Episode 10: Light It Up

It's amazing, how quickly things can change. Your entire reality, your existence, in the blink of an eye... can spin like a top on a smooth table, and nearing the edge, fall into the abyss.

NOW:

Charlie turned to me. "Mina, it's time to move." She nodded at the screen. "You can take those two guys out?"

I looked at the monitor. Inside the room where I was about to go were to Greek god demons, which we'd nicknamed "minions." I nodded. I was pretty sure. Whether I could or not, I was about to find out.

I double checked my backpack. Spray paint. An angel blade, just in case, and a length of sturdy chain with a padlock on it. I looked at Charlie. "Wish me luck."

"May the Force be with you." Charlie hugged me. I closed my eyes, focusing on the room I'd seen in the monitors. I blocked out everything else. Sam, Dean, and Cas on the front lines; knowing that the conversation I'd had with my parents an hour ago may be my last; I let everything go. The world shifted, and I was in.

I opened my eyes. I was in a large room, wards scrawled in red around all of the walls. A large safe sat in the center of the space. The two minions saw me, and were on me immediately. My training kicked in. I tossed one to the side with ease. He crashed against the wall and went down in a heap. His friend looked at me questioningly. He hadn't expected anyone appearing in the room, and definitely hadn't expected this. I stalked towards him menacingly. He braced himself, and tried to throw me. I shook it off. Putting my hand out, I barred him from moving. As I advanced towards him, he skidded back towards the wall. I was on him in a heartbeat. Hand to the forehead, lights out. I heard the other one rustle behind me. I turned, threw him again, and secured the double doors with the chain and padlock, hearing a commotion outside. Best not to have more company. I stuck the angel blade through the handles for good measure. Then I approached the other minion. He lay on the ground, his leg broken. I put him out of his misery quickly. I pulled out my can of spray paint, and, starting at one side of the room, running, drew a continuous line through all of the warding signs. Then I looked pointedly at the security camera. "Charlie, send them in." I said.

I closed my eyes and envisioned the bunker. My job was done. I felt the world start to move when a cold, clammy hand wrapped around my wrist, followed by equally cold metal. My Teleportation was halted- I couldn't go anywhere. I was jerked back to reality. My eyes flew open.

17 hours earlier

Sam's lips pressed soft kisses along my neck as he slowly unbuttoned the back of my dress. We were finally alone in his room after the wedding, after the revelry, after the drunken good time had died down. He'd carried me over the threshold of his room, depositing me gently on his bed, climbing over me and kissing me, his strong hands working their way over my body, his arms crushing me beneath them. We'd finally extricated ourselves from our teen-aged make-out session. My veil had come off and was draped carefully over the chair. Sam was being delicate with me. His fingers deftly pulled the buttons from their homes, until my dress fell away, leaving only the white bridal lingerie I'd bought to surprise him with. He drew in a breath, and I heard his jaw crack as he smiled. I turned shyly towards him, peering at him over my right shoulder. He looked like the cat who'd swallowed the canary. He traced the pink cursive "bride" on my lacy panties. "Turn around and let me look at you." He said, his smile getting bigger and bigger. I spun around. His eyes fell to my bra with the little peek-a-boo's tied with bows.

"You like it?" I asked. I wasn't really all that into lingerie, to be honest. But tonight was special.

"Babe, I love it." He tackled me back on his blankets, his mouth finding mine hungrily. He pulled back from me for a second. "I don't even know where to start."

"I have an idea." I winked at him, and, reached under the bed, pulled out a pair of cheap red plastic handcuffs. His eyes almost fell out of his head. "I thought it might be fun." I smiled.

"You're sure?" He asked, smiling slyly.

"Of course. I just friggin married you. I trust you." I kissed his forehead. "Plus, come on Sam, I could break those things."

He laughed, then looked at me devilishly, and withing seconds I was handcuffed to his bed frame. "That was fast." I remarked. "Anticipation much?"

"You have no idea." He said, running his hands down the length of my body. "You're mine now, babe." He slowly untied the peek-a-boos on my bra, exposing my nipples, and blew hot breath on them. I got goose bumps. I'd already been turned on- now I was incredibly so. He stopped abruptly, and got up.

"Where the hell are you going?" I asked.

He smiled. "Just lighting some candles. I'll be back." He chuckled. I watched him. His shirt was unbuttoned, his chest glistening in the flickering candle light. As he approached the bed and grabbed a condom, he stepped out of his slacks, shrugging out of his shirt, until all that was left was a pair of red boxer briefs and over 200 lbs of solid muscle. God was this man sexy.

