A/N: Guess what guys? This is the second to last chapter of Brand New Wings! Damn, where did the time go? Anyway, stay tuned for the final chapter :- )
Beta Read by Arlena4815162342
Chapter 25
Despair Academy
The Impala screeched to a halt in front of the safe house. Dean turned the wheel and slammed on the breaks to avoid crashing into the porch. The car stopped just mere inches before the steps and Dean sighed in relief.
"That would've been a bitch to fix," he laughed, looking back at the four teenagers. "You guys alright?"
"I feel queasy," Murdock said, holding his stomach.
"Uh, guys," Drew said from his seat, looking out the window. "We may not have ruined the porch but something is definitely going to be a bitch to fix."
Everyone shared glances at one another then quickly hopped out of the car to see what Drew was talking about.
Emma stood there frozen as she looked up at her home. In large letters written in blood on the front of the house read "Thou Shalt Not Kill".
"This can't be good," Sam said, running a hand through his hair.
Emma was confused. She had seen that phrase at every stop on their Element Tablet tour. What did it mean? Why is it following her?
"It's Lucifer." Emma spun around in surprise to see her favorite trench coated Angel, Castiel, her protector.
"Lucifer?" Lynn repeated, looking between the Angel and the crimson red words that were slowly dripping down the front of the safe house. "Why would he write this?"
"It's sort of an…invitation. To come and fight him." Castiel shifted his icy blue glaze to the ground. He looked worried. Emma had a feeling that they should all be worried. She was going to have to fight Lucifer.
"That sounds like Dad," Lynn said. "Wanting to wrap this all up in a nice, blood soaked bow."
Emma swallowed. Could she really defeat him? She did have some kickass new best friends but honestly…is it enough? This wasn't some kid's television show where you can kill the bad guy with the power of friendship.
Then something clicked in Emma's head. The phrase, she had seen is all over the place. Did that mean Lucifer had been planning this months in advance?
"Wait, Cas, how do you know all this?" Dean asked, looking over at the Angel curiously.
"Well, he also left this." Castiel reached into his jacket pocket and procured a slip of paper. Emma quickly took it from him.
"An address?" she inspected.
"Probably where he wants to meet us," Sam said, looking over Emma's shoulder to check out the address scribbled on the scrap of paper.
"Wait a second, are you saying we are actually going to fight Lucifer?" Emma looked over to see Drew, shaking and wide eyed. "I mean, looking for Lucifer was one this, running from him was another, but fighting him? After all the shit we've been through recently I think I have enough knowledge to know that that's crazy!"
"Come on Drew, it's not that bad! I mean, we're all insanely super powered! We can beat anything if we just try," Murdock said, slinging an arm around Drew nonchalantly.
Drew pushed Murdock's arm off his shoulder. "It's not that easy, Murdock! Just trying isn't going to cut it!" Drew squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fist around his cane. "I finally have something to live for! And it's not pride, or glory, or heroics; it's you guys," his voice trailed off as he kept going. "I may be crippled, but at least I'm not suicidal."
Emma bit her lip as she listened; as she watched Drew's eyes well up with tears. "I guess you guys are so numb to fear that you keep going to save the ones you love." He shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "But what you don't realize is that while you're off being a hero you keep fighting and forget what you're actually fighting for."
"Right now my Mom is sitting at home, wondering if I'm dead. Even she's been hypnotized by this fantastical hero bullshit! But you know what, the last time I tried to save the person I loved, she died. I'm not going to let that happen again. So, good luck to you guys, fighting Lucifer and all." Drew bowed his head, avoiding looking at anyone. "I'm sorry, I just can't do this."
"Drew, wait!" But it was too late. He was gone.
Murdock put his head in his hands. "I shouldn't have said that, why am I such a dumbass?"
Lynn held his hand tightly. "You're not a dumbass; Drew is just going through some stuff. Honestly, who would be crazy enough to fight Lucifer but us?"
Emma took a deep breath. Drew was right. They were all crazy. But the thing was everyone they were fighting for was five feet from each other. Maybe they just forgot what it was like to have someone waiting for you to come back from fighting.
"We need to get going," Castiel said, breaking the silence. "If we keep him waiting for too long who knows what will happen."
Emma nodded. "Take us there Cas."
