"We've been poking around for five days," Bela was practically growling as she sank her weight forward against the counter beside Adam, causing the demon to jump and snarl out somewhat reflexively. He still wasn't used to the way she could just pop up from behind him at the worst times, and he didn't think he'd ever really get used to the jumpscares. It's like they sparked up some kind of instinctive reaction, something desperate to attack and kill. But he pushed it down, as he so often did, and rooted his gaze to the shot of whiskey he was spinning in front of him. Without touching it, he lifted it a good few inches into the air, his finger hovering just above it, and began to twirl it around in a circle, watching, mesmerized, as it spun in the air.
"And we have nothing about ghouls, or the Winchesters for that matter," Bela continued to complain, though her words halted slightly when she looked over at him. With a scowl, she reached out and put her hand over his, pausing the movements of the glass, and promptly pushing it back down onto the counter. "Need I remind you of the prying eyes?"
"Need I remind you of the prying ears?" Adam cocked his head toward her without quite looking, a small smirk making its way onto his face as he wrapped his fingers around the glass and lifted it up himself, somewhat reluctantly. "You're the one talking about ghouls and monsters in public. So I lifted a glass a few inches off of the counter - it's not like anybody's looking at what I'm drinking, are they? They're too busy giving themselves alcohol poisoning."
Bela rolled her eyes, but she let the subject drop in favor of turning the conversation back to what she was mostly concerned about. "Did you even hear a word I said?" She turned to face him, leaning sideways against the counter now. "The Winchesters aren't here, Adam."
"That's not my problem," Adam defended, finally flicking his gaze back to her. "This is where they said they'd be. Minnesota. I brought you to Minnesota. So if they've already wrapped up the case and took the tornado back to Kansas, not my problem," he emphasized, offering her the glass. "Just relax, have a drink. That is why we're here, isn't it?" He implored her, frowning.
"We were here to ask around," Bela told him, pushing the glass back toward him with a scowl and leaning back. "Not to 'relax and have a drink'. And we ought to be leaving," she added, turning her head to glance around. "Nobody here is of any use. Especially you…" She groaned, a strangled sigh escaping her lips, as she rested her chin in one hand, elbow propped up against the counter as her lips pulled into a grimace.
"Wow. Thank you," Adam told her dryly, looking away again to catch the bartender's gaze, and waving him over at once. "Something strong for my friend here, she's having a rough day."
"I don't need-" Bela cut off and let out another half-strangled sigh, slamming her hand down onto the counter and giving Adam a sharp glare as the bartender swept himself away to get the requested drink. "I don't need a drink, and it's not going to work for me, anyway, you insufferable fool. I swear…" She shook her head a little, then simply turned away and leaned backwards against the counter, pulling her phone out and shifting her attention to it instead.
Adam stifled a sigh, watching her for a moment. Bela's mood seemed to deteriorate by the day; She was getting more and more anxious, and much more impatient. For the moment, she seemed to believe Adam's claims that he truly didn't know where the Winchesters were if they weren't in Minnesota, but he wasn't sure how long he would be able to keep this up. Not even because he wasn't confident in his abilities to lie to her now, but because he didn't know how much he wanted to anymore. Honestly, at this point, he was wondering what the point was - why not just tell her everything and get it over with already, see how she reacted? He didn't want to fight her, but with as much as he'd learned already, he figured he might be able to take her if she did attack him. At least to defend himself, anyway. But even then… he wanted to save her.
He just hoped there was something left to save…
Adam twisted his mouth a little, slowly pulling his hand away from the glass. It hovered in the air, even long after he had set both of his hands down onto the counter, and he watched it with wide eyes as it lifted higher and higher until it was eye level. He inhaled, rather sharply, once it was directly in front of him, his blue eyes widening even further. It still amazed him, to be completely honest, his own abilities. The things he could do - every bit of it was intriguing, and exciting. Every new power he learned about… he was just so eager to show them off. He certainly couldn't wait to reunite with Michael in the real world to be able to show him.
