Chronicles of Absolution: Descent into the Maelstrom

Chapter 1

The Road So Far…

… I agree that the Winchesters are important to her. They root her down and hopefully will be there for the things to come…

… The candles blazed high in their intensity just as Angela shouted, "No!" It was overshadowed by the fact that Pam was screaming and her eyes were burning. Angela's reaction was to stand up and her chair clunked to the ground as she looked up and shouted in the same language and it came out harsh as she gripped Pam…

… Looking up, he saw a woman dressed in armor with chestnut hair. The body was like Angela's in that it was athletic in proportions but he knew it wasn't because right off the hair color was wrong.

"That was not very nice," the woman said as she shoved the blade back.

Sam noticed that the woman was holding a sword. It wasn't any sword. It was Absolution. That wasn't right. "How…?"

… Sometimes I wonder the wisdom of my own choices. One would think that I would have learned from the past. Some say I have. I do know that one thing hasn't changed: I firmly believe in standing up and making your own choice and learning to live with them… Choices are said to define us or rather it gives insight to our character…

… "Can I come back?"

"Maybe you can… someday."…

… "I think there is. Azazel bled into my mouth when I was six months and now I have demon blood in me," Sam countered. "You… you were born that way and you did say that the monsters and demons came from the same stock. In a way it is… more acceptable." Sam frowned at his choice of words. Even that didn't sound right; like he was giving her a free pass to be a monster when she wasn't.

"Well that's a minor difference again," Angela replied seeing the trouble he was having in putting it into words. "We're the same in that there are things about us that are strange and unusual and we're trying to take something considered dark and use it for good. You said that, not me."

Sam wasn't sure. "Then why didn't the angels tell Dean to stop you from using your abilities but they did for me?"

… "Abba always keeps Ima safe."… "Those are for Ima and Abba," Hibah said. She looked up at Dean with solemn eyes. She had followed him hugging Boomer close to her chest. "Ima and Abba special apples."…

… It was contentment she felt that they were happy. That she was sure of. Of course she was plagued by the brief moment of jealousy but it was completely brushed aside. Like she said, it was good for some but not all or you got what you could and it was enough…

… "Being strong isn't always what you and Sam define it as," she said gently, "There are different kinds of strength that exist. It's not always readily apparent but it is there."…

… Angela felt her lip twitch slightly in a smile, "I'm not going to boss you Sam. You know I don't do that unless it involves daily chores. I emphasize it because I know I'm not one to get on the high horse and can only speak from experience. Everyone has choices to make. The main thing is whether or not you can make the choice and still be able to live with it even if it haunts you. Some choices you have to look deep and while a seemingly good thing it can lead down a place you may not like."

"I know I can do this."

Angela knew what he meant and replied, "I know you can. Even Dean can and maybe it's because I see things that others can't. There is a saying that no path is more dangerous than the one that is treaded with your eyes shut. Of course there is the other saying which I am fond of which is to look for the critical moment and leap for it is only when you fall that you learn if you can fly."…

… "And what am I, Cas?" Angela looked at the angel who was dead set on this.

He looked at Angela in the eye and said, "You are the Malachi of Absolution."…

… "Things must occur."

"And I buy that. I buy that we all have a role and purpose but we are free to choose within that role. Some of us don't even know the endgame."

… There are three main challenges to the Gauntlet. Face your enemy. Face yourself. Face your greatest fear. These are the sum of all challenges that are embedded within the Gauntlet…

… Sam looked off to the side. A sad sort of expression came over his face. He then looked at Bobby and pulled the barrel of the shotgun higher up, right to the point where it wouldn't miss his heart. "Then shoot."

… Sam saved her. Where did things go wrong? It was on her mind as her vision blurred to darkness, watching the car drive away…

Karnak, Date Unknown…

The day promised to be a good one the moment she opened her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy about her life. It reminded her of the days she spent living in the various abbeys and temples, learning the trade of hunting. While being made to understand that it was a dangerous profession, she had been happy. She had the love of family and a love of life. Then her father died and it started going wrong from there.

It was a dark time. She took satisfaction in torturing demons, hunting them. Then there was the fact that she had been approached by the angels and then the discovery that she was supposedly their Absolution and the bonding with the sword proved it. It was still a dark time especially after that whole year before she was rescued. She had been brought here and now…

"There you are Shifa'. Deciding to be a lazy bones?" Wosret came into the room pretending to be all flustered.