Castiel nodded and in a blink of an eye they were all transported to the location. It was a grimy looking lab that looked like it was still in use. Blood dripped from chairs and pooled on the ground around it. There was an empty, red tinted jar resting on a table along with a sheet of paper. And on the tiled walls there was a weird looking symbol that Emma had never seen before written in blood. Emma didn't want to know what had gone on there. Or what was going to happen there.
"It just had to be a creepy lab, didn't it?" Dean said, shaking his head. "You guys really think we can do this? I mean, we don't even have the horsemen rings anymore so-,"
"This isn't the time for your pessimism Dean," Emma cut him off. But she was scared, having to keep herself from shaking. Could they do this? Emma wished she had gone with Drew back to his tiny New York apartment.
"Seems you've all gotten off the bus of my field trip, huh?" Emma stiffened and looked over to see Lucifer standing near the strange symbol on the wall. "But where's the nephilim? Too scared?"
No one answered.
"Silent treatment, ok," he smiled and walked closer to them. "I'm sure you're wondering why I sent you to all those places, but first-,"
Lucifer flung his hand to the left and Dean, Sam, and Castiel were blasted into the wall. "You three weren't invited."
"You should've clarified that on your invitation," Dean said, struggling to free himself from the invisible hold that Lucifer had on them.
Lucifer smirked, as if amused. "Now, back to what I was saying. Why I sent you to those places. Well, it was mostly a lesson that Emma had to learn, but you two and the nephilim coming along was a little bonus."
"And what exactly was the lesson?" Emma asked, glaring at him with her leaf green eyes.
He smiled, as if he had been waiting for her to ask him that question for a long time. "That everything ends in despair."
Emma raised an eyebrow. What?
"Let's recap, shall we?" Lucifer cleared his throat. "First: Chicago. You met that Demon rebel, Chief there. You formed a nice little friendship to fight the shadows but it ended in tragedy when Chief was killed, creating a Demon out of the shadow."
Emma remembered back when Chief scarified himself to save them. The memory stung.
"Then there was the forest in New York where you met Connor Rain Heart. Hell of a name if you ask me." The Devil shifted over to look at the sheet of paper on the table, continuing talking. "Didn't you and Connor kiss?" he asked, looking over at Emma. She didn't reply.
"Anyway, the young hunter is now, unfortunately, paralyzed, barley escaping with his life if it wasn't for me who transported him to the hospital." So that's how Connor was able to get the hospital. Lucifer took him there. "You're probably wondering why I did that. Well, he did plead for you to kill him, figured he would have a harder time living than dying."
Emma's eyes started to well with tears. He remembered Connor's plea to her in the forest as he lay helplessly on the ground.
"Next was Drew's small apartment where you learned how his girlfriend died," he said, looking at the surprised faces on Murdock and Lynn. She forgot that they didn't know about that. "And where you learned that Gabriel died, my poor weak brother."
Emma wanted to put her hands over her ears; she didn't want to hear him talking anymore. It just hurt too much to remember.
"Then it was the first time I sent you back in time, where you watched your old self with that putrid excuse for an Angel. Where you learned how he knew that he was going to die at the hands of a Goddess."
She'll never forget the last kiss they shared.
"Next was the Snow residence I believe?" Lucifer said, thinking. "Where you learned about poor Charlie Snow, the child of your dear Exarp. Where is he now? Crying in front of the ashes of his home?"
Emma wanted to punch him in the face so hard he flew into the sun.
"Oh, and sorry Lynn, I didn't think you would end up with a hole in your chest," he said, turning to his daughter. "And by the way, I don't approve of your new boyfriend." Murdock's eyes went wide.
"Like I need your approval," Lynn spat at him.
Lucifer ignored her comment. "You were at the warlock's mansion next where you learned about his terrible, lonely life."
Why was he doing this? They already lived through all of it! Was he trying to make us find the pattern?
"And last but not least, you four watching Exarp and Megan in their last moments."
"Will you ever shut up?" Sam said from his place against the wall.
"Careful Sammy, you may be my true vessel but I wouldn't mind gutting you like a fish," Lucifer threatened. Sam stayed quiet.
"See the pattern?" Lucifer continued. "All your journeys ended in despair. The point I'm making is to just give up. The faster you accept that all your heroics are pointless the easier it will be to accept the end of the world."
Emma stared at him wide eyed. "So you're just saying to give up?" Emma was angry, conviction raging in her like a wild fire. "You made us go through all that so we would just accept you turning the world into ash and dust?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Lucifer said matter-of-fact-ly.
She looked at him in disbelief. "Are you fucking serious?"
