CHAPTER 14
Take no prisoners this time...
Like a drop of blood in shark infested waters; the second Dean squeezed the trigger was the very moment the archangel's moved in. Though the first shot was meant for Michael, his deal with Lucifer forced him to take aim for one of the many others gathered around them instead. Without missing a beat, he fired one shot after another, each bullet taking an archangel down as he tried in vain to keep them at bay. Despite a valiant effort, the odds were against him from the start and in no time, he felt the walls closing in. When one of them lashed out at him with a sharp blade in hand, Dean took a nervous step back and bumped into Castiel, who in turn backed into Gabriel.
"I don't think we can hold them off any longer." Castiel started, taking a swing with his own blade at one of the archangels within his reach. "There's just too many of them..."
"Gee you think?" Gabriel snapped, taking a quick glance over his shoulder as he loaded his gun and moved on to next archangel closest to him. "That's some deal you made there, Winchester." He continued, pulling the trigger, cocking the gun and repeating the motion as they continued to approach. "Keeping the dick that want's you dead off limits... real smart. Then again, I'm talking to the man that made a deal with the king of Hell."
"Small price to pay for stopping the Apocalypse, Gabe." The young hunter barked, swearing under his breath as he felt one of the many blades graze his left hand. Unable to really make any headway, Dean quickly realized that it was now only a matter of time before he ran out of bullets. The gun in his hand was the only thing holding the archangels off, and pausing for even a second to reload his clip would give them the opportunity they needed to swiftly move in and finish him. Though he knew it was coming, knowing didn't ease the sinking feeling of dread that was starting to take over; a gun can only hold so many bullets and a man can only take so much. "The ring of Holy fire keeps us in, but keeps them out, right?" He asked, the desperation in his voice apparent as he reached over to grab Castiel by the shoulder, dragging him forward to switch places. Putting himself between his two renegades, he tucked his gun away and turned his attention from shooting down archangels to rummaging around his pockets for a lighter. "Just keep them off my back..."
"If you've got an ace up your sleeve, you'd better pull it out fast." Gabriel replied, doing his best to keep the crowd in front of him at arm's length. When he turned slightly to the left to take a shot at an archangel that was too close for comfort, one on the right seized the opportunity and landed a slash to his right shoulder. "C'mon Dean..." He muttered, ignoring the pain and the blood trickling down his arm as he continued to shoot them down one by one.
Passing through him like an unforgiving breeze, the crackling sound of gunfire made Sam's breath catch in the back of his throat. Perhaps even more chilling than the sound of gun shots, was the short bursts of light that followed every one of them; the flash lifting the chaotic scene out of the darkness for just a fraction of a second each time. What he could see in the limited light was painful to watch but what he saw next when lightning lit up the sky, was downright heartbreaking. Castiel, Dean and Gabriel were standing at the very center of the crowd, the little distance there was left between them and the archangels vanishing at an alarming rate. Michael was standing off to the side, watching as his army surged like a rolling wave towards the trio that were caught in the middle. Lucifer was still nowhere in sight and as the temporary light faded, so did all hope that the Devil would hold up his end of their bargain. "We need to do something." Sam started, loading the rifle in his hands and setting it down on the window sill before turning to face the veteran hunter at his side. "If you get a clear shot at Michael, take it." He continued, catching the other man's eyes for only a moment before leaning out the open window to take a look down at the idling Impala parked just below.
"Sam I don't know what you have in mind but if Michael goes down, you're history." Bobby was quick to reply, watching as the young hunter turned to face him a second time. "The deal..."
"Forget about the deal." Sam interrupted, instantly silencing the older man. "I need you to save Dean any way that you can." He continued, pointing towards the window with one hand as he pulled the gun from the back of his belt with the other. "If you get the shot, take it." He held Bobby's eyes for a moment before turning to make his way towards the door.
"How can you ask me to do that, knowing the second I kill Michael, your ass belongs to Lucifer?" Bobby snapped, reaching out to grab the younger man by the shoulder and forcing him to stop in his tracks. "How can you ask me to kill you?"
