The pain had stopped. For now. The girl turned over on her front and panted into the ground, holding her body just barely by pressing her palms to the concrete. She couldn't look at them, it wasn't positive she could see at all anymore.
The General withdrew his sword but didn't sheath it. "Strange. A powerful and uncaring demon. Now, normally, parental instincts are quite strong. A demon should rush back when their child is in danger. Perhaps we should up the ante." He raised his weapon high and prepared to plunge again.
"Maybe we should not," Balthazar suggested. "While I honestly don't mind that demons are in pain because of eachother…"
"Yes, Commander?" The General stood upright, standing much taller than Balthazar. "Is there a problem? Don't sell yourself so seriously. These are demons. They know nothing better than pain."
"Less than an hour ago, this girl was a human. And she knew nothing more than her own life before we interfered," Balthazar pointed out.
Keeping his eyes trained on Balthazar, the General drew out a small brown pouch and upturned it after removing the cork, letting the liquid drop onto the squirming girl. "Less than an hour ago, I still didn't care about one human life, same as the demon who made her."
He snapped his fingers and immediately a fire sprang and set her ablaze. She screamed and writhed through the pain and begged him to stop. Just as Castiel stepped forward the General held up a hand to stop his protests.
"A demon can heal. Stop feeling bad," The general ordered. While the girl thrashed and thrashed about. Blood poured out of open wounds. "Keep watch. He or she might just appear."
But he didn't. He wouldn't either. He wasn't stupid, despite what the General might have assumed about him. He was the strongest demon in the rank and as far as the General knew, he was just a stupid demon of Imperial Rank that more than likely wouldn't put it past him to turn down a challenge.
"He won't come, general. He's not stupid," Castiel voiced out loud.
The General peered at Castiel with renewed interest and ceased his fire spell which rendered the demon girl sobbing in a little ball, covered in black burns and black smoke. "Is that so? What makes you think a demon can classify as intelligent?"
"Because he's planning to kill what we want. I don't think he'd come back for his child even if she was burning alive, given the importance. If he knows what the boy represents, why would he stop now?"
The General approached Castiel, drew eerily close and nodded slowly. "You just reminded me of something, Castiel. A demon wouldn't stop If he was smart, like us…So we resort to our final measure."
He extended a hand over the girl's body. " So what's your name before we part ways, my darling?"
"My name is Carmen. Please, I don't know anything…Please stop hurting me…," The girl whimpered in fear as skin began to close over her burns at a rapid rate and her hair began to retain it's normal color.
"You're not a normal girl anymore, Carmen. You're a demon. You were created by a very powerful demon. He's your new Daddy," said the General. The way he said it was like it was some sort of thing to be proud of. Castiel could see Balthazar shaking his head from the corner of his eye, still refusing to stand close to them, to take part in this.
"I'm a…I'm a what?" The girl was sobbing. Tear tracks rolled down her cheeks. "I'm not…I'm…"
"You would never have healed at your rate if you hadn't been drawn to the Will energy that we and the demons utilize,"
She ran her eyes over the general, over Uriel and then the injured Castiel and crawled away using her palms on the dirt. " Who are you guys? What are you people? Some... kind of freakshow?"
"We're…You know what? I don't have time for this," said the General, kneeling down and taking a handful of her hair. "I will rip you apart piece by piece and send all of your parts to the one who made you. The one who killed you. You're going to give me his name now. What is his name. Speak the name of the one whom you have joined. Name him."
"For the love of Father, General," Balthazar snapped. "She's not going to tell you. She won't be able to until she meets him. I took no pleasure in watching a demon being created today but watching you torture one into insanity is not really something I planned on sitting through."
"Do you have a better idea, Commander?"
"I saw we kill her," Uriel suggested. "If we kill her, won't it kill the demon who made her?"
"Unfortunately, no," said the General solemnly as though he was denied a real treat. "It might greatly weaken the demon who created her but it will not kill him. And that entails having a great bond between the two of them...So, we want him dead, and if we're to do that, we need to find him ourselves."
"I do have a better suggestion, actually," Balthazar stepped forward, wrapped his fingers around Carmen's arms and pulled her up to stand, then he pushed her so she staggered a bit. "Go. Run. We have no use for you."
