Title: Armageddon

Rating: T

Warnings: Major spoilers for "Utopia", "The Sound of Drums" and "Last of the Time Lords"; violence; mild language; allusions to rape (but I promise nothing explicit or graphic)

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate your input! You guys are fantastic! And look, this is on time! I'm pretty proud of myself for that.

Hope you enjoy! Please don't forget to review!

Armageddon:

Part III: The Year of Hell

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Okay, I might have something," Abby said. "The weapon factory in San Antonio is behind schedule."

"That's the best you can give us?" Gibbs asked skeptically.

"Wait, we're not finished!" Garcia said. "They're behind the Master's schedule because there were an unusually large number of people vanishing. Just… poof. Seven in the last week. People run away all the time, but that many? They'd never get through the Master's security without someone getting caught."

"Plus," McGee said, "they're having trouble with the machinery because of weird storms and bad weather. They were hit with lightening three times in the last few weeks."

"Anything else?" Hotch asked.

"Not that we can find," Garcia told him. "At least not on this continent. There are storms and, like we said, people are always trying to get away from the factories, but nothing this severe."

"Sounds like demonic activity alright," Rufus said. "If Sam and Jake aren't there, demons are up to something else in San Antonio."

"Alright," Tony said, "let's get packed." They had already filled one of the extra duffle bags with food, water and all the salt that they could find. Extra guns and bottles of water that Garth and Rufus has converted to holy water were stuffed inside as well.

"Are you sure you want three of us going after them?" Morgan asked. "What if something happens?"

"We've got plenty of people here to help with the Toclafane," Gibbs said. "Someone's got to go after Dean. I don't care how experienced he is, he'll need help."

"Right," Garth nodded. "Especially against demons. They're not exactly easy to take down."

"You guys try to reach Dean and Adam on their satellite phone," Morgan said. "We'll head toward San Antonio. Tell them to meet us there."

"Already on it!" Ash called from near the back of the room, fumbling with a bulky looking device that looked like it was mostly scrap metal and exposed wires tangled together. None of them quite understood how Ash and his mind worked, but it worked at least.

Garcia jumped up and wrapped Morgan in a tight hug, "You be safe, Chocolate Thunder," she whispered. "Come right back home."

Morgan smiled, "I will Baby Girl," he promised. He kissed the top of her head and looked over at Tony and Garth, who were standing near the exit. "We ready?"

"Guess so," Tony said, checking the duffle bag one more time. "We better get going if we want to make any ground before nightfall."

"Take care of yourself out there, DiNozzo," Gibbs warned him. Tony nodded and slung the bag over his shoulder.

"I will, Boss."

Before they left, Abby ran over and hugged them all, a small frown on her face. They didn't have much time to think about it, however, before Ash was calling them over and pressing buttons – or what looked like buttons at least – on makeshift phone he'd created.

"I got 'em," he said. "Finally."

"Ash?" the voice was Adam's. It was indistinct and crackling over the old speakers.

"Adam? Where's Dean?"

"…hotwiring a car." They heard Dean's voice faintly, yelling something to Adam. "Hang on a second."

The crackling died down and Hotch and Gibbs motioned for the giant phone to be pushed over next to them. After a couple of seconds the speakers cackled loudly with the sound of someone breathing.

"You rang?" Dean asked.

"Where are you?" Hotch asked.

"Not sure. Look, we're fine. We've got a car and we haven't run into any Toclafane yet. I told you, I can handle this."

"That's not why we're calling," Gibbs cut him off. "We think we know where that demon is keeping your brother."

"What! How?"

"Research," Van Pelt said. "We told you if you would have just been more patient we could help. Garcia and Abby looked for signs of demon activity thanks to what Rufus and Garth told us."

"And?" Dean snapped, still impatient as ever.

"And," Rufus said testily, "We think they hauled him off to San Antonio. That's as close as we can get."

"Perfect, thanks."

"Dean wait!" Teresa leaned in between Gibbs and Hotch, "There's more you need to know."

There was a long pause, but they could hear him breathing so they continued.

"The demon probably took someone else. Jake Talley, one of the guys over in the UK. The one who said he had that weird dream about Sam." Jack said. "He's probably with them."

