Dean Winchester, a young hunter who was born into the business of protecting the innocent from the super natural stood in the doorway of a motel room. The flickering red neon sign that read, "Vacancy" and the dim light outside the door cast his form in a red shadow giving notice of only his masculine form.
Inside the motel his younger brother who was more then born into the business, but at one time became the thing they hunted, was sitting at a small table just looking at Dean. Then without a hello, Sam spoke, "Took you long enough to get here Dean, I called you two days ago and now it is down to the wire." Sam watched Dean walk through the door and shut it. "You're not going to have time to settle in. we should be able to dispose of this monstrosity tonight."
Stepping into the light of the motel room, Dean shut the door and turned to Sam with a discerned look across his face that was smudged over with traces of blackish-grey powder.
Sam was surprised and concerned as he looked over his brother's grunge clothes and face. "Your hair," Sam said seeing the mopped mess that was straggling for the most part on top of Dean's head with only a bunch here and there sticking straight up. A slight giggle surrounded his words, "Did you smoke an exploding cigar, because you sure look like it."
Not amused at Sam's pun Dean glared at him for a moment and then with a little kid's sad expression Dean stated, "I popped my balloon," while he brought out a thick string he was holding behind his back with what was left of a red balloon dangling on the end. "What is going on here Sammy", a stern expression filled his face, "and don't spare the details, because I can not describe to you what just happened, not in a thousand words or less." Dean walked into the bathroom and started to wash the soot from his face, while Sam stood and watched.
"Two days ago I got a call from a hunter who said people were disappearing and he needed help." Sam paused then continued, "I left you the message after that." His mind got sidetracked for a moment, "How did it go with that vampire hunt?" When Sam just received a nod from the half clean face reflecting in the bathroom mirror he got back on track. "I arrived here and found Herman gone." A mutter of the name came from Dean's lips and Sam just brushed it off. "This was his room so I have been staying here and going over his journal."
Stopping to look at his brother, Dean insisted, "Just get on with what has been happening and how were going to fix it and why I have not been able to reach you for the last day and a half." Dean turned back to the mirror and tried to fix his hair, "I need a shower." Dean whined then walked out to the little kitchenette, "But first I must eat."
While Dean grabbed what there was to eat, Sam sat down at the little table and continued to explain the last few days. In his mind time drifted back to when he had arrived at the motel and found Herman gone, that is when he decided to go into town for answers. There is where he ran into trouble.
Sam was standing outside the local restaurant after questioning a few of the employees and patrons about persons disappearing. They had been eager to talk, some because they were family or friend and others because Sam was dressed in his agent suit and trying to find answers.
While he stood by a blue mail box that sat at the edge of the sidewalk he glanced through the notes he had taken, questioning the usefulness. A small child approached and handed him a blue balloon. With a smile on her face she told Sam, "Here mister this is for you, it is blue because you look sad inside.
Giving the balloon a slight notice Sam placed his notepad in his inner jacket pocket and headed towards the next place he would look. As he rounded the first corner the string on the balloon became twisted around his waist and then his arms. Sam chased after the string with his hands but it seemed to wrap around him faster then he could catch it. In no time the string had his arms strapped down to his waste.
People on the street didn't seem to notice his dilemma as they walked past as if he wasn't even there. The little girl walked up to Sam again with a large ice cream cone and gave a happy smile, "Thank you mister. He said if I give my balloon away I would have one wish." She gave a little laugh, "Bet you can't guess what I wished for?" She swayed back and forth licking on the cone.
Sam did his best to stand but found it to be a constant struggle with the string having him wrapped up like a mummy. "What's your name little girl?" She answered in a shy voice, "Oh, ok Missy." He smiled a forced smile at her with a troublesome expression, "Can you tell me the name of the person who told you to give the balloon to me?"
"Oh my goodness don't you know." She watched Sam shake his head, "God silly!" She went to skip away and then stopped. "I forgot," she gave a good laugh. "I am suppose to give you a push."
"Wait, Wait," Sam insisted. A man approached, "Hey you, you in the blue shirt, can you help me?" A blank expression fell upon Sam as the man walked by giving the little girl a smile but ignored Sam as if he didn't exist, "Oh, man, what is going on here?"
The little girl waved goodbye to the man in the blue shirt, then grinned at Sam. "No one can see you. The string is from Heaven and it makes you invisible." She gave a wink, "That is what God said." Then the girl seemed rush, "Oh, no I am late, my mom is going to…" She didn't finish as she gave Sam a push that sent him floating into the air. She did not pay attention to Sam's calls. Missy's train of thought was on getting home and she skipped down the sidewalk with her ice cream cone.
