Part 1 – The Summoning
Under a full moon, a witch stands in a clearing, surrounded by a circle of candles. Softly chanting, the incantation is one of the most powerful spells she has ever invoked.
A picture of the demon Azazel, in his human form, is propped up against a jewel-encrusted goblet. The goblet, filled with lamb's blood, glitters in the candle-light.
The dark-haired figure kneels before the chalice and raises a long, slender blade to the sky, invoking her bidding. She slices the blade across her right arm, a trail of red following its path. The blood from the wound is dripped into the cup, the mixture churning together.
The chanting gets louder, clouds roll across the moon, darkening the night while the ground trembles and cracks underfoot. A streak of lightening snaps across the sky while thunder rumbles a low growl, almost like a living thing. A black candle, held high above the chalice pours a putrid liquid into the mix, bubbling madly where it roils within. The chanting reaches its crescendo, a shriek rends the air and all wildlife within a three mile radius suddenly drops dead.
The witch slumps over the now empty goblet, her long dark hair plastered to her face, her arm bearing no sign of injury. All is quiet in the night.
A lone crow flies overhead, circling the still figure. It perches nearby and shouts a caw into the stillness. The witch stirs and lifts her head, staring up at the black eyes of the bird. A small smile plays on her lips and she inhales deeply, coughing up a spew of black smoke. As the last of the haze clears, her eyes turn blood-red and she stretches, pleased at the new skin she is wearing.
The demon, Ruby, is a distant memory, coughed into the night. Now, He lives.
Part 2 – The Introductions
Dean glances sideways at Sam, uncertain how to begin. His brother, lost in thought, stares out the window of the Impala into the dark night.
Dean clears his throat, "Uh…Sam?"
Sam's eyes turn towards Dean, "Yeah?"
"You never told me what else Uriel said to you. I know he told you to ask me if I remembered hell but did he say anything else?"
The lie slips out easily, "Nope…that was it…"
"You're sure?"
Sam sighs, tired of all the lies. "He told me not to use my powers. Doesn't seem to matter that I saved everyone…all he cared about was that I was told not to use them and I did anyway."
Dean pauses and then asks, "Well, why did you? I mean, you told me you weren't going to use them anymore and then I saw…."
A heavy sigh, "I know." Sam turns back to the window.
"Sam?"
"Dean, look, I'm sorry, ok? I had to. And I'm done explaining myself to you or to the angels. I…I'm done."
A silence and then "It…hurts you, doesn't it, using your mind like that?"
"Dean…" Sam rubs his forehead, "It hurts more when I don't. When I…try to kill demons…through exorcism or with the knife, it's like needles are being pushed into my brain. My head feels like it's going to explode."
Sam continues, "When I send a demon back to hell with my mind…when I 'push' them, it feels like…you know when you have to hold up something really heavy? And you do it and your muscles are shaking and you don't think you can hold it up any longer but you do anyway. And when you finally put it down, your body feels like collapsing…like it can't possibly do any more? Well, that's how my head feels when I push…like I can't do anymore but I do it anyway and then I'm done, spent and my mind is as sore as any muscle that's been exercised too much…but the needles are gone…the pain is gone."
"That's what it feels like? Like you're pushing them?"
"It's kinda hard to descr….WATCH OUT!"
Dean sees Ruby standing in the road…too late. He slams on the brakes and spins the wheel. The Impala's tires screech on the road and slid right into the girl. The car comes to a stop, facing the opposite direction from where it started. Both boys look around to see where Ruby is but the road is empty. Dean and Sam look at each other, confused and hear a tapping from the front of the car. Ruby stands in front of them, drumming her fingers on the hood of the Impala, her eyes red in the headlights. She turns and walks away.
Dean swears and jumps out of the car, walking towards her, "You stupid bitch! What the hell are you-"
Before Dean can finish the sentence, Ruby spins around, grabs his throat and lifts him high in the air. His feet kick pathetically as he grabs her hand, trying to loosen the iron grip.
Sam taken by surprise, sees the red eyes clearly now and knows this entity isn't Ruby. Recklessly, he rushes forward to help Dean, stopped short by an invisible force as the demon puts up a hand to hold him in place. His eyes narrowing, he raises his arm to send the demon soul back to hell but the Ruby-demon only laughs at him, flapping her fingers and throwing him backwards onto the hood of the car.
"DEAN!" Sam see's his brother's eyes roll back in his head and, charging in again, grabs the Ruby-demon's hand, trying to loosen its grip. A loud flapping of wings surround him and he is ripped away from Dean by the angel Uriel, held up by the back of his collar like he weighs nothing. Uriel's angry eyes bore into Sam's as he hisses "Get back, Demon Spawn! You are useless to us…and to your brother!", tossing Sam backwards onto the ground with contempt.
The Ruby-thing stares at the angels and offers a smirk, reaching up to grab Dean's head with a ferocious grip, smoothly snapping his neck with a swift movement. Sam's hopeless, desolate scream shatters the night as the demon nonchalantly drops the body in a crumpled heap at her feet. The demon's red eyes glowing, it turns to face God's warriors, Castiel and Uriel, who've come to do battle for the life of these mere humans.
Castiel glares at the entity, "Who are you?"
"I'm my brother's keeper…" The demon chuckles at his wit.
"Tell us your name!" Castiel demands.
