Thanks for the replies folks :)

CHAPTER 4
Learn to lose, it's easier that way...

Bobby watched from the doorway as Sam and Dean went about cleaning and inspecting their weapons. The atmosphere was somber and the silence they shared did little to lift the mood. The dinning room table in front them was cluttered with an array of guns; each and every one of them now sporting a Pentagram on one side and a Sigil on the other. Though their encounter with the angels had proven that the Sigil could in fact kill, neither were celebrating the small victory. It was almost as if seeing Castiel choose to side with Heaven had put it all in perspective, they really were on their own, more or less throwing themselves on the front lines of a war not meant for them to fight as anything but vessels. "It's not your fault, you do know that don't you?" Bobby quietly started, pausing for only a moment as the other man looked up from across the table to catch his eyes. Trying to find the right words was always a struggle, especially when it came to John Winchester's oldest son. "He's an angel, it's all he's ever known and if they're willing to give him a second chance, he's going to take it."

"I know that." Dean replied frankly as he placed his shotgun down and moved on to the next one. "I just thought he was on our side." He swallowed hard as his mind drifted back to the moment Castiel had rebelled, the moment the angel had chosen to fight for the good of mankind. It all seemed so far away now. "If he wants to fight for them, that's his choice." Dean grumbled, passing a finger over the Sigil engraved on the barrel of a gun. "But he knows where we stand and he can't say that we didn't give him fair warning."

Sam watched as his older brother continued cleaning his gun, doing what he could to hide the feeling of betrayal. This wasn't the last they'd seen of Castiel and if the angel really was given a second chance, the next time they would meet, it would no doubt be on the battle field. Just the thought of Dean having to face off against Castiel made Sam's heart ache, his older brother had few people to consider friends and through the past two years, the angel who'd pulled him from Hell, had been one of them. The clap of thunder that pulled him from his thoughts made the house shake around them. "I think this lightning storm is getting worse." Sam muttered as he picked up another one of his many guns.

"Yeah, get ready for a sleepless night." Bobby replied, watching as the brothers continued with their task. "You boys look like you're getting ready to take on the world." He started softly, a nervous smile to the corner of his lips as he finally stepped foot into the room. "So what exactly is the game plan, boys?" He asked simply, pulling up a chair and taking a seat at the table. "We've got a few days, where do we start?"

"We're hitting the road come sun up." Sam replied, catching the older man's eyes for only a moment before focusing on the gun in his hands. "We'll head West and make a stop in all those towns you circled, see who's left where and what side they're on..."

There was a moment of silence as Bobby eyed the gun in the young hunters hands. "So you boys are just going to start driving?" He asked, watching as Sam gave him a nod. "That's a lot of ground to cover considering you've got FIVE DAYS at the most to do it and this is worldwide chaos we're talking about."

"Yeah well, we can't be everywhere at once and we've gotta start somewhere." Dean replied quietly, looking through the barrel of his gun before locking it in place.

"You two have had some pretty stupid ideas in the past, but this one, this one tops them all." Bobby started, letting out a frustrated sigh as the brothers continued to clean and tend to their weapons. "You want to drive the country killing anything and everything that gets in your way, all on a mission to find and kill two of the most powerful angels in..."

"If you've got any better ideas, we're all ears." Dean growled, his words instantly silencing the other man. "Trust me, Sammy & I, we know how crazy this plan is, but it's the only one we've got." He paused for only a moment as he caught the older man's eyes. "We're not stupid, Bobby... Anyone can see that this plan is more than likely not going to work but what else are we going to do?'

"Dean..." Sam silenced as his older brother took a quick glance in his direction. Though he knew his brother was right and that their kill one, kill 'em all approach was almost certainly doomed from the start, he didn't need to hear it and he knew that the veteran hunter didn't either.

"This is a suicide mission." Bobby growled, watching as Sam let out a sight and Dean looked the other way. "You two have no intention of surviving this, do you?"

"If we can't win this." Dean continued, his tone of voice as bitter as his words. "Then we're going to take as many of them down with us as we possibly can. Angels or Demons, I don't care anymore."

There was a moment of silence as Dean held Bobby's eyes, the simple gaze putting the point across that they knew what they were doing and what they were up against. Time was running out and there was no other plan. "Fine. What do you want me to do?" Bobby asked, leaning back in his chair as he watched Dean go back to cleaning the gun in his hands.

"You're going to stay right here and set up a few two-way radios, get in touch with every hunter you can find." Dean replied.

"Like Hell I am!" Bobby snarled, his eyes instantly narrowing on the man sitting across from him. "I'm not sitting around here while you two go off to crisscross the country on a suicide mission."

"Yeah, Bobby, you are." Dean was quick to reply, giving the other man no chance to protest any further. "We need a home base and this is going to be it. You said you could pick up a frequency through all this haze, then send a broadcast out so other hunters know what to do. Keep mapping out this path of destruction so we know what town is going to get hit next... If we're lucky we'll catch up to the sons of bitches."

