Chapter 12: Dick friggin' Roman

"Bravo," Dick said with a proud smile, as he stood center stage like a victorious conqueror. "Meet my wonderful little hybrid. Half angel, half Leviathan. He has all that angelic power, mixed with Leviathan strength and the wonderful inability to die. Truly an accomplishment on my part." Dick grabbed the back of Balthazar's head then, his fingers fisting into his hair as he callously flung him away from his wrist.

All Sam could feel was the force of his pain slicing right through his heart as he watched Dick's dominate display over the fallen angel.

"So, really? How could I resist making myself another one?" Dick stated with a dismissive glance at Balthazar. "You Winchester boys always seem to have an angel hanging around. I'm sure this one… won't be missed."

Sam stilled, unable to think or even move at seeing Balthazar like that. He felt like he just walked into his worst nightmare and couldn't find the door out.

Sam heard Dean's voice then, "Cas- c'mon man. Don't make me hurt you," he said pleadingly.

Sam turned just in time to see Cas tilt his head to the side, eyes dancing with malicious delight. "Dean, I told you before. Cas is gone. Dead. So plead all you want to me. I still plan on ripping out your sticky bits and eating them with immense joy."

Without warning Cas, with the force of God, slammed his hand into Dean, sending him into the air and landing roughly into the seated isles in front of the stage.

"Dean!" Sam called out. Abruptly, Sam felt a hand grip his shoulder then, squeezing it with bone-shattering intensity. He nearly crumpled to the floor from the pain.

"Now, now, Sam. Don't worry about your brother." Cas cooed tauntingly. "You should be more concerned about what we plan on doing to you. I've been told we are going to eat you and your brother alive. And you hunters are so much tastier with a bit of fight left in you."

The words sounded hallow and cold to Sam's ears. Cas wouldn't hurt them. So whatever terrible, blood-sucking creature lived and thrived inside his old friend was in control. Cas was gone. And Balthazar would be next to join Cas.

But Sam didn't care about his own death. What he cared about was the angel, writhing on the stage, inches from death. Sam gripped tightly to the handle of his blade as he took a quick determined breath. It was now or never.

With a sudden twist of his body and flick of his wrist, he sliced Cas's hand off, cutting through flesh and blood. He listened to the roar of furious anger from Cas as Sam hurtled to the stage. He would not let these creatures win. He could not let them take Balthazar. They couldn't take his angel. Not after he just found him.

Dick laughed in delight, "Wonderful job, Sam. You just managed to piss of my angel."

Sam, panting once he climbed onto the stage, wanted to desperately reach down to Balthazar and hold him close. But he couldn't, not with Dick so close and eager to kill them.

Dick took a step forward, his physical presence more disconcerting than intimidating. "It's only a matter of time before your angel becomes my new pet," Dick announced, wiping the black blood from his wrist with a hand-towel on the podium. "You lose, again."

Sam stared down at Balthazar, who trembled and shook from the violence of the Leviathan blood seeping through his veins. Sudden torment engulfed him.

Dick eyed him suspiciously, "Oh my, I didn't realize you were so emotionally invested in this winged creature."

Balthazar's face crunched painfully, his jaw flexing in his mouth as he fought against the darkness infecting him. Sam's heart turned over. He couldn't stand watching him like this. But he couldn't bear the thought of leaving him. Praying that somehow- they would escape, together and alive.

It was then he saw the golden chain around Balthazar's neck. The amulet! Hope flared to life inside him. He might still be able to stop this. Sam abruptly knelt, hands trembling as he reached for the amulet inside his jacket.

"Balthazar," Sam whispered to him and slid his hand over his chest, feeling his heart racing like a wild animal. No response. Balthazar was losing his battle with the Leviathan clawing inside him. Sam was running out of time.

He gripped the amulet before unhooking it from Balthazar's neck. He stood, holding it out in front of him, facing the amulet towards Dick. Dick stepped back, fear in his eyes, recognizing the amulet. But nothing happened. No powerful white light, no sparkle or shine, just the amulet clutched desperately in Sam's grasp.

Dick broke out in a cruel smirk. "Sam, only a guardian can use that. Maybe try praying. I heard that help for you humans sometimes."

Sam started down at the amulet in his palm, confused. Shouldn't this thing have some sort of power? Anything?

Dick watched him curiously. Then after a moment realization dawned in his eyes, "Oh- now I know why you're here with him. He's your guardian isn't he?"

Sam inhaled sharply.

Dick laughed heartily, "My, I didn't see that coming. Well, let me fill you in on something, Sam. That amulet only works after the human makes his sacrifice for the guardian. It's a two way street, and you haven't paid yet."

Sam stared up into Dick's black eyes. The evil creature smiled down at him, bearing his teeth menacingly. "I'd be more than happy to sacrifice some of that blood of yours."

"Actually, Dick…" drawled out a lazy voice from behind the Leviathan. Sam eyes shot toward the darkness and saw Crowley as he stepped out into the light of the stage. "Human sacrifices come in all different kinds of forms. Doesn't necessarily have to be blood, Dick." Crowley seemed to enjoy emphasizing the Leviathan's name.

"Crowley," Dick said with a hint of disdain in his voice. "I thought I told you to never step foot in my presence again. Was I not clear enough the first time?"

"Oh, no- you were crystal clear. However, I lack a certain ability to do what I'm told. Sorry." He said drily.