"Names….names are unimportant now. It's enough that you know I'm going to kill you. That is all you need to know…" Red eyes sneer at them, "Why not tell me your real name, Angel? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours…" The demon laughs again.
Castiel looks at Uriel, who nods slightly. Castiel opens his right hand and a shield appears. He opens his left hand and grasps a spear out of thin air. Holding his weapons at the ready, he challenges the red-eyed demon with his eyes.
"Ah…Gabriel…I had a feeling it was you. Deception and from an angel, no less…" The demon waggles its finger at Castiel who glares back at him.
Uriel reaches behind him for his staff and brandishes it, "Now you know who we are…tell us who you are…"
The demon bows deep, "I am Kayne…brother of Azazel…son of Lord Lucifer."
Part 3 - The Battle
"Brother?" Uriel repeats in disbelief. "Azazel had no brother…."
Kayne smiles smugly, "Oh, but he did. You see, I was to lead the army to rescue my Father from imprisonment. I was to be the freer of the New Lord. I'm the oldest! The right was mine. But my dear brother…well, he had plans of his own. You see, he wanted to win my Father's favor. My Father…can be very generous when pleased. Azzie's always been competitive…even when we were young. If he were to execute the plan that would lead to my Father's freedom, he would receive a gift. And he wanted that gift very badly…"
Kayne continues, "He tricked me…lured me into a binding cell where I spent my every waking hour plotting my revenge and trying to get free. I'd still be there if this silly little witch hadn't released me from my torment. My brother planned his 'special children' very carefully, picking only one child…one very special child…and making sure that one way or another, the others never survived."
Castiel shakes his head, "That's not possible. He couldn't have known what Sam would become before Sam was born. Only my Father knows that."
"Azzie stacked the deck, Gabriel…He possessed Sam's grandfather and that started it all. He wanted that human girl, Mary, with a passion…but there are rules that must be followed. Even my brother couldn't break them. But, my Father could give her soul as a gift to him…should he be pleased. My Father is very powerful. Sam was chosen because of his purity. Dean had already been taken by God. Mary made sure of that but Sam…well, Sam was new...unbaptized and clean. My brother knew if he got to Sam, he would have Mary's soul willingly given. So he claimed Sam for his own son. Sam was the only one who drank of my brother's blood. Sam was the Chosen."
Kayne leans closer to the angels, "I'll let you in on a little secret. I knew what Azzie was up to so I put in my own safeguards. I was the one who made sure the Colt found its way back into circulation. I made sure it ended up with the 'boy of the future' my brother told me about. Then, I just had to bide my time. Sooner or later, I would be freed and here I am. And now…talk is done."
Kayne suddenly launches himself at Castiel, his thorny claws gripping the angel's chest and digging in, twisting deeply. Taken by surprise, Castiel's sword drops to the ground and he struggles to get his shield in front of him. Blood spurts out from the human vessel Castiel occupies. The angel falls backwards, Kayne on top of him continuing to rip away as much flesh as possible. Uriel swings his staff in a circle and strikes the demon, blow after blow on its neck, shoulders and back, trying to dislodge him but Kayne's attention doesn't waver until Casteil's chests and stomach are shredded beyond repair.
The red-eyed demon grabs the angelic sword and hefts it high above its head. Its palms sizzle where it touches the holy weapon and Kayne cries out in pain. He thrusts the sword downward into Castiel's heart, pinning him to the ground. The angel utters a strangled cry, the holy weapon being the only thing mighty enough to slay him. Castiel weakly beats at the hilt of the saber buried deep within him, feeling his human body dying while his soul slips away. He gasps a prayer to his Father before his eyes close.
Uriel screams, "NO!" and drops his staff, grabbing the sword's handle and yanking it out of the dying angel.
Sam, watching in stunned disbelief at the speed and ferocity of Castiel's murder, sees the demon turn his attention to Uriel. Sam rushes forward to help and Kayne turns eagerly towards Sam, talons at the ready.
Sam hears Uriel's voice, "No, Sam! Stay away!" and suddenly, the angel is in front of Sam. Kayne's claws gore deeply into Uriel's stomach. Another slash to the throat has the angel's human blood pouring down. The demon drops the bleeding angel and grabs Uriel's staff where it lay next to him. Ignoring his sizzling flesh where it touches the holy rod, Kayne breaks it in two and shoves one half into Uriel's stomach, twisting it around for maximum damage. The other end gets pushed into the angel's heart and Uriel moves no more.
Kayne, covered in blood, rises to his feet to stare at the bodies surrounding him. He smiles, pleased with how quickly he dispatched the angels. Now, he just had to take care of Azazel's Golden Boy. He looks at Sam in loathing. He is going to kill this one nice and slow. Just like he would have killed his scheming brother had Azazel still been alive.
Sam kneels next to the fallen angel. Uriel's chest is heaving, his breath hitching, his life force leaking out of the holes in his body.
"You'll be okay." Sam touches him.
"I don't think so…" Uriel wheezes as his eyes close. .
Sam looks up at Kayne and sees him smiling down at what he's done. A cold anger washes over him. He starts to stand and feels a hand on his wrist, surprisingly strong. He looks down and sees Uriel's eyes, wide open and fearful, staring up at him.
"NO! You dare not! Dare not! You were told not to! You'll be damned!"
