Chapter Nine

Black Leather

Well, she's all geared up, walkin' down the street
And I can feel the slime, drippin' down her sleeve
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what she's gonna do
Well, it's late at night, and I'm all alone
And I can hear her boots as she's near her home
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what she's gonna do
Scratch, scratch, she's clawing at the door
Whoa, no, I can't take it anymore
Crack, crack I'm feeling so sore
I never should asked for black leather
And you can try to hide, but you won't get far
You can let her in, and you'll start it again
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what she's gonna do

They finally reached the club where the sounds of mariachi band growled through the air. Both Sam and Dean were on their guards and Carl was just bouncing after Sariel. Carl also noticed how some of the people Sariel passed by, revert their eyes and take a step back from the black haired girl marching between them.

They went deeper, around the corner from the bathrooms to a hallway where a sizeable bouncer sat at small table. Despite his red blazer and tie, the bouncer had the look of a thug, but one who maybe knew more than most thugs do. He seemed to be blocking access to whatever is beyond the red velvet curtain behind him.

"What ever happens in there, do not intervene. Understood?" Sariel suddenly spoke without looking at Sam or Dean.

"Yes… No interference." Sam piped out still confused about this.

"Understood?" she noticed Dean was silent and she turned around.

"Clear as a crystal." He smiled at her.

The bouncer sized Sariel up for one expressionless moment, then cut what looked like a tarot deck on the little table, and pulled out a single card.

He held the card so that only he could see the front of it. the four of them saw only the back, which showed an image of two dolphins leaping into the air. Sariel looked at the card and momentarily saw the image in her mind.

"Two frogs on a bench."

The card smacked down on the table, face up. It was artwork showing two frogs sitting companionably on a bench. The bouncer gestured for Sariel to pass. She sidled past the table and started through the curtain, expecting them to follow her.

And they did, but the bouncer stopped them drawing another card from the deck, held it up between them, face away from Dean, who was apparently taking the test. Sariel frowned. The bouncer should have known better than this. Dean wasn't the one with the power and she wondered how bouncer didn't realize this.

"They are with me. Let them pass. We have business with Midnite." She said with annoyance in her voice, but without turning around.

"They can't pass." The bouncer growled at her.

Dean looked at Sariel and saw her shoulders visibly tensing. Sariel turned her head and suddenly bouncer was met with dangerous azure glow in her eyes. Dean and Sam flinched and froze momentarily while Carl looked at the bouncer. He was also stunned. Then he obviously realized who is he dealing with here.

"I apologize. They can pass." The bouncer stumbled in fear, dropping the card.

It took a second or so for Sam and Dean to register that they could move. Sam was stunned to say the least. His legs just wouldn't obey him. He had very bad feeling about this.

Sariel pushed though the metal door, stepped out onto the landing over the cavernous room. Room far, far bigger than the nightclub upstairs. Impossible to tell, for sure, how far it was down to the floor. It was a vast chamber with many lights and other sorts of glows in it, yet dark for all of that.

The farther wall wasn't visible at all. The light-dimness might have gone on forever. The light only dented the darkness, didn't illuminate much past their small circles. Smirking, thudding dance music played from somewhere within the walls.

Sariel´s eyes accustomed to darkness and she could clearly see and feel the residents of the club, but they were still hidden for her three human companions. Who now looked like they entered the twilight zone. She just had to smirk on that one, because it was far from the twilight zone. The twilight zone is just a kindergarten to this.

She started down the stone stairway, cutting through level after level of tables and bars. At one table was a small group of businessmen in suits. They seemed ostensibly normal, but then she sensed one of them, body both feminine and masculine and golden pupils. An androgyny half-breed angel.

The creature filled shot glasses from a bottle of Evian and waved his hand over it. It instantly turned into what looked like red whine. A truly divine vintage. Sariel smirked to the creature and it waved at her and smiled its bright smile.

At another table, two girls in their early twenties looked up at her and her companions. Their eyes began to glow as they watch her pass. She heard their flirtatious whispers, their giggles and she felt they began to undress her and three men behind her.

Before they could do it properly with their X-ray eyes, Sariel counterparted them with her astral field and protected them. Both of them glared at her and hissed while she just turned her head toward her goal.

"What was that?" suddenly Sam asked and Sariel knew he felt them, but he couldn't decipher what it was.

"I will tell you later."

Still Sariel descended. At one of the many bars set off to one side of the stairway, a young man was seated on a stool. He extended his long tail to wrap around the waist of a girl sitting beside him. A girl with jet black eyes, no whites and Sariel knew it was a possessed girl. Both brothers behind her tensed at the sight, but remained still.

