War
The angel took a hold of the older man's shoulder and disappeared.
"Not quite what I meant, but okay. I really wanted to know where exactly Watari was gonna be so I could see to it that Lilith is near the right window."
Near's voice answered. "Look at the computer.There is only one window that will suffice for any type of shot from that distance."
"Thanks, Near."
The image on the computer showed the correct window, but the shot would be incredibly difficult. However, L and the boys showed no signs of concern for it. Dean thought about Watari, remembering his first few encounters with the man. He'd thought at the time that Watari had to be former military. Sniper? Maybe.
Castiel soon arrived. "Ready?"
"Everyone?"
The group nodded, showing they were ready.
"Let's go, Cas."
Mere seconds later, they were standing in a safe area near the church.
"That's it over there." Dean pointed to an old church, doors and windows sealed. Sigils and other symbols on the outer walls. "Okay, Cas. Good luck."
The angel disappeared, leaving the group to wait. Mello's hand was near the hilt of his sword, the other near his gun. He was waiting..as were the others.
The younger hunter was leaning against a tree, a piece of paper in his hand, studying it. He closed his eyes for a second and put the paper back in his jacket pocket. He looked across the large expanse of land towards the church.
Bobby looked at him. "You OK?"
"Yeah, Bobby. I'm fine. Honest."
He moved towards him. "I know it's hard. The numbers don't look good. Remember what Meg said after we got rid of the damned demon?"
"Sam survived it after Meg left him. It's hard, Bobby."
"She didn't ride his body too hard either, Dean. He was needed. These hosts aren't..they're convenient."
"I know. Until Meg, I never really thought much about it. You know? It's a demon, you kill it."
"It's difficult, Dean, but in this case, we're going to have to see it as delivering mercy," he said quietly.
"Okay, Bobby. Mercy. I never thought of it like that. Thanks, Bobby."
"Welcome, kid," he hugged him.
Dean hugged him back, wanting to ask him to keep an eye on Sam, Lisa, and Ben if something should happen. He didn't because he knew the older hunter would be angry with him. He just wanted to cover all possibilities. This was Lilith.
L frowned, waiting for Castiel.
Dean joined him, "You okay?"
He nodded. "Just waiting for this to begin."
"Yeah. The calm before the storm. It's hard."
L shrugged slightly. "Any fight can be difficult."
"None of them are alike. Strange in some ways. You'd think that there'd be some, but they're not."
"Certain things follow patterns, some do not."
"Patterns are what Sam and I look for when we are researching a hunt. Most things we fight give out patterns. When a demon is around, lights flicker."
He nodded. "That was covered in the lessons."
"I know. It's easier to wait, when you talk about anything. I'm not very good at waiting."
Castiel showed up with an unconscious female about thirty years in age and moderately attractive.
Dean walked over to look at the woman. "Let's hope Lilith isn't feeling picky. She likes them drop dead gorgeous if she can get them."
"This was the only female in the group," the angel told him.
"Don't get me wrong, Cas. If I hadn't decided on stopping all that shit before Lisa showed, up, and if she wasn't a Satanist, I'd have a go."
He nodded. "Shall we?"
Dean reached down and grabbed an arm. "Mello? Can you grab the other arm? We can't afford to fight our way from the bottom up. I suggest we bypass floors one through four. She's gonna be up high, and if she's playing little girl, she's on that carousel or something close by. That okay with everyone? And, Cas? Stick close by. When she's dead, there's gonna be hell to pay and we'll need out quick. As soon as the tranq hits her, get Watari back home."
Castiel nodded and teleported the group. However, there was a slight problem. They were outside the building.
"What the hell? Cas?"
"I cannot go further. They've sealed it."
"What keeps angels out? "
"There are ancient sigils that can keep an angel away," he answered.
"Aw, come on, Cas! Can you drop us on the roof, maybe?"
"That was the second thing I tried, Dean," he told him.
"Seven floors? Can't use the elevator. Damn it. Okay, let's go, guys. We head straight to the stairwell and try to avoid anything that moves until we get to the fifth floor."
"I will not be able to enter with you," he said. "I am sorry. Unless you can find the sigils and break them, I am barred from entering."
The sigils have to be outside somewhere, Cas, and they aren't going to let us walk around looking for them. Just make sure you get Watari to safety and hang around. There's probably gonna be injuries. Okay?"