Cas moved to the stage then, eyes flashing excitedly up at the demon. Sam noticed that Cas had already reattached the hand, blood smeared around the wrist but other than that, he saw no evidence that Sam had severed it. Dick was right, angelic Leviathan's were different. Possibly unstoppable.

"I can't wait to rip your head off and suck the juices off your bones, Crowley." Cas said.

Crowley pretended to quiver, "I'm so scared, Cassie." He eyed him up and down, seeing the Leviathan Cas for the first time. "By the way Cas, who's your tailor? Love the suit."

Dick interrupted then, looking put-out. "Am I making the correct assumption here, Crowley and understanding that you're helping the Winchester brothers try to kill me?" Dick asked accusingly.

"Bingo, Dickie."

All of a sudden Dean appeared behind Cas and slammed his blade into his back. Cas arched an unimpressed eyebrow and turned to face the hunter. Sam saw the alarm in Dean's eyes before Cas cocked his head to the side and shot his hand out, gripping Dean by the throat. "I can't die you insolent human," Cas breathed in a menacingly happy tone.

Dean coughed, "Yeah- you can still burn though."

Sam watched as the blade protruding from Cas's chest began to sizzle the skin. Cas yelped, pulling out the blade, dropping Dean to the floor carelessly. Dean scrambled to his feet, moving back, out of reach. Dean's blade had been cleaned with bleach. Cas's fingers dug at his chest, howling.

Dick ignored his angel as he glared sinisterly at Crowley. "You're plan to kill me has already failed, demon. The amulet is useless."

Crowley shrugged, "Plan B then."

A growling sound erupted all around them. Sam glanced behind him, feeling the hot sticky breath of a big dog against his back. He didn't know what was worse, not being able to see them or hearing them.

"I haven't fed them in weeks, so their good and hungry. Sick'em boys!" Crowley yelled as thunderous feet pawed at the ground and charged towards Dick and Cas.

Sam felt one brush past him towards Dick. He could see the obvious fear etched in Dick Roman's face as Crowley's Hell hounds prepared to devour him.

"I don't think so," Cas said, using the dagger that Dean had stabbed him with and began hacking and slicing at of the Hell hounds. One hound scratched the corner of Cas's face, trailing all the way down his neck and shoulder. Mutinous black blood oozed slowly from the claw marks on his body. Sam watched as Cas carved his way through the pack of invisible dogs and headed straight for Dean.

"Dean!" Sam shouted in warning, but it was too late. Cas grabbed his brother with a blood soaked hand and they disappeared. "No!"

But it was useless. Cas, the Leviathan had Dean. And Sam was seconds away from loosing Balthazar too. Sam dropped to his knees, the cries of Dick Roman being mauled to pieces filling the air, along with the sounds of hungry, wild dogs.

Suddenly Balthazar's hand shot out and grabbed the amulet in Sam's enclosed palm. Balthazar's brilliant blue eyes were clear. Sam held him tighter, wishing he knew what to do. Balthazar let out a gasping breath of pain as he said through clenched teeth, "run, Sam…"

Sam searched his face, unable to move. "No," he replied. "I'm not leaving you."

"It's too late, love…" Balthazar said in barely a whisper. Every fiber of Sam's being was focused on his face, which was shuttered and pained, despite Balthazar's attempt to fight it. "Considered me done for," he said melodramatically that nearly made Sam laugh at.

"You arrogant ass-butt, you're too selfish to die. You know that right?" Sam said roughly, his voice already clogging up with unshed tears.

Balthazar smiled weakly, his body jerking against Sam. "I'm sorry…" Balthazar said, "I should've told you… the truth…"

"Shut-up," Sam said firmly. "You're not dying. You can't die. You're Balthazar the Guardian. My guardian angel…" he stroked away the tears that slipped down Balthazar's face. "You're my angel. And I just got you. "Sam pressed his cheek against his as whispered softly, "and I love you too damn much to see you die like this, you bastard."

A brief glimmer of utter joy filled Balthazar's beautiful blue eyes. But that moment of love and happiness was ripped from them both as the Leviathan blood overcame Balthazar. The angel jerked one last time before shutting his eyes. The creature inside him had won.

Sam's heart shattered. He gripped the useless amulet in his hand as anger tore through his entire body, filling his limbs with furious energy. And all he could think about was lashing out on Dick friggin Roman. Dick had done this. He had killed Balthazar.

Sam stood, seeing Dick being mauled bit by bit from the hounds dogs. Crowley stood over him as though enjoying a show.

Crowley glanced up at Sam then, but his arrogant smile quickly faded. "Oh- Sam… you're… uh…"

Crowley sputtered out and then began taking tentative steps backwards, away from him. Sam didn't even notice. His eyes were on Dick, who was yelling and bleeding all over the place.

All of a sudden a blinding white light pierced through Sam's chest. He let it fill him, knowing this had to be the power of the amulet. It was working, finally. But too late. Balthazar was already dead.

The power blazed forth from Sam like the sun hurtling out of sky and aimed directly at Dick Roman. Dick screamed and even the Leviathan inside of him gave a monstrous roar before it departed from this world. The powerful white light burned through his body, scorching Dick with a blazing intensity only God could posses.

Sam saw the lifeless corpse before him, knowing the Leviathan had died and the deed was done. But the blinding white light was still shining. Sam clutched his chest, dropping the amulet, suddenly very afraid of the power bursting through him.

Then with a sudden fury, the power turned on him and knocked him off his feet. The last thing Sam saw before he blacked out was the light.

TBC