Chapter 20
The air inside the mill was hot. Anna felt as though she could barely breathe. She had been dragged from her cage, blindfolded and collared. She knew it wasn't Benny because of the grip. Benny, even though he had to play the part, still let them breathe when he dragged Dean and her places throughout the mill. This was another mill worker, male from what Anna could smell.
"You're gonna love this princess," the mill worker said, he smelled like dirty sweat socks and laughed like a strangling raccoon. "Our Alphas are the best; they can just keep going and going. Bitches like you like that don't you?"
Anna whined as she tried desperately to grab at the collar around her neck. She thought if she could just get it off somehow she could run and escape to the outside world. That, however; would warrant Crowley's intervention and possibly her less than humane mill death, so she kept still after awhile. There was nothing else she could do. The mill worker dragged her along, past cages with sweaty, shrieking, Omegas. Anna could smell the nervousness coming off of them in waves. It was a spicy scent. Almost as bad as…
What she smelled next had been her greatest fear.
Anna's heart pounded when she smelled something she had hoped she never would hear, horny Alphas begging and crying for her and others like her. Begging to breed them, or just for a quickie. Often times to release the hormones and pent up sexual energy the Alphas had in them, they gave them Omegas to have their way with. Anna scrambled, this time trying to get away at whatever cost. She didn't care what her fate would be if she could escape in time.
"You're gonna give one of our best here a good time," the mill worker took the blindfold off; Anna's eyes took a moment to adjust before she was thrown into a breeding pen and the gate was slammed behind her. She looked back, terrified. The mill worker only smirked in response and left without a trace. "Don't worry he'll be nice, hopefully."
Anna swallowed hard, quivering, even her wings shook. She waited, curled up in the corner of the breeding pen. She waited for the Alpha. Breeding pens were common in mills. They usually locked an Alpha and a fertile Omega in them and forced them to breed to create more angels. Sometimes though an infertile Omega was thrown into the pen to let an Alpha blow off steam. Anna curled up to make herself appear as tiny as possible. The other side of the pen opened and the Alpha stepped through.
He was well toned when it came to muscles. He had blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. His chin was sharp and strong. He walked with one sole purpose, what he'd been let into the pen for. He smirked when he saw Anna in the corner.
"Eh a submissive bitch right off the bat," he said. "I like that. Makes me…hard."
"Verchiel," a voice was heard, Anna looked at the other mill worker in panic, hoping that maybe just maybe they'd have some humanity in them and let her out of there, but no such luck. "Play nice."
"Ah I'm just messing with her," Verchiel, the Alpha smirked back at the mill worker. "You know me. She'll be good for me won't she?"
Anna didn't know why she nodded, but she did.
"Good that we're on the same page," Verchiel sniffed at her crotch, she debated hitting him away, but she knew if she did Crowley would do unspeakable things to her so she remained unmoving, letting Verchiel do his thing. "Now then pretty one. Let's have a look at yah."
He forced Anna's wings out and open, she whimpered in fear and he smirked. Verchiel stepped closer, pulling Anna by her hair close to him and then down to his crotch.
"Suck it." Was all he said.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
"So let me get this straight," Jody said to Ellen, Bobby stood next to her. "You want us to pretend to be in the angel fighting circle?"
"Yes." Jo and Ellen said at the same time.
Jody and Bobby had responded immediately at eight am of all times to the call that Ellen had sent the police officer and older hunter. She knew they would come because it was practically their angels that they had sent in there.
"Those guys can smell cops a mile away," Jody replied. "We'll be found out, it's too risky."
"Please," Jo begged. "We need more people on the inside, maybe if we send you undercover you can report back to the station and get this place shut down a hell of a lot faster than two angels and one hunter can."
"Look I'm not too crazy about the idea either Jody," Bobby spoke up, he looked at Ellen momentarily, giving her a sympathetic look before returning to Jody. "But they've already sent two angels in there. One of which is basically my son, Jody's too. He was John's angel and lord knows he wouldn't want his boy in there at all. But Jo's right. If we can get in there and stop this thing maybe we can get the angels out of there faster."
Jody considered her options. Bobby was right, they needed to act fast. If they didn't, bad things were bound to happen. Two days had passed now since Dean had been taken into the mill along with Anna. God only knew what horrors had been bestowed upon them from their arrival. Jody finally sighed.
"Fine," she decided. "When's the next fight?"
