CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Stumbling, the Yellow-eyed demon rose up from the ground laughing. The epic battle would be underway shortly and maybe soon Lucifer will be destroyed. If not, he would be deep in battle with his brother he won't notice him take the army from under him. It was time for new management anyhow. He laughed some more admiring how his plan was coming together.

His vessel's body suddenly sustained a gunshot, the projectile boring a hole through his chest. He whirled around and came face to face with John and Mary Winchester. John let off two more shots, the demon bucking backwards.

He smiled, "Is this it John? The moment you've waited 23 years for. Are we about to have our Mexican stand-off?"

"Damn straight!" Dean Winchester strolled up from behind him.

The demon eyed him and the blonde girl surrounding his vessel, noticing the blossoming red spot on Dean's shirt. "Healed then? I see Sam has got quite the hand of his abilities now. I was rooting for him anyhow to take my place. Glad to see he's still a contender."

"Shut your cake hole!" Dean spat. They all surrounded the demon ready for the showdown.

Azazel shrugged his shoulders. "Right then. Seeing as the few remaining children I have left are in dispose with the winged troops and my army is nowhere to be seen, I'm afraid I will have to wipe all you Winchesters out single-handedly. It's a pity. I did enjoy having you around to mess with."

There was barely any time to react. The demon quickly disappeared from the spot, reappearing behind John. He laid a powerful punch to the man's face knocking him off his feet. Mary shot the vessel in the back several times forcing the demon to vanish from view. Dean anticipated the demon's next move and pulled Maddie to the ground just as a red flame flew over their heads. He rolled over and pulled the trigger off his double barrel shotgun. The demon took a direct hit to the chest, the body flying upwards and onto its back.

"Mary!" Maddie threw the demon knife to her. She caught it with ease, pulling her husband to his feet. John had a gash above his eye that leaked down over his nose and mouth.

The demon rose to his feet again, snickering at Dean. "Good shot kid. Knew you had it in you." He whipped his hand through the air forcing Dean to land on top of Maddie.

Mary took aim and threw the demon knife at the man. The knife paused in the air shortly before finding its mark in the demon's chest. It shot backwards with rampant speed embedding itself into Mary's shoulder. She cried out in pain, falling onto her knee. John pulled another pistol from his waistband and shot the demon several times, capturing its attention.

"I don't have time for this John. I have an army to run and a world to conquer in a few minutes."

"Make time," John replied.

It laughed menacingly. "I do admire your resilience, but alas, time is short." He raised his hand and made a clawing motion with his fingers.

John tensed and fell to his knees, gasping for air, grasping his stomach region.

"Does it feel like your insides are being ripped to shreds? Well…that's because they are," the demon said sarcastically.

John yelled out in agony, falling forward on one hand. His wife cried out his name pulling the serrated blade out of her clavicle, hastily trying to reload her weapon with one arm.

Dean snuck up from behind and looped his arms beneath the demon's armpits. Surprised, the demon released the spell injuring his dad. Quickly Dean began to chant an exorcism spell. The demon huffed. "Do you really think that's going to work on something like me?"

Dean ignored his condescending remark and continued his chanting. Next, John and Mary joined in with the chanting. The demon's face morphed from slightly amused to concerned. "It won't work."

The Winchester's voices all became unified, growing louder, stronger. The demon struggled against Dean's grip. Maddie jumped forward and wrapped her arms around his midriff, aiding Dean in keeping him still.

"Stop it!" His yellow eyes were ablaze with fear. The soul began to billow in the vessel's throat attempting to escape.

Maddie laughed a little. "Pentagram marked bullets," she told him. "You're not going anywhere you asshat."

Dean smiled with pride at her remark continuing the exorcism incantation. This only angered the demon. Mustering enough strength, Azazel yelled furiously releasing a rush of energy that blew away Maddie and loosened Dean's grip. The demon threw the Winchester over his back and picked him up by the throat.

John and Mary quit their chanting and aimed their weapons. The demon held Dean in front of him, his hand ready to rip out their child's trachea. "Stop or I'll rip his throat out."

"Don't! Keep going!" Dean gasped through the steel grip.

"Dean, shut up!" his mother ordered.

"Don't miss this shot!" he replied.

His fierce grip tightened over Dean's throat, cutting off his air.

"Dean!" His mother ran forward. The demon sent her flying.

"This ends now!" John said.

"You're right," the demon replied. "It'll be fun picking off you Winchesters one by one. It's only right that your whiney eldest bites it first."