"Where were we?" He asked under his breath. I squirmed against the flimsy handcuffs. "Oh, yeah." He ran his hands up my sides, bringing his lips to my breasts. "Right about here."

I arched my back as he squeezed a nipple between his teeth, while sliding my panties off. His hand dipped down between my thighs, followed by his tongue. He soon had me panting and begging for more. "Enough, Sam! I need you!" I moaned as he worked magic with his mouth and his fingers. I could feel him smile. He slid himself back up my body, grabbed the handcuffs, and broke them in half. Then he grabbed me by the hips and sank himself deep inside of me, pushing himself in and thrusting, how he knew I liked it, how we both liked it, fast and rough. He reached up and pulled my hair as I sank my nails into his back. I flipped him over and worked my way up and down on top of him. I looked down; he was blissfully enjoying the view. He grabbed me by the nape of my neck and pulled me towards him, kissing me sloppily while I rode him relentlessly. Then he flipped me back over, and in one fluid motion, picked me up off of the bed, his muscles taut, perched me on the desk, and continued thrusting. The leverage from this height was outstanding. Neither of us lasted long. Soon we had both climaxed, and were wrapped in each other, spent, leaning against the desk. He picked me up and put me back down on his bed, and climbed in next to me. We lay there, panting, for a while. I reached over and took his hand. He absentmindedly rubbed the back of my knuckles. Then he turned to me. He smiled. "I love you."

5pm

The siege was to start at dusk. Ares would take his marauders, and storm the gates of Hades' compound on (probably stolen) motorcycles in the first wave, while Garth, Sam, Dean, and Cas were to follow, with Poseidon and Athena. They all had cars, two to a car, and were to get as close to the building before they started killing with angel blades or demon blades (or Greek God weapons) and destroying wards. Once I had gotten in and done my thing, and the jar was procured by Cas, Dean, and Sam (hopefully tripping an alarm and alerting Hades), the Gods and marauders would stop making a scene downstairs, and zap themselves to the top to take him out.

The bunker was solemn before the start of the siege.

Sam and Dean had done this sort of thing a hundred times before- they didn't have to say anything to each other. They already knew everything they could possibly say. It was the hunter's life, a normalcy in the fact that death could come for them any day. But I wasn't a hunter, not really. I'd just gotten married yesterday. We were all probably going to die, or most of us. I didn't know what to do.

I'd talked to my parents and brother earlier that day. They thought I'd been working for a private detective the last two months, and was going to work on a case. It was hard, telling them goodbye and that I loved them. Letting them think it was just until the next phone call, when in reality, it may be forever. If we lost, we'd all die. If we won, I still might die. I hung up from the conference call and cried for half of an hour. Then Sam came in.

"It's almost time for me to go, Mina." He said. He sat beside me on the bed. I looked at my hands. I nodded.

"I don't know what to say, Sam." I looked at him. "Be careful. Don't make me a widow today."

He looked like he was fighting back tears. "I'm not planning on it. Believe me. I want to get out of this alive." He looked at me seriously. "I've fought some bad stuff. I've lived through some bad stuff. I've died. I've died so many times. All that matters to me..." He paused. "You don't leave me a widower. You get in and you get out. You hear me?"

I nodded again. "In and out. You do the same. Don't be a hero." I knew as soon as I said it that was stupid. That's exactly what he was. I was the dumb-ass who'd married a hero.

He took my hand. "Whatever happens... Marrying you was the best decision of my life." He kissed the back of my hand. I threw my arms around his neck.

"Sam. It's time to go." Dean called gently down the hallway. Sam stood up. I walked him down the hall. The team had assembled. They did a headcount.

"Who's hungover?"Cas suddenly asked. Most of us sheepishly raised our hands. "Line up. I'll fix it." He said, motioning for us to get in line.

"Since when can you fix hangovers?" Dean looked at him incredulously.

Cas raised his brows at Dean. "Since always." He spoke to him as though this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Dude!" Dean looked up at the ceiling, and back at Cas, throwing his hands in the air. "How come you've never done that before?"

Cas looked blankly at Dean. "Because you reap what you sow, Dean. But the world depends on you all being in good health today."

Dean sighed. He'd never understand Cas. It made perfect sense to me.

We lined up, and Cas touched us on the forehead, one by one, and we all immediately felt better.

Sam kissed me. Then, in a puff of smoke and a flapping of wings, they were gone.

