Season 10 episode 1

What I think would be fun

Part One

Sam sat in front of the summoning circle, the herbs smoldering as the fire died out, and looked around for Crowley. As usual, the charismatic King of Hell spoke before Sam even saw him.

"I'm not even going to entertain you by playing the game, Sam, it's already done."

Sam stood slowly, keeping his eyes locked on Crowley's the entire time.

"What?" He said, "You already brought him back?"

"More or less—"Crowley was cut off as Sam rushed from the cell, stopping as he entered the main room of the bunker. Dean's back was turned to him, hunched over the radio, switching through the channels until he landed on AC/DC, Bon Scott bellowing the chorus of "Hell ain't a Bad Place to Be";

If this is Hell

Then let me stay,

Sam moved forward a few hesitant steps.

"Dean?"

Dean straightened up, then turned to face Sam. The blood still soaked his shirt, black from drying. He flashed Sam a smile, genuine enough, but there was something in his eyes that made Sam pause.

Hell ain't a bad place to be!

"Sammy." Dean said, still grinning. The First Blade was tucked into his waistband, it's black hilt just in sight from under his flannel. Crowley appeared near Dean, smiling that smug, closed-lip smile. It was fake though. Nervous. Sam could see that, and his gut tightened a little, but he pushed it off—relief that his brother was alive was enough to cloud his instinct.

A flutter of air, and Castiel stood before Sam, his back to Dean and Crowley.

"Sam—where is Dean? Metatron—" Castiel, reading Sam's expression, turned and saw Dean and Crowley. Dean had his back turned to them again, turning the volume on the music down. Castiel turned to Sam again, content. "Another lie of Metatron. He told me he had killed Dean."

Sam, all his doubts cleared by Castiel's appearance, began to move forward quickly to cross the room to Dean. Dean turned to face them again.

"Cas—glad to see you made it out."

Late at night
Turns down the light

Sam bumped into Castiel, who was suddenly in front of him, holding an arm out to stop Sam in mid-stride. Castiel brandished his angel blade, gritting his teeth furiously.

"Who are you?" He demanded, glaring at Dean. "Tell me now before I destroy you!"

"Cas! What the hell!?" Sam yelled, but didn't try to force his way past Castiel just yet.

Tears me apart
Brings out the devil in me

Dean held his hands up, still grinning slightly. "Whoa, whoa, Cas, calm down."

"That is not Dean, Sam. It's a demon." Cas said, almost spitting the last sentence. Sam looked back to Dean, startled, but growing angry. Dean's eyes flicked black, glittering with that familiar malicious look.

"Crowley, what did you do?" Sam demanded, also drawing a blade.

Crowley walked towards them slowly, shaking his head.

"For once, I did absolutely nothing." He said.

Castiel continued to stare at demon-possessed Dean, his face growing more puzzled by the moment. His hand holding the angel blade slowly lowered.

Hell ain't a bad place to be
Hell ain't a bad place to be

"It's only Dean in here." Dean said, his eyes black and wet like polished obsidian. He smirked. "Just a different flavor; cherry pie with- zest of sulfur." Sam looked to Castiel for help, knife still clenched in his hand. Castiel's face fell.

"It's him. He is possessing his own body." Castiel said, looking to Sam. "I can see the demon's face, and it is Dean." He lowered the angel blade entirely. "His soul has been… tarnished."

"Good to see you too, Cas." Dean said, his voice carrying a sarcastic and vicious tone.

"How—" Sam stammered, not yet lowering his blade.

"The mark of Cain needs a host moving and breathing. It isn't going to let Dean die. It trapped his soul inside his dying body and turned it black as pitch. Demonic, else the power destroy the host." Crowley explained, pacing slowly. "I didn't think it would…" He hesitated, trying to conceal his regret. "…I didn't think the story was literal. It is far beyond my time."

Sam looked trapped, breathing heavily, mind racing to comprehend what was happening. Dean, or what used to be Dean, moved a few steps forward, smiling, and Sam unconsciously stepped back, raising the demon blade against Dean's black eyes. Dean stopped and frowned, eyes turning back to their normal green. He looked at the blade pointed at him, and raised his eyes to meet Sam's.

"Sam—come on. You're not gonna kill me." Dean moved forward more, making Sam reflexively spin the blade into a defensive position.

"This is—this is way wrong, this is not okay, Dean, get back." Sam stammered, taking another step back.

"Really, Sam? After all you've done, all the times I stood by you with the demon blood, Ruby, unleashing the apocalypse, all that crazy crap you did when you didn't have a soul." Dean smirked, but stopped moving forward.

"You're a demon, Dean!" Sam looked to Castiel desperately. "Tell me we can fix this!" Castiel looked anguished, glancing over to Crowley for help.

"Don't look at me with that beaten puppy look, Castiel. I don't know how to "fix" it, and, after a bit of consideration, I don't think I'd want to." Crowley said, looking over Dean thoughtfully. Dean looked back to Crowley. "I think, actually, that this might be a fantastic business opportunity. Dean, seeing as you are a demon now, and I just the humble King of Hell, I think that makes you my employee."

"Crowley, you son of a bitch," Sam says stiffly, voice trembling, not taking his eyes off Dean, "you're going to help us turn him back, or we'll—"

Dean started chuckling under his breath, a cruel laugh that made everyone in the room fall silent, watching him for his response.

"What I find funny, is that you think any of you have control over me. I will not be your Hell bitch, Crowley, and Sam, Cas, I ain't going with you either. For the first time in my life, I don't feel obligations weighing me down. I can go and do whatever I want, and none of you can stop me." He drew the First Blade, considering it. "I can't die. And I don't care what happens to anyone anymore." And then he was gone.

The room stayed silent for minutes afterwards.

Castiel wished he knew what to do, and in those minutes, for the first time in months, he sent out a silent, desperate prayer. He pleaded to God that they might find a way to help Dean, and soon. Hearing of Dean's death at the hand of Metatron was bad enough, but Dean being a demon was worse. A demon with the Mark of Cain, so much worse. He didn't even know where to begin.

Crowley pondered his actions, how Dean had slain Abbadon and Metatron almost easily, his torment in his final weeks. It was all Crowley's fault. Normally, he would glory in this, but… the sliver of humanity in his charcoaled soul cried out for the pain he caused just those Winchester boys. All his malice had been concentrated on those two, and looking at Sam, he could see that the Winchester was broken. Not even time in Lucifer's cage caused the pain that he could see in Sam now. And Dean was probably going to go after Crowley. It was all his own fault.

Sam's mind had gone white. It was the first time in his life where he felt truly, utterly lost. He understood why Dean was so desperate to keep them together. Cas was going to have to work on rebuilding Heaven, and Sam was going to be alone. No Dad. No Bobby. No Helen and Jo. No Dean. His brother's last human words echoed in his mind,

"I'm proud of us…"