CHAPTER 8
Somebody get me through this nightmare
When Sam stepped off the back porch all he could hear was the sound of Led Zepplin drifting through the scrap yard. He couldn't see the Impala, but as he started walking towards the music, he knew exactly what the scene would look like once he did find her. The windows would be rolled down, the tail lights would be on and Dean would be stretched out along the hood; the windshield serving as a backrest. The bottle of whisky would be in his right hand, resting lightly on his lap as not to scratch the car's black finish. It would be more than half empty by now but the effects of the alcohol would be lost on his older brother. Unlike their Father, Dean could hold his liquor, perhaps a bit too well. When Sam passed a row of stacked cars and his eyes did spot the Impala, he felt his breath start to catch in the back of his throat. Though the scene was what he thought it would be, tonight there was something different about it. He made his way over, knowing the other man wouldn't hear him over the storm overhead and Zepplin's Ramble On. Reaching the Impala, he leaned in through the open window to turn down the volume.
"I don't want to talk about it, Sam." Dean started without looking over. He took a sip from his bottle but kept his eyes on the lightning above as the younger man made his way towards the front of the car.
"I just want to know if you're alright." Sam replied quietly, shoving both hands into his pockets as his gaze followed Dean's up into the turbulent sky.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Dean was quick to reply.
"Dean you're all over the map." The younger man started. "First you're all gung-ho about joining Lucifer and helping Hell and then Cas shows up out of nowhere and you freeze." He paused for only a moment as Dean looked over. "I don't blame you , I mean if I was in your shoes and a renegade angel showed up to..."
"You're not in my shoes Sammy." The older man snapped as he caught his brother's eyes. "And you don't have everyone counting on you ." He paused for a moment as he sucked in a breath. "You really want to know why I didn't want to cut out Cas's wings?" He asked drily. "It's because I don't want his blood on my hands, not now and not when it all goes to Hell."
"That's not what..." Sam trailed off as he took a punch to the face, to his surprise, it hadn't come from his brother. It was so unexpected, he was knocked off his feet and on his hands and knees before he even realized what was going on. When he felt something just as hard come into contact with his ribs, he knew he had to get up off the ground. In a daze and short of breath, he grabbed the hood of the car and quickly pulled himself up, swearing to himself as the world around him started to spin. Though lightning lit up the sky, the bright beam of light that followed a roll of thunder had nothing to do with the ongoing storm. It made the ground beneath his feet shake as it pierced the darkness around them and left them both momentarily blind. When his eyes readjusted to the dimness, his gaze drifted down to the scorched wings in the dirt at his feet.
"What the..." Dean didn't have the time to finish his sentence as he felt a hand wrap around his right ankle. Though he could see there was no one there, he knew that wasn't the case. The Whisky bottle dropped from his hands and as he reached for his gun, he was dragged off the hood of the Impala. Before his feet touched the ground, a second beam of light cut through the darkness and a second outline of wings appeared scorched into the soil in front of the car. For a moment there was silence and the brothers exchanged a quick glance. "You alright, Sammy?" Dean asked, watching as the younger man brought a hand up to his face
"Yeah, but what the Hell just happened!" Sam started, he too reaching for his gun as he eyed the set of wings.
"You were attacked by a pair of angels, what does it look like." Came the blunt reply. "If it weren't for me you'd be dead, and if it weren't for your damn contract, I'd kill you myself." Bela continued, her tone of voice forcing both to look over. "I have much more important things to do with my time, than babysit you two."
As Dean caught her eyes, he felt his heart skip a beat. The last time they spoke, she was counting down the seconds to her demise; the same fate he would meet only days later. He knew where she had been and what she had gone through, but what he didn't know was how she had managed to make her way out of the depths of Hell.
When neither said a word, the smirk crept up from the corner of her lips. "Ah, speechless I see, well let me fill you boys in." She started, turning the large blade in her grip. "You two are fighting for Hell now and as per your previous agreement, you're now protected by Lucifer's army... So unfortunately for us both, here I am."
"Little late, huh?" Dean asked, gesturing towards his younger brother and the hand he had firmly pressed to his sore cheekbone.
"Better late than never." She replied curtly.
There was another moment of silence and Sam couldn't help but ask what he knew was also on his older brother's mind. "Bela, are you a demon?" He quietly started, pulling her attention away from Dean for only a second.
"Hardly." She replied without missing a beat. "I worked the system just fine when I was up here, I work it even better now that I'm six feet below... They've tried, but they'll never make a demon out of me."