Higher and higher into the sky Sam went until he was above the three story firehouse where he tried to cling to the roof shingle with his boots, but there really was nothing to grab onto and he could barely move his feet. His balloon had grown enormous in size, not much smaller then a hot air balloon.
Unable to get free Sam watched for something else he might be able to tangle himself to. In his search he saw another person floating like one of those toy soldiers you wrap up in their parachute string and throw off the roof. Then another showed and another. Soon Sam was in the middle of a row of Balloons that were bobbing up and down like a toy train on a bumpy track heading out of town.
They floated over a large cow pasture and then a field of hay stacks. When the person in front reached this one hay pile in the middle of the field he was sucked in and confetti came shooting out of the stack with balloons giving fan-fair to his arrival. Then the next person with the same confetti and balloons and this continued.
Sam dangled over the hay stack for a moment then dropped like a rock landing on some type of spring board. The string burst into a million pieces of confetti and balloons. Then he was catapulted into the air his body somersaulting until it landed in a barber chair. An iron headband pressed his head firmly against the chair while other bands locked his limbs. From his confined position Sam looked around and could only see darkness beyond the long string of tiny round light bulbs the chair seemed to be following.
Up and down around one corner and then another the chair traveled on the tracks. Off to the sides a light would come on and a clown would appear laughing or a fortune teller would show its grimly smiling face while pointing its finger at him. Sam struggled to get free. He tried to pull his head out, but the iron strap around his chest held him tight.
From both sides two soft brushes popped out and covered Sam's face with white powder. Then a spring arm came around and pressed a mask firmly on his face. Sam could feel himself being smothered and worked fiercely to breathe. When he couldn't open his mouth he used his nostrils. At first just a touch of cool air entered his passages and then suddenly and without warning he took in a deep breath. When he exhaled through his nose he heard a honking sound and a red bump on his face formed into a large red ball. Sam crossed his eyes looking at the monstrosity that seemed to cover his face.
The chair came to a stop. Sam looked ahead of him and could not see the other people. He tried to see the lump on his nose but it strained his eyes. The chair spun and spun and spun in place, when it stopped everything around seemed fuzzy. Once more the chair spun, but this time it began to follow the tracks taking Sam into a long corridor of mirrors. There were long mirrors short mirrors wavy mirrors and twisty mirrors. Some mirrors bridged over the tracks. All of them distorted the reflection but Sam could not mistake what he saw looking back at him.
The clown face he wore filled him with fear. The oversized smile with huge white teeth seemed to pulsate from his face. The big red nose moved in and out as Sam breathed. The mirror showed the card design of his mask, with black diamonds above his unseen brows and black clubs below his eyes. Near one corner of his left eye was a black heart and near the other eye was a black spade. The mask was white with soft pastel colors running down from the inner corner of his eyes and expanding where they disappeared under his cheek bones. On top Sam's head was a large orange frizzed out wig with glittering sparkles. He wanted to run but the chair would not let him go. Sam could feel the blood racing through his heart that was pounding harder and harder throwing Sam's thoughts into a bowl of alphabet goop. He couldn't think straight. Then the chair stopped and the leg bands released their hold and then the wrist bands.
As the head and chest straps opened up, the chair tilted into a flat down position and then sprung forward. Sam's body slipped out of the chair into a long twisting curving pipe. As he descended his body picked up momentum sending him spiraling around the walls. At one point the pipe shrank but Sam's speed did not slow down, except for a slight bump when his body was slipped into a clown suit, complete with big red shoes.
Finally the fun house ride was over and Sam stood behind another clown. He could see the tears and fear beyond the mask the person was wearing. Sam couldn't do anything. The mask kept him from talking and a conveyer belt moved him in a slightly jerking motion every so often as it held his shoes in place, leaving him to direct his attention to keeping his balance and figuring a way out.
Shaking the crazy from his head, Sam started to work his way into the clown suit, which wasn't an easy task. The line creaked forward and then a familiar voice reached Sam's ears and he worked frantically trying to reach his pocket.
The room was massive in size and across the floor a large canon fired and what looked like a huge bank deposit tube with a clown inside was shot out of the barrel and into a black portal where it disappeared. Near the canon Sam saw Crowley barking orders as usual. Then he stopped.
