Nothing much had changed when Michael returned - well, at least, it wasn't quite noticeable at first. Like the way Chuck was glaring at practically everything in sight while Rowena hovered over him, hands raised, murmuring softly to herself. Beside her, Crowley stood, reading off of a piece of paper and sounding about as bored as he could possibly get. Then, of course, there was Lucifer; The Devil was pacing back and forth on the other side of the room, behind the desk. Gabriel was leaning over the back of the couch, where Castiel and Amara sat; the angel hadn't moved, but he was awake now, blue eyes staring blankly at nothing in particular while Amara busied herself with the chains wrapped around her wrists, lightly easing herself out of them - with Sam's help - as Dean pushed them up out of the armchair with a grunt.
From the moment they stood, Michael could sense something was off. He wasn't sure what, not at first, but he knew it was something. He turned his head to the side and scanned the room, trying to figure it out, but ultimately, he just couldn't. The archangel's mouth twisted into a frown, but he allowed Dean to turn them away for the time being, pacing over to the desk to grab a bottle of beer. Rowena's gaze flickered up toward them for a second, but she continued what she was doing - though both she and Crowley jumped back a little when Chuck abruptly jerked at the chains, for no reason in particular - at least not one they could grasp - only to sink back again with a scowl. Michael stared at his Father, growing more and more unnerved.
Yes, something was off - but, Michael reminded himself, he had more to worry about.
"Um, Amara…" The archangel started, a little quietly at first, but rapidly gaining confidence as he continued on. There was no time for stuttering, no half-stammered, apologetic requests, and Michael recognized that now more than ever. This was more important than sugarcoating, and if he appeared blunt, then he'd have to deal with it later. There were too many things at stake here for him to succumb to the submissive, uncertain anxiety that dictated most of his life. "Do you think it would be possible for you to bring me back to full power?" He turned his gaze to his aunt, who leaned forward a little, looking intrigued. "I need to go get Adam, but I'm too weak now."
"I can definitely try." Amara cocked her head to the side and leaned sideways a little, propping one arm up over the arm of the couch and frowning slightly at him now. "I've never tried to amp up an angel before, but I'll do my best." She beckoned him over, and Michael exhaled sharply and turned. Dean set the beer aside for now, considering the fact that he didn't know how this process might go, and there was a good chance he could end up dropping it anyway. The hunter cracked his knuckles as they walked over to Amara, mumbling something about Michael being "super-charged" again - though he didn't seem wary, or afraid. Just… intent. Focused.
"You're going to get Adam?" Sam addressed them carefully as he leaned over the back of the couch beside Gabriel, giving Michael an intrigued stare while Amara stood to face them, rubbing her hands together. Lucifer halted his pacing and turned toward them, as well, a tiny hint of relief flickering through his deep blue eyes for a moment. Michael didn't notice immediately, but Chuck's eyes seemed to darken faintly in response, watching them quietly. "What happened?"
"Yes, he's going to try to get away from Bela. He was… most unhappy to hear about her betrayal in particular." Michael frowned a little, recalling the expression on Adam's face. It was the closest he could come to a heartbreak, considering everything, and the archangel didn't like it one bit. He didn't like that this demon was hurting his friend, and he didn't like the possibility that she could hurt him even more. "Hopefully he'll be able to handle himself against her, at least long enough to get away so I can go get him. I can't meet him at the hotel he's staying at, so we decided on the park his mother-" He cut off with a jolt and a gasp when Amara suddenly reached out and placed a hand on his forehead. He cringed, violently, and leaned back.
"It's okay," Amara assured him, leaning forward along with him to keep her hand steady on his head, and it took the archangel a few seconds to actually relax. "Keep talking," she advised.
"I- um… sorry." Michael swallowed, hard, and closed his eyes for a moment. "Anyway, we're going to meet at the park his mother used to take him to, granted he can get away from her. I might be able to track him from there if not, though, if I'm powerful enough… Just hope I won't have to." Even with his eyes shut, he could see the light flashing through his eyelids, the glow of her hand upon his head. But even as it stayed, and as that light burned brighter and brighter, there was nothing. He felt exactly the same - hell, in a way, he almost felt worse.