Charlie and I sat in silence in the main room. She reached out her hand and squeezed mine. "If I know anything about the Winchesters, it's that they have the damnedest luck." She assured me.

NOW:

A tall man in a black European cut suit grinned at me, his canines jutting out from otherwise perfect white teeth. Hades. It had to be Hades. I could feel his power. It emanated from his grip on my hand. It oozed from his pores. His mere presence in the room made me feel sad and sick. I looked at him. How? I wondered.

"Clever girl." He said in a voice as smooth as a jazz singer's. He was really quite handsome. He was young, with a sharp man's haircut with a hard left part. Just a hint of stubble. He wasn't small, or large. A slender, mid sized man. But his presence was intimidating. It filled the room, and it filled it with dread. "Not clever enough though."

"How did you even know I was here?"

"You don't think I know as soon as one of my men dies?" He asked me. I thought about that. It made sense. He was the God of the Underworld. He was pretty connected to death. How had we been so dumb?

He let go of my wrist, but the manacle around it now magically connected to the floor with a chain. It had sigils on it. I couldn't read them, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I couldn't get out of it. In addition, a circle appeared around me in blood red, with strange markings in it that matched those on the manacle. I was trapped. "There's a sigil to bind me?"

"There's a sigil to bind you." He smiled. "Took a while to find. But yes."

I sighed. This was NOT going to plan.

Charlie looked at her monitors, horrified. "Not good. Oh no not good." She picked up her phone with shaking hands and began to dial Sam. Then she hung up and dialed Dean instead. He picked up. She could hear fighting in the background.

"Little busy, Charlie. You'd better be calling cause it's time to lock and load." He answered. "Hang on." She heard the phone get muffled, some screaming, and then he was back. "Yeah?"

"Hades has her."

"Fucking what?" Dean asked. "Didn't you loop the tape?"

"Of fucking course I looped the tape."

"Then how did he know she was even there?" Dean growled into the phone, shoving his blade into another demon.

"She leapt in, ganked two minions like fucking Neo from the matrix, killed all the wards, and was about to leap out, and Hades showed up. She's trapped. He knew she killed his guys, and he has some kind of modified demon trap on her. She can't get out. You guy's need to go in now. And go in HOT."

Dean paused a beat. "Roger that." Then he hung up.

The siege below was a clusterfuck, as it was supposed to be. The fences had been crashed down by cars first, then Ares and his fifty marauders had gone in, riding their motorcycles into the first floors of the buildings (which were warded against Ares but not the marauders). Once in, they wiped the wards, and they all began fighting their way up the flights of stairs, against waves of minions. The minions were taken down rather easily by Poseidon and his Trident, then Garth, Sam, or Dean would sneak into the next floor and destroy wards as they went. They'd gotten to the fourth floor, though with great marauder casualties, when Dean got the phone call. Sam was across the hall when Dean pulled out his phone. He saw the look on his brother's face and knew, instantly, that Mina was in trouble. Dean put his phone away, and motioned to Sam.

"What's going on."

"We need to find Cas."

"Dean, what's happening?"

"Sam, you need to stay calm about this, okay?"

"Dean what the fuck happened?"

"Hades has Mina trapped. With a sigil."

Sam turned and started walking down the hall.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm finding Cas."

They found Cas around the corner, dispatching three minions. He stood over their bodies, turned, and looked at the brother's concerned faces. "Something is wrong."

Sam nodded. "Get us to the top floor. Now. Hades has Mina."

Dean stopped them. "We can't fight him. We need Poseidon and Athena."

Cas looked at them. "I will go. I'll do what I can. You find the others. Come before it's too late."

"Cas wait!" Sam yelled as Cas began to depart. Cas stopped. "I'm going with you."

"Like hell you are." Dean said.

Sam turned to him. "She's my wife, Dean. I'm not arguing. Find the others. Come get us before we're all dead." He turned to Cas. "Let's go."

And with that, they were gone.

"FUCK." Dean yelled, then turned on his heel and raced back towards the sounds of battle.

Garth was faring better than anyone thought he would, but everyone was always underestimating Garth. He'd taken out 14 minions so far. He'd destroyed countless wards. Athena had commended his good work. He was in his element. So when he turned a corner and saw Dean hauling ass towards him, he paused long enough to see what was going on. In doing so, he didn't hear the minion coming up behind him.

Dean slid to a halt as he saw the blade pierce Garth through the abdomen, coming out the front. Garth looked surprised, then a look of fear registered on his pleasant face. He looked down at the blade protruding from his belly, and dropped to his knees.

