Chapter 21 - Two Minutes to Midnight

Addison silently watches the boys argue in the kitchen. Sam had told them his idea. The one where he would let Lucifer take him, how he would overcome the fallen angel and throw himself into the cage. Dean had decided to yell while she refused to acknowledge her feelings on the subject. "What the hell is wrong with you," Dean demands.

"Dean," Sam starts.

"No, don't 'Dean' me. I mean - you have had some stupid ideas in the past, but this—" Dean turns to Bobby. "Did you know about this?"

"What," the older hunter replies.

"About Sam's genius plan to say yes to the devil." Bobby reluctantly nods. "Well, thanks for the heads up."

"Hey, this ain't about me."

Dean turns back to his younger brother. "You can't do this."

"That's the consensus," Sam replies.

"All right. Awesome. Then end of discussion." Dean's phone rings and he looks at Sam. "This isn't over." He pulls out his phone and answers. "Hello? Cas?"

"Is he okay," Addison asks, closing her laptop.

Dean holds up a hand. "We all thought you were dead. Where the hell are you, man? Are you okay? You wanna elaborate? So a - a hospital? Uh, well, I gotta tell you, man, you're just in time. We figured out a way to pop Satan's box. It's a long story, but - Look, we're going after Pestilence now. So if you wanna zap over here...What do you mean? Wait, what, you mean you're out of angel mojo? Human? Wow. Sorry. All right. Well, look, no worries. Bobby's here. He'll wire you the cash."

"I will," Bobby asks and Dean ignores him.

Dean runs a hand over his face. "Cas. It's okay. Thank you. I appreciate that."

The trio are parked outside of a convalescent home, doing surveillance. "So this is Dr. Evil's lair, huh," Dean comments. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on. Patients were in their rooms and another patient was being wheeled in by an nurse.

"It's kind of more depressing than evil," Sam replies.

"It's like a four color brochure for dying young. Of course, to Pestilence, it's probably Dollywood in there."

"We got a building full of people, guys," Addison says. "There's no telling who's human, who's demon, and which one is Pestilence."

"So what do we do," Sam asks.

"Hang on," Dean says, noticing something through his binoculars. "There's a surveillance system."

"Better than nothing," Addison replies and the trio climbs out of the Impala.

Once inside the building, it doesn't take them long to find the security office. Dean opens the door. "Hey. Hi. Uh, I'm looking for my nana. Uh, her name is Eunice Kennedy."

"Go around front and see the nurse," the guard tells him as Dean closes the door.

"You mind just helping me out, sir? Uh, she's about small and gray hair, wears diapers." He punches the guard, knocking him out. Dean bangs on the door and Sam and Addison enter.

"Eunice Kennedy," Sam repeats.

"That's the beauty about improv, Sammy. You never know what's gonna come out of your mouth."

A couple of hours pass by without anything happening. "So, what are..." Sam frowns seeing Dean asleep. He exchanges an annoyed look with Addison and she flicks Dean's nose, waking him. Dean shoots her a look. "What are we even looking for?"

"Well, he's Pestilence, so he probably looks sick," Dean replies.

"We're in a building full of sick people, Dean," Addison counters, stretching. "We just have to keep waiting until something...weird happens."

A few more hours pass until Sam sits up. One of the security monitors had a static line. "Hey," he says, causing Dean and Addison join him. A man walks down the hallway, the static line over him.

"Oh, now we're talking," Dean says.

They gear up and go after the horseman. Addison stops as something hits her and she coughs. She blinks as her visions blurs. The boys were coughing, but the trio keeps walking. Their coughing grows worse as they keep walking and come upon two bodies lying in the hallway. "Must be getting close," Sam comments.

"You think," Dean replies.

Addison steps over the bodies before leaning against the wall. "This is a million times worse than the flu," she coughs. She looks back and finds Sam helping Dean up. They stumble past her, hitting the wall in process.

Sam releases Dean and moves away. Addison leans against the wall next to Sam. A door opens and a nurse was standing there. "The doctor will see you now," the nurse says.

The nurse moves and they see a balding man sitting on a obviously dead patient's bed. "Sam. Dean. Addison," he greets, waving for them to enter. Sam takes a step forward and falls down. "Come right in."

Addison steps over Sam into the room. She takes another step and then collapses. The nurse drags the boys into the room and closes the door. Addison groans as pain takes over her. She could hear the boys groaning in pain.

"You three don't look well," Pestilence says. "It might be the scarlet fever. Or the meningitis. Oh. Or the syphilis. That's no fun." The horseman walks over to Sam and yanks him back by the hair. "However you feel right now it's gonna get so very, very much worse. Questions?" Pestilence releases him and walks over to a table. "Disease gets a bad rap, don't you think? For being filthy. Chaotic. But, really, that just describes people who get sick. Disease itself, is very pure. Single minded. Bacteria have one purpose: divide and conquer." Pestilence sees Dean reaching for the demon killing knife that Sam had dropped and steps on his hand. "That's why, in the end, it always wins." He kicks the knife away. "So you gotta wonder why God pours all his love into something so messy and weak! It's ridiculous. All I can do is show him he's wrong, one epidemic at a time. Now, on a scale of one to ten, how's your pain?"

The door bursts open and Castiel enters the room, unaffected. "Cas," Dean groans.

"How'd you get there," Pestilence asks.

"I took a bus," the angel answers. "Don't worry, I—" He coughs and falls to the ground next to Addison.

Pestilence bends down, a grin on his face. "Well, look at that. An occupied vessel, but powerless. That's fascinating. There's not a speck of angel in you, is there?"

Castiel grabs the demon killing knife and stands up. He grabs Pestilence's hand and slams it down on a table before slicing the fingers off. "Maybe just a speck."

Pestilence shouts as the nurse tackles Castiel and he stabs her in the chest. Addison hops up and grabs the bloodied finger with the ring. "It doesn't matter," Pestilence says, cradling his hand. "It's too late." The horseman disappears, leaving the hunters and angel alone.

"Well, it's nice to actually score a home run for once, ain't it," Bobby says, watching Dean spin Pestilence's ring as they sat around his desk. The group remains silent and Bobby looks at them. "What?"

"Last thing Pestilence said," Sam starts. "'It's too late.'"

"He get specific?"

"No."

"We're just a little freaked out that he might have left a bomb somewhere," Dean explains. "So please tell us you have actual good news."

"Chicago's about to be wiped off the map," Bobby answers after a pause. "Storm of the millennium. Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. Three million people are gonna die."

"I don't understand your definition of good news," Castiel comments.

"Well Death, the horseman, he's gonna be there. And if we can stop him before he kick starts this storm, get his ring back—"

"Yeah, you make it sound so easy," Dean interrupts.

"Hell, I'm just trying to put a spin on it."

Addison frowns. "How exactly did you put all this together, Bobby?"

She's expecting a glare from the older hunter, not an awkward shrug. "I had, you know, help."

Addison raises an eyebrow. A bottle clanking causes the group to turn and see Crowley pouring a glass of whiskey. "Don't be so modest," the demon says. "I barely helped at all." He walks into the den. "Hello, boys, Addison. Pleasure, et certera." Crowley smirks at Addison. "Your mother sends her love." Addison rolls her eyes as the demon sniffs the whiskey. He sets it down and leans against the door. "Go ahead. Tell them. There's no shame in it."

The group looks at Bobby. "Bobby. Tell us what," Sam asks.

"World's gonna end," Bobby says after a short staring match with Crowley. "Seems stupid to get all precious over one little soul."

"You sold your soul," Dean incredulously asks.

"More like pawned it," Crowley corrects. "I fully intend to give it back."

Dean glares at the demon. "Then give it back."

"I will."

"Now!"

"Did you kiss him," Sam asks.

"Sam."

"Just wondering."

The group turns back to Bobby, waiting. "No," Bobby snaps. Crowley clears his throat and they look to see him holding up an iPhone. A picture of him and Bobby kissing was on the screen. Bobby closes his eyes in frustration. "Why'd you take a picture?"

"Why'd you have to use tongue," Crowley argues, putting his iPhone up.

Bobby's met with three disbelieving looks. Dean shakes his head and stands up. "All right. You know what? I'm sick of this. Give him his soul back now."

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"I won't, all right. It's insurance."

Dean frowns. "What are you talking about?"

"You kill demons. Gigantor over there has a temper issue about it. But you won't kill me as long as I have that soul in the deposit box."

"You son of a bitch," Bobby growls.

"I'll return it. After all this is over and I can walk safely away. Do we all understand each other?"

Addison sighs as Dean slams the Impala trunk closed. Thanks to Crowley, they knew what Pestilence had meant and they knew where Death was going to be. And they had decided on a course of action, with Dean going after Death while the rest went after the vaccines. "All right, well, good luck stopping the whole zombie apocalypse," Dean tells them.

"Yeah. Good luck killing Death," Sam replies. The brothers exchange a look. "Remember when we used to just hunt wendigos? How simple things were?"

"Not really."

"Well, um..." Sam pulls out the demon killing knife and holds it to Dean. "You might need this."

"Keep it," Crowley says appearing. "Dean's covered." He hands Dean a rusted scythe. "Death's own. Kills, golly, demons and angels and reapers and, rumor has it, the very thing itself."

"How did you get that," Castiel asks.

"Hello, king of the crossroads. So shall we?" Crowley looks at Bobby. "Bobby, you just gonna sit there?"