"I don't think so," a voice said from behind.

The demon dropped Dean and was surprised to see Sam appear. The youngest Winchester placed a soft hand on the demon's shoulder where it then felt something akin to death. The demon felt powerless, his soul and power neutralized. Sam stared fiercely into his yellow eyes, the look of someone exacting their revenge. For the first time in its existence, the demon was afraid.

Mary tossed Dean the demon knife who then shoved it into the vessel's back. The body froze as a torrent of red and yellow flashes flowed through, the knife's magic attacking every piece of demonic entity. Sam slowly removed his hand and watched as the vessel fell to the earth. The man laid face up, unblinking, the terrorizing yellow no longer visible.

The Winchesters and Maddie all surrounded the dead vessel. "Is it dead?"

"It's gone," Sam answered.

Dean smiled, "Finally...you can check that off the to-do list."

"I can't believe it," Mary said. "It's gone."

"Sam?" John turned to his youngest son who looked at him sadly.

"Sammy?" Dean stepped forward. His brother looked paler and sweatier than when he saw him before he woke from unconsciousness. "What's the matter?"

Sam raised his hand and out flew the beaded necklace in Dean's pocket. "Don't come after me, especially you Dean. The cage has been unlocked and I need to close it."

"We'll help you," John said.

"No, I need you to focus on getting the rest of the people out."

"Sam, like it or not, we're coming –"

"Dad, I'm not asking. I'm telling you," Sam interrupted, "Get everybody out in case I don't make it. Lucifer's coming. Now go!"

He disappeared from the spot. "Sam!" his brother called after him. He turned to his father. "Dad, we can't let him go alone."

John sighed. "Dean, I know. As much as I hate to admit it, I do think we need to listen to Sam this time. Your brother is right. We need to save these people who are left. Let's rally the troops and evacuate. "

John, Mary, and Maddie ran in the opposite direction determined to see Sam's wish through. Dean looked back over to the square seeing the two angels, Michael and Caroline clash. He desperately wanted to go be with his brother, fight to the very end if need be. But he also knew, as it happened the last time they both fought Michael, the archangel would use him as bait and it would be a disadvantage against his brother. He couldn't do that to Sam, not again!

He whispered, "I'll come back for you." Reluctantly, he ran after his family.

Michael was quite impressed by the hybrid who fought against him. Surely someone of her caliber would have succumbed to his might a few minutes in. Nevertheless, her prowess was astonishing. The psychic Sam initially fought him trying to keep his attention away from the opening of the cage, but he left a few short moments ago – perhaps out of fear – allowing Caroline to take his place. It was a good thing too. The psychic became a lot stronger than he anticipated and he was accomplishing his goal in keeping him away from the gaping portal...away from preparing for Lucifer's arrival.

As Gabriel took his last breath with the last lock opening, he could feel his brother from the suspended cage below. He could feel Lucifer's power growing, the cage's power dwindling, the door about to crack open. It was not as quick as he had hoped. Several thousand years of impenetrable magic still had to mitigate which took time. The anticipation of the impending battle was a wild beast he was hardly able to reign in and lock down. The moment he had been preparing for thousands of years was finally here. Not even the arrival of Sam Winchester and the hybrid could dampen his spirits. They were flies he could swat away...or so he thought. Sam threw out the first punch and hadn't bothered to relent until he disappeared a few moments ago. Now, it was only the hybrid he had in his way.

Caroline flew above high, angling down, and then torpedoing towards him. He waylaid her attack by dodging her hit, taking the opportunity to grasp her wing and stomp on her back. She cried out in anguish. The portal quaked some more filling the air with an electric charge. Random explosions occurred in the background. His brother was almost here. Any second now!

Caroline struggled beneath his foot. He had to tie up this loose end and fast. He raised his sword poised to strike her beneath and struck down hard. The sword stopped an inch from entering her body, frozen in space. Sam suddenly appeared in front of him. With speed he wasn't anticipating, the young psychic grabbed ahold of his hand, placed a beaded necklace within his palm and said "go!"

In a flash of green light, the archangel was gone.

Sam pulled Caroline to her feet and helped to dust her off. "We only have a few minutes. He'll be back and pissed."

She spat out a glob of blood and said, "The portal is going to close anytime now. Let's go with your idea. Can you keep the cage from opening with your powers?"

"I don't know."

"Try! It's our only shot now!" Black lightning shot up from within the portal striking the corner of a brick building.