Castiel nodded. "Be careful..all of you."
"We plan to be, Cas. None of us wants to be demon fodder."
"I will wait with Watari," he told them, then disappeared.
"Let's try to find a side door somewhere. Easier to pick and not as likely noticeable."
The group nodded, heading to see what could be found.
They finally found a rusted door at the rear of the building. "L, since Melloand I are busy here with Sleeping Beauty, can you pick it? The detective pulled his picks out, cracking the door within moments.
"Be careful opening it. It should creak like hell, rusty as it is."
L managed to lift/push to help minimize the noise. It did creak but not as bad as it could've.
"Careful everyone. Never open a door if we can avoid it. We don't want battles on the lower levels. Surprise has to be on our side. Look for one door and it should say stairs or something similar. No talking."
All three nodded, hands near weapons as they looked around. Near's voice sounded in the ear pieces. "Door is thirty yards forward to the left."
Dean's thanks was barely heard. He nodded to those taking the lead. He and Mello continued to carry the woman between them.
L opened the door after Matt drew his blade, making sure to have something in hand in case someone was inside of it.
Soon everyone was in the stairwell. "Someone want to swap out for a bit? Take her arm here? I want to share the lead with L on this."
Bobby said that he would. "Matt, take Mello's place would you? Mello, will you watch our rear?"
The boys swapped out, falling into position.
Dean put his back to L's. "We go up like this, watching above and below us. We can spin slowly one always facing up and one down, turning so we are getting glimpses of past and upcoming doors. We never the face the same way for more then a few seconds unless we see something."
"Good way to trip up a stair," Matt pointed out.
"No. He is one stair up facing up. I'm down. I turn to go up above him. He faces down. No one goes up those stairs backwards. You and Bobby are second eyes for up. Mello is keeping an eye on the rear, so he's second for that."
L nodded, starting the pattern.
It was slow going but with a dead weight between Bobby and Matt, it needed to be.
They hit the third floor without incident, which concerned L.
A slight whisper was heard over the earphones. "Near, you or Sam picking up anything burning hot?"
"Nothing yet," Near answered. "Silent so far. Watch out on the fifth floor."
"How many you picking up on the fifth floor, Near? How many on the seventh?"
"Six on the fifth floor and eight on seventh that Near can see."
"Why, if she's on the fifth, would there be so many on the seventh? Sixth?"
"Four," he answered back. "Near sees no sign of Lilith as of yet."
"What about the first four? No little girl?"
"None."
"Sam?"
"I'm looking but not seeing her,"" he said. "We're trying to see what we can do to spot her. There's blind spots."
"What kind of blind spots? Do we need a couple to go in and look?"
"Certain areas of the room are not covered by the cameras," he answered.
"Are there places to hide, if some people enter the seventh floor from the stairwell? Sam? Could she be an adult?"
"You're asking questions I don't have answers to, Dean."
"Sam, Ruby wanted you to kill her. One thing Ruby wouldn't do would be to lie to you about Lilith. You know her better then any of us. Could she be?"
"She's known to be in either a child or adult female. You know that."
"You're right, Sam, and I shouldn't have dragged you into this. I'm sorry. Near, are there places to hide up there? We are gonna to check floors because of the blind spots. I need somewhere on the seventh floor near the stairwell, for Bobby, Matt, and our guest to hide."
"The blind spots make ascertaining location difficult.." His voice trailed off. "One female child just crossed into view, seventh floor dressed in elaborate clothing."
"We got her. Mello, come up here with us when we reach the seventh floor. Bobby, you and Matt come in behind us but far behind. I want her to see the girl after I get her near the window. She just needs to know the girl's there."
"Dean, be advised, several of the demons have moved to the door of the stair well on fifth and sixth floors."
"Weapons ready. She knows. Okay, we need two attack teams. One goes in and gets taken. Need the girl with that group. The rest stay right here. She won't expect us to divide. The back up team will come in after Watari fires. There needs to be a second attack to give me time to hit her when she enters the girl. It's our only chance."
"Matt and Bobby will take the second wave. Mello will accompany us with the first," L told him.
