Title: A Fitting End

Fandom(s): Supernatural, with Constantine cameo

Characters: Castiel, Dean, Sam, John

Summary: At the end, as the four of them stand against the wrath of both Heaven and Hell, Dean is glad. AU!Future-Fic.

It's the end of the world.

Again.

There really should be a way to keep straight just what kind of 'end' they're talking about.

First there was the whole thing with the Seals and Lucifer and Michael wanting to duke it out through him and Sam, then there was Cas' brief stint as God and his explosive retirement, and now this.

Heaven and Hell should really go back to fighting each other, and leave the poor 'mud-monkeys' out of it.

But whatever, because they're already working together, and now Dean's pretty damn sure this really is The End.

Already tens of thousands are dead, half the world is covered by either flames or floods, and Team Free Will (plus John) has no plan, nothing useful in their arsenal, and no chance.

So of course they've taken down as many small-game players as they could, gotten a crystal fuckin' clear message to the big boys, and are waiting for their grand finale/final showdown/last stand, ready to go out in a blaze of glory.

Hey, the Winchesters have been called many names over the years, but 'cowards' has never been one of the true ones.

Dean is ready to prove it with as many weapons as he could cram in and around his clothes, and a few scattered around the area that Cas did some hiding-mojo on for him.

Sam is prepped in his own way – sigils carved into almost every inch of his skin, ready to be set off with a touch and a word or two, shotgun rounds tucked away more places than Dean wants to think about, and every spell he could possibly get cast on him without resorting to human sacrifice already humming with power.

Castiel seems to be anchoring himself to Dean again, as if afraid he'll be sucked back to the throne if he gets more than a few feet away, and he's the one least likely to die here anyway, so he's set. His wings, still invisible, are solid enough to make the dense air stir, and he's pulled just about every leftover bit of power from his time as the supreme ruler of heaven to the fore.

And John? Well, John Constantine seems to have his own brand of the Winchester madness, because he's smoking a cigarette, just calm as you please, with a huge-ass golden shotgun that looks like a cross cradled in one arm and a short sword apparently made from the Spear of Destiny (seriously?) holstered on the other.

Despite all of that, they know they'll never win. There is no corrupt leader they can kill to set the armies back on the right path, no sympathizers among the enemy, no compromise they can reach.

The denizens of the upper and lower realms finally made a decision all their own. It was unanimous, across both races, not a single dissenter.

Unfortunately, their one and only common goal was the complete and utter decimation of humanity.

So yeah, they're gonna lose, and they're gonna die, and it's likely gonna be for nothing, but honestly?

Dean is glad.

Oh, it all sucks royally, sure. He doesn't want his brother to die, or Cas, or John, who he's actually starting to find fucking hilarious. Hell, he's not exactly in a rush to die, either!

But at the same time, he never figured he'd live to old age, what with being a Hunter, a Winchester, and apparently a Righteous Man as well.

So if it is The End, and he has to go out, this is pretty damn much the way he wants it.

He's standing on his own two feet, with weapons in hand. He's not going to have to mourn his brother again, or vice versa. He's got good company in the form of a bad-ass exorcist with a sense of humor a lot like his own.

And Cas is at his side.

Cas, who pulled him out of hell, whose handprint he still wears, sleeve ripped off to display it with pride. Cas, who waged war to protect him, against his own fucking family.

Castiel, who gave up being fucking God to come back to him.

So yeah.

It's the real, final End of Days. He and everyone he knows are about to die or already dead. Humanity is fucked, and angels and demons are going to treat their graves like a playground.

But when it comes right down to it, right down to the simple, really important things like family and heart and all of that girly shit he tries to steer Sam away from, Dean thinks he has it pretty good.

So when it's over, Dean will face Death one final time with a bright grin.

Because if this is the end of the world, Dean is glad.

+++The End+++

(for real this time)