Live To Rise

Chapter 25: Army of Darkness

Heaven

Sherlock stared deep into the round blue eyes of Carl Powers. The boy had died when he was eleven years old, a few years older than Sherlock was at the time. He never got the chance to grow up and reach his potential. He never got to live his dreams. His innocent life was cut short because of psychotic child. He was the reason Sherlock had become what he was.

"Mr. Holmes," Carl asked after a few seconds. He was wearing his clothes, trousers, shirt and trainers. He wasn't just wearing a pair of swim trunks. He was in the middle of one of his best memories when he received the call from Ash, yes it had to be that man. Collin was young, but his life was still full of beautiful and happy memories.

"Yes, Carl?" Sherlock asked as he felt the tears roll down his cheek. Apparently angels could cry.

"Why are you crying?"

"Because I am seeing you what you were once like," Sherlock answered. "I am seeing your true selves for the first time. I am sorry."

"Don't be," a woman said. She was Jennifer Wilson aka the pink lady. "It is because of you our killers were brought to justice. You stopped a mad man from murdering even more people."

"Sherlock?" A soft elderly voice called out to him. "You can't be here."

"Grandmother?" Sherlock asked and looked past the victims he had brought justice to and found three of his grandparents. His two grandmothers, Grandmother Doyle was plump and tall, dressed with a lace shawl and one of those funny hats with the feathers and beads she always liked and Grandmother Holmes was short and thin with silvery white hair tucked in a bun and dressed in red. Sherlock's grandfather was there, bald as a boiled egg and dressed in a tan suit with a bow tie. Sherlock's other grandfather was still alive.

"You can't be here," Grandmother Doyle said as she rushed to him. "You are so young, too young to be here." She cradled his face in her hands. He remembered how they always smelled like lavender and like the old breath mints she kept in the bottom of that red and yellow striped handbag of hers.

"I'm not dead," Sherlock assured her. "I have been temporarily transformed into an angel. Someday I will be here with you, but not now." He turned around and faced the American with the mullet. "Why did you bring them here?"

"They are all willing to fight," Ash said. "More are coming now that the angels have returned and broke down the borders."

"Fight?" Sherlock asked and pointed at Grandma Doyle. "Them?" He received a smack in the face by his maternal grandmother's handbag.

"Sherlock, Holmes you do not sass your grandmother like that." Grandfather Doyle said. "If she wants to fight along your side then you accept it."

"Yes sir," Sherlock said and cast a sidelong glance at Sam. "Are your grandparents here?"

"I only want my grandmothers and my one grandfather, Henry Winchester by my side," Sam said.

"That bastard Samuel aint coming," Bobby said. "Your grandma Deanna doesn't even want him near her, neither does your mother, not after what I told them what he did to you and Dean."

"Great our troops are forming," Sam said looked out the door. "But where are we going? Are we following the roads to the center again?"

A sound of feathery wings was heard as Ariel flew into the room. She was holding two angel swords in her hands and she seemed quite pleased they were there.

"Metatron is not in the garden," Ariel said. "He has dared to seat himself on our father's throne. He thinks he can take over, pretend to be God."

"Why haven't you taken him out already?" Sam asked. "God's throne has to be a pretty big target right?"

"It is not that simple," Ariel told him. "He had just connected himself to the powers of heaven. He has convinced some souls to protect him and he even has fooled some of the cupids to fight on his behalf. We need every available warrior we can find to fight." She held out the swords. "These have been crafted for you."

"This is not Inias's?" Sherlock asked. He was certain the newly turned human had left his own behind, but as he examined it the sword was even cleaner and shined so brilliantly it was almost white.

"Inias's sword is his own. This is yours, brother."

"Our own angel swords," Sam said as he accepted his. "Thanks."

"Do not thank me just yet," Ariel said. "This place will multiply with thousands of souls, the souls of hunters like yourself. There will be soldiers who have died in battle, police men and women, body guards, bouncers, athletes and everyone and anyone who wishes to fight."

"I thought they had gathered last time," Sherlock said. "But they were defeated."

"Not quite," Ellen told him. "We were gathering when Metatron noticed us and knew what we were up to. That was why he sent us to our own rooms and locked away the keys."

"Kevin wasn't able to explain," Sherlock said. "Metatron had done something to him, cut him off from Heaven most likely and put him in a coma for a short while." He barely spoke to Kevin when he and Sam dropped off both Inias and Fergus outside the bunker. Kevin had tried to ask a few questions but Sherlock and Sam had apologized before they flew off.

"Metatron has harmed a prophet?" Ariel asked and narrowed her eyes. "His transgressions against Heaven have grown tenfold since he expelled us to Earth."

"I will gladly fight," Sherlock said as he stretched his wings. "His crimes will not go unpunished. I will see to that." He glanced back at Carl Powers. "I always do."

London.

Seven demons in total had returned to the room in groups of two and three. Those were the only seven who went back for their brethren and two by two and in one case three they were all exorcised from the officers they had possessed. Of course explaining it to them was another hard task and after performing several exorcisms Dean was growing hoarse.