"I didn't ask you to kill me, I asked you to save him." Sam replied without missing a beat, his eyes drifting over his shoulder as Ellen and Jo entered the room. "One of us is going to die tonight no matter how you look at it." He paused as the rumbling sound of thunder drowned out the echo of gunshots outside. "I know it makes you feel like you have to pick one of us over the other but Dean needs help and Michael needs to be stopped... So I'm sorry that it's a pull on your heartstrings, but you NEED to do this."
"I can't" Bobby replied simply, his gaze drifting down to the floor at his feet as his mind started to race. "I just can't do it."
"I'll take the shot." Jo offered, loading the rifle in her hands as Sam turned to face her. "If this is what you really want, then I'll take the shot." She continued quietly, swallowing hard as he caught her eyes. "And if Lucifer shows up too late to do anything about it, than I'll take him down too."
"No, leave Lucifer out of it." Sam was quick to reply. "If he dies by our hand, Bela will have those demons on our ass before he even hits the ground. "
"What are you going to do, Sam?" Ellen asked.
"Distract them." The young hunter replied. "While I'm out there I want you and Bobby to take out any archangels that you can, just start at the back and work your way in." As he turned to make his way out the hall, Ellen reached out and pulled him into a tight hug. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel the comfort that only a mother could offer. When Ellen pulled away, he took a deep breath. "Alright, lets get 'em out of there." He announced, catching Bobby's eyes before he made his way out the hall.
With the gun in his tight grip, Sam hurried down the stairs; his eyes scanning the hall as he approached the last few steps. Though he couldn't see the Hell hound, he knew it was there somewhere. Keeping a watchful eye for the dog, he quickly made his way to the back door and raised his gun as the pair of demons standing guard turned to face him. "They need me." He said simply as he caught their eyes.
"You heard what Bela said." One of the demons replied. "You need to stay out of it, got back upstairs with the others."
When the low growl of the vicious beast caught his attention, Sam couldn't help but turn slightly to watch as the Hell hound stepped out into the hall behind him. His heart started to race, but it wasn't the Hell hound he was worried about, it was the sound of gunshots outside and how they were getting more sporadic by the second. With no time for hesitation, he took aim at the beast and pulled the trigger, eliminating the threat as the Hell hound instantly dropped to the floor. "Now step aside, or you're next." He hissed as he turned his attention back to the demons in the doorway. When they both took a step back to let him go by, he couldn't help but feel the power of control Dean and Bela had been talking about; how if the demons feared him, they would do anything to please him. "Make sure those angels don't get in." He said over his shoulder as he climbed down the back steps and slid in behind the wheel of the Impala, right where he had left her idling. He slipped the car into drive and put his foot on the gas, eyeing the crowd through the cracks of the windshield as he started plowing them down, hoping the light or their scorched wings would be enough to give Bobby and Ellen targets.
Dean swore under his breath as he fumbled with his lighter and struggled to keep his balance while getting shoved around like a pinball in play between Castiel & Gabriel. "Oh c'mon." He muttered to himself, almost pleading with the lighter in his hands to spark a flame he could use to re-ignite the ring of Holy fire around them. Though he knew his solution to their current situation was temporary, it was the only one he could think of. With the relentless archangels refusing to back off, all he needed and wanted was a moment out of their reach where he could catch his breath and reload his gun; their survival was counting on it. So when an archangel's blade sliced into his hand and down across his wrist, the pain of the injury forcing him to release his grip on the only chance they had; the blow was more than physically painful, in was devastating. Looking up through the crowd in front of him, he couldn't help but notice Michael's sadistic grin, it was the very same grin he always hated seeing on Zachariah's face. He clutched his right wrist in pain as he took a deep breath; feeling the warmth of his blood as it trickled through his fingers and ran down his arm made it all hit home. Even if Hell had managed to come out on top and put Heaven back in its place, this was over for him and his renegades. He knew it was the moment Michael lit that ring of Holy fire but it had yet to sink in, until now.
