CHAPTER 6 -
I'm going down in flames...
Coming out of his brother's mouth, those words made absolutely no sense at all. "You're going to what?" Sam asked, his heart jumping to his throat as his brother's voice echoed in his head.
"I'm going to fight for Hell, Sam." Dean bluntly replied, catching his younger brother's eyes for only a moment.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!" The younger man shouted, trying to make sense of his older brother's new stand. "YOU WANT TO FIGHT FOR HELL?"
"I have spent more time in Hell than I have in any one place on earth." Dean was quick to reply, wasting no time getting straight to the point. "I know how it works in the pit and I can tell you right now that the demons are alot more organized than the angels are... Hell's going to win this war."
"First you want to stop them and now you want to join them?" Sam asked, still at a loss over the dramatic turn of events.
"If you can't beat 'em, you join 'em... isn't that how the saying goes?" Dean replied frankly. "Besides, we vowed to stop this at any cost."
"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Sam started, pausing for only a moment as Dean cracked a smile and looked the other way. It was a tactic the other man often used to diffuse a confrontation, but tonight the simple gesture only added fuel to the fire. "WHAT HAPPENED TO FIGHTING FOR MANKIND?" Sam shouted, his harsh tone forcing his older brother to catch his eyes. "I THOUGHT WE WERE FIGHTING FOR US AND OUR RIGHT TO BE HERE!" He continued. "NOT FOR LUCIFER AND ALL OF HIS..."
"Are you going to hear me out or what?" Dean cut in, instantly silencing the other man. "I think I can do more for mankind, if I join Lucifer and his army of demons."
"How do you figure, Dean?" Sam growled, feeling his hands clench into fists as he watched the man in front of him turn into a stranger right before his eyes. "You, of all people, think you can do more for mankind if you join an army of demons? Demons that taunted and tortured you for years?"
"Sammy, what exactly do you think I did when I agreed to join them; when Alastair took me off that rack in Hell?" Dean asked, his tone of voice dropping slightly at the thought that was still so vivid in his mind. "Don't get me wrong, I regretted every breath but I didn't sit around and cry my heart out." He explained, his voice lacking any real human emotion. "I joined the ranks and I worked my way up to the top. "
Sam swallowed hard, his gaze settling on the headlights of the Impala before once again meeting his older brother's eyes. "Worked your way to the top?" He started, those words circling inside his head. He didn't want to ask, but Dean was the one that brought it up. "How do you move your way up a corporate ladder in Hell?"
"You kill who ever is ahead of you." Dean replied without missing a beat. "I was one of Alastair's best and I ruled with an iron fist, the demons feared me when I was down below." He continued. "We might be caught in the middle but this war's pretty simple if you actually think about it; Heaven's the one that's on a power trip. You know those missing Horsemen? Well they're not missing, they're dead because the angels didn't want them to get in the way."
"Get in the way of what?" Sam quietly asked.
"Michael and Zachariah LET the demons break seals to make them think they had the upper hand.." Dean continued. "They LET Lucifer walk out of Hell so that they could use this Heaven & Hell war to justify killing off mankind. The Horsemen were supposed to be the ones wreaking havoc but they're all out of the picture... Heaven's just doing this because they can." He paused for only a moment as he sucked in a breath. "The demons aren't the ones we should be worried about right now, and if I go back to Hell and pick up where I left off, I can help 'em take out angels by the dozen."
"Doing this could destroy you, Dean." Sam started, the concern more than apparent in his tone of voice.
"Or it could save the world, Sam." The older man was quick to reply.
There was a moment of silence as Sam shook his head, unable to understand his brother's logic or current state of mind. "Dean, we're talking about Damnation, demons, Lucifer and..."
"We're talking about one last, desperate attempt to stop all of this before it's too late." Dean interrupted, once again silencing the other man. "We only need to take down one side, right? That was step one of the plan? Well I say we start by helping Lucifer put Heaven back in it's place. Trust me, we've got a better chance of surviving this, if we're not outnumbered by both sides. We can't save anyone if we're dead."