"No!" Dean yelled. He drew his demon blade, tackling the minion behind Garth. He stabbed it so far into it's rib cage, he could feel it's beating heart against his knuckles. He left it to die, scooping up Garth.

"Stay with me, kid. Stay with me." He said, dragging his friend along the hallways with him. Where the fuck were the others?

Hades was circling me. He was doing something to my head; he was in my head. Everything was getting fuzzy. He was smiling and talking like we were good friends. "I must admit I'm surprised I found you here. I didn't realize your powers extended to Teleportation. I figured I'd have to search for you a while longer still. Torture your friends. Something a bit more cliche."

"Yeah, well you can thank your friend Judas for that one." I replied dryly. I was internally freaking out. I could feel Hades in my head. He was giving me ideas. Ideas about Pandora's box, and how I really wanted to see what was inside.

"Crowley. Right... No matter. Once this is all done, you can tell me everything." He approached me, putting a hand to my face. I batted it away. "We'll rule the world together. You'll be my new queen."

"I don't want to be your queen." I told him, rocking back and forth. I was getting vertigo. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "I'm nobodies queen. It's 2015. Beyonce is queen. I'm okay with that."

He sneered at me. "You have no respect." His hand came out to slap me, and I caught it. He seemed surprised, but only for a minute, because then he had that same hand twisted like he was going to break it, and I was on my knees. "Learn some." He let go of me. I rubbed my wrist. "And STOP trying to weasel out of that handcuff. I can see you trying. I'm not blind. It's magic. You can't do it." I sighed. The handcuff seemed to hear him and tightened on my wrist.

He went to the safe in the middle of the room. "You're friends will be here soon, I know." He looked at the destroyed wards around the room. "No matter. This will only take a second." He punched in some numbers, and pulled out a really benign looking pottery jar. It was old and beige. I was actually a little disappointed. He turned to me. "You're going to open this for me."

"No, I'm really not." I looked at him coolly. Yes, yes you are, the voice in my head told me. Don't you want to see what's in there? Everyone, since the beginning of time, has wanted to see.

"Yes, you really are."

"And if I don't?" I was defiant, but inside, I was breaking. Why was I breaking so fast?

"I'll kill your family." He looked at me more coolly. "I'll kill everyone you love."

"If I open that thing, they're all dead anyway. So, that's a shit bargaining chip." I choked out. I wanted to save them all. But I knew what I said was true. Either way, they were dead.

"Sweetheart, you want to open it." He smiled at me. The vertigo started again. The lines on the ground around me began to buzz. The douche was hypnotizing me. I wanted to open it. I really did.

"No..." I was prepared for this. I was prepared. But was I really?

Suddenly, the sound of wings erupted from the other side of the room. Something was hurled at Hades, and it exploded in a huge ball of fire. It was the explosives Cas and Sam had been planning on using to get into the safe!

"Mina!" Sam's voice cried out for me. I looked left, snapping out of my hallucination. He raced towards me. He reached out for me- and was thrown backwards by the trap surrounding me.

A menacing laugh came from my right. The smoke was clearing, and Hades was emerging from it, none the worse for wear. I let out a sigh of despair. This was not going well.

Sam stepped between him and me. "Leave her alone."

Hades glanced at him, then at me. He looked at our ring fingers. "Cute." He said. He moved so lightening-quick you could hardly see him, until he was right in front of Sam. Sam was ready and pulled an Angel Blade, shoving it straight through his heart. Hades looked down at it, laughed, and decked Sam across the face. He grabbed him and threw him full force across the room and against the brick wall. I stared in horror as Sam hit the brick wall, his body and head making a sickening thud sound, and he fell into a motionless heap.

Cas had pulled out his blade and was menacingly approaching Hades for what he knew would be a losing fight. But if I knew Cas, and I knew Sam, they were both ready to fight until the end. I stood in my circle, Hades thoughts in my head. Open the jar Mina. This all ends, just open it. I'll spare your precious Sam if you open it.

Cas and Hades began to brawl. It was a torrent of fists to the face, kicks, punches to the abdomen. Blade against blade. I watched, straining against my shackles. I tried to help, but I was powerless inside of my trap. Cas faught with a deft beauty I'd never noticed before, but he was no match for Hades. Hades kicked Cas across the room and he fell in a pile against Sam. Then Hades looked at me. Open the jar. He threw his hand up like a magician, and the wards on the walls were all back up. This was not good. Now no one was coming. It was just us.