Angela sat on the edge of her bed and just smiled at Wosret. The young goddess was a source of amusement to her. She could also genuinely say that she liked the goddess and maybe extend that towards love. After all Wosret had been nothing but kind to her and showed her around the sanctuary of her pantheon and treated her like she was family. Her parents did the same and while confusing at first, she came to accept it.

Looking at Wosret, Angela couldn't help but reply, "I'm just doing what you've nagged me to do since I arrived."

"And you picked a fine day to do it," Wosret countered. She was smiling at Angela as she went to where the clothes were kept and started looking through it. "You're not even dressed."

Angela raised her brow in good humor as she got up and walked towards her wardrobe. She started putting things back as Wosret took them out. "And I will get dressed when you stop trying to outfit me like I'm going to a party or something," she replied as she took a particularly interesting looking dress and tucked it back in. She reached in and pulled out what she always wore, whether it was for training or whatever.

Wosret pulled a face. "Can't you make an exception for once? I mean… it is a special occasion."

"And it does not mean that I have to dress up for it," Angela replied as she took what she wanted and went over to change. "Besides, it's not like it is a betrothal ceremony or anything like that… as if that would happen."

"Well after today…" Wosret gave a slight raise of her brow to indicate what she meant. It was accompanied by a grin. "You know Thor was looking at you earlier."

"Only because I'm the only one who can make throwing my chakram look sexy and I learned from your father."

Wosret stifled a laugh. She turned away from the screen that hid her friend from view as she changed. She tried to be serious and replied, "Well for Norse gods any ability as a warrior is considered sexy."

The snort that followed invited laughter and certainly made the day better. It was needed as Angela stood before Hapi and Satet in the main throne room of the temple palace. The hall was filled with the warrior nobility from all the pantheons and the Champions that had divine ordination as they stood looking at the head of the room.

Hapi motioned for quiet and began his speech, "Friends and warriors, we are gathered here to celebrate an important event in my family…"

Angela took in the other warrior gods and the Champions. Some were ones she knew from when she was younger and others she had met during her stay there at Karnak. They came for various reasons which she didn't dare to find out since it wasn't her business and also to meet the favored guest of the warrior royalty.

"So it gives me pleasure to formally adopt Shifa' as my daughter and will be henceforth a princess of the Nile," Hapi finished. He was beaming as he gathered Angela towards him to present her to the nobility and it was a relief that she wasn't required to speak yet since it was rather a shock that she was announced as a daughter rather than part of the nobility. It certainly was added to when Hapi took her into a hug and said that she did well as his daughter and that he was proud of her in ancient Egyptian.

It had been an occasion to celebrate until afterwards. Angela had been summoned to what she jokingly told Wosret was the war room. It was justified in that many of a private assignments and orders handed out from that room to the various warriors and the royal guard. She herself had been invited as an observer and given an occasional chance to offer her opinion.

She entered the room apparently right in the middle of a conversation between Hapi and Satet. It appeared to be one of serious content and it had her curious and senses long honed became alert. She said, "You sent for me?"

Hapi looked at her with a serious expression in his eyes. He studied her from head to toe. "Yes we have Shifa'. It is a matter of vital importance."

Angela straightened and took a step forward, "Is it serious?"

Hapi and Satet looked at each other before looking back at her. It was Hapi that said, "There is a situation. There have been disturbances outside of the sanctuary. Specifically in the canyon of the red moon."

"What specifically?"

"It is considered a rebellion against the ways of the Council. It is a plot to destroy them and the elders," Satet replied. She looked at Angela with a sorrowful look. "This is much to ask of you Shifa' but they are the demons and renegade species of all creatures."

"Not only that," Hapi continued. He swallowed a bit and continued, "They are led by someone who knows our tactics and procedures. They have struck at the outposts of the demigods that dot the earth. Those that resisted were destroyed. Those that joined…"

"Why me?" Angela was confused about the issue and frowned as she looked at her adopted parents.

"It was requested at celestial levels," Satet replied sadly, "Of the Malachi of Absolution."

Angela knew now. She was being called into service once again. The balance of the world was being threatened. "Have they attacked innocents?"

"Innocents were at the outposts," Hapi replied. He looked at Angela long and hard before saying, "Their leader is Setna."