"I've already lost you to Hell once and I'm not going to loose you again." Sam growled. He took a step forward but froze when his older brother pulled out a gun, catching him by surprise.
"I'm not asking for your permission." Dean replied, loading his gun as he watched his younger brother take another step forward. "And I'm going to do this with or without your blessing..."
"Dean you're upset, but..."
"I'm not upset, I'm desperate and I'm willing to take the bullet if it means putting and end to the Apocalypse." Dean once again interrupted. "You know as well as I do that we don't stand a chance." His grip on the gun tightened as he watched Sam take another step towards him. "Taking them down from the inside might be the best shot we have and I'm not gonna miss it. I just need you to trust me on this one, Sammy."
"If this is what you think it'll take to win that's fine, but I'm not going to let you do this alone." Sam cut in, coming to a stop as the barrel of the gun pressed into his chest. There was a moment of silence and as he caught his brother's hard gaze, he felt the gun shake slightly in his grip.
"Yes you are." Dean hissed, his words catching in the back of his throat as his younger brother slowly put a hand up to lower the gun between them.
"No, I'm not." Sam paused as he watched the other man struggle to keep his emotions in check. When Dean's mind was set, it was set; the only thing Sam could do now was bargain with him. "It's a good plan, Dean; if Lucifer buys it... but if he doesn't and it all goes downhill from there, I don't want you to be alone."
With the sound of both cars idling filling the lull between them, Dean eyed the gun tucked in his hand, his mind racing with every breath. "I don't want you to go through what I did. I know you want to help Sam, but Hell's a dark place and it'll bring out a side in you that you never knew was there." He quietly started looking up at the man standing only inches in front of him. "I'm already broken up inside and my soul is as good as theirs..."
"That's no reason for you to be doing this alone." Sam was quick to reply, swallowing hard as he watched his brother's eyes suddenly narrow. "Why don't you sleep on it, think it over."
"I'm not going to change my mind." Dean snapped, sucking in a breath as he tucked the gun away. "And I know that you're not going to change yours either so if you really want to tag along, there's some ground rules you're going to have to follow." He paused for only a moment as his brother gave him a nod. "Number 1: no questions asked. The time I spent in Hell was a time where I did what I had to just to get by. I don't want to talk about it and I don't want to explain it to you. Number 2: I call the shots, I get the last say and you're going to do what I tell you to. Number 3: if it all does go downhill and they turn on us, I'm getting you out of there, no matter what. Do I make myself clear?"
Sam reluctantly gave his brother a nod, knowing that agreeing with him was the only way he'd be able to stay at his side. "You have my word..." He said quietly, only hoping that he wouldn't live to regret those words.
"Good, then let's get this over with." Dean replied, holding his brother's eyes for only a moment before turning to make his way back to the Impala, his brother following closely. "LUCIFER, I WANT A WORD WITH YOU!" He shouted into the stormy night as he leaned back against the hood of his car.
"No need to raise your voice..." The Devil calmly replied, bringing to a stop the idling engines of both cars with the snap of his fingers. "I'm never far away." Sam and Dean spun around as the Lucifer walked around the back of the Impala to join them. "Now boys, you have to understand that I'm pretty busy these days so lets just get to the point, shall we? Are you finally ready to say Yes, Sam? Is that why you're here?"
"Sam's not the one who called on you, I am." Dean started, his tone of voice pulling the Devil's eyes away from the brother at his side. "And he's not here to say Yes." He paused for only a moment as he felt his breath start to catch in the back of his throat. Now that Lucifer was standing there in front of him, striking a deal seemed easier said than done. He swallowed hard, but kept his calloused expression. "I called you here to let you know that Sam and I, we're willing to fight for Hell."
There was a short moment of silence as Lucifer eyed the pair, a slight smirk to the corner of his lips. "Are you serious?" He asked, his gaze drifting from one man to the other before settling on the older of the two.