"This Friday," Ellen replied, leaning against the door frame. "We have good enough disguises for you guys. Even got replicas of the badges Ring Leaders use to identify one another. Be here at seven pm sharp. The fight starts at nine pm."
"Ellen," Bobby looked over at her. "You're the best."
"So are you," Ellen smiled at him, it was a seasoned smile so nice that her wrinkles from age defined her face and cradled it perfectly so. "Yah idjit."
Bobby chuckled at the pet name he so often gave to others. Ellen walked off towards the cameras while Jo discussed the plan in detail with Jody.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Adam was nestled into a mess of blankets. He'd been watching over Ezra since the night before when the Omega had started to act restless. Ezra had crawled away from his babies multiple times in the night and moments later Adam had heard noises similar to vomiting before Ezra scrambled back to his blanket nest. Adam had tried to keep his eyes open all night, but had somehow fallen asleep sometime around one am. He awoke and saw Ezra curled up, his babies near him asleep and well, but something was terribly off about the Omega.
Adam moved closer and felt heat coming off of Ezra in waves. The Alpha nudged Ezra's cheek and Ezra whimpered. He was burning up. Sudden panic came over Adam. He'd never handled a sick Omega before. He was never placed in a cage with one that had ever gotten an infection. Adam quickly remembered back though. Jo and Ellen had always fed the sick babies extra grace and given them medicine once their bodies started responding to the grace. Grace was found in all angels' wings. Adam looked back at his as he made them appear. He nudged Ezra again, the Omega awoke.
"Hey," Adam said, coming close to him. Ezra at first was scared, he wanted to jump back and escape the Alpha, but not after he realized Adam wasn't trying to do anything to him, but protect him. "It's ok. I've gotcha."
Adam looked down at the Omega's arm and he saw a rather nasty cut running from his forearm to his elbow. It was crusty and clearly infected. It was also the obvious cause of Ezra's discomfort and fever.
"You're infected," Adam observed. "I'm gonna help you ok? You don't have to be afraid."
Ezra cowered at first as Adam let his wings rest in front of the Omega. But as he watched Adam pinch his wing and it released the blue liquid that every angel had, he realized Adam hadn't been lying. Ezra slowly crept forward and sucked at the grace. He looked up at Adam periodically.
"You're safe," Adam said. "I promise."
Adam didn't know what prompted him to do it, but he nuzzled Ezra on the cheek moments later. Ezra looked shocked as ever and Adam simply smiled as he did it. Ezra looked Adam in the eyes with glassy ones after Adam blushed, realizing what he had done.
"Thank you." Ezra suddenly nuzzled him back, much to the surprise of Adam.
"Y-You're welcome…" Adam stammered a little, before Ezra broke into a small smile and sucked more grace from Adam's wing. Adam secretly feared that this was a fever induced reaction, that Ezra would go right back on to hating him after this was over. For now though, Adam decided he'd enjoy the moment as it was as he settled into the blankets. Ezra's babies chirped in what sounded like delight.
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Sam woke up, sweaty and with the feeling of another body on the side of him. His eyes shot open immediately, at first in fear, but then he calmed down after he looked over and saw who was indeed nestled up next to him. Gabriel. Sam felt his heart banging hard against his chest. His cheeks flushed considerably, but he felt most of the blood in his body rushing to downstairs. Sam sheepishly tried to move away from Gabriel without waking him up. The last thing he needed the Omega to see was his what he knew soon would be a raging hard on. Oh god, Gabriel being next to him, this close to him, was driving Sam crazy. Gabriel's scent had always sort of driven Sam wild.
"Mhmm," Gabriel grunted and rubbed his eyes before opening them. "Morning Samsquatch."
"Uh yeah good morning," Sam grabbed his clothes and held it by his side, hiding his crotch from view. "And what a nice one it is. I'm gonna…"
Sam motioned to the bathroom and took off. Gabriel gave him a funny look before getting up from bed himself. The archangel stretched and in doing so his wings touched the wall and the edge of the bed. Gabriel closed his eyes, taking in the scent of the room and the open window that neither he nor Sam had bothered to close the night before. Sam walked out of the bathroom and his jaw almost dropped. Gabriel was standing there in nothing, but red boxers. He'd removed the tank top upon getting out of bed and his six golden wings were spread out in the most beautiful way. He was beautiful, he looked like every one of Sam's fantasies. He looked so perfect.