Sam looks around and sees Dean and Castiel, both fallen and bloody. He bends his head back to Uriel and smiles sweetly, pulling the angel's hand from his wrist. Softly, he murmurs, "Then I'll be damned."
Sam gets to his feet, stepping over Uriel to stand between him and the now snickering demon.
"You think you can take me on, Chosen One?" Red eyes dare him to try as Kayne spreads out his arms and swirling clouds begin to appear between his hands.
Sam draws up every bit of his power. He puts out his hand towards the demon and sends a giant push towards him. Kayne staggers slightly but quickly regains control. The demon throws out the cloud between his hands and it hits Sam like a brick wall, tossing his body back like a rag doll. Sam shakes it off and crawls back onto his feet, his mouth and nose bleeding profusely. He wipes off his face and looks at the blood in wonder, feeling a rage build up in him. With the white-hot anger, Sam's power grows stronger. He throws both hands forward and pushes with his mind-force as hard as he can, his body shaking with effort.
Focusing his entire mind, he suddenly sees Kayne's true visage and the horror of it makes him lose concentration. Suddenly, Sam is being battered by invisible blows to his face and body. He drops into the fetal position to protect himself, his back and shoulders taking the brunt of the beating. Abruptly, the punches and kicks stop and there is silence. Sam raises his head and wipes blood out of his eyes.
The red-eyed demon is frozen in time, arms still outstretched towards Sam as if to rip him to shreds.
Confused, he looks around and sees Castiel, crawling on the ground towards him, his blue eyes boring into Kayne's. The angel moans, fighting to hold the demon suspended as the injuries he's sustained cause his life essence to drip to the ground.
Castiel continues to pull himself forward by sheer will, straining to help. "Sam" the angel gasps with effort, "Do quickly what you need to do…"
Sam rolls onto his feet and extends both hands towards Kayne. He feels the power surge up in him as he gathers it to shoot it towards the demon. The force hits Kayne's body like a shot, and he shakes in the air, trembling as he tries to break free from Castiel's hold. Sam's fingers turn to claws as he pictures the demon's core in his mind's eye. Sam grabs at it, pulling it out of Kayne and smoke erupts from the demon's mouth, ears, eyes and nose. Time slows as the heart of the red-eyed demon billows out of the now useless meat-suit, twisting and swirling on the ground.
With the rest of his strength, Sam tries to grip the smoky demon. He clenches his fists as hard as he can to send the wretch back to the bowels of hell but he watches as the spire twists away from his grip and spins into the wind, into the night.
"NOOOOO!!!!" Sam howls at the sky. He has failed. Kayne has escaped.
Exhausted, he drops to the ground, breathing heavily. Sam slowly comes back to awareness, raising his head to take in his surroundings. He crawls over to Castiel but the angel is beyond help, his body cold and still.
Part 4- The Reckoning
Sam looks at the destruction around him. Guilt hits him hard. He is responsible for all of this…because he was born, because he exists…his jaw hardens. All because some stupid demon had the hots for his mother – he's the one who's damned.
He can see Dean's body, still laying where the demon threw him like he was a bag of trash. The angels…Uriel, unfeeling and harsh…sacrificing himself to save a demon's son. Why? Castiel…looking at Sam like he was a monster…at the end had joined forces so Sam could use the very power everyone was dead-set against him using. He was evil, wasn't he? Why would the angels help him? He was demon-spawn, Uriel had said and good for nothing.
Sam swallows hard, then again. He clenches his teeth to stop the sudden feelings that overwhelm him. The gentle heart of the Sam Who Once Was comes to the surface full force. Hidden by the Sam Of Now who thought himself lost, the innocence comes again and Sam begins to cry…deep, heaving, sobs rack his body. He falls to his knees and cries for the angels that he couldn't save and for Dean, who he'd give his life for in a heart-beat. Lastly, he cries for how much he's disappointed God and he asks for forgiveness…a final act of a damned soul.
Abruptly his tears stop as he hears singing around him. Sam frowns, listening intently but can't find its source. A sense of peace passes over him. Calm now, he knows what he must do.
He crawls over to Castiel, grabbing his shoulder and rolling him over. The angel's human form has lost most of its blood. Sam puts his hands over the body and closes his eyes. Focused intently, he feels his mind flex and the air starts to shimmer around him. A warm hum runs down his arms to his hands. Golden light surrounds him as the humming gets louder, growing in its power. With a flash, the sound is gone…and so is the light.
Sam peeks out to look under his hands. Castiel's clothes are still bloody and torn but the skin underneath has all been healed.
Sam shakes the angel's arm, "Hey!" but the body remains lifeless.
Hesitantly, Sam lays one hand on Castiel's head, the other on his heart. He takes a deep breath and focuses his whole being on one task – the healing of this angel. His mind flexes once more. A shot of pain runs through his head as the humming turns loud as a freight train. Suddenly, silence and Sam, holding his breath, takes his hands away. Nothing…not one breath moves the angel's body. Sam's shoulders fall, dejected.
Castiel sits up suddenly with a gasp, making Sam jump back in surprise. Running his hands over his chest, Castiel looks at Sam in fear and wonder, "How did you-?"
Sam smiles at him and makes his way to Uriel. The angel is almost dead now, hanging on to the veil by his fingertips, unwilling to leave until Sam is safe. Once he lays eyes on Sam, Uriel relaxes and gets ready to pass.