"I don't…" Amara sounded bewildered, and, after a moment, she pulled back. Michael blinked his eyes open at once, looking up at his aunt in confusion, while Amara only twisted her mouth into a frown and dropped her hand, the golden glow beginning to dim quite a bit as she stared at him with a genuinely perplexed expression. Lucifer eased himself up beside Gabriel, both of his younger brothers wearing identical expressions of confusion and concern as Amara's frown deepened, taking a step back from Michael. "I can't do it. You're not… it's…" She gestured to him, just increasing the archangel's bewilderment, until she explained, "you're not whole."
Michael's heart, along with most of his hope, plummeted at that moment.
Of course; He wasn't whole. He would never be whole, completely, until he got Adam back. Even being here with Dean, his true vessel, there was so much missing. The demon really was a part of Michael, through and through, his true vessel despite it all and a genuine, actual part of his very soul, a part of his Grace. And it made sense that, with that part missing, Amara would be unable to help him. It made even more sense, the realization that he hadn't been getting any stronger with Dean. If anything, Michael realized, he'd been getting… weaker.
"Motherfucker," Lucifer swore, dropping his head into his hands. Michael blinked a few times, drawn from his thoughts, and looked over at his younger brother; The Devil was silent now, after that, but his knuckles had turned white as he gripped at his hair and the sides of his head. Beside him, Gabriel shifted slightly to the side to rest a hand on Lucifer's back, but their brother offered no reaction to the attempt at comfort, just shook his head a little and sank his weight forward against the back of the couch, a visibly exhausted expression replacing the frustration.
Studying him intently now, Michael didn't think he'd ever seen his brother so tired, in more ways than one. And as much as he would have loved to sit Lucifer down and talk to him for the first time in days - actually talk to him about what was going on and whether or not he was okay, he knew there were still more important matters at hand. Not to say his brother wasn't important; He was, and Michael loved him, always had and always would. But then there was Adam, and there was more at stake on his end, much more to lose. Lucifer could wait, for now.
Of course, this still sparked up a myriad of new problems.
Michael ran his fingers through his hair, ripping his gaze away from his brother and staring down at the floor for a moment. There was nothing to say right then, not really, until any of them had an idea, and Michael was at a loss. He could, maybe, send Lucifer and Gabriel to retrieve the demon instead, but would that take too long? Would they even know where to go? The archangel rubbed a hand over his mouth and closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. If there wasn't a way to bring him back to full power, then he'd have to focus on that another time. Maybe he could get Lucifer or Gabriel to take him to the park instead, but- then that left them down an archangel while they waited for the demon… Amara was strong, but she wasn't stronger than Chuck. Still, maybe…
"What about Jack?" Dean's voice startled him, but it snapped him back to attention; The archangel lifted his head, blinking, and Lucifer's gaze flickered up at once, Castiel's head turned, Sam's shoulders tensed, all three of them listening intently as ever now. "Kid's powerful, ain't he? And- no offense, Amara- he might be able to do something here. At the very least, he could stay behind to keep an eye on Chuck while one of you take Michael to the park," he added to Gabriel and Lucifer, who exchanged a look, the uncertainty and frustration and exhaustion dissolving into relief at once as the new plan settled into place.
"Not a bad plan, Winchester," Lucifer remarked, leaning back, away from the couch now. Gabriel took his hand off of his brother's shoulder, instead resting it over the back of the couch. "I'll see if Billie can spare him. I'm sure she'd take him off Cage duty for th-"
Rowena's scream, sharp and short, cut him off.
All heads whirled in her direction at once, just in time to see the witch fly backwards, crashing straight through the desk on the opposite side of the room. The force didn't quite knock her out, as she groaned and stirred after she had landed, but it had definitely put her in quite a daze because she couldn't seem to stand immediately; Wide-eyed, Michael turned back to where she had been standing before, and his heart sank impossibly lower, seeming to drop straight out of his stomach and crashing right to the floor, probably landing in Hell itself.
Chuck had heaved himself up, the chair practically shattered beneath him and the chains cracked and broken on the floor. He shook the ones on his legs off with ease and, as Crowley - looking completely furious - lunged at him, turned and knocked the demon away.
A flick of his wrist sent Castiel, Gabriel and Lucifer slamming backwards when the archangels rushed to Crowley's defense, and Amara could do nothing more than turn before she was being thrown back along with Rowena. With the desk already broken, shattered with the force in which the witch had been thrown into it, Amara simply slammed back into the window, the glass shattering all around her. Rowena cringed away from it, finally managing to stand, while Amara gripped onto the windowsill and stared at Chuck through blazing, furious eyes, teeth bared.