Crowley squished his nose and sniffed the air taking in a deep breath he stiffened up his body a moment then shouted, "Stop! Stop," something had caught his attention. "Winchester," Crowley growled. The machine stopped. Crowley walked over to the conveyer belt, but couldn't tell which one, they were all dressed in clown suits and couldn't speak. He pointed at two demons and with a grin ordered them to bring him the moose. Crowley grinned at the tall bulky clown, "A Winchester how divine." He paused, "No wait, how devilish a treat. Like Devil's food cake."
He floated in dance. "It feels like my birthday. I have clowns and balloons and a special gift" Crowley watched the two guys grab the short heavy clown which made him instantly furious, "NO, you buggers not the hippoptopot, hippotopotom," He tried once more to say it right but couldn't, "Oh damn, leave the elephant and bring me the big gorilla next to him." Crowley walked to the end of the conveyer belt while the two demons fought with the clown. Fist flew, heads butted and Crowley watched with excitement then sent another demon to assist.
Wiping down the clown suit Crowley smiled. He could smell Sam all over. "Finally", he paused, "boys, throw him in the can." Crowley ordered. Then his voice got all kind and sweet, "Oh and here you go little Sammy, a picture of the sumo demon you will be letting ride you back from purgatory, you big moose." With one push from three demons it didn't take long for the canister to travel along a second conveyer belt dropping into the canon barrel only to be shot into the black portal to purgatory. Crowley laughed and laughed. Then stopped, "Get back to work," he ordered then watched the conveyer belt take the next clown. After him was just a pair of shoes.
This made Crowley even giddier. "Well, who could ask for more? I think I have total bliss," he spoke in a deep monotone voice, "Sam in purgatory and barefoot" He watched the shoes fall to the floor. "I am the luckiest Hell King there is." Crowley walked away then spoke, "No I am the only Hell King there is."
"What wait a minute Sam," Dean stood up from the table, "You're telling me you were thrown into purgatory, as a clown and let a sumo demon ride your ass back?" He paced the floor. Shook his head a few times and looked at Sam then went back to pacing the floor. "No wonder that kid was so pushy with the balloon."
Looking at the string he had placed on the dresser Dean grabbed it and threw it in the garbage. "Leave it to Crowley to come up with some crazy plan to free demons from purgatory." He shook his head. "Last place I want to wind up is in purgatory," his voice pitched a little higher, "A clown, really Sammy, a clown!"
"Well, I guess I was the lucky one this time." Dean thought for a moment then an expression of shame came over his face and his thoughts drifted back to the restaurant where Sam had gathered information and where he met a kid who gave him a balloon.
Not wanting to make the kid cry Dean accepted the red balloon but let the string drop and the balloon floated up to the ceiling. With the information he had about his partner being there a day earlier Dean left the restaurant and at first did not notice the red balloon or the little kid following him.
From the reflection of a store window he was surprised and turned to see the little boy standing just beyond the big red balloon that was in his face, "Hey, kid I am not into balloons so go give this to you daddy, OK!" Dean continued to walk and the balloon followed. Once and a while he looked back and decided he should out run the balloon.
With a quickened pace Dean felt sure he could loose the balloon around the next corner. But it didn't happen. The balloon was stuck to him like gum on a shoe. There was nothing left for him to do but run and he did. The faster he ran the faster the balloon flew, never missing a beat and then suddenly the string wrapped around Dean's waist, "Hell no!" Dean grabbed the string and pulling the balloon down which had grown more then triple in size he stabbed it. "Ka-boom", the balloon burst into pieces, exploding with a gust of black powder covering both Dean and the boy in soot.
The sounds of crying came from the little boy, "Where am I, where is my mommy," The boy turned and ran away leaving Dean in dismay.
Jumping out of his thoughts Dean looked at Sam, "So how are we going to stop Crowley from sending clowns to purgatory?" Then he looked at Sam with concern, "So, how did you get the sumo demon out?" That question seemed more important at the moment.
"I didn't" Sam replied, "I don't know who got the sumo demon. I was able to cut myself out of my shoes and escape before Crowley knew I was gone." From the table he picked up an oversized clowns horn of multi-colors with three tubes on the end. "I grabbed this on my way out. It is suppose to close the portal," Sam explained. "I don't know exactly how it works but I found it in a box marked Acme with directions inside for closing black holes."
After a good shower Dean was ready and with that the brothers were in the Impala with Sam driving out of town and to the field with the hay stacks. Dean pulled the string he had thrown away out of his pocket, "I thought this might come in handy", and it did. Just holding the string gave sight of the next set of balloons dropping one by one into the stack.
