Chapter Twenty- Four: Take Me Away ((Globus))

They set off early that morning.

The car was quiet. Even when Dean popped a tape in the player, there was still a silence thick in the air. There was none of the usual banter, not even from Gabriel. They knew what they were going up against, and no one was looking forward to it. The odds weren't that good that they'd even finish this job, or even live through it. People didn't just fight the devil and walk away. Unless you were playing some kind of stringed instrument, but Dean didn't think that really counted.

Finally, Dean decided if no one was going to talk to lighten the mood, he'd talk to help them out. "Okay. We've got the weapon part down. All we need to do is find it. What do we know about the enemy?"

Gabriel leveled him with a deadpan stare. Which would be impressive if Dean weren't watching the road. But his tone was obviously matched. "He's the freaking devil?"

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," the hunter rolled his eyes. "I mean, I'm trying to think of this as a hunt. So what's the strengths, weaknesses, all that. You're his brother, you should know."

"He doesn't have any weaknesses, Dean, this isn't some werewolf you can just hack with something until it dies," the archangel sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Everything's got a weakness."

Crowley pressed his forehead against the window. "Well, your little demon knife didn't do anything to him but amuse him, so I rule out any demon weaknesses."

Dean frowned. "It's like he got all the good parts and none of the bad…"

"Precisely what it is," Castiel replied. "He has the demons' power in a world where they have the most power. But at the same time, he's an angel, and cannot be killed by normal methods."

"So, is there any other way to gank this guy, without using the sword?"

"I think Michael's sword is our only chance for the time being," the angel picked at his sleeve. It was a very human gesture, and Dean thought it was a bit odd coming from him.

"Okay, so here's the plan. We're gonna try to sneak in as best we can. Surprise always works, and that'll give us time to find the sword before having to deal with Luci. Me and Cas will look for that. Gabe, you and Crowley are in charge of finding Sam and getting him the hell out of there. Got it?"

For once, Gabriel didn't argue. Dean was glad for it. He wanted to be the one to look for his brother; he wanted to find him before anything else happened. It was in his nature to look after his brother, and that included saving him from things on occasion. But he knew that he was the one that had to use the sword, so it would make things better in the long run to have it in hand as soon as possible. So, as much as he hated to, he'd have to leave his brother's rescue up to an archangel and a demon.

He supposed there were worse people to leave Sam's fate up to.

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Whatever Dean expected upon arriving to the hotel Lilith had given them, it wasn't this. He thought, for some reason, that Lucifer would have a grand suite somewhere, living it up. Decadence and iniquity and all that. Maybe that was just Crowley's lifestyle.

What they came to was a tall brick building on the corner of the street. It looked thinner than it had any business being, like they'd build it strangely to fit on that corner. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. None of the lights were on, including the sign announcing vacancies. At least half, if not more, of the windows were broken, and the red brick was covered in more than its' share of graffiti.

Seemed like Lucifer was pretty low maintenance.

Dean parked the Impala a few blocks away. As much as he loved his baby, he knew how loud she was, and how distinctive that particular engine noise could be. He killed the engine, and then turned in his seat. Three sets of eyes stared back at him.

"If you're expecting some kind of pep talk, that's not my thing," he said finally, the barest hint of a smirk on his features.

Crowley shrugged. "I've always liked a straight and simple, 'let's go kill shit'."

Castiel tilted his head. "I believe I read it somewhere, something that said 'Ours is not to question why, ours is but to do or die.' Does that help?"

"Not especially, Cas. That's kind of a bummer."

"Oh."

The look on the angel's face made him chuckle. Which he figured was good enough for any pep talk.

He took a deep breath, letting it out in a harsh exhale. "Alright. Let's get this over with."

They left the car after grabbing what they needed from the trunk. The salt rounds and Holy Water might not mean much in the face of Satan himself, but he was sure to have demons backing him up. And the faster they dealt with them, the less chance they had to get overwhelmed before they even reached Lucifer. Not to mention that going in there empty- handed went against every fiber of his being.