Dean inched backwards a little, eyes darting to the side. It took Michael a second to realize what he was focusing on; The Equalizer, having been knocked to the ground when Rowena had crashed into the desk, was just a few feet away. The archangel stared at the gun, wide-eyed, but he forced his gaze back up to his Father when Chuck spoke. "Yeah, sorry to put a damper on your plans, guys, but, uh-" His gaze flicked toward Castiel, Lucifer and Gabriel, who were pinned one by one up against the wall, chins raised, struggling against the invisible hold their Father had on them. "I'm not sticking around to say hi to Jack."
Sam shifted a little from beside Dean and Michael; Chuck didn't noticed him easing toward the Equalizer, but Dean did. The older hunter held out a hand toward his younger brother, the other raised toward Chuck defensively, giving Sam a warning look and a glare when the younger hunter simply continued his advances toward the gun, ignoring the oldest Winchester.
"Ah, bup, bup," Chuck's voice made Michael flinch, and he jumped a little when the gun went skidding across the floor, right at Chuck's feet. Sam hissed out through his teeth and stopped, while Dean just scowled, relief and frustration battling in the hunter's chest. Michael took a deep breath and looked back up at his Father, who offered nothing more than a cold, cruel smirk. Then, with another twist of his wrist, Michael was up against the wall beside his brothers, feeling like a hand had curled around his throat, holding him back up against the wall. He gasped for air - not for himself, but for Dean - and lifted his chin, as if that could loosen the hold.
"Let's not be too hasty here, huh?" Chuck leaned down to pick the gun up. "I got what I want, and now I'll be on my way. Clearly there's no sense in sticking around for tea or anythi-"
He cut off with an audible gasp when Amara abruptly shoved herself forward, grabbing Chuck by the front of his shirt and slamming him backwards into the wall. The pressure on Michael's throat loosened at once as they fought, and Lucifer stumbled forward, his brothers having been freed as well. Rowena, meanwhile, was back on her feet and frantically scrambling through her bag, cursing under her breath as she searched for something. As for Sam, well, he went straight for the Equalizer, much to Dean's chagrin, as the hunter lunged forward to get to it first.
"Why didn't the spell work?" Castiel snarled out, barely avoiding being crashed into as Amara threw Chuck back against the wall they had been pinned against just moments before. Their Father was back up on his feet in an instant, meeting his sister head on when she lunged again, and Michael flinched away slightly, sucking in a deep breath as he watched.
"I don't know," Rowena cried, turning the bag over and dumping the contents out onto the desk. Crowley, who had made his way back to his feet, rushed over at once to help her search, while everyone else simply scrambled to get out of the way while Amara and Chuck fought. Sam and Dean, meanwhile, neither of them had been able to grab hold of the Equalizer; Because it had fallen into the hands of none other than Lucifer, who was stubbornly refusing to hand it over to the younger Winchester and was stealthily avoiding the grabby hands of the oldest.
"Lucifer-" Sam started, breathless and exasperated, but he jerked back when Lucifer snapped back at him, his exhausted fury seeming to return tenfold.
"Nobody's giving up their lives to fight my Father, got it?" The Devil fixed his gaze on the younger hunter for only a second before he spun around, turning his back on a rather stunned-looking Sam, and raising the gun to point it toward Chuck. Michael's protests caught in his throat, but he found himself relieved when they proved unnecessary, because his brother couldn't seem to get a clear shot between Amara and Chuck, who were still hashing it out, destroying various parts of the house in the process. "Amara, move!"
Their aunt looked over, wide-eyed; Before she could even get a chance to do as she was told, Chuck had grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her around, pulling her backwards against her and managing to wrap his arm around her throat. Michael inhaled sharply, eyes widening, as their Father stumbled backwards, away from them, and pulled Amara long with him. "Do it," he told Lucifer darkly, and the Devil stiffened, visibly, eyes focused on his Father. "Do it."
Dean's hands curled into fists, but he didn't move. Castiel circled around to stand beside them, looking positively furious. Gabriel paused, glancing back and forth between them all for a moment, before abruptly turning his gaze toward Lucifer. And then, suddenly, the archangel began to fall; It happened all too quickly, and Michael understood what was happening in just those few split seconds in which his brother crashed toward the ground; He was going to get Jack. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who noticed.