Without hesitation they ran to the stack and climbed and climbed and climbed. At the top Dean handed Sam a portion of the string and they both flung out of the way as another person dropped into the stack covered in confetti with more falling all around. "We have to find another way in Dean. I can not go through that transformation again." Sam looked really worried with a flicker of fear.
Looking around Dean caught sight of an old cow barn with two men standing guard. He alerted Sam to his finding, "What do you think?" With Sam's nod of approval they headed to the barn. It didn't take long for them to each kill a guard with a demon blade then drag the bodies around to the side.
The door swung slowly open and Dean looked around for a huge canon but saw nothing except a lot of cows and cow makings that filled his nose with its putrid smell. "Thank God I'm not a country boy" he whispered as he and Sam walked down the long rows of open stalls finding no signs of the place Sam described. Just as he went to question Sam about the location a door swung open and two demons walked down the long corridor and out the same door Sam and Dean had entered.
From a stall Dean stood stooped over with cow manure dripping off him. He gave Sam an angry look, which quickly slipped away when he saw Sam in the same situation. "We need to move fast, those two will be ringing Crowley's bell any moment."
Before long Sam and Dean were in the large room watching a tube shoot through the portal. Crowley was barking orders, sending demons on the hunt for the intruders. They counted at least ten demons scattered around the room, excluding Crowley and made their plans.
Another clown dropped into a tube and moved its way to the canon. Crowley looked at the next clown that was to drop only it wasn't a clown it was Dean Winchester taking a stance with a huge grin on his face and anger in his eyes. He shouted, "Crowley" then jumped off the conveyer belt with a large pipe in his hand.
Two demons headed towards Dean on Crowley's command. Just before they reached him Dean knelt down and spun around jamming the pipe into the chain that drove the conveyer belt, jamming its motion. Sprockets screeched to a dead halt, knocking the clowns that remained backwards off the belt.
Dean fought hard against the two demons, killing one but before he could leave another to bleed he was over taken by several demons and dragged kicking and fighting to Crowley. With his arms restrained by demons and blood slipping from his lip, Dean gave Crowley an evil grin. "Hell must be a little less populated."
With a grin Crowley brushed off Dean's smart remark, "Dean, Dean, Dean. I thought it was my birthday today, but it definitely has to be Christmas." Crowley ordered a demon to bound Dean's arms behind his back. "I'm just doing a little harvesting, you might say." He grins. "You're little missions to purgatory gave me the idea." Crowley wrinkled his nose, "What is that horrid smell," he grins at Dean, "Must be a Winchester. You smell about as bad as my hellhound."
Dean interrupted, "Really, you want to bring back demons, and what about the Leviathan don't you think there going to catch on?" Dean gave a dismayed look, "And what is with the clowns, I mean really, Clowns Crowley!"
"Clowns you're worried about clowns. Hell Dean you should be worried about your little moose, which I already sent to purgatory and you 're next." Crowley walked up to Dean and put a hand on his shoulder to talk quietly, then stepped back away from the manure stench that drifted off Dean "There are no clowns in purgatory, so my boys know when their taxi has arrived," he straightens up, "Besides, I give each clown a photo of who there to bring back." Crowley comments himself, "Very well thought out, if I do say so and the best part is, you are not going as a clown, Oh no. You are going as yourself Dean. I think there are a few demons that are missing your baby face mug back in the slime pit." Crowley motioned with his hands and the demons pushed Dean over to the hole where an empty tube sat.
From out of nowhere a loud voice shouted, "It's over Crowley!" While Dean had done his part Sam had worked his way to the canon and was now standing behind a dead demon that was lying over the barrel. Sam spoke words from the paper in his hand.
"Get him," Crowley shouted, sending every demon in the room towards Sam.
Being left alone Dean stepped back from the hole and used the metal bracket bar of the conveyer belt to cut the ropes holding his arms behind his back and then chased after the demons.
First one then the next Dean sliced through the demons while working his way to Sam who was finishing up the incantation. "Keep going Sam," Dean shouted before being knocked down by a demon.
Again the Winchester's spoiled Crowley's plans and he was about to spoil theirs when Castiel arrived and stood before him, "Crowley," he growled out the name, "you have disrupted the balance of harmonious serenity and there is talk a few Leviathan have been rounding up your circus act."
"Get out of my face, you moron." Crowley demanded Castiel step aside and in the same instant Castiel swiftly cuffed his wrist. "What the buggers, this isn't some copper show." Crowley raised his hands above his head and pulled the brightly lit silver cuffs linking chain until it broke and disappeared. He gave a chuckle, "Did you really expect some puny chain to hold me?" Crowley turned and called, "Butch."
