Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 6

Chapter 11: The Serpent's Lair

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

Dean was busy surveying the damage in Oenomaus as he saw the numerous surviving civilians being carted away by the Medical Corps for treatment. The damage was gut-wrenching as there was no end of what the Executive Division started, but there was also the lingering thought of Julilla and her forces going towards another town on Claudius. With Christmas coming in less than a week, Dean had his hands full as he couldn't wait to see Magda and the girls again, but it had to wait for a while longer due to the mess in front of him. With the dead salted and put on a funeral pyre, Dean watched the bodies burning brightly as he clenched his fist in revenge. He hated the Executive Division so clearly as he also wanted them to pay for starting up the Second Galvanic Uprising in the first place, for it was mutual to the extreme.

By the time he returned to the Impala, he saw Deejatra returning from her routine patrol as she was just as concerned as he was about the grim situation. Both were fighting on the battlefield as they were also ready to report to Ryosuke directly, for this wasn't over by a longshot.

"It's sad that Julilla and her forces had the gall to terrorize this place with a long history," said Deejatra. "As for the surviving civilians, they will be treated for their injuries and other ailments at the behest of the Medical Corps."

"That's just peachy," said Dean. "The queen bitch thinks that she can do whatever she pleases, but there will be a time when enough is enough already."

"Recently, the Tezukan Government filed a complaint to the Alecrian Embassy after what Marshal Braddock displayed towards Sam in which she believes this calamity to be his fault here."

"Sam's not coming here, alright? He's been through too much in which he even went through the ringer with the house arrest that kept him confined since General Wets-His-Pants got his ass blown into little pieces. Therefore, he's resting, come hell or high water, 'cause I heard about how he saved Nimi from an Angmar Knife in which he even got it out before it nearly killed him. Sam's a lot more braver than what I know of and he even came here once when he was still in diapers."

"You remember this place, didn't you?"

"Dad took me and Sam with him when Mom died, but he was in a bad depression after what happened to her back then. It was also the first time that he took us with him on the mission that he had during his days in the Hunter Corps."

Dean walked even further into the town square as he noticed a familiar cave that was a memory that was long forgotten in which he spotted Dvora standing in front of it. When they spotted a drawing of me and Reiko painted on the rock, they were aware of what happened here all those years ago as it was a reminder of what occurred here. It was also that time when a hunting mission came along as it was also the time when both Dean and I were once cared for by a babysitter back then, for it was a memory that was reawakened due to the impact of war.

"I know this place for a long time now," said Dvora as she was staring at the mural painted on the cave wall. "It's the place where I kept an eye on you and your brother at the time while Deejatra was on a mission of her own."

"I know this place to be a twisted one filled with tunnels," said Dean. "It's also where I had to lug Sam around when he was still in diapers at the time."

"Let me remind you that if your brother hadn't squalled his lungs out when a group of bandits were going after the both of you at the time, we would've been toast by now." Dvora lifts up her left tunic sleeve as she revealed an imprint of raw power on her wrist. "It just popped up after I was called to aid you guys. As for the disaster in this war, the Executive Division, they won't stop until they go and abuse what Sam has all over him and it didn't end with the Sol-1's destruction five months ago."

"This place brings back memories, but if Sam came here now, he would flip and I have a gut feeling that he will show up sooner or later."

Dean was optimistic about me coming as he was eager to show me what was there in the destruction of Oenomaus. As for what would happen next, the latest memory would soon bring back more than just nostalgia as it was also a reminder of the past that would soon come to light so far…

I was awake as I was up and dressed while getting ready to go. With a letter sent to me from Dean earlier, I wasn't ready to turn my meeting down yet as I was most likely to be going towards Claudius in order to investigate the damage that the Executive Division had done in the town of Oenomaus two days ago. After sitting at an emergency meeting with Minara about the situation on Claudius, I had no choice but to comply about the dire state of what was going on and it wasn't pretty. Still, I felt concerned about Reiko altogether as she had no other choice but to be confined to bedrest, for the pregnancy that she had was growing and wanting to come out clearly on the spot. Even though I had my own problems, I still had my right arm in a sling after enduring the wound that I suffered from an Angmar Knife two days prior. By the time I made it towards the hotel lobby, I saw Minara standing in front of me as he was ready to walk alongside me towards an Order of Letters ship that was parked outside. Both of us were prepared to investigate what happened in Oenomaus as this wasn't the very end of it anytime soon.

