You Look Like an Angel

Chapter 2: "Hey, Buddy."

Silence.

A silence blacker than ink and darker than oblivion filled the Cage.

No.

He could not do this again.

Even fighting Michael was better than this.

His own words died on his lips.

Mute.

Nothing.

Empty.

Blackness.

"Hey buddy."

A voice. Or was it?

"C'mon, you can't say you don't remember me?"

More like a thought really.

"We had years together, eons..."

Was it even real?

"Well, I'm only as real as you are. Your own thoughts can get pretty loud when it's just you and them..."

Familiar. Almost.

"Oh, yeah, it's just you and me now. You'll never get out of here. There's nobody up top to save you anymore. Even pretty Sam Winchester is stuck down here..."

Sam...

"Yep. You're only salvation. And it's gone. Although, you gotta admit, there wasn't really much hope for you in the first place..."

Sam. Sam was here. If Sam was here, he wasn't truly alone.

"Oh, but what does that matter? You'll never see him again. You know how impenetrable this place is."

But there was a chance.

"No chance. You're all alone."

But he had memories. Fond memories. If he imagined enough he could see Sam's face, happy, smiling.

"You didn't make him smile. He was scared of you."

But they'd had moments together.

"And he plotted against you."

To save what he loved. Not unlike Lucifer himself, really.

"He hated you."

Not entirely. He had felt, even enjoyed, the sense of power Lucifer gave him when they were one Vessel. It had been wonderful.

"You sure about that? Perhaps it was all a dream. Perhaps you never left here in the first place."

But could Lucifer's mind ever dream up something like that? Lucifer hated humans, to consider he could be defeated by any of them was a bizarre, unthinkable idea until it had actually happened. And Sam. So real. So vivid. He hadn't known what Sam would look like. He had tried to imagine his Vessel on many occasions, during his previous imprisonment, but couldn't. Until he saw Sam for real.

"Doesn't matter now though. God's very cruel. He only gave you those moments so He could take them away. You'll never find Sam in here. Never see him again. You're all alone. In your own personal Hell."

Perhaps, but deep down he knew Sam was still here. And their memories were still here. He would think of them, imagine Sam for the rest of eternity. And even if Sam was out of reach, deep down Lucifer would always know that Sam was still with him. That he wasn't, truly, alone.

"You know what? Let's get some lights on in here."

There was snapping of fingers and everything was lit in a dim, orange, glow.

Lucifer found himself staring directly into the face of....

Nick?

Nick smiled, all middle-age-dad-looking and still wearing the green shirt and faded jeans Lucifer had last seen him in.

"Nick? What are you doing here?" Lucifer asked.

"Nick? Who's Nick? I'm you, silly." The not-Nick said.

Lucifer was confused, "Me?"

"Yeah. It's the form you're wearing now, can't you see?" Nick held up a mirror (where had that come from?).

Lucifer blinked at his reflection, "So it is."

"You put it on for Sammy, to make him more comfortable with you. It's kinda how he knows you outside his body."

"Huh..." Lucifer muttered.

"Speaking of, where is Sammy?" said not-Nick. He glanced around, then his eyes landed on Sam and Adam. They were dragging themselves around brimstone (the landscape had changed drastically for some reason), and Sam had his hand clutched around Adam's, "Ah, there he is..."

"Sam..." Lucifer whispered, taking a step towards him.

"Ah-ah-ah!" not-Nick said. He help his hand and Lucifer was paralyzed from the waist down.

Lucifer struggled against the invisible bonds, "Who are you?" he demanded.

Not-Nick sighed dramatically, "You know who I am."

"I don't...wait a minute... you're the Cage."

"I'm you." The figure insisted.

"No." Lucifer said, "You're not."

"Only I am. Aw, look at Sam and Adam. It's so cute how they're holding onto each other...gotta admire that Winchester loyalty, am I right? If only angels could take a few cues..."

Lucifer struggled harder against the invisible bonds holding him. He did not like the mocking, almost predatory look that figure was giving Sam.

"Sam, Sam, Sam, your mind is so simple these days. Use to it was all revenge, revenge, revenge. Tell you what I am bored with your thoughts..." the figure looked Lucifer up and down and sighed. Then his gaze slid toward Sam and a sickening smile spread across his lips.

Run, Sam. Lucifer thought.

"But where's he gonna go? And with Adam tagging along too..." the figure frowned, "You don't care much about Adam, do you?"

Lucifer looked away. Truly, he didn't think about Adam unless Michael was possessing him.

"In that case." The figure waved his hand and Adam was thrown across the landscape, far into the shadows. Dimly, Lucifer heard Sam scream Adam's name.

"Listen to that panic." The figured tsked, shaking his head, "Sam's all alone now."

"What are you going to do?" Lucifer whispered.

The figure grinned at Lucifer. The eerie orange light cast shadows on his face, making his eyes look like black holes.

"I'm gonna make him hate me. Or, rather, you." He replied.