Though he could hear the Impala's revving engine over the noise of the crowd and the sound of gunshots coming from Bobby's house, it gave him little hope as he eyed the archangels that were now within reach. When a drop of blood hit the ground by his feet and the glimmer of a spark caught his eye, Dean couldn't help but watch, frozen in the moment as the spark ignited the ring of Holy Fire around them. The flame traveled quickly along the ground, cutting through the crowd and forcing surprised archangels to take panicked steps back or face being caught in the ring with the trio. A dead silence fell over the crowd, the sound of the Impala's revving engine and spinning wheels now the only thing that dominated the night as Castiel and Gabriel quickly got rid of the few archangels that were trapped on the inside with them. Looking for the source of the spark, he couldn't help but watch as the archangels cleared a path and Lucifer stepped into the scene, Bela to his right and a Hell hound to his left.
"About time he shows up." Gabriel muttered under his breath as he hurried to reload the gun in his hands.
Jo swore under her breath as she watched Lucifer casually walk into the clear shot she had of Michael. "The son of a bitch is in the way." She said as she looked over to catch her mother's eyes. "Now what am I supposed to do?" She asked, watching as the Impala continued to plow through the crowd of archangels.
"Let the Devil deal with Michael." Ellen quickly replied as she loaded her rifle. "You focus on taking them down one by one like Sam wanted us to do."
"That's enough Michael." Lucifer started, coming to a stop in front of his estranged brother. "You've already lost this war so call them off and go back up to Heaven where you belong." There was a moment of silence as he watched Michael take a quick glance around, taking notice of the demons that were lurking in the scrap yard around them. "This crusade of yours, is over and there is no home for you here."
"You should be grateful." Michael calmly started. "You could have been locked away in Hell for many more years." He paused for only a moment as lightning lit up the sky and the sound of a gunshot tore the night. "If it weren't for me, you'd still be down there right now... I made sure everything fell into place, that your demons were able to get the ball rolling to free you from your prison"
"What you did was deceitful." Lucifer was quick to reply. "And I will not be used as an excuse to justify your intentions. You have no business here, so gather what's left or your army and leave."
"Or what, Lucifer?" Michael asked with a grin, watching as the Devil pulled out his blade. "Are you and your demons really going to make us leave? Don't tell me you let these pests crawl under your skin." He continued, pointing towards Castiel, Gabriel and Dean. "If you weren't aware, that Guardian Angel there spent most of his life hunting and killing your demons..."
"The demons he killed, are the wayward ones that didn't follow their orders down below." Lucifer growled as his gaze momentarily drifted over his shoulder to the trio surrounded by flames. "And what he's done pales in comparison to what you're responsible for."
"Is he really worth saving? Are any of them?" Michael asked, his tone of voice pulling the Devil's eyes back up to his gaze. "Why should they get all of this?"
"Because that's just the way it is... and you have no right to take it away from any one of them." Lucifer replied, the grip on his blade tightening as he watched Michael reach for his own weapon.
"I've cast you out and imprisoned you before." Michael started. "You should know better than face off against me like this little brother." He continued as he took a quick look at his archangels, most of them now keeping a watchful eye on the Impala as it made another pass and took another five or six souls with it.
"Your angels have already turned away, it was a smart move and I strongly suggest that you and your archangels do the same." Lucifer replied softly.
"If you want me back up in Heaven, then you're just going to have to put me there yourself little brother." Michael replied, his tone of voice low.
Dean swore under his breath as Michael took a sudden step forward, the blade in his hand sparking as it came into contact with Lucifer's weapon. The moment the pair started fighting, all Hell broke loose around them. Demons and Hell hounds that had been lurking in the darkness were now in the throes of battle with determined archangels. Though he was trapped in a ring of Holy fire at the heart of the Heaven & Hell conflict, it was suddenly the safest place Dean thought he could be. When the sound of a gunshot echoed in the night and one of the archangels nearby fell to the ground, his eyes glanced up towards Bobby's house, catching the flicker of a light in one of the darkened windows. Though he could see no one there, the continuous sound of gunshots was enough to let him know that Bobby, Ellen and Jo were doing all they could to thin out the crowd one archangel at a time. Still clutching his injured hand, he watched as Gabriel loaded his gun and began shooting down the distracted archangels around them, starting with the one that was trying to get the best of Bela.