"You didn't have to come along with me, Minara," I said.

"I'm an Elder of the Order just as much as you are, Sam," he answered. "Therefore, I'm stuck in this position because I can't afford to stop until the Executive Division is stopped once and for all."

"By the way, how's Mizuwa doing?"

"She's still recovering after what she suffered from with all those burn injuries five months back. This time, she's healing, but she's also engaged to me to be married in which our wedding will be planned in the spring."

"That's great news for you, for I can officiate the wedding after we put an end to Julilla and her forces."

"That's not all, Sam. Julilla once said that she kept tabs on the men she targeted and the both of us are fair game to her tactics. Either way, if we continue to cling to our families, she will strike by stalking us like the rest of her victims she has bedded."

"From what I heard, you still bear a grudge against her, don't you?"

"Julilla killed my beloved Penelope and her father the moment she sent them to the gallows for no reason. After all that has happened, I swore that I will make her pay for what she did to them, but when I received a letter from her, she was angry with me for choosing Mizuwa to not only to look after my children, but to protect Nerva as well. He's young, but he's also another successor for Lentulus the moment he comes of age. He was the youngest, but if he wasn't breathing the moment his mother died giving birth to him, he wouldn't have made it today. With my training in the Medical Corps up to full, I performed CPR on him in which he not only breathed in a breath, but he cried with a healthy set of lungs as well. Now, that he's on the cusp of manhood, he is overprotected at all times due to what he is destined to be and that is being yet another one of the Terran God's prophets."

"Has he been chosen to do so?"

"When he was eight, he ended up getting struck by lightning, only to live in which the aftermath of him reading any holy language made him a target for those who have the gall to abuse what he has."

"Lord Minara," said one of the officers as he was standing in front of the ship. "We are ready to take off for Claudius, sir."

"We'll catch up with Dean and his crew in the Kurokage, for they are already in Oenomaus right now. Still, we have a long way to go before we do anything else, for we all can't go half-cocked due to what Julilla is pulling." I notice Minara clenching his fists as I sensed that his grudge against his target was steeped in further anguish. "One day…, I will cut Julilla down for killing Penelope and Lentulus five months ago and she will die by my hand in order to avenge their deaths."

And so, Minara and I entered into the ship as we were ready to go towards Claudius as planned. As for what would happen next, we would soon go towards the warzone as it wasn't pretty after what I heard of recently. By the time the ship took off, it left Tezukan airspace as it was heading towards a warp point to where Claudius was. At that moment, we were finally on that planet as the ship was landing in a clearing within the devastated town of Oenomaus in which we reached our destination that became unbearable. Getting out of the ship, Minara and I stepped into what was left of Oenomaus as it was nothing but rubble all over. I even noticed footprints filled with sulphur as I also saw the dead bodies of the usual soulless dolls in gold armor littered in the streets, for the demon who killed them was probably on our side after all.

I decided to look even further as I saw one of the soulless dolls standing in front of me as he was the same like Darbus' leftovers, but different as he had a sword in his hand. The normal artificial creation that Darbus created only agreed with him or do one's bidding as they were just puppets, but the one in front of me was different. He was standing there as I noticed his eyes flash black briefly as he wasn't about to kill me off so readily, for the demon who inhabited the artificial doll's body was someone familiar to me so far.

"It's about time that you came here, Sam," he said to me as he put away his sword. "After five months of being tied down since I steered Sol-1 out into the further unknown, I just got tossed back into the swing of things in which the Executive Division is up to no good."

