Arielle awoke with a gasp, her frantic eyes looking around the room as she fought against the ropes binding her. Sam is slumped beside her still and two silhouettes hid in the shadows. "If you hurt him," she growled, her taut muscles working against the rope. "If you hurt him, I swear to god you'll wish you were dead."
"Now ain't that a surprise!" a man's voice gruffed. "A caring demon!" Sam began to stir and Arielle gave a sigh of relief. "Maybe hell has frozen over." The blonde started struggling again when Sam groaned and she earned a tsk'ing sound from the faceless man. "Uh-uh. No way you're getting out of those. Did you up myself," he added and she could swear she noticed him puff with pride. "You're stuck right where I want you, you evil bitch."
A sting came to her face when his backhand met her cheek. "Hey!" Sam roared, his own body fighting against the ropes. Arielle looked up to see a colored man standing over her. "Stay away from her!" Water splashed on his face, making him splutter. The young woman that had attacked them looked confused at Sam's reaction. The man joined her now, grabbing the back of Sam's neck and forcing his head back. "Jo. No, wait, wait, wait!" Arielle's eyes widened at the name, her teeth baring when she saw her put down the jug to go behind Sam and hold his head back. "Just, wait. Rufus, wait!" The man paid no heed, pouring salt on Sam's face and into his open mouth.
"You're choking him!" Arielle screamed now, her eyes burning. "Stop!"
"Exorcisamus te, exorcisamus, te, omnis satanica –," Rufus began, his eyes cold. Sam's plead went unheard to the man. "Omnis immundum – "
"Please," Arielle cried, watching her brother cough and gag on the salt. "We're not demons. Just stop!" Rufus continued the exorcism, but all he got was a roughly breathing Sam. He paused, causing Jo to let go off Sam's neck and head towards the jug again. "Something's not right. Don't you see that?" Arielle asked, body tense.
Jo splashed water on Sam's face and the Winchester spits out a mouthful of water. A movement catches Arielle's eye and she sees a familiar man. Roger, the man with the wife he lost, is standing at the door, turning a ring on his finger. Looking back Sam, she followed his eyes to see the devil's trap in the ceiling.
"Listen!" Sam said as Jo and Rufus huddled in a corner now, speaking in whispers.
Arielle twisted her wrists, earning a soft but painful pop from one of them. "Can you just stop?" she asked, pleaded. "Can't you see there's something wrong here?"
"He's not as strong as he thinks he is," Rufus directed at the Winchester brother. The man turned to Arielle now and she inhaled sharply as he picked up the jug, headed straight towards her.
"Rufus, don't," Sam warned now, fighting against the bindings. "Don't touch her!"
The man gave a rough laugh. "What, you all really care for each other that much now?" He grabbed Arielle by the hair, giving it a hard yank back and pouring water onto her face in a steady stream. "Seriously, cut the crap." Arielle's chest heaved as she coughed up water, gasping for air now. The water was replaced by salt and the exorcism chant.
The attempts at exorcism continued for almost an hour before Rufus and Jo gave up, exiting the room while speaking in low voices. The siblings sat, chins to their chests, covered in a sludge of water, salt, and blood. Arielle managed to raise her head to check on Sam, a bruise blooming from her jaw to under her left eye. "Oi," she managed to mumble through numb lips. "You alright?" At her words, Sam stirred in the chair.
"Hm, yea," he said, wincing at his raw wrists. "You?" She gave a small laugh and a nod. "Good. Any idea how to get out of there?"
Both tensed when a sound comes from the door. Roger walked in, removing his glasses. "A sight for sore eyes," he said, smiling at the two. "Sturdy, the two of you."
"Who the hell are you?" Sam asked as he attempted to square his shoulders. Roger turned to close the door. "What are you?"
At this, Roger gave them a big grin. "You caught me. Popped in to watch," he said with a wave of the hand. "I can hustle like that."
"Where's the real Roger?" Arielle asked, her eyes sharp on the man.