I knew I was gonna do it if I held out any longer. He would convince me to open the jar. No more help was coming. Earth, Heaven, and Hell depended on me. But screw that. My family depended on me. My friends depended on me. My love depended on me. I looked over at Sam. My giant man. He was getting up, unsteady, readying his blade to start fighting for me again. To fight for me until he couldn't anymore. Blood was dipping down his forehead, and I could tell his shoulder was dislocated or broken. I had to do what I had to do. Hades voice was in my head again; the urge to open the jar was creeping back up. No more.

I reached into my backpack. The cold steel of the revolver was a welcome feeling to my palm. I'd always had a Plan B. A sick feeling fell in my stomach, but I pushed it down. I looked towards the security camera. "Charlie, tell my family... tell them something cool." I said.

"No!" Sam shouted from where he stood. I turned towards him.

"Sam. It would have been a great life. The best life." A tear dripped down my cheek and fell from my chin. "I love you."

"Mina, no!" He said again, stepping towards me.

I turned to Hades. "And you. Fuck you!" I told him as I raised my revolver to my temple and pulled the trigger. I heard Sam scream out in anguish. And everything went white.

Dean lugged Garth down the hall, finding Athena first. "We have a problem." He set his friend on the ground. He held pressure over the wound. "Stay with me buddy." Garth looked at him with a smile, but distant eyes.

"It hurts, man." Garth told him.

"I know it does, Champ. But we're gonna get you fixed." Dean smiled sadly down at him, then looked at Athena. She gave him a sad look. Dean raised his brows, then looked back down. Garth was dead. Dean drew in a ragged breath.

He shook his head, leaning Garth against the wall. He would have to come back for his friend later. "Athena, Hades has Mina upstairs. She's trapped. Sam and Cas are up there, buying us time. We need to move."

She stood, nodding. "He'll kill them. Quickly." She took off down the hallway. "Hopefully he's toying with them."

Dean followed her. They rounded the corner. Ares and Poseidon were surrounded by about fifty dead minions, in the center of what looked to be an auditorium. Athena stepped in front of them. "We need to go, now. He has her."

The three stood in a triangle, preparing to teleport to the top floor. But they didn't go anywhere. They looked at each other, quizzically. "What the hell?" Ares barked.

Dean's phone rang again. He answered it. "What?"

Charlie was on the other end. "The wards are back up. You need to find a way up there Dean. Sam and Cas are getting their asses kicked. And Mina..."

"What about Mina?" Dean felt cold as he asked the question. "Did she open the box?"

"No Dean. Mina is dead." He heard Charlie pull in a sob. He nodded and broke the connection.

Turning to the three Gods, he simply said, "Hades warded the room again, Mina is dead, and my brother and my best friend are dying up there. I suggest we stop fucking around and go get them."

Then he turned on his heel, and hastily made his way to the elevators, hitting the button for the top floor and readying his demon blade. He was going to get to his brother, or die trying.

When the elevator doors closed on the fifth floor, Dean was alone. Figures, he thought. The Gods were always fickle, going back on their deals. With Mina dead, their domain was safe- they'd probably bailed. When they opened on the twenty fifth floor, the three were standing behind him, along with a handful of marauders. He had been wrong. But that small triumph was short lived- his already low spirits sank even further when he saw how many minions were in fact in between them and the door to the large central room, and how many wards on the walls. Probably thirty. Here goes nothing. He bent at the shoulder and charged. The Gods began throwing out spells from their prison in the elevator, as Dean and the remaining few marauders went out to kill minions in hand to hand combat and destroy wards.

A few minutes earlier

Sam watched as Mina's body fell to the ground, the revolver falling from her small hand as she hit the tile. His heart broke into a million pieces in that moment, and he knew there was no way they would ever be stitched back together. Still, the trap was in place- he couldn't get to her.

Cas got up from where he had lay on the ground, his eyes narrowed at Hades. He readied his blade again. Hades looked at Mina's lifeless body, shocked. His entire plan was in ashes. He couldn't open Pandora's Box now. His mind control was supposed to have worked better than that. How had she fought it off? Rage registered on his otherwise handsome face, and he looked at Sam and Cas. If he couldn't have what he wanted, he'd at least take some of it out on them.

Cas stepped in front of him. "She was my friend." He declared, glaring at Hades.

"Cry. Me. A. River." He replied. "She was my entire plan." Cas charged at him. He threw a punch at Cas, hitting him so hard, his head whipped back and he skidded a few feet back. Still, Cas shrugged it off, stepping back up to Hades and hitting him across the face himself. Hades easily shrugged it off, smiling. "Angels are no match for Gods." He said.