"The idea is we caught the attackers and took the girl as prisoner to lead us to Lilith. We had Cas knock her out after we got the info. Brought her along for security. Lilith thinks I'm dumb, like Ruby did. Let her think I'd do that."
He nodded. "Acceptable."
"Bobby, if anything happens, you know where my weapons are on me. L, same thing. We have no idea if any of us will get out of this, but I want to protect the kids as much as possible. Okay?"
The two adults nodded, L ready for anything.
Dean took one side of the girl from Bobby. "Mello, you are behind us. L, can you get the other arm? Make sure you got weapons where they aren't as likely to look."
The detective grabbed her arm. His blades were hidden where no one could see.
"They're gonna trap us between the two floors, or follow us up to the seventh. We'll have to see what she's got in mind. She's a lot worse then Ruby. Evil incarnate."
"As you've said,"he murmured.
"It never hurts to be reminded about that. I can still hear hell hounds in my nightmares. Okay?"
The detective nodded. "Let's do this."
They went past the fifth floor, Dean taking slow, shallow breaths, as if afraid to take a deep one and make too much noise by just breathing.
The others were quiet, following the lead.
The were attacked between the two floors. There were too many, and Dean knew there was no way to fight in the demon crowded stairwell. He dropped his gun and a knife from his boot, leaving the important weapons hidden. As far as Lilith knew, the colt was with Crowley or whoever Bella sold it to.
"We want to see Lilith. Tell her I stopped her attack with the blood. It's been burned."
One of the demons sneered. "Sure...like you really did that."
Dean pulled the Satanist forward, and smirked, an eyebrow raising.
"And the bitch is supposed to make us believe you?"
"Why the hell else would I drag her around? She's sure as hell not my type. I don't go in for creepy crawlies. I prefer mine completely human. That means a normal soul not sold out ones."
"And if Lilith doesn't want to see you? She'd rather have you dead," he sneered.
"Maybe, but Lilith likes her little games more then Ruby. She plays with her prisoners before she kills them. I rather think that since Sam isn't here, I'm probably worth more alive then dead. She's got to be pissed over that. Naw, not dead...not yet, anyway. You take away her toys and you're dead...fully."
"You're not going up there without being searched..all of you," he told him. "We're not stupid."
Dean dropped the girl to floor and held his arms out. The demon checked him, pulling guns and other things off of him. They searched L and Mello, finding the same type of weapons. Dean had left his backpack with Bobby and Matt.
"Fine, follow me." He pushed them up the stairs.
Dean reached down for the girl and lifted her over his shoulders to carry her.
L and Mello followed him, bodies relaxed and ready to spring into action. They knew Matt would pick up the weapons.
Dean cussed to himself. He was not well, but was not giving up in this. He knew the others would have his back if he needed it. Right now he had to fool the one demon he thought of as the Queen of Hell. He couldn't help it. Since that day she had taken Ruby's body and let the hell hounds in, he had a nervousness around her. He was fixing to conquer that. So long as hell hounds, the things that happened in hell with Alistair, and especially since some of them were compounded by what happened between Ruby and him, he would be fine. He had no idea what she knew and didn't know, but he was going to kill her somehow, so he could survive it. He had no idea what she would have against L and Mello. Mello, he worried about.
L and Mello were prepared for anything, knowing how much was at stake for this.
Dean entered the seventh floor first, being shoved by the demon who had questioned him. He walked up to the little blond girl playing tea party at a table. He set the woman down on the floor and straightened up slowly for him, but he grinned and said, "Hello, Lilith. Surprise. I'm out of hell."
She sneered at him, looking at them. "I heard that the idiotic angels pulled you out."
"Yeah, well, they can do some good, can't they?"
"I wouldn't know. They're annoying nuisances," she told him.
"Well, you're right. They are, but I haven't found a big enough fly swatter yet, and bug repellent? To find enough to kill one, would poison an entire city block."
"And that's a problem why?"
Mello shook his head. This 'demon' was annoying him, but he kept a tight rein on his temper.
"I kinda like a couple of them. One pulled me out of hell. Still got his hand prints on my shoulders. The other one is hot in bed."
"You were desperate enough to fuck one?" That word sounded so wrong coming from a child's mouth.
"No. She'd never done it. I'm good. What can I say, and I was gentle with her."
"Definitely desperate," she told him. "So why are you here?"
