Chapter 9

"Dad said that you know how to fight. Can you teach me?"

Angela looked at the boy that was looking up at her with those brown eyes. She really was a sucker for kids even though she was the disciplinarian. She loved children because they were so full of innocence when they were small. As they got older though… they started learning about the harsh truths; that the world was a scary place.

"Please?"

Angela knew that Carter was placed in her care while his father went hunting. It was a favor for a favor thing. He had what she needed and she had what he needed, which was a willing babysitter. It was an even trade in most respects and he was even willing to follow her and help on her mission.

Carter was giving her a look. Finally she relented, "Alright Carter. I'll teach you a few things but it is only to be used in self-defense."

"Aww. I want to learn how to hunt."

"You're a little young for that."

"But…"

"It's not something you want to learn about."

"But Dad's a hunter."

"And it's his decision on whether or not you do that job. I'll teach you how to defend yourself since no one should be used as another's punching bag but that's it."

"Awww. Okay."

The scene flashed forward about ten years. She was still pursuing the thing that killed Mary. Even though she learned of a horrible truth regarding that, she still felt she owed it to Mary. She had wanted out of the life and she had tried to stay away to make sure that was a reality. She cared about Mary like a sister. She would do anything to avenge her death and if she had to… she would go down that path that she tentatively swore not to go down ever again. Yet this was her doing. If she hadn't made the mistake she did…

Carter was all grown up now. He was also a hunter. She felt sadness at that since she remembered a bright little boy. He could have been anything but a hunter but here he was. She had stumbled across him when she was pursuing a lead on the demon, which happened to be one of his minions. She had caught a bit of trouble and the demon got the drop on her. She was about to buy the farm when…

There was a shot and the demon scampered off as a body dropped in front of her and continued to fire. She thought she was seeing a soldier turned hunter given the way her interruption was acting. When he turned around she blinked.

"Never thought you'd see me again huh?"

Angela knew she was floating somewhere between conscious and unconscious. She had retreated to memories of Carter while listening to the garbled voices her ears were picking up. In all honesty she wasn't even sure how long she had been hit. She did know that the renegades were pissed that they hadn't been able to make her cry out in pain. That was something they failed to learn but then again she always had the habit of keeping secrets.

When you encounter someone who is determined to break you, don't be quick to show all of your cards, Bambina…

That particular secret was because she hung around sumo wrestlers. They learned mind over matter especially with pain. That was handy and even more so when she was introduced to a samurai by the name of Kenji. He taught her a few other things and they were surprised at how she was able to keep up with them. Right now the sumo thing was handy.

The first hits were nothing at first. It was like a normal human hitting her. The thing was she was wary since these were not ordinary humans. She was versed in the art of torture and interrogation and she wouldn't put it past them to go easy and then step it up. As of now though, she could feel the bruises starting to form on her body; they had hit her mostly on her torso and upper thighs, the areas to show some bruising.

It was exhausting hanging there and it didn't help that Carter drugged her. She was certain it was a hallucinogen of some sort or a sedative. She had no idea how it would work on her. She wouldn't say that she hadn't hallucinated before. She wasn't sure if she should count the fact that she thought she was seeing things when she first noticed the reapers. When the renegades started hitting her, it took a while but she started seeing them as strange things. Some were the monsters she hunted and sometimes it was of things that were more likely the product of an active imagination.

She's been like that for an hour…

Angela ignored the voices that sounded garbled. She wasn't sure but it felt like she was frowning in her sleep since she was trying to clear her head from the drugs. It was a futile effort since it was injected into her bloodstream. Still it was worth a try and she was the kind of person to fight. She was also one to realize that maybe she was a little pigheaded and stubborn with things. She liked to think that she did things for the best of people and was often telling others to not make decisions for people… Didn't she say that to Sam recently?

This will wake her up.

Angela shot her eyes open the moment the ice cold water hit her skin. The sudden dousing was effective in waking her up. Her eyes darted around wildly as she tried to ascertain what was going on. She swung and wriggled as she looked around, her wrists still firmly bound above her head and her toes barely touching the floor. She was now wet and a few loose locks of her hair stuck to the sides of her face and dangled looking stringy.

"There we go. Can't have you drifting off now can we?"

Angela turned to see Carter looking at her with a grin. What had happened to the boy she remembered? It was rhetorical since she was certain it was her fault for how he was. After all she was on the trail of a demon and one that made life miserable. That was no excuse and she was well aware of her shortcomings. "It's what happens when one gets bored," she replied with a heavy chuckle.