Angela looked at Hapi to determine if it was a lie. It wasn't and her face hardened. She asked for leave and when it was granted, she turned on her heel. She didn't know that she was being followed by Satet until the goddess stopped her, "Shifa', wait. Setna was sent to stop them and then…"

"Something happened then."

"The Council wants you to destroy him," Satet said sadly.

Angela looked at the warrior queen. They shared a look as if trying to see into each other's soul. Finally Angela said, "The Council will have their request granted. I will destroy the evil that fills Setna."

"You know what they say…"

"As I said… it will be obeyed and maybe in the end I can save a friend from himself." Angela turned on her heel and headed towards the doors leaving the goddess to look after her, wishing that things would go well.

When you don't want to be found, it is usually first blush to go against your usual habits. Do the opposite of what you normally do could throw off whoever is looking for you since they would be focused on movements that were like yours. However, if your pursuer knows you well, they would know that you would do just that and they end up finding you. It was how Dean found Sam. It wasn't too hard for Angela to figure that one out as she lay stretched out on the roof outside her bedroom window.

She had been there ever since she woke up after her ordeal with Ruby. Dean had found her outside and claimed that he had spent nearly ten minutes trying to wake her up. He thought that Sam was the one that beat her up and it took her five minutes to explain that it was Ruby; she was the pole she ran into and she pointed out the dented cars and the dent in the dumpster. It was enough to placate Dean and allowed her head to clear to the point where she was confident she could drive Deanna back to Bobby's place. Once she got there, she went up to her room and was glad Bobby didn't say anything.

It had been painful to change and inspect her body. Examining her person in the mirror she took stock of the bruises, especially the one that revealed where her ribs had been broken. She had a few scrapes on her body from the pavement and her cheek was bruised near her jawline and small cuts to her brow and lip where the skin had split. She frowned at the red blotches on her abdomen. She ended up wincing when she touched them with her hand and slowly lowered her shirt and looked at herself in the full length mirror on the back of the door.

She spent the rest of the night and into the day lying on the roof. She couldn't think of anything else except replay the events that had just happened. Even she knew that she couldn't win all her battles. Hell she had suffered injuries that were enough to kill her. This time she had her ass handed to her by Ruby. She could give the easy answer in that she was angry and prideful and in the end it worked against her. That was the usual case. Also Ruby got lucky but she didn't walk away from that unscathed either so…

Angela blinked as she looked at the clouds in the grey sky. She felt the warmth on her abdomen shift slightly and she moved her hand to pet Setna. The cat had joined her on the roof and stayed with her all night while Cerebus stayed in her room. The cat was purring his heart out and it felt comforting to feel it with her fingertips. It made every aching body part hurt less.

Sam saved me.

Angela didn't have to lie to herself. Ruby was set to kill her. The funny thing was that she was resigned to it. True she had been beaten down and the hell bitch had the upper hand. She even had a last bit of energy to defend herself even though she had wasted most of it on biting Ruby right on the neck. Yet she didn't do anything. She anticipated the knife against her throat. But it never came.

Sam had saved her. He saved her from being knifed and then he just walked away. It reminded her a lot of the time she tried to save another friend from his own folly. She had been told that it was better for the world if she destroyed him but she didn't think so. She thought that there was still a chance for her friend; he could turn away and come back to what he had stood for.

They had fought and he was in the clear to kill her then. In the end, he didn't. He just looked at her with a look of anger and whatever else he was thinking and feeling as she coughed. He had tried to strangle her but he didn't. Instead he looked at her and then turned around and walked away. This time it was Sam that walked away.

He saved me and then walked away. There is still a chance.

In the end, things will happen. Sam doesn't kill Lilith, Lucifer goes free. He does kill her and the pain in the ass goes free. Either way…

She could almost hear the taunt coming from Ares. Sometimes she wondered why the hell she continued to listen to the bastard. The obvious thing was the fact that she still owed him a favor for what he had done to protect Hibah. The least obvious was that maybe the god of war had a point in that it was what she craved deep down. As much as she avoided fighting, she loved a good battle. She couldn't forget the feeling of it when she possessed Sam for a time.

A whine caught her attention and Angela turned to look towards her bedroom window. She saw Cerebus poking his head out and looking at her. His look was almost reproachful as he gave a low moan. It made him look homely and she could understand why. It was why she made a grimace of a grin as she looked at him.