"And who knows who else the demon might've taken."

"Shit," Dean swore. "Alright. Yeah. I'll keep that in mind. We'll try and find him too."

"That's not all," Hotch warned him before he could hang up again.

"We're sending DiNozzo, Morgan and Garth your way," Gibbs said. "They'll meet you in San Antonio unless they cross your path sooner. Try and get in touch with them if you can; they've got one of the phones with them."

"I told you I didn't need you guys to waste time helping me."

"Clearly, you did," Van Pelt said. "You'd still be searching blind without our help, Dean."

Dean sighed heavily, the speakers making a loud sound. "Fine. Alright, yeah, I needed the help. But you've got more important things to do. I'll take care of Sam and the other guy. You need to be worried about the Master."

"We can worry about both," Hotch said. "Just get your brother back here as fast as you can."

"Yeah, okay. …Thanks."

The noise in the speakers died and Ash pushed something on the top of the phone, killing the feedback entirely.

~/.\~

The Master paced back and forth, his posture stiff. In spite of how awful he felt, Reid was just a little bit proud of himself for being able to give him a headache. He wasn't looking forward to how the Master would retaliate for his stubbornness, but Reid had withstood torture before. Some worse than what the Master was doing currently, though he didn't like to think about that.

After a moment, the Master straightened up. He had a devilish smile on his face and Reid instinctively cringed away from it. He wished for a moment that the Doctor were in the room with him, but the Master had decided to take him to one of the other rooms to keep him isolated.

"I really must commend you for your surprisingly will, Spencer," the Master's voice was oily and sickly sweet. It made Reid's stomach curl. "I suppose I'll have to find some other way to break you down."

For one second, Reid thought his heart might stop. His mind conjured up all the different things the Master had already done to him and terror spiked in his chest as he imagined what else he could possibly do to him.

The Master turned and left the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

It took Reid almost a full minute to realize that he had actually left. His brows came together and he slowly stood from the chair. He wasn't tied down and for a moment he wondered what the Master's plan was this time.

He made his way to the door and tested the handle. It didn't budge, not that he was surprised. He stood in the middle of the room and looked around. There weren't any windows or other doors. The table had been removed a long time ago and only a few chairs were left. The television monitor still hung from the ceiling, and probably worked. He reached up and pressed the button to turn it on.

It was playing the same news reel that the Master played every day. Footage of the factories across the globe, manufacturing weapons for the Master's war effort. People who looked tired and lost, with blank expressions on their faces. Reid turned the TV off and sat back down, wrapping his arms around his middle. He wished this nightmare would end. He wasn't sure if he had ever hated anyone as much as he hated the Master.

Several minutes went by before the door opened again. The Master entered, followed by two guards escorting Lassiter and more men wheeling a large camera into the room. A pit of dread formed in Reid's stomach and he stared at the Master.

"What's going on?"

The Master didn't reply, he simply motioned for Lassiter – who was gagged and screaming muffled threats through the rough fabric – to be put in a chair. Once the red light was blinking on the camera, the Master moved to stand before it.

"Since you aren't going to cooperate," the Master said. "I decided that you needed something to… persuade you."

Reid could feel his heart speeding up with every word. The Master turned toward Lassiter and pulled out his screwdriver, holding it carefully in his hand. His eyes flickered to Reid and he tilted his head.

"Last chance to tell me who was harboring you," he said. "Three…" Reid bit his lip and shook his head. "Two…" He stared at Lassiter with wide eyes, hoping the other man would forgive him. "One…"

The light shot out from the screwdriver and Lassiter's eyes flew shut. His screams were swallowed by the gag, but Reid could hear them. Automatically, he reached to cover his ears, but heavy hands grabbed his and held them down. His closed his eyes and the screaming stopped.

"Eyes open, Spencer," the Master warned. "Otherwise, I'll have to start chopping bits off."

He opened his eyes slowly and looked at Lassiter. Lassiter was watching him. He didn't see any judgment or hate in his eyes, but he felt the guilt starting to eat him.

"Better," the Master said, smiling. He turned his attention back to Lassiter. "Now, let's begin again."