"Well, looks like you're doing pretty good for yourself, then again it doesn't surprise me that someone like you would thrive in Hell." Dean groaned. "What ever happened to your morals anyway?" He continued. "That is, if you had any to start with."
"I sold them to the highest bidder, what happened to yours?" She quipped.
"If you're not a demon, then what exactly are you." Sam cut in, once again pulling her attention away from his older brother. As she caught his eyes with a sinister grin, he couldn't help but swallow hard. The cold, calloused woman standing there in front of them wasn't quite the same manipulative thief they'd crossed once before. The time served in Hell had played a number on her, just as it had done to Dean; but unlike his brother, Bela seemed to have adapted to her new role, not regret it.
"What am I?" She replied with somewhat of a smirk. "I'm in charge."
"Says who?" Dean asked, the grip on his gun tightening as he watched her eyes drift form her left to her right. When a pair of Hell Hounds stepped out of the shadows to join her, he froze. Just seeing them made his mind flood with painful memories of when they had dragged him to Hell. He could still feel their jagged teeth sinking into his flesh and he could still hear the sound of their claws tearing at his chest. Standing at least four feet high and bearing their sharp teeth, the hounds arched their backs and kept their massive heads low to the ground; ready to attack on command.
Though Sam had heard the beasts before and seen the damage done when they had come for his older brother, he had never actually caught a glimpse of them, until now. Their piercing eyes glowed a dark shade of red and the sound of their menacing growl made his blood run cold. With flesh hanging from the bones, just the sight of them made him sick to the stomach. When the Hell hounds took a step forward, he and his brother took a panicked step back against the front grill of the Impala.
"What's wrong, boys?" Bela asked casually. "You've dealt with all sorts of monsters, don't tell me you're afraid of a few Hell hounds."
"Get those things away from us, or I'll shoot them both dead." Dean growled, loading the gun in his white knuckled grip as he straightened out; his eyes glued to the vicious dogs.
"Oh, so there is something else you fear, other than failing or ending up alone." She paused for only a moment as lightning lit up the sky and both Hell Hounds instantly vanished from her side. "I'm going to make one thing very clear." She continued, rolling the large blade from one hand to the other as Dean's eyes finally met her gaze. "You two and your little rebellious militia are now under my watch until the big day so you're going to be doing as you're told, you understand me?" She paused again as she eyed one, and then the other. "We already have a game plan set and you're going to be following it until Michael and Lucifer meet face to face. Any questions?"
"Yeah, who died and made you queen bitch?" Dean asked wrily.
"You did, actually... but you didn't die, you were resurrected." She was quick to reply. "I was the next in line for your title." She paused for only a moment as she watched the color instantly drain from his face, his expression changing just as fast. "Don't you remember, Dean? In the end, you were the one that broke me..." She said, her tone of voice failing to pull the other man's eyes up off the ground. "Isn't it funny what the mind chooses to remember and what it chooses to forget?
Dean swallowed hard as he felt his younger brother's eyes on the back of his neck. Her words were like daggers and the moment she said it was the moment he remembered pulling her off his rack in Hell. After decades serving time and refusing to give in, she was eventually passed down to him. He sucked in a shallow breath when she took a step forward, his mind flashing memories of her in Hell and the damage he'd done. All he could see was her flesh marred with cuts and her blond hair stained red with blood.
"You were the one that gave me the choice, you were the one that did what all the others couldn't." She continued, her voice barely above the sound of the rumbling thunder. "I lasted decades longer than you did Dean, decades..."
"You don't know the things Alastair did to me." Dean defended, swallowing the lump that was caught in his throat as he thought back to his time spent at the hands of Alastair. "You don't..."
"You were his student." She interrupted, before leaning in to whisper in his ear. "And by the time he was done with you, you were just as twisted, so believe me darlin' I know..." There was a moment of silence and as she pulled away, she caught his eyes. "They use to fear you when you were down below... well now they fear me."
Sam took a deep breath as he watched Dean's eyes drift away from her stare. Just like the confrontation with Castiel, it was almost as if words alone were now enough to bring Dean to his knees. He was about to step in but quickly reconsidered as he watched the smirk suddenly appear to the corner of his older brother's lips.
"Are you done?" Dean snapped, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Because I have a contract to sign and things to do before I join Lucifer and get my title back." He paused as her eyes instantly narrowed. "Oh, haven't you heard sweetheart? Part of the agreement was that I get my ranking back and all that goes with it. That includes your title if you're the one that filled the space I left when I was pulled from the pit. So your job might be to escort us around and make sure the angels stay off our backs, but mine is to lead an army of demons into war while Lucifer puts Michael back in his place."