He lifted the glass to his lips and downed it without touching it, then carefully lowered it back into the counter, cracking a grin and looking over at Bela. The other demon wasn't paying attention now, simply busy staring at her phone, and Adam's smile twisted into a frown, just for a second, before a mischievous smirk lit his face; With a flick of his wrist, he spun the phone out of her grip and sent it spiraling through the air toward him instead, catching it with ease.
Bela looked startled, just for a second, before she spun around to face him, practically fuming. "How dare y-" She stopped, abruptly, however, blinking, and leaned back on her feet for just a second; Adam wasn't paying attention now, busy scrolling through the phone to see what she was doing, somewhat curious and yet not caring at the same time. It wasn't anything of interest - it looked like she was simply searching for grave robberies in the area, something she had explained was linked to a ghoul hunt; So he only hummed, disinterested once more, and glanced up. Bela was just staring at him, looking interested now. "You're getting better."
"I know, right?" Adam's grin widened slightly, his excitement surging right back up. There was no doubt about it, the demon was actually rather proud of his own abilities now. He could do things that he could only ever dream of as a human. He could set things on fire with just a thought, move things without touching them… He grinned a little, offering her phone back to her.
"Thank you," Bela huffed, taking it back and eyeing him with a faint frown on her face now. "But the next time you take my phone like that, better or not, I will bash your head into a wall. Got it?" She offered him a sweet smile, to which Adam only grinned, looking away.
"Sure." He watched as the bartender slid a glass of whiskey over to Bela, a large glass filled to the rim. Bela sighed a little, staring at it almost blankly for a moment; And, when she made no move to grab it, Adam just snickered and reached over to take it for himself, downing half of it in one go before he put it back down on the counter in front of her. "Well, I guess if you're not enjoying yourself, we can go," he gave in, somewhat reluctantly now. "No sense being here if you're not having any fun, right? So, c'mon, we'll go sit in the hotel room for hours looking for something that's probably not there because the Winchesters obviously aren't here anyway."
"Wonderful," Bela replied simply, obviously pleased by that despite what Adam was saying, and the demon couldn't help but laugh a little bit to himself. He should have known that wouldn't work on her anyway, he knew her well enough by now - at least, in some regards. "Let's go." She spun around and headed straight for the exit without another word, and Adam stifled a sigh, picking up the glass and downing the rest of it himself before he turned and headed after her, not bothering to leave a tip - nobody would notice anyway, right? Besides, he didn't have money.
It was weird, how used to this he had gotten suddenly. Well, somewhat used to it, at the very least. Interacting with humans, he could still do without, but for the most part, in the past five days he'd actually been fitting in quite well. It was easy to act like he was still one of them, even though he wasn't - because he still felt like them, maybe? Even Adam wasn't sure. But, either way, he could still do without having to interact with anybody - except Bela, of course.
On the way to the car, though, a familiar voice snapped Adam back to the present. There was no startled jolt, no jump, no surprise; He was used to hearing Michael in his head, even after so long apart, so he just continued on like nothing had happened. Adam, the archangel sounded anxious, clearly not expecting any sort of response - it had been this way for a while. One of them could manage to break through the connection and talk to the other, but they could never hold it long enough to be able to actually hold a conversation. Adam, I need to talk to you.
Michael? What is it? Adam pressed, prodding carefully at the connection; No response, much to the demon's dismay. He got in the car, scowling, just as anxious now; Hell, he could feel Michael's anxiety and confusion like it was his own, all the way from the archangel's end, and it wasn't helping matters by any means. He slammed the door shut, clenching and unclenching his fists. Falling asleep in a car was difficult for him, but not quite impossible. With that said, though, he would much rather wait until they got to the motel room so that they'd have a little more time to talk. He shuddered a little as he clicked his seatbelt into place, heart pounding.
Adam, it's my Father. We know what he's planning.