"Buried in a ditch." Sam rolled his eyes and Arielle gave a sharp hiss. The man grabbed a free chair, moving it to a spot before the two Winchesters before taking a seat.
"So who are you?" Sam asked.
Roger crossed his legs, resting his interlaced hands on his knee. "Here's a hint. I was in Germany. Then in Germany," he started, his finger going around an imaginary map. "Then in the Middle East. I was in Dafur when my beeper went off." He patted at the device on his belt. "I'm waiting to hook up with my siblings. I've got three. We're going to have so much fun together." The talks of apocalypse and horsemen whirled into Arielle's mind and when she noticed Sam nodding, she understood.
"I know who you are," Sam replied after a small silence. "There aren't any demons in town, are there?"
"Nope," Roger confessed with another wicked grin. "Just frightened people ripping each other's throats out. I really haven't had to do too much." He gave a shrug. "Take out a bridge here, lay a little hallucination there, sit back, pop some corn, watch the show. You're really vicious little animals."
"No, you're doing this," Arielle spat, fighting against her ropes.
Roger watched her, amused. "Please." He raised a hand and she stilled. "Last week, this was Mayberry. Now these people are stabbing each other's children."
Arielle growled. "Because you're making them think they're possessed by demons!"
The horseman rolled his eyes. "Honestly, people don't need a reason to kill each other. I mean, you seen the Irish? They're all Irish." Sam's jaw worked hard and Arielle kept trying to undo her hands. "You think I'm a monster. I'm more like jello shots at a party. I just remove inhibitions."
Sam didn't move a muscle as he spoke. "I'm going to kill you myself."
"Oh that's adorable," Roger said with a chuckle. "Moreso considering you're my poster boy."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Arielle said. She could feel one wrist loosening, though she tried to keep herself composed, keep the apparition before her distracted with the sound of his own voice.
"He can't stop thinking about it, ever since he saw it dripping off the blade of that knife," Roger replied to the blonde, his eyes twinkling. Turning to Sam, she noticed the way his chest heaved and the pallor of his face.
"You're wrong," Sam said, though his brow was furrowed.
The man gave a chuckle. "Save your protests or your brother. I can see inside your head. And man," he said, giving a low whistle after. "It is one-track city in there. Blood, blood, blood. Lust for power. Same as always." He stood, pacing around the two siblings and standing behind Sam. "You want to be strong again. But not just strong. Stronger than everybody. Good intentions – quick slide to hell, buddy boy. You feel bad now? Wait till you're thigh deep in warm corpses. Because, my friend, I'm just getting started."
Roger circled again before them, placing his glasses delicately on his nose. "Showtime for the meatsuits," he added, ruffling his hair slightly. "What this."
His slender fingers twisted the ring on his finger. Arielle's eyes widened as she saw a steady stream of blood flow down his forehead. He kicked over the chair, crumbling to the floor and screaming. Rufus and Jo busted through the door, eyes sharp on the inside of the room. "They did it!" Roger cried, pointing at Sam and Arielle.
"No!" Arielle screamed, forcing her weight against the ropes.
"They said they're coming!" Roger continued, ignoring the tied siblings. "They said they're coming to get us!"
Sam joined in now and fought against his own binding. "Stop! Jo, Rufus, he's lying! No!"
"Listen to him!" Arielle added, gritting her teeth. Rufus stomped to the two. "He's not who he says he is. Just – " A backhanded slap cut her off and her mouth filled with that familiar metallic taste.
"You shut your mouth!" Rufus screamed, going to Sam after. He reinforced the ropes before turning back to Jo and Roger, his expression dark. "Let's go."
Arielle and Sam are left alone, door locked. "Elle?" The blonde lifted her eyes to his concerned ones, smiling. "You alright?
"I could be better," she said in a lighthearted tone before spitting out a glob of blood. "I managed to loosen up one of my wrists, but it's not enough." Sam didn't bother with his. "What's the plan?"
Sam blew air noisily, resting his head back. "Hope that Dean came to the same conclusion we did."