"Do you have any idea how many souls want you dead?" Bela continued, her tone of voice low. "They don't all agree with the free pass you got when you were pulled from the pit."
"Do you have any idea how many of them I broke?" Dean replied without hesitation. "There's a reason I'm willingly going back to Hell, Bela."
"You might fool them, but you're not fooling me and before this is over you'll realize that you can't fool yourself either." She said as she tucked her blade away. "Go gather your discount outcast angels, Lucifer will come find you soon enough." With that said she simply vanished into thin air, leaving the brothers standing alone in front of their car, an awkward silence suddenly filling the space between them.
When lightning lit up the sky and thunder made the ground beneath their feet shake, Sam turned to face the other man; his promise about not asking questions starting to look like more of a regret than anything else. "Dean, you never told me that you saw Bela in Hell."
"It was years ago, Sammy." Dean started, his eyes drifting down to the body of angels on the ground at their feet. "Some things I remember and some things I don't." He paused for only a moment as he tried to think of his place in Hell. "It's almost like the closer we get, the more there is to trigger my thoughts..." He continued, pulling the keys from the ignition of the car. "Sam I swear, I didn't remember seeing her in Hell."
"What about those Hell Hounds?" Sam asked as they started to make their way back towards Bobby's house. "Is that what you saw when your deal came due?" He took quick glance over but the other man only offered a nod, his eyes closing briefly at the mention of the beasts. "Why couldn't I see them before?"
"I think it's part of joining Hell." Dean replied simply "Now that we're on their side, we're starting to see what they do." Times had changed and everything he thought he knew about Heaven and Hell had been turned around. He was willingly going back to Hell to fight alongside everything he and his brother had once set out to destroy, and at his side were two angels that had turned their backs on all they knew. Now that Bela was in the mix, claiming to be the one sent out to watch over his little motley crew, the reality of it all was starting to sink in. As they approached the house and spotted Bobby standing by a burning oil drum near one of the many garages, Dean couldn't help but take a quick glance to the man at his side. "What's he doing?" He asked simply as they continued to make their way over.
"Burning the wings." Sam replied, pausing in his steps as his older brother came to a sudden stop.
"He's what?"
"Burning Castiel's wings." Sam replied quietly, swallowing the lump caught in his throat as he watched his older brother's eyes focus on the oil drum Bobby was standing by.
"How is that even possible?" Dean was quick to ask, watching in awe as sparks shot up into the sky, among them, a white feather caught in the rising hot air. "I thought they weren't, you know, physically real?"
"Well the way Gabriel explained it." Sam started. "When an angel has full possession of their vessel, when there's nothing human left about it, their wings become something that's as real as the skin they're walking around in." He paused for only a moment as the sight of Gabriel taking a blade to Castiel's wings flashed in the back of his mind. It was something he couldn't quite describe or explain to his brother and it was something he knew he would never witness again. "You should have seen them, Dean." He continued as he caught the other man's eyes. "Cas sort of flexed his shoulders and all of a sudden, there they were... it was just breath taking. It's hard to put into words."
"He shouldn't have done that." Dean replied, his tone of voice low as his gaze drifted back towards Bobby and the burning drum.
"I agree, but I somehow doubt he's regretting it..."
Dean let out a heavy sigh as he watched the sparks continue to shoot up into the sky, knowing what Bobby was burning put a knot in the pit of his stomach. "You go on inside, I'll be right in." He said to his brother as he started to make his way over towards the veteran hunter. Sucking in a breath as he approached, he took notice of the machete in Bobby's right hand and the dark pieces of cloth in his left. "How's Cas doing?" He asked simply, his own eyes instantly drawn to the fire burning in front of them. It was like watching a car crash; he didn't want to see it but at the same time, he just couldn't bring himself to look away. To his surprised, the remnants of flesh, bone and feather burned better than he thought they would have.
"Gabriel said he'll be fine." Bobby started as he wiped the blood from his blade with the cloth and then tossed it into the fire. "Tell ya the truth boy, he seemed alot more worried about you joining Hell than he did about Cas turning in his wings."
"He's a little too late to worry about what I do with my life, don't you think?" Dean replied, watching as the feathers burned like pages of a book; one by one until they were reduced to nothing more than ash.
"I know you're still angry at the angels but give Gabriel a break here; he's not like them and I'm sure he left his post with good reason." Bobby stated, waiting for the other man to catch his eyes before he continued. "All I'm saying, is that I think you should at least give him a second chance... you gave Castiel that much."