In that same bar a manlike being who was perhaps ten feet tall, or a little more, spotted Sariel moving down the stairs and bet a hasty, nervous retreat to the exit, ducking to go out the door.

Sariel smirked at the retreating giant as he bolted faster out. That was the point of the Club Midnite. It was a neutral ground for supernatural beings, and those who trafficked with them, but everyone knew that Sariel was more than ready to challenge that neutral covenant.

At last they reached the level she was looking for and set off down a corridor cut into onyx wall. At the end of the corridor, they found two imposing doors of some indefinable material that might have been frozen time.

Sariel heard loud music banging at the walls and she immediately recognized the tune. Sympathy for the devil, courtesy of The Rolling Stones. I do love irony.

They waited. Sariel knew Midnite was aware of her out here. Seconds ticked past. A wave of tension rocked through her and she increased her level of energy at the sudden intrusion. She wondered what would be Midnite´s next move.

Come on. Open the bloody door. I know you sensed him. You have a too curious nature to pass on a offering like this.

Two long moments passed as if the doors themselves debated on letting her in. Then they groaned open. A man entirely covered with old scars emerged, and gave her a wide berth looking at her for askance as he passed.

She sensed Sam and Dean becoming more nervous by the minute, but Carl was calm. A lot calmer than she thought he will be.

Sariel stepped into Midnite´s office, a big room busy with masks, exotic plants, and a variety of phones and computers. Midnite, himself, sat at a table on which was a brass ornery, a scientific sculpture of the sort that displayed the solar system, except that this sculpture was frozen, unmoving at present.

It was an ornery of the primary forces of the universe and these versions of the world were etched with sigils and ancient terminology, correspondences in Greek and English. Material, Astral, Spiritual, Iconic and so on. The globe at the centre of the ornery was labelled Creator.

Seated at the table, working over the ornery, was Midnite, who was black as his name declared. At one time a Haitian witch doctor, one of the strongest exorcist and magical winders and Sariel´s teacher.

Papa Midnite possesses the ability to wield a vast array of mystical effects. His powers are rooted in the traditions of Voodoo religion. He has a sharp business acumen and is a master at managing various criminal enterprises. He is also proficient in many occult rituals and traditions as it relates to Voodoo.

And he is immortal. Given that privilege after he saved an entire village in Haiti from being consumed by Hell itself. Inexplicably strong psychic, still unmatchable in power. Not even his best pupil, Sariel couldn't ever defeat him in that. No matter how strong she gets.

Now, he forfeited his practice and became a business man. How sad! Though, Sariel saw he still had his shamanistic chops, he had progressed into far more sophisticated magic. They all did.

Sariel looked sharply at Midnite already sensing him putting his shield around him. And he didn't even look up at her from his tinkering.

"That thing is never going to balance…" Sariel remarked in harsh tone and Midnite flinched at the sound of her voice.

"Ah…" Midnite answered in Haitian accent. "But it always does. We simply must learn to see how it balances."

Sariel didn't know were she stands at this moment and that was making her uncomfortable. Tensed and ready to get bitchy with him. Bugger. He still didn't looked at her. Now her attention was completely on Midnite, momentarily forgetting that she had brought some people with her.

"Somebody has been reading way too much fortune cookies."

Midnite raised his head and his black eyes looked at her with mild irritation. And then they locked eyes. Testing wills and powers. Sariel returned glare for glare without even blinking at the psychic in front of her. But she saw a change in his look when he noticed something different about her.

Almost instantly she felt his astral energy penetrating her and she put up a good fight until he released too much for her to handle. Strong wave came crushing down at her both physically and mentally.

Her eyes turned eerie blue and she reverted her eyes. As always, his psychic abilities reached a side of her which she kept locked even from herself. That more primal side, a wolf part of her.

"That was completely uncalled for." She smirked at the man now standing.

"Really? And here you are. After I specifically forbid you to come here. Ever again."

The chain around his neck bounced when he stood up and showed his full height. A silver pendant shaped like a scorpion. Sariel had seen that pendant come alive and sting people. Black eyes challenged other black eyes and two rivals now completely forgot their company.

Carl, Sam and Dean withdraw from the fire range, patiently waiting for them to address them. Sam sensed the gravity of the situation as he was rocked with uncanny feelings emanating from two psychics.

"That was almost five years ago." Sariel replied calmly but ready for his next move.

"Strange how immortals have no sense of time. You are not welcomed here, vampire. Leave."

"Or what?"

Midnite froze. He couldn't believed his own eyes and ears. She stood there in her defiant Draconis state, armed and willing to make demands. He got pissed and turned his body in the hopes of keeping Sariel from seeing the spell-casting movement of his right hand.

Sariel saw it and prepared herself for the impact which came almost instantaneously. Midnite struck, flashing his hand out, sending a pulse of magical energy that struck Sariel, sending her into a wall.

But not even a second passed, she was already on her feet hissing at him, like an cornered animal. Midnite knew she was far from that. A predator like that couldn't ever be cornered. Only if she wanted it. And then he realized.

The attack came soon and fiercely, striking him and sending him to his wall. He opened his eyes and looked at the predator slowly gliding toward him wearing her recognizable feral grin which he had seen numerous times but never addressed to him.

"I see you learned some new tricks, occultist." He stalled, filling himself with another power bust, now ready to smack her through the door.

"You though me well." She smirked and stopped.

"Maybe too well."

Midnite moved with unseen speed toward Sariel sending another power surge which now made her stumble, but she accepted the energy and moved with it. She landed more softly to the wall, but now Midnite slammed her to the wall.

She opened her eyes and saw pure anger in his. Midnite was a man of power and that power was about face and self-belief and respect. A mana that built up according to his psychological dominance of his territory. And Sariel just threatened that.

She came where she was unwanted and even worse, armed. And even more worse, fought him back on a neutral ground.

"You dare???? In my own house??? On my ground??? Again????" he growled at her, with a growl of his mighty ancestor lion.

But this woman was not to be threatened so easily, he figured from her glare. Not that just she had a predestined power in her blood, courtesy of the power bloodline she descended from. She also saw things that were far more scarier than anything he can produce. Faced and fought against things that should have brought eternal damnation to the world. The sneer and glare were sight of pure boredom.

"Cut the bullshit Midnite. You know why I am here. You know what is going on. But you are too busy playing fucking Switzerland as a bartender to notice that our arses are on the line here." She growled back at him.

Midnite lost his patience and went to slam his fist at her but a sudden burst of celestine energy slammed his away. He looked up at her shocked. Midnite knew the source and he hoped it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Red King?" he inquired and she smirked.

"I told you. You thought me well…"

Sariel was interrupted by his sudden movement. The pure psychic combat was over. It was time for old fashioned hand to hand combat. But here he didn't stand a chance against a pureblood Death Dealer. As well as he thought her magic and the occult, she returned the favor and thought him how to fight.

Kung fu, Tai chi chuan, Wing chu, Xingyiquan, Baguàzhang and several other Chinese martial arts including Krav Maga and Capoeira. She knew it all and was more than happy to teach him. And now it backfired at her. His movements were fluid and fast. Both the knowledge of kung fu and boxing made him a valuable opponent and he also built some strength due to his immortal body.

"You thought me well too." He responded and slammed his fist at her which she easily ducked.

"Yes, so I have been told." Her fist went to his face and with two swift movements, she smacked him straight in his nose.

Midnite stumbled backwards and knew he was defeated. Her predator glare was finally satisfied with the knowledge that she fought out her position in his world. They were even. He could master her in psychic, but damn, she can kick.

"So, ready for the reason of my arrival?"

"Fine, speak." He responded and wiped blood of his upper lip.

"Finally. We could have kept doing this all night." She smiled and for the first time after awhile noticed her companions.

She looked at them and found them shocked beyond all comprehension. Dean's jaw was dropped, Carl's eyes were bulged out and Sam was blankly blinking at the sight. Good, they didn't intervene.

Everyone sensed the tension leaving the room as the tow rivals finally settled with each other presence, but ho one was making a sound. She wasn't so sure that Dean and Carl were even breathing.

"These are…"

"I know who they are, Sariel." Midnite barked and came closer to the brothers. "Sam and Dean Winchester. Two troublemakers making all the demon world shiver in unity. God knows why."

He waved his hand and went to his desk.

"Oh, I think you know why." Sariel challenged.

Now, it was time for her strategy. To reveal what Sam really is. And she needed Midnite for that.

He looked at her and then back at Sam who still had that unfocused shocked expression on his face. And then Midnite felt it. His body was rocked to its foundations with the revelations. As he looked in those boyish blue eyes, he saw energy. Both divine and demonic.

Lack of control of that energy and black hand of Death carved in his soul. Power and abilities that in their vivid state would overpower Midnite´s anytime, while in dormant state they were just as dangerous, due to the lack of control.