"Do I know you?" I asked as I was puzzled to see the demon's appearance to be awkward.

"You may not know me in this artificial meatsuit, but I sure as hell know you on the sly."

"Lorelei..." I was stunned to see the demon in front of me not moving or doing any dirty tricks as it was very awkward to see it in a male body so far. "The last time we parted ways, you closed the door and allowed us to escape. I thought that you would find peace with the woman you lost, didn't you?"

"It's Gary now, but I saw the marking code on my arm that said 'G784,' but I prefer it that way because if you're female, pick a feminine name; but if you're male, pick a masculine one."

"Sam, what's going on?" asked Minara as he walked towards me and the familiar demon in front of me. "That's far enough, artificial scum, so I suggest that you end yourself quietly or else I'll do it for you."

"Hey, give me a break, will you, Minara Mitani? I know very well that this meatsuit I'm wearing is one of that rotten asshat's creations, but I'm sure as glad that I'm not out of a job since Ruby's Knife got torched last year."

"I know who you are now…, Lorelei… You were that bouncer who worked at Ruby's Knife in the Kingdom by the River on Alecrast, only to see Darbus burn it."

"It's Gary, damn it! What the hell do I look like, a snail who catches his owner watching anemone porn before changing the channel? I took this meatsuit from Darbus Toller's winter collection, but I did a little tweaking to it by removing the hive mind transmitter that controls it. Luckily, I made proper precautions before I did some damage to the soulless dolls that ransacked this popsicle stand."

"You have a binding link on your arm, don't you?" I said as I spotted it on Gary's arm.

"And get exorcised while I bust my ass trying to shut down the Executive Division and their cronies? Not a chance 'cause those asshats brought this war all over the place and it really needs to come to an end. Darbus did use his Ken and Barbie clones to destroy the joint that I worked at, but his family's second branch won't last long 'cause they'll get it coming sooner or later."

"He's right about that, Sam," said a familiar face as he appeared in spirit.

It was Ippei as he was shining brightly than any other spirit that I've ever saw. Even though he lost his life at the hands of Darbus last year, he wasn't about to throw in the towel as he also had his reasons to aid me with the usual spiritual guidance that I was needing the most. Still, I was needed just as much as everyone else as this unwanted war was beginning to be more dangerous than one had feared the most.

"It's been a while since you put General Wetzel into his grave, Sam," he said. "Still, he may be gone, but Julilla Paxton and her allies are still at large. Also, you've made it into the second stage of your raw power in which you haven't reverted from your current super-charged form yet."

"Your response is too little too late," said Minara.

"It's never too late to get my message across, Minara. Right now, we have to pull together in order to stop Project Ra from happening."

"It's on the Sol-2, which is orbiting above Drakonus. So far, Project Apollo may have been averted, but that doesn't stop the Executive Division's thirst for power and they won't stop until Sam is acquired to do their bidding against his own wishes."

"And Julilla won't stop until she gets what she wants…," I said with a deep sigh. "She's still keeping tabs on not only me, but Minara as well..."

"I knew all about it the moment Minara returned to my homestead after he returned from his duties and mission with the Medical Corps. When he was staying in the Clavell Valley town of Toranaga to help with the aid effort during its drought, he saw Julilla there in which she was staring at him just to get in his pants against Penelope's wishes. Even though he was committed in his job and devoted to his family, he wasn't out of the crosshairs in which the ice queen was ready to pounce."

