Chapter 25 - Your Boss is Quite the Diva

The three men split up to salt the windows and look for signs of activity inside. It was still about a half-hour until dusk so it wasn't surprising no lights could be seen on inside the building. Dean peered in each main floor window as he salted the sills but saw nothing but empty, unpainted rooms. On the far side, he found an unlocked window and decided to take a quick detour inside. After all, he was the one with the knife. Best scenario – he runs into Netty first.

He crept from room to room, finding nothing but empty work buckets, scraps of building materials, and a broken stepladder. He was rounding a corner into the lobby when a figure appeared in the doorless opening to the stairs. He jumped and raised his shotgun, trigger finger twitching but stopped abruptly when he recognized the figure as Josh, who was lowering his own shotgun with a relieved sigh of recognition.

"Dude, I coulda killed you," Dean hissed.

"Ditto," came the whispered retort.

"What are you doing inside?" Dean asked.

Josh shrugged. "Door to the mechanical room in the basement was open. Figured I'd sneak a peek. Where's Sam?"

"I don't know. Probably still outside where we're supposed to be," Dean answered, hoping this was the truth. "You find anything?"

Josh shook his head and was about to suggest they go back out and regroup with Sam but stopped when a sharp noise came from the stairwell behind him. He stepped quickly into the lobby with Dean and flattened himself against the wall on the opposite side of the doorway. They both held their breath in silence, straining to listen.

The sound of male voices floated down the stairwell from at least two floors up. They were too muffled to be coming from within the stairwell but were probably from the hallway on a higher floor. Josh raised an eyebrow in silent question and Dean nodded, slipping past the doorjamb and heading for the steps.

Although they could no longer hear them, he decided the voices must have originated on the third floor. Feeling both guilty and relieved that they had gone in without Sam, Dean led the way as the two men crept through the door on the third floor landing and stepped out into the hallway. A silent 'eenie-meenie-miney-mo' steered the hunter left and they walked slowly, listening closely for a brief moment at each apartment door they passed.

Dean raised his arm to signify he'd heard something as he stood with an ear pressed against a solid wooden door on the right hand side. Josh came to the other side of the door and both hunters raised the shotguns they were carrying. Dean mouthed a 'one' and a 'two' and went on three, turning the handle with a sharp twist and shouldering the door open.

They stormed into the apartment like a two-man S.W.A.T. team on a procedural cop show raiding a drug dealer's house, guns raised and fanning out as they moved into the room. This apartment, unlike the previous main floor units, was furnished with a couple of leather couches and a giant flat-screen TV on the far wall. They found themselves alone in the makeshift living room but company came soon enough in the form of two black-eyed men running in from a doorway on the right, startled looks on their faces. Neither was the man Netiran had taken over in the gym.

Dean didn't bother with his shotgun. Instead he let it drop to the floor and reached immediately for Ruby's knife in his waistband. He lunged at the closest demon, cursing as the man swiftly skipped backwards out of his reach. Determined to stay on the offensive, he lunged again and again, forcing the demon backwards towards the television.

He heard a single shotgun blast from behind him but couldn't spare a glance to check on his friend. At the outer extent of his fifth jab he was rewarded with the feel of the knife hitting home and watched with satisfaction as the blade sank into the demon's ribcage.

He heard a scream behind him and spun around before the lights of death had finished flashing from within the demon he had just killed. He turned to see the demon that had attacked Josh wiping madly at its face as the blond man splashed holy water on it from a flask. Knowing Josh's weaponry would merely serve as a deterrent, Dean moved over quickly to finish the demon off. It backed away from him with its arm out in a gesture of submission.

"Wait, wait," the possessed man pleaded, eyeing the knife warily and stealing frantic glances at the dead demon on the floor.

"I don't think so," Dean refused, feeling a sudden smugness at having the upper hand for once.

"You're the Winchesters!" the demon exclaimed, looking wide-eyed with recognition at the knife in Dean's hand. "I didn't know. Wait, wait," he motioned for the advancing hunter to stop. "I didn't know who you were. Can't we work something out here?"