Suddenly he connected dots. He heard rumours of what was going on this last hundred years. Rumours of a new power rising in Hell, ready to overthrown the ruling Fallen one. Impossible. This couldn't be…

"I need to talk to you." Midnite turned around and eyed Sariel. "In private."

Then Dean found his brain again. Unfortunately for him, even Sariel couldn't stop him.

"We came here for answers and for once I would like to know what the fuck is going on!!! I am sick of mysteries and secrets and hidden agendas of some bastard that wants to destroy us all. I demand answers and I demand them now." Dean yelled at Midnite.

Midnite just raised his eyebrows in wonder. Sariel sighed and waved her head.

"I like him. The kid got balls." Midnite remarked and Dean eyes widened.

Sariel snorted and went to stand next to Midnite.

"Yes, he does. But he has no sense of self-preservation as you can see."

"Ah, self preservation is so overrated." Midnite chuckled and Dean was speechless. "Take him along. Kill him after."

Sariel snorted again and smiled brightly at Dean who now looked at her like a lost lamb. Like a little Bambi. Then his cool returned and his grin suddenly appeared. He was obviously praying to God that Midnite wasn't serious.

"Now, you wanted to talk to me in private? Lets go. You all stay here. You are safe here." Sariel remarked and motioned to Sam and Carl.

"But…" Dean started gain, but was caught off with Sariel´s hand in air.

"I thought we had a deal…"

The revelation dawned at him and he nodded. She didn't missed Midnite´s eyebrow shooting up.

Both Sariel and Midnite went to the back room leaving Sam, Dean and Carl in his office.

"That was…" Sam started.

"Aha…" Dean nodded, unable to find any other word for what they have just witnessed.

"Are they always…" Sam asked Carl.

"Yeah…" he responded in quivering voice, still trembling from the sight.

"Whoa." All three men exclaimed at the same moment.

"So… You have come to me for help? I feel so appreciated." Midnite remarked as he approached his study.

It wasn't much different from his office only it was far more bigger with more books.

"Yes, I know. As you can see, we have a problem."

"Don't we always?"

"I see you are not in the mood for this."

"Where did you learn those moves? And since when can you wheal the power of Red King?"

"A long story. I will tell you later. Now, business."

"No, I want to hear it now." He coldly remarked at her.

Sariel looked at him and saw his serious face. She was so sick of this and then next second, Midnite found himself pinned to the wall by full vampire strength. He could see cold fury in her black eyes which reminded him how much she is really dangerous.

"I don't have the time for this, Midnite. I know something is going on and bad shit will happen if we don't stop it. A full fledged demon attacked me in the middle of Rome in the full view of the public. And now I have two brothers that seem to be magnets for bad problems. I don't have the faintest idea how I am suppose to solve this, but everybody seems to think that I can fix this. And the only thing I have is a terrifying theory that scares the hell out of me. And can you comprehend what fear does to my delicate psychopathic psyche?"

"It scares you?" Midnite asked perplexed.

"Don't start." Sariel´s upper lip quivered which showed how pissed she was.

"I heard rumours about a powerful force forming in Hell, ready to overthrown Lucifer." Midnite said and Sariel´s eyes widened.

"Come again… They what?" she let him go and looked at him.

"You know how this new breed of demons born in Hell has no respect for their superiors, namely God, since they haven't actually been in His presence. Well, now complications arose and they are trying to overthrown Lucifer so they could go against Heaven, which Lucifer refuses."

"Oh bugger..." Sariel had to sit down.

Certainly not an answer I excepted. And now she started to see the true picture of the situation they found themselves in.

"He can't use him as a leader to a demon army. Lucifer has to know about this. He would never allow any demon to dethrone him. Are you crazy?"

"He obviously doesn't know about this. Though I don't know how is that possible, but hey… He is one busy Devil this days. Besides, that boy outside… He is still untainted by evil and he is still good but the influence of what that demon did to him is finally becoming vivid. And not just in his surfacing psychic abilities. His brother is the only one still holding him to his humanity. The only family member he has left."

"Huh? What did that demon did to him? You know, don't you?"

"Yes. He must have fed him his blood. That is the only way he could have be given this abilities. Which automatically makes his less human."

"This is not happening. What do they expect? That that boy leads the army in destruction of Earth and Heaven? They don't stand a chance against Lucifer and even less chance against God himself."

"I tell you, they lost it. Rumour is that that demon is the son of Mephistopheles and that he has few very loyal demons around him who consider him their father. Blind obedience. Are you are the only one that is free to intervene."