The demon froze, not looking up as Bela got into the car. The anxiety radiating from the archangel wasn't helping by any means. He had to be extra cautious now; One little slip up could crash it all down. But he knew one thing, he certainly couldn't wait until they were back at the hotel. He had to know this, and he had to know this now.
Adam exhaled and sank back in the seat, closing his eyes as Bela turned on the radio and began flipping through. It took a while, and a lot of anxious squirming, honestly too nervous to even begin thinking of falling asleep; But he finally managed to, eventually, forcing past all his worries and bringing himself right back to the dream he and Michael often connected in. The park. The demon took a few steps forward and turned to look around - he didn't have to search for long, it was hard to miss Michael pacing back and forth in front of the swings, fingers tangled into his hair, eyes wild and desperate and afraid. As if Adam wasn't concerned enough.
"Michael," he called out to his friend, trying to ignore the way Michael visibly flinched and jumped away from him as he approached, only to relax a second later. "What's going on?" Adam demanded, shoving his hands into his pockets as he finally reached the archangel. "What's Chuck planning?"
Michael hesitated, and Adam reeled back slightly despite himself; There shouldn't be any kind of hesitation between them, and kind of reluctance. What needed to be said needed to be said and that's the way they had always been around one another, and Adam couldn't imagine it changing now. Their relationship practically thrived on honesty, after all. Even if it was about Bela and even if it wasn't what Adam wanted to hear, he needed to hear it, he needed to know. So Michael's hesitance didn't make any kind of sense. "Michael," the demon insisted. "Seriously."
The archangel offered him a half-desperate look, and Adam understood at once; He was hesitating, not because he didn't want to tell the demon, but because he didn't want to know what he knew in the first place. He was hesitating because saying it aloud would make it real, and Michael didn't want it to be real. And that, right there, that was something Adam understood. But he also understood that if it was that important, then he needed to know. "Look, it's…" The archangel finally forced the words out, sounding like his throat was closing up, choking on the words he wanted to say. "You have to stop… stop using your powers."
Adam stared at him for a moment, almost waiting for the punchline, but Michael was dead serious. The demon leaned back a little bit, bewildered and a little more than miffed by that. Stop using his powers? Why the hell would he have to stop using his powers? And what did that have to do with anything. "I- okay, why?" He demanded, staring at Michael.
"Because that's what he wants," Michael told him, sucking in a deep breath and swallowing hard before he continued, "he's using you- he wants you to be the next villain. Using your powers, you- you're burning off what's left of your humanity and Adam, I know you don't like that part of you but what you could become if- if you don't stop-"
"Slow down," Adam interrupted, taking a few steps away from him now and running his fingers through his hair. It was already enough to process without Michael having a panic attack. "Just- just slow down, alright? Take it from the top, what do you mean he wants me to be the villain?"
Michael bit his lip, silent for a moment, and Adam raised his eyebrows slightly. Finally, though, the archangel took a deep breath and nodded, pushing past his own hesitance and taking a few steps closer to the demon. "We finally got my Father to talk," he started. "And he- he said that he planned for you to become the villain. By burning off the rest of your humanity, so that Bela could- could train you to use your powers and go up against the Winchesters. He wants you to kill them," he told Adam desperately, while the demon only blinked, eyebrows furrowing. "Brother versus brothers."
"You're kidding," Adam uttered, completely disbelieving now. The part about Bela and his powers and burning off the last of his humanity slipped right past him, focusing right on the fact about Chuck wanting him to kill Sam and Dean. "Well, shit- he should've done something about that while I still wanted to kill them, then," he commented, and couldn't help but laugh a little at the expression on Michael's face. "I'm kidding! Come on, Michael, you don't think I'd actually have fallen for all of that anyway, right? I'm smarter than that. You know this."
