Transmission from the Trickster

Chapter 25

"Lucifer?" Dean repeats, confused.

"Yeah, you know, my big bro? Self proclaimed king of darkness? Likes to kill things? Ringing any bells?"

"Well, yeah, we know who he is," Dean says. "But you're not gonna find him here."

"Meaning...?" Gabriel prompts.

"He's dead," Sam says. "Michael killed him."

"He..." Gabriel's expression falls at that. "Obviously. Of course he did." He pastes a smile back on his face, but Sam doesn't believe it's a real one. "Welp, that's good. Alrighty, let's go."

"Gabriel —" Sam begins, but before he can say anything else, Gabriel has already teleported them back to the rift and gone through. Sam glances back at Dean helplessly, but he just shrugs.

"Don't look at me. He's your temperamental angel, not mine."

The rest of them go through the rift to find Gabriel waiting for them, already seated on the floor with his back against the wall as if he's been there for hours. Ketch waiting for them, too. He seems bored, and rightfully so, if he's been waiting here for the last ten minutes. When he sees Mary, his expression softens, but she just shoots him a glare.

"Okