Live To Rise
Chapter 24: Roadhouse
London
"What game?" Dean asked as he stared into the ink black eyes of Sebastian Moran. "I don't know who you are in there and there is a good chance you know who Cas and I are."
"Noooo," the demon said slowly and shook his head. "I have no idea who you are. All I see is a couple of plain Americans. You two are nothing special. There is nothing to you. You are just dull and ordinary." He looked up at the officers and John. "Are they new friends of yours, Johnny Boy?"
"How do you know my name?" John asked. "And not theirs?"
"Because we know each other and I know all about Greg Lestrade and Sally Donovan," Moran said and smiled at the Detective Inspector. "You should thank me, honey since I am responsible for your promotion."
"Her hard work and integrity is what got her promoted," Greg said.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Dean asked and searched the other's faces for answers. "He knows you."
"They need another clue," the demon said and his eyes turned to normal before he rolled them. "That should be no surprise. I know about the angels, the real angels and how they fell. I heard a rumor that one of them became flat mates with you, John. You enjoy shacking up with men who fall."
"Moriarty," John hissed out the name before he grabbed the bars. "You bastard came crawling back."
"Wearing his right hand man's suit while Abaddon rides around in his," Dean said. "It makes sense since he is now the lackey."
"No," Moriarty said as he pointed to Dean. "You can't say her name. You don't deserve to say her name. The queen mum deserves better than your tongue."
John glared at the demon. "I will steal an angel sword if I have to just to kill you myself."
"I think he still needed time in the oven," Dean said. He never personally dealt with the guy when he was still alive and human but he knew the guy was insane and sadistic. There also had to be a reason why he came back and took over the body of his number one goon at that moment. "You were more of a charcoal gray than black."
"Had to leave when I could," Moriarty said. "Gates were being shut and I would be trapped on the inside. I couldn't let that happen could I?"
"The gates of hell have been closed?" Cas asked in a worried tone.
"Son of a bitch," Dean said. "Sam, no you didn't. You didn't. Why wasn't I informed?" He pulled out his phone and dialed Sam's. "Pick up, pick up, pick up." His hands were trembling as he held the phone.
"Maybe it was someone else," Castiel said. His voice was shaking.
"What's going on?" Sally asked. "Who is Sam?"
"His brother," Greg answered. "Did Sam close the gates of hell?"
"No…he… can't," Dean said and wanted to throw his phone on the ground when he heard Sam's message. He tried Sam's other phone and he got the message on the other line. "Please Sammy tell me you didn't complete the trial." He couldn't stand and fell to his knees as his whole body quaked with fear and grief.
"Robert isn't picking up either," Castiel said. "I'll try the bunker."
"Dean what is it?" John asked as he kneeled beside him. "What will these trials do to Sam?"
"He completes the third trial the gates of hell will close," Dean explained. He closed his eyes. "And he will die. John, Sammy is dead."
"Oh ," Sally gasped.
"Oh no," Greg said and shook his head.
"Dean I'm sorry," John said and held onto Dean's hands. "I'm so sorry."
"A sacrifice," Castiel said. "A great service to Heaven and Earth. Dean, Sam is not dead, not really."
"What?" Dean looked over at him.
"His body was destroyed but he is alive as an Ishim."
"What the hell is an Ishim?" Dean and John asked at the same time while both Greg and Sally just merely asked what an Ishim was.
"A type of angel that was once human."
"Sam's an angel?" Dean asked.
"He became an angel?" John added.
"This has been quite touching," Moriarty said. "But I do have to leave. I have a date with the queen after all."
"You are not going anywhere," Greg told him. He was answered with a smirk from the demon.
The echo of several foot prints was heard outside and the door opened as two dozen officers poured led by Anderson inside. They grabbed Greg and Sally and pinned them against the wall.
"What are you doing?" Sally asked.
"Did you not get the announcement?" Anderson asked. His eyes were completely black. "Moriarty has an early release."
"Damn it," Dean grunted as he was also pinned against the wall along with Cas. "How many of these demon assholes came back with you."
"None of us have to answer to you," Anderson said. "New regime change, Winchester and Crowley was a pushover compared to her."
"Great of all the people to possess you choose this guy," Dean said.
"You should be flattered," Moriarty said as a few of the demons opened the door for him. "He knows who you are."
"Should we kill them?" Anderson asked. The smile on his face was not the pompous little smirk or annoyed scowl that Dean had associated him with. The corners were turned up and he had his teeth bared like a cat about to enjoy a whole salmon, it was disturbing.
"Where is the fun in that?" Moriarty asked as he walked out with several of his demon officers. "I always enjoy a good challenge and providing them. Let's see if they can rise to it and you know rising is the opposite of falling." He raised a finger and made it fall while mimicking the sound of a bomb falling.
"You son of a bitch," John shouted as he tried to lunge at him. "You bloody bastard. I will burn you, mark my words I will find a way to burn you."
"I look forward to it," Moriarty said with a wink before he stepped through the door, followed by several officers. The ones who held Dean and the others were the last to walk away.
"So are you like second in command?" John asked as he grabbed Anderson by the hand.
"What's it to you?" The demon in Anderson growled. "Now let me go."
"Not you," Dean said once the last officer had gone through the door. He jumped on a retreating Anderson. He reached into his pocket and shoved a handful of salt down Anderson's mouth.
"Secure the door," Cas said and used every weight in his body to slam the door shut.
"Secure him," Sally said as she pinned down Anderson by the legs.
"Excorcizamus te, ominus immundus spiritus," Dean began.
"No," Anderson screeched.
"Omnis Satanica potestas, ominis incursio inferunalis adversarii omnis congreatio, et secta, diabolica." He ignored Anderson's shaking and writhing. "Ergo draco maledicte, Ecclaisssam tuam scuri tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos."
Anderson screeched again before his head back and black smoke poured out of his mouth and curled up. It encircled the room once before it shot toward the vent.
"What did you do?" Sally asked.
"He exorcised the demon," Lestrade said as he continued to assist John and Castiel in holding the door back. "Although if the gates to Hell have been closed does that mean the demon will just take over someone else?"
"Gates are closed on one side," Castiel explained. "They can be sent in, but they can't get out."
"Syl," Sally spoke softly. "Syl, can you hear me?"
"Ssssally?" Anderson asked as he opened his eyes. "What happened to me? I can hear him and see what he made me do. What, what was that?"
"That was a demon," Dean said as he stood up. "This is going to be hard to understand but-"
"Demons are real and you were possessed by one," Sally explained. "Ghosts are real and I was possessed by one. Angels are also real and Castiel here used to be one."
"What?" Anderson asked and stared at her if she was crazy. "What are you talking about?"
"What she said is true," Dean told him. "There is more to it than spirits, angels and demons but we'll just focus on that right now. We don't have any idea how many of your men and women are possessed and I have no idea how many are trying to beat down the door-"
"I would say about two or three," John said.
"We'll let them in," Dean said as he handed some salt to both Anderson and Sally. "Throw this at them, try to shove it down their throats and I'll start the exorcism again."
"Are you serious?" Greg asked.
"He is," Castiel said as he stepped away from the door.
Two possessed officers raced back into the room with their pistols drawn. Sally and Anderson threw handfuls of salt at their faces, causing them to cry in pain and one of the cops to drop one of the weapons.
"We have to hold them down," Dean said as he tackled the one who still had the gun to the ground. He wrenched the pistol from his hand. "Time to go home." He took a deep breath. "Excorcizamus te, ominus immundus spiritus Omnis Satanica potestas, ominis incursio inferunalis adversarii omnis congreatio, et secta, diabolica. Ergo draco maledicte, Ecclaisssam tuam scuri tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos."
The two demons flew up through the vent and leaving behind exhausted and confused officers of Scotland Yard.
"This is going to be a long day," Dean said and waited for the next group.
Heaven
Sherlock was surprised that he and Sam had landed inside a bar and possibly bar and grill in what appeared to have been in the middle of a forest. It looked like an actual roadhouse. He wondered why they were in a bar instead of glowing white rooms and exotic gardens until he remembered what Sam and Dean had said about the time they were in heaven and remembered it.
They were not alone. There were several people in the bar, some were drinking beer and some were just talking. They appeared tense, eager to do something and they all had paused in what they were doing to look up at them.
"Buenos Dias bitches," an unkempt young man in a sleeveless plaid vest and hair cut into a mullet greeted them. "Told you, Sam. I'd see you again here sooner or later." He paused as he examined Sherlock. "Don't know who you are and I might apologize for that remark. I think we were all expecting Dean to be with Sam, no offense." He held out his hand. "I'm Ash by the way."
"I thought angels had appeared," a woman with shoulder length brown wavy hair said. "I was expecting the worst and instead I see the cutest ass and the handsome man that is attached to it."
"Nice to see you again, Pamela," Sam greeted. "You did hear angels arrive."
"Where did they go?" Another woman with brown hair asked. She was in her thirties and was a hunter in her life time. Her name was Annie had she had once slept with both Winchester brothers, and Bobby at different times. She had also once slept with John Winchester once as well. The facts about her just poured into Sherlock's head when he stared into her eyes.
"They didn't, Annie," Sam said. "This is going to be hard for everyone to understand."
"Sam and I have become Ishim," Sherlock explained. "He completed the three trials needed to close the gates of hell and I was given the grace of an angel."
"Ishim," Ash repeated before his eyes widened. "You dudes became angels now?"
"Why did you do that?" An older man asked. He had a beard and wore a dirty trucker hat. He had to be Bobby Singer. "You and your brother always got to make things right and be the big damn heroes and that is always costing you in some form or another."
"They said they were going to kill, Sherlock," Sam said and pointed at Sherlock.
"So why did Curlylocks there get turned?" Bobby asked.
"I thought I was making a deal," Sherlock said and sighed. "By giving me one of their graces it would complete the third task in order for the angels to regain their wings. I insisted on it but only if Sam was spared."
"In other words those winged bastards lied to you," Pamela said as she walked around Sherlock. "This one has a cute ass also. I can bounce ten pence on those cheeks."
"Sam has mentioned you before," Sherlock said and stepped away from her. "I am expert at reading people, but angels are quite difficult." He studied the crowd and fixated on a young and pretty blond woman. "You wish to become a hunter because of your father."
"Yes she did," a scruffy man with broad shoulders said and stepped in front of her. "I'm Bill Harvelle, her father."
"Yes but there is more," Sherlock said. "He was taken from you when you were younger and you defied your mother who owned a bar similar to this by going on hunts. Your favorite color is light green. You pinched cigarettes and snuck off to smoke them when you were eleven and stopped because you didn't enjoy it. Your first kiss was with a boy named Jacob Crowder when you were thirteen…this is too bloody easy." He knew what people were like by the way they wore their watch or a crumb on their collar, but now he just looked at them and everything was on display as if they had the words of their life stories printed on their very being.
"You saying my daughter is easy?" Bill asked.
"He reads people by how they dress, a coupon in their pockets," Sam explained. "He knows what peoples careers are by the calluses on their thumbs. He can see and know anything now by just looking at souls."
"When we are done here I am giving this grace back," Sherlock said as he rustled his wings. "I do not like it when things are too easy. I need a challenge."
"I can try to be challenging," The blond, Jo had offered.
"Jo stop flirting," Ellen Harvelle said. "Every time you hear a British accent you bat your eyelashes at them."
"Mother, I am not flirting," Jo protested before she ran her had through her hair. "Besides I'm dead. I can enjoy this for a little bit."
"What is it with the women in your country?" Sherlock asked Sam.
"Maybe it is the accent," Sam said and shrugged.
"I used the fake southern accent on hunts and they still flirted with me."
"It's because of your ass," Pamela told him. "And those cheekbones, and those pretty eyes of yours."
"Will ya quit crowding the guy?" Bobby asked. "This is the one Ellen told me about. Their new adopted brother who they fake named after us."
"That is correct Mr. Singer," Sherlock said.
"Obviously you are part of the family. You are a self-sacrificing idjit like the rest of them."
"That's a compliment," Sam said. "Just don't say anything." He turned back to the others. "Reason why we focused on this area is because we just wanted to make sure you are all right after what Metatron did, and I am so sorry that we suggested it. So Pam if you want to smack me again go ahead."
"It was our fault as much as yours, sweetie," Ellen told him. "We called out to your prophet."
"Anyways guys the main little block that Metatron put on us is gone," Ash said. "I went poking around and turns out the angels have indeed returned and removed the blocks and they are encouraging us to meet up." He turned on his makeshift laptop. "Why didn't you two show up when they did?"
"Because they used us," Sherlock answered. "And we had to take a couple of people to our home for safety."
"Makes sense," Annie said.
"That's good news," Sam said. His halo seemed to grow brighter when he was happy. "We can gather up the troops."
"So what's our next course of action?" Bobby asked. "Just wait for more souls to join up. We can make this place bigger right?"
"Sure thing," Ash told him. "We can also add your old pad and Rufus's cabin and maybe this bunker of theirs."
"I suppose I could add in my flat," Sherlock said. It would be interesting for him to step out of one room in the bar to step inside his living room. He wondered if the furniture was in the same place and if Mrs. Hudson had even painted over and removed Sherlock's method of decorating.
"Oh and Sherlock, did I get your name right?" Ash asked.
"You did," Sherlock told him.
"Sent out a signal for you," Ash said. "They should just be arriving, just now." He pointed at the doors.
Sherlock turned to the front doors as they opened. Several more people stepped in. They were the suicide cases from what John had called A Study in Pink. The other people that streamed in were the other murder victims in the cases Sherlock had solved. They all appeared to view him with respect and gratitude in their eyes. The last person to walk in was a young boy, Carl Powers.
Sherlock stared at them for a few seconds before he felt tears burn his eyes.