CHAPTER 13
Darlin' only the good die young

As Gabriel raised his gun and Castiel reached for his blade, Michael simply put a hand out towards them. "Now then, why don't you two put your toys down." He said with authority as he clenched his extended hand into a tight fist.

Dean swore under his breath as he watched both Castiel & Gabriel instantly drop to their knees in agony. As Michael simply twisted his wrist, the excruciating pain the movement inflicted became more than obvious by the look on their faces. "Let them go!" Dean shouted, his eyes narrowing when Heaven's leader gave him a malicious grin.

"I am done screwing around with you." Michael curtly replied, pausing for only a moment as his eyes drifted over towards Sam and then down to the angels hunched over in the dirt. "You were only pulled you from Hell because Zachariah was convinced that you would say yes to me, that you would follow your destiny as a Guardian Angel, or failing that, a Heavenly vessel. But you have been nothing but a pain in the ass since we raised you from perdition; a bullheaded little punk who doesn't seem to give a damn about the mess you leave behind in your wake..." He paused for only a moment as thunder growled overhead. "Well now you're going to find out just how it feels to watch your friends pay the price for the mistakes that you've made."

"Fighting for Hell was no mistake in my eyes." Dean was quick to reply, his tone of voice rising with each and every word. "You might have regrets about pulling me from the pit but I have none about choosing not to fight for you."

"No regrets? Well let me give you one then." The spiteful angel hissed as he held a closed fist; his simple actions drawing a bloodcurdling cry from the renegade angels tormented by his relentless grip.

The gut wrenching sound of anguish and despair was something Dean never thought he'd hear outside the gates of Hell; something he hoped his younger brother would never have to experience first hand. Though he himself had pulled such a cry from the souls at his mercy and the angels in his custody, nothing was quite as distressing or devastating as hearing that sound come from those who'd risked everything, just for him. He closed his eyes for only a moment and swallowed hard as he felt his own desperation give way to the anger that was smoldering deep inside. If there was one thing he learned from the path he'd chosen to follow, it was that no one but him, deserved to suffer for the choices he'd made. "Let them go, you vengeful son of a bitch." He suddenly growled, his words coming out like a broken sentence as he struggled in vain to keep his anger in check.

Sam felt the chill run down his spine as he watched his older brother's hands clench into fists; his tone making it apparent that Michael had just crossed a very dangerous line. Though the characters flowed almost seamlessly into one and another, Sam could have sworn Dean had just switched places with the calloused man who grabbed Bela by the throat no more than fifteen minutes ago. Perhaps more terrifying than facing off against the Archangel at the helm of Heaven's army, was trying to figure out what the unstable and furious man at his side was about to do next.

"When I'm done with them." Michael started softly, offering a smirk as he continued to torture Castiel & Gabriel. "Little Sammy's next."

With rage clouding his judgment, Dean took a step forward but froze when Castiel reached out to clamp a hand down around his ankle, stopping him in his tracks. "Dean, don't." The fallen angel groaned, his words almost lost in his shallow breaths. "You can't cross over..."

"Easy there, boy." Michael said with a chuckle, watching as the young hunter took a glance down to the renegade angel convulsing at his feet. "You cross those flames and you're history..." He paused as he watched the other man's eyes momentarily drift back up to meet his gaze. "You're angel enough for that ring of Holy fire to work on you too..."

Those words had his stomach in knots the moment they left the archangel's mouth. Having no Heavenly power or ability whatsoever, he would have never thought such a thing would be able to trap him like it did the other angels. The anger and hatred that had been coursing through his veins only moments ago was now replaced with a fear he refused to let his brother or the Archangel see. He swallowed hard, his gaze falling down to the fire that burned around them as his mind raced with every worse case scenario imaginable. "You do realize, that no matter what you do at this point; you've already lost this war, right?" Dean suddenly started, the frankness of his voice masking the sheer terror that had suddenly gripped him. "I've already sent most of your boys running for the hills and when Lucifer shows up, he's going to finish you... if you'd rather die than admit defeat that's fine but just know that it's all going to end tonight and you had your chance to call it off."

"I'm not calling it off... and you're right, it is all going to end tonight." Michael replied casually, pausing as he caught the young hunter's eyes through the heat of the flames. "But you won't be around to see it end the way you want it to, because Lucifer's got his hands full in Scythe and you'll be dead before he realizes there's something wrong."