"I came to suggest that you give up, Lilith. You don't want to die. It's a nasty thing, and we both know what hell's like, but this death, you won't be coming back from. I delivered one of your commander's followers with a hint that the place is more protected now then it's ever been. Now, my friends and I are gonna leave the way we came. No point in prolonging my visit is there?"
"You're right, I don't want to die but I'm dead if other demons find me. These guys are all that's loyal to me right now," she told him.
"Well, we have a problem, because I can't let your master go free. I'll do what I have to. You don't have Ruby any more. She's dead, by the way. Sam's protected and not coming. It's you and me, Lilith."
"I'm glad she's dead; she wasn't working for me," she growled.
"Well, that would have been Azazel? I'm learning a lot, you know? So, if you want to live, why take us captive? Why aren't you on the run? Why mess with me anyway? You got what you wanted out of me, didn't you?"
"Maybe I want a deal," she told him.
"I don't deal with demons, Lilith. I kill them."
"I am not dying for this plan," she answered.
"Oh, you won't die for the plan because you can't get there, and I'm not letting that happen."
"I'm not dying," the demon sneered.
"I can't promise you that won't happen," Dean smirked. He had to get her riled enough to attack. He had to somehow get her to the window, knowing it would take some doing. What he hadn't counted on was demons blocking the fifth and sixth floors after they were taken up. Bobby and Matt could do nothing. It was going to be the three of them, but he was concerned what an angry, highly powered demon might do. The objective was to get her into the other body to kill her, and protect Mello. He and L would have to bear the brunt.
"Any last requests?"
"You're a fool, Winchester, and dragging these two with you?" Her head tilted. "Ohhhhh...what a present you've brought me."
"What are you talking about? None of us are worth anything."
"The tall ugly one beside you," she giggled. "The elusive detective."
L didn't react but tensed slightly.
"He's not worth your time, Lilith. No emotions and you really like to mess with that, among other things."
She gave another giggle. "It's the detective L you've brought me. That bastard has slowed us down too often."
"Lilith, he has no idea what you are talking about. If he did it was not knowingly. Sam and I are the ones who did it openly and knowingly. Leave him alone."
"Oh, there's things you don't know. He was called in for things we were trying to do and he put a stop to it," she growled.
Dean smiled. Well, there's a lot of people....good people who have done that over the years. L, no idea what will happen, but I'm with you and you aren't alone. And stay out of it, my young 'un." Dean gave a quick wink.
"I only do my job," he said mildly and she grinned, motioning for her minions to attack.
Dean moved in front of him suddenly. "No, Lilith! I'm tired of your crap!"
"You can't stop me," she sneered and the minions began attacking. Dean stood with L, taking on demons. Dean planned on the colt for Lilith, so the demon killing knife was soon in use and demons were dying fast. He could not see what was happening with L, but Mello had obeyed and stayed back, figuring that Dean had a reason.
L was taking them down as best as he could, feet flying as he kept moving.
Lilith realized that fighting was not going to work. She decided that pain, slow, mental, emotional, and physical pain worked on the hunter better, and breaking both men would be fun. She was infuriated with the knife and needed to stop this before he removed too many of her demons. She saw the older Winchester toss the knife to L and head towards her. He started to drag her from the table.
She pulled a knife out of her sash, stabbing him in the leg. "Damn moron! You ruin everything!"
Dean cried out, but did not let go of her. He continued to pull her away from the table, trying to grab the knife from her.
L was doing a good job with the knife, trying to keep the demons busy so Dean could drag the demoness towards the window. He'd seen the elaborate knife go into the man's leg, but it had not slowed him down. They were grappling over the blade. L was grateful no demonic powers were being used. Most of these demons preferred physical to magical, it would seem.
Mello cried out as a demon came from behind and L was clubbed. Dean saw him go down and winced, shaking his head no at Mello and mouthing wait.
Mello was frustrated, anxious over his mentor being felled like that. Things were not going well.
Blood pouring from his leg, Dean dragged Lilith towards the window and held her there. The wound had been deep and he was losing a lot of blood, but he refused to give up. He needed her out of the little girl. He had no idea what she might be like in a Satanist, but he could not fight her in her present body. He wasn't counting on what she might have in mind for L and him. He had been tortured in different ways by male and female demons. Lilith had not seemed the type. Get her out of the body was all that was in his mind....and protect Mello.