"It's different with Cas." Dean was quick to reply, his tone of voice low.
"How is it different with..."
"It just is, Bobby." Dean growled, instantly silencing the other man. "Look, Gabe knew what he was getting into and he bailed years ago... So I hate to say it, but it's a little too late for him to try and put this freight train back on its track."
"He may be a little late but at least he's trying and that's all that matters right now." Bobby said, letting out a frustrated sigh as he watched the other man shake his head. "He's an Archangel, Dean." The veteran hunter pleaded, his tone of voice dropping with his choice of words. "One of the few that's actually on our side and even he doesn't think you should be doing this..."
"Doing what?" Dean was quick to reply, catching the older man's eyes for only a moment before focusing on the burning barrel. "Doing everything I can to make sure Heaven doesn't win this war and kill us all?" He asked, pausing as a crackle of sparks suddenly shot up into the sky. "Well Gabe can join the club because I know he's not the only one who doesn't agree with me on this one." He said as he turned to make his way back towards the house.
"When the only weapon you have against either side is that gun of yours." Bobby bluntly started, his words forcing Dean to pause in his steps. "I hope you remember who taught you how to kill Angels with it..."
Dean held the veteran hunter's eyes for a moment before turning and making his way back towards the house; his thoughts swirling around what the other man had just said about Gabriel deserving a second chance. He took a deep breath as he climbed the back steps, curious but unsure of what he would find inside and what lay ahead in the wake of it all. When his eyes caught the movement of a silky white feather stuck in the floor boards of the porch, he couldn't help but come to a stop. Aside from their shadow against the wall or the outline scorched into the ground, he hadn't actually ever seen an angel's wings. Reaching down to pick it up, he felt his heart sink like a stone; just the fact that Castiel had practically begged him to cut the wings off his back, showed him how far the angel was willing to go to help stop the Apocalypse they had all been tricked into. Though the feather fluttered furiously in the breeze, he refused to let it go; passing it between his fingers to wipe off a streak of blood before tucking it into his shirt pocket and continuing inside.
Reaching the bathroom, Dean stood in the doorway and watched as Gabriel used nothing but his bare hands to close a large gash in the back of Castiel's left shoulder. The other angel stood hunched over the sink his hands clutching the bowl and the pain clearly visible on his face as his eyes stayed shut tight. In the blink of an eye, the gash was gone without so much as a mark in the flesh where the wing had once been. From the reflection in the mirror he could also tell that the gash in the angel's abdomen was gone, but unlike the ones on his back, a large scar marked the spot where Castiel had taken his host's life.
"Time to go?" Lost in his own thoughts, Dean offered no reply. "Is it time to go?" Castiel asked again, pulling the young hunter's attention away from his mirrored reflection as he released his grip on the sink.
Dean took a deep breath as the pair turned slightly to face him. "Yeah, anytime now." He said simply, watching as Gabriel wiped the blood from his blade on a towel and then tuck his weapon of choice away. Though knowing that Gabriel had forsaken his role to watch over him, left a bitter taste in his mouth; Dean couldn't deny the fact that the Archangel hadn't completely turned his back on everything. He had after all, helped him and his brother get back on track in their bid to stop the Apocalypse. When the archangel paused and put a hand out to steady himself, Dean couldn't help but notice the moment of weakness. "You alright, Gabe?" He asked softly, watching as his eyes momentarily closed. "Maybe you should sit down."
"I'm fine." Gabriel growled, letting out a sigh as he put a hand up to his forehead, well aware that the other man was watching him carefully. "Doing stuff like this just takes more out of me than it use to.."
There was a moment of silence as Dean watched Gabriel turn on the cold water to rinse his face, Bobby's words about giving him a chance still circling his head. "Gabe I just want you to know that I'm sorry."
"For what, striking a deal that could kill us all?" The archangel replied frankly, shutting off the water and grabbing a clean towel from the rack nearby. "Or showing the soft spot you have for the angel who pulled you from Hell."
"For yelling at you last night." Dean explained. "I lost my temper and I just..."
"You had every right to be angry." Gabriel was quick to interrupt. "Heck, you found out you were related to dick with wings last night. Who wouldn't be upset."
"Yeah but I shouldn't have been angry at you for it." Dean continued sheepishly, catching the archangel's eyes. "You may have bailed years ago but your back now." He paused for only a moment as his gaze drifted over to Castiel. "And Cas... Thanks for giving me another shot."