"You're bleeding..." Castiel remarked, his tone of voice pulling the young hunter's attention away from the battle field. "Are you alright?"
"Define alright, Cas..." Dean was quick to reply, his eyes scanning the disarray around them for a moment before focusing on the renegade angel in front of him. Though he knew Castiel was referring to the gash and the blood that was dripping from his hand, Dean couldn't help but think of much bigger things to worry about at the moment. "We are stuck in the middle of a war that wasn't supposed to happen anytime soon..." He paused as lightning once again lit up the sky, the thunder that followed more violent than ever as the storm circled overhead. "Fighting for Hell was the only shot I thought we had to stop this..." He explained, the anger in his voice now harboring the despair. "I put my life and my soul on the line to prevent it from coming to this but here we are anyway, so I guess that just proves..."
"It ain't over yet kid, so don't start talking about how wrong you were to go out on that limb." Gabriel snapped, taking a quick glance over his shoulder as he continued to offer Bela the backup she needed while she fought the archangels that were swarming around her. "You joined the ranks of Hell just so we could stay one step ahead of Heaven and it worked... we'd already all be dead if it weren't for you." He paused for only a moment as Bela shoved an archangel forward into the ring of Holy fire; the moment it came into contact with the flames, it simply vanished into a flash of light. "You need to learn when to give yourself the credit you deserve and you need to accept that there are some things you can't prevent, no matter what you do or how hard you try."
"Gabriel is right." Castiel said as he turned the blade in his hand, his eyes momentarily catching those of the young hunter. "Just because you didn't stop Heaven cold in it's track, it doesn't mean you failed."
"Well thanks for the uplifting moment guys." Dean started, his gaze pulled into the crowd as an archangel's scream broke through all the noise. "Makes me feel a little less like crap for dragging you all under with me, but it doesn't really help get..." Dean trailed off as he watched Lucifer dodge a slash to the throat, a move he knew would ultimately cost the Devil more than just his defensive stance. It was a vulnerable reflex the young hunter instantly recognized as a moment of weakness; years of training with his Father had taught him that much, but before he could warn anyone about what he knew was coming next, Michael seized the opportunity and plunged his blade into Lucifer's chest.
Watching Lucifer drop to his knees in front of Michael was a chilling sight the young hunter would never forget. Just like that, the king of Hell and the strongest weapon in their arsenal against Heaven, was gone. It happened so fast, that the fighting demons & archangels weren't aware until a streak of blinding light pierced the stormy night, bringing the chaos to a halt as all eyes turned towards the pair. When Michael pulled his blade free and Lucifer collapsed, his massive wings scorching the ground alongside him, an eerie silence and sudden calm washed over to the crowd. The lull however, was short lived as Bela started slashing her way towards Michael, cutting down anyone that stood between her and Heaven's petty leader. With the archangels doing everything they could to keep her from reaching Michael and the demons doing all in their power to keep the archangels away from Bela, it wasn't long before the chaos in the scrap yard resumed with more ferocity than before.
Unfazed by Bela's futile attempt to confront him and no doubt sink her own blade into his flesh, a sinister smile crept up from the corner of Michael's lips as he turned his attention towards the trio that stood trapped in a ring of Holy fire. "You still think you're going to win this war?" He asked drily, the Devil's blood dripping down his blade as he stepped over the empty vessel at his feet.
Ignoring the searing pain in his hand and wrist, Dean reached for his gun as Michael caught his eyes. His heart was racing and when his grip on the handle tightened, he couldn't help but feel his heart pulsing in the open wound; each throb sending a fresh trickle of blood down his arm. "I know we are, you son of a bitch." He growled, wincing as he loaded his weapon and took aim at the archangel standing only a few feet away. "Cause what you just did, voids my contract." When he squeezed the trigger, he was expecting to put an end to the war raging around him once and for all, but when nothing happened, his breath caught in his throat and a chill went down his spine. The sound of his gun firing on an empty chamber was suddenly much louder than the battlefield around him, the storm overhead, the Impala's roaring engine and the crackling of flames at his feet. It was the only sound he heard and the one he would never be able to forget should he survive his encounter with Heaven's merciless leader.