"That was when she nearly ruined my life back then," said Minara as he remembered Julilla's tactics at the time. "It was also at that moment when I kept coming back to my hotel room to find packages of condoms and lubricants stacked up at the door. I even noticed stacks of flowers and chocolate in which I gave them to the manager who had a loathing with chemicals, but the confections of choice were given to some of the needy. Every day, I endured the ongoing stalking from Julilla until I told her that I was married and expecting Kunio, but it was that honest truth that sent her over the edge and without warning, she-"

"-Torched the hotel room? I heard all about it from Kazuo in which the hotel manager saw Julilla reveling naked in the lobby after she burnt it and that was when the firefighters arrived to put it out before it destroyed the entire building altogether. There was one hell of an uproar when Timothy put his foot down by issuing a restraining order against the ice queen, but she kept tabs on her other targets as well. I knew about how Penelope and Lentulus died from that evil woman, Minara, and bearing a long grudge against her is a sign that you would soon go dark if you don't listen to reason. As for Sam, however, he needs to build up the possible lost memories before he was taken to Gehenna all those years ago in which it will help to bolster his efforts into leading this galaxy into a golden age. It's the most that you can do in which all hope will come to you in the end. And as for the demon who helped to steer the Sol-1 into further space and blow it up, I summoned what is now known as Gary to aid in the effort to destroy the Sol-2 that is above Drakonus in which Project Ra must never go into fruition or else chaos will cover the planet in the blackness during the First Galvanic Uprising. This is my advice to you, for it can't go to waste in this time of crisis..."

"Ippei, wait!" I yelled as I saw him disappear.

At that moment, the spirit of my mentor was gone as I later heard noises coming from below. With my curiosity getting the better of me, I walked towards the entrance of the cave with the mural drawing as I decided to delve into it a little deeper. There was a passage of stairs going down as I heard noises coming from below. It was a winding stair as I continued to go downward until I spotted Dean at the bottom while looking at some drawings on a decorative wall. By the time I finally reached the bottom, I also spotted Deejatra and Dvora staring at the wall as they noticed yet another mural that detailed the foretelling of something familiar. I saw it to be a sight of both destiny and uncertainty as I saw the drawings that detailed what was meant to come to pass in which I noticed a drawing of me in swaddling clothes while surrounded by Dean and our parents. I couldn't get enough of seeing the drawing until I felt my long hair being tugged in which I turned around and saw my older brother with the long abundance of silver tresses that I had in his hands. He never expected me to be here before, but I was there for a reason as I was busy surveying what happened here in Oenomaus earlier.

"I knew that you would be here, Sammy," he said to me.

"I was just looking at the walls here," I said.

"You don't remember this place, do you? Anyway, I do 'cause this is the place where we hid from those bandits who wanted to take you away from Dad after Mom died."

"This place… is vague to me, but this lost memory must be a key to what I know of..."

"I've found some withering for the fire, but this place gets very cold at night," said Dvora as she had a load of old wood in her hands until she spotted me quickly. "Sam? I thought that you were on Tezuka… You didn't run away from Kazuo and his strict protocol, did you?"

"I'm here on a mission, but I need to know about what happened even further..."

Without warning, I felt a ringing in my mind as I was quickly bogged down with yet a vision from the past. The stabbing pain in my head was too much until I fainted onto the floor in which I was overwhelmed by what I felt, for this was yet another omen that I had to endure soon enough…

Many years ago…

Dad was busy as he was on the outskirts of Oenomaus in which he was called to hunt down a werewolf that was stalking and killing some of the townsfolk in the past few weeks. After attending Mom's funeral and finding a new purpose into marrying Cynthia in secret, he was on the warpath as he spotted his target after it made a fresh kill not too long ago. Armed with his gun, he aimed at the werewolf as he shot it in the heart the moment he saw it to be a woman who was familiar to the townsfolk here, only to be killing some of them while eating their hearts afterwards. Even though the terror was averted, Dad returned to the gates as he saw Dvora standing in front of him, for she wasn't too thrilled to see him take on hunting jobs by himself at the time.

"You sure look pissed off, Dvora," he said.

"After hearing the townsfolk locking up their doors at night on an evening basis, you should've done more to bring in some assistance."

"What are you talking about? I'm the sharpest one in the Hunter Corps and I didn't want to fail this one."

"Well, you could've called for backup, you know. Werewolves are dangerous and if one is bitten, there is no cure because a certain infant's past self had no other choice but to shoot one who was suffering from lycanthropism in the Elder Days."