"What…" Michael shook his head a little, obviously bewildered. "Adam, we- we're talking about God here. He turned Lucifer into a villain, he- he-"
"I'm not Lucifer," Adam reminded him, blinking. He genuinely didn't understand why Michael was so upset about this. Which was odd, considering the demon should know him better than he even knew himself. But right then, he was at a loss. "Halo, come on. We have warning, 'kay? Lucifer didn't. We know his plans, we can avoid them, right?" He pressed, and Michael just shook his head a little, running his fingers through his hair and turning away from the demon, further increasing Adam's confusion. "Dude. I'm not a villain."
"You're not exactly a hero either, okay?" Michael mumbled, pressing his face into his hands. Adam reeled back a little bit at that, just for a second, eyes widening slightly. Sure, he had insisted the same thing, and multiple times at that, but coming from Michael, it actually hurt. The demon opened and closed his mouth, not really knowing what to say.
"Okay…" Adam licked his lips, taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment. "Maybe not."
"I didn't- I didn't mean-" Michael pressed a hand over his mouth as he turned back to Adam, raising his other hand and reaching out for the demon slightly. Adam glanced down at his hand, but he didn't move, honestly still stunned by what the archangel had said. "You know what I meant, r- right? I meant- you just- Adam, you get so angry so easily, and if- if you actually burn off what's left of your humanity, you could- you could become… I just meant…"
"I know what you meant," Adam interrupted, shaking his head a little bit. He did, at least he wanted to. A part of him still felt kind of hurt, but he pushed past that for the time being. There were more important things to focus on. "I know what you meant," he repeated himself, as Michael dropped his hand, looking helpless now. "But you're worrying over nothing. I'm fine."
Michael opened his mouth as if to protest to that, but the sound seemed to stick in his throat. Instead, swallowing hard, he took a few steps toward Adam, and the demon didn't move, simply watching as the archangel approached, and finally lifting his hands to Michael's when he reached out for him again, allowing the archangel to twine their fingers together, gripping his hands tightly and pulling Adam forward, just a little bit, nothing but worry in his eyes as he leaned forward to come face to face with the demon. "I've only ever asked you for one thing," he told him, shakily, as Adam only blinked. "One thing, Adam, and I've never asked anything of you since. But I am asking now- I am begging you to please, please, listen to me."
Adam stared back at him through wide eyes, feeling the lump already forming in his throat in response to Michael's terror. It was just too strong, too real, and the pain and desperation in those wide, pleading eyes struck something, a memory from oh-so long ago, when Michael had asked him for permission to possess him. He saw it now, the archangel he had seen so long ago. And just like before, he found himself unable to turn him away. "Okay," he breathed, shaking his head a little bit. "I- I still think you're worrying for nothing but- I'm listening."
Michael's grip tightened around his hands, squeezing softly, grateful and relieved. Adam found himself squeezing back slightly, simply to ensure the archangel that he was there, and, as he had promised, he was listening. "Father told me something," Michael started, pulling back, and Adam crossed his arms over his chest when the archangel finally released his hands. "He told me that you're not just… you're not just a demon, or a human. He said you're part… angel, too."
Oh, the things Adam wanted to say to that. But he kept his mouth shut, eyebrows furrowed, just listening, as he'd promised Michael that he would. And he was listening - hanging onto every word. Because he could lie to Bela and his brothers and he could even make promises he knew he couldn't keep when it came to them, but to Michael, there was no promise he wouldn't keep. However big, however small, when Adam made him a promise, he intended to keep it.
"Adam, that kind of power is dangerous even for someone who knows how to control their temper," Michael continued, a little desperately now. "I love you like a brother and you know how much I care about you, but you also know that you- you can be kind of a hothead, Adam. And I'm not there, to help or to stop you if something goes wrong, if you end up burning off the rest of your humanity - then what's there- what's there to keep you from doing something you would regret? What's there to…" The archangel screwed his eyes shut and swallowed.