"What? But you… I thought you will help me. I can't do this alone."

"I am neutral in this game. Sorry." Midnite shrugged and Sariel´s rage reignited.

"Sorry?" she hissed. "SORRY???? You just give me a fucking sorry???"

"Alright, calm down." Midnite tried to reason with her, but it was useless.

"I certainly will not calm down. First I get tricked into this bloody mission, I meet a kid who can possibly be a stronger psychic than even you along with his rogue and annoying brother who are just magnets from problems and now when I finally have a plan, you tell me you are fucking neutral?? What the hell do you think this is? A chess game? This is a bloody disaster. We are in deep shit and we need to fix it. NOW!!!!"

"What plan?" Midnite asked in curiosity.

Of course she already has a plan. Midnite looked at his former pupil.

"Yeah, I have a plan. But I will not share it with you until you are on my side. As far as it concerns me, you are on their side with all this neutral shit. Contact me when you change your mind." She turned on her heal storming out and mumbling curses at Midnite.

The door of the office slammed open and almost fell of their hooks under the impact.

Sam and Dean, who were sitting, shot to attention like good little soldiers when they heard the bang followed by Sariel´s enraged exit. Carl was looking at that ornery on the table and when he heard the bang, he snapped to attention too which made that ornery shake violently from his twitch.

"We are leaving." She growled with inhuman sound at the men staring at her.

All three of them nodded their heads in perfect unity. Sariel went to grab the door handle when Midnite arrived. His eyes darted to her retrieving form and then he saw the brothers and Carl staring in shock, panic and awe. All ready for another round.

"Wait you stubborn and trigger happy bitch." He barked after her and all three heads of her companion rolled to him in unison. "I really hate you for this and the only reason I am doing this is because of her and what you did for her."

Sariel turned around, her face perfect image cold and emotionless nature. But Midnite knew that beyond that Death Dealer mask she always wares, her eyes showed relief. And he wasn't so sure that was such a good thing. If she is frightened about this, then they have a big problem.

"Good." She just said, already knowing he will cave in.

"Now, you will not share your plan with me just yet. I need to remain objective. You will not, however, inform the younger brother about anything I told you. He can be easily pulled under influence. Are we clear?" he spoke to her in old and long forgotten language of Haiti, and Sariel just nodded. "Form allegiance with the older brother and inform him about what is going on. As I can see, you are already half way thru it.

And leave your dear assistant under my protection for the time being. I could use his intelligent and opened mind. After I have a little chat with the youngster, you will inform me about your plan. While I talk with the boy, you will take hothead here for a walk."

"A walk? Where exactly?" Sariel asked, speaking fluidly Midnite´s native language.

"To a church. To get a protection tattoo. You know the drill."

"Fine." Sariel shrugged not sure how she will get Dean to get a tattoo, but she will think about that later.

"Now go." Midnite told her, returning to English.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked, unable to mask panic from his hazel eyes.

"We are going for a walk. Sam will have a little chat with Midnite. And Carl will go and find out if Midnite has some interesting books on this matter." Neither of that was a request.

Dean visibly relaxed while Sam tensed at the mere fact that she is leaving him here with Midnite. Alone.

"If you trust me Sam, then you can trust Midnite too." Sariel said simply and looked in his blue eyes.

After few seconds of hesitation, he nodded and looked at Midnite a little terrified of the powerful psychic. Midnite just smirked. Sam could have sworn that he saw the same scary look in his eyes as Sariel had in hers. But neither of them had an evil glint so he prayed to God that this wont end up badly.

"You sure…?" Dean asked his brother.

"Yeah, really. You should go with Sariel."

Sariel nodded and Dean had no other choice than to follow her out of the office. When they left, Carl excused himself and went to the backroom in search for the library.

"So, you are Sam Winchester? You sure did grow up." Midnite chuckled looking at the tall and skinny boy standing in front of him.

It was a sight to see. The boy was even taller than Midnite. But not as powerful as he was.

"Excuse me?" Sam's eyes were sincerely confused and wide as a sorcerers.

"Oh, well… This is a very long story. Sit, boy. This story goes as far as crusade wars go."

"I don't follow." Sam sat back down in his chair, his curiosity winning over his fear.

"You will soon." Midnite smiled mysteriously.

"What is this story about?"

"About how all of this started." Midnite said simply.

A/N: So, finally some expanation. If abnybody has any questions about the things in this story, feel free to ask me. I researched a lot and finally found something that is good enough explanation for Supernatural. It may be a little bit vague.

Thanks for the reviews and feel free to review some more...