The hunter held the little girl's body in front of him and shoved her close to the window and hoped that the marksman was quick.
Watari took the shot and the tranquilizer hit the small body, causing it to succumb to the drugged sleep. Mello grinned, waiting as a dark mist poured from the child's mouth.
The mist did as Dean had hoped, entering the Satanist's body. Dean laid the body of the little girl on the floor beneath the window. He turned, slipping in his own blood and falling to the floor. He struggled to get up, and started moving towards L to get him out of the way. The demoness rose and walked toward the hunter and looked down at him and then at the unconscious detective. Dean looked up at her. He waited.
She backhanded the hunter with a sneer. "Did you think that will stop me?"
"Not really," he spoke softly, looking for the knife he'd thrown to L. He could taste blood in his mouth where she'd struck him. He smirked at her, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, "but it can't hurt."
Lilith tapped into her powers, throwing both L and Dean into the wall. The detective hit with a sickening crunch.
Sam's grip was tight on his chair, watching with Near. The teenager instructed for Matt and Bobby to move in closer but hold off.
"We can't, " Bobby said. "There must be over thirty of them in the stairwells above us."
Dean was determined to keep her going til he could get into position where she didn't notice him. He checked on L. "Man, I'm sorry." He forced himself up and faced her. "Come on, bitch." He looked around for the knife, knowing he had to antagonize her and make her hurt him bad enough where she'd ignore him and go after L again. Then, maybe Mello would have chance. No matter how bad he wanted to kill her, her death was all that mattered.
Again, he was thrown into a wall, denting the plaster. "Stupid asshole. You and all other humans think you're so important! You're nothing more than cockroaches!"
Dean slid down the wall, his face and hair white with the plaster, blood pouring from his mouth. He hurt, but he smiled at her. His smile was half grimace. "You know, I read that if there's ever a big bomb dropped. You know the kind...radioactive? Only chickens and cockroaches will survive. Cockroaches. Must say something about us. I'm not stopping til I kill you, bitch." Dean started to slowly struggle to raise himself again.
"At least roaches serve a purpose," she sneered at him, throwing L into the wall again.
Dean could hear L's bones breaking. It sounded familiar. He figured from the pain that he had some inside of him too but he was not sure where. He hurt everywhere. He started walking to where L had laid drawing her away from him. He found the knife and knelt down to pick it up. He turned his head and smiled at Mello and mouthed 'holster, my calf." He turned towards the demoness with the demon killing knife and put every ounce of energy he had left into reaching her swiftly, knowing it was futile. She'd go after L, ignoring the boy. How badly hurt he'd be, he didn't know. This had not been the plan, but when did they ever go right lately? He muttered, "What purpose, Lilith?" as he raised the dagger and attacked her.
Mello watched the attack, knowing that once she finished with the hunter, she'd go after L again. Dean's blood from his leg was everywhere. Mello had never seen that much flow from one man before. He'd bleed to death if something didn't happen soon.The teen realized that the hunter did know that, when he read his lips.
The blond realized what was going on, watching for his moment.
Dean had the knife in both hands trying to shove it into Lilith's chest, hoping this could actually end it. He'd just burn the damn building down afterward. She was incredibly strong, and she began to realize that he was not strong, himself. She'd heard he'd had major injuries, and Meg's people had followed from a long distance the day before and had seen him fall behind. Now with the attacks on him and the bleeding, she knew she had him. Finish him and go after the detective. Two pains in the ass at one time, but Dean Winchester and L were major ones.
The demoness pushed him back, knowing his injuries were playing against him. She kicked L out of the way, the detective struggling to rise.
"L! Stay down, man!" Dean struggled to rise, and was almost doubled over. He knew this was going to be his last chance. It was one last effort. He took the knife and rushed her with all that he had left in him.
Lilith deflected the blade, throwing him back against the wall with her powers. "Take your own advice, Winchester!"
Dean slid down the wall for the last time, he could feel and hear the bones crunch with the force of the demon had used. L was near him. "She's gonna come after you. Keep her busy. I couldn't get to it. She was watching me too closely. Get her away. Mello...Mello." Dean was having difficulty breathing. "Make sure their all salted and burned, man." L would have had to strain to listen if the earphone/mike combo had not picked his whisper.
