Chapter 9

"You guys, be back by dinner." Commanded Alice. "I feel like something bad is going to happen soon. Just make sure that you're all careful." Dean, Sam, Benjamin, the rest of the Egyptian coven, Edward and Embry nodded in response to Alice. The group then walked out the door and piled into the Jeep and the Impala to head into town. "So, Edward, what exactly are we getting again?" asked Dean as he turned onto the road that led to the freeway. "We're going to try to make one last trip for any possible supplies, especially water and salt; Alice thinks that we'll need more." Nodding in reply, the boys rode to Port Angeles in relative silence.

The two cars entered the city limits and slowed down, searching for the appropriate stores. "Where is everyone?" Sam asked, noticing the lack of movement in the town.

"Wait….No!" Edward cried, lurching towards the window. Sam looked out to see a small sphere arc through the air and strike the Jeep, followed by a massive explosion. He threw out a wall of psychic around the car, causing a nearby building to explode from the deflected grenade. People began swarming out of stores and factories, firing guns and throwing explosives at the Impala and each other. The smoke wavered, and Sam saw a figure walking from the wreckage of the Jeep, clearing to reveal a scorched but living Benjamin. "Run!" he shouted, causing Dean to slam on the gas and lurch forward.

Embry sat in shock in the back seat, staring blankly at the carnage and violence all around him while Edward clutched his head in an attempt to block out the savage thoughts. Sam sat in concentration to protect them all while Dean focused on finding a safe place to stop, or exit. "Dean, what does 'Croatoan' mean?" Embry asked numbly, watching behind them.

"What? Where did you see that?" he asked distractedly, looking all around for a clear turn. "Aw, screw this." He grumbled as he turned into an alley, smashing several people beneath the car as they rushed it. "I saw it sprayed on the side of a building back there. Big red and black letters."

"Oh crap. That would explain it." Dean grumbled, followed by Edward's moan of understanding. "Holy-!" Dean cried suddenly as the car slammed to a halt, a man standing with an outstretched hand in front of them. The world suddenly flashed white as Dean and the passengers were taken from the car.

Sam opened his eyes to a dimly lit room, his arms and legs tied to an iron six-pointed star behind him. He looked up as he struggled briefly to see Dean, Edward and Embry all tied similarly throughout the small room in varying states of consciousness. He looked down again to see a devil's trap painted on the floor around him, but with several differences from what he would have written. "This seal hath been created by divine revelation for thee, Samuel Winchester." His head jerked to his right to see the man that stopped their car standing just ten feet away, arms crossed and legs apart. "Let us go, you-"

"Silence, Dean." The man started, raising his hand as Dean's mouth clacked shut. "Thy time shall come at the end, at the time of Lucifer's destruction. These humans evoke carnal feelings within thy soul, and must be removed. Submit to my will, and the needless destruction of thy brethren will end."

"Who are you?" Sam asked as the man raised his hand toward Embry.

"I have many names, but the Arc Angel Gabriel is mine by divine right. Time grows short, and the Angel Zachariah hath failed us. I bring myself unto this Earth to correct this transgression." Sam gasped when he learned the angel's name, unsure of how they would escape this situation. "He shall be the first." Gabriel gestured to Embry, looking at Dean as a warning. His hand then flipped, breaking Embry's neck in a fraction of a second. "No! Dean and Edward cried.

Sam's head dropped to his chest as he thought of a way out. He could feel the loss of his powers within the Trap. He was suddenly assaulted by a memory of when he was possessed, when Meg broke free of the devil's trap while in his body.

"The bond of thy blood brother and thee are greater than that of the vampire." Gabriel stated calmly. "He is next, unless you comply. His body is stronger, but my mission remains. The crude destruction of flesh will continue." Sam barely heard this as the words of the spell flooded into his mind, slipping from his tongue without permission. "Spiritus immundus , in gloriam suarum," Sam's words were more of a growl, a guttural chant in Latin. "What hath come over you, Sam?" Gabriel asked, turning to him. "Cease at once, devil!" Gabriel rushed forward, but was tossed off his feet by an invisible force. "Immitite palatim iram Domine , persore"

"I said silence!" the angel roared and extended his hand, a light growing in his palm. The ground shook as wind howled through the building, knocking Gabriel off balance. Sam repeated the chant several times until he felt his power had grown enough. "Sectum veritatus!" he shouted, grunting as the earth beneath him shattered, ruining the Trap he was in. He then snapped the bonds tying him and advanced on Gabriel.

"Exorcizamus te , omnis immundus spiritus , omnis satanic potestas," Gabriel reached toward Sam and began chanting. Sam felt a light force wrap around him, but then fall away harmless. " Omnis incursio infernalis adversary, omnis legio, omnis congregatia et secta diabolica!" Gabriel was backing away as he chanted, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I'm not a demon, Gabriel. You can't exorcize me. I, on the other hand, can remove you." Sam closed his eyes and focused, seizing hold of the angel whose eyes showed fear for the first time. "Spiritus aduro, expulsum potestas ex Domine. Potestas illud sursum supremus sepelio, me conferma." Gabriel froze in place as his eyes began to glow. Sam dashed forward and pressed his palm against the arc-angel's forehead, gaining strength rapidly. "Spiritus humanus recipero. Exorcizamus te, spiritus aduro, et omnis potestas ex Domine. Potestas illud sursum supremus sepelio, me conferma." He repeated the final sentence several times, until the light escaping from the angel's body was unbearable to look at directly.