After the others, mostly Cas and John with a little help from Greg, they believed just enough in order to want to help and they came up with a good plan. They divided into groups of two with Anderson and the officers leading the others in handcuffs through the building. One group would go to storage where they kept the megaphones and riot gear and barricades. They would form a barrio, lined with salt and use the megaphones to speak several exorcisms. The second group would seal all the exits and windows with salt.

"What else is out there?" Anderson asked as he and few other officers surrounded Dean and John. It was Dean's luck the forensics officer would be in the same group as him.

"Maybe we shouldn't ask such questions," John whispered. "Not until we are safe behind the barrier Lestrade and Donovan are building."

"Listen to Johnny," Dean said. He had questions himself like how many demons were in the building and how many have escaped. Are they all in London? Where they going to just do a few mass exorcisms and open the doors to see hundreds of people with black eyes waiting for them.

"I just want to know what is out there," Anderson said they entered a kitchen area. "I like to protect myself and my wife."

"She did seem nice," Dean said as he watched Anderson and the others dump bags of salt into a large bag. "How did she get that limp?"

"What limp?" Anderson asked. "She hadn't had a limp in a year because she pulled a muscle during her jog, and how would you know that?"

"You are not bringing that up now are you?" John asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Not bringing it up now and it's kind of a funny story."

"Holmes told you didn't he?" Anderson asked and frowned. "Of all days we decide to go to the museum and he shows up and behaves like a complete dick, and you are laughing." He pointed at Dean.

"Sorry," Dean said between chuckles. "I'll explain later."

"For Christ's sake, Winchester," John said looked like he wanted to place his fingers on the bridge of his nose.

"We have the salt," Dean said as forced himself to stop laughing. "Line the doorways and windows and if another demon asks what is going on try and make up an excuse."

"Say you are trying to secure everything from hunters," John suggested and seemed pleased with his suggestion.

"That would work." If there were hundreds of black clouds flying over London then of course the local hunters of England would have been alerted.

"Allow me to take care of those handcuffs," Anderson said as the few officers left the room with several containers of salt. "They will take care of the entrance ways and the windows for us."

"Might need to keep them on," John said as he sat down in one of the plastic chairs. "We still have to find where Lestrade and the others are hiding."

Dean sat down on one of the chairs and wished there were some extra donuts, or at least some muffins or pie or even some fruit to snack on while they waited, even the coffee pots were off and the carafes were empty.

"I thought I might give your wrists a bit of relief," Anderson said before he glanced back at the door.

"I think we can manage," Dean said. If there were some easy snacking treats around he would of asked for the cuffs to come off. "How about you, Johnny?"

"I can wait," John said.

"Can you fill me in on all that is out there while we wait?" Anderson asked as he also sat down. "Sally told me there are ghosts and angels and I know of demons, but what else are there. Are there any vampires?"

"Yes," Dean and John answered at the same time.

"Are they like the ones in books and movies?"

"Not really," John said as he nodded to Dean. "But I have never really come across any vampires before."

Dean took over. He listed the various kinds of monsters he came across and knew about and how to kill each one. He also brought up pagan deities and tricksters and witches. It did pass the time and he was willing to answer any question that Anderson had asked even if some of the questions did seem kind of dumb.

Dean stopped when one of the female officers that were with them came back to the room with a smile on her face.

"We have finished," she said in triumph.

"Don't cheer too soon, constable," John told him. "We still have to get rid of all the demons."

"That task won't be as easy as salting the joint," Dean said. "Let's find Cas and the others."

It did not take long for them to find where they were located. The barrier was only halfway constructed and the several demons were approaching the group.

"Handcuffs off," Anderson whispered as he and a few of the other officers removed the cuffs off of Dean and John.

"Hold onto your salt," Dean said as he pointed at Anderson and John. "Everyone else season them thoroughly." He would have kicked himself for such horrible puns but he was going to have to do that later as threw handfuls of salt at the demons. He made sure Anderson and John joined the others first and continued to fight until they had built a ring of salt.

"Everyone get inside," Greg ordered. "Those of you who are free of the dark demon clouds get into this ring, get behind the riot shields."

"Next time I'll give the command," Sally told him.

"Just hope there is a next time," Cas said.

Dean leaped over the barrier, careful as to not disturb the salt. He landed and rolled over a bit before he sat up and looked at Cas. He gave his friend a shake of the head.

"What do you mean hope there is a next time? We been through a hell of a lot worse and we always kicked in the ass." He felt like smacking him. "Stop being so pessimistic."

"It just seemed like something I should say," Cas said.

"Boys, now is not the time," John told them.

"What are the words?" Anderson asked as he held up one of the megaphones.

"I'll take that." Dean grabbed it out of his hand. The jerking around created a shill feedback that drilled into his ear drum. "Excorcizamus te, ominus immundus spiritus. "Omnis Satanica potestas, ominis incursio inferunalis adversarii omnis congreatio, et secta, diabolica." His throat felt like sandpaper and his tongue was almost bone dry, but he had to keep on going. He looked up when he felt the megaphone being pulled out of his hands by Cas.

"Ergo draco maledicte, Ecclaisssam tuam scuri tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos." Castiel finished the exorcism and looked at him. "You need to rest your voice."