Dean shook his head, taking another step forward. "The only thing I'm gonna be working out is whether to stick you in the heart or the gut."

He never got the chance to decide where to place his fatal strike, however, as he was suddenly flying through the air. The wall stopped him with a brutally unfriendly smack and he found himself held hard against the dented drywall by an invisible pressure against his back. That same force knocked the knife out of his hand and he cursed as he heard it hit the floor with a thud. He managed to squirm his body around to face outward so he could get a look at his new foe.

Crap. It was Netty.

Netiran was standing a few steps into the apartment, his arm raised in the air before him and a look of distaste on his borrowed face. Josh was plastered up against the far wall with an equally pissed off expression, his shotgun lying useless on the floor before him.

"What is going on in here?" the boss addressed the demon Dean had been about to kill.

"These two just barged in," the demon stammered, looking almost as scared of Netiran as he had of Dean with Ruby's lethal knife.

Netiran lowered his arm but the hunters remained pinned on the walls. "They're humans, you ingrate," he hissed with obvious annoyance. "Just kill them already."

With that Netiran turned to leave but the underling found enough nerve to speak up. "I-I can't," he called out hesitantly.

His boss turned back around. "Why not? It's two measly humans! I'm even holding them in place for you. I swear, Lillith has sent me nothing but useless imbeciles." Netiran breathed a loud sigh of frustration. "Either you kill them now or I'll send you back to Hell like I did your incompetent colleague this morning."

"They're Sam and Dean Winchester," the demon blurted.

That got Netiran's attention. "Well well," he cooed with a sudden renewed interest. "I'll be damned. The Winchesters." He looked back and forth between Dean and Josh. "I'm almost flattered," he laughed haughtily, coming back into the center of the room and strolling around in front of the hunters, studying them both.

"I have had a terribly boring first three days back," he informed them casually, as if they would naturally be oh-so interested in his social calendar since being resurrected. "I've been spending my time in this dreary place getting caught up on the last two thousand years of history and, of course, on current affairs." He stopped in front of Dean, giving the hunter an amused smile. "It seems you two are quite the proverbial thorn in Lillith's side."

"We try our best," Dean quipped, his jaw tight with irritation at the invisible bonds holding him.

Netiran chuckled, sauntering over towards Josh and clearly enjoying being in complete control. "Well, I've been told I can kill Dean but Lillith would like to finish Samuel off herself, so I'll relinquish that honour to her. So," he squinted his eyes in scrutiny at Josh. "Which one of you is Dean?"

Josh gave him a hard stare but said nothing. Netiran turned again to Dean, eyebrows raised. Dean just smirked. Clearly Netiran didn't remember his brief encounter with the real Winchesters in the gym of the school. He had, after all, barely even glanced in their direction.

"Ahh, I see how it's going to be," Netiran still seemed more amused than angry. He turned to the demon. "Ben," he addressed him.

"It's Bill."

"Whatever, I don't care. Which one of these two is Dean?"

The demon shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted before adding quickly, "Uh…I heard Sam is taller."

Netiran perked up and stood aside as he waved a hand in the air. Josh sailed through the air across the room and slammed into the wall next to Dean with a grunt.

"Ow! Fuck," he gasped quietly, giving Dean a strained, sideways grin.

"So nice of you to join me, bro," Dean snickered back.

"They're the same height!" the apparently quick-tempered Netiran bellowed at his underling.

"Uh…Sam is the younger one," Bill offered hopefully.

Netiran narrowed his eyes, looking back and forth quickly between the two. "I can't be sure," he concluded through gritted teeth. "Come now, gentlemen," he seethed. "Just tell me which one of you is Dean and we can get this over with."

"I hear he's the smartass one," Bill offered.

"Actually, that's not quite right. I'm just smart and he's just an ass," Josh quipped, earning himself an eyeroll from Dean. Both hunters realized they would only stay alive as long as the demon believed one of them was Sam.

