Chapter 21

I took a deep breath as I pulled myself from another dream. Another reminder of the oasis the Djinn had plunged me into. Another fading memory of the man I had thought I'd loved, of the son and life I didn't have. I closed my eyes, reminding myself of the world I lived in and searching blindly with my fingertips until they found the warm body of the man I chose to love.

I took another deep breath and opened my eyes, staring at the sleeping form. I watched quietly for several seconds, studying Ketch as he slept softly. His chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. I wondered what he dreamed of if the faces of people and things he'd killed still haunted him too. I slid quietly from the bed and got dressed.

I stepped out of the room, fixing the last button on my shirt as I stepped into the quiet early morning hall, and collided with a well-dressed angel.

"Cas," I said, bouncing off of him and steadying myself. "Just getting in?"

He nodded, "Yes, I was just helping Dean sleep." He looked me over, his blue eyes piercing as they took in my state. "You look like you haven't been sleeping well. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Cas." I folded my arms over my chest, "Have you seen Cael?"

He nodded again, "He's resting. I did the best I could to help him heal, it's up to him now to finish the job." Cas sighed, "I've been working with Gabriel again as well, but I don't seem to be making any progress."

I motioned down the hall and started to walk a ways away from the bedroom door so we could finish talking. Though I wasn't sure what else to say about it. Elly was going to be restricted on hunts for a while, Cael was recovering as fast as he could but was otherwise useless. Ketch and Cas were searching for Lucifer in every way they could. Sam and Dean were coming and going from hunts as safely as they could. They'd wanted me to go with them several times now, but after the Djinn accident last week, they had stopped asking. It seemed like they were afraid it had affected me too much. Gabe was our only hope for any sort of light at the end of the tunnel right now, and he was still insane. I glanced down the hall towards the room I knew the angel to be in. It was just barely cracked, golden light from a lamp pouring from it, and I could just barely hear Sam's voice coming from it.

"You've been really helpful Cas, I hope you know that." I told the angel, "Are you doing ok? Lucifer didn't take too much grace right?"

"I'm alright," he assured with a smile.

I returned the smile, not sure what else to say on any matter. My head swirled with the events of the last month. The pieces fell all around me, but I had no idea where to begin to pick them up again. I wanted to be done with it. I wanted to go back to bed and be under Ketch again, forget everything else, and enjoy the moments of bliss he gave me. He had always been the only thing that could do that for me, even if it was just a few moments. 

As if summoned by my thoughts, our bedroom door cracked open and the man himself stepped from the shadows into the light of the hall. He adjusted the cuff of a sleeve as he took in Cas and I just down the hall. 

Cas looked back at me and nodded, our conversation done. He turned without another word and headed down the hall towards the server room. I turned to Ketch and walked towards him, wrapping myself around him when he was within reach. We stood there, each holding the other.

"I had another dream," It was almost a whisper. "Just like the others. Flashes of the world they had me trapped in."

"You were trapped for a few days, it will take some time for them to fully leave." he pulled me closer, squeezing me just enough to remind me of what was real. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner."

"I'm sorry I fell for their trap. It was so stupid of me." I shook my head.

"Shhh." He cooed softly, "Anyone would have fallen for it. It is not your fault you were jumped. I'm just glad you're alive."

I nodded, silent. I focused on the beat of his heart for a moment. It was such a calming sound. Something I'd been using to tether me to the real world.

We stood there for a few seconds more, relaxing in the silence, until I realized it was too silent. Sam had stopped talking. I pushed away from Ketch and looked down the hallway again, watching the door. The light from inside wavered now as Sam walked around the room. He was pacing. 

I pushed away and walked towards the room. I pushed the door further open and looked inside, freezing when I looked past my frozen brother and what he saw. Dark writing covered the walls. Curling symbols and letters that had been written in blood covered the walls from floor to ceiling. There was something scribbled on every possible surface. 

"Cas!" I leaned out of the door and called for the angel.