"Talk about taking the wind out of your sails" Michael said with a grin as he snapped his fingers and once again extinguished the ring of Holy fire. He passed his long blade from one hand to the other and let out a chuckle as he watched Dean take a panicked step back and Castiel take a defensive one forward. "That poor excuse of a Guardian Angel isn't worth dying for." Michael started, his menacing tone of voice low.
"Depends who you ask." Gabriel spat as he turned on the spot and took aim from between Dean and Castiel, pulling the trigger before Michael had time to react. He had been so focused with getting his hands on the defiant man in front of him and cutting Castiel down in the process, that he was caught off guard when he took a bullet to the chest from the gun of an archangel who once worked alongside him. Though Gabriel quickly reloaded the gun in his hands, he knew there would be no need for another shot; the war between Heaven and Hell was over before Michael even hit the ground. He watched in silence as both sides came to a sudden stop, Michael's massive wings overlapping Lucifer's as they both lay dead in the scrap yard.
Dean couldn't help but feel out in the open as he eyed the now leaderless crowd in front of him, their sudden calmness coming across as both superficial and eerie under the current circumstance. The panic was once again starting to set in, as he realized there was nothing separating him and his two renegades from the dozens of archangels that had swarmed them no more than fifteen minutes ago. Though Bela and her demons were there, he couldn't shake the feeling that the archangels would stop at nothing to fulfill their leaders mission; it wouldn't matter if all of Hell was watching out for him, because the angels would find a way to get their hands around his throat. The seconds dragged on and when not one of them made a move, he turned his attention to Gabriel who was holding a gun out at arm's length to give everyone a clear view.
"Alright listen up!" Gabriel shouted into the crowd, the authority in his voice forcing all eyes to turn towards him. "This crusade of yours is over and anyone who disagrees, is going to be joining Michael." He paused for only a moment as he watched nervous archangels take a glance at the demons that were standing among them. "Go back up to Heaven with the others; that's where you belong and that's where you're going to stay unless I say otherwise. Do I make myself clear? I killed Michael and take my word, I will not hesitate killing any one of you if you don't do as I say."
As quickly as they had first appeared, the dozens of archangels left standing were gone, along with them, the continuous storm that had been raging overhead for days. It almost seemed too good to be true, but when Bela took a glance over her shoulder and Hell's army of demons instantly vanished, Dean knew it was for real, their ordeal was finally over. He took a deep breath but swore under his breath as the pang in his wrist reminded him of another dire situation he was dealing with. The deep gash, he knew was bad and the amount of blood he was loosing by the second cast a dark cloud over their current victory; it was now the only thing he could think of. Unable to withstand the pain any longer, he let the gun fall from his grip and clamped a hand over the open wound, the movement catching Castiel's watchful eye.
"Let me have a look at that." Castiel started softly, his tone of voice pulling Dean's attention away from the gun at his feet.
Dean swallowed hard as he extended his arm to the angel in front of him, the sight of his own blood everywhere making him sick to the stomach. When Castiel reached out to grab him by the wrist, he couldn't help but suck in a breath; the pain in his wrist was now burning him alive. Though it only lasted a fraction of a second, the intensity was like nothing he'd ever felt before. Gabriel closing the gash in his side didn't even compare to the pain Castiel had just put him through. When the angel finally pulled away, Dean struggled to catch his breath, his eyes glancing down to where the cut had been before focusing on the renegade angel.
"Sorry, I should have warned you." Castiel quietly started, pausing for only a moment as Bela let out a chuckle. "The pain you felt, was the blood being forced into your system." He explained, wiping away his own blood from the cut he had made in the palm of his hand.
"Yeah, consider yourself lucky kid, because angel's blood doesn't exactly mix with everything." Gabriel added, watching as Dean took another look down at his wrist.