Netiran didn't find the joke amusing. "Have some honour," he coaxed. "I have a special treat for whichever one of you is Dean."

"Demon treats?" Dean poured on the sarcasm, making sure their captor didn't come to the conclusion either of them was more smart-assy than the other. "Is that like Milkbones?"

"Not at all," the demon replied, standing in front of the mouthy Winchester. "Fact of the matter is, I'm not going to just kill Dean," he gloated. "I'm going to send him back to Hell."

Dean's stomach lurched and it took all his will to hide the terror from his face as Netiran continued. "I heard Dean liked it there. He earned quite the reputation for himself. Quite the go-getter. I'm sure he's got an avid fan base waiting for him to come back and pick up where he left off."

The demon wasn't addressing either of them in particular and it was clear he liked the sound of his own voice. He sighed and gave them each one last look before turning back to the underling. "I don't have time for this. Find out which one is Dean and call me," he commanded sternly. With that he turned and pranced out of the apartment.

Both hunters tensed, waiting for the invisible restraints to fall away and release them. The knife was at Dean's feet and he prepared himself to lunge for it as soon as he was free. But the demon mojo never faltered. The men tried to pull against it but to no avail.

The demon Bill was still exhaling in relief, staring at the apartment door through which his tyrannical boss had just disappeared. Eventually he slowly turned back to the hunters, still looking more relieved than anything else. Josh struck up a conversation.

"So your boss is quite the diva, huh?"

Bill snorted. "You have no idea. He's been zapping us back to Hell if we so much as screw up his lunch order. There's was only me and Rowan left," he jerked his chin at the dead demon on the floor by the TV. "There were nine of us to start out with."

Josh laughed. "So what did you do wrong to get stuck on this detail?"

Dean grunted his disapproval of the light conversation. "Dude, you don't make nice with the demons!"

The blond man shrugged. "No harm in being civil."

"He's right," the demon grinned at Dean. "Netiran's hold can pin you there all day whether he's here or not so you're not going anywhere." He stepped forward and picked up Ruby's knife from the floor. "So which one of you is Sam?" he asked casually. "'Cause the fact that I'm still standing here proves the stories about him killing demons with his mind are just total bullshit."

SPN-SPN-SPN

Sam finished salting the windowsills on the rear of the building and made his way back around to the front to regroup. He was surprised to be the first back and his forehead creased with concern as he worked out the other men's routes in his head. Josh had gone around the other side so it was conceivable that he would still come back that way but Dean had taken the end of the building Sam had just walked round so he should definitely be here by now. He cursed under his breath as he realized his idiotic brother had gone inside alone. Not bothering to search any further or wait for Josh, he headed straight for the front door.

It was locked but Sam picked the padlock in about thirty seconds and yanked the chain off as quietly as he could without slowing down. He found himself in the empty front lobby and decided to head to the side of the building Dean would most likely have entered. What the Hell was Dean thinking? Surely he knew he couldn't take Netiran on by himself? Was this just an over-reaction to Sam's words under the siren's influence? Sam couldn't figure Dean out these days. One minute he's scared of his own shadow then the next he's charging in somewhere on a freaking suicide mission. He suspected the problem was more Dean's lack of caring about whether he lived or died at this point. Well, the selfish jerk should realize there are other people out there that did give a damn about him. Sam was fairly certain he wouldn't survive losing his brother again.

He was just starting down the main floor hallway when he heard a shotgun blast coming from one of the upper floors. There was an open doorway on his left to a stairwell and he charged through it, taking the steps three at a time.

He hesitated on the second floor landing, trying to decide if the shot had come from the second or the third floor. It was a large building and searching the wrong floor could take precious minutes Dean may not have. He decided he didn't have a choice and he stormed out into the second floor hallway.

"Dean!" he called, throwing open each empty apartment door as he went. "Dean!"

He got no response and found nothing. At the end of the row he spun on his heel and headed back to the stairs in the middle, not sure whether he should try the rest of the floor or head up to the third. He opted for the stairs and charged back into the landing only to find himself face to face with Netiran, who had been strolling down the steps.