I heard Ketch' footsteps coming up behind me, fainter ones coming up the hall. Ketch came to a halt beside me and stared into the room. Sam was pacing, touching the lettering as he walked around the room. 

"I think it's Enochian." He whispered. "He did this when I turned to leave…it was so quick…"

I looked around the room again, studying the letters now. I knew Enochian. Ever since Cael had laid his hands on me I had known the language, it had been burned into my mind. But this, this was the ramblings of a crazed man. Sentences hardly made sense and would start or stop in weird places. The nonsense of a tortured, ruined soul.

"It's his story," Cas said as he came upon the room, "Look. It starts here with his death." He said, pushing his way into the room and going to one of the sentences that ended abruptly. "Or, what appeared to be his death." Cas followed the words with his eyes up to the ceiling, making sentences out of the jumble of words, "'Per usual, my brother had double my bron and half my brains,'" Cas read to us, "'He assumed the counterfeit me was what vanished that night and thought he had stabbed the real thing.'"

I stepped over to the closest wall and ran my fingers over the text, still listening to what Cas said but trying to decipher it for myself as well.

"'The truth is, the thing Lucifer killed was a fake. There were plenty of fakes to go around. Everyone believed Gabriel was gone. And suddenly, I was free.'" Cas turned his gaze to the floor. "'And so I did what anyone would do. I moved to Monte Carlo and shacked up with…'" Cas sighed and trailed off, tracing his eyes across the floor as he continued to read without saying what he found.

I looked out the ground, able to make out one word amongst the garble. "Pornstars."

"I was hoping I'd had the wrong translation," Cas sighed again, a finger rubbing his temple. He continued to walk around the room, still reading. "He goes on for quite some time about these porn stars and their…activities."

"Find the rest of it, Cas," Sam said, ushering Cas to continue. None of us wanted to know all about Gabe's exploits. 

Cas cleared his throat and moved silently through the room before picking up where he left off. "Alright, he was captured, delivered to Asmodeus, and…'For years, I knew nothing but endless torture. Asmodeus, once the weakest of Hell's princes, grew strong off my grace.'" Cas moved from one side of the room to another, studying the new wall for a few seconds before continuing. "Obviously his intellect is still intact," he commented.

"So why is he ruining my walls instead of just talking to us?" Ketch asked, taking a few steps closer to Gabe before an outstretched arm from Cas stopped him.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he can't." Cas shrugged.

"Or he's choosing not to," Sam suggested, "He could think it's safer this way."

"We don't have time for 'safer'," I grumbled. Anxiety had been running through my blood for days now. It hung low in my chest, making my ribs ache and my hands go numb. Something bad was coming, I could almost smell it like the frost coming in on the wind. "Keep working with him, Sam. Cas can you check on Cael and catch Dean up?" I turned and made my way from the room, "I'm going to check on Elly."

Ketch grabbed my arm as I walked by, "Can I help?" He tipped his head to the side like a dog trying to please its master.

"I…" I sighed, "I'm not even sure I know how to help her." I turned my face away from him, "She's been through so much in the last couple of months. So much of it is my fault. How am I supposed to make sure she gets home in one piece if I'm the reason she keeps breaking?" I could feel the tears building in my eyes. "She's so broken already…I broke her…"

There was silence between us. His hold on my arm was loose, I could pull free and walk away if I wanted to. But something held me there, kept me standing in that hall scared to admit the truth to the silence. Then he pulled me back, into his chest and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close.

"She came to this world expecting to be a hunter and play the same games you do. It was inevitable that she become 'broken', but that does not mean it was your fault. There was very little you had to do with it." His voice was soft, a conversation meant for us and us alone, "You can not fix her, just as you can not fix me and I can not fix you. But you can be there for her. You can do your best to continue to protect her. You are her friend, not her captor." his lips brushed against my ear gently, "Be the best person you can be for her, that is what she needs right now, not another person trying to make her 'normal'."