Sam shakes his shoulder, "Uh-uh, no you don't. Not if I have anything to say about it. This may hurt some…" he says, pulling the staff out of Uriel's stomach.
The angel screams in agony and then again, as Sam pulls out the other half buried in his heart.
Sam puts out both hands and closes his eyes, feeling the power come more easily now as his focus improves. The humming and light surround the figures as Sam flexes his mind to heal Uriel's wounds. The pain sears Sam's brain when the hum and light snap off, as if by a switch. Sam opens his eyes to see the angel staring at him like he has two heads. He helps the older man sit up and Uriel checks himself for wounds.
Denying what his own eyes are telling him, the angel shakes his head, "That's not possible…"
Sam agrees, "Possible is relative today, seems like…" and determinedly moves towards Dean. He rolls his brother over onto his back.
Sam can't look at Dean's face – the memories of burying his brother are still too fresh. Sam knows his mind will snap - just like it did six months ago. Sam clears his throat, clamping down his jaw to stop the tears that threaten to spill out again.
"Stupid!" Sam snarls at himself. He hasn't cried since Dean went to hell and now it's all he can do NOT to.
Deep breaths help him focus his mind and he begins the process again, touching his brother's head and heart. The humming and the light encircle them. This time, when Sam flexes his healing power, he feels …something different… He hears a whisper in his ear and then
There's screaming all around him and everywhere he looks is horror upon horror…figures being tortured, beaten, ripped apart, slaughtered and eaten. He is tethered onto some hooks and can't get free. All he can do is watch the blood and the pain which is everywhere and nowhere…He screams for someone to come … "SAM!...SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!"
Sam is back in his body, kneeling next to Dean, hands still on his brother. Dean's eyes are staring at him. Sam hears Dean's voice, "Sam? Where am I? What's happening?"
Sam answers out loud, "Dean, you're ok, everything is ok. Come on, sit up…"
"Ow, damn…my throat hurts…"
Arm around Dean to help him stand, Sam responds, "Yea, it's where the demon grabbed you. It'll get better."
Sam shakes his head a little, "All this using my powers is getting to me, I think. I could have sworn I was you…in hell, Dean. You were hanging by some hooks and yelling my name. Must be a side-effect …"
Dean's eyes change and become watchful, fearful. He opens his mouth to speak but no words come out yet Sam hears him say, "He's…reading my mind…"
Sam stops in surprise, drops his arm from around Dean's shoulders and steps away to focus on Dean's mouth. "Are you talking?"
Dean shakes his head and hoarsely croaks, "No, Sam. I haven't said a word."
Sam's eyes widen and the brothers stare at each other, neither knowing what to do now.
Part 5 – Reverberations
Sam's heart is pounding in his chest. Dean's looking at him like he's a freak of nature, "Dean…stop looking at me like that…it's ok…"
Dean's voice is harsh "No, Sam, this is so far away from ok! What the hell is going on?"
Uriel's baritone crosses the air, "It seems your demon spawn brother made another deal…"
"What?" Sam shakes his head at the angel incredulously, "Man, I just can't win with you, can I? I didn't make a deal…I don't know what happened…all I know is I just saved your asses and instead of thanking me, you're all looking at me like I'm some kind of monster. Well, you're welcome!"
Castiel rises to his feet and walks over to stand near the brothers. He studies Sam's face like he's a new species. He reaches out to take Sam's hand in both of his and closes his eyes. When his blue eyes open, they are warm and loving, "No, Uriel. He didn't make a deal. He's been touched by the Father. He's been given light to counter the dark in his blood."
"What do you mean, Castiel?" Uriel snaps each word, "Our Father wouldn't touch a damned soul!"
"But ask for forgiveness and ye shall be forgiven…" Castiel murmurs, "Isn't that right, Sam?"
Uncomfortable, Sam pulls his hand away and rubs it on his shirt. "Why did you both help me? If I'm such a monster…why did you," he points to Uriel, "jump in front of me and die in my place and why did you," He moves his finger to Castiel, "help me use my powers against the demon…powers that you told me never to use…why?"
Castiel replies first, "You had already willingly given up your soul. There was little left for you to lose, other than your life. If I had let the beast kill you, all of my Father's children would have perished when Kayne found a way to free Lucifer. None pure of heart can stay in a realm where the Dark One reigns. It was my duty to help you succeed."
Sam narrows his eyes at Uriel, who looks first at Castiel and then at Dean, "I have many tasks. One of them was to stop you from damning your soul to eternal darkness. My ultimate goal is your salvation. I was to stop you from using your powers. I failed."
"Sam, you want to tell me what's going on?" Dean interrupts loudly, coming to stand next to Sam.
"You don't remember?"
Dean looks confused, "I remember Ruby and getting out of the car. She grabbed me and then everything went black…"
Sam puts a hand on his shoulder, "Yea, she grabbed you and strangled you…you died, man..."
Sam hears Dean in his head, "But, I'm here…I'm alive…"
Looking into his brother's eyes, Sam tries to return the thought back to Dean, "I saved you…somehow, someway…I saved all of you…with my mind…and now I can hear what you're thinking…"
Dean's eyes widen. Sam's voice is coming from inside his head. He can see it in his mind, like a glint on steel. He slants a look at the angels and they seem unaware anything is amiss. He sends the glint back to Sam, "How is this happening, Sam? Are you really in my head?"