Castiel warranted Crowley's attention who gave it with conviction of each passing word he heard slip from Castiel's lips. "Crowley you have been stripped of all. Your childish actions of selfishness have drawn God's attention and it is he, personally who has condemned you to earth."
At a loss for words Crowley stood with a blank stare and from under his fear filled breath called out, "Butch". Looking around he watched his army of demons smolder to hot ambers. The two who were fighting with Dean powdered him in ash.
Looking back to Castiel with a boyish look upon his face Crowley felt the weakness of his mortal body begin to steal his confidence. "What have you done Castiel, what have you done." The loneliness of being human waxed his soul. "I didn't care much for being human the first time." Crowley worried, "How am I supposed to protect myself." With a pitched voice of soft anger Crowley spoke harsh to Castiel, "Now that you have made me vulnerable what am I suppose to do, where is Butch." He begged, "Can I at least have my hellhound?"
From his long brown trench coat Castiel pulled out a teacup no larger then his hand, "Here, you can have Butch to keep you company." He saw the astonished look on Crowley's face. "We can't have a four foot hellhound running around." Castiel handed Butch to Crowley.
Looking in his eyes Crowley almost cried, "What have they done to you?" He gave Castiel a stern glare, "How could you turn Butch into this… this thing you call a dog." He took his Butch and placed him in his pocket and just in time. Sam said the final words and then blew the horn. The noise rumbled the building, shaking the structure that began to collapse.
Without words Dean and Sam began to run as ceiling timbers fell around them. The canon rocked back and forth with the ground opening up and swallowing it. The gapping hole started to devour everything. Sam was almost hit by a large beam and became trapped. Running back to help, Dean tried to lift the beam but he couldn't. "Come on Sam, crawl beneath."
The crawl space was too small, "Dean I can't make it. Get yourself out of here." Sam looked at the giant sink hole that was growing near. "You have to go, you have to leave me Dean." Tears began to roll down Sam's face.
"There is no way I am leaving you alone." Dean reached across the fallen timbers and grabbed Sam's wrist. They held onto each other as the building folded in around them. "Brother, I'm sorry it has come to this," Dean gave a scared grin, "I always thought we'd go out fighting monsters."
"Dean, we both don't have to die here." The hole was inches away and the timbers around them started slipping in the hole.
"Get ready Sam," Dean said and he looked at his brother. Then he just dropped, Sam was in the sink hole clinging to Dean's wrist and Dean was clinging to his, trying to pull him out. They looked at each other and with tear filled eyes they gave each other a grin. Then in a last effort Dean pulled as hard as he could, just before the floor disappeared below him. The feeling of nothingness frightened Dean, but he held onto his brother.
They fell for a hundred feet then landed with a thud outside the cow barn. Castiel looked at them, "That was cutting it a bit close". Then he walked back over to Crowley who was sitting on a hay bale with Butch in his hands.
Dean and Sam lay on the ground with a blank stare looking up at the sky. The sun was half set and they basked in its touch, until it became shadowed by Castiel looming over them. "We need to get going. You need to take care of Crowley."
This made Dean jump up, "what, you're making us his babysitter." Not knowing what had happened earlier Dean was not happy, "Just let him go back to hell and sit on that hot plate he calls a throne."
A gust of wind brushed through, "I have to go, Dean you and Sam need to keep Crowley safe, he is mortal and has no powers over, under or in Hell." Castiel stopped and looked both of them in the eye. "He is being punished by God and you have been given the task of keeping him safe, until God decides what to do with him."
The brothers were not happy and talked with each other while Crowley sat on the bale of hay. When they were done discussing in their usual argumentative way, they walked away.
Seeing the boys leaving him behind Crowley stood, his face dry of tears and his brain already working on a means to getting his Hell stature back. Butch rode comfortably in the inside breast pocket of his jacket. "You two can't leave me here God is not one to fool with." Crowley watched the boys turn back and look at him, "Just see what he's done to me!"
After hours of driving and taking care of Crowley the boys were back on the road. They drove quickly past a sign that read, "See you again in Warsaw, Missouri". Dean looked at Sam. Sam looked at Dean and they both gave a grin.
Meanwhile Crowley was feeding Butch a can of mighty dog. "They won't get away with this." Looking around the room Crowley gave Garth's safe houseboat a snarled look, while the Impala quickly put miles between them.