"I don't feel like I can be that person…" My voice cracked, betraying me and giving way to the soft feelings underneath, "I feel so worthless…"

"You are not worthless. You are like a piece of pottery that's been repaired with gold leaf, kintsugi." Ketch released me, walking in front of me instead, lifting my chin with a gentle hand, "Not perfect, but still just as beautiful as the day it was made."

I smiled. How did he always do this to me? Always seemed to know what to say to make me feel like a person. Like someone who deserved to be loved.

"Thank you," I whispered.

His smile was gentle and sweet. "Go make sure she's ok."

I nodded and stepped away from him. I took a few deep breaths as I walked down the hall towards her door. It was away from the noise. Away from where Sam was talking softly with Gabriel again. Away from Cas softly waking Dean and telling him about what we'd found. Past Cael lying stiff on a bed he didn't need to use. Far from the room that would have been Lucifer's holding cell. Away from everyone. Away from me.

I knocked softly on the door. "Can I come in, Elly?"

"Ya." I heard her call softly through the door.

I took another deep breath before opening the door. The room wasn't simple. Ketch had put more thought into his room than the others that resided in the bunker, but this one was still well above average. The walls and floor were a matte gray color, somewhere between a classic gray and eider white. Sage green vines were planted in a box along the top of one wall, their leaves draping down it like a strange waterfall. Beautiful dark brown bookshelves and a dresser decorated another wall. The bed sat towards the center of the room, a soft-looking mess of off-white sheets and pillows. And behind me, next to the door, sat a beautiful terrarium, sealed perfectly, an ecosystem all its own. 

Elly lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, blankly. She clutched a pillow tight to her chest. I closed the door softly behind myself and walked over to her quietly. She made an effort to scoot over a little and I laid down next to her, staring up at the ceiling too.

"Hi." It was a broken mutter.

"Hey," I replied. "How are you?"

The room was bathed in silence. It was thick and unwavering for a long moment. Until a barely stifled broken inhale broke the surface. I looked over at her, I could see the tears breaking past the walls she had worked so hard to put up. Her eyes already seemed red, like she had just stopped before I'd come in. The regret washed over me again. Every thought of guilt about bringing her here started to drown me again. 

I should have died when I was supposed to when the doctors had told me I only had weeks to live. I should never have made a deal for my life, just to have ten more years of life. It had never been mine to ask for in the first place. And now I had dragged this innocent girl down with me. She didn't deserve to be tied to me. She didn't deserve to have her life fucked over because of my emotional decisions. I had broken her and made her into something she was never supposed to be. 

You were so damn greedy. So fucking ravenous for a life that didn't belong to you. So insatiable that you ripped the life from this girl, just so you could keep fighting this stupid, endless war. You're so disgusting. So fucking…

"I'm ok." Elly's sudden words broke me out of the trance.

The lie of it was written on her face, under a mask she thought she wore well. I had done that to her. Made her believe it was better to lie about her condition than to tell the truth. She had already replaced me with a fallen angel as a confidant. Someone whose wings burned for sins unknown to me, yet I still seemed to carry the greater weight of Hell on my shoulders. 

"Don't…" It was a soft cry for the truth. "Please don't lie to me." I reached for her hand and softly took it into mine. "I don't want you to hide from me, Elly." I could feel my heart cracking in my chest. It hurt so much. "Please, talk to me."

Her blue eyes stared into my soul, taking in the broken pieces there and comparing them with her own before the tears broke through and silently rolled down her cheeks. She had tried so hard not to cry in front of me, I could see it on her face now as she gave into the emotions. 

"The nightmares?" It was a question that didn't need to be asked. Of course, it was the nightmares. I had heard her screaming for nights now. Even when I was away from here, I still felt like I could hear them. 

But Elly bit her lip and shook her head.

"Are you remembering the torture?"

Elly closed her eyes, and a small shudder passed through her body before she shrugged. Of course that was part of the problem too.