Chuck shoved Amara forward away from him and raised a hand; Gabriel sprung upright again almost immediately, and his eyes, which had began rolling into the back of his head, went wide. And then, in the same instant, he was doubled over coughing and hacking, gripping at his throat. Michael's eyes widened, and Lucifer's arms dropped to his sides at once, rushing toward their brother. The oldest archangel turned, as well, desperate to get to Gabriel's side. But it was too late; By the time they reached him, he had already coughed out half of his Grace - before either of them could react, he had crumpled straight to the floor, and the Grace spun in the air for a moment before abruptly vanishing in a bright flash of light.
A low grunt from Sam tore Dean's attention away from Gabriel, and Michael protested, but he didn't try to stop the hunter from turning back to his own brother. Sam had doubled over, gripping his shoulder; Michael looked over at once, noting Chuck doing the same thing.
He had tired himself out, just from sending Gabriel away to who-knows-where.
Suddenly, Michael understood; Chuck was weak. He couldn't kill them, otherwise he would have done so himself by then. All he could do was tug at his puppets' strings. But that wasn't working now, so he was resorting to this; Stupid, useless tactics, a desperate man trying to get himself out of the mess he had made. Michael's lips curled back the moment the realization set in, a mixture of disgusted and amused. It was an odd combination of emotions, but he welcomed them with open arms. His stupid, weak Father couldn't do anything right, could he?
But this triumph didn't last long; Lucifer, positively furious, had turned back and raised the gun at his Father once again. But Chuck seemed prepared this time; he snapped his fingers, the Equalizer vanishing at once from the Devil's grasp, and before his younger brother could even properly look alarmed, he, himself was doubled over coughing, gasping and choking on his own Grace as it tried to force its way up his throat. Michael whirled around at once, rushing over to Lucifer's side and stumbling slightly over his feet in his haste to get to him.
"No, no, no, Lucifer- Luci," Michael hissed through clenched teeth, grabbing his brother by the shoulder and lifting a hand to the Devil's mouth, as if he could stop his Grace from spilling out, himself. Lucifer grabbed onto his arm, whether for comfort or to hold himself steady, Michael didn't even know. He did feel it, however, when Lucifer suddenly went rigid, and then suddenly straightened up, back arching, swallowing down his Grace as a soft shudder ran through him. But it seemed to be over, at least for the time being - and a loud crash behind them hinted why, as Amara seemed to have recovered and attacked her brother yet again.
"Go get Jack," Lucifer begged, grabbing onto Michael's other arm now, but only to push him away. The archangel flinched and staggered a little, ready to do as instructed at once.
"No!" Chuck screamed, still struggling with Amara, as his older sister sent him crashing to the floor. The second he was down, Castiel lunged towards him, grabbing their Father by the shirt and swinging him around to slam him backwards into the wall. Michael froze a little, more so at the violence Castiel was displaying than anything. There was nothing but rage in his eyes, blazing a bright, electric blue as the angel went off, landing punch after punch. And just when Michael started to relax, started to think they had the upper hand, Chuck managed to get one hand free - and that was it.
Castiel went flying backwards, crashing straight through the window and disappearing from sight. In a moment of panic, the oldest archangel staggered backwards, every part of him shaking as he screwed his eyes shut. He just had to get to the Empty, had to get to Jack, and then-
He heard Dean's choked, strangled gasp, and Sam's frantic yell before he felt the pain. Admittedly, it was more on Dean's end, and as the archangel opened his eyes, he saw why.
Sticking right through Dean's stomach was a sword, long and golden and dripping with the hunter's blood. It had gone straight through him, sticking into the wall, and Dean slumped forward over it with a gasp as his fingers fumbled for the handle. Michael could only stare, more shocked than anything at what had just happened, completely unexpected and, to be quite honest, terrifying as all hell. It wouldn't hurt him, and Chuck had known that. But he'd also known Michael wouldn't leave Dean like this to go to the Empty. He lifted his gaze to his Father, who was backing away from them now, managing to dodge Amara and send her crashing back into the wall again with a flick of his wrist. Michael was vaguely aware of Sam rushing to Dean's side, more concerned for his brother now than he was about Chuck, but the archangel couldn't move his gaze away from his Father. It was kind of horrible, as if everything else had slowed down, as if everyone else had faded away, but Chuck seemed to be the only one in the room.
At least until Rowena lunged forward, herself, and grabbed Chuck by the wrist with one hand. On his other side, Crowley appeared, holding a hex bag; Before his Father could react, Michael watched, wide-eyed, as the demon shoved the bag straight into Chuck's mouth and held his hand over it so he couldn't spit it out, while Rowena started speaking, fast and rapid, in Latin. Amara shoved herself up against the wall with a gasp, but she didn't move, just watching.