Once they reached the hotel, they split up. Gabriel and Crowley circled around the back to the staff entrance, while Dean and Castiel went up the fire escape. Lucifer could be anywhere in the hotel, and starting from either end would help them work faster. He also thought that the devil would take the top floor, but that was just a guess.

Crowley and Gabriel made it to the kitchen before they were found out. There weren't many of them; it was still early morning, after all. Probably about ten or twelve demons. They'd been eating in the kitchen when the archangel and demon had walked through, trying to get to the rooms to begin their search for Sam.

One of them glanced up at the noise, eyes flicking to dark black as he spotted the pair. The demons stopped what they were doing, moving to block their path.

"Well crap," the archangel frowned, holding up the water bottle of Holy Water. "There goes our sneak attack."

Crowley took a step closer to the other, eyes scanning their opposition in a calculating manner. "Gonna be alright, angel?"

He nodded. "Just don't make me use up all my juice trying to save you. We need that for Luci."

"Think I can manage that. You can still do your exorcism thing, right? Without blasting me in the process?"

"Yeah," he unscrewed the cap. "You hold 'em and I'll take care of the hard part."

Crowley nodded, flinging his hand out. The demon closest to them went sailing through the air. This seemed to spur the rest of them into attack. Gabriel doused the next one with Holy Water, careful to keep the liquid away from his demon. The enemy demon let out a yell, skin burning painfully as she fell back. Gabriel started muttering quickly in Latin, reaching to grab the stunned demon's arm. He finished the spell and the woman fell back, a heap on the floor.

He moved on to the next, using the water to disorient them before taking them out with the spell. Crowley spent his time backing the angel up, flinging away any demon that got too close. It was slower than they would have liked, but with only the pair of them, it was the best they could manage. Crowley couldn't use any of Dean's demon- hunting equipment without hurting himself in the process, and Gabriel needed to concentrate to use his spell. He also needed to have hands- on contact with the demon, or else he risked hitting Crowley by mistake.

It was slow, but it was efficient. Crowley blocked the exit, making sure no one ran off to get reinforcements. They had a job to do, after all. But they walked out unharmed, and with twelve less demons running around the hotel. It was a win in their book.

After checking the kitchen for any sign of the human they were after, they ran down the hall to make up for lost time. It was a daunting task. The hotel was full of rooms, that was the point. And Sam could be in any one of them. They decided to check the basement, since there was less chance of the hunter being able to escape from there.

They checked every room they came across in the lower levels, but there was no sign of the younger Winchester.

They made it to the indoor pool room before the rest of the demons found them.

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Dean and Castiel took the fire escape up to the top level. They were about six floors off the ground, and Dean wasn't taking it too well. It was a bad time for his fear of heights to kick in. His fingers clung to the railing so hard his knuckles turned white, and Castiel quickly guided him inside one of the broken windows.

He was breathing hard by the time they were inside the hotel, and not from over- exertion. Castiel put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He nodded, taking a few more calming breaths, like Sam had always told him to do when this sort of thing came up, before they started down the hall.

Dean started to realize why this place was a very good hiding spot. There were just so many places they had to look. It was a hotel, and all of the rooms were the same. Lucifer could be in any one of them. The sword could even be in a room completely opposite to him. They had nothing to go on but guesses.

They had no other option but to start opening doors at random. Fortunately, the hotel was in such a state of disrepair, that most of the locks were broken. And those that were intact could be easily kicked in. If they could find even a random demon, they could pump them for information. However, the hall was completely devoid of life aside from the two of them.

Castiel neared the stairs when movement caught his eye. The door to the stairs was open, and someone ran through it, heading up. The angel called out to Dean, getting his attention before he followed the runner. The hunter tailed him quickly.