"Are you homesick?" I would never blame that. I would be too.

"Not really." She gave a sobbing laugh, "I miss my mom a little."

I squeezed her hand gently, "You miss him, don't you?"

She opened her eyes again. The ice-blue spheres stared at me. I swore I could see the memories in them. The memories of their nights spent together. The comfort he gave her. The love she had begun to feel for him. The pain she felt after he'd abandoned her. She nodded.

I took a deep breath and pulled her close to me until I could rest my forehead against hers. I had never been good at girl talk, and never even really felt at home anywhere except the bunker or a rickety old motel room. I wasn't sure what else to do here. But she needed me, and I wouldn't abandon her, too.

"Are you mad at him?" I asked softly into the small space between us.

I could feel her body tense, "No. I just…" Elly sniffled, took a shaky breath, and exhaled a steadier one, "I want to understand why he left. I thought…" Her breath hiccuped, "It was so stupid of me to fall for it. I knew he didn't care about me. Why would he? I knew all along that I was just a pawn to him, nothing more. But I still thought, that just maybe…"

"That he would change for you." I finished for her.

"It doesn't matter." She sighed, "I have a guy at home who's interested in me. And Charlie here."

"Doesn't even sound like you remember his name." I pointed out.

She shook her head, "I don't. But it was something important to my mom, so I said I'd give it a shot. She was so happy to think I was interested in some normal guy and not a girl, or a drug addict, or both."

I smiled a little, "I don't think you told me that before."

She looked at me, really looked at me for the first time, "I had a bad boy phase."

"It clearly hasn't ended," I teased.

She shrugged weakly, "I guess not." Elly's blue eyes closed and she sighed softly, "It's never really gotten me anywhere good anyway."

I paused for a second, taking the time to think about my next question carefully before asking it. "You like him don't you?"

Her face was still, and for a second I almost thought she hadn't heard what I said. "He made me smile. In that awful place, when he could've just used me for his escape, he made it better. He protected me, several times."

I wanted to say I was sorry, but I wasn't sure what I would be apologizing for. I had been the reason she was in Hell in the first place, and I was the reason she had almost lost her life after. I had many things to apologize for. But where to begin was the big question.

"It was probably all just to get on your good side." She laughed, a short, bubbly sound. "He used me so well. I should have known from the beginning." She sniffled, "But being without him is…it's worse than any torture they put me through. I can deal with the dreams and the memories, they're just thoughts. But it would be so much easier if he was just…" She hid her face against my chest. "I feel so lost without him."

"Devil sex was that good huh?" I joked, laughing at the responding smack against my side.

"I have nothing to compare it to!" she muttered. "Hey!" she smacked me again. "This isn't about that! I need you to talk some sense into me or something. Tell me it's hopeless and that I'm stupid."

"Alright," I smiled. "You're hopelessly and stupidly in love with the devil." I sighed, suddenly unsure of how to follow that, "Look, Elly. I wish I knew what to tell you. I wish I had all the answers and knew how to make everything better. I wish I could tell you that you're wrong to love him, that he's the universes fuck up and not right for you. But I'd be the biggest hypocrite in the world." I chuckled a little, "You should've seen Mary's face when she caught Ketch and I the first time after he tried to kill the boys. I thought she was going to kill him right then and there. But I convinced her to let him live, give him the second chance I had." My smile faltered as the memories of all that had happened after that came forward. I had been the one to put a bullet through him in the end, after all. 

I closed my eyes and pulled her closer to me. "There's never an easy answer to this. I don't know why he left you. I honestly thought he was starting to change, just for you."

She exhaled a breath I hadn't realized she was holding, "It's wishful thinking."

We stayed silent for a few moments, both hoping the right words would come, but knowing they realistically wouldn't.

"You can always come to me, Elly. About anything. I'm sorry I've been so hard on you recently. This is all my fault and now all I can do is worry about your safety. But I don't know how to fix any of it either, we're just stuck here, and I…"

"I know, Alex. It's ok." She spoke softly, no longer crying.