Carter smirked since it was an amusing and droll comment. "I'll bet." He had the report of what went on during the session. Purposely he poked where she had been hit and watched her reaction. "Now that had to hurt."

It had hurt when he poked the bruise that was surely forming even though she couldn't see it. She moved mostly because she didn't want to be touched and where he poked her was an area that was borderline dangerous territory. Even Carter could tell that the movement was not of pain but more of not wanting to be touched period. She countered, "It hurts that you have to be this way Carter."

"Don't bother."

"It has to be said one way or another." If she could have shrugged, she would have. Angela lifted her head slightly to look at Carter in the eye. "I am sorry."

"You think that will do anything?"

Angela made a slight movement. So far this was more like a punishment for her being her and then there was the looming threat over Sam and Dean. She knew that it was stalling and at the moment she didn't have any brilliant ideas of escape. She could bide her time and be observant with things but it always wasn't going to be the case. As for this, she could bide her time for deep down she knew that no matter what she told the boys if they sensed anything was off they would be on the trail to find her. It wasn't a matter of if but when.

Carter studied her. She looked a bit like someone who was drunk and trying to sober but was still making a fool of their person. She almost had a sheepish look but there was that look of pity. It was faint but it was there. "Always thinking about others aren't you?"

"My nature."

"Let me guess… Sam tells you that."

"Him, Dean and just about every other person who thinks I am worth something." Angela knew she was really downplaying how people saw her. But then again it was always how she saw herself, which ended up saying the worst things and implying she was the monster that should be hunted. Deep down though, the fact that Sam was insistent about how he saw her even through everything they had been through… it did more for her feeling of self-worth than anything.

"Still the glib one."

"Not really a time to be subtle or coy. Besides… I'm not good at it." Angela lifted her head a little and attempted a slight grin. She took in the expression. It was obvious that Carter sort of expected her behavior and sort of didn't. All he remembered was what he knew as a boy and the time they spent traveling together so he didn't know what she had done in between and after. "You should know that."

Carter narrowed his eyes at her. He knew her to be clever. He had seen her trick a demon or two with her words and ability to mislead. This was something like that but he wasn't sure. "I know that you have a way of turning the truth to suit your own purposes." He paced a little as he motioned for one of his companions to come in. "You did to me."

"That is where you are wrong, Carter." Angela lifted her head as one of the renegades came wheeling in a table. She didn't need to get worried or anything like that. She had utilized the same techniques before. She remembered Alistair the most clearly and it was all stuff Dean had assembled and her contribution was that stupid book of hers. She hadn't even gotten rid of it.

What do you wish for me to do with it?

Put it back. Put it back so none would be tempted.

She should have destroyed it. It was a time when she was on a path that could have made her into something that she would have hated; what Sam would have hated. She suppressed the sigh she was tempted to release as her thoughts drifted to Sam. It was why she tried so hard; his perception of her was a driving force. Dean she could count on to be brutally honest. She was like him in that respect.

A sudden punch to the face caught her attention. Angela turned to see Carter looking at her and pleased he got her attention as he said, "Better. Can't have you drift off just yet."

"Well I'm not exactly thrilled about the second round." Angela looked at the cart and pretended to inspect the contents. "Oh… I'm familiar with these. I had fun with them once."

"I bet you have," one of the renegades muttered, "Abomination."

"Oh shut up," Angela countered with an annoyed expression. "The only abominations in this room are you and I'm the mad scientist that created them."

It would have been comical if the situation weren't so dire. In fact the captors were having a hard time accepting the fact that she wasn't reacting like a typical victim would. Most of their victims were scared and begging not to be hit. Carter looked at her and countered, "No the only abomination here is you. We were just fools to believe in the likes of you."

"Your loss."

One of the renegades couldn't help himself and with the pipe in his hand, he gave a hard swing. There was the sickening sound of bones breaking and a grunt from Angela. She had her teeth gritted and the sound she let out was similar to what the Winchesters would let out as they tried not to cry out in extreme pain. The clout to torso most definitely broke a couple of ribs and was reflective of the strength of the renegades.

A second swing went to her back and she was lucky she moved when she did. The swing was hard enough to break the vertebrate in her back. It certainly was going to leave a mark and definitely a bruise. A third hit her lower back near her kidneys and then they stopped and that was because Carter said that they didn't want to do too much damage just yet.

Angela hissed in her breathing through her teeth. The broken ribs hurt like a bitch and the subsequent hits… Her features contorted into one of anger. Her eyes were narrowed in a glare while her breaths were coming out in hisses. "Having fun?"

