknowledged the two boys. He looked rather snazzy for an angel ready to do battle, in his long black coat and off-blue suit. All prim and proper to wreak his new wrath acquired from heaven. Souls were the new currency, and purgatory the new bank. Crowley offered more currency than Balthazar could ever need, and he was more than happy to except.
"Times are a changin'. If you really want to live the good life you can't just be free you got to expand or in my case count your assets. I see that now. It looks like the weight of two souls is weighing on your body Dean. How ironic two brother's souls in one body"
The ring of death has a surprising side effect, for the white stone in the center of the ring had the ability to save one soul from going to the pit. As you would say it was a save card to Death if ever needed it. The white stone from which a name would be transcribed to save one from the torment of the cage, a deal you get with being as old as time. Sam soul had been saved by being sent into a sleep like slumber in Dean or soul sleep as it's so called in its biblical circles. The ability for two soul to share one body required that one soul be in a suspended animation or the vessel containing them would be eaten from the inside out. Castiel had retrieved the rod of Aaron in Lexington Kentucky from a man who never knew of the power he bartered for. Crowley had raised Sam's body from the pit but not his soul. So, Sam was ying-yanged fucked up freak between Crowley and his brother. Crowley owned his physical being which he had used for his own messed up purposes. With the return of his brother, Dean was slowly withering away from the pressure of the two souls, one desperately communicating with its separated vessel.
Team free will had become a lot less promising as the Winchester had spiraled in a decaying circle.
Balthazar moved his hand slowly to his coat pocket and pulled out a small silver signet ring. He placed it on is index finger and slowly maneuvered it around. He smiled viciously as he admired the details in the ring's edges. He didn't just steal the weapons of heaven for fun, he had a purpose. Crowley certainly did help to serve that initiative.
"Purgatory is so much fun when you can control everything in it. Monster souls make much better demons than human souls as Crowley would say. The ring of Solomon is quite a useful weapon you see. It's like every seal of Solomon combined with absolutely little room for failure."
Balthazar rubbed the ring to emphasize the threat. He calmly gestured so that Crowley could take the stage. The debonair duo knew they had the brothers where they wanted them. A threat no longer needed for their purpose, they found purgatory they didn't need these two hunter further complicating their plans.
"Boys I'm afraid your usefulness has run out. Remember Sam ashes to ashes and dust to dust. I don't know long how long your brother's body can support both of you."
"You freakin douchebags think you can just go and walk all over everybody. You flying dick with wings, at least Crowley's honest with his nature. "Dean edged forward but knew with a snap of his fingers Sam may become a human ashtray thanks to the mojo provided by Balthazar's heavenly stash. Gun in one hand and rod in the other, Dean so badly wanted to shoot the fuckin angel in the head for all the good it would do.
Sam moved anxiously to the side. He could feel the welling of doom fill his mind. He could feel his soul channeling through Dean into his body. Ever since the rod of Aaron had reawakened his soul in Dean, life had become increasingly difficult. He was now a soulless corpse living vicariously through his brother, every bit of the year that had come before they had reunited hit him like a ton of bricks. There was a lot he wished he could undo or rather miraculously unsay. Particularly telling Dean how he didn't care for him, his only tie to whatever was left of his humanity or rather his true family. It was just so easier not to feel, let it all seep away into the darkness that was the pit. As a soulless hunter it was simple shoot, save, and continue the hunt. The whole thing he hoped hunting wouldn't ever boil down too, it was for the people not the fun he told himself. Of Course, now with a soul on this plane everything was lot clearer. He just wanted to fuckin sleep. Dean said to him once "I'm tired Sam" and now he truly knew what he meant. Thanks to his soul being asleep within Dean it saved him from the horror of the pit but not from his self. Dean's body was slowly taking in the weight of both souls, soon his body would collapse. If Crowley didn't sign over Sam's body, his soul could never be transferred back or rather he would finally be sold body and soul to hell. Sam started to feel his skin burn along his arm as the fiery rash spread up his arm.
"You son of a bitch, let him go." Dean yelled out. He soon became overwhelmed with the agony of both souls and fell to his knees coughing up a tinge of blood on the gray concrete ground.
"Dean, give it up. Just use the rod, we can't hold out any longer." Sam said as he began to accept the growing burn as it began to spread up his face, burning his nose with the slight smell of flesh.
"Sammy, if I do that he will burn you to crisp" Dean Spit up more blood as he rose to his feet once again. The two were now backed into a corner. Both Sam and his feelings were overwhelming his chest as if a bolder had been freakin dropped on top of it.