It had been her idea to suggest that Sasha stay with Sam during his detox. There was a lot more to it than that. She knew that both Cerebus and Sasha would follow any command she had given. They viewed her as the alpha and according to the rules of packs, the alpha was followed. The alpha led the way and gave everyone their job. That was probably oversimplifying things since there was the nature of Sasha's kind and the complexities of that.

It was something that she had been working on with Sasha since they were traveling more. She didn't mention it to the boys since it was more like a theory that she was putting into practice. As she reached the window, she leaned on the sill and petted Cerebus saying, "I know you're upset boy. You think Sasha betrayed the pack don't you?"

Cerebus gave a low moan as his answer. He didn't understand what had happened and he was agitated because he had been told to stay back. His alpha got hurt and he was compelled to obey what he had been told. He moaned again as he rested his head on the windowsill.

Angela smiled and rubbed his ears. "You and Setna have been better to me than I have to you. You take care of Bobby for me."

Cerebus gave a high pitched whine and a look of reproach and tentatively licked her forearm right where he had bitten her. Setna made a slight meow and rubbed against her shoulder and looked at her with big amber eyes. Both were conveying that she wasn't a bad person. They knew it better than most people.

Angela smiled and looked at Cerebus as he nosed where the faint scar of his tooth mark was. She petted his head and then frowned a bit in thought. She had an idea and wondered if it would work. You know that I don't blame you.

The alpha saved me. The pup is with the alpha's alpha. Why?

Angela blinked as she looked at Cerebus. He was looking at her as if to beg the question. She looked at Setna who was lounging on the sill and she heard, Don't look at me. I'm the bed warmer for the old fart.

Angela blinked. She had only been experimenting with her telepath abilities on Sasha since she had the thought that if she couldn't verbally call for her or Cerebus like they had been trained, they could respond to a mental call. It was crazy when she came up with it when she interpreted Sasha's request to Dean and they had laughs over it later. This was… weird but it did help a little since most of the time it was guesswork from body language.

Why did the pup leave alpha? Why did the alpha's alpha leave her?

Angela looked at Cerebus and verbally said, "Sasha is doing a job for me."

I could have done it. I'm a good pack member.

"I know boy. You've been a good boy." Angela couldn't help but hug the mutt. "I needed you in the Gauntlet. Sasha will keep an eye on Sam."

The alpha's alpha goes with the minions of the pit. He left the alpha but he is sad. Why? The alpha and the alpha's alpha are happy when together. The pup and me see this. It makes us happy that the alpha is happy.

Angela blinked at that. Again another individual who saw how much she liked Sam. The nice thing was that Cerebus couldn't talk like a normal human and the secret was safe in the pack so to speak. She smiled at the dog and said, "Thank you."

Cerebus looked at her and started panting. The alpha needs to help her alpha. The minion of the pit is not good for him. Why did the alpha let this go on so long? The alpha can fix it. The alpha fixed me.

Cerebus' thoughts became more rapid and Angela had to blink to sort them. She put her free hand around her neck and touched the Eye of Horus that was still around it. Her fingers brushed the smoothness and could feel the contours of the amulet until they brushed against something that was dear and familiar.

The alpha fixed me. Fix your alpha.

Angela sighed. She could worry about why Sam acted the way he did when he walked away later. She needed to try again. She did the same for another friend when she was sent after him. She looked at Cerebus who was looking at her insistently. She knew that she was going to have to go on a hunt and with them minutes before kickoff… It wasn't going to be easy.

The angels would be coming after her and pestering her to be ready for when the cage was sprung. She still had a hard time believing that the pooch was being screwed. Still it seemed that the other side had an advantage she didn't know about and she spent most of her life going after the hell bitches. That was the beauty of there being a hierarchy. The higher up you were, the more privileged you were to know more.

Looking at Cerebus she smiled and rubbed his head again. "Don't worry boy. I'm going to try and fix things."

The alpha will fix things.

Grimacing since she was still sore, Angela pulled herself through the window. It was going to be a long day or two. She twisted to stretch her back and started for the door to her room. She only paused to put her first two fingers to her temple for a brief moment and then headed down the stairs. She found herself in the middle of a one sided argument with Bobby doing most of the talking and Dean looking out the window.

You'll fix it. You're the alpha, Cerebus panted as he looked at her

Thanks for the confidence.

A/N: The season finale kicks off with a blast to the past when Angie was at Karnak. Sam left and now it's time to lick the wounds. Stay tuned for more on Descent into the Maelstrom...