Adam ran his tongue over his lips again, a little uncertain now, then took in a breath and finally spoke up, when he was sure Michael couldn't continue anymore. "You said I'm part angel," he told Michael carefully, and the archangel nodded, not opening his eyes. "That has to mean something, man, more than just an extra boost of power," he insisted, staring at Michael. "And isn't that a pretty big if on whether I burn off the rest of my humanity or whatever, anyway? Look- I've been controlling myself just fine. I have. I think I can handle this."
Michael didn't respond, but he blinked his eyes open and stared at him, still desperate, still uncertain. No words were spoken, though, and, figuring he might be getting closer to convincing the archangel he was fine, Adam took a few steps forward. "Michael. You trust me, don't you?" He insisted, meeting the archangel's gaze. "Hell, look at us. Even when we're apart, you're still a part of me, and I'm still a part of you. Do you really think any part of you could be bad?" Michael didn't respond, so Adam continued, "do you think any part of me could be bad?"
"No!" Michael insisted, so loud, so abrupt, that Adam actually flinched a little, more out of surprise than anything. And he flinched, once again, when Michael abruptly turned back to him and grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him back a little and holding on tightly as he held the demon at arm's length, looking him in the eyes. "I don't want to lose you, Adam!"
"You won't-" Adam protested, eyes wide, genuinely shaken. Not by the archangel's words, but his actions, his desperation, his insistence. He was terrified. Genuinely terrified. And to be honest, he was starting to scare Adam a little bit, too.
"No, you don't know that-" Michael cut off, abruptly, with a short, choked sob; And that was it. He seemed to break, right then and there, the dam crashing down and the waves flooding through. "I lost- I lost Lucifer and I lost Gabriel and I lost everybody to him, Adam and I can't- I can't go through that again I can't do it I can't lose you to him too, I-" He cut off again, with another sob, gripping Adam's shoulders even tighter now as a rush of tears flooded his eyes, a few finally escaping; And the demon just watched, pupils shrinking, eyes widening. He'd seen Michael at his worst, but he'd never seen him like this. But now he understood.
He understood all too well.
"Michael…" Adam's voice wavered, but he forced past it, the lump that had risen in his throat, the tears that were brewing in his eyes. He pushed it down, and reached out, pushing Michael's hands off of his shoulders. But only to grab the front of his shirt and pull him forward into a hug, which the archangel accepted, somewhat desperate in his movements, practically throwing his arms around Adam and burying his face into the demon's shoulder. Adam just took a deep breath and leaned his head against Michael's, rubbing his shoulder with one hand and digging his fingers into Michael's shirt with the other. "I promise you, you will never, ever lose me."
"You don't-" Michael began, voice muffled, shaking, desperate and afraid.
"I do," Adam cut him off, tightening his grip slightly. "Michael, I do. Look at me." He pulled back, keeping his hands on the archangel's shoulder this time, and tilting his head slightly to get Michael to look at him. The archangel met his gaze, somewhat reluctantly, as Adam continued. "Buddy, this is forever. You and me. Adam and Michael. Michael and Adam. The archangel and the demon. There is nothing - nothing that will ever remotely be the same to what we have, and demon or not, humanity or not, I'll always know that. You'll always know that. And that will be enough - it has to be, halo. It's all we got now, y'know? You and I. And it's all we need."
Michael didn't answer for a moment, still shaking slightly. Then, finally, after a moment, he threw himself forward and buried his face into Adam's shoulder again, choking out another muffled sob as he pulled the demon into a hug, and Adam wrapped his arms around him again, staring ahead almost blankly for a moment. He hated it, how broken Michael was sometimes, so obviously damaged and torn and ripped apart by everything he'd been through. It showed, especially now, just how much he really did need someone. It had been Lucifer, and then it had been Chuck, and now it was Adam. But the only difference was that Adam had no intention of letting Michael down the way everyone else had. Because god dammit, Michael deserved so much better than that, and the demon was going to make sure he got what he deserved.