"I heard all about it in both the records and those corny Supernatural books that get reprinted over and over again. Still, all werewolves are lethal and the best way to take them out is with a silver bullet to the heart."

"Damn it, John; you can't just play Rambo while tackling monsters due to the fact that your baby needs you right now."

WAAAAAH!

Dad heard the sound of me crying as he spotted Dean carting me in his arms. Running right behind him, there was Cynthia as she wasn't too thrilled to see him hogging me all to himself in which he was about to get sent to the corner for his behavior. Just as he was about to get away, Dad stepped in as he scooped me up in his arms while Dean was not too happy with him taking me away like that, for he put his foot down on this trivial matter soon enough.

"He wouldn't let me hold him after he had all that time to do so," said Cynthia.

"Is that so?" asked Dad as he glared at Dean.

"I wanted to protect Sam and I won't let him get hurt!" he yelled.

"He's a living, breathing thing, Dean; not a large stuffed animal to lug around," said Cynthia sternly as she wasn't about to let him get away scott-free just yet. "It's been two weeks since your mother died and you pull this by hovering over your little brother like that? Let me remind you that Father Christmas is watching you and if you don't do as you're told, you will be either whipped by Krampus or become a meal for Holdnackar."

"Holdnackar doesn't scare me, nor does Krampus!"

"Oh, really? We all know that only good little boys and girls are spared such wrath before Christmas, but only the bad ones get either whipped or served on a platter for some Pagans."

"I'm sorry… I only wanted to help protect my baby brother. He's all I got besides Daddy right now."

"You're not the only one who would want to protect him, Dean. I've been here to look after you since your mom died and we both fought for your daddy's affections, but that doesn't mean that you or your little brother can go motherless and that would make your mom very sad. Still, we all need to pull together as a family, alright? Besides, I'm engaged to marry your daddy and that will make our day just to stay strong in this family, alright?"

Dean never said another word as he saw Cynthia was ready to carry me back to the inn with Dad following her. Just as all of us were about to do so, we heard gunshots in the air as Dad had a gut feeling that something was wrong. Getting out his binoculars, he spotted the interlopers on horseback as they were coming towards the town. They were a group of bandits as they were also the second problem that came and went in Oenomaus as Dad feared the worst. Even though he was protective of us, he worried about me the most as I became a target for those who lusted after the raw power that I had, for it was a curse that I bore later on. It wasn't long until Dvora spotted the bandits as they were closing in on the town directly, for they were driven by ambition to steal what Dad coveted the most and that was none other than me in general.

"We've got company," said Dad.

"Those bandits were known to only steal and extort from their victims, but coming here in the daytime?" said Dvora.

"I've heard the mayor of this town complain about those bandits before in which they stole from the vulnerable. Now, they're after a new target since I heard the rumors while coming here with my family in tow."

"What's going on, John?" asked Cynthia as she was holding me in her arms.

"Cindy, take the boys and get to the cave sanctuary below. I can't let them go after Sam!"

Cynthia obeyed as she had me in tow while Dean was being escorted by Dvora. All of us were running towards the sanctuary from below as we were getting away until we saw one of the bandits coming towards us. The fiend meant business as he was aiming a gun at us, for he was driven by temptation of what was there in the town.

"Surrender the one with raw power or else we'll raze this town to the ground," he said.

"This is about Sam, isn't it?" said Dvora as she got out her twin knives. "You know that you bandits won't get what you can't covet, so I suggest that you leave before you get cut to shreds."

"Plundering goods from this one-horse town isn't more than enough to satisfy our hunger for the finer things in life, muchacha, but when I heard of the one with raw power coming here, it was our only chance to use it against our enemies."

"So, you asshats are after an infant who can barely walk and use the toilet at his age. You are so the lowest of the low… Red Rocket!" Dvora leaps with her twin knives as she slashes at the bandit the moment he falls off his horse. "Sorry, but you miserable asshats are gonna have to take a number because the one with raw power belongs to John Winchester alone, for he's the one who made him in the first place."