"Oh I'm dead serious." Dean growled, his stern tone of voice masking any hint of uncertainty. "If Sam and I can't stop this and we're going to get caught up in it anyway, then we want to fight for you."
"Never thought I'd hear you say that." Lucifer replied as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Now be honest and tell me the truth, why are the two of you really willing to fight for me?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Dean replied simply. "We would rather fight for Hell than let Heaven win."
"You think I need you two to win?" Lucifer bluntly replied. "Don't flatter yourself child. "
"I'm their only hope and their biggest threat all rolled into one." Dean growled, his eyes narrowing on the Devil as he watched his eyes once again drift over to the brother at his side. "You know who I am and what I'm capable of... we can be enemies or allies, it's your call."
"What's the catch, Dean?" Lucifer asked, taking notice of the tension between the pair. "A proposition like this surely comes with a few strings attached."
"There is no catch, just a few conditions." Dean was quick to reply.
"Go on, I'm listening." The Devil said, a sly smile to the corner of his lips. "What is it that you want in exchange for your services."
"I want to pick up right where I left off." Dean started, his tone of voice low. "I want my ranking back and I want everything to be just the same as it was when I was pulled out of the Hell." He paused for only a moment and as lightning lit up the night sky he could have sworn he felt his brother's eyes bearing down on him. "I want you to guarantee our safety, and that your demons won't dare lay a hand on my brother or anyone else that I have at my side while we fight for you."
Lucifer offered a nod as he considered Deans demands. "You two are smart, you're not only good hunters but good con artists too..." He started, knowing that the brothers had something up their sleeves. "Give me one good reason why I should trust you, after all the lies you've told just to get by."
"Only one reason?" Dean repeated, a smirk to the corner of his lips as he pushed himself off the front of the Impala and stepped up to Lucifer. "I never asked to be saved." He hissed, catching the Devil's eyes in the headlights of his car. "I was ripped out of Hell to be used like a damn puppet on strings by a bunch of stuck up, self-righteous dicks on a crusade to wipe mankind off the map."
"Watch yourself." Lucifer cut in, his soft tone of voice almost eerie. "Those are my brothers you're talking about; we may not get along like we use to, but we're still family..."
"I'm glad you seem to think so, but they don't." Dean cut in, watching as the Devil's eyes instantly narrowed. "I've talked to Michael and believe me, big brother's not worth defending... not after what he told me."
Sam couldn't help but swallow hard as he watched his older brother stand up to Lucifer. Keeping his silence and staying out of it was harder than he thought it would be, especially when Dean was trying to work his way under the Devil's skin, trying to convince him into letting them fight for Hell in exchange for their safety. The moment of silence they shared made his breath catch in the back of his throat. He didn't doubt for a second that his older brother couldn't pull it off, it was the aftermath of such a con that really worried him.
"Heaven had a massacre in mind and they needed a good excuse to pull it off, so Michael and Zachariah let you out of your cage... they're using the Apocalypse to justify killing us. They wanted to do it themselves so badly, that they even got your Horsemen out of the way." Dean paused for only a moment as he took a deep breath, a vain attempt to keep his cool and stop his heart from beating right out of his chest. "When all of this is over and done, they'll shove your ass back into the pit and lock the door again... that is if they don't kill you off too."
"Do have any idea how long I've waited to seek justice with my brother?" The Devil replied. "To speak with him face to face."
"Don't you get it Lucifer? This isn't about you and Michael settling your score, about who's right and who's wrong... this is about their greed, about them showing off and rubbing it in both your face and mine. They have an ego so big, they cant see past the fixed fight they set up; and when they're done with mankind, I'm pretty sure you and your demons are next." When Lucifer's eyes slowly drifted away from his stare, Dean knew he'd just hit a nerve.
"And what makes you think I'm going to spare all the lives my brothers want to waste, if we win?" The Devil quietly replied. "Why should I save any of you."