"I can always use more followers" Crowley pleasantly interjected between
Crowley laughed. He watched the skin on Sam skin slowly peel back. "Nothing like seeing two suffer for the price of one." He enjoyed the suffering he inflicted as long as it was done with class. He had everything he wanted. Balthazar seemed less amused with what was going on in front of him and more entranced with the ring on his ringer. He was quietly waiting for the boredom to die down; even though he had a strange urging in the back of his mind that maybe he should be doing the right thing. The freedom of more power was more enticing though he was tired of just being a soldier of heaven.
"Dean, I can't do this anymore. It's too much. It's too much." Sam cringed with pain.
"Sam if you give up….. I have been bearing more than my share to get you back. I'm carrying your freakin soul. Sammy you got to snap back. Just give me a minute." Sam was fuckin scared and he could feel his soul squirming as it was connecting with his burning body, begging for mercy from the pain.
Dean felt the sweat mix with blood. The overwhelming agony of all they had been through. He just managed to by the skin of his teeth gain the trust of Lisa and Ben, while carrying around the heaviness of his brother's soul; he felt it difficult separating himself from Sam. He just knew that deep down that he shared one major thing in common; he really did care about how he affected those around him. In the past he pretended like he didn't give a fuck about having a family but he really did. He wanted a normal life just like Sam, a way out of all this shit. Both mostly he wanted his fuckin brother back, all his faults, all his sensitive bullcrap, and all his support. The something that saved him from when he though he was nothing.
All of sudden a bright flash light of hellfire streaked across the floor around Balthazar. He screamed in pain as it ran across his foot. He swung around in the circle of eclipsing fire to see Castiel. The holy fire danced closer to Balthazar ready to eat the traitor under it looming sway.
"Hello brother, I am sorry to have seen you come to this." Castiel tilted his head in puzzlement at his once brother in arms. His tattered tan trench coat hung loosely off his body, as spots of congealed blood leaked through the holes. His white shirt covered in red, and his mouth trying to hold back the blood gushing as it trickled down his lips. The angel staggered forth as he pulled out the knife still lodged in his rib.
"Cas, where the hell have you been?" Dean stumbled over violently to his brother whose flesh was still continuing to redden under his now pale skin. "Stop Crowley!" Crowley was intensely focused on torching Sam as slowly as possible.
Crowley swung around from his little Sam torture fest as Castiel sent him careening into the warehouse's side wall with one sharp punch. Crowley ripped himself away from the wall, and slammed Castiel to the ground. He gasped for breath rising from the ground and caught Crowley's left hand in mind flight and sent him to the opposite wall. Castiel then grabbed Balthazar's clenched fist and ripped the silver ring from his finger. Balthazar looked at Castiel as though he had been violated. He glared at him with an burning unforgivable hate.
"You owe me." He growled at Castiel as the fire licked at his flesh
"I owe you nothing. I owe them a lot more." Castiel stared straight into his eyes as he glanced at the two Winchesters dripping in blood. Dean trying to stop the blood from his mouth as he supported Sam as he recovered from the burns that had managed to scorch both arms till they burned with every slight movement.
Cas threw the ring to Sam as he caved in for support from the now unsteadying Dean. "Your a lot heavier than you look, giant." Dean coughed a little more blood up as he tried to steady his quivering knee.
"I suggest you make use of the ring and procure claim to your body while you still can." Castiel directed his gaze to Crowley who had begun to pull himself from the side wall. He slowly began chanting something under his breath as he began to move a small parcel from under his black blazer. He was bleeding but not to the point that he couldn't inflict his own damage in due time.
Sam gently removed Dean's arm from his shoulder. Castiel appeared at Dean's side and gently moved his arm over his own shoulder. Sam smiled as his slipped the ring onto to his own finger. Dean was a ticking deteriorating time-bomb with both of their souls in play. He felt a slight sorrow looking at Castiel badly beaten vessel.
"Thanks Cas." Dean said appreciatively as he hobbled to gain footing from the already bloodied angel. Castiel moved in closer to catch his failing friend, Dean's
"Sammy, if I do that he will burn you to crisp"
own distorted view of life had given him a significant appreciation of humanity.
Sam proceeded to make his way to the staggering Crowley whose chanting had gotten louder and more vivacious as he anticipated the approaching Winchester, as he watched the silver ring glint a little in the catches of sunlight from the window. He looked over at his hopeless partner who kept frantically encircling the fire that waited to swallow him whole. Crowley knew he was thinking of something, but he would distract Sam until his partner managed to pull something out of his hat.
Castiel patted Dean's back as he inhaled a large breath. "As soon as I pull myself together. I'm in this. I've come to fuckin far"
Castiel shrugged his head at Dean. "You're not exactly in the best condition. There is a good possibility you might get hurt more."
"Oh shove it! Cas." Dean heaved one more time and pushed himself off of Castiel and made his way in the direction of Sam.
Castiel vaguely smiled as he flickered out to Sam's side.