Bobby and Matt were furious.They could not get up the stairs. Bobby looked up at the fifth floor. Dean's sawed off was there. Bobby had not taken his regular shotguns because of size. He wanted the sawed off. He could blow away demons with rock salt if he could get to it.
Lilith sneered, focusing on the struggling detective. "And you..the worst of them all. Mr. Self Righteous detective. You think you're the best of them all..but you've f*ked up by coming here." She threw him against the wall with another sickening crunch.
Dean's eyes were glazed but he looked at the teen. "Please," was the slight whisper.
The blond rushed at Dean, sliding in the blood as if he was sliding into second base. He slipped his hand up the jeans on his leg, grabbed the colt from the holster, which had evaded the demons' search earlier, and twisted, feeling something pop in his lower back. Without missing a beat, fighting back the pain, he yelled her name, getting her to face him. He fired off a round, aiming for right between the demoness' eyes.
The demons on the stairs heard her scream as she died and vacated their bodies. Bobby and Matt headed up the stairs, the older man grabbing the sawed off.
Upon entering the room, they stopped. The floor was swimming in blood. Whose? The wall by the window was crushed in, plaster everywhere. Dean lay on the floor, against the wall. L was further down. Mello was sitting on the floor near Dean, the colt in his hands. Bobby looked at all of them and saw the blood coming from Dean's mouth and leg, and started shaking. They headed over to the trio, the little girl, and the body of the demoness.
Matt checked her body. "She's dead. No mist or anything?"
Mello winced, shaking his head. "No..really neat fire affect in her mouth though. Salt and burn?"
"Everyone that's been killed. Get the kid out. Anybody that was left by the demons, get them out. Salt and burn. Take down the whole damn building." Dean was gasping for air. "Near, Cas there? We're gonna need him. Bad."
Watari's voice responded. "He's having problems with angels, Dean. He's not here."
"Okay, gonna need a lot of help here. The kid, and the rest who were possessed. No idea how many are alive. L's hurt bad. Mello's wincing. Me too. Lots of help."
Near's voice was soothing. "Matt and Bobby, take the survivors to the roof. Near has helicopters en route. Once the group is loaded, salt the bodies and then set the devices that will be on the first helicopter."
Matt grinned. "I get to play with explosives?"
The white haired teen's voice sounded over Sam's laughter. "Yes, Matt, C4 is on its way."
Bobby leaned over Dean. "You okay, boy?"
The plastered covered face looked up at him, the blood coming out of his mouth intensely red against the white. Too much blood for some mouth damage, the older man thought. The boy was hurt inside. The leg was still bleeding. Bobby removed his belt and made a tourniquet on the leg. Dean stared at him, but the the older hunter wasn't sure the boy knew where he was. He lifted him up and carried him up the next flight of stairs to the roof, and went down to help with L who was badly injured like Dean. He told Mello to get up on the roof if he could. Matt was told to get the child.
When these four were on the roof, they had Near look for heat signatures to find those who had been dispossessed.
"No heat signatures. Near's estimate was correct. The bodies were in too poor a shape to survive once the demons vacated the host bodies." The helicopters arrived and medics poured out while Matt was handed a bag. The redhead headed back down to salt all the bodies on each floor while setting up the detonators.
Sam went onto the speaker. "I have the girls and Ben busy. The doctor and other medics are on standby thanks to Near." Sam's voice made a choking sound as he asked, "How's Dean, Bobby?"
"I don't know about internal injuries from L, but Dean's lost a lot of blood. I found the colt, the knife, and another strange looking knife. I figure it may have been used on Dean's leg. It's got some language on the blade I don't recognize. We're gonna need blood. Got a lot coming out of his mouth. Let the doc know he's got a tourniquet on the leg. Cas fighting his own war, huh? We are not using a hospital this time? Can't blame anyone on that. Too many strange wounds. Mello's may be his back, but not sure."
"Use a cell phone, take a picture of both sides of the blade and send it to Near. Hospitals would ask too many questions. The infirmary here will tend to them."
Matt came back up, hopping into the helicopter. "Let's go."
In seconds, the pictures were sent to Near. "Sam, warn Lisa that Ben needs to be elsewhere. Dean's bad. L's not far behind him."
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