She stared at Balthazar for half a second then turned and bolted. If she was given the opportunity to escape, she may as well take it.
"That was your better idea?" The General asked. "Really? Sending her off to become a bonafide hellspawn? Very nice, Balthazar. Now we have to go get her."
He began to walk and Balthazar caught up to him. "You taught us your life lesson about parent running to their child's rescue. Didn't work, did it? Now we follow. If a parent's instinct fails, we can count on a newborn running to their parent. Give her the headstart and we'll follow."
The General gawked at him disdainfully, then slowly the red anger faded off his face and he smiled approvingly. "Not bad, Commander. Not bad at all."
"Lilith! Get in here," Merrick snapped disrespectfully. "The King is not well. I need you in here NOW!"
She took her sweet time, but when Lilith arrived, she glided inside and took a good look at Dean writhing in the floor before floating over and standing over Merrick's shoulder. "Oh my. He does not look well at all, now does he?"
"What's happening to him?"
"Is he going to be okay?" Sam asked anxiously.
"Should be. As long as the girl is okay," She knelt down and touched his neck. "His color is returning. He should be just fine."
"As long as who is okay?"
"As long as the girl," Lilith repeated slowly. "is all right. He should be fine. Otherwise he would be weakened considerably."
"What girl are we even talking about?" Merrick growled. "This is why I hate talking to the Ancients. They think we're all supposed to get what the hell they're talking about. Throwing out prophecies and propaganda."
"The girl that Dean made," Lilith clarified icily. She shook Dean's shoulder. "Your Majesty, are you awake? You didn't even tell me you created your own child. I'm so proud of you. When do I get to meet her? Are you going to go to her now or shall we go together?"
Dean suddenly calmed and took a deep breath. All his awareness of the world around him returned and he focused in on Lilith, taking in her last words. " A what…A demon child?"
"Why yes. A reaction like that only comes when a child is dying…I've made so many since…Hmm..I've just made so many. I know that reaction anywhere. The innate power bond between parent and child is so strong, it breaks through the emotional bonds and straight to the physical."
Dean struggled to sit up. "I didn't make a demon child."
"Your highness, with all due respect-"
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The knocks came loud and echoed throughout the entire manor. All four of them simultaneously turned towards the bedroom door and heard the loud screams of the girl behind the door.
"Someone please help me! Someone! PLEASE HELP ME!"
Lilith smiled. "Oh my, she sounds feisty."
Merrick turned his head slowly towards Dean. "You said you murdered an innocent of life. Tell me something, your highness, did you happen to leave that body where you left that angel behind, perchance?"
Realization slowly dawned on Dean and he went as pale as he had before. "…Oh no."
"Don't you say it. Don't you dare fucking say it. You left him there with an angel to resurrect her. ...Oh my Lord... Jesus Christ...God in Heaven," Merrick turned away, hands in his black hair in frustration. What looked handsomely unkempt was in complete disarray as he tugged and pulled on the strands.
"This is his way of using profanity," Dean said on the side to Lilith and Sam.
"YOUR HIGHNESS," Merrick yanked the King back to reality. "How could you! How could you be so careless? I told you that angel wasn't trustworthy! I told you he was going to turn on you!"
"Is someone going to be a dear and answer the door for me?" Lilith asked to no one in particular.
Dean ignored her and struggled to his feet. "Yes, you said it the whole time. But keep in mind that an angel of his level would have difficulty resurrecting a human."
"You put so much faith in this angel, and he brings you back a demon child. And probably tried to kill it so you could feel it too," Merrick thumped him on the chest painfully. "Understand this, your Majesty. He tried to kill you! He probably would have succeeded back in the Temple of Light!"
"YOU WERE NOT THERE!" Dean boomed and with such authority that the room seemed to silence except for the distant knocks of the girl. "And he would NOT do that."
Merrick spoke up first, barely above a whisper. "You put your faith in your pet over me."
"I put my faith in many things above you, Guardian," Dean retorted spitefully. He clutched at the stitch in his chest. "I'm still in a lot of pain...the ghost of it has not yet waned...Lilith, answer her. Bring her to me."