"Sammy—"
Sam found he was right behind Gabriel in an instant. His nose was buried in Gabriel's neck. Gabriel's eyes went wide. He could Sam's teeth nipping at the back of his neck as the Alpha dragged his nose up and down the sensitive skin. This was every single thing he'd dreamed of. Sam on him like this, Sam his perfect mate, Sam his deepest fantasy, Sam…
Sam was buried in his neck, not too long after he'd been buried in some whore.
Gabriel pushed him away and stared at him. Sam looked completely humiliated and he stepped away.
"I," Sam stammered and tried his best to apologize. "I'm sorry I…"
Sam turned tail and ran out of the room, tossing his pajamas aside on the floor. Gabriel watched carefully as he stalked over to where Sam had thrown his pajamas and picked them up off of the floor. They smelled like him, even without Gabriel putting them up to his nose. Gabriel was overwhelmed by the scent of the Alpha that he threw the clothes down and walked to the bathroom as fast as he could. He had problems of his own to…attend to. Damn Sam and his nipping.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Two days came and went and soon it was Friday. The aura in the mill had changed to one of frenzy and testosterone. Dean was ready. He had to be ready. He'd paced his cage all morning, thinking, brooding, mostly worrying, but thinking. He had to win. There wasn't an option, but he'd gotten his ass kicked badly, very badly. Gadreel had been right. They had a long way to go. He'd said Dean was not ready to fight. He'd said Dean wasn't going to be ready anytime soon. He'd called Dean weak.
"Dean," it was Gadreel who spoke up from the cage next to him. "Will you stop that infernal pacing you're giving me a headache just looking at you."
"Oh let him do what he wants," Michael rolled his eyes from the cage across from Dean. "He's gonna get his ass kicked anyway."
"Hey you shut up," Dean pointed a finger at Michael, who stared back at him intensely. Dean felt a bit uneasy in the Alpha's presence. "How do you know huh? How do you know I won't win?"
"With your skill level," Michael commented. "And attitude. We'll have a full house tonight and you'll bring nothing but dirt to Crowley's name."
"Yeah I bet the house will be full," Dean scoffed. "Your damn ego could fill up the entire stadium no problem!"
Michael growled at Dean and shot forward in his cage. His wings splayed out in full dominance display. Dean stared at them, white, six of them. Archangel, how had he not noticed two nights before? Probably because he had been getting his ass kicked and had spent the majority of the evening lying face first on the ground. Michael glared and if looks alone could kill Dean would've been dead right then and there before the first fight even began.
"Oh calm yourself Michael," Cathalsis said from the cage next to him. "You're worse than a jealous lover."
Michael huffed and walked back to the back of his cage, sitting down and retracting his wings. Dean noticed something shimmering in the angel's belt area. In fact, it was attached to a belt loop.
"What's that?" Dean asked, not wanting to look like a dumbass in front of one of his biggest competitors who already thought he was indeed a dumbass, but he wanted to know and part him thought he needed to.
"Angel blade," Cathalsis spoke up before Michael could and use it as an opportunity to jab at Dean further. "You'll get one too before you get into the arena."
Every Alpha in the vicinity flashed theirs at Dean and he felt a lump forming in his throat. He'd heard of the weapons and how they were used in these dangerous games. They were used as the last possible resort in angel fighting. The last resort was the least desirable outcome.
"I'd suggest you use it well," Gadreel said, Dean turned to him. "Although this time, who knows who they will pick to fight tonight, maybe it'll be your lucky day?"
Dean suddenly had hope. Maybe he wouldn't be picked? Maybe he'd get to skip this time? But as luck would have it Dean's was in short supply. Dean turned his head long enough to see a slew of mill workers walk into the room where the Alpha cages were. They started unlocking cages and pulling angels and archangels out of them. Gadreel was left in his cage.
"Guess they want to let their champion rest." Michael remarked and he was suddenly hit in the back of the head with what looked like a small bat.
"No talking." The mill worker said.
Michael glared and bared his teeth before walking off.
"Where are they taking us?" Dean whispered to Gadreel.
"To get ready," Gadreel replied. "Good luck tonight."
Dean looked back at his mentor as the mill worker grabbed him and led him out of the cage. He led him down the row of cages and all Dean saw before going through the double doors was Gadreel leaning back in his cage and closing his eyes.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
"You sure this'll work Jo?" Jody whispered into her ear mic as she and Bobby, in perfect disguises as Ellen had promised, walked into a sea of people entering the secret entrance to Crowley's mill for the angel fight that evening. The undercover cop and Bobby walked smoothly, not calling any attention to themselves.
