He was getting used to the pain now, that or Lirael wasn't being tortured anymore. It wasn't piercing through him like it was before, but he was obviously
Dean gripped the wheel of the Impala all the more tightly as Sam got in beside him, and he knew that Castiel would already be sat in the back.
They didn't say anything, but they also didn't have to. They knew where he was going and they finally seemed to understand that they couldn't stop him. This confrontation was going to happen at some point, so it might as well be now.
He put the car into drive and headed in the direction of Georgetown, Colorado.
"Dean," Sam started to say, but Dean gave his younger brother a look that prevented him from saying any more.
Dean glanced in the rear view mirror and saw only Castiel's eyes and their imploring gaze.
He sighed and tapped the wheel with his fingers. "What?"
Sam cleared his throat. "Nothing, man. We're just worried about you."
"Well you don't need to be. I'm fine." Dean replied curtly, turning his concentration back to the road.
"That being said, you are walking into a trap." Castiel said, reaching into the pocket of his trench coat. He pulled out a knife with an ivory hilt and Dean instantly recognised it as being Ruby's knife. "I have also fashioned some more bullets for The Colt. Obviously these won't work on Metatron, but I have no doubt that he will have a number of demons at his side."
"Thanks, Cas." Sam replied, taking the knife and the extra rounds from him.
They weren't far now; Dean could feel it and that was all he could focus on. As soon as they were there, he knew he'd have to pull himself out of his emotions so that he could think straight or he might get himself killed. Too many times had the bad guys used the people he loved to get to him.
She felt her heart quicken.
He was coming for her.
She smirked slightly at his stubbornness, but she was also afraid. This was what Metatron wanted. He wanted Dean to come to this place, weak and vulnerable, where Metatron could rip away the rest of Dean's soul and destroy it. Even if they were able to restore Dean's soul, Michael would again use him as a vessel and defeat Metatron.
And Dean's soul would again become lost.
She knew from the burning sensation in her belly and the pounding of her heart that he would not survive it again; he was already a broken man. The thought hit her like another stab to her chest and she choked back a cry. She had never been so overcome with emotion as she had been down in this basement. She could tell why God, or Metatron, had put a ban on emotions. She could not think straight, all that she was aware of was Dean and the fact that he was coming for her. It made her dizzy to try to think of anything else, as if all her body wanted her to do was to continue willing Dean to get here and to get here soon.
Pursing her lips together, she tried to regain some composure. At least they would be together soon, no matter how short the encounter might be. All that had mattered to her in these last few days was the hope that she would be able to see Dean again so that she could tell him how she felt.
He was getting closer.
Lirael felt a sudden wave of energy wash through her body. Surprised, she wriggled against her restraints a little and was able to loosen them slightly.
They were close now, and Dean felt his body stirring back into his conscious control. Glad, he relaxed his shoulders a little and glanced at Sam. "I'm going in first; keep him talking while you guys go round the back. Might as well try to use the element of surprise, gotta take every advantage we can against this thing." Dean explained, keeping one eye on the road and taking a deep breath.
Sam nodded, but said nothing.
Dean felt himself close to smiling; even in the face of the unspeakable evil they were about to face, even when his death was a definite possibility. Only thing he could figure that made all of that okay was that at least she would be near.
As they drove into Georgetown, Dean wondered where she would be. Underground probably, angels didn't feel all that comfortable beneath the earth so it would make sense for Metatron to keep Lirael there at her weakest.
There should have been people milling about their daily lives, but it was deadly quiet as Dean stopped the car outside a liquor store in the centre of the town.
"I can't say this enough, but I really hate it when a town's this quiet." Dean muttered as he got out of the car. He stretched out his arms, noticing how much stronger he felt now that they were finally here. He'd felt weak for so long he'd almost forgotten what it felt like to feel normal.
Castiel tilted his head to the sky. "I must go. I will be back as soon as I can." The angel told them before disappearing in a flutter of wings.
"Great, well there goes our best weapon. So where do we start?" Sam asked as he slammed the car door shut and leaned across the roof.
Dean turned, looking around him. He took a deep breath and sighed. Closing his eyes, he pictured her. He pictured what she looked like the day she kissed him; the day he knew that he loved her and he felt a sudden pang in his stomach. He continued to turn until the feeling got stronger and Dean opened his eyes. "That way."
The feeling in his gut led them to an old industrial estate, where still it was eerily quiet. Dean had expected to have at least seen one demon on their way here, but the sensation in his gut told him they were going in the right direction and that was all that mattered for now.
There was a factory at the end of street, and Dean guessed that that would be the place. The bigger the building, the more places to hide Lirael and the more places for demons to attack them from. He should have been nervous, or at least be filled with adrenaline by now, but his body seemed to get calmer and calmer the closer they got.
As they neared the entrance, five dark figures appeared from one of the gatehouses.
Sam and Dean looked at each other and made their way towards the large gates, which opened as they neared.
The eyes of the five people before them were as black as shadow, and each of them smiling as they spread out. The Winchesters moved with them until they were back to back and the demons had formed a circle around them. As Dean pulled out the Colt and shot a bullet straight into the forehead of the demon in front of him, it was clear that this was to work to the Winchester's advantage. Two of the demons rushed forward, but the two brothers knew how to move together. Sam took a quick step back as the demon rushed towards him and grabbed it from behind. He thrust Ruby's knife into it's back and then pushed the body away. Dean quickly fired again and turned to protect Sam's back. The two of them fought their way through the remaining two demons with ease. Dean had forgotten how natural it felt to fight beside his brother, and he felt himself feeling sharper than he could ever remember feeling before. Each shot he made was with exact precision and accuracy.
Sam wiped his brow with the back of his sleeve and then used it to wipe down the knife. "Can I have the gun next time? You've hardly broken a sweat!"
Dean cracked a smile and tossed Sam the Colt. "That's just because I'm awesome and you're not." Sam snorted and passed over the knife.
The Winchesters made their way into the building slowly, readying themselves for another attack; an attack that never came.
Could Metatron really only have five demons protecting him? Dean almost stopped in his tracks when he remembered who they were up against. This was the guy that overthrew God in heaven and was now in charge of the fiery pits of Hell. He didn't need protection, they needed protection from him. He didn't even need to tire them out, because in reality they had no chance against him. All Metatron needed to do was make sure Dean didn't get his hands on the last remaining parts of his soul, and he could do that by simply snapping his neck.
Terror shook momentarily through his body, but Dean tried to push it away. He thought of Lirael and of the torture and pain Metatron had put her through. He thought of her sweet voice and her bright eyes that saw straight into him and didn't shy away from what they saw. He took a deep breath and flexed his fingers around the knife. No matter how scared he was, Dean was gonna fight his way to save her. He owed the world that much; to save one of the purest things in it and keep it safe.