"I promise I'll get you home. Safely." I kissed her head gently. 

"I know you will. Thank you."

We would make it through this.

I ended up staying there with her for a bit longer. She eventually fell asleep against me. I took that opportunity to slip away silently and leave her to rest. Gods knew she needed it. 

I walked from the room into the quiet hallway. I looked down at the door I knew Gabe was behind, it was closed and dark. Sam must have left for the day. I didn't blame him, it must be tiring to keep trying when Gabe seemed to be too far gone. 

I walked quietly down the hallway, towards the server room. I looked into the room and saw Ketch at the glass table, laptop open in front of him. He had his head in his hands, a helpless look on his face, but it changed as he caught sight of me, a suave smile replacing the doubt.

"Everything alright?" He asked.

"As much as it can be," I said, catching the screen of the laptop as I got closer. 

He followed my eyes and was quick to press a few buttons, putting the thing into sleep mode before I could make out what was on the screen. That was suspicious. I felt my eyebrows furrow together. He was hiding something from me.

"What's wrong?" I tested. I thought we had gotten past this. 

"Nothing's wrong, love." He said, getting to his feet and meeting me as I rounded the edge of the table. He caught my arms and held me fast.

I looked around him, staring at the black screen. What was so important that he was going to hide it from me completely? He hadn't acted like this since we'd reunited. Something was very wrong here, but I wasn't going to find out by pushing him. Ketch was too crafty for that.

"Do you want anything for breakfast?" He was trying to change the direction of the conversation. Great.

I watched him carefully as he pushed away from me and walked towards the kitchen. I followed him, keen to try at least once to get him to be honest with me. I stopped in the doorway and watched him walk through the room.

"You would tell me if it was something serious right?" Another test.

"Of course, love." He was more interested in the fridge now, his replies on auto.

I pursed my lips and bit the inside of my cheek. He wasn't going to tell me this way. I'd have to find another way, but knowing him, his computer would be heavily secured and there would be little chance I'd crack it. And he was too clean to leave any other trail behind. His phone would be coded too. I would have to dance around it for now, and just resort ot watching. 

I sighed. I was being ridiculous. I was not about to go back to the way things had been and start treating him like the enemy again. We had gotten past that. I needed to trust him, or this would all break apart again. 

I opened my mouth to comment on the morning but was interrupted by a call from Sam as he came down the hallway.

"You're going to want to come see this." His face shown with a bright smile as he rounded the corner and saw me. 

I nodded and followed him back down the hall, toward Gabe's room. I used the door frame to swing into the room and gasped at the sight before me. Gabe, still dressed in the dirty rags we had found him in, sat on the bed cross-legged with life in his eyes and a smile on his face. His scars had healed and his skin was clean of any blood and dirt.

I smiled at the archangel. "Good to have you back, Gabe."

"Good to be back, Winchesters." He smiled back.

It took a few minutes, but soon we were all in the room surrounding the angel. Cas had come in soon after I had and had given Gabe a quick once over. When he had concluded that Gabe was back and mostly intact, he left again in search of a small vial of Gabe's grace, another gift Ketch had brought back with the two of us.

Cas now stood next to the bed giving the vial of grace to Gabe. We all stood silently as Gabe popped the stopper and let the blue cloud float into his mouth. The room held its breath as we waited for something, anything. 

"Did it help?" Cas questioned, always the one to ask first.

"I'm…I'm not sure," Gabe replied, looking around the room at the rest of us.

The room jumped as someone's cell phone began to ring. There was a moment where we each checked our pockets, before settling on Sam and the phone ringing in his hands. He looked around the room before answering and putting it on speaker.

"Asmodeus, I'm guessing." He said.

"Ah, Samuel." The thick southern accent on the other end confirmed it was indeed Asmodeus. "I do hope you're having a pleasant day." 