"Of course it will," Jo said into her ear. "Just play it cool. You're a cop, but please don't act like one. Act like you're about to catch the most wanted terrorist in the area."
"You're half right." Jody sighed and stopped talking as they got closer and closer to the Ring Leader population. Bobby walked with confidence, tipping his hat to a few random strangers as they smirked at him and moved on through the doors. They reached the bouncer at the double doors and flashed their fake pins. They seemed to be good enough for the bouncer and he let them in. Jody breathed a silent sigh of relief as they crossed into enemy territory. Now the worst problem they could possibly have would be finding a decent seat.
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Ron didn't want to be there. He hated the crowds of people, he had no interest whatsoever in angel fighting. His father insisted though. He wanted Ron to take over, he wanted Ron to buy and fight angels, but right now he wanted Ron to gouge out his brains and eat them with a knife. At least that's what Ron wanted to do because that would be a hell of a lot easier than sitting through an entire angel fight. He sighed as Charon chatted with potential customers. Kevin, his father's loyal Alpha was by his side.
"Tell my dad I left for a drink." Ron told Kevin and stalked off into the crowd.
The people around him made him sick. Why did he have to be born into this lifestyle? Charon's two brothers fought angels too. They were the last of the Fathers of the Dark and they were ruthless bastards who stopped at nothing to have winners. They craved the blood of other angels being spilled because of their angels. It was sick and somehow Ron had been bred right into the bloodline of it. His father always told him it was in his blood. He'd always tried to ignore that fact.
Ron pushed past other people milling about, some of them were drunk already and sloshing their drinks around. The amber liquid fell to the dirt ground and the people laughed at their simple mistake. Ron stood in line, hunched over slightly, hands in his pockets. He looked around him, looking for newcomers. He hoped to warn them. His eyes landed on a middle aged woman with shorter black hair, a military style jacket, jeans and boots.
"Your first fight?" he asked.
Jody Mills turned to look at Ron. She paused a moment taking in how a eighteen year old was able to get into one of these fights.
"Yes," she replied. "How'd you know?"
"I come here often let's say," Ron replied. "My dad's sort of in the business. Trust me it's not something to be proud of, the heritage I have to live up to."
"So you don't want to fight angels?" Jody was intrigued by a potential ally.
"Hell no," Ron replied. "But don't tell that to my old man. It's his life and apparently it's going to be mine one day."
Jody took in that information. She knew it'd be worthy of passing on to Bobby and the others when this was done and if she could find Bobby. He'd gone to get them seating while Jody got them each a drink. Ron paid for a small soda and started to walk off.
"Buy popcorn," Ron said sarcastically. "It is gonna be a hell of a show."
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Dean stood in a line up. At least that was what it looked like to him. After they'd been dragged from their cages earlier that evening they'd been taken to another room where their wings had been inspected. Dean hadn't minded that, somehow the mill workers had had careful hands when it came to that. He only minded when they touched his oil glands, causing Dean to groan out loud and several other newer angels too. The seasoned warriors like Michael and Cathalsis barely flinched. Then each angel had a collar put on them. The collar was tight, but not too tight. It was nothing like the collars on the leashes they dragged them around with. The collar had a number on it and Dean's name after the number. Dean was number seven.
"Lucky number seven." Cathalsis said with a small smile.
"He'll need it." Michael remarked as they marched out of the room in a perfect line. Dean glared at the back of the archangel's head.
Now here they were, standing lined up and waiting for their fate. The first three fights were already over with. Sweat was running down to Dean's palms. He wasn't allowed to move though so he stood stick straight in his place in line. He gulped when he saw a mill worker walk back to the back room with a bloody collar in his hand, the bloody collar that had belonged to one of the newer angels.
"Look," another mill worker stood in front of them, pep talking the angels. Some of them looked about ready to puke, some looked confident as ever. Dean was stuck somewhere in between. "You're all here for one reason only, to win. We've lost quite a few tonight. We're not going to lose any more! You won't stop until the whole arena is cheering your name! If you win, you'll be remembered, you'll be sponsored, maybe even kept alive…"
Dean gulped again; ok he felt more like puking this time.