He pressed his mouth into Michael's shoulder and mumbled out a quiet, "I love you too, by the way." Michael, again, was silent; But he relaxed into Adam's arms after that, and his shaking slowly stopped, the sobs receding to soft sniffles, and then dissolving completely into nothing more than quiet, unsteady breaths. "I'm gonna be fine," the demon continued quietly. "Y'know, I got my emotional support angel, huh? You're not gonna let me go dark side. Hell, all you gotta do is flash me those puppy eyes and say please, that gets me every time, you know that."
"Adam…" Michael whined, but he huffed out a soft, somewhat shaky laugh in response to Adam's words, bringing a quiet smile to the demon's lips for a moment. There we go; Now, with that out of the way, they could get back to talking business. Adam took a deep breath, staying where he was for a moment before he pulled away again, watching Michael rub his arm over his eyes furiously to clear away the tears that had brewed. The demon just watched, waiting, quiet. "I'm sorry," the archangel exhaled shakily, wrapping his arms around himself.
"First off, don't ever apologize to me again. Seriously," Adam told him, eyes narrowing faintly, and a shaky smile made its way to Michael's face in response. "That includes apologizing for apologizing. Second off, I get it. I really do, I promise." He softened a little, his expression smoothing out again. "But we have an advantage over Chuck. We know what he's planning. This isn't like it was with Lucifer, and we have each other. I can handle this. Not alone, obviously - but I'm not alone, am I?" He gave Michael a pointed look, and the archangel nodded.
"Of course," Michael mumbled, clearing his throat. "Always."
"Okay." Adam sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, and frowned, finally registering the other part of Michael's explanation - Bela. "... so Bela really is working for him, huh?" The demon blinked his eyes open again, and one look at the guilty, sympathetic look on Michael's face was enough of a confirmation. Adam frowned for a moment, looking down, then twisted his mouth slightly. "What, uh- what exactly did he say… regarding her?"
"Not much," Michael responded uncertainly. "He said that she wasn't the villain, but that she- she was- helping you become one. That's why she's teaching you how to use your powers," he explained, rubbing his arm, and Adam frowned. "Guiding you along."
"... God, that bitch," Adam swore, turning away and running his fingers through his hair, staring down. He waited for the anger, fury, but none came. Just an odd sense of regret, and some shame, for even allowing himself to get close to her in the first place. He'd known this was a possibility, and he had no one else to blame but himself for letting her get so close. But to believe he could actually save her - Adam couldn't believe he was so stupid… He shook his head a little, growing more pissed at himself than anything, and turned his head slightly when he felt Michael place a hand on his shoulder, soft and grounding, enough to bring him back to his senses. The demon took a deep breath and tilted his head back a little, looking up at the sky.
"I'm sorry," Michael told him quietly. "I… I was hoping you were right."
After a moment, Adam only shook his head and looked away, but he didn't shrug Michael's hand off just yet. His mouth twisted slightly, frowning deeply, before he cleared his throat and spoke up again. "Listen, I, uh… I'm gonna leave her. I just wanna talk to her first."
"Is that a good idea?" Michael asked tentatively, and Adam grimaced.
"I don't really have a choice. But I do have a few choice words I'd like to say to her before I get back to you guys. Either way, she's gonna know what I know," the demon muttered. "Besides, it'd be a nice way to confirm it anyway." He shook his head a little at himself. Any hope that Bela could be saved now had been completely diminished, the confirmation that Chuck had sent her being the last thread he could hold onto as far as she was concerned.
Michael frowned a little, a new thought coming to mind. "How do you plan on getting back to us?" He questioned hesitantly, and Adam paused, glancing over at him. "I can come get you," the archangel added quickly, before the demon could really respond, and Adam frowned.
"I don't know about that," he said carefully, his frown deepening further. "I mean, if you're not at full strength- it's probably not a good idea…" He started.