I traded looks with Sam, his face beginning to edge with anger. I turned to Gabe as he quickly fell from the bed and got to his feet, eyes wild and full of fear.

"It has come to my attention that you all have something that belongs to me," Asmodeus continued, "And I would like it back."

"We have no idea what you're talking about," Dean said, his tone annoyed.

"Oh good, Dean's there too." Asmodeus cleared his throat, "I believe you do. I'm gonna give you one chance to return him to me. No harm, no foul."

"Hang up on him, Sam," I grumbled.

"Do not hang up on me!" It was a hiss across the line. "Gabriel is of no use to you in his current state. And should you choose to resist me, I will have no choice but to take him back by force." My brothers and I shared glances. We didn't dare think this was a lie. "I will reduce you and that sad little bunker you are all in into rubble. You have ten minutes to decide."

The line disconnected as Sam hung up. He ran a hand over his face before speaking, "What now?"

"I don't know." I didn't. And I didn't expect anyone else to either. "We can't let him take him."

Dean placed a hand on my shoulder, "And he won't. We've got this." He turned his attention to Ketch, "What warding do you have on this place?"

"I'll show you." Ketch nodded towards the door and left the room, Dean following behind him.

"Sam can you…" I started.

"I'll get Cael up and filled in. Don't worry about it." He said, smiling at me softly. He would always be able to read my mind. That was just the connection we had.

I turned to Gabe once he had left. "We'll need your help too, Gabe."

"Are you nuts!" He demanded, "I can't face that freak again, no way! And if your girlfriend is smart, she'll run too. She remembers everything he did to her, and I know it wasn't pretty."

I walked towards the archangel and placed my hands on his shoulders. "I know he hurt you, Gabe. And I know you're scared." I could see the fear deep in his whiskey-colored eyes. "But we need you, Gabe. Full power or not we won't be able to do anything about this without you."

"I…I don't think I can…" It was almost a whimper.

I sighed, "Then go back and play with your hookers in Monte Carlo."

I left the room swiftly after that. I know it was a harsh thing to say, but I had hope that it was just harsh enough to bring out the archangel I knew hid beneath that fear. I walked swiftly to Elly's room and pulled the door open, scaring the young woman out of her sleep. 

"What's wrong?" She mumbled, sleep still on her tongue.

"Asmodeus is coming." I was blunt with her, I couldn't hide her from this, "You need to be ready to run again if we have to. Do you understand?"

I knew by the fear that flooded her eyes, she had understood me. "Please don't let him get near me again."

"I promise you, he will never touch you again." It was the best promise I could give her, even if in my heart I knew I wouldn't be able to stop him if he wanted to take everything again. "Elly, if I can't save you. If he comes after me. I need you to get out. Take my car and run. Ok?"

"But…"

"Please, Elly." I was begging her to understand. I needed her to stay alive. "Drive the fuck away, ok? Save yourself first before you even think about coming back for me."

She nodded, a small hurried movement of understanding. 

"Good." I left the room again, leaving her to ready herself.

I walked into the server room, finding just about everyone there. Sam and Cael were standing next to the monitors, going over where the points of entry were and how best to safeguard them. Dean and Ketch walked back in from the hall connected to the garage, cans of spray paint in hand and fresh paint on fingers. I looked to Cas, who was watching the front door and thought to ask him what he was looking at when the room went dark and a red light began to flash.

I glanced at the walls as the usually invisible wardings began to glow along with the fresh ones that had just been painted. They all flashed bright red and began to sizzle as if they were on fire. I looked down at Cas' hand as a glint caught my eye. His angel blade rested in his hand, ready to strike. I walked to the center of the room, watching the door now too, and listening to the walls burn. 

There was a sudden shuffle and the room was bursting with action. Cas and Dean were soon taking on two demons that had appeared out of the shadows. Dean shoved his against the glass table, knocking a chair to the floor with a loud crash. White light sparked through the room as Cas stabbed his blade through the other. I watched as a third came for Sam, pushing him to the floor as he stepped the help Dean and knocking his angel blade out of reach.