Bobby let out a sigh as he readjusted his hat. "Alright, fine..." He said simply, knowing that arguing with the boys when their minds were set was pointless. "Where are you going?" He continued, watching as Dean got up from his seat and grabbed the car keys from the desk nearby.

"Double check the trunk." The other man replied simply. "I want to make sure we didn't forget any weapons..."

Bobby watched as the oldest of the two made his way towards the back of the house, the screen door slamming shut behind him as he stepped out into the night. "I think it was easier when he thought Cas was dead..." He whispered, turning slightly to catch Sam's eyes.

"It was." Sam replied quietly, swallowing the lump caught in the back of his throat.

Dean took a glance around the darkened scrap yard as he stepped off the back porch and started to make his way towards the Impala. Tomorrow he and his brother would hit the road like they always did, the only difference, was that they weren't coming back. It was a bleak outlook but it was the cold hard truth and try as they might, he knew they didn't stand a chance. He sucked in a ragged breath as he thought of the look on Bobby's face when the older man realized their true intentions... it was heartbreaking, but it wasn't going to stop them. "Kill one, kill 'em all... at any cost." He whispered to himself as he approached the Impala and made his way to the trunk, those haunting words behind the mission he and his brother were on. As he reached over to slide the key into the lock, he couldn't help but pause, his eyes catching a shadow move along the scrap pile nearby. He swallowed hard, his hand reaching for the gun tucked into the back of his belt as lightning lit up the night sky. Though he could see no one there, instinct kicked in and he just knew that he wasn't alone. Through the sound of the thunder roll, he listened intently, his eyes scanning heaps of twisted, rusted metal for anything moving in the darkness.

When the sound of glass snapping under someone's feet caught his attention, he raised his gun and turned on the spot; his grip on the weapon tightening as he came face to face with nothing at all. There was more than one of them, he was now sure of it. Eyeing the light of Bobby's back porch he quickly wagered his options, but when he caught a glimpse of a woman standing there behind him in the reflection of the Impala's rear window, he knew he was on his own. He ducked to avoid the large blade in her hand but wasn't quite fast enough to dodge a punch to the face and a kick to the stomach. The force of the impact sent him hard into the car's rear bumper, bringing him to his knees for only a moment as he tried to catch his breath. When she passed the blade from one hand to the other, he loaded his gun and shot her dead before she could take another swing. Without a pause, he reloaded the gun and shot dead another angel that had suddenly appeared in front of him. When his eyes caught a shadow moving along a row of wrecked cars to his right, he loaded the gun again and pulled himself up, swearing under his breath as he watched the figure move along the darkness. Taking aim, he waited for a clear shot and when the man stepped out into the open, he pulled the trigger a third time.

Keeping his back to the car, he made his way towards the front of it, his eyes still carefully scanning the darkness around him. As lightning once again lit up the scrap yard, the situation he was in came into sharp focus; this was an ambush and with the storm raging over head, Bobby and Sam wouldn't hear the gunshots echo in the night. He swore under his breath as he shot dead a tall man to his left and without missing a beat, turned on the spot to shoot dead a pair of angels approaching from his right. "Zachariah you son of a bitch, I know you're out here!" He shouted, pausing as his voice echoed in the storm's momentary lull. "If you want a piece of me you son of a bitch than come get it yourself!" He had barely finished his sentence when another angel suddenly appeared at his side. He took a punch to the face before landing a kick. It wasn't much, but it put enough distance between them for him to pull the trigger.

There was a moment of silence and as he studied the scrap yard, the thought of it crawling with angels made him swallow hard. Taking his chances, he turned to make his way back towards Bobby's house but came face to face with Zachariah instead. Without a second thought or hesitation, he pulled the trigger. When nothing happened and the angel's grin grew, he swore under his breath.

"Should have loaded a second clip, huh?" Zachariah started catching Dean's eyes for only a moment before focusing on the carnage surrounding the Impala. "I heard you had a new trick up your sleeve." He continued, pointing to the gun in the hunter's tight grip. "So I sent in a few decoys."

"You self centered, heartless, dick." Dean hissed, his eyes catching those of the angel in front of him. "Do they mean anything at all to you?"

"This is war, besides we can afford a few casualties." Zachariah calmly replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he watched the other man place the gun down on the hood of the car behind him. "I needed a word with you, so I sent a few angels in to clear the way... No big deal, it worked rather well if I do say so myself."

"How many times am I going to have to put it through that thick skull of yours that the answer is no." Dean growled, his eyes narrowing as his hands clenched into fists.

"I have an offer for you."

Those words made his blood boil as he thought of his encounter with Castiel earlier that night. "I know why you're here, but whatever lies you told Cas to get him back on your side, aren't going to work on me." He was quick to reply pausing for only a moment as the roll of thunder echoed in the night. "There is nothing, NOTHING you can offer me that will make me fight for Heaven, you understand me?"

"You sure?" Zachariah started, eyeing the young hunter. "Because I brought someone with me that I wanted you to meet."

