Once again a statue, Mercy could feel the dread leak into her bones with her eyes stitched to the back of the greatest evil to have ever existed, every ounce of instinct in her body was screeching at her to be cautious; to do nothing to gain such a beings attention in any way.
She watched warily as the Devil nonchalantly leant on his shovel, looking for all the world like this was a normal evening to enjoy, and started talking to her youngest brother in that voice. That (literally) god forsaken voice that she knew was going to forever haunt her nightmares.
"Is it too crazy to hope you would just say yes now?" He mused, a look far too innocent for the Devil, directed at Sam.
An instantaneous, "That'll never happen!" blasted from Sam's mouth. His body taught with tension.
The sharp determined look on his face sent an arrow of dread through her body. Don't piss off the Devil, don't you fucking dare piss of the very essence of evil, Samuel Winchester. She struggled to convey the complete and utter notion of 'NO' towards her youngest sibling.
Mercy continued to stay on guard, mind going back and forth searching for a way out of there; just something, anything, no matter what, just something to keep the breathing for a few more days. It didn't matter that they had to run. At least they'd be alive and able to try again in the future. Or at least she hoped. Mercy barely heard any of what the vessel and angel were discussing, too confused, too worried, too fucking messed in the head looking for answers.
"You know Sam, I was a son. A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved. Idolized, in fact. And one day I went to him and I begged him to stand with me, and Michael... Michael turned on me. Called me a freak. A monster. And then he beat me down. All because I was different. Because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, Sam. Any of this sound familiar?"
Mercy locked gazes with Sam, eyes wide but filled with the conviction that, no, her brother wasn't anything like the asshole. Sam wasn't a freak, he most definitely not a monster, and no matter how much they attacked each other, it was never out of spite or hatred. They loved the giant so so much, don't you dare believe a word of what comes out of that shit, don't you dare doubt the love they held, she held for her baby brother.
She was, for once, not shocked at the slow fall of a tear down her cheek. Honestly, she was getting sick of everyone, everything, making her and her brothers question their worth to one another. Question their worth as a whole. She was so fucking sick of these doubts that plagued their everyday life, just because they were descendants of some crap vessels and were apparently "destined for great things".
"Of course it does." Sam called out. Breaking Mercy's heart that little bit more.
"Oh? You admit it then?" Satan asked, voice coloured with obvious surprise with a hint of glee. Oh how she wished she could slap that thought out of his head.
Though the sudden calm conviction Sam's posture held made her pause for a moment.
"Yes. Do you know why?" She felt so proud of her brother, staring right back into the eyes of the greatest evil ever recorded. "It's called having a family!"
Mercy and Dean very nearly burst out laughing at the pure shock splattered on Satan's face. And Mercy knew, by the look on her amazing little brother's face, that he had only just begun.
"A family is never perfect, in fact, it can be pretty crap. They beat you down, they make you feel like you don't belong, they call you a freak. But you know what? My family did that for a damn good reason! They beat me to teach me how to use that difference, how it's amazing but also how it can cause me pain! They did it because I had a mind of my own! They did it to teach me how to use it, and when to use it properly!"
Sam took deep breaths. The shouting obviously had been to release all the stress and confusion that had built up over the years. And he wasn't even done with that. Though this time with less shouting, but voice still as firm as ever.
"And you know what? I'm glad they called me a freak. Because they're freaks too. We're a family of freaks. They know that, and call me a freak because it's the same as saying 'you're different from us, but we love you, because we're different from you too.' So despite what you think. You and I? We're in no way the same."
Oh that gorgeous giant fucker. Oh that big beautiful brilliant brother of hers!
"Some fancy words there. Very moving, Sam." The words of the Devil sliced through the warming atmosphere with a cold satisfaction. "But this isn't a TV show. This isn't going to be solved with love and friendship. Think about it! No matter what you say, what you try to believe, it won't change. So think about it and try again, how are you and your brother any different from Michael and I?"
"Hah, you moron." Dean called with confidence as he moved to stand with Sam, though Mercy wasn't blind to the slight tremble in his cocky grin. "It's obvious. We had a big sister."
The look of pure, unaltered rage on the Devil's vessel barely registered in Mercy's mind before she began moving. Her body moving light-years faster than her thoughts, shocking both her and Lucifer, as she came face to face with the Prince of Darkness himself. He had barely managed to take even a single step towards her brothers.
"Don't you fucking dare try to even touch my brothers." She growled lowly, the vibrations spreading through her chest as she held up her knife and gun. Not that they would be any use against the archangel, but she would have to do.
She sneered at the blond, not letting his oppressive aura overtake her desire, her determination. Because no matter what. She was not going to let this daddy issued, fucker of a brother complex touch even a hair on the heads of her boys.
"Do you really think a human such as yourself could even hope to stand even the slightest of chances against me?" The slimy smile was again present on the vessel. But Mercy could see the underlying rage boiling, ready to erase her from existence at any moment.
"Of course not. Do I look like an idiot?" She snarked, letting the adrenaline take over for once and not giving a damn about her own safety. "I'm only human, and a short one at that! I have no fucking hope of ever taking you down."