Sam first noticed the lack of fighting. He took a quick peek around and saw, to his disbelief, that the majority of hunters had gone, many of the angels were slain, and the remaining psychics had taken the field. They were completely surrounded. Some of the hyena-like creatures had already taken an interest in them and were approaching slowly. Caroline seemed to have read his mind.

"Get to work Sam. I'll fight em' off!" She leapt in the air bowling through the hyenas.

Taking in a deep breath, Sam said, "Here goes nothing." The power tingled at his fingertips, salivating, ready to be called. He closed his eyes and then released a flood of psychic energy he never thought he had.

Gordon had packed up the last of the survivors he and a group of hunters found. He slammed the back of Gavin's truck when he heard a "wait!" It was John and his family. They were running swiftly towards them carrying with what looked like a Hispanic family. His son, Dean, carried the father over his shoulders in a firemen's carry. Mary and Maddie carried the children, a four-year-old little boy and an eight-year-old girl, with John carrying the mother over his shoulder. As they reached the truck, Gavin held the family at gunpoint.

John quickly answered, "The capitol of Columbia is Bogota."

"Good, come on." He and Gordon and Gavin helped lift each of the unconscious people into the back of the pickup.

Dean heaved the man inside the back. A pained cry echoed in the clearing and he swore it felt like it belonged to Sam. Grabbing the Carbine rifle from Maddie, he took off running. He heard his mother call his name, but ignored her. He sprinted as hard as he could back towards the portal.

"Dean!" John called after his son. Soon Dean had disappeared behind the corner. He knew where he was going. He had heard the anguished cry too. A small panic settled in his gut.

"John!" Gordon turned to the eldest Winchester. "We've searched every building in the last three blocks. We think we got everybody. We're pulling back. Hell has taken most of the square."

"We know. Get going."

"Wait, you're not coming?"

"No, we're not done here."

"John, this whole place is going to the dogs any second!"

"I know. My son is still in there. I'm not leaving without him. Get going! Now!" He left no room for goodbyes. More than likely this will be the last he will ever see of Gordon and his band of hunters. Reloading his weapon, he, Mary, and Maddie ran after Dean towards the Square…towards the beginning of the end.

Every fiber of Sam's body ached with a fury. His psychic power leeched onto the doorway of the cage deep in the underbelly of Hell and pulled the fibers together, intent to close it like a zipper. Minutes were precious as Michael would be back anytime now. His brow furrowed as he threw more energy into the insurmountable force he composed in trying to keep the doorway from springing open. It was a strange feeling; almost like he were a part of the very thing he held in place. And yet, it was powerful and excruciatingly hard to overcome. He felt the magic that bound it together and the invisible binds disintegrate. He could feel the angelic soul of Lucifer bang against the door fiercely, impatiently waiting for the last bar to fall. The hundreds of thousands of demon souls were anxious, awaiting to beckon their master's call, and be released on Earth.

Caroline was fast at work in keeping the many of Hell's creatures away from him. She flitted in and out, slicing, hacking and whacking, the many falling at her feet. Still the longer she fought, the more they kept coming. Sam only surmised they were drawn by Lucifer's magnetism – their King was about to emerge.

He was so, so tired. The blood from his wound gushed and a rivulet of blood flowed from his nose. He ignored the bone-crushing pressure in his head and concentrated. The portal's energy was beginning to ebb away with eclipse's last bow. He had to hold on just a little bit longer. The portal it seemed was getting smaller and smaller.

A flash of green light exploded over his head and he screamed out in pain. Michael had returned, blinking into existence, and had shoved his sword into the top of Sam's thigh. His concentration shifted and he momentarily lost grip on the cage. Sucking in a staggering breath, he threw out his hand and caught it just in time, the cage's trap door still closed shut.

Caroline soared in the air towards him. Her weapon struck the back of the dagger Michael pulled out in a split second. He delivered a sinister look and issued an energy wave from his back. It blew Caroline back, knocking her out several yards away.

Michael returned his attention to Sam, glaring at the young boy. He yanked the sword from his thigh and watched as he fell onto his side. "Enough of this," The archangel yelled, "You will not stop my destiny." He threw his sword up and threw in down intent to cleave Sam in two.

Panicked, Sam blocked the strike with a shield which diminished his hold on the cage. Two of the locks broke open again. The angel angrily swung his sword several times trying to break through the barrier. It weakened Sam with each hit, his power continually slipping on the cage door. A tear leaked down the side of Sam's eyes, the pressure of keeping both foes at bay was nearly unbearable. His arms trembled at the might.