Castiel approaches and Sam drops his hand. Dean frowns, searching for Sam in his mind but the glint is gone. What happened? Where is he? Wait, Sam was touching his shoulder. Maybe that's the only time it works – when they're touching each other.
"The demon, Kayne…" Castiel questions, "You were successful, Sam?"
"No…", Sam admits shamefaced, "He got away…I pulled him out of the body but I couldn't send him back to hell…he was too fast and my powers were almost gone."
"That is…unfortunate…" The angel murmurs.
"Unfortunate!" Uriel begins hotly, "You used your demon-given powers, damned your soul and then you don't even finish the scourge on humanity off –"
"That's enough!" Dean cuts him off, "If it weren't for Sam, none of us would be alive right now! We've got this demon on the run so let's not waste time bitching at each other. We need a plan!"
Uriel sneers at that "Plan! We don't even know how to find him again!"
Sam looks thoughtful, "Wait, we don't have to find him. He'll find me. He wants me dead. I'm his heir to the throne. I'm the only one who can compete for his Father's attention. And, I'm the only one who can take him down. He knows it, too. He'll come soon. We need to be ready."
Castiel tilts his head at Sam, "You already have a plan, don't you?"
Sam smiles at him, "The beginnings of one, yes. But, it's going to take some time to get everything together that I need. Dean, let's get going. Can you drive?"
"Absolutely."
"Bobby's got a cabin near here. Meet us there in about an hour…I'm sure you can find out where it is, right?" Sam asks the angels.
Castiel nods and touches Uriel's arm. Wit a rustle of wings, they're gone into the night.
Sam turns to the Impala. Dean stops him with a hand on his arm and pushes his thoughts towards Sam, "Can you hear me?"
Not turning around, Sam responds with his mind, "Yeah…seems like we have to be touching for it to work."
"That's what I was thinking. Not sure I like you in my head …"
Sam turns back to him, "It's going to be useful, though. Talking to you without the angels or anyone else being able to hear us is going to give us an advantage."
"Just don't go poking around anywhere else once you're in here…Lobby only, dude, are we clear?"
"Yea, Dean…same goes for you." Sam nods then speaks aloud, "Let's get going, we gotta move now!"
Sam walks to where Ruby's corpse lay and bends down to pick up the limp girl. He carries her to the Impala and Dean opens the door for him.
"Do I even want to know why we're bringing her?" Dean asks, disgusted.
Sam responds, "We need a vessel and this one is rotting fast…"
He lays the dead girl into the back seat and shuts the door, "Dean, we have to find her spell book…the one she used to raise Kayne…It's close by…I can feel it…"
"You can feel it?" His brother repeats.
"Yea…it's a powerful book…probably a Grimoire…"
At Dean's puzzled look, Sam explains, "It's kinda like a textbook on magic…it's got some serious mojo and probably the only place to find a spell powerful enough to raise a demon from a binding spell…especially a spell that was cast by another demon…"
"Another demon?"
"I'll explain later…we have to go…now…" Sam urges.
They quickly jump in the car and drive away. Aimlessly at first, Sam starts to get a glimmer at his peripheral vision of where the Grimoire lays. Pain shoots through his head and he grits his teeth against it.
Rubbing his forehead, Sam points east with his other hand and Dean moves the car forward. Haltingly, Sam gives directions and finally, Dean turns the Impala into a field.
The bump of rough ground underneath his Baby makes Dean growl at Sam, 'Dude, this is gonna screw up my car..."
"Almost there…" Sam answers and before them, a clearing opens up. In the headlights, the candles and chalice are starkly outlined.
"Wait here." Sam tells his brother and gets out of the car. He picks up the chalice and looks around, confused. He doesn't see the spell book anywhere. As he turns away, a glint of metal catches his eye. He spies a long knife a few feet away and walks towards it. As he bends to pick it up, he spies the book laying next to a black candle, behind a pile of dead, burnt grass. A smile on his lips, Sam picks up the evil tome and thumbs through the pages. He grabs the black candle and hurries to where his brother waits.
Part 6 – The Second Coming
Racing to Bobby's cabin, Sam brings Dean up to speed about what happened after he died and who the demon was they were dealing with. Describing the plan he has in mind, Sam shows Dean the knife and chalice.
As they arrive at the small house, the boys jump out of the car and Dean says to Sam, "This plan sucks…you do realize we're probably gonna die, don't you?"
Dean goes to jimmy open the door while Sam turns to retrieve the lifeless Ruby.
Gathering the body in his arms, he carries it into the cabin, "Well, if you've got a better idea…I'm all ears…"
Dean grabs the chalice, knife and book from the car and carries them inside. He pulls the furniture out of the way to clear floor space. Finding Bobby's stash of candles, Dean starts placing them in a circle around the room. Working quickly, he draws a pentagram on the floor. Sam lays Ruby's body on the magic star. Dean creates a devil's trap on the ceiling and then begins putting rock salt on all openings into the cabin.
He glances at Sam, "Huh…this stuff is usually for keeping demons OUT of places…now we're trying to keep something in…"
Sam puts the chalice and book next to Ruby. He walks though Bobby's cabin, gathering items for the spell. He kneels down, opens the book and holds his hand over it. Chanting softly in Latin, the pages start to turn as if in a strong wind until they still, open to reveal a specific page with a very special spell.