The muffled screams seemed to get louder. Reid tried to distract himself by thinking of other things, but it was nearly impossibly while he watched Lassiter thrash in his seat, screaming. It was a full minute before the Master lowered the screwdriver and turned to Reid.

"Have you decided to talk to me yet?"

Reid swallowed. His fingers dug into the seat and he didn't take his eyes off of Lassiter. Slowly, he shook his head. "No," he said. His voice wobbled. "No."

"Pity," the Master sighed and turned back to Lassiter. "He was fun to have around."

Reid's eyes widened and he tried to jump out of the seat when he realized what the Master's words meant.

"Wait, what?! No! Don't!"

But it was too late. The bright beam hit Lassiter in the chest. He only screamed for a second, his body convulsing like he was having a seizure. Then he was still. His eyes were still open and wide and Reid felt sick as he stared at him.

The Master seemed satisfied. He motioned for the camera to be turned off.

"I'll leave you here to think about this for a while," he said. Reid barely heard him. The Master and the guards left, taking the camera and locking the door behind them. They left Lassiter's body sitting in his chair.

Reid lurched from his seat and bent over, vomit spewing from him before he could stop it. His gut heaved and he felt like he was choking. He sat there, doubled over, and dry heaved until he was certain that nothing else was going to come up. He sat back and wiped his mouth, feeling his entire body start to shake. He scooted away from the puddle on the floor and clenched his eyes shut, wishing the Doctor were there so that he at least wasn't alone.

~/.\~

It had taken Balthazar a little while to acquire a vessel. Sometimes he wished that the rules were simpler. Humans were not always willing to agree to being possessed. He'd had to spin as many lies as he could to get the man to agree to it before he could even think about going after Sam and Jake.

He could smell the demon before he even entered the building. The smell of sulfur was strong. He hesitated outside. They were in an old apartment building, not far away from the factory that housed the Master's weapons. Thick smoke curled from the factory, making the sky look black. Balthazar stared up at it for a long moment.

He had no idea what he was doing here. He hadn't seen combat since Lucifer's Fall. He hadn't even encountered a demon since then. Few of them had. Angels were like scary stories to demons. Some of them didn't even believe in their own creator.

"Can't stand around out here forever," he muttered. He wished Castiel were there. He didn't want to go in. It wasn't that he was scared. He was an angel; he had no reason to be scared. Not of demons at any rate.

He closed his eyes and vanished, reappearing inside. It was dark, but he oriented himself quickly. The room smelled like sulfur and blood – tainted blood. It made him sick. It was a new feeling; he'd never felt sick before. His human vessel rebelled at the powerful smell of sweat and blood.

Sam Winchester was tied down to a chair a few feet in front of him. The young man jumped and jerked in the seat, eyeing him with wide eyes.

"Who are you?" he demanded. He was surprisingly alert for the torture he'd had to withstand.

Balthazar frowned. He wasn't sure if he should tell them his name or not. Castiel and Uriel had though.

"Balthazar," he said.

Sam's eyes narrowed and he tugged at the restraints. "Are you another demon?"

"What?" Balthazar balked. "No! Good God, don't insult me. I'm an angel."

Sam didn't relax. Not that Balthazar had expected him to trust him immediately. "Really," he insisted. "I'm part of Castiel's garrison. We're in charge of watching you and your brother."

Sam blinked. His breathing was ragged and he was still bleeding sluggishly from some of his wounds.

"Yeah, well, uh… No offense, but you guys suck at your jobs."

Balthazar frowned, "Oh, right. Blame us for you and your brother being a couple of morons who run headfirst toward dangerous things. You know, if you two were half as intelligent as you think you are, you wouldn't get yourselves into these situations to begin with."

"This is my fault now?!"

"Well…" Balthazar hesitated. "Maybe not this time. Point still stands."

Sam shook his head. "Are you here to help or just watch me sit here in agony?"

"Right! Rescue mission. Almost forgot what with all the ungrateful nagging."

Sam rolled his eyes. Balthazar made a mental note to remember that for later and moved over to where he was sitting. He studied the restraints hold him down to the chair and then snapped his fingers, unlocking the ties.

Sam sat up very slowly and rubbed his wrists. They were raw and bruised.

"Thanks," he said. He edged his way forward in the seat, but didn't stand up. "Um, there's – there's another guy here somewhere. Jake. Think you can get him out too?"