"You can thank me when it's over." Castiel replied as he buttoned his shirt.
"I must say I'm impressed, already you have not one but two angels at your side..."
Dean closed his eyes for only a second before turning his attention from Gabriel and Castiel to Lucifer that was now standing behind him in the doorway. "Midnight already?" He asked as he turned to face the Devil, his gaze momentarily drifting over to Sam who was now in the hallway.
"Time to go boys." Lucifer replied giving Dean a smile as he snapped his fingers and brought all four men down to Hell with him. Though the angels were unaffected by the sudden change, it took a moment for the brothers to catch their breath. In the blink of an eye, they had gone from the safety of Bobby's house to the depths of Hell. The Devil couldn't help but grin as he watched Sam's eyes scan the large rundown warehouse they were in. "Let me guess, you're wondering where all the fire and brimstone are..." When the other man gave him a nod, he couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "What you see depends on why you're here." He started simply, pointing to the large room around them. "Those serving time, like your brother did, don't exactly see what you're seeing right now, isn't that right Dean?"
"This place is one screwed up illusion." Dean cut in, getting his younger brother's attention away from the Devil. "It's all in your head but it's so real, you can touch and feel it."
"It isn't too late to reconsider." Lucifer cooed.
"I won't change my mind." Dean replied sternly, his eyes focusing on a piece of paper in the Devil's hands. "Your brothers need to know that we're not going down without a fight." When Lucifer reached out to hand him the contract, the young hunter sucked in a breath. This was it and there was no turning back as he put his name down on the dotted line. Just like the two renegade angels standing at his side, he too had just ripped out and thrown away of little piece of himself.
"Welcome home..." Lucifer said with a smile, the tone of his voice bitter sweet to all those involved.
"Where do we start." Dean asked, handing the contract back to the Devil.
"Well as you noticed, we've already made our presence known." Lucifer started, folding the contract and tucking it away. "What I need you to do now, is take out a few angels while I try to find Michael."
"What do you mean, while you try to find Michael?" Dean was quick to reply. "Twenty four hours ago, I couldn't keep the angels off my back and now you're telling me you don't know where he is?"
"Oh I'll find him, don't you worry about that." Lucifer reassured. "When I do, I'll give him one last chance to back down."
"That's more than I'd give him." Gabriel muttered under his breath, passing a hand over his face as Lucifer caught his eyes.
"Everyone deserves a second chance." The Devil said quietly. "And if Michael refuses to call the angels back, then we're unfortunately all going to war." He paused for only a moment as his gaze drifted back to the hunters in front of him. "As you already found out, the angels are now more than just a little angry with all of you... they want you dead. Which is why I arranged for you to have a full escort." When he took a quick glance to his side and Bela suddenly appeared, Dean couldn't help but let out a groan.
"Is she seriously the best you've got?" He asked almost drily
"She was your student." Lucifer calmly replied. "And the best suited for this task... One other thing, I'm also going to be splitting you up for now; Gabriel and Sam are going to be going back to the surface while you and Castiel are going to be staying down here..."
"You never said anything about splitting us up." Dean growled.
"You never asked to stay together." Lucifer replied simply. "Don't worry, Bela will watch over little Sammy for you... you're needed down here."
Before Sam could say a word, he and Gabriel were back in Bobby's house as if nothing had happened. He swore under his breath as he took a quick glance around, Dean and Castiel were no where in sight. "Damn it, Dean." He muttered to himself, his gaze catching Gabriel's eyes before focusing on Bela as she leaned back against the wall behind her.
Back in Hell, Dean swore under his breath as Lucifer offered a smile. "Why did you split us up?" He asked, his tone of voice demanding an answer.
"Relax." The Devil calmly replied. "They're in good hands and you'll join them before you know it." He paused for only a moment as he watched the other man's eyes narrow slightly. "Look, I did it for Sam's sake, alright?" He continued, reaching into his pocket to pull out a rusty key. "So that he wouldn't have to see what you were doing while you were serving your time here in Hell." Dean reluctantly reached out to take the key from Lucifer's hands. "You wanted all you had when you were pulled from the pit, well here you go... just as it was when you left it."
Dean turned the small key in his hand as he let his mind drift back through the years. "This is the key to my chamber, isn't it?" He quietly asked.
"Dean, we caught up to Zachariah when the demons raided a small town overtaken by angels, Michael wasn't with him." Lucifer started, watching as the other man's eyes drifted back up to meet his gaze. "But you're the one who's going to get him to tell me, where Michael is."