"No, I'm gonna riverdance," Bobby snaps.

"I supposed, if you wanna impress the ladies." The group stares at the demon and Crowley sighs. "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. Really wasted that crossroads deal. Fact, you get more if you phrase it properly. So I took the liberty of adding a teeny little sub-A clause on your behalf. What can I say? I'm an altruist. Just gonna sit there?"

Everyone watches as Bobby slowly stands up out of his wheelchair. "Son of a bitch," Bobby disbelievingly says.

"Yes, I know. Completely worth your soul. I'm a hell of a guy."

"Thanks."

"This is getting maudlin. Can we go?"

"Yes to Lucifer. Then jump in the hole," Castiel says as the van speeds down the dark high. He was sitting in the back with Addison while Bobby was driving and Sam was in the passenger seat. "It's an interesting plan."

"That's a word for it," Bobby comments.

"So go ahead and tell me it's the worst plan you ever heard," Sam replies.

"Of course. I am happy to say that if that's what you wanna hear," Castiel replies. "But it's not what I think."

"Really," Sam says, looking at the angel.

"You and Dean have a habit of exceeding my expectation. He resisted Michael. Maybe you could resist Lucifer. But there are things that you would need to know."

"Like?"

"Michael has found another vessel."

"What?"

"Adam," Addison asks.

"Yes," Castiel answers. The angel notices the shocked looked on Sam's face. "You must have considered it."

"Yeah, we were trying not to," Sam replies.

"Sam. If you say yes to Lucifer and then fail, this fight will happen and the collateral...it'll be immense. There's also the demon blood."

The hunters stare at Castiel. "What," Sam asks. "What are you talking about?"

"To take in Lucifer, it would be more than you've ever drunk."

"But why?"

"It strengthens the vessel. Keeps it from exploding."

"But the guy he's in now—"

"Is drinking gallons."

"And how is that not the worst plan you ever heard," Bobby asks and a silence falls over them.

Sam turns to Addison. "You haven't said anything, Ads," he says.

Addison sighs as she shifts. "I think it's the best plan we have. I mean, we get the cage open, how are we supposed to get Lucifer in it? He'd kill us before we could get closer enough to push him. We can't trick him. As much as I hate it, Sam, it's the best plan we have."

The van is parked across the street from a warehouse where trucks were being loaded up. "Yup, they're loading up hotshots of Croatoan in the trucks," Bobby says. "Okay. First truck don't leave for an hour. We get in, plant the C-4 every twenty-five feet, then we pull the fire alarm."

"Uh, Bobby," Addison says, motioning to a truck pulling out.

"Balls. Okay, new plan."

While Castiel went to the deal with the truck trying to leave, the hunters made their way up to the warehouse. One of the rolling doors closes before they get in and they around to a side door. People were banging on the door. "Get back," Sam tells the people inside before shooting the door handle. He pulls the door open and a string of people rush out.

The hunters quietly enter the building and set down their bags. A man was groaning. They move around the pallets and find a group of men beating up another man. The hunters raise their guns and shoot the infected as they rush towards them.

"Help! Help me," someone yells.

"There's still people here," Sam says, walking away.

"Sam, no," Addison says.

Sam pulls out the demon killing knife and hands it to Addison. "Wait here."

"Shit." Addison exchanges a look with Bobby as they back up. A man comes up behind Addison, his eyes black. She turns and jumps, shoving the knife into his chest. Sam runs back over with a couple of people and they usher the survivors out before he takes off again. Another demon rushes at them and Addison shove the knife through his chin.

"All clear," Sam says, once the last the survivors are gone. A man comes out nowhere and tackles Sam.

Castiel appears and shoots the infected man. "Actually, these things can be useful," he says, examining the sawed off he was holding.

"Can we commit our act of domestic terrorism already," Bobby asks. "Let's go."

Addison helps Sam up as Bobby walks off. "You okay," she softly asks.

"Yeah," Sam breathes.

Addison takes a deep breath as she walks over to where Dean was sitting at the work bench. She had waited until Bobby had left before making her way towards him. "What do you want," Dean asks, standing up and pocketing the horsemen's rings.

"Look, I didn't come here to fight," Addison says. "I came here to apologize."

"For being a complete bitch to me half the time."

"Yeah. But you deserve it for breaking my heart once again." A confused look crosses Dean's face. "You get ready to throw yourself off a cliff, it doesn't take a genius to figure out who you'd run off and go see."

"Look, Ads—"

"I don't want hear whatever bullshit excuse you got, Dean. I-I'm done. With you, with whatever the hell this is between us." Addison clears her throat and crosses her arms over her chest. "So, have you figured out another way to kill Lucifer or are we going with Sam's plan?"