"Because you'd be pretty lonely if it weren't for your demons and even they were human at one point in time." Dean started, his tone of voice pulling the Devil's eyes back up to meet his gaze. "You have more in common with us than you do with your brothers... We don't all agree or follow orders blindly either; we make our own path and that's what makes our lives worth living." He paused for only a moment as lightning once again lit up the night sky, reminding him of the chaos surrounding them. "It's time big brother learned that you don't always get what you want, just because you want it. Do we have a deal or not?"
"I've heard your conditions and now you'll hear mine." Lucifer started, his blunt tone of voice following the thunder that growled overhead. "If you want to fight for Hell, then you will follow my orders and you will do as you are told. First and foremost; you can do what you want with the angels that get in your way but Michael is mine to deal with. I don't care the circumstances, if you lay a hand on my brother, so help me I will do as I please with yours. I'll provide an escort to keep you as safe as I can, but if you disobey me, I'll call it off and you'll be on your own." He paused as he caught Sam's eyes over Dean's shoulder. "If you betray, hustle, double cross, or play me in any way..." He continued, holding the younger man's gaze for a moment before again focusing on the hunter standing in front of him. "If my blood ends up on your hands, Dean Winchester; a bounty goes out for Sam's head, what's left of your soul will be Hell's to keep. Now you tell me, do we have an agreement or not?"
Dean sucked in a breath as he extended his hand, knowing that his younger brother was watching and questioning his every move. "It's a deal." He replied with authority as he watched the Devil give him a grin. "Unless of course it needs to be sealed with a kiss, if that's the case, Sammy can take care of it."
"Hang onto your humor." Lucifer calmly replied as he reached out to shake Dean's hand. "You're going to need it in light of these dark days ahead." He paused for only a moment as he offered a smile. "I'll have a contract ready for you to sign and tomorrow at midnight, I'll come for you. "
When Dean released his grip, Lucifer disappeared and both cars came back to life; their idling engines offering a rhythmic sound to the turbulent night. He let out a heavy sigh as he turned to face his younger brother, knowing that even if he had Sam's support, they didn't see eye to eye. "Well I guess that's settled." He started quietly as he made his way back to the Impala. "In less than 24 hours, our ass belongs to Hell."
Sam swallowed hard as he watched the other man approach, it was almost as if Dean was doing all he could just to avoid his eyes. "I hope you know what you're getting into." He started as he pushed himself off the front of the Impala. "You going to break the news to Bobby or should I?" He continued, pausing for only a moment as his older brother finally caught his eyes. "He's going to throw a fit either way."
"You tell him." Dean quietly replied, passing a hand over his face. "I've burned enough bridges for one night..."
"Yeah, well when you get that temper under control, I think you owe him an apology." Sam was quick to reply as he carefully studied his older brother. "You going to be alright?" He asked simply, pushing aside the fact that he knew Dean had just taken on more than either of them could handle. The last couple of days had been hard, but worse was yet to come.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Dean replied, his voice barely above a whisper as he made his way back towards the Impala. "I think I'll stay out here for a bit and think a few things over, you go on to Bobby's... I'll see you in the morning." He said before reaching into the car to shut off the engine.
"See you in the morning..." Sam replied, pausing in his steps as he watched the other man pull himself up onto the hood of the Impala. He took a seat behind the wheel of Bobby's car and adjusted the rearview mirror to get a better look at his older brother in the glow of the red tail lights. Though Dean would argue to the death that fighting for Hell was a sacrifice worth making, the look on his face painted a clear picture of the man behind this selfless, heroic alter ego. He swallowed the lump that was caught in his throat as he slid the lever into drive and pulled a U-Turn to head back towards Bobby's house; leaving Dean alone to deal with his own thoughts about the outcome of the night and it's emotional toll.