Dean swore under his breath as he watched archangels gather by the dozen in the scrap yard around them. Everywhere he looked, another one of them was stepping out of the darkness; the light of the flames reflecting off the blade in their hands. This was it, Heaven was making it's last move and Hell was nowhere to be found. "I want you to get in the car, Sam." He whispered, catching his younger brother's eyes for only a moment as he reached down to open the door to the idling Impala. "We might be stuck here like sitting ducks, but you aren't."

"Dean, I can't just..."

"I said get in the car, Sam." Dean demanded, his tone of voice instantly silencing the younger man. "I want you to go back to the house and find Bobby & the girls; pray that Bela can hold' em off long enough for Lucifer to get his ass over here."

"What about you guys?" Sam was quick to reply, the panic in his voice not quite as subdued as his older brother.

"We'll be fine, don't you worry about us." Dean continued, his eyes scanning the ominous crowd that was quickly gathering around them. "Just get to Bela. You'll be better off with the bitch who's got a VIP pass to Hell than you are with us right now."

Sam sucked in a breath as his eyes momentarily drifted down to Castiel & Gabriel, both were still hunched over on all fours, coughing and spitting up blood as they clutched their chests in obvious pain. Though the last thing he wanted to do was leave his older brother at the mercy of the archangels surrounding them, he knew there was no time to waste and no time to argue. He climbed in behind the wheel and Dean shut the door, leaning in through the open window to catch his eyes one last time. "Dude, how am I even supposed to get around them, they're archangels, they might as well all be brick walls..."

"Don't go around them, just plow them down as you go." Dean interrupted, cutting his brother short. "I know how crazy that sounds, but trust me Sam, it's gonna work." He said as he straightened out and took a step back.

Sam revved the engine a few times before slipping the shifter into drive and letting the rear wheels spin. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he watched the archangels standing in his way get ready for the onslaught that was about to ensue. When he glanced down at the speedometer and noticed the Sigil carved right into the leather dash, he couldn't help but take a look back out the window towards his older brother. When Dean cracked a smile through the grim circumstances & despair, the chaos around them seem to vanish for a moment; along with it any trace of the ruthless man that had been walking around in his brother's skin.

"Lets show these winged bastards that we're not going down without one Hell of a fight." Dean said with a wink, placing a hand on his younger brother's shoulder before backing out of the way. "Show 'em what we got."

Sam took a deep breath as he pulled his foot off the brake, feeling the rear wheels spin freely for a moment before digging into the ground and launching the Impala through the wall of flames. Sinking into the well worn leather seat, he braced himself for the impact as the needle climbed and the car started plowing through the menacing crowd of waiting archangels. Though it all happened in a heartbeat, he swore to himself as they started to swarm the Impala like a pack of ravenous wolves, the ferocity catching him off guard as they tried in vain to stop him dead in his tracks. The sound of bodies hitting the hood and blades scraping against metal was deafening, the piercing light of the scorched wings, blinding, but Sam kept his eyes on Boby's house and his foot on the accelerator. Before he knew it, he was out of the crowd and across the scrap yard; the Impala baring the marks of the assault. He pulled up to the back porch and put the shifter in park, leaving the engine running as he stumbled out of the car and reached for his gun. Despite the trail of carnage he'd left behind, they were still coming for him and by the looks of it, they weren't going to stop until he was dead. Shooting down the handful that were quickly approaching, be backed his way into the house and made a run for the basement, stopping dead in his tracks when he turned a corner and came face to face with Bela.

"How did the heart to heart go?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder as Ellen, Jo and Bobby joined her in the living room. "Gunshots as part of a conversation are never a good sign." She continued, watching as the younger man tried to catch his breath. The second she caught his eyes, she reached for her silver blade. "What is it, Sam." She asked, her tone instantly changing as she picked up on his disposition. "Where is your brother and his renegades?"

"It's Michael." Sam started, getting straight to the point as he gestured towards the back door. "He's here and he's got all the archangels with him... they've got Dean, Cas and Gabe caught in a ring of Holy fire out in the scrap yard..."

Bela swore under her breath as she took a quick glance down the hall. With the snap of her fingers, a pair of demons appeared by the back door ready to keep the archangels at bay. "I'll go find Lucifer, you four stay in the house... I can't afford to have you caught in the crossfire this time."

"No way, I can't sit this one out." Sam cut in, his grip on the gun tightening as he thought of the situation he'd left Dean in. "That's my brother out there and those archangels are going to tear him to shreds. They've already got Cas and Gabe down..."