The stairs brought them to the roof. Castiel pushed open the stairwell door, and he was immediately greeted by a gust of wind from outside. He stepped out cautiously, blue eyes scanning the rooftop. It was an open area, aside from ventilation equipment that lined one of the sides. There was no one out here. He moved towards the vents to check behind them.

Dean skidded to a halt at the doorway, eyes wide. "Oh shit… Cas, c'mon, tell me there's nothing out here…" He gripped the wood of the door frame, trying to keep calm.

Castiel shook his head, leaning to look behind the vents. There was no one. "I don't see any-"

He cried out as he was tossed through the air, hitting the vent hard. He dropped to the floor of the rooftop.

"Cas!"

Dean bolted from the doorway, heights be damned. Before he could reach the angel's side, a familiar tall blonde figure flashed into existence between them, shoving Dean back with a hand of demonic power.

"Dean," Lucifer said with a smile, "So good to see you again."

The hunter growled, dangerous in his throat. Behind the devil, Castiel pushed himself up on his arms. Lucifer didn't pay it any mind. "Where's Sam?"

"Did you come all this way for him? To save him? I told him you would."

"Where is he?" Dean yelled again, hand clenched tight on the shotgun at his side and ready to strike.

Lucifer smiled. It almost made Dean shudder. He'd deny it until his dying day. "He's right behind you."

"If you think I'm falling for that…"

"Dean, turn around!" Castiel warned, eyes wide.

Dean obeyed without a second thought. In the doorway was Sam, his little brother, safe and not dead. Dean's shoulders slumped in obvious relief. Then he turned back to Lucifer, his normal bravado in place now that he knew his brother was safe.

"So maybe we'll just collect our angel and get out of here…" He shrugged. They still needed that sword, and if they could make an escape from the roof, it would buy them some time to find it. Not to mention give Crowley and Gabriel some time to catch up. They could really use all the help they could get at this point.

Plus they were still on the roof. He really wanted to be away from the roof.

Lucifer just smiled indulgently, arms crossed over his chest. "Did you think that one was going to work?"

"It was worth a shot, yeah."

Dean glanced back to his brother. Sam hadn't moved from the roof door, and he watched the three of them. The older Winchester took a step back towards him, trying to be as discreet as possible. It wasn't very effective, seeing as the devil was watching their every move.

"Sammy, go find the sword. Me and Cas'll hold him off."

Sam didn't move. He stayed completely still, blocking the doorway. Dean frowned, twisting his head to really look at him.

"Sammy?"

Lucifer chuckled. "I don't think he's feeling quite like himself today."

"I would've thought Satan would have a better sense of humor," Dean said, distracted by his brother's lack of movement.

Sam wasn't moving at all. It was if he wasn't aware of any of them. His arms hung at his sides, and he stared straight ahead. Dean moved closer, concerned about the clouded look in his eyes. He gave the taller hunter's shoulder a light shove.

It was only then that Sam reacted, reaching out with lighting fast reflexes to grab Dean's wrist. His grip was just tight enough to hurt and Dean stepped back on impulse, trying to yank his arm free.

"Sammy, let go, what's goin' on?"

"That's not Sam," Castiel spoke up, getting to his feet. "Not completely."

Lucifer tilted his head, as if just remembering the other angel's presence. "Castiel. Please don't spoil the surprise."

"What'd you do to him?" Dean snapped. He tried to pry his wrist free, but his brother's grip held tight. He couldn't do anything to stop him without hurting him.

Lucifer shrugged. "A bargaining. A trade of helping each other."

"You made a deal?" Dean whipped his head back to stare at Sam. "You made a fucking deal with the devil?"

"Not the sort you're thinking of," he continued. "I wouldn't take his soul. I like him better with it. He just agreed to help me for awhile. To make sure you and your ragtag supernatural party wouldn't be a problem."

"We're a problem to you?" Dean couldn't help but smirk a bit at that. Defiance was his strong point, after all. "Do we put a little of the fear of God in you?"