"Oh, so that's no on anyone but me getting the door," said Lilith; the look on Dean's face showed he wasn't kidding nor in the mood for jokes. She turned on her heel and left the room.
"Let's go...It doesn't do any good for us to linger here,"
"Sam, go on ahead. I need a word with my king," Merrick told the boy, patting him on the back.
"Dean, are you going to be okay?" Sam asked, staring up at him.
"I'll be fine, Sam," Dean reassured, ruffling Sam's hair. "Go on."
As soon as Sam disappeared, Merrick rounded on Dean again for the second time but the king held up a hand to stop his protests. "I know what this is about."
"You didn't do it," Merrick commented.
Dean turned away, faced the draperies that covered a window. "I didn't...because I couldn't. He's just a child...Cas was right...Killing him would draw him to become the very thing I fear."
"Oh, don't tell me," Merrick sneered. "You told the angel everything about this, didn't you? So now let me guess. Not only did he possibly create a demon child for you to weaken from. But now he knows about the whole mission?"
"Castiel didn't want me to go through with it, Merrick," said Dean quietly.
"And why do you think that is, your majesty? He wants to take him to Heaven," said Merrick. "It's been his agenda this whole time. Why can't you just accept that they're our enemy? The Fallen have it right, my liege. They are NOT our allies. They are our enemies and they would kill us all to prove it so and laugh over our corpses."
When Dean didn't say anything, Merrick continued ruthlessly. "They killed your Father right before your very eyes and you fight to prevent the second coming of a war? You were pompous when you took the throne, all those centuries ago and now this is all about your ego-"
"I DON'T NEED TO JUSTIFY MYSELF TO YOU," Dean roared, catching Merrick off guard with his velocity and holding him against the wall by the neck with his sword drawn and the tip pointed at his guardian's throat, voice issuing out in a menacing growl. "...It's about balance. It's about peace. This is what my Father raised me to uphold. And I will die before I see it reduced to ash because of our species' arrogance. Do I make myself clear?"
Merrick did not resist nor even grab Dean to prevent his grip from tightening. "You would let the boy live and see our realm reduced to ash instead? They're going to use him...and they're going to kill us."
A flicker of scarlet passed Dean's eyes. "Have some faith in me, Guardian...That's not going to happen. Not while I'm alive."
He dropped Merrick and just in time, Lilith, Sam and a third figure stood in the door. The mousy girl that Dean had killed earlier looked him square in the eyes, but when Dean looked upon her, she looked away as though she was ashamed. He felt a twinge of guilt that he had to bury down.
"This is the one?" Dean asked, stepping forward and approaching the girl more fully. She immediately burst towards him in a sprint and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly and burying her face in his chest. He was staggered from the impact, but uncertainly wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. Her clothes felt hot underneath a jean jacket and pink t-shirt. They had tears in them that indicated evidence of a fierce struggle or fight.
"Yours, as it were," said Lilith.
"Please. You have to help me. They're coming back for me. Please, just take me home. I want to go home. I want to go home. Make it all go away," Carmen whispered into his shirt. "They're coming back for me. They said I was...They...said...they said I was a..."
"Who's they?" Dean asked.
"Did they tell you you're a demon?" Merrick rubbed his neck and straightened up, frowning.
"They said...," She glanced at Merrick then clung to Dean even tighter. "I just want this nightmare to end. I...I...think I have a family waiting for me...Don't I?...Someone. Someone's waiting for me, I know it! I just want to go home. Please take me home?"
Her words came out confused, like she wasn't sure.
"You're holding onto home, sweetpea," Lilith interjected. "And there won't be a someone waiting anywhere. All you have is what you see."
"Wh...What?" Carmen murmured.
"All I got from her downstairs was that her name is Carmen," Lilith explained. "But I have no doubt she was just tortured before her wounds began to heal."
"I can't believe you made a demon," scoffed Merrick, rolling his eyes as he passed.
"I didn't do it intentionally," Dean snapped.
"I'm starting to wonder what 'they' means," Lilith commented in retrospect.
"Congratulations, sweetheart. You're the new Crown Princess for the throne of Hell. How's it feel?"
"I'm the what?"
"Who's they?" Dean asked, ignoring Merrick's comment.