"You go back out there and they're going to tear you to shreds too." Bela was quick to reply, her eyes instantly narrowing. "Dean made a deal with the Devil that is going to see Hell do everything it can to protect him from the angels. This is out of your hands now, let Lucifer worry about it."

"They don't have time to wait for Lucifer to make an appearance, they need help NOW." Sam growled as he pointed down the hall. "If Lucifer wanted to make good on his deal then he should have shown up the second Michael lit a ring of Holy fire around..."

"You step foot outside this house and I will send the Hell hounds after you." Bela hissed, unexpectedly raising her large silver blade up to the young hunter's throat as he turned to make his way down the hall. "You understand me?" She snarled, holding his eyes as one of the massive beasts stepped out behind Ellen, Bobby and Jo. "You're as emotionally unstable as your brother is ruthless and I can't trust you to make the right choice at a time like this, you're not in the right mind set Sam..." She paused for only a moment as thunder rumbled overhead. "Stay in the house and you'll be safe, let us worry about the situation outside. "

When Bela vanished right before their eyes, Sam couldn't help but swear to himself; putting a hand up to his throat as he turned to face the others. "We've got to help them." He started, loading his gun as he eyed the Hell hound watching them from the corner of the room. "Dean doesn't have a lot time left and he knows it."

"You know I really want to, Sam, but the bitch said to stay here." Bobby was quick to reply. "I hate to say it, but with Hell's army at her back, I think we should listen..."

"She didn't say to stay here, she said to stay in the house." Sam interrupted, eyeing the stairway before taking a quick glance down the hall to the demons standing at the back door. "Bobby, Ellen, I want you two to run downstairs and get some rifles; Jo, I need your help cutting out the screens in the windows upstairs."

"You mind telling us what the plan is, first?" Ellen asked.

"Lucifer has five minutes to get his ass over here and get Dean out of there. If he doesn't show up, then we're doing it our way." Sam was quick to reply. "Michael might be off limits but everyone else out there is fair game, I'll shoot them down one by one if I have to."

"You are such a good actor." Michael started, his tone of voice pulling Dean's eyes away from the idling Impala in the distance. "Telling your brother you're going to be fine, all the while you're wondering if it's the last time he's ever going to see you alive again."

Trapped in a ring of Holy fire and surrounded by dozens of archangels with nothing left to loose, Dean couldn't help but feel like he had just reached the end of the line. He swore to himself, turning his attention away from Heaven's leader as he tried in vain to gather his scattered thoughts. The sound of his heart pounding, the flames crackling and the Impala idling in the distance were the only things he was able to register as he eyed the menacing crowd. Coming to terms with the dire situation at hand, he took a deep breath; this was it for him, and there wasn't a demon or devil in sight that could save him now. "You've got me where you want me you son of a bitch." He quietly started, his voice drifting eerily on a bitter breeze. "Do what you want with me but let them go." He continued, his eyes narrowing as the turn of Michael's wrist drew another agonizing scream from the pair of renegade angels at his feet.

"Why should I?" Michael was quick to reply. "Seems to be a package deal these days..."

"I said let them go..." Dean growled, ignoring the archangel's comments as his hand slowly reached around for the gun tucked into the back of his belt. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"What are you going to do, Dean?" Michael asked with a chuckle. "Take a good look around you... I snap my fingers and the only thing separating you from all of them, disappears." There was a moment of silence as he watched the young hunter take a glance at the waiting archangels around him, the lightning above shedding some light on a truly macabre scene. "Consider yourself lucky that you'll be dead before you even hit the ground... because that won't be the case with these two; No, we're going to take our time ripping them to shreds from the inside and when we're done with them, we're going after Sam and the rest of your little crew."

Dean felt his heart sink like a stone as he held Michael's eyes; the archangel's malicious words now circling in his head as he contemplated drawing his one and only weapon. Though he knew killing Heaven's rogue leader wasn't going to save him, he was ready to take Michael down with him if it meant giving Castiel & Gabriel a fighting chance and giving Lucifer the upper hand. The second his fingers wrapped around the handle of his gun was the moment a sharp pain in his chest forced him to his knees.

"I want you to hold that thought." The archangel growled, watching as the younger man joined the renegade angels in his grip. "Angry and irrational doesn't seem to get you where you want to go these days."