"Dean," Castiel's voice broke through the silence that had enveloped Michael and the hunter; the oldest Winchester turned toward the angel at once, wide, unfocused eyes searching for the angel's. His head was swimming, Michael could feel it, so many thoughts wriggling around and hardly any time for any of them to register before they were replaced by the next ones. The pain had spread throughout the hunter's entire body, but Michael could feel it numbing them at the same time, the tips of his fingers growing colder by the second. "Stay with us."
"He's not going anywhere," Sam mumbled frantically, and Dean's eyes flicked toward him as the younger hunter reached out, not minding the blood, hands searching to cover what he could of the wound. Michael flinched a little as his hand brushed against where the sword met Dean's skin; It didn't hurt him directly, but the hunter's pain was enough, at least knowing he was in pain was enough. Lucifer had stumbled toward them at that point, but he hadn't gotten too close, seeming uncertain as to whether or not he should. After a moment, though, he stepped forward.
"Let me-"
"No-" Dean choked out, cutting the Devil off, as Michael brought his gaze up to his younger brother. At this point, Michael was already working to heal what he could, but it was difficult to do so with the sword still stuck through the hunter. And even more so without the full use of his powers, but he was just doing what he could to keep Dean alive right then. "Go- Jack," Dean continued to insist, and the confusion on Lucifer's face fizzled out to realization at once. "Get Jack," the hunter hissed out, and Michael practically trembled as the oldest Winchester suddenly shifted positions, despite Sam's protests. "No time."
Chuck's muffled protests did nothing this time; The Devil looked to Sam first, and then to Castiel for permission; and then, at once, his eyes rolled back and he had crumpled to the ground. Michael watched, not sure whether to feel relieved or not, but Dean seemed to relax, as much as was possible, anyway. He didn't really understand why the hunter had sent Lucifer away, but at the same time, he did; Rowena and Crowley were already having a hard time holding Chuck steady, and there wouldn't be enough time for Lucifer to remove the sword and heal Dean himself right then. Getting Jack was their best option. Still, Michael didn't know how long he could hold his powers; He was struggling, even now, keeping his Grace wrapped tightly around the hunter and simply struggling to keep his heart pounding, blood pumping, and to keep him conscious. But he could feel the nausea and the dizziness building up, too. He didn't have long.
With a furious scream, Chuck abruptly managed to wrench himself away from Rowena and Crowley; Turning on his heel, he sent both of them flying backwards into the wall, choking and spitting the hex bag out onto the floor in the process. And then another flash of light enveloped the room, but this time it was coming solely from Chuck, wrapping around him. Michael realized what he was doing at once, and Amara seemed to, too, because she screamed.
"Oh, no, you don't-!" She lunged forward, grabbing for her brother; The light enveloped her just at the last second, and then they were both gone. Rowena gasped and slumped backwards against the wall, while Crowley let out a furious roar and slammed his fist against the floor.
Dean inhaled sharply and let his head fall back against the wall. Michael blinked back the tears brewing in his eyes, silently praying Amara could handle Chuck on her own, but he had a feeling she'd be returning empty handed. He looked down at Lucifer for a moment, growing slightly desperate as he wondered when Jack would be arriving. Every second that ticked by felt like hours were passing, and Dean's eyes were sliding shut, his heartbeat was slowing…
"No- no, no, stay- stay-" Michael forced their eyes open, hardly managing to choke out the words through the hunter's blood. Dean groaned a little in protest when the archangel moved their head forward, looking down at the sword. Then, taking in a shaky breath, he fumbled for the handle, cringing back slightly as another spark of pain shot through him. But it brought Dean back to his senses, if only slightly, and, abruptly, the hunter began pulling at the sword, trying to pull it out. Sam rushed to protests, while Castiel's hands hovered over the sword.
"Dean," Sam warned, wide-eyed, but Dean paid him no mind, simply brushing his brother's hands aside when the younger hunter reached out to stop him. Michael took a deep breath, struggling to add some of his own strength to the mix, or whatever he had left. Dean bit down on his tongue when they finally managed to tug the sword out of the wall, and as they began pulling it out of the hunter, himself, the oldest Winchester didn't make a single sound.
"What are you doing?" Crowley demanded, heaving himself away from the wall to approach them. "That's going to make it worse- Squirrel- can one of you bloody idiots stop him before he bleeds out?" He snapped at Sam and Castiel, who exchanged a helpless look in response.