Sam recognized him instantly from the school and raised his arm to send him a blast of his mojo. He was beaten to the punch, however, and found himself being hurled backwards down the stairs. Ignoring the painful smack to his shoulder and hip as he hit the concrete wall of the mid-level landing, he forced himself quickly to his feet and tried again, projecting his powers towards the figure at the top of the stairs.

Netiran flinched but barely faltered as he waved his hand in front of him as if brushing some unseen cobwebs away. He re-extended his arm in the young hunter's direction again and slowly advanced, descending two of the nine steps before stopping. Sam felt himself being crushed against the hard wall behind him and tried to focus on peeling himself away from it.

"This explains a lot," Netiran said coolly, a condescending smirk on his human face.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" grunted Sam, glad for the distraction of conversation to allow him to get his mojo together.

"Now it makes sense why neither of those pathetic excuses for heros that I have upstairs made any attempt to fight back," he explained.

Sam tried to keep up. Excuses? Plural? He must be talking about Dean. Did he have Josh too? Netiran's next sentence cleared any confusion or doubt Sam might have had.

"Dean and his friend were caught sneaking around my humble, albeit temporary, abode," he laughed a humourless laugh.

"What did you do to my brother?" Sam shouted, his fear for Dean reaching near panic mode.

"Well nothing yet," the demon taunted, his eyes flashing green. "I wasn't sure which one was Dean. Now it doesn't really matter so I get to kill both of them without robbing Lillith of her little prize."

Sam said nothing, relief sweeping through him that Dean was still alive. He renewed his focus on trying to break Netiran's invisible bonds. He thought he had become immune to the demon-pinning thing. Apparently the rules kept changing.

There was one rule the demons seemed unable to break, however. The unspoken rule that they had to monologue and taunt their prey before finishing them off. Sam cursed in silent anger as he stood pinned and helpless to escape the inevitable goading.

"Is that all you've got, Sam?" Netiran folded his arms across his chest, making holding Sam in place look effortless. "Let me tell you, you have been so overrated. I can't understand why Lillith is even bothering with you." He shrugged. "Well, if she wants to do you in herself, that's fine by me but personally, I think it's a waste of time. You're an insignificant nothing, just like your brother, whichever of those maggots he happens to be."

The hunter couldn't hide the flash of anger on his face at the insult to his brother. Netiran picked up on it. "Oh yes, I have your brother quite snugly pinned to the wall upstairs," he laughed. "I'm going to send him back to Hell, you know."

"No!" Sam cried in horror. Not that. Anything but that.

"Why not? From what I hear, I'll be doing him a favour. He liked it there - was quite the teacher's pet."

"That's not who Dean is!" Sam spat, believing his words wholeheartedly.

"Maybe, maybe not. But it's who he's about to be in a few minutes when I send him back there. I need the practice, anyway. I'm running out of demons to toss back in the pit while I twiddle my thumbs in this miserable place." Netiran turned and walked up a few steps of the next flight before turning and leaning over the railing.

"You just stay put, Sam" he said with chilling politeness. "I've got a date with those two sacks of excrement upstairs, but don't worry, I'm stuck here until dawn so we'll have all night to chat."

To Sam's surprise, the mojo held him pinned even after Netiran left the stairwell on the third floor. Desperate now, he took a few deep breaths, concentrating on the energy and power he had tapped when killing Alistair. He threw it all at the invisible restraints, panting and grunting in effort. It took all his might, but he finally broke free, slipping away from the wall. He threw a quick look up the stairs but instead ran down, towards the main floor.

He raced out of the building, hoping Netiran's conceit and need for attention would provide Dean with enough of the demon's monologuing for Sam to do what he needed to do and still get back up there in time.

He threw open the Impala's trunk, fishing around inside his duffel for his flasks. He had polished off a full one right before Dean and Josh had returned from Missouri's but clearly it hadn't been enough. Ruby's words rang in his head, 'There isn't a 'too much', Sam' and he hoped this extra flask would at least be enough.