This only fueled Michael's anger. He outstretched his hand and with a powerful spell that made Sam's teeth rattle, he burst through the protective shield. Sam gasped in shock, not prepared for the impending deadly strike. Michael threw his sword upwards once more to strike down his foe…when he received a gunshot to the head. His body jolted and his head whipped to the side from the force.

It was Dean. He snuck up and pointed the rifle to the archangel's temple and pulled the trigger. "Whoops," Dean muttered defiantly.

Michael sneered wiping the blood off his ear. He backhanded Dean sending him spiraling through the air and crash landing many yards away. The diversion gave Sam enough time. Telekinetically, he summoned the Key dagger from Michael's waistband into his hand. Michael's sword came down once more and the Key shattered to pieces.

The cage roared in distress, the locks snapping back in place one by one. The spell from the Key was broken.

"What have you done?" Michael screamed in horror.

Sam could feel the ire stemming from the angelic soul from within. Michael ran to the edge of the shrinking pit, unsure of what to do. Sam took the opportunity of the delayed reaction. He jumped up, his body acute with protest, and gave a quick punch to the archangel's face. Michael spun around in surprise where Sam then delivered an uppercut to his jaw. Michael's body lost his footing and his body sailed backwards into the pit. Sam used to his power to keep the cage open just long enough for Michael to fall in before the locks snapped shut. The eclipse ended and the portal zipped up, for the first time falling silent.

The moon's light shone down, bathing the square in a soothing white light. The hellish red hue of the sky returned to its inky black, speckled with the stars. The doorway to both worlds had closed.

Sam turned around at the spot and faced the remainder of Azazel's militia with deadly intent. The hounds of Hell backed away, their piercing cries of mourning echoed in the clearing. The werewolves, the hyenas, the sidewinders, and others all backed away. Sam remained in his fighting stance. He was ready for another fight and the horde knew it. The masses began to recede, disappearing amongst the shadows. He breathed a sigh of relief, holding his bleeding side. A wave of vertigo hit him and he stumbled.

Sitting up a few yards away, Dean shook the rocks and dust off him. He looked up and saw Sam standing, swaying. He quickly got to his feet and ran over to his brother. "Sam," he shook him slightly. "Are you okay?"

Sam's eyes briefly closed and his legs gave way, his body falling into his brother's arms. Dean caught him, keeping him aloft. "I've got you little brother. I've got you," he reassured.

Dean's hand felt wet and he raised it up to find it was coated in blood. Sam was hurt, bad. "Don't worry man. We're going to get you out of here. You're going to be just fine. Caroline? Where are you? We need you." He looked around saw she was slumped over on the ground, knocked out. He helped to hoist Sam up on unsteady legs, clamping a hand over the wound in his side, staunching the flow of blood.

Sam's head fell over onto Dean's shoulder, his body nearly going slack. He was beyond exhausted.

They heard a group of people running. It was their family: John, Mary, and Maddie. Their parents slowed their pace observing their surroundings, taking in what just transpired. Seeing Sam's state, John ran to Sam's other side and pulled an arm over his shoulder to help Dean hold him up.

"What happened? Is it over?"

"It's over," Dean smiled, his eyes shining. "Sam kicked the son-of-bitch's ass into the pit. They're both trapped down there."

It was the first time the two boys saw their father smile. John planted a soft kiss on the side of Sam's sweaty head and exclaimed, "You did so good kid. You did so good."

Mary came up, softly hugged Sam and kissed both of his cheeks. "That's my boy!" Upon seeing his wound, she took off her jacket and ripped off both sleeves of her flannel shirt. She wrapped one around Sam's waist and the other around his thigh, eliciting a pained grunt when she tightened it. "There, that'll help it for now until we can get you patched up. You're going to be just fine."

The sound of a jet flew overhead. They couldn't see anything through the haze of the smoky grounds. The rest of the National Guard should be any minute to do a sweep of the area. Mary wanted to be out of the way long before they do.

"Maddie, help me," Mary directed over to the girl. They both went over to Caroline and helped lift the angel off the ground. "It's okay," Mary assured the angel who was teetering back into consciousness. "You're in good hands."

"Come on, let's get out of here," Dean directed, and they began to walk away.

FLASH!

A missile bomb dropped into the square, striking them with a force of a thousand tons of dynamite… and they knew no more.