Back from vacation, holy crap it's cold here. Brrr. Oh well, here's a chapter to "celebrate" my homecoming. Hope everyone had a very happy holiday. =)
Sam POV
Black smoke is everywhere. It is a deadly fungus that hovers above the bunker's garage. The air is poisoned by it. I'm so mesmerized by it that I almost don't see the black-eyed man sprinting towards me until it's too late, but I swing Ruby's knife blindly, luckily catching him across the stomach. I pull back, immediately finishing him off with a quick thrust of the knife. I only half acknowledge the sound of his body hitting the ground, my attention still focused on the other countless demons that are in the process of ripping each other apart, plume after plume of black colliding with one another. Their screams seem out of place amongst the one of a kind cars and motorcycles that line the walls. Some are still in pristine condition while others have already been mutilated, hunks of twisted metal and rubber the only thing left behind.
"Aw come on," Dean groans from somewhere behind me, firing a round of rocksalt at an oncoming blob of black. "They took out the Ducati. I never even got to ride that thing."
"Dean, priorities please," I yell as I fire a round from my own gun. "Where's Kevin and Adriella? Once we get them out, we can blow it."
It's then that I catch sight of Abaddon and Crowley, still locked in their deadly dance. It's satisfying to see the blood that now cakes the right half of Abaddon's face, but Crowley's looking a lot more worse for wear, completely on the defensive. He only just manages to block Abaddon's next advance, twisting out of reach on the next blow but losing his balance and stumbling slightly. I dodge another demon attack, moving towards Abaddon in an attempt to catch her off guard, but a hand grips the sleeve of my jacket firmly, pulling me back. I turn, expecting to see Dean, but Adriella's ageless glare greets me instead.
"Sam, you must find your brother. Both of you must get to safety. The explosion will rid you of both Crowley and Abaddon, but you need to go now," she demands, pulling me out of the way of two roiling blurs of black smoke locked together as they screech deafeningly past my ear. I nod my agreement, my eyes already searching frantically for my brother. I find him right where I'd expect- clear across the room and planted in front of a slightly dazed-looking Kevin, his angel blade swiping furiously across the space between him and any demons that attempt to reach the prophet behind him. I make my way towards them, taking down several more demons in the process.
I see Cas when I"m about halfway across the room. He's somehow managed to garner the attention of at least five demons, balancing precariously on the hood of a cherry red '64 Mustang that Dean had nicknamed Rosie. Groaning, I switch directions, making my way hastily towards him. I catch the first of Cas's assailants off guard, digging Ruby's knife deep into her back and twisting through the spinal cord, grimacing as I feel the shattering of her vertebrae through to the hilt.
I'm not so lucky with the next two.
One of them comes from behind, twisting the arm that holds my knife viciously behind my back. I let out a strangled yell as my shoulder is wrenched from its socket, Ruby's knife clattering to the floor at my feet. The second demon takes the opening given to him by the first, thrusting his own knife towards my chest. I bring my uninjured arm up reflexively, managing to redirect the blade, but it still grazes my left side leaving behind a long, burning gash. The yell that comes from deep in my throat is feral this time, and I twist my already ruined right shoulder out of the first demon's hold, swinging the butt of my shotgun up to meet his face. He hasn't even hit the floor before I get a shot off on the other one, watching with satisfaction as I hit him dead center, dropping him instantly.
I barely have time for a breath before something latches onto my good shoulder. My reflexes kick in again and I'm just about to swing my elbow upwards when I realize it's Castiel who's holding onto me, his face streaked in blood, his breath coming out in quick, shallow gasps.
"Cas?" I ask stupidly, watching as the corners of his eyes crinkle in response and he grins back at me. "Cas come on, we gotta get out of here," I say, bending to retrieve my knife and grabbing the hand on my shoulder. I pull him with me, back towards the last place I saw Dean. I can't see him anymore though, and my stride and heartrate both quicken in response, my eyes flickering rapidly across the farthest corners of the garage.
"There!" Cas calls, pointing to a spot near the entrance to the garage. I follow his gaze, finally catching sight of Dean's familiar stance, still positioned in front of Kevin as he attempts to fight off a particularly menacing swirl of black smoke. The prophet is pulling himself slowly up the stairs that lead back to the main room, his right leg coated in blood and dragging uselessly behind him.
I sprint towards them, dragging Cas along behind me, desperate to get to my brother. The closer I get to him, the more evident Dean's injuries become. Blood flows steadily down both sides of his face, almost blinding him. And it's dripping from just about every other place I can see, his jacket and jeans coated in a thick layer of red, though I can't tell how much is actually his. He grins broadly, showing bloody teeth as he manages to drive his angel blade straight into the center of the whirling blob in front of him. It's final shriek pierces the air as it folds into itself and then explodes outwards, its ashes smothering my brother in a thin film of black dust.