"You Draaza bitch! How dare you insult us like that! I shall have your little cabeza crushed to bits for such-

BAM!

At that moment, the bandit was shot dead as Dvora saw Cynthia armed with her rifle with Dean and me in tow. We were all caught in the crossfire as we had to hide further underground before more danger came around. With multiple gunshots firing in the air, we had no other choice but to enter into the cave before it was too late, for the bandits were on our trail and coming in fast.

"There's no end to those asshats!" yelled Dvora.

"These bandits have been driven by the same temptation that General Wetzel had before the Galvanic Uprising ended," said Cynthia as she reloaded her rifle. "Still, with Sam carrying all that raw power, he's become a target for those who both fear him or want to use him."

"My baby brother is a living, breathing being, not some weapon for those meanies!" yelled Dean.

"Dean, take your brother and get into the lower sanctuary." Cynthia hands me over to him as he obeyed her directly. "Whatever you do, you do what Dvora tells you, alright?"

"She's right," she said. "We have a best bet to go down there and be safe until Cynthia brings your dad home."

At that moment, Dvora ushered the both of us into the further caves as she wasn't about to let any other bandit come towards us. Going downward towards the winding stair, we reached the bottom as we were safe, but danger was still lurking in the shadows without warning. With gunshots firing from outside above, we walked towards the main area of the cave as we were inside until we noticed another bandit already standing in front of us for no apparent reason. He was adamant like the rest of his group as his unquenchable thirst for the raw power that I had wasn't enough to hold him at bay, for he wouldn't stop until I was given to them on the spot. Dvora later found a crevice for me and Dean to hide in as she drew out her twin knives in order to stop the intruder before he did any damage here, for she wasn't about to fork me over to those who would want to abuse what I had.

"Hand over the one with raw power, you Draaza bitch!" yelled the bandit as he drew out a gatling gun. "You know that you can't keep that brat from us forever, so I suggest that you do as you're told or else this town will be toast!"

"So, you bring a gatling gun into this cave? That's very dumb 'cause if your shots fire on the cave ceiling, you will see nothing but rocks falling on your ass," said Dvora.

"The one with raw power will be given to us whether you like it or not!"

"You're not gonna do a damn thing to Sam! He's a baby that's barely walking and yet you sic your boys on us just to snatch him?"

"The Order of Letters thinks that they can hoard that brat and not give us what we want, but all of that will change soon enough."

Dvora saw the bandit loading up his gatling gun as he was ready to fire at her. With Dean watching from the crevice, he was scared as he heard me crying in his arms. The loudness of my cries became intense as a surge of raw power began to emerge in which Dvora saw the ceiling of the cave shaking in which she got into the crevice with us. Just as the bandit with the gatling gun was about to shoot at us, he saw a large stalactyte fall from the ceiling as it impaled him before he ever got a chance to do so. Even though we were safe for the time being, we never expected to hear Dad and Cynthia running into the cave as they saw what was left of the bandit who tried to kill us earlier, for it was an early sign that my raw power was at its beginning stage after all.

"Sam! Dean!" yelled Cynthia as she spotted Dvora getting us out of the crevice. "Thank the gods that you're alright!"

"Sam couldn't stop crying," said Dean as he was busy trying to calm me down.

"I'll take it from here," said Dad as he picked me up. "It's okay, Sammy. You'll be fine, I swear of it… No one will ever take you away from us, is that clear?"

"What happened to the bandits outside?" asked Dvora.

"They fled after a burst of power from the cave scared them off," said Cynthia. "Luckily, we protected this place, but there are other threats that will end up snatching up Sam for no reason."

"Well, one of them entered here and he wasn't so lucky in which the ceiling killed him very badly. Still, I have a gut feeling that whatever killed him has a really packing punch to boot." Dvora feels at her wrist as it was slightly bruised. "In the end, we cleaned the clocks of those asshats, but those people who are wanting to snag Sam won't stop until they get what they want and that's what he's got in such a small body."