"You put your blood in..."
"You already had angel blood in you." Castiel was quick to interrupt. "What I did was just replenished your system."
"Well that was a rather touching moment, it's a shame your brother missed it." Bela said with a smirk, her eyes drifting across the scrap yard as the Impala continued to spin circles in the dirt; the bodies strewn around it a testament of its effective use as a weapon. "By the time he's done, you're going to need another car."
"I don't understand what he's doing..." Castiel quietly said, he too watching as the tires spun and the dirt flew in all direction.
"He's doing doughnuts." Gabriel explained with a slight chuckle as he snapped his fingers and brought the Impala's engine to a stop. "Ten bucks says he had his eyes closed the entire time..." The archangel continued, watching as the younger man finally emerged from the severely scratched and dented car.
"Gambling is a sin." Bela replied with a grin, her eyes catching those of the archangel standing in front of her. "Now if you'll all excuse me, I have a bit of a mess to clean up and some business to attend to down below." When she turned to leave, Dean couldn't help but reach out to place a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.
"Bela I'm sorry." The young hunter started, his words catching in the back of his throat as she caught his eyes. "For the way that I..."
"Don't apologize." Bela was quick to interrupt. "What you did was part of the job and you did it well." She paused for only a moment as the smirk crept up from the corner of her lips. "Now promise me that I won't see what's left of your soul on the market anytime soon." When the young hunter gave her a nod, her gaze drifted back to Gabriel. "You keep yours above and I'll do what I can to keep mine down below, deal?"
Dean couldn't help but smile as he watched Heaven's new leader and Hell's next in line shake hands. With the Apocalypse over and both Michael & Lucifer dead, he knew that what he was witnessing, was a new beginning and a turning point for all of them. "See you around, Bela..." He said as he watched her turn away and vanish into the night.
"Dean, I want you to know that I was wrong about you." Gabriel suddenly started, glancing over his shoulder for only a moment as Sam joined them. "You managed to survive a second round down below without loosing sight of what's important up here... you proved us wrong and I think it's safe to say that I speak for all of us, when I say that I'm thankful for that."
Dean couldn't help but smile as Gabriel held his gun out. "You keep it." The young hunter was quick to reply as he watched Bobby, Ellen and Jo step down the back steps and start to make their way over, pausing by the Impala to survey the damage. "You might need it to keep your new army in check... thanks for everything Gabe."
"Keep an eye on these two, Cas." Gabriel said with a gin as he caught the renegade angel's eyes. "And be sure to have a little fun sometime."
When Gabriel vanished into the night, Dean couldn't help but take a deep breath, his gaze first drifting down to Michael and Lucifer's bodies on the ground before drifting up to the stars they hadn't seen in days. "I was starting to forget how quiet and peaceful it was out here at night." He said without looking over at Sam or Castiel.
Watching as Bobby, Ellen and Jo made their way over, Sam couldn't help but wonder what had kept the young woman from taking the shot he knew would have instantly put an end to the raging war. Before he could even ask, their eyes met and she gave him her explanation.
"I never got a clear shot." Jo started, her gaze momentarily drifting down to the bodies strewn around the scrap yard. "First Lucifer was in the way and then it was Castiel." She continued, a slight smile to the corner of her lips as she caught the angel's eyes. "So I thought it might be in all of our best interests not to take the shot."
"Good call." Sam replied with a chuckle.
Eyeing the Impala from across the scrap yard, Dean couldn't help but feel his heart sink. The windows that weren't shattered were cracked and every inch of black paint he could see was marred by scratches and gouges from the archangels' blades. The bumpers at both ends were dented and the headlights & tails lights were smashed. Not to mention the Sigil he had carved right into the leather dash; his baby was bearing the scars for all to see. "She's in pretty bad shape, isn't she?" He asked, his eyes catching Sam's for only a moment as his mind drifted back to when his younger brother had driven the classic car through a wall of fire.
"She's seen worse." Sam was quick to reply. "I'm sure it's nothing that can't be fixed."
"I sure hope you're right."