"Shit," I whispered, racing to where I had seen the blade disappear.

I slid to my knees and began searching across the floor, stumbling along with my hands, searching desperately for the hilt, only able to see between the red bursts of light. My fingertips finally found it and I snatched it up, throwing myself ot my feet to study the room again.

I watched the demon that had attacked Sam fly across the room as Cas' fist collided with its face. I focused on my older brother, now struggling under the demon he had once had an advantage over. The thing pushed him hard against the table, raising Dean's blade high above his head and out of range of use. I rushed to its side and plunged my blade into its back. The demon's scream filled the air as his body lit up and burned from the inside out. I helped Dean straighten up as another light shown through the room. Cas had finished the last off.

Dean nodded his thanks and I turned back to the room, waiting. I took in Ketch standing near Cael now, gun drawn and ready to fire at anything that came near them. Cael had taken to studying the room, perhaps waiting for a chance to help in his way. His mouth opened, an unspoken warning ready to pass his lips as the prince appeared in the room.

But it had been too late.

Pain filled my back as I collided with the wall. I slid down it and crumpled to the floor. All air had left my body, and what tried to come back in burned in my lungs. I could hear his footsteps echo in the room, but I couldn't open my eyes enough to focus on where he was.

Asmodeus tsked. "You'll have to try harder than that if you want ot keep me out." I did my best to sit against the wall, to do anything to find him. "I've come for what's rightfully mine."

I could hear the struggle as new footsteps came from the hall. Two new blobs found their way into my vision as they dragged Gabe into the room, kicking and begging. My vision began to focus as I watched Asmodeus walk over to Gabe.

"Ohhh…" He hummed, "How I've missed you, boy." I looked around the room as he continued, each of us was doing our best to peel ourselves off the ground. "I'll have to punish you rather severely, I'm afraid." Gabe whimpered, as he struggled against the demons that held him. Asmodeus ran a hand under Gabe's chin before turning back to the room. "As for you six…"

A sick smile formed across his lips as he snapped his fingers and a bold, unrelenting, scorching pain filled my chest.

A scream that didn't sound like it belonged to me ripped from my chest. I fell to my side, clutching my chest as the pain grew. The pain filled my chest, taking my breath away again and searing my lungs in its place. Fuck! I couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't hear or see. Everything in my body rang with the pain. This was how I was going to die next. I didn't want to die like this. Not like this! Please! Someone help me!

Then someone was yelling, loud enough to hear over my screams. Then the pain left as suddenly as it had started. Cool air rushed into my lungs as I did my best not to cry from the relief. 

"Gabriel!" Asmodeus' voice was dark and harsh, ripping through the other moans I could now hear in the room. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Through blurry eyes, I could see Asmodeus turned away from us, focusing on the glowing blue eyes of the archangel in front of him. Gabe stood tall and strong in front of him, fear gone from him like it was nothing more than an eyelash. 

"You know you can't stop me, boy." Asmodeus threatened.

I watched as the archangel stood his ground, intimidating the demon prince simply by standing against him. No words needed to be spoken at this moment as Gabe silently challenged him.

"I broke you!" Asmodeus continued, but the air around Gabe was starting to ring with energy. "You're too weak!"

I could barely make it out in the red blinking lights as the shadows of wings began to move along the walls behind Gabe. They stretched themselves out from the man who was no longer broken. 

"Not anymore," Gabe said, his voice strong.

Gabe reached two fingers towards Asmodeus, who still didn't seem shaken until his skin began to smoke. My eyes widened as I watched the smoke continue through his body, his scream of pain filling the room as flames started to crackle around him. The flames soon flooded over his body, hungrily catching him in their deadly dance. I covered my eyes as a bright flash filled the room, a quick burst of heat following it. I opened my eyes again to find a pile of ash in front of Gabe's feet.

Asmodeus was gone.