Sam had stepped up behind him, stabbing him another time with the Angel Blade, this time through the back. He knew it was doing nothing but pissing Hades off, but he didn't care. He was so full of rage, burning low in the pit of his stomach. He pulled it out and stabbed him again, up into his spine. Hades spun around, grabbing Sam by his throat and sending him flying across the room. His head hit the wall with a dull thud, and the room swam in his eyes. His hand hit something to his left. He looked down dully. It was a can of spray paint. Mina's can of spray paint. He looked up. There was a ward above him, he didn't know who it was for. He took a deep breath and uncoordinatedly streaked a few lines through the ward. Then everything started swimming in front of him. He saw Hades draw the Angel Blade out of his body and make his way towards him.

Dean, Ares, Athena, and Poseidon were halfway through the room, towards the closed double doors, when they were all of a sudden thrown back by a sudden electrifying whitish blue light that had thrown the doors wide open. Every minion in the room began to jerk as though electrified, and fell in heaps on the ground.

"What the fuck?" Dean drew his blade from a dead minion, and approached the door.

"It's Zeus." Athena put a hand on his arm. He shook her off and continued to the door.

"I thought he refused to help us."

"He finally answered my call." She replied. "He's not helping you. He's my father. He's helping me."

Dean approached the door. A sharp looking older man in a black suit slowly stood from a crouching position in the middle of the room. Blue fire surrounded him. Hades was standing over Sam, an Angel Blade raised.

"Hey dick-face!" Dean yelled at him. He turned. "Get the hell away from my brother." Dean charged at him. He was going to be too late though. Hades smirked, pulled back on the blade, and let it go towards Sam.

"Hades!" Zeus turned, letting fly a bolt of lightening so harsh, Dean had never seen the likes of it. Before the blade could connect with Sam, Hades was writhing on the floor, caught in the electricity.

Zeus kept it up, taking long strides towards his brother. He stood over him, and ceased the lightning. "How many times have I told you, to stay where you belong?"

"But-"

"I don't care." Zeus yelled down at him. "Unleash Pandora's Box? What were you thinking would happen?" As they all watched Poseidon and Ares joined him. They surrounded Hades. Zeus grabbed Hades in a choke hold, and they all disappeared, sinking into a hole in the ground.

Dean ignored the brotherly dispute and dropped to his knees beside Sam. Sam had taken on a God and looked like he had done so. He was bleeding, his arm hung at an odd angle, his face was beat to shit, and his eyes were crossing and uncrossing rapidly. "Sam, are you okay?" Dean held his brother's face between his palms, trying to get a good look at him. Sam nodded. Then he leaned to the side and threw up. Cas approached. "He has a concussion, Cas." Dean told him.

"I am sorry Dean. I did what I could." Cas knelt beside Sam, put a hand to his forehead, and Sam opened his eyes. They looked clear. And then, they were washed over with pain.

"Dean, check Mina." He struggled to get up. "Break the seal. We need to get to her!"

They looked over to the center of the room. Athena had broken the seal, and looked sadly over to Dean. Sam shook his head. "No." He dragged himself up, holding his wounded arm close to his body, and limped over to her, dropping down beside her and pulling her body into his lap. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her head. He looked up at Cas pleadingly. "You can fix her, Cas?" He begged. "Please fix her. I know you can bring people back."

Castiel shook his head. "I cannot bring her back, Sam."

"She hasn't been gone that long, Cas." Sam was getting desperate. "I've seen you do it."

Castiel looked pained. "I don't know how." He finally said.

"What the fuck do you mean you don't know how?" Dean asked him.

"She's not fully human, Dean. If I bring her back, I won't put her together right. I don't know how to do it. It is beyond my comprehension and ability." He looked sad. "I wish that I could, but I can't. Mina is gone, Sam. She sacrificed herself. For all of us."

"Hades plays mind games." Athena finally said. "He gets into your head." She looked at Sam. "Mina... your wife... was strong enough to resist. For a while. She did what she had to do."

Sam stared blankly ahead. Dean watched as his little brother shut everyone out, holding Mina's broken body in his arms.

Back in the bunker, Charlie Bradbury cried. She cried for Mina, she cried for Garth, she cried for the dead marauders. She cried for the world, who would never know about the heroes they had lost that day.

Stay tuned for the final chapter, Episode 11: Gimme Shelter