Then, with a grunt and a gasp, Dean managed to pull the sword out completely. He dropped it at once and slid down the wall, while Castiel and Sam grabbed onto his arms. Michael blocked out Sam's desperate mumblings and his brother's quiet reassurances, looking down at the blood seeping into Dean's shirt, the wound pouring even harder now that the sword wasn't there to put any pressure on it. The archangel brought a hand up over the wound, pressing down against it, but Castiel's hands eased his own away so that his brother could position his fingers over the wound, himself, his hands beginning to glow as he struggled to heal the hunter, himself.
He managed to close up half of the wound before he sank back, gasping, the blue in his eyes fading out at once and the golden glow on his hands stuttering and dimming down to nothing. "I can't…" Castiel started, looking frustrated; Dean reached one hand out toward him, resting it lightly against the angel's arm and letting his head fall back against the wall again.
Michael looked down. The blood was still pouring and the wound still stung, but other than that, he felt numb. And cold. And Dean's heart-rate was slowing by the second, and Michael knew that maybe he was being impatient - it had barely been a minute since Lucifer had gone to get Jack - but something needed to be done now or else Dean was going to bleed out right then and there, and judging by the way his eyes were slipping shut again, he didn't have long until it happened. He wasn't going to make it until Lucifer and Jack got back, and that was just a fact.
The archangel shivered a little and raised a hand over what was left of the wound, allowing Dean to close his eyes only so that Michael could concentrate the rest of his energy into healing the hunter. His powers resisted at first, as if warning him against it, but he didn't stop, and he didn't falter. He just let Dean relax against the wall, keeping his hand hovering over the wound, a faint golden glow sparking up against his fingertips. He poured all of his energy into it, all of his concentration. He wasn't letting Dean Winchester die. Not today. Not if he could stop it, and he was praying - not to God, but to himself - that he would be able to save him.
Then, miraculously, the wound began to close. It started slowly at first, the pain beginning to dissipate; At first, Michael thought they were just going numb again, but he slowly realized the pain was merely ebbing away as he was healing the wound. He had to crack his eyes open to see what he was doing, rolling his head to the side to get a better look. He only dropped his hand when the blood stopped gushing; He hadn't closed the wound completely, but he had done enough to stop the blood from flowing out as rapidly as it had been. With that done, he focused his energy on simply keeping Dean's heart beating, managing to bring it back to a steady rhythm. He wasn't sure how long he could hold that, but for now, it was enough, and hopefully it was enough to keep the hunter alive until his brother and nephew arrived.
"You shouldn't have done that," Dean muttered around the blood that had bubbled up to his lips, and Michael actually had to huff out a laugh despite himself. Yeah, judging by the dizziness and the nausea and the darkness slowly creeping up at the corners of his vision, he probably shouldn't have, but he had, and it was over, and that was that.
"Too late," he replied simply, quiet and breathless. Sam's expression shifted into one of relief as the realization settled in, and Castiel exhaled sharply, his fingers curling around Dean's. Michael turned his head slightly, realizing with mild curiosity that his brother had grabbed the hunter's hand, bloody as it was, and had yet to let go. Dean twitched a little at the realization, himself, and his lips tugged upwards at the corners for just half a second before his eyes slid shut again, but he seemed more exhausted now than he was on the brink of death, so Michael allowed him to relax with a soft, shaky sigh.
Unfortunately, though, that was his own undoing.
He was conscious when Lucifer - no, Jack's - voice cut into the silence, abrupt and confused, concerned and dazed. He was conscious when he heard Gabriel speaking, his brother seemingly having returned from wherever he was. He was conscious when Rowena explained the situation, and when Crowley explained that Chuck had left, and taken Amara with him. He was conscious when Dean was lifted up off of the floor by Sam and Castiel.
He was conscious until cold air hit him straight in the face. And then the darkness took over, dizzying, painful, confusing, and terrifying - but welcomed all the same, because through the dizziness, through the pain and confusion and terror, there were whispers, Adam's voice in his ear, promising him safety and warmth if he would just let himself go, to stop gripping the edge so tightly, to just close his eyes and jump and see where it took him, to let the dark pull him under, like a blanket wrapping around him, like waves crashing down over his head. But they weren't violent and angry, they were calming and steady, and through it all, they promised that his anchor would be waiting for him at the end.
It didn't occur to him, until he was already drifting through the darkness, that Adam would never have encouraged him to let go. But by then, it was too late.