He looks at Dean, who raises an eyebrow at him, "Neat trick, Sammy…"
Dean lights all the candles except the black one. That one needs to be lit at a crucial moment and not one second before.
Sammy, reading the spell, picks up the knife and rolls up his sleeve. He waits.
Dean arms himself with holy water and a rod of iron, found in Bobby's bedroom. He stands in the shadows of the candles, weapons at the ready.
The front door flies open. Castiel and Uriel walk in, taking in the room at a glance.
"What is this?" Uriel says harshly, spotting the dead Ruby in the center of the circle.
"Sam" Castiel searches his face, "What is your plan? Surely, you don't mean to…"
Sam raises his eyes to the angels, "I'm going to try to summon Kayne back to this body. I think he'll come willingly if he knows I'm calling him to me. But we've got to be able to keep him contained. I don't think I can hold him alone. I'm going to need all of your help."
The angels exchange looks.
Castiel turns back to Sam, "Don't misunderstand me. I am praying that your plan works. But your power may not exist anymore…at least not in the same way as before. You've been gifted by God, Sam. Things may have changed…"
"What do you mean?" Dean interrupts, "God doesn't have that sick a sense of humor, does he? To take away the very thing that may save us all? That would just…"
"…suck." Sam finishes, "I don't feel any different. I still feel it inside me. My brain still feels like needles are being pushed into it. I have to believe that I can still do it…that I can still send demons back to hell."
"But if you can't…" Uriel replies darkly, "We're all doomed…"
Sam agrees "Ok, not a great plan but it's all we have. You better get your angel weapons out cause we're going to need all you got…"
Castiel reaches into the air and pulls his spear and shield.
Sam suddenly remembers something and looks at Castiel searchingly, "Gabriel…Kayne called you Gabriel…"
"Yes."
"Is that your real name?"
Castiel looks down at the floor, "Yes."
Dean narrows his eyes, "Why lie about it?"
The angel's blue eyes ask for forgiveness, "It was necessary to hide my true name and my true form. Not from you but from evil. I could yield a great ransom if I'm taken from my Father. If Kayne extracts me from this vessel and pulls me to hell, my Father's children – those that pray to Him or speak to Him- will no longer be able to hear His voice. Understanding and faith will be lost."
Sam's eyes go wide, "Hear His voice? Understanding? Holy sh-…are you the Holy Spirit?"
"In some cultures. It is enough for you to believe that I am the favored one in my Father's eyes. Uriel, my brother, is my Father's flame and strikes down those who do not repent. He was sent to protect me as well as you."
Uriel materializes his staff, now unbroken, in a hand. Over his other palm, a flame appears and dances there, flickering in the darkened room in time to the candlelight. His deep voice fills the room, "Address my brother as Castiel. Wipe the other from your minds. It can be extracted if you're read by an evil one. Now…let us begin before this meat falls off its bone and putrefies."
Sam takes a deep breath and begins to read the incantation. He pours goat's blood into the chalice, swirling it around so it touches all surfaces in the cup. He lifts up the knife and chants louder, drawing the blade across the fleshy part of his forearm. Blood begins to drip from the wound and Sam catches it in the goblet, watching the liquid bubble with evil. He invokes the son of Lucifer to appear, picking up the black candle and lighting it, moving it forward and back, then side to side.
As he lifts it up, Sam summons the son of Lucifer again, dripping black wax into the blood mixture. A raven shrieks in the air, the chanting reaches a crescendo and thunder rumbles overhead. The putrid liquid begins to boil and Sam throws it on Ruby's corpse, covering her with the malevolent concoction.
All sound abruptly ceases. A heavy stillness fills the room. The chalice is empty, all traces of blood gone. Ruby's body is also clean; the liquid vanished as if it never was.
Sam looks around at Dean, who shrugs quizzically.
Suddenly, a hand wraps itself around Sam's throat, tight as a vice. The Ruby-demon sits up, not letting go of her grip on Sam's windpipe.
A humorless smile swipes across the dead girl's face and an all too familiar voice taunts, "Hey, there Sammy…did you miss me?"
Sam looks down into the entity's face and sees yellow eyes gleaming back at him. "You?!" he gasps with what little breath he has.
Part 7 – Annihilation
"You called me, son! Summoned me up good and proper! Didn't think you had it in you but you're Daddy's boy now, aren't you?" Azazel tightens his grasp on Sam's neck.
Sam's hands claw at his throat, desperately trying to get a breath.
Dean rushes forward, grabbing at Azazel's hands to pull them away. Smoke rises where Dean touches the evil one and the demon cries out in pain. Dean drops his hand, feeling the fire on his palms where he touched the entity's blackness. With the demon's attention elsewhere, Sam is able to loosen the vise-like grip at his throat and scramble away.
The demon stares at Dean in surprise, "You! I thought you were still rotting in hell! Looks like you're all goodness and light now! Color me surprised! Too bad…now I'll just have to send you back again!" His eyes shift to the angels, "Hey now, what's this? Angels in the outfield? Hello, boys, come to play?"
Azazel jumps up and starts to walk towards the angels. Stopped suddenly at the edge of the pentagram, he looks upward and sees the trap on the ceiling. Yellow eyes find Sam's and the entity shakes his head, "Come on, Sammy…really think that's going to hold me?" With a wave of his hand, the demon cracks the ceiling and breaks the trap easily.