When another angel stepped out from behind Zachariah, Dean couldn't help but shake his head. "Wow, someone sure beat you with one hell of an ugly stick." He commented, watching as the tall, lanky man studied him carefully.

"Pickings were slim in Scythe..." Michael replied without hesitation. "And beggars can't be choosers in a city of faithless."

"Did you and your entourage really have to wipe it off the map?" Dean continued. "The pie there was Heavenly..."

"Let's can the small talk for now, shall we?" Zachariah interrupted, getting the other man's attention away from the Archangel at his side. "Dean, we both know your plan to stop the Apocalypse isn't going to work... it can't be stopped, not now that Lucifer walks free."

"It can too be stopped." Dean was quick to reply. "Never mind confronting him, call back your damn warriors and go back where you came from... Let Sam and I worry about Lucifer and his demons, you guys have already done more than enough damage already."

"Dean you're just as much to blame as we are for all of this." Zachariah calmly started.

"I may have broken the first seal but you assholes are the ones that let it get out of hand..." The young hunter was quick to growl. "If you righteous bastards fight Lucifer, you're going to kill half the people here... Half the people here are going to DIE because you LET those seals break."

"And you see a problem with that?" Michael replied softly, his gaze drifting down to the bodies scattered around the Impala. "You were all well on your way to destroying yourselves, we just needed a reason to speed up the process and thin out the crowd. We even got those pesky Horsemen out of the way so that we could do this our way."

"Wait, what?" There was a moment of silence as Dean's eyes drifted from one angel to the other, the severity of it all coming into sharp focus as a sudden, twisted thought trickled into the back of his mind. "You killed the Horsemen so that you could do it your way? You two are sicker than I thought." He started, barely able to keep his anger at bay.

"I like to think of it as a controlled burn." Michael continued coolly. "When all of this is over and done, when Lucifer is back in Hell; order will be restored and we'll have paradise right here on earth. Not everyone will perish, there will be survivors."

"You have no right to choose who gets to live or die." Dean continued, his eyes narrowing on the pair standing there in front of him.

"Yes I do." Michael replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Haven't you read the good book? I'm the one that decides who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell."

"You're not supposed to be the one responsible for the deaths!"

"Look around at your fellow man, Dean... not all of them are worth saving." Zachariah started, his tone of voice cold.

"THEY ARE TO ME!" The young hunter snarled. "AND I WON'T SIT BACK AND WATCH YOU ASSHOLES USE THE APOCALYPSE AS AN EXCUSE TO WIPE US OFF THE MAP!"

"Dean if you and Sam insist on doing this your way, you'll just end up being one of the many that don't survive." Michael started softly, watching as the young hunter's hard gaze drifted across the scrap yard to Bobby's house in the distance. "Lucifer still needs to be sent back to Hell and you're as determined as we are to get it done. So join us and fight for Heaven, all will be forgiven and you'll be granted the peace you've spent your entire life trying to find."

"The answer's still no." Dean growled. "The only reason you did all of this, was to justify killing us off."

"Perhaps." Michael continued. "But the outcome will be in your favor if you fight with us, you'll be among those that survive."

"NO." Dean repeated, his voice rising as the anger continued to surface. "You guys are no better than all the things I've spent my life hunting and when I'm done with Lucifer, I'll be coming after you."

"Just think about it, Dean." Zachariah went on "If you fight for us..."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were getting desperate." Dean interrupted, instantly silencing the angel in front of him. He paused for only a moment and when Zachariah looked away, a chill went down his spine. "That's it, isn't it?" He asked, his eyes catching Michael's. "You're in over your heads and now you don't think you can do this without me... you NEED me, don't you?" He continued, his heart skipping a beat as he watched Zachariah's eyes reluctantly drift back up to meet his gaze. "You staged a fight thinking this would be easy, that I would just say yes and make you guys look like heroes to those you do spare when you send old Lucifer back to Hell..." The lack of a reply and the look on their faces told him all he needed to know; he had just hit the nail on the head and the fact that he was needed was the one and only reason he was still alive. They needed him and they were doing everything they could to get him on their side; that's why they had sent Castiel to try and coax him. He grabbed his gun from the hood of the car as he offered the pair a suave smile. "Well if that is the case..." He said softly. "Then you guys are screwed."

"Dean, you don't understand, if Lucifer wins, he'll raise his demons..."

"And if you guys win, you'll call down your angel buddies to finish us off." Dean started, cutting Michael short. "If they're anything like you two, then I don't see that as being any better." He continued as he turned to make his way back towards Bobby's house. "You'll be seeing me on the battle field boys, make no mistake of that... but I won't be on your side."

"You'll die before this over." Zachariah proclaimed, watching as the other man turned slightly to catch his eyes. "If you don't join us."

Dean paused in his steps for only a moment as he studied the pair. The intimidation had been replaced with desperation and now that pleading with him hadn't worked, they were turning to threats. "Try telling me something I don't know for once." He said as he tucked his gun away and continued to make his way towards the house.

"Something you don't know?" Zachariah was quick to reply. "How about this; John Winchester isn't your father..."