"Kazuo told me once that Sam would end up becoming a target, but we're gonna have to deal with what he'll generate next."

I calmed down in Dad's arms as I was staring at him with such innocence that I had back then. Even though the bandit threat was over, I wasn't out of the woods yet as I would soon return here someday, for this was a memory that needed to be recognized before it was too late…

Meanwhile, back in the present…

I was back on my feet as I now had a gut feeling about this cluster of caves here after enduring that vision earlier. In a twist of luck, I was looking further as I saw a familiar crevice that was near the wall. It was something that was unheard of for a long time until it was found many years later. It was also where I noticed a gaping hole on the floor as it was the size of a large pothole in which I also saw an old gatling gun that was old with dust and cobwebs covering it. By the time I was about to examine it further, I saw Dean walking towards the small crevice as he remembered it very clearly, for it was an old memory that would never go away very quietly.

"It sure takes us back, doesn't it, Sammy?" he said to me.

"It's only a memory so far," I said.

"What are you talking about? The two of us have been here before, but you were still in diapers when we came here once."

"You boys were in that crevice when one of the bandits decided to pull a fast one," said Dvora as she was staring at our hiding place. "The asshat with the gatling gun wanted to make Swiss cheese out of us, but with that surge or raw power rattling this place, the guy got spiked really quick."

"Yeah, and you've got Sam to thank for saving our asses once."

"Did… I use my raw power here?" I asked as I was looking all around me.

"You were crying so badly that your first power surge blew a hole in the ceiling," said Dvora as she saw the gaping hole from above. "Even though you don't remember it much, if you haven't been squalling all over, we would've been killed by now. Therefore, you should be thankful that we're all alive, even me." She shows me the imprint of raw power on her wrist. "Dean, Kevin, or the others who have this imprint aren't the only ones indoctrinated in your arsenal. I've got mine as well. You may try to keep me out of the loop, but there's no turning back when it comes to protecting you from harm, even if it means by having me against your wishes."

I felt a glowing burst of energy coming from the lost memory as I absorbed it so readily. Bit by bit, I was regaining some of the lost moments that I was forced to forget as they were a reminder of not to forget about the past. Still, even though I regained what I forgot, I had plenty to get to as I had to remind myself that I wasn't alone in this fight, for I was becoming more like a god in my own right than what was once anticipated. By the time I was about to look into the further reaches of the cave sanctuary, I noticed Deejatra approaching as she was aware of the cave network that was there, for she was more than likely to show us a lot more than we had bargained for.

"It's been years since we last came here," she said.

"I remember this place in which those bandits were wanting to snatch away Sam when he was still a baby," said Dvora.

"We both had our missions cut out for us since we helped John Winchester and Cynthia MacVicker stop them at the time, but our jobs aren't over yet."

"This place brought back memories, including how that asshat with the gatling gun met a terrible end from above," said Dean.

"Hey, are you jackasses done down there?!" yelled Gary as he was standing next to the hole in the ceiling. "Your friend, Minara, wants you guys to get to an upcoming powwow, so I suggest that you get your asses in gear into the further level of this place that you found!"

"Who the hell is that?" Dean was stunned to see what was up there as he also had a loathing for those who were part of Darbus Toller's Master Race. "Don't tell me that one of the Ken Dolls from the late asshat's winter collection just walked with a soul in him."

"He's not what he seems to be," I said. "There's a demon inhabitating that artificial doll and he became useful when he helped to fend off Julilla's forces. He's also the one who helped into destroying the Sol-1 and allowing us to escape, for he's an asset that will help us so far."