"Sam.." Dean warns.
The Yellow-Eyed Demon steps towards them…one step, two and then stops.
Castiel walks in front of Sam and turns to face the demon. Uriel comes to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother. Together, they concentrate their power forward. Yellow-eyes grins darkly at the angels and moves forwards quickly. He's stopped short, his eyes widening in surprise when he realizes he can't. The angels' eyes never waver from the evil before them as they hold the darkness at bay.
Uriel's voice booms out, "The devil's trap may not hold you, Azazel, but your power is no match for the light…"
The demon gets a calculating look on his face, "You do realize who you're protecting, don't you? Sam is my Son! Mine! He's got my blood coursing through his veins! He's evil, just like me. He can become just like me…whenever he wants. But, you know that, don't you, Sam?"
Dean looks sideways at Sam, "What's he talking about, Sammy?"
Sam barely takes his eyes off the demon to answer Dean, "No clue, dude….Demons lie…"
Azazel tilts his head towards Sam, "Awww, don't be like that, Son…you know you feel it…the pain comes when you don't accept who you are. And you know who you are, don't you, Sammy? You're Lucifer's grandchild. That's powerful stuff! Do you know how much power you really have? All you have to do is open your mind to it and you'll Become. That's right…just click your heels together three times and come home to us, Sammy. We're waiting for you to take your rightful place in hell. At my right hand. At the feet of my Father."
Sam lifts his chin, his eyes burning into the demon's, "You go to hell! I'm not your Son! My father is John Winchester! My mother is Mary Winchester! You're nothing to me but an evil son-of-a-bitch in a rotting meatsuit and the sooner I send your ass back to hell, the happier I'll be!"
His anger giving him adrenaline, Sam extends his hands towards Azazel, focusing his mind intently, towards one goal and one goal only, to pull out this sludge and demolish it. He gathers up all his strength, concentrating on the demon's essence and gives a giant push. Ruby's body snaps backwards as if it was physically pushed and the demon's smoky essence hovers in the air in front of the body. Sam pulls the smoke forward, separating it from the vessel and holds it there.
He slants a look at Dean, "What do I do now?"
Castiel speaks, "Hold him. The other is coming. It won't be long."
Suddenly, all the windows in the cabin blow inward, shattering glass all over them. A howling wind blows in, swirling leaves and dust into the room. Sam's concentration wavers and Azazel's demon essence slithers back into Ruby's body. A slight, balding man appears in the doorway, eyes blood-red in a slack-jawed face. His eyes sweep the room, taking in the situation at a glance and falling on the dead girl who rises and turns to greet him.
"Azzie…my dear brother…" Kayne drawls in a mocking tone, "So good to see you up and about…"
Azazel rubs his jaw and looks at the other speculatively, "Well, I must say, this is an unexpected turn of events. Tell me, is Dad coming to this family reunion or are we the only ones on the guest list?"
"You above all should know that our Father hasn't been freed. You bound me, imprisoned me, made sure I could do nothing other than curse you and bide my time…waiting for a chance so I could repay you for the … kindness that you showed me."
The evil brothers circle each other, never taking their eyes off the other. Dean, Sam and the angels withdraw to the shadows to watch and wait.
"Come on, brother…you aren't holding a little binding spell against me, are you? Besides, you look no worse for wear…" Azazel shrugs.
Kayne's eyes blaze "No worse for wear! Rats were better taken care of than I…Oh, no, Azzie…you will pay for your little…joke…NOW!"
Kayne launches himself forward, his hands formed into claws, his fingernails suddenly talons, going towards Azazel's eyes.
The Yellow-Eyed Demon throws himself forwards, meeting the other in the middle, gripping Kayne's hands in an effort to keep from being shredded. The red-eyed demon flexes his feet and talons grow from there, sharp and swiping at his brother's stomach and legs. The Ruby corpse is sliced multiple times before Azazel can stop it. Blood pours out of the meat suit and the pain causes the Yellow-Eyed Demon to lose his grip on Kayne's hands. Immediately taking the advantage, Kayne doesn't go for Azazel's eyes but instead, slices open the center of his forehead, digging in with his sharp claw, gouging out the flesh and blood. Red running in his eyes, Azazel lets out a scream of inhuman pitch and falls backwards. Kayne jumps on his stomach with his back claws, slicing and shredding as he grasps for purchase on the Ruby corpse. Again, his fingers dig in the center of his brother's head with both hands now, trying to split apart the skull. Azazel brings up his own claws, slicing at Kayne's face and neck, severing the carotid artery. Blood spurts around the room as the red-eyed demon's meat suit starts to die.
With a triumphant cry, Kayne separates the Ruby skull in the center and reaches in, hooking the third eye…the demon eye…Azazel's core. He raises it over his head, dropping the Ruby body to the ground and standing on it in victory. Kayne slaps his hands together and a blinding flash of light fills the room. Fire shoots from his palms and sizzles his flesh. Black bolts of lightening flame towards the sky and with a loud screech, Azazel is no more.
Howling now, Kayne screams for Lucifer, "FATHER! Your heinous offspring is gone! Now it is only I! I am the favored one! I am your redeemer!"
Abruptly Kayne stops and listens. His red eyes turn towards Sam as realization hits.
