CHAPTER 8
TOSSTED ABOUT, I'M LIKE A SHIP ON THE OCEAN
"Sorry about the mess, boys," Crowley said. "Maid's day off."
They entered Crowley's throne room, which looked very much the same as the last time they'd seen it. The only difference was the Damnation Configuration had been put back together. With duct tape?
"That can't be good," Sam muttered.
"Oh that?" Crowley chuckled. "Forget about that. It's not important."
"Said the biggest liar I've ever known," Dean said.
"Dean, that's not fair," Crowley said. He feigned hurt. "I've never lied to you. Not once."
"You're lying to me right now," Dean said.
"Well, he has a point," Castiel said. "That's one of his talents. The trick is not telling you the whole truth."
"So, misleading?" Sam said.
Crowley genuinely smiled. "Why, thank you."
"Shut the hell up, all of you," Dean said. "All right, Crowley. You led us into your trap. Now's when you tell us your evil plan, and then we kick the shit out of you and go back to our lives."
"That's not how this is going to go down at all," Crowley said. "How much do you want to bet that, by the time you go back to the world, you thank me before you leave?"
Dean grunted. "Not happening."
"Sorry for interrupting," Sam said, "but I'm not just going to forget that you rebuilt the Damnation Configuration." He pointed. "No matter how poorly you did it."
"That's not for you," Crowley said. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to a curtain, which suddenly fell, revealing an auditorium setting. The throne room now looked like a theater stage. "The rest are starting to arrive."
Sure enough, people started filing into the audience. There were a few vampires and some cyborgs and a few people dressed up in military garb and so on. Many of them were doubles of themselves, triples even, like the people out there were from not just one world but from all of them. The Winchesters even recognized a few Reddingtons out there.
"What the hell are you doing?" Castiel said.
"Welcome, boys," Crowley said, "to the greatest show on earth."
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