"Amara's back at Chuck's house," Michael cut in, eyes widening slightly as he leaned back on his feet, looking thoughtful. "I can get back there and- and maybe see if she can bring me back to full power and then come and get you. Where are you staying?" He stared at the demon, and Adam frowned a little bit, studying him somewhat uncertainly now. Of course, more than anything, he wanted Michael back, and having the archangel come get him would be better than having to find his way back to Chuck's… but he was still worried about Michael's powers, and him pushing himself more than he should. But, with the promise of the archangel getting back to full power - Adam could only hope that he wouldn't push himself too far, and that he'd be okay. He had to trust him.
"Well, like I said, I'm staying in Minnesota," Adam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't remember the name of the hotel, though, so…" Michael frowned, looking thoughtful.
Then, all of a sudden, Michael's expression lit up, spinning around and heading off. Adam stared after him, bewildered, for the longest time before he managed to follow after him. "What the hell, man?" He demanded when he finally caught up, keeping pace with the archangel, a mixture of bewildered and concerned.
"The park," Michael insisted, abruptly spinning around and looking up, wide eyes scanning the sign hanging up over the entrance to the park. Adam blinked, then paused and turned, lifting his head and scanning the sign, himself, as the archangel turned back to him. "You still know where it is, right? Like, how to get to it?" He asked anxiously, and Adam could only nod in response, still too confused to speak. "I can meet you here, then!"
Adam blinked at him, then looked back at the sign, then toward the rest of the park. He hadn't set foot in the park since he was… well, really, really little. Except in his own memories, and in his own dreams, of course, but that didn't really count. Still, he was more than willing to go back if it meant meeting up with Michael again. The thought brought a smile to his face, and a rush of relief flooded over him, swelling up in his chest. "Okay," he agreed, short and simple.
"You'll be okay?" Michael pressed, his excitement fizzling out to anxiety.
"I think I can handle myself against the crazy hot demon chick. At the very least, I'll admit defeat and run away or something," Adam huffed out a laugh, though there was no humor in his voice, nor in the situation. "I'll be okay," he promised, studying Michael intently. "Will you?"
"He'll be fine."
Michael jumped, visibly, and cringed back slightly in surprise; Adam only jumped for a second before he reacted, more to Michael being scared than anything, and whirled around with a snarl already on his face to see who was there, lips curled back, teeth bared, and eyes dark and murderous; However, who he saw stopped him short; It was none other than his brother, Dean Winchester, approaching them with a look of mild amusement written across his face.
"Put your claws away, it's just me," he told Adam, while the demon just glared, pissed - but more so at the fact that Dean had the gall to enter their dream and interrupt them like he belonged there, which he certainly didn't. The demon's mouth twisted into a scowl, stepping closer to Michael and turning to make sure he was okay; Surprisingly enough, the archangel seemed to recover faster than Adam had expected him to, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder again - this time in more of a calming, 'stand down' gesture, like he used to. Needless to say, Adam relaxed.
"Didn't mean to interrupt. Kinda fell asleep accidentally." Dean shrugged a little, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Couldn't help but overhear this, though. Listen, Adam- don't underestimate Bela. She's not just a chick. She's a crazy chick. And now that she's a demon, I'm sure she's ten times crazier. So seriously, be careful. Just get away. We'll take care of Bela when we regroup, alright?"
"Don't tell me what to do, Winchester," Adam snapped back, still scowling, and Dean gave him an odd look in response, looking mildly hurt by that, and definitely just a little miffed that his advice had been brushed aside. Michael offered a soft squeeze to the demon's shoulder, and, with a sigh, Adam relaxed into the touch again, looking away. "Yeah, fine, whatever. I'll try not to provoke her into attacking me, at least," he grumbled.
"Good." Dean turned his attention back to Michael. "If you're gonna get Amara to amp you up, you better do it fast," he advised. "They just finished with the testing, so she's about to leave."
Michael frowned a little, obviously disappointed, but he nodded at the oldest Winchester in response before turning back to Adam. "Be careful," he pleaded. "Make it back to the park in one piece, okay? I really don't want to have to kill a demon today, but I will." He paused a little at his own words, as did Adam, both surprised and impressed, while Michael just offered a sheepish little smile. "... I mean, um… you know. Just, be safe. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay." Adam shook his head a little. "You, too, asshole."