"I said…You're the crown princess of-"
"MERRICK!" said Dean sharply. "Focus. Carmen. Who's they?"
"I don't know who they were," said Carmen, her lower lip trembling. "I didn't get their names…But they…They were dressed like…in armor. Silver armor…There was a black haired one…A dark skinned one…one in bronze colored armor and…there was this man in black."
The three demons exchanged looks.
"Angels," mused Lilith.
"Angels," spat Merrick.
"Damn it," said Dean.
"If they're coming here. There's only one thing they want," Lilith noted with a sideglance at Sam.
"They're here for him," said Dean bluntly, nodding to Sam. Both Lilith and Merrick raised their eyebrows. "He should be aware of the situation. Sammy, listen to me."
"Dean, what's going on? What are you talking about? Are we going to see Cas again?" The boy asked.
The honest answer was probably yes. "Cas is bringing some friends and they're not nice, Sammy. You're going to stay in this room. Merrick is going to stay with you."
"Merrick is not. Nope. Order denied, your Majesty," Merrick interjected crudely, grabbing Dean's shoulder and pulling him down a few inches so they were of the same height. He lowered his voice in a fast hiss, fast enough that no one else could hear, but low enough so Dean alone could hear. "I pledged my life to keep you alive in the past. Now that the exceptions are out of the way, I'm pledging my life for you and you alone."
All in one breath. Dean pursed his lips and then looked at Sam with a slight incline of his head. "Change of plans, Sam. I'm staying in this room with you. And so is Carmen. You." He changed his demeanor instantly, snapping his fingers in her direction. "Sit down. Don't move."
She obeyed instantly, walking straight to the bed and sat down, remaining unmoving and still as a statue.
Dean turned to Lilith." Assemble your army to the door."
Lilith crossed her arms. "What army is that, your Majesty?"
Dean crossed the threshold to stand face to face with her. "The one you've assembled here. Don't tell me..."
"The demons aren't prone to assemble in one location, your majesty. At most I have three Imperial class demons within these walls other than you two. And that's not nearly enough to take on Loyalist angels."
"I ordered you to assemble at Rose Manor when I left the Hell Realm. I ordered you to bring your army,"
"In case you haven't noticed. I'm not royalty. You are. The demons look for you, they don't all answer to me, butterfly," said Lilith. "But if you're so fussed, we can hold the line ourselves.."
"Conjure a magic barrier," Dean ordered. "And Lilith? Hold it in place. Merrick, stall them. Once you've got them all occupied, I can take Sam out of here. If you have to, convince them you've gone rogue and you know nothing about what they seek."
"What the hell kind of ploy is that? They're following Carmen. They know she's here,"
"They probably don't know what demon made her,"
"So much faith in your black haired, blue-eyed friend," said Merrick disapprovingly. "Really now. This is getting ridiculous."
Dean held up a finger to silence him. "Go."
As Merrick and Lilith left, Dean turned to the two of them and blinked hard. "They're coming. I can feel them."
"You can feel them…Oh God…I've enlisted with more psychopaths…I just…I just want to go home. Let me go home. I have nothing to do with this anymore,"
Within a flash, Dean was in front of her, holding her face between his hands and locking eyes with her. "Have you looked in the mirror since you left your angel friends back there? You don't look like yourself, anymore. You look like me. You know why?" He pulled gently on a lock of hair. "Because you're a part of me now. You're a demon. You're a freak. You joined the club. You heard Merrick back there? You're the heir to my throne. Do you know who I am?"
"No…," said Carmen slowly.
"I am…," Dean faced down at her lap, eyes closed for just a moment before raising his gaze to meet hers. His eyes were a blaze of orange rimming the green and his skin had taken shade of dark red. "I am the Alpha and Omega. The end and final justice between mankind and demon. And you, my darling…are the prodigy of both."
"Get away from me!" Carmen screamed, scooting herself into the bed and covered up with the blanket as though that prevented the truth from showing.
"You were just burnt alive and you still think this is a nightmare?' Dean asked, running a hand through his hair and looking around for Sam, finding the boy peering out the window.
"Dean, look," The boy said when Dean looked over.
Dean walked towards him, pushed the drapes aside. "Ah…Haha…Let the games begin."