As Dean started gasping and coughing up blood, he couldn't help but release his weapon; reaching instead for the cold hard ground in an attempt to brace himself against the pain of each and every breath. "You better just kill me now." He breathed, his words drowning in the agony. "Before I kill you."

"You really don't think about the consequences of your actions do you?" Michael asked bluntly. "Remember the fine print, Dean? You harm me in any way and Lucifer gets to do what he wants to your brother..." Michael paused for only a moment as the young hunter looked up at him through the wall of flames. "I did my research and I found out that if you want Sam to survive this, then you & your entourage can't lay a hand on me. In hindsight, you didn't really think that deal through, did you?"

Dean swore to himself as he felt his chest tighten, the sound of his own heart racing now louder than the looming storm overhead. "You're going to be sorry when Lucifer shows up." He groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood as his eyes drifted over to Castiel who was on the ground beside him; the angel's sharp blade reflecting the flames around them.

"Lucifer doesn't scare me and neither do you." Michael replied with a slight grin. "You and your little demon & disgraced angel outcast army might have sent my soldiers running but that's as far you're going to get..." He started, watching as the other man struggled to cope with the pain of every breath. "You want to know why, Dean? Because when it comes right down to it, I know that Lucifer wont be able to stand up to me and that you won't subject your little brother to a world of pain he can't imagine." Michael explained, finally releasing his hold on the angels at his mercy. "Don't mean to rain on your parade but Lucifer hasn't changed and he never will."

When the searing pain in his chest instantly faded, Dean couldn't help but take advantage of a deep breath, relieved not to feel the pins and needles dig in as a result. He quickly picked himself up off the ground and put a hand out to help Castiel do the same. "If that's what you think, then you're in for one Hell of a surprise." He hissed, making sure Castiel could stand on his own before he turned his attention to an equally battered Gabriel.

"Tell you the truth, I'm surprised already... I think I was wrong about you." Michael quietly started, his tone of voice getting the young hunter's attention away from the renegade angels at his side. "Lucifer may not have changed but you certainly have." He paused for only a moment as he watched the other man wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "I might have missed it at first glance but I see it now, I see it in your eyes and I see it in what's left of your soul... There is definitely a little something twisted lurking under the surface. Something's off inside that guilt riddled soul of yours, isn't it, Dean?" Michael asked, smiling as the other man's eyes instantly narrowed and his hands clenched into fists. "I'm curious now, about what's more important to you these days..."

When Michael snapped his fingers and the ring of Holy fire burning around them disappeared, Dean's felt his breath catch in the back of his throat. For a moment, he could have sworn his heart had skipped a beat. With the crowd of archangels slowly moving in, he reached for the gun in the back of his belt as Castiel clutched his blade and Gabriel loaded the gun in his hand. Catching Michael's eyes, he loaded his gun and held it out at arm's length. "Just remember that whether I die or not, you've already lost this war." Dean started, ignoring the crowd as he focused on only one of the many archangels around him.

"I might have nothing left to loose but you certainly do and it's much more than just your life." Michael replied, a sinister smile to the corner of his lips as he casually crossed his arms. "So what's more important, Dean? Seeing me die or seeing Sam live?"

Sam swore under his breath as the ring of Holy fire suddenly disappeared, plunging all those gathered around it into the darkness of night. Waiting on a bed of nails for Lucifer to intervene, he had been crouched by the window of a second story bedroom; Bobby at his side, Ellen & Jo occupying the window one room over and a high powered rifle in his tight grip should the Devil fail to show. Though Bela reassured him Hell would do all in its power to get the trio out of harm's way, Sam couldn't help but doubt her words as he watched the only thing separating Dean, Castiel and Gabriel from certain death vanish before Lucifer and his demons even showed up. "This isn't good..." He started, loading his weapon as he looked through the scope at where the ring of Holy fire had been burning only seconds ago. "By the time Lucifer shows up, if he does at all, it's going to be too late."

"Doesn't matter how good a shot you are, boy." Bobby started, his tone of voice breaking an eerie silence that had suddenly filled the room. "You can't see in the dark and even if you could, the second you fire a shot into that crowd you're going to set them off like firecrackers."

When lightning lit up the sky and Sam caught a glimpse of Dean standing in the middle of Heaven's army; his gun drawn and pointed at Michael, he knew they were out of time. The deal his older brother had made with Lucifer haunted him as he helplessly watched Dean make what would no doubt be his finale stand. As the temporary light faded and the sound of gunshots suddenly filled the air, his heart sank like a stone. He knew it was over.