"Jake Talley," Balthazar nodded. "I was on my way. But it might be better for you if I just…" he reached out and Sam flinched away when he put two fingers on his forehead, but a second later he was totally healed. His clothes were still torn and bloody, but everything was absolutely perfect.

Sam stared at himself with wide eyes, turning his arms every way he could to examine them.

"Wow…"

Balthazar grinned, "Perks of being an angel," he said.

"An angel?" another voice spoke behind them before Balthazar even smelt the demon. "Haven't seen one of you guys in a long time."

Sam jumped up from the seat, but before he could do anything, Alistair had him pinned to the wall.

"Ah, no," he smiled and shook his head. "I'll get back with you in a minute, Sammy."

Balthazar felt tense. He opened his hand and felt the blade he hadn't used in so long slide into place. It felt heavy. He watched Alistair, smiling smugly at him. The demon didn't seem too worried, which made Balthazar nervous. He could sense Alistair's power; he was old and stronger than most demons.

"You know, I'm surprised Heaven's deciding to intervene. Your guys upstairs have been so hands-off lately I thought you'd all given up on this planet. I wouldn't have blamed you."

"Well, you know," Balthazar shrugged. "We like to pace ourselves."

"All that time without action," Alistair cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're up for a fight, Angel? You're probably rusty."

Balthazar smirked, "It doesn't take skill to take down a demon," he said. "You're not the brightest creatures."

Sam was watching them from where Alistair had him pinned to the wall. He shook his head. "Are you two actually going to fight, or are you going to keep up this ridiculous conversation about fighting?"

Alistair waved his hand and Sam started making choking noises, struggling to breathe. Balthazar took advantage of Alistair's brief distraction and launched himself across the room, brandishing the blade in one hand and holding his palm out with the other.

Alistair moved quickly though. He dodged and grabbed Balthazar by the arm, swinging the hand holding the blade around until he had him pinned. It only took a moment for Balthazar to free himself, but the fact that he had to try at all worried him. Alistair was more powerful than he had thought.

He swung the blade, just barely missing the demon. Suddenly, a beam of light engulfed the room. Balthazar felt the familiar tingle going through him as he was pulled out of his vessel. The last thing he saw was Alistair shielding his eyes as the skin of his host smoked and sizzled slightly; then Balthazar landed with a grunt on a white tiled floor in Heaven.

Zachariah was standing over him, a furious expression on his face.

"What were you thinking!?" Zachariah boomed. "You have orders! Why did you decide to leave your post!? Why were you fighting a demon?"

Balthazar sat up and winced. The return trip left him feeling sore and ripped as he'd been yanked from his vessel.

"Where is Castiel?" Zachariah demanded. "Did he tell you to do this?"

There was a suddenly fluttering of wings. Castiel was standing beside Balthazar, staring at Zachariah.

"I'm right here."

"And he didn't send me," Balthazar said quickly. He had no idea what he was saying. Even Castiel looked surprised at his admission. "I took the initiative when I saw Sam Winchester being tortured. We can't let the demons break him. If they manage to manipulate him, they could –"

"Took initiative? You're a soldier. You don't take initiative; you do what your told."

"Are we seriously supposed to stand there and watch the demons torture him? Doesn't Michael realize what will happen if –"

Zachariah's eyes blazed. "It is not our concern. We are not to interfere. You observe and report. Whenever something that needs our attention happens, we will give you new orders. Now both of you return to your post. And do not leave. I'll be speaking to Michael about this."

With that, he was gone. Castiel reached down and helped Balthazar to his feet, staring at him curiously.

"That was a very brave thing to do, Balthazar."

Balthazar shrugged, "Not bravery," he said stiffly. "I meant it. If the demons break the Winchester boy, we're in a lot of trouble."

Castiel nodded, "Of course," he said. "I'll speak to Gabriel about helping them."

"Right. Make sure Gabriel's plan is more subtle. Apparently management notices when we pick fights with those black-eyed roaches."

~/.\~

A/N: I know it's a bit short. I'm not really 100% happy with this chapter to be honest. I don't know what it is, it's just… meh.

Hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless! Please don't forget to let me know what you think!