Carter wasn't sure what to make of it. He had seen her shrug off injuries the freaks had given her but this was different. Still it would work. He smiled suddenly, "Oh I'm just getting started." He went over and picked up a syringe and held it ready to attack. "Now I know something is already broken in there so why not take off one advantage?"

"Like what?"

"That ability to rapidly heal."

Angela felt her eyes widen slightly. She knew what Carter was talking about. Few people, hunters, knew about that. Not even the elders on the council of the Centurion knew about it. The idea that there was a drug out there to do that… inconceivable. She happened to learn about it from some old hermit who knew plants and herbs and it wasn't Li. Seeing Carter poised to use it, she knew she was going to be here for the long haul.

Carter saw the look of recognition on her face. "I see you know this drug. That must mean that you know that you should anticipate to be here for the long haul."

"Well like I told you when we ran together: only thing worth doing is doing it right."

"Yes…" Carter walked up slowly towards Angela. With his free hand he caressed her cheek deriving pleasure at making her squirm slightly. "And we want you to feel everything. Create enough pain and it will feedback to that angel of yours. And while it can't actually find this place it will tell the two pain in the asses."

"They aren't stupid."

"Brave words." Carter cradled her chin between his first finger and thumb.

Angela looked at Carter. She then felt the sting of the needle as he slowly injected it right on her forearm. She looked up and noticed he marked a vein. Great. It seemed that he thought of everything. "You actually think…"

"I'm not stupid," Carter interrupted. "I know you have people watching out for you and word will get back to the Winchesters. They wouldn't want you to suffer any longer. And once they come… let's just say that we will deal with the one responsible for breaking the world and the other will watch. But that is after they watch you die."

Angela would have said something but she felt something sting in her neck. It came from behind and she heard the chuckle of one of the renegades. She growled as she yanked her head away but the damage was already done. She looked at Carter with a glare. It wasn't a murderous one but it was one that said clearly that he was getting in over his head.

Carter was merely smirking as he watched one of his partners give her a second dose of the hallucinogens. It was too early but strong wills needed to be dealt with a bit differently. He was only going on what he knew from his past dealings and the others would contribute. The rest would be played by ear.

"I wouldn't underestimate them," Angela said after trying to dispel the sting. Already she was starting to feel the effects of the drugs. Wryly she thought that was how the addicts felt when they got the next hit. Once it was in… It had her worried and slightly scared. If the drugs were powerful enough… She had seen the effects of people who were long-term users of laudanum. It wasn't pretty and the opiate users could be worse.

"I'm not. In fact I am counting on the fact that they would come for you. After all birds of a feather should flock together." Carter shrugged his shoulders and tossed the empty needle on the tray. His fingers tapped the edge of it until he selected what he wanted. "And do you think any of us forgot how you harbored all those freaks?"

"And you found some and killed them to flush me out. Yeah I remember." Angela blinked since her vision was getting a little blurry. The voices sounded blurry and she thought she saw something in the shadows. That was perfect; the hallucinations were starting. She turned her attention towards Carter and noticed that he was holding a blowtorch in one hand and what looked like an iron rod in the other. "They were innocent."

"They were things," one of the renegades said. It was one she had spit on with her blood. "They were not innocent. They were tainted with the blood of a demon."

"When they were babies you fools!" Angela turned towards the one that was talking. Everything looked distorted but she had her angle and was going to use it. "They were violated. Surely you would understand that but you are pretty stu…"

The sudden burning sensation cut Angela off as she bellowed out a grunt. She smelled burnt fabric and burning flesh. She swiveled to see Carter holding up a poker with a red-hot tip. She looked down to see where he had burned her. It was just under her rib cage on the left hand side and at an angle. It was probably a second degree burn if not a first degree burn. Third degree burns brunt the nerves and there was no pain. She felt it and her body bucked as she swiveled.

"What?" Carter gave a mocking look at her. "Thought you were used to fire. After all you claimed to have gone to hell."

Angela was breathing and it was coming out in a hissing wheeze through her nose and teeth. Finally she said, "You know nothing of hell."

"Oh I do." Carter waved the hot poke around while casting a glance behind her. "What you did to me: getting Dad killed and then leaving me to die… Oh that was hell."

Angela huffed, "That is nothing."

"Really?" Carter looked at Angela like she was nuts. His expression also conveyed his disdain and disbelief. Watching her expression he struck out and placed the hot tip on the underside of her upper arm. It was the softer and more sensitive part of the skin and he took satisfaction in hearing the sizzling of skin and Angela huffing out a grunt of pain. "Would you call this hell?"

