Chapter One: "Sinners"
Salem, Oregon
Earlier That Day
The empty crevasse that was once Sam Winchester's mind was now pitch black. He had been awake for parts of it. Killings, mostly, but there was the occasional one-on-one with Lucifer inside his mind. Ruby's training had not prepared him for this. His powers were not strong enough to fight him off. He was host, and would likely remain that way, to the first fallen angel.
Lucifer, Alastair, and Lilith continued their trek up the steep side of Mount Hood. There prize rested at the mountain's peak. About 10,000 people tried to reach the top, not knowing what was resting there. 130 people have died trying though. Those who had made it did not locate it.
Lucifer cracked his back, then his knuckles, and finally his neck. "It's been too long. This world has certainly changed."
"It isn't that different," Alastair replied. "It still reeks of humanity."
"Not for long," Lilith crooned playfully.
Behind a snow capped pillar, Gabriel and Raphael waited on the demons. He knew what they were after and it was God's order to stop them. Lucifer could not get a hold of it… no matter the cost.
"Dude, it is freezing out here," Raphael said, shivering uncontrollably. "Why can't these ultimate power deals ever be in Hawaii or Florida or somewhere warm?"
"How comes you have to inhabit a beach dud everywhere we go?"
"Don't you mean, 'beach dude?'"
"No," Gabriel returned, angered.
"Will you both be quiet?!" Uriel asked the other two archangels. "It's bad enough that we had to let them get this close. Do you want to screw this mission up now?"
There was a cough. Uriel stared at the other two angels and saw neither of their lips move. Then there was the fact that the sound of that cough came from behind him. "Uriel… it's been a while," the maliciously toned voice of Sam Winchester said.
Uriel shot around in the snow. It was difficult. Armani suits and the blistering cold of snow, sleet, and ice didn't mix.
Lucifer grabbed Uriel by the neck of his suit's jacket and tossed him aside like a rag doll. "On to you two…"
Lucifer unsheathed the sword at his waist. Anna had returned it to him after her little angelic murder spree back in March. Lucifer cracked a crooked smile. He was enjoying this way too much.
Lucifer raised the sword in the air. As he swung though, Gabriel stood in defense of his brother and caught the blade with the palms of his hands. His hatred of this demon came to a boil on his face. The blade vibrated in his hands as Lucifer continued the attempt to thrust it into his chest. "You're not going to win this war, Lucifer."
"It's not Lucifer. It's Samael."
"That name is reserved for the angel you once were. You are the Devil now. You are Lucifer."
"The Devil? Brother, please don't start using these humans' words for me."
"I am no longer your brother. I stopped being your brother the day you turned away from Him," Gabriel continued, struggling to maintain his focus on the enemy's weapon as he bantered with his former sibling.
Standing up, Uriel charged and gave Lucifer a mean right hook. Evilly, Uriel joked, "This is taking sibling rivalry to a bit of an extreme, isn't it?"
Raphael was tapped on the shoulder. The perfectly manicured nails creepily gave a bit of a scratch to the taps. He gulped, knowing just who was behind him. The shadow on the white ground said it all.
He lulled his head back to see the pink dress and blonde hair flowing in the soft breeze. There was also the set of pupil-less eyes staring back at him. "Heya there, Lil," he said, winging it. "What's shakin'?"
Sweetly, she replied, "Oh, nothing much. Just waiting for you to stand so that I can gut you. It'd be too weird. Me getting on top of you, that is." Raphael shivered… and it wasn't because of the cold.
"Can't we talk about this?"
She tilted her head in thought. She rolled her eyes a few times and stroked her chin to keep the illusion going. "No, no, I'm good with my plan."
Raphael swiftly reached behind him and pulled the little girl's feet out from under her. "Father told me to never hit a girl, but I think he'll make an exception for you." He tossed her into a rock and held her throat tight against it. This was killing the host, if she wasn't dead already.
Raphael put his palm to the side of her face and her eyes lit up. Death comes to those who ask. Unfortunately, those who ask still can be saved. Alastair gripped Raphael's wrist and pulled him away from Lilith. He punched him a couple of times and then gave him a strong upper cut, knocking him flat on his ass.
"Would you like to do the honors, Lilith?"
"Why, Alastair, such the gentleman. It'd be my pleasure."
Lilith knelt down beside Raphael and telekinetically held him down on the ground. She played with his short hair for a few moments before slicing his stomach open. She flipped him over and watched as the blood ran out and covered the ground. A very different version of the Red Sea.
"You do realize that this won't kill me?" Raphael asked with ease, no pain apparent whatsoever.
"I know, but it'll kill your vessel. Eventually, that will kill you."
"I'll just find another one."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," she said in a way only Lilith could. Lucifer's saber was pulled into her fist. She stood up and made a move to drive the blade right through what remained of Raphael.
Gabriel turned on his heels, seeing the sword move. "You got him?" he belatedly called to Uriel over his shoulder. Not waiting for an answer, he kept moving, managing to push Raphael out of harm's way, but not managing to keep himself out of trouble. The sword nicked his hand. Sparks flew across the tips of his fingers as a part of him died, and Gabriel knew it, but not enough to stop him from killing these demonic sons of bitches.
"You can't stop us, Uriel," Lucifer taunted. "We're too strong. And you're too weak."
"We'll see about that," was his only reply. He let his right arm go limp as an increasing flame spread from the palm of his hand to the snow beneath his feet. Forming inside of the flame was Uriel's legendary sword. "I've got one too."
"You wouldn't hurt poor little Sammy, would ya?"
"I warned that miscreant that the moment he stopped being useful that I would turn him to dust. This'll have to do." Uriel swiped the weapon at Sam's scheme, barely missing as Lucifer backhanded him. "You little bitch!" Lucifer dismissed him with a wave that sent his angelic spirit flying away.
With Uriel's sword in the air, Gabriel pulled it to him with his telekinesis. In one fell swoop, he took out Lilith, putting on head on the proverbial silver platter as the real Sam Winchester desired so desperately. He took off one of Alastair's arms as well as the male demon tried to save his friend. As he brought the saber back up for another strike, Alastair halted it with his own powers. Gabriel lost grip of it as Alastair drove the hilt into his chest and then his jaw.
Lucifer dragged Uriel to his brother and the two demons knew they were missing something. "Where…" Alastair began.
"Don't say it," Lucifer interrupted. He turned, looking for Raphael. He spotted him further up the walkway with his alabaster jar out. "He couldn't."
The container absorbed a ball of smoky light. Raphael winked at Lucifer as he saw the demon staring in his direction. His host's mouth flew open and Lucifer and Alastair knew just what was about to happen. They turned away just as Raphael's true visage came into the light of day, vanishing almost instantaneously. When they opened their eyes, they saw that Uriel and Gabriel were gone as well, only they had brought their same hosts along for the ride.
Lucifer let out an inhuman roar. His eyes glowed a sickly blood red color. Lucifer's demonic all-call had said one thing. "Kill Dean Winchester… and his little angels too."