As if on cue, Shelby started growling and barking furiously from the back seat of the Impala and Ruby appeared at his side just as he was downing the last drops. "You'll need more to take on Netiran," she said, pulling out a knife and slicing her arm. "Here."

He grabbed her arm wordlessly and started sucking. He drank as much as he had for Alistair before pulling back, gulping in deep breaths and wiping a sleeve across his face.

"You need more, Sam," she insisted, jabbing her arm at him again. "You need more."

He gave her a brief, uncertain look but again grabbed her arm, squeezing it slightly to increase the flow as he drank. She was talking as he swallowed but he could barely hear her past the thrumming in his ears and the pounding of his heart in his chest.

"You need it fresh from the source and you need a lot of it," she was saying. "Netiran's almost as powerful as Lillith."

He kept drinking until he felt her knees buckle. He pulled back, sucking in air noisily as he pushed her arm away. "He has Dean," was all he managed to say.

She nodded in understanding for Sam, if not worry for Dean, and pulled her sleeve back down. "Okay, let's go," she said, her voice sounding shaky. She pushed herself off the Impala's tailgate and swayed for a second before attempting to follow him.

Sam paused, giving her a genuinely concerned look. "No," he commanded sternly. "You're too weak, you can barely stand. You'd be defenseless. Stay here." With that he turned and stormed back into the building.

SPN-SPN-SPN

Netiran was gone for only a few minutes before he appeared in the apartment doorway again. The demon underling had spent the time on his cell phone, asking around to find out what the brothers looked like so he could determine which one was Dean. Both Josh and Dean had been glad for the peaceful approach because the alternative method of 'torture you until you tell me the truth' had seemed somewhat less appealing.

Josh had actually spent the time chatting amicably with the demon, much to Dean's disapproval. The elder Winchester had to admit though, the surprisingly friendly demon Bill liked to talk and the more he talked, the less phone calls he made, so the surfer's stalling tactic was at least partially working.

Both men, and possibly Bill also, groaned under their breath when Netiran came back in the room. The boss demon looked smug as he approached the restrained hunters, stopping before them and standing with his hands folded behind his back.

"Don't you look like the cat who swallowed the canary," Dean commented.

"Hmm," Netiran smiled. "I have discovered something." He paused for effect.

Dean had never been big on patience. "Well, you gonna tell us or do we have to guess?"

"I'll guess!" Josh offered. "Uhh…you just discovered disco."

"No, he just discovered Baywatch," Dean grinned.

"He just found out that Britney lip syncs."

"Or that she's not a virgin."

Netiran raised his hand, still smiling in mild amusement. "Enough," he said quietly, silencing the room. "I have discovered Sam Winchester."

That got Dean's attention. Did he mean he thought he knew which one of them was Sam Winchester or that he'd actually found Sam? God, he sure as Hell hoped it was the first one. Though still pinned against the wall, during Netiran's absence, Dean had managed to move his hand down to his side. He could feel the tip of his .45 with his fingertips and was confident that he could pull it out if necessary. Nobody was going to Hell.

Netiran paused again, clearly reveling in the disappearance of the jovial banter the men had been managing despite their situation. "I ran into a young man in the stairwell," he continued. "Seems this young man had a meager ability against demons." He hovered his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. "Not nearly enough to affect me," he gloated, "but it had to be Sam Winchester all the same."

"What did you do to him?" Dean asked, his voice raspy with fear for Sam.

"Oh he's fine for now," Netiran assured him, moving towards Dean. "But your concern leads me to believe you must be the elder Winchester brother."

"What if I am?" Dean challenged.

"To be honest, it doesn't really matter at this point," Netiran shrugged, standing back and addressing both men again. "Sam is the only one with the Do Not Kill order. That means both of you are mine to toy with."

Bill's cell phone suddenly rang, piercing the heavy moment with the ominous sound of Darth Vader's theme tune. "Oh, sorry," he stammered, snapping it open and turning away while he answered.