"Just one mistake is all it will take to cost you," the mill worker said. "Your status, your ability, your life…so don't mess up."
"Do whatever it takes to win." Dean repeated the mantra to himself; it's what Gadreel had said to him before the fight.
The next few fights were simple. Michael and Cathalsis came back victorious, another angel as well. Two others didn't. Dean felt his throat mentally constricting. If Dean pushed his neck out far enough the collar would suffocate him and they'd make him go back to his cage? Hell they'd probably make him go out there anyway. He felt this overwhelming dizziness that he soon got under control when they called his name.
He was handed a sleek and silver angel blade and he looped it through his belt like they'd briefed him on doing. He walked over to the cage and got inside. He closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself. He suddenly felt a prick of a needle in his arm and he hissed, jumping away after they were done and growling at them, baring his teeth.
"Don't make us muzzle you early on mutt." The mill worker who worked the cage said and stepped away. Dean looked around, looking for his opponent in the other cage. The angel looked like a brute. Dean could feel the drugs rushing through his blood stream. He panted. His vision was starting to go red. It felt like he was in heat but it was ten times worse. The pounding speakers above him playing "Sanctified" by Nine Inch Nails, the screams of the crowd, the smells, the hormones, it was too much. Dean tried to remain under control. He wasn't used to the drugs, they were making him dizzy. The door to his cage opened and he hesitated. He immediately felt the shock and jumped again, yelping and stumbling out of the cage disoriented and dazed from red hot heat hormones. The other Alpha was still charging at him. Dean scanned the crowd; he fell on two familiar faces that looked just as shocked as he did.
"J-Jody," he said to himself. "Bobby…?"
Dean was knocked to the ground by a fist before he could say another word.
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Dean heard screams. He heard chants. He heard the sound of his own blood streaming from his body. Everything was intensified. Even his heartbeat was intensified. He looked up to see his opponent circling him, mocking him. He remembered the training, how Michael had done the same thing. Anorath too. He felt their footsteps on his back. He felt the urge to fight back. He had to fight back. He felt his hand connecting with his blade. It was too early on in the fight for it, but he had to fight back. He had to. He got to his feet and staggered a bit, but managed to focus on the so called enemy. Dean growled and bared his teeth, a menacing look he didn't even know he could pull off.
He lunged forward with the blade and plunged it into his opponent's chest.
His opponent Alpha gasped and reached for his heart where the blade had gone in. Dean's eyes housed nothing, but fury, partly due to injected hormones. Dean twisted the knife and suddenly the only sound he heard was the gush of the other Alpha's blood. Dean heard the shouts of joy and rage mixed together in the stands. The other Alpha fell to the ground dead and Dean turned around to take his surroundings. The crowds of people in the stands were a blend of drunks, proud smirks, and people begrudgingly exchanging money due to bets they'd made. Dean looked on the faces of the other angels. Anorath and Cathalsis were shocked. Michael seemed almost unfazed, more disappointed than shocked. The mill workers ran for contraptions and a gurney for the dead angel. Dean met the eyes of Jody and Bobby who looked utterly terrified mixed with sickened. Dean's small victory smile had faded and it did as well when Dean felt the mill workers on him. They held a muzzle in their hands and strapped it onto Dean's face. Dean's eyes went wide, remembering the angel pound. He still had permanent scars from that muzzling. Dean's eyes filled with panic and he squirmed as they took the other angel away. Dean shook, his wings quivering and eventually he cowered and submitted to them. He tried to curl up in a ball, but they kept him moving. One of them picked up Dean's blade as they exited the arena, leaving the drunks and shouts behind. The last thing Dean saw before he was pushed out of sight was Crowley exiting the special seating and leaving the arena.
"Stupid." He heard Michael mutter.
Dean was pushed through double doors leading back to the backside of the mill. The side none of the people out there ever saw. The mill worker that had dragged him out of there discarded of his sword in a cleaning bin and ripped his collar from his neck, placing it on the hooks near the Alpha cages. He walked Dean all the way down the hallway and to the special part of the mill.
"Judging by the way Crowley looked at you after you won," the mill worker said, opening the door to his boss' office. "I think he wants to speak to you."
Reviews are appreciated!
So Dean won! But…he killed an angel! Killed!
What does Crowley want with him now?
Will Adam and Ezra become a thing? What about Sam and Gabe?
And is Ron an ally or an enemy?
More to come soon!