"You!" Kayne spits out, "You are left…You must die…"
He starts towards Sam only to falter and fall to the ground. The meat-suit he is wearing is empty of blood from his neck wound and can go no further. He needs a new vessel. Without a thought, he flies into Dean, the tattoo on the oldest Winchester's chest useless against the son of Lucifer.
Dean's body stiffens and a crooked smile touches his lips, "Ah…a strong body…a warrior's body…" His eyes turn blood-red and he beckons to Sam and the angels, "Come on…let's finish this…"
He flies at Sam, intent on grabbing him by the throat to slash him with his claws. Uriel waves a hand and hits him with a ball of flame, snapping the demon backwards for a second…long enough for Castiel to lock onto him and hold him. Castiel grits his teeth as he struggles to keep Kayne in suspension.
"He's very strong…" Castiel gasps, "Sam, do it quickly…"
Uriel stands next to Castiel, using his power to help his brother hold the evil incarnate.
Sam extends a hand towards Dean, struggling not to see his brother standing there, pushing his thoughts towards the entity that holds Dean captive.
He hears Dean's voice, "Sammy, don't do this…you'll kill me…"
"No…" Sam shakes his head, "Don't you dare talk to me like Dean would! Don't you dare, you evil bastard! Leave my brother alone!" With that, he pushes as hard as he can but Kayne doesn't budge. Chanting in Latin, the red-eyed demon begins to gain strength, able to move first one foot and then another, successfully beating down the angels' hold on him. Fear shoots through Sam's stomach as he watches the demon free himself.
"Please, God..." Sam begins when suddenly a warm calm washes over him and his terror slips away. Peace fills him as the air around Sam starts to shimmer and surround him with a golden glow. He feels heat in his arms...a vibration coming from his very soul, moving towards his fingertips...towards the demon in front of him.
With absolute clarity, Sam knows what he must do. He stares at Dean's forehead, between his eyes and focuses all of his energy at that one spot. Sam sees it, in his minds' eye…Kayne's spirit…the core of his evil. It lights up and grows until it's all Sam can see. He puts a hand to his head, the humming getting louder each second, his mind searing with the white-hot pain and FLEXES.
"NOOOOOO!!!!" Kayne shrieks, feeling his energy and life-force being sucked out of him. With another inhuman scream, Kayne releases Dean's body and emerges… a smoky figure writhing in pain.
Sam reaches out his hand, the glow around him so bright the angels shield their eyes. The humming reaches a crescendo as Sam grips the core of Kayne, pulling it out of it's cocoon and into the light. Kayne's smoky residue dissipates immediately.
Dean gets to his knees, no worse for wear. Incredulously, he watches as his brother, glowing and pulsating, holds the spirit of Kayne up in one hand, as if offering it to God.
A beautiful smile lights up Sam's face as pure white light shines down onto him. The core in Sam's palm trembles in the brilliance. It rises and hovers in the air. The throbbing sound reaches a shriek and the core explodes into pieces, disintegrating in a mist.
The hum abruptly cuts off and with it, Sam's unearthly glow diminishes. Searing hot needles pierce Sam's brain as with a cry, he collapses to the ground, unconscious.
"Sam!" Dean crawls over and pulls him up. Sam's head lolls back and he is limp in his brother's arms.
"Cas…help him…" Dean pleads.
Castiel quickly kneels and touches Sam's forehead. Sam's eyes open and he looks around, confused, "Did we get him?"
Uriel smiles down at Sam, "Yes, Sam…we got him. Good work."
Sam looks at Dean incredulously as Dean helps him up, "Did he just give me a compliment? Are we sure he isn't possessed?"
Dean laughs, "He did and we all heard it. I think he's developing a soft spot for you, Sam."
Uriel again puts on his stern face, "Remember, Sam…only as long as you're useful…"
Castiel touches his brother on the shoulder, "Let him enjoy this moment, Uriel. He deserves to laugh. He has done well. We will clean this up and put things back as they should be. You and Dean go. Sleep. Fight another day tomorrow."
Dean and Sam limp out of the cabin. They turn back and see the cabin is like they were never there. Furniture has been put back where it was, no candles or drawings on the floor or ceiling. Everything is as before.
The brothers stiffly get into the Impala. They look at each other and Dean shakes his heads, 'Dude, that was closer than I ever want to get again…"
Sam nods and says grimly, "Too close…"
Dean tilts his head at Sam and gets a glint in his eye. He starts the car and pulls away from the cabin.
"Where are we going?" Sam asks.
"What's the matter, can't read my mind?" Dean smirks.
Sam smiles, "I don't have to be touching you to know where you want to go…"
"Yea, right.."
"Let's see…Vegas…leggy showgirl? Roulette table? Full frontal massage?"
Dean glances at him, surprised, "How did you…?"
"Cause I know you, Dean. You're my brother…and that's all the special powers I need…"
"Huh…oh, uh, by the way…thanks for not killing me…"
"Well, I thought it'd be nice to keep you around for a while. Listen, I know my powers freak you out but … thanks for believing in me."
Dean reaches down and cranks up the radio, "I knew you could do it. You're my brother. More than that, you're John Winchester's son! You just totally kicked serious demon ass!"
"With a little help from you, God and the angels..."
"Yea, we're pretty awesome! And that, Sammy, deserves a full frontal massage…"
His laughter can be heard as the Impala speeds down the road into the bright sunshine.
*THE END…for now…*