Netiran gritted his teeth and let out a slow, angry exhale. "I think perhaps Ben here shall be joining you two in Hell after all," he hissed quietly. He turned away and paced the room for a minute while the three listened to Bill's half of the conversation. Apparently he did not like to compete for attention.

"Good looking?" Bill was saying as he stared back and forth between Dean and Josh for a moment. "I dunno, they both are."

"Why Bill, that's sweet but we don't swing that way," Dean managed.

Bill ignored him. "Cocky?" he said into the phone, his eyes steering towards Dean. "And he wears a shirt over a t-shirt?" Now Bill was nodding. "All the time?…okay…yeah, light brown…nope, hasn't shaved in a few days…yeah, green eyes. Thanks Eric. That answers my question." He snapped his phone shut and turned to Netiran. "That's Dean Winchester," he announced, pointing to Dean.

"Why thank-you, you imbecile," Netty answered snidely. "But it doesn't really matter now, does it? I'm sending them both to Hell." He turned to Dean. "You first."

Dean swallowed but was surprisingly less scared than he thought he'd be. He slid his trigger finger into position on the gun behind his back. If he was being honest, he was more upset at having to shoot Josh than himself. He could handle dying but there was no way he was going back to Hell. And there was no way his friend was going there either. If they died before Netty could work his mojo, hopefully they'd end up in Heaven... well, unless that kinky shit he did with that waitress from Kentucky back in 2003 really was a mortal sin... then he may be screwed either way.

His biggest regret with this plan was that Sammy would be left alone. Clearly Netiran wasn't going to kill Sam himself so hopefully the kid would manage to escape and split. Dean knew it would crush Sam to see him dead again but at least Sam would be alive.

He thought rationally and coolly as he mentally prepared himself for whatever was coming next. Surely Netiran's mojo would pull back just enough before he tried to zap him back to the pit that he could get the gun up, shoot Josh in the head then eat a bullet himself.

He was wrong. A powerful force suddenly slammed into his chest, driving him backwards and actually into the wall, rendering the hand with the gun useless. The pain was excruciating and he heard himself scream as he was thrust upwards, drywall chunks and shards spilling down over his shoulders. It only lasted an instant before, as suddenly as it had started, it was over.

Josh watched in horror as Netiran stepped forward and thrust the palm of his hand towards Dean's chest. The wall behind Josh shook as Dean flew up to the ceiling, tearing away the drywall as he did so. Dean screamed a short, pained scream then fell silent. Netiran stepped back and the hunter dropped heavily to the ground, motionless.

It all happened so quickly Josh wasn't aware his mouth was open in shock. Netiran sighed and looked to face him but Josh was too busy frantically searching the seemingly indestructible Dean for signs of breathing.

"It's so much easier than sending an angel downstairs," Netiran shrugged, looking disappointed. "But not nearly as much fun." He took a step towards Josh and the blond man held his breath, bracing himself for what was about to happen.

But Netiran didn't touch him. Instead, the demon flew backwards, away from Josh, and slammed into the opposite wall. Still holding his breath, Josh looked up to see Sam standing in the doorway, hand outstretched towards Netiran. The pressure on his body released and Josh found himself standing on his own two feet. Struggling to keep his wits, he dropped to his knees and crawled over to Dean, pressing his fingers on the hunter's neck in search of a pulse.

"Is my brother okay?" he heard Sam rumble. The only sound in the room for the few seconds that seemed like an eternity was the gasping and wheezing of the newly-resurrected demon fighting against Sam's invisible bonds of will. He ignored them and concentrated on finding signs of life from Dean.

"JOSH! IS HE OKAY?"

"I'm sorry," Josh replied looking up and catching Sam's eye, his sympathy for the younger Winchester suddenly overtaking that for the older one lying still and lifeless on the floor in front of him. He shook his head.

"He's dead."

SPN-SPN-SPN

TBC...

Next chap: Sam's worst nightmare...