"No I don't," Dean told him as several demons shout out of the mouths of the officers that crowded around them.

"Doctor?" Castiel asked as he gave John a hopeful look.

"Cas is right," John said. "You need to rest your voice. Cas here can perform the rest of them."

"And so can we," Greg said and handed Dean a notepad and a pen. "Write it all down twice. We can split up in groups-"

"Lestrade," Sally said in a stern tone. "He does have a sound plan. We split up in groups. Each group has someone who knows the words of has it written down for them. We will not stop until the last has been exercised." She turned to Anderson and the other officers. "You had them inside you. How many escaped hell?"

"At least a hundred," Anderson answered. "And most of them came here. I wouldn't be surprised if several possessed constables accompanied Moriarty."

"We'll worry about that later," Sally said. "Split up and move out."

Dean was teamed up with John who had one of the papers with the words. Dean was surprised that a few repeat exorcisms was enough to dry out his throat like that. Then again he had been shouting and crying. He'd ask John but every time he tried to open his mouth John would put his finger on Dean's lips and shook his head.

John read from the paper every time they entered a new room or a hallway that was filled with officers. There weren't always demons and the cops that had just heard John stared at him with confused expressions. Sometimes there were demons and regular cops and after the demons have been sent back to hell the regular cops would be by the sides of those who were once possessed.

It took several hours, but they cleared out all the demons, from top to bottom. John grabbed the nearest chair and sat down in it while Dean helped himself to a paper cone full of water from the cooler.

"Everyone has to think we have gone batty," John said once he had caught his breath.

"Not everyone," Dean said after he had finished his drink. "Those we saved know something."

"And those that don't know?" John asked.

Dean shrugged. "Many have seen the smoke and if anyone outside asks we'll make up something like drugs."

"Drugs?" John blinked. "Really we are going to boil it down to drugs?"

"A hallucinogenic drug in the form of a gas that came in through the vents," Dean suggested. "Pumped in by men that worked for Sebastian Moran and James Moriarty." He held up his index fingers.

John pressed his lips together and nodded. "That does seem plausible. You are quite skilled with creating cover stories."

"We have to check on the others," Dean said as he poured himself some more water. "Then we'll track down baby demon Moriarty."

Heaven

The roadhouse had indeed doubled in size and not just doubled, but also tripled and quadrupled as more and more souls filled the area. There were doorways that left the main bar and into a large house with quite an impressive book collection. Sherlock explored the place and picked up one of the books. It contained lore on various monsters found in the South Eastern states.

"Extraordinary," Sherlock said as he skimmed through the pages. He was reading much faster than his usual rate and after he set the book down he picked another up. He didn't even have to open it to read and absorb the knowledge. "This is annoying."

"That particular volume is full of disappointment," Bobby Singer said as he stepped inside the room. "Barely tells you anything. Waste of five bucks."

"This cost five dollars?" Sherlock said as he stared at the slightly worn cover.

"I got it from a used book shop," Bobby said and held out his arms. "What can I say I'm cheap"

"I should have known this was your home," Sherlock said as he looked around his surroundings. "It fits your personality."

"Old and worn. Just the way I like it. I've seen your pad and are you the crazy son of a bitch who shot holes in the wall?"

"I was bored," Sherlock said. He had seen the replica of his old flat and after spending an hour there he wanted to explore more.

"Nice chem lab you got going in the kitchen and what is with the fingers and that heart in the fridge? Are you expecting Hannibal Lecter to stop on by for dinner?"

"They are on loan from the morgue," Sherlock explained. "I like to experiment."

"Son you aint right in the head, but from what Sam told me that head is pretty darn valuable."

"It is my hard drive of valuable information."

"Everybody says that about their cortex so don't flatter yourself." Bobby sat down in a chair. "So you're an angel. I wonder what that is like?"

"Boring actually." He looked up when he heard Bobby laughing. "Does that amuse you?"

"You have got to be the only one in the world who thinks being an angel is boring."

"There is no mystery, no intrigue." He placed a hand under his chin. "All the answers right there. I need something that can challenge me. I do not like this and once I have defeated Metatron I'm giving the grace back. "

"Rather be regular human. I guess if things come to easy then of course you would rather be human." He folded his arms. "So the answers are easy, well riddle me this Earl Grey are we going to win?"

"I can read the answers but I cannot predict the future, but yes we will win. The odds are in our favor, our armies are growing, surely other angels have already laid siege on the throne. We will win."

"And you are positive?"

"Of course I am," Sherlock said. "I am never wrong." They had to win. He looked up as several more people entered and filled the room. They were people he had never come across before and by the expression on Bobby's face he had no idea who they were.

"It better be soon," Bobby said as he stood up and walked to Sherlock. "I feel like I have to bust out some beer and Ruffles."

"There will be a celebration after," Sherlock said. "A glorious celebration."

"Trust me once we ice the bastard I'll be in the mood to party."

Musical voices filled Sherlock's head. Thousands of people talking at once. It took a few seconds before every voice said the same thing.

"What's with ya kid?" Bobby asked. "All of sudden your staring into place."

"My new adopted family," Sherlock said. "They are all speaking at once. It is time."