Her skin burned from the heat. The cool air hit is and she felt the sizzling of pain. She could smell her skin burning and the burnt flesh started to make her queasy. She long disliked the smell of burning flesh whether it was dead or alive. It was why she used alternative means of putting spirits to rest like the Romani rights. And from experience you never fucked with Romani magic or you risked being screwed and in a permanent sense. She then felt another burning pain as she felt the hit heat the underside of her other arm and she yelled out. She looked at Carter, "You… little shit!" She couldn't get out more since she got another burn across her abdomen.

Carter had a bored expression on his face as he picked random spots to burn her with the hot poker. Well they appeared random but he was methodical about it. He made sure to get tender and soft parts of the body like her forearms and the underside of the upper arm. He considered giving one to her face but he kind of liked it looking a little puffy and with dried blood caked on. Besides he had the whole body to play around with.

When there were at least half a dozen burns on her body he lowered the poker. It was still hot but it could be made hotter and he had to give some breathing room. Otherwise where was the fun in what they were doing? "Had enough?"

"I would ask you the same," Angela retorted as she took hissing breaths. The cool air was hitting the exposed burns and creating a sting and her nerves felt like they were on fire. She wriggled her fingers and twisted her wrists only to feel the ropes burn. Her body was hurting from her ribs and the bruises. "If you are hoping for more, then you will be disappointed."

Carter raised his hand to hold off the other two. He took a couple of steps to get closer. "You never disappoint. Like I said, the Winchesters will come for you. And when they do…"

"Like I said before, I feel sorry for you." Angela took a couple of heaving breaths. She was sounding like she had run a marathon and she hadn't. It was mostly because she was in pain. "I know they will come but they are not stupid. They will figure things out."

"I'm counting on it. After all we've been waiting for this."

Angela raised her brow at that. "So me killing your comrades wasn't enough to dissuade you?"

Carter leaned close. If he wasn't set in his ways, he would have found her very attractive. She had the body and the looks that most women would kill for. The damning thing was that she was a monster. It didn't matter if she was half human. One drop might as well made you whole but… he put his hand on her torso and ran it up her side taking care to brush the burns and bruises to make sure she felt it. He grinned as she hissed and jerked away… Well tried to jerk away. She merely swung from her position. "You do remember that."

"No fucking shit," she retorted. "You came after my friends. You were trying to kill them."

"Sam Winchester is an abomination and the fact that his brother protects him makes him equally damned," one of the renegades retorted.

"Then you really are stupid in all things," Angela replied in a flippant tone.

"Not if we are ready for them." Carter paused and then studied her. He leaned in close and poked a particularly nasty burn. "Did you think that we wouldn't be prepared? You forget that time has a way of making things grow."

Angela took in the expression. She knew that it was serious and she knew Carter was no fool. He would set it up so that any rescue attempt would result in death or capture. As much as she would like to be free of this, her protective instincts were on the rise. "They aren't stupid."

"Meaning that you think they won't come. If I know you, you probably cut your connection but there is the feedback."

"Not on your life." Angela followed as Carter walked away. As she did, her vision blurred and she thought she saw Alistair. Now she knew that was the drugs working on her mind since Alistair was gone. It switched quickly back to carter but blurred again to another face that she knew but no name came to her. The renegades were starting to look different too and she saw shadows. She shook her head.

"Having trouble?" Carter mocked her since he noticed the way she was looking at him and the others. She wasn't sure what to believe. "I mean it must be difficult seeing things of the past. I wonder who you are seeing that will be giving you this." He made a motion.

Angela felt a slow stabbing pain as a cold slice of metal pushed its way shallowly into her side. She grunted and turned to see one of the renegade who looked more like one of the demons she had chased after and got rid of. She growled since a quick slice was made along her lower back. It became dangerous when one of the renegades put his hand on her hip and grazed upwards in a seductive manner and she retaliated.

It was automatic and she brought her leg up and gave a hard kick. She hit the renegade dangerously close to a sensitive area and growled out her agitation. She kicked again and was rewarded with a few hits to her legs. She continued kicking and ended up with a slice across the thigh and piping being swung at her legs. In the meantime Carter stood watching as she continued to fight and moved to pick up the poker and heated it up again. At the right moment he thrust it forward in a stabbing motion. It ended up stabbing her and made a shallow burning cut from the lower right side and upwards over her abdomen. The scream was full of rage and pain.

A/N: Well the beating stopped but now they are stepping it up and it looks like Angie's gonna be in for some real pain. Stay tuned for more To Hell and Back...