Dean coughs violently against the assault, stumbling back against the foot of the stairs as he struggles to breathe. An especially burly demon sees this as his chance to attack, but my knife is lodged into his back before he takes his third step towards my brother.
"Dean?" I call out as I finally reach him, grabbing hold of his shoulders as several more coughs wrack his body. He shifts away from my hold, spitting a mass of black goo onto the floor that reminds me for one terrifying second of Leviathan blood. He takes a few more steadying breaths and finally turns back towards me, his weak chuckle almost drowned out amongst the continued screeches of the demons that surround us.
"Well shit," he smirks, slapping a hand down on my right shoulder. I let out a hiss, flinching out from under his touch as the dislocated joint screams in protest. Dean frowns his apology, his gaze slipping back towards the stairs where Kevin had been, letting out a sigh of relief when he catches sight of a worn tennis shoe disappearing across the threshold. I follow his gaze, seeing that Cas has also made it to the stairs but is hesitating, waiting for me and Dean.
"Go Cas, we're right behind you!" I scream, nodding my encouragement. He gives one more torn glance before turning to sprint up the steps.
"C'mon," I grunt, dragging Dean along by the elbow as we make our way to the stairs.
"Where's Adriella?" he asks, hesitating as Cas did at the bottom step, turning back to face the destruction. I shove him in front of me, ignoring the pain in my shoulder and forcing him up the first few steps.
"It doesn't matter Dean," I say. He pushes against me and shakes his head, eyes alight with fury and adrenaline. I push back harder. "Stop. Listen to me, it doesn't matter. We've gotta go. Now," I urge, casting a glance behind me to make sure there aren't any demons headed our way. "You've still got the trigger, right?"
"Yeah," he mutters distractedly, pulling the contraption from his jacket pocket and handing it to me. "Listen, I'm gonna go find Adriella, okay? You get to the top of the steps and you get Cas and Kevin outside. If I'm not there in five, you press the button, you understand me? No hesitation, just do it." Dean attempts to twist away from me, but I catch hold of his jacket with my good arm, anticipating the movement.
"Dean, I'm gonna say this once," I growl, pulling him back up onto the first step. "No. Fucking. Way. You're the one who said you wanted me with you on this one, fighting right here next to you. So either we both go back for her...or neither of us does. It's your choice."
Dean swallows hard, his jaw clenching as he stares at me, his own inner conflict swirling behind green irises. I watch his eyes roam the garage one more time, widening as he catches sight of something. I follow his gaze in time to see Adriella being dragged backwards by several plumes of thick smoke, her screams lost amongst clattering weapons and the countless bellows of the surviving demons. Dean looks at me, a plea in his eyes, but I just shake my head. "You and me man," I say, "together."
He gives one sharp nod and sprints back into the fray, angel blade already swinging through the air. I take off after him, tearing my way through demon after demon, my already weary body taking blow after blow. Adriella is still being dragged backwards on her stomach, her fingers grasping for something to hold onto, her face alive with fear. I watch as Dean lunges for her, only to be cut off by another whirling mass of smoke. It slams into his chest and takes him off his feet, its thick tendrils already attempting to latch onto his wrist. I take two steps, lunging low and bringing Ruby's knife up through the middle of the smoke, slicing all the way through its semi-solid form. It screeches in response writhing only a few feet off the ground as black puss seeps from the wound.
I reach for Dean's hand, but he's already on his feet, and I follow his gaze, pulling in a shocked breath. Adriella is lying deathly still on the ground just a few feet away, her stomach in ribbons, her eyes wide, staring at nothing. I give myself one more second to process that she's really, truly gone before I start pulling Dean back towards the entrance of the garage. He resists at first, his eyes still locked on the bloody angel at his feet, but then he seems to regain his composure, pushing me to keep up as we sprint our way back towards our escape.
Dean turns for one more glance at the chaos behind us before racing up the last few stairs, just a step ahead of me.
I follow him out, slamming the door behind me with a resounding thud, grateful to find the faces of Kevin and Cas staring back at me. We race for the front door, Kevin leaning heavily on Cas as he limps alongside us. Dean reaches the already ajar door first and throws it all the way open, letting the last rays of sunset dance across the threshold and douse the tiles in a brilliant orange. Once outside, I turn to face the three bruised and bloodied men beside me, all of us panting from the exertion. Without hesitation, I push the button on the trigger that still rests in my hand.
And the world explodes around us.
The next chapter should be up soon. As always, thanks so much for all your reviews and for following along. Have a great day!