Without warning, I felt my long silver hair being lifted as I noticed it become braided into a rope while being tethered to the top of the ceiling. It wasn't long until I noticed Minara sliding down the rope that I made as Gary followed suit in which he came towards another area where we saw a stairway that went down even further. It wasn't long until all of us went downstairs to see what was below as the interior was none other than an entire village below. It was also a place that was vague to me as I saw a pedestal that was in the middle of the square in which it was beginning to glow brightly. Walking towards it, I saw a gemstone on the pedestal as I touched it gingerly, only to see myself bathed in the surge of raw power that I had.

Everyone noticed the power that emanating from what I touched as a blast of it shot a hole in the ceiling, but too much of it was starting to take a toll on me. I was feeling the pinch of it as I couldn't contain it much longer in which I was beginning to feel uneasy due to the fact that this wasn't the first time that it happened to me. With my braided hair unraveling, I was feeling the pain of what the side effects of the raw power I had as I was yelling out in pain. Therefore, it wasn't long until Dean stepped in after the large surge faded as he got me out of the way the moment I fell onto the floor in a brief state of unconsciousness.

"C'mon, Sam," he said as he was scared for my life and safety. "You gotta pull through." He was busy trying to revive me as he was worried about my well-being altogether. "Sammy! C'mon, don't do this to me!"

I opened my eyes as I drew in a sharp breath the moment I got up by using my left arm with Dean helping me up the rest of the way. Even Minara saw me on my feet as he got out his medical bag with the basic tools that he had the moment he opened it up and got out a stethoscope in order to listen to my heart. Even though he was a new Elder of the Order, he was still a member of the Medical Corps first as he wasn't about to shy away from tending to his patients before anything else, for it was his duty to do so.

"You nearly lost it this time, Sam," he said as he placed the diaphragm part of the stethoscope on my chest. "Your heartbeat is slightly erratic, but you can't just push yourself too much."

"This place is known as the Serpent's Lair," I said as I was trying to hold it together.

"We know, but as for the underground sanctuary here, it's nothing more than a tomb."

I staggered towards one of the buildings that were erected as I saw nothing more than emptiness, only for a few skeletons scattered all over. This place was old as there was also the usual salt and burn of scattered remains to consider, for this sanctuary was in dire need of being healed from death over the centuries. It wasn't long until I saw the souls of the dead staring at me as they were weary of being down here for a long time. I also found that they were in dire need of going to Heaven as they were trapped here against their will, for they were Draaza who lost their lives before the arrival of humans here.

"You lost your lives, didn't you?" I said. "I also know of you to be the first inhabitants before the arrival of humans and other species." I hear the woeful singing of the dead as they were yearning to be free. "You have your reasons to go up there to be with the Matriarch, for She will guide you all up to Heaven where you need to go."

I felt a calmer surge of raw power surrounding me as I used it to usher the fallen souls up to where they were made to get into. One by one, I saw them depart as they were on their way to Heaven in which it was the only way to do so after being tethered to this sanctuary for far too long. By the time that they all left, I became more exhausted than normal as I felt my knees buckling under the strained pressure. Still, I had to be more careful as I was also suffering from the inner mental torment that was gnawing at my bones over the years, for I was in dire need of medical attention right away.

"You're gonna have to go back to the resort on Tezuka, Sam," said Minara.

"I had a feeling that you would say that," I said.

"He's serious, Sam," said Dean. "You can't just go overexerting your raw power like that, but when one from the Medical Corps puts his or her foot down, you listen; you got that?"

"The Executive Division is still out there, Dean. I can't back down and sit on the sidelines while you go out there on the battlefield. Still, I have no other choice but to go against Kazuo's wishes at-"

"You'll do what, Sam?" sid a familiar face as he was standing right behind me with his entourage of other members of the Medical Corps. "You know perfectly well that you can't get past me after what you pulled, so I suggest that you come with us immediately."

"I had a feeling that you would-"

Without warning, I fainted on the ground as I was completely exhausted. Still, I was overstepping my limits, but I had to tow the line to help those in need as the war all over the galaxy was getting more intense than normal, for it wasn't letting up anytime soon…

To be continued...