The devil laughed. "You're hardly one to be mentioning Him to me…"

Dean tried to twist his arm away. Sam retaliated by grabbing his collar with the other hand, turning them quickly to slam him against the wall. Dean coughed as the breath was knocked from his chest.

"So, I'll let Sam take care of you for a bit. You two are so close, I'm sure you've got a bit of anger to take out on each other…" Lucifer grinned, dark and dangerous.

Sam pinned him against the wall, not letting up in the slightest. His hand was tight on the other's collar. Dean looked down, catching sight of something on the inside of his brother's wrist. There were symbols there, which he knew for certain weren't there before. They looked familiar, but he didn't have time to think about it before Sam's other hand slammed against his jaw in fist- form.

Dean's head fell back with the force of it, knocking into the wall with a hiss. Two pains for the price of one. "Sammy, c'mon, don't do this…"

Sam ignored him, pulling back for another punch. Dean caught him by the wrist, blocking it just in time. He shoved back against his brother. Sam had the benefit of a larger frame, but they were evenly matched on strength. They'd fought before, petty arguments that ended with a few punches and maybe a scuffle on the floor. But never like this. Never with full intent to hurt.

He shoved again. Sam stumbled back a step, giving Dean enough room to duck away and free himself from the wall. Sam whirled around to catch him again, but the shorter brother fell back, avoiding his reach.

Dean had to deal with Sam. His brother was going to kill him if he didn't. Lucifer was going to make him do that, and Sam couldn't stop it. But this was his baby brother. He couldn't hurt him. He was going to have to though, because Sam wasn't going to give up, not when he wasn't in control. Determined, he lunged at Sam, catching him by the side and tackling him to the same wall he'd been pinned to moments ago. All he had to do was knock Sam out. They could work on getting rid of this influence later, after they dealt with Lucifer.

Sam's elbow slammed into his back, hard. He grunted in pain, his shoulder dipping with the force of it. A hand grabbed him by the back of the neck, yanking him up and shoving him away. He lost his balance, falling back onto the rooftop.

Castiel let out a pained yell. Dean was up in a second. Shit. How could he forget Castiel was still there with Lucifer? Castiel was back on the rooftop tile, on his knees. The ex- angel had his brother by the hair, twisting his head at painful- looking angles. Castiel grabbed at the other's hand but couldn't dislodge it.

Dean bolted for them. Lucifer was much stronger than all of them, and he didn't think the devil would hesitate just because it was one of his brothers. Lucifer didn't really seem all too happy with his family.

He made it halfway across the roof when Sam slammed into him. Dean was tossed off his course, instead knocking into the roof's cement edge. Panic set in, seeing exactly how high up he was off the ground, and he flailed. This only made things worse, and he lost his balance, falling over the edge with a yell that was completely too high- pitched for being the last thing anyone would hear from him.

And then there was a hand grabbing his arm, holding him up. Castiel was yelling again, this time panicked cries of Dean's name. Lucifer gave him a shake, snapping his head around so fast his neck might break.

Dean reached up with his other hand, grabbing onto the one holding him. Sam leaned over the edge, holding tightly to him. Dean squeezed his eyes shut tight, trying his best not to thrash and hyperventilate. Sam didn't drop him; but he didn't pull him up either. The older Winchester kept a death grip on his brother's arm.

Castiel pulled against Lucifer's grip, trying to get away to help Dean. The devil only yanked harder, and this time his neck protested with a loud pop of the joints creaking.

Lucifer grinned, eyes burning with malicious intent. "Time to show you what Sam asked for in return for helping me."

"No!" Castiel shoved at Lucifer's legs. His brother fell back a step, more out of surprise than the force behind it. The angel pulled free and ran, trench coat flying behind him as he crossed the roof. He had to get to Dean in time-

Sam pried the other hunter's hand off his arm. Dean started squirming at that.

"Sammy, don't!"

Sam let go. Dean stared at his brother, eyes wide in terror as he fell.