His grip on the wheel tightened slightly as he thought of the deal Dean had just made with Lucifer, a deal that would see them fighting alongside Hell to bring down Heaven. When he came around a sharp bend and the headlights of his car illuminated a small group of people fighting in the middle of the road, he swore to himself and slammed on the brakes. The car skidded to a stop and what he thought was a brawl at first glance, quickly turned to an ambush in progress as he watched a group of four of five shove Gabriel to the ground. When one of the angels pulled a long silver blade from his side, and another put a knee to the archangel's chest to hold him in place; Sam put the shifter in park, grabbed his gun and got out of the car. "LET HIM GO!" He shouted, his voice doing little to get their attention as Gabriel desperately tried to free himself from his attackers. Getting no response, he took aim from behind the open door and wasted no time shooting dead the angel that had been holding the blade. "I said let him go!" He growled, watching as the remaining trio suddenly turned from Gabriel, to him. Without another word as they advanced, Sam loaded the gun and started shooting them down one by one, the echo of the gun shots overlapping in the night.
Gabriel let out a heavy sigh as he pulled himself into a sitting position, wincing slightly as he felt the muscles in his body pull from the beating. "You know how fast bad news travels?" He asked, squinting against the headlight of the car as he passed a hand over his cheekbone to study a large cut. "That deal you two knuckle heads just made with Lucifer, has the angels at your throats..." He paused for only a moment as he got to his feet, using his hand to block of the glare of the lights. "Congratulations Sam, they were pissed before but now they're livid and they wont rest until they see you, and all those around you, DEAD! " He hissed, catching the other man's eyes. "The last thing I want right now, is to be anywhere near you or your brother... You two are walking targets for the sore losers in this game."
"Hey, I just saved your life." Sam replied, watching as Gabriel wiped the blood from the corner of his busted lip with the sleeve of his coat. "Those angels almost killed you."
"THEY WEREN'T AFTER ME UNTIL THEY LEARNED THAT LUCIFER HAD YOU ON HIS SIDE!" Gabriel shouted, pointing towards the young hunter as he kept his distance. "You're a threat to them now because Lucifer's got you fighting for Hell! All I wanted, was to make sure you had all the right tools to survive this war... I should have stayed out of it but I didn't and now you're dragging me down with you!" He paused for a moment as his gaze drifted down to the bodies strewn on the road around him. "The angels want me dead because I helped you, the demons want me dead because I'm an angel, and now that you're onboard with Hell, mankind might as well just kiss their ass' good bye!"
"I don't agree with Dean's approach, but it's a better idea than the one we had before." Sam was quick to reply.
"You don't seem to understand the severity of this." Gabriel growled, taking a nervous glance at the dark night around them. "You're flirting with a disaster much worse than the Apocalypse by letting your brother go through with this deal. Days are weeks in Hell and weeks are months... Going back is gonna make him remember all of the things he left behind when Castiel pulled him out. It's a slippery slope, Sam and it wont take much for him to fall." Gabriel paused for only a moment as he sucked in a ragged breath. "Dean's not the man he once was, the only reason he keeps going is because that's what he was programed to do, it's all he knows. Outside he's this bold, fearless, meticulous leader but inside he's all anger, angst & guilt; it's only a matter of time before he falls apart, before something set's him off..."
"I believe in him and nothing you say is going to change that." Sam hissed. "Besides, this isn't long term."
"It doesn't have to be. Old habits die hard, Sam and in this case they don't die at all." Gabriel snapped. "Like it or not he's going to change right before your eyes. If you let him do this, I can almost guaranty that you're going to lose him to Hell."
"All we're going to do, is put Heaven back in it's place."
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, Sam." Gabriel replied softly as he started to turn away. "You and Dean of all people should know that. Your heart might be in the right place but nothing good will come of this..." He paused for only a moment as lightning once again lit up the night sky. "Now you stay away from me."
When Sam loaded the gun in his grip, Gabriel froze in his steps. "Times have changed and now you're safer with us than you are on your own." He growled, watching as the archangel turned slightly to catch his eyes. "You're coming with me, so get in the car. I won't ask twice."