Michael simply pulled him into another hug in response, and Adam hugged back just as tightly, squeezing slightly, just as desperate to be close. The thought of reuniting with him again was still stuck in the demon's mind; He wanted to get this whole thing with Bela over with to get back to the archangel as fast as he could. He couldn't save her, but he didn't want to hurt her. The best he could do is try and get away, so that's what he was gonna do.
The archangel frowned a little, pulling away from him. "Maybe telling her everything isn't such a good idea?" He offered, giving the demon an uncertain look. Adam blinked, a little bewildered - Michael shouldn't have been able to hear that, considering how strained the connection was already, and how much trouble they were already having with thoughts anyway. But he wasn't about to protest - if anything, he welcomed it with open arms, but he knew what he had to do.
"No, I'm done lying," Adam muttered. "Hell, maybe I can still talk some sense into her- I don't know, but I do know I'm done with all the lies and the secrecy. It's exhausting." He glanced over at Dean and wrinkled his nose. "I don't know how you and Sam do it."
"Hey-" Dean objected, looking a little offended now. But he couldn't seem to think of anything to refute that with, so he just fell silent, frowning.
Adam rolled his eyes and looked back up at Michael, ignoring the look the archangel was giving him. "Just stating the truth," he muttered, and sighed, pulling away from the archangel completely. "Okay, okay, let's just get this over with. The sooner we're back to normal, the better," he added pointedly, looking at Michael, who nodded vigorously in agreement.
"I'll see you soon," the archangel promised, and Adam's lips twitched.
"Soon," Adam agreed, then spared Dean a glance and wrinkled his nose again. "Get the fuck outta our heads, Winchester." Ignoring the - admittedly, laughing - protest from Michael, the demon just pulled back and offered them a mocking salute, catching Michael's gaze for just a second, and offering a quiet, soft smile. Michael grinned back in response, warm and genuine.
Adam focused on that smile, wanting it to be the last thing he saw before he woke up.
For a moment, the demon just looked out the window, blinking rapidly as he fought to bring his mind back to the present. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this confrontation; A part of him had seen it coming, but he had still been holding onto the hope that she was oblivious, because that would certainly make saving her easier. But maybe if he played his cards right, maybe there was still a chance for her. But Adam knew he couldn't be like Michael anymore, he couldn't let the hope sway him now. He had to be himself, he had to be open and blunt and get it over with. Adam took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, clearing his throat.
"Morning," Bela's voice was cheerful, amused. "I thought I'd let you sleep considering you didn't get any last night." Her tone changed a little, an edge of laughter entering her voice, but Adam only exhaled sharply and shook his head a little at himself, rubbing a hand down his face.
"How long until we get back to the hotel?"
"About fifteen minutes, give or take," Bela replied smoothly, sounding a little confused now, but definitely still amused. "Why?"
Adam didn't reply for a moment, staring out the window, then narrowed his eyes faintly and turned back to look at her. "I lied to you," he responded simply. "The Winchesters were never in Minnesota to begin with. I lied to you to keep you away from them. 'Cause, you see, I figured you were angry enough to want revenge, and I wasn't about to lead you to my brothers."
For a long time, Bela just stared at him, a myriad of emotions raging across her face. It settled on shock - genuine shock, which took Adam by surprise for a good few seconds. But it also offered a rush of hope, because maybe there still was a chance. "... beg pardon?"
Adam inhaled sharply, held it for a good few seconds, and let it out slowly. Okay, so he had to be careful here, in so many different ways. Keep in mind the fact that she could be playing him, but also the fact that she could be innocent. The demon looked back out the window for a moment, more than anxious to get out of the car now, to tell her everything and hopefully gain the truth from her end, too. Steady, careful, he couldn't blow this. Not now.
"Uh, yeah," the demon muttered, taking another deep breath. "I'm… a Winchester."