"What is that?" Cass asked.
"I'm thinking of calling it... the Equilizer. Or... the Hammurabi."
There was a moment of awkward silence after Chuck's words as we turned our gaze from the gun to him.
"No? All right, cool. That's cool. Cool."
Chuck looked down at his feet, embarrassed.
"Wait, y-you're saying that this thing could kill Jack?" Dean inquired.
"That? That'll kill anything," Chuck replied.
"So you've had this the whole time and- and we're just now getting it?" Sam sounded annoyed. "Why?"
"Because I haven't?" came the response. "I just made that sucker. Hasn't been fired yet."
"So you don't know if it works," I commented.
"If I say it'll work, it'll work," Chuck rebutted.
Dean had picked up the gun from the table, taking out the magazine and looking inside as he studied it.
"There's are no bullets."
"Right. It doesn't exactly use bullets. See, existence is all about balance, right? Dark and light, good and evil, chocolate and peanut butter..."
"Ugh, yeah, okay Chuck. The point, please?" Sam interrupted.
Chuck sighed and explained, "Uh, whatever happens to the person you're aiming at also happens to you. So you kill him..."
"You die," Dean finished, clicking the magazine back into place and putting the gun down.
"Right. Yeah. Look, I know it's not perfect, and I'd do it myself, but, you know, if I bite it, then... existence also kind of bites it, so one of you... Sorry."
Cass shook his head, not liking the turn the conversation had taken.
"I don't understand why we're talking about killing Jack. Y-you can fix him. You can- You can restore his soul. That's why I called you."
"Yeah, not so much," Chuck admitted.
"You're God," I countered.
"Well, souls are complicated- even for me. Besides, even if I could, would you really want- I mean, after what he did?"
"Then we bind him," Cass cut in. "We throw him in the Cage until-"
"Stop Cass," Dean interrupted. "You heard him. This is the only way."
"And Billie said the only way to defeat Michael was to lock you in a box," Cass argued.
"Ugh. Billie," Chuck scoffed. "I liked the old Death better. He was all about fried pickles and tickle porn. This new Death- she's always sticking her scythe where it doesn't belong."
"There has to be another way," Cass continued.
"Well, there's not. Now, I know you don't like it, and I really don't care. 'Cause you just heard it from God Himself that this," Dean picked up the gun again, "is the only thing that can kill Jack, so either get on board, or walk away."
There was a tense moment of silence before Cass turned and left the room.
XxX
Sam and Dean had disappeared shortly after Cass had left. I wasn't sure where they were, but I was left alone with Chuck.
"What about me?"
"What?"
"All this with Jack... trying to kill him. What about me?"
"What about you?"
"You know what I am. You have to. So why am I still around? Why haven't you tried to kill me off, too. I mean, I have to be at least ten times more powerful than he'll ever be."
Chuck sighed, considering this.
"You haven't done anything stupid. You're in control, don't cause chaos like today."
"But I could. Hell, one wrong move from me and I could wipe out everything in creation. Regardless of how 'in control' I am."
"Yeah, that's true. But that's not going to happen."
"How do you know?"
"Because I'm Me? And in my experience watching you, you want nothing to do with that part of you. You've gone to great lengths to be as human as you possibly can be."
We both fell silent as I considered his words. Chuck stood and started to play with an archangel blade, studying it.
"I haven't seen one of these in forever. Where'd you get it?"
"Another world," Sam responded, joining us.
"Oh. Right," Chuck set the blade down, suddenly embarrassed.
"So," Sam continued, "how many are there- how many other worlds or- or universes or realities or whatever?"
"I don't know. Kinda lost track. Most of them are boring."
Chuck shrugged, starting to list off the different versions.
"One's in reverse. In one, there's no yellow," he chuckled. "One- one of them's just all squirrels."
"So, Michael said you create these worlds and you toss them away like failed versions of some book."
"And you believe him?" Chuck inquired, glancing over at me when I fidgeted at Michael's name.
"Was he lying? Is that what you're doing to us?
"No. Sam... you and your brother, of all the Sams and Deans in the multiverse, you're my favorite. You're just so interesting. I mean, like that thing that happened at the office earlier today- that was crazy, right?"
Sam shook his head as I looked over my shoulder, brows furrowed. I didn't hear what was said next as I realized since Chuck first showed us the gun, I hadn't seen Dean or Cass... or the gun for that matter. I turned back to the other two.
"Do you know where he is?" Sam was asking.
"I do," Chuck responded.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"Oh. Nothing. Dean's already gone."
XxX
Chuck, Sam and I pulled into the cemetery Chuck had directed us to. Cass was laying on the ground a little ways away from Dean and Jack. Dean was holding the gun in his hand and Jack was on his knees in front of him. Sam jumped out, running toward his brother and the nephilim. I was next, choosing to run over to Cass instead. Chuck was in the rear, taking his time as he approached. I helped Cass to his feet and we hurried over just as Dean un-cocked the gun and tossed it to the side.
"No!" Chuck yelled. "Pick it up! Pick it up."
"The hell, Chuck?" Dean asked.
"This isn't how the story is supposed to end," Chuck stated stubbornly.
"The story?" Cass inquired.
Chuck huffed, frustrated.
"Lookit, the- the- the gathering storm, the gun, the- the father killing his own son. This is Abraham and Isaac. This is epic!"
"Wait," Dean interrupted, confused. "What are you saying?"
"He's saying he's been playing us," Sam supplied. "This whole time."
"Come on," Chuck whined.
"Our entire lives," Sam continued, "Mom, Dad- everything. This is all because you wrote it all, right? Because- Because what? Because we're your favorite show? Because we're part of your story?"
Chuck huffed, turning on Dean, getting desperate.
"Okay, Dean, no offense, but your brother is stupid and crazy. And that kid is still dangerous. So pick up the gun. Pick it up... pull the trigger... and I'll bring her back. Your mom."
"No," Dean said, taking a few steps back so he stood next to Sam. "No. My mom was my hero. And I miss her, and I will miss her every second of my life, but she would not want this. And it's not like you even really care. 'Cause Sam's right. The Apocalypse, the first go-around, with Lucifer and Michael- you knew everything that was going on, so why the games, Chuck, huh? Why don't you snap your fingers and end it?"
"Look, I-" Chuck started but was interrupted by Sam.
"And every other bad thing we've been killing, been dying over," he scoffed, "where were you? Just sitting back and watching us suffer so we can do this over and over and over again- fighting, losing people we love? When does it end? Tell me."
"Dean, don't do this," Chuck pleaded.
"No, we're done talking," Dean told him. "'Cause this- this isn't just a story. It's our lives! So God or no God, you can go to Hell."
"Have it your way."
Before we could react, Chuck had snapped his fingers and Jack screamed. His eyes lit up like he had been attacked by an angel and he fell to the ground, screaming and gasping. What followed next was too fast for me to register at once. Cass was by Jack, trying to help him, Dean was thrown to the side by Chuck and Sam had gotten the gun in his hands and shot Chuck in the shoulder.
"Fine!" Chuck shouted. "That's the way you want it? Story's over. Welcome to The End."
XxX
"Hello, little one."