"Sam, stop." A new voice commanded from behind them all. Sam turned to see Anna standing near Dean, untying him. "Why? He was going to kill-"

"Sam, do you want him to just go back to heaven? Or do you want him dead?"

"What?" both boys yelled. Anna turned and pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead as soon as he was untied, causing him to fall to the floor. "Sam, you can 'absorb' Gabriel; take his powers for your own."

"Anna." The weak croak called Sam's attention back to the angel lying on the floor. "Thou hast betrayed us again. Thy-"

"Be quiet." She said, brutally kicking his head. It cracked against the wall hard enough to render the Arc Angel unconscious. "Sam, are you ready? This might hurt a little bit." Anna crouched down and pressed her hand to Gabriel's chest without giving Sam the option of responding. Reaching out, she placed her other hand on the top of Sam's head, and began to speak.

"Dean…" Sam spoke softly, looking past Dean. He turned and saw Edward crouched by Embry, his head bowed his knees. "Domine patris , loco vox illae Angelus , quod socius , in is sanctus vir , ut is mos servo orbis terrarum quod sententia festinatio partum." Gabriel's eyes shot open with a flare of pure light as Sam began to tremble. His body felt as though a blazing inferno were erupting beneath his skin. He screamed in pain and attempted to withdraw from Anna's hand, but he was held there by an immense and undeniable force. Gabriel and Sam screamed simultaneously as Anna repeated the prayer once more, the familiar shock wave threw all three of them apart as the last words left Anna's lips.

The pain immediately retreated from Sam's body and was replaced by a feeling of immense power. He opened his eyes to see…Everything. His eyes found the smallest details in the most insignificant objects within his sight. It was unnerving to be able to register all of this at once, and he could feel the absorbed spirit trying to use his distraction to overcome him. "Sam, focus!" Anna shook him lightly and turned his body to face her. Sam forced Gabriel's weak spirit down into the depths of his body, smothering the remains of the life force. With this death, the world reclaimed its former dullness, but Sam could feel the energy waiting within him, biding its time until he needed it.

"Sam, are you okay now?" Anna asked, waiting for Sam to finally respond.

"Yeah, I just felt…overwhelmed for a minute. It's all very new. Am I supposed to feel this…powerful? I feel so strong it's almost scary. What if…What if I do…something…that I'll regret?"

"Sam, you'll be fine." She said, minimizing his weak fears. Sam nodded, unconvinced, and walked toward his brother. "How do I wake him up?" Sam turned back to Anna once he was kneeling at Dean's body. "Press two fingers to his head and focus on exerting a tiny amount of energy into waking him up. Then command him to." Sam turned back to his brother and pressed him fingers to Dean's forehead. He could feel the supreme energy within him welling up, and fought to restrain it as it all tried to flood out. Reducing the flow into an almost imperceptible stream, he commanded Dean, "Wake," channeling the small energy into the body before him.

Dean jerked upright suddenly, smashing his forehead into Sam's face. "Holy…!" Dean shouted, grabbing his head while Sam fell backwards clutching his face. "Too much?" Sam muttered, wincing in pain.

"Sam, you need to be very careful about how you use Gabriel's energy. Because it is Holy, you will not become addicted to the point of withdrawals, but you have a limited power supply, and you will want more because you're human. Once you run out though, you are done, unless you can get another angel to help you absorb one of their siblings.

"Quickly Sam, I will return the three of you home. The Croatoans are coming."

"Wait! Bring Embry with. We…He needs a burial." Dean said sadly, looking at Edwards blank stare. Anna nodded and raised her hand. When the boys blinked, they were back in their own fortified home, surrounded by family and friends.

Bella and Alice rushed forward to hug Edward. "Yes, we knew. I saw it as soon as he was dead." Alice whispered, giving Edward one last squeeze before moving to Jasper.

****

The entire populace of the building was standing in the large yard for the funeral. Embry's body was the only one to return of the others who died on the latest excursion; Alice could no longer see the others, confirming their deaths. "Sam, you've absorbed an angel," Sam couldn't help but notice the sarcasm in Dean's voice as he said this, "Why don't you say some last words, or something priest-like." Sam nodded glumly as he looked at the approving stares from the other members of the house, and stepped forward over Embry's body.

"Embry Call was one of the greatest remaining humans of this day. He fought those who attempted murder, and protected the innocent. He gave up his life to protect those around him, and he fought tirelessly to make sure that job was carried out to the best of his abilities. Even when the world was flipped upside down on him, and his enemies became his closest allies, he relinquished prejudice and set his sights on the new, common enemy." Sam felt his emotions welling up inside of him, and it seemed like Gabriel's energy was responding as well. Ignoring the enhanced feelings building, he continued. "Embry Call, we all thank you and those who died with you today. We wish you the best in the life to come, and I-"

"Sam no!" a voice called from behind them all. Sam let the words leave his lips before turning.

"I ask that you watch over and protect us in this final fight." Turning to the voice to remark about interrupting a funeral, Sam suddenly felt very drained, as though all of the energy had been torn away from his body. "Sam?" Dean rushed over to his brother as he fell, looking to Anna for answers. "What just happened?"

"With that prayer, he just released all of Gabriel's energy into Embry, imbuing him with power over death. Sam just re-created an Arc-Angel." A blinding light then arced into the sky, a shockwave of energy throwing all but the vampires close to a hundred feet away in all directions.

"Sam, I came to warn you! I can't believe you just did that when the final battle is going to start within the hour!