"Then what are you doing?" He deadpanned. Mercy had to take a second to wonder what was so different between angels and humans that they couldn't even understand something as simple as this.
"I'm protecting my brothers. That's because that's what older siblings are supposed to do. We're supposed to protect and teach the little shits that are born after us, no matter how much of a fucking pain they are. It's what you were supposed to do when the humans were created. You were supposed to protect and teach them instead of get jealous and angry like Dean did when Sam was born. And all this!" Mercy spat as she gestured to the rows of demons seemingly in a trance. "Is just because you want the attention of your father, like when Dean followed me everywhere, even to the bathroom. Don't deny it Dean, Dad had to give you a talk about 'following ladies in the bathrooms'."
Okay. Maybe she shouldn't have let her adrenaline speak for her. Especially judging by the increasing level of anger the Devil was displaying.
Shit.
"I think it's finally enough, don't you brother?" A familiar voice called from the other side of the small clearing.
No.
No fucking way.
And there went another little piece of her heart.
"Gabe!" Mercy shouted angrily. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?!"
No seriously.
What. The. Hell.
He wasn't supposed to have any part in this. Mercy couldn't… wouldn't let him. She would ever allow him to go through the pain of battling his beloved brother to the death. She even made him promise on both their lives! How could he go back on her like that?
"Sorry Tiger." The deeply remorseful look he gave her did nothing to soften the pain. "You and I both know I need to do this."
"Gabriel, brother. I wasn't expecting to see you here." Lucifer spoke, strangely sincere his pleasant surprise.
"Wait, wait. Hold up." Dean vocalized from behind her. "Brother?"
Without even looking, Mercy could see the suspicious and disbelieving glare Dean was giving to the two archangels.
Gabe sighed deeply, "Y'know boys, despite being considered the best hunters in the business, you're really slow on the uptake." Gabe swiftly pulled out his angel blade. "I am the archangel Gabriel, messenger of the lord and one of the most powerful creations of God. I became Loki after the arguing upstairs got too much to handle. Figured being a pagan was a much better gig."
"Holy shit. Dude, our sister was banging an angel." Dean whispered loudly.
Mercy could barely hold in the groan. She couldn't, however, stop her hand from making contact with her face.
"Like your one to talk, Dean." Sam replied.
"Tell me brother." Lucifer started, ignoring the humans chatter. "Why must you fight me? Why will you not join me in ridding the world of humanity? Look what they have done to Father's great creation!"
"Ridding the world of humans? I'm gonna have to pass on that brother. I happen to like the humans, warts and all. Especially seeing as I am married to one." He raised his hand to show the small band of metal with pride.
"Over a girl. Gabriel. Really. I mean, I knew you were slumming, but, I hope you didn't catch anything."
Of all the… Mercy really wanted get pissed at that. But in that situation, she just wanted them all out of there. She didn't want to have to watch Gabe kill his own brother.
"Lucifer, you're my brother and I love you. But you're a great big bag of dicks." Though, it seemed Gabe was pissed at the insinuation too.
"What did you just say to me?"
"Mercy was right. Look at you. Boo hoo. Daddy was mean to me so I'm gonna smash up all his toys."
Mercy straightened her back and held her weapons at the ready, she was on sudden alert as the air rapidly cooled around them. The atmosphere suddenly serious and tense as the two Archangels faced each other seriously. She suddenly realised that that was probably not the best place to be.
"Watch your tone." Lucifer warned.
"You can play the victim all you want, but you and me? And apparently Mercy. Know the truth. Dad loved you best. More than Michael, more than me. Then he brought the new baby home and you couldn't handle it. So all this, is just a great big temper tantrum. It's time to grow up."
"Gabriel, if you're doing this for Michael-" Satan tried.
"Screw him. If he were standing here, I'd shiv his ass too."
Oh Gabe no. Oh baby no. She wanted, oh dear god did she want to stop all this. But she didn't know how. How could she when she couldn't even get her mouth open.
"You disloyal-"
No.
"Oh I'm loyal. To them."
Stop.
"Who? To your so called fellow gods?"
"To people. Lucifer."
The moment of silence, as Satan pondered on the response, was suffocating. Mercy felt like she was seconds away from being crushed from the tension alone.
"So you're willing to die for a pile of cockroaches. Why?"
"Because Dad was right. They are better than us."
No. I'm not.
"They are broken. Flawed. Abortions."
"Damn right they're flawed. But a lot of them try. To do better. To forgive." His eyes caught her own terror filled ones. In return she was given a tearful, apologetic smile. "And you should see the Spearmint Rhino. Mercy and I have great memories there." He tried to joke.
Stop it. You fucking idiot.
"I've been riding the pine a long time. But I'm in the game now. But I'm not on your side, or Michael's. I'm theirs."
"Brother, don't make me do this."
Please.
"No one makes us do anything."
Then please stop.
"I know you think you're doing the right thing Gabriel. But I know where you're heart truly lies."