Lucifer raised an eyebrow at the chosen one. "I told you, everything ends in despair. Do you really want to live out the rest of your life knowing that?"
Emma took a deep breath. She didn't want to live like that, but she had given up once and that didn't help anyone, it just made her feel worse.
That's when she remembered something. Something about hope. "Despair comes with an equal amount of hope," she said in barley a whisper.
"Hope?" Lucifer laughed. "There's no such thing."
"Chief sacrificed himself to save us, even though he was a Demon. He showed us that Demons can be good," Emma started. "Connor reminded me about love when I thought I was done with it, and he's alive and happy about it."
"What are you trying to say?" Lucifer glared at her.
Emma ignored him. "Drew and I learned that you can't change the past and I live knowing that Gabe tried to stop you, that he didn't give up hope."
She kept going, feeling strength surge through her with every word. "I was able to see Exarp one more time and learned how selfless he really was," Emma said. "Their lives may be changed forever but the Snow's will have us as friends and protectors. Charlie won't have to live in fear of his powers."
"Murdock may have been lonely but he grew up knowing that he would make great friends who will stand by his side no matter what." Emma saw Murdock smile. "And lastly I remembered that Megan is still with me, who had a lot more hope than I did."
"That's your reasoning?" Lucifer eyed her. "Well, here's one more thing to add to the list." He looked over at Castiel. "Castiel, care to explain why you brought them here? And who you've been working with?"
Everyone turned to look at Cas, who looked utterly defeated. "That's right, I didn't invite you here," Lucifer continued. "I wrote the words on your house but your little Angel friend was the one to bring you here."
"Cas, what the hell is he talking about?" Dean asked, looking over at his friend.
Castiel sighed. "I brought you all here so I could open the gates to Purgatory and consume the souls for their power. That way I could kill Lucifer."
"And who have you been working with?" Lucifer pressed.
Castiel shifted his dull blue gaze to the balcony on the other side of the lab. Everyone look up to see Crowley, leaning against the metal bars and smirking.
Crowley? Emma hadn't seen him since Libra's palace. Why were he and Cas working together?
"You're working with Crowley?" Sam said, staring at Castiel in disbelief.
"I'm sorry," the Angel said.
"He really is you know," Crowley said, reappearing next to the three against the wall. He snapped his fingers and the three were released from the invisible grip. "He did this just for you, Emma. For redemption for being a piss poor protector. I like the new look, by the way. Lynn, long time no see."
Lynn glared at him.
"And I'm afraid your little plan isn't going to work. An Angel with that much power is self-destructive," Lucifer informed. But there was something about the way he said it, like he was improvising.
"I don't care," Castiel said as he reappeared next to the table and grabbed the sheet of paper.
"Cas, don't!" Emma said, trying to stop him. She couldn't let him do this, not for her. She should be the one to stop the Devil! Cas can't die!
Castiel didn't listen and started to read off the ancient words. The symbol on the wall then started to glow.
"Well, I think this is my queue to go. Exit stage Crowley," Crowley said then disappeared.
"Cas!" Lynn and Dean cried as a portal started to open up. Lucifer didn't move.
Castiel then stopped speaking as the portal was completely opened. Emma couldn't look at it for too long or else she got an overwhelming feeling of darkness.
"One last thing Emma," Lucifer said over the strong wind that appeared from nowhere. "Thou shalt not kill. Words to live by."
Just then a powerful burst of light came shooting out from the portal and into Castiel. He looked like he was in pain as he swallowed all the souls that dawned in Purgatory.
The beam stopped once it was all consumed by Castiel. He didn't look stronger but his eyes lit up bright with vengeance.
And Lucifer just started laughing. "Do you realize how idiotic you all are?"
Castiel tilted his head in confusion at the Devil. What was he talking about? He was about to be killed!
"You've been playing into my plan perfectly," he continued.
"What plan?" Emma asked.
"Oh, you'll see," Lucifer smiled and looked over at Castiel. "I'm ready," he laughed.
Castiel ignored his words and snapped his fingers. Lucifer burst, chucks of flesh and organs and blood exploded around them. Lucifer was…dead?
"Dad…?" Emma heard Lynn whisper as she stared at all the blood around them.
"Cas…?" She heard Dean say and they all looked at the Angel.
Castiel turned to all of them and with power in his voice said, "I defeated Lucifer. I'm stronger than any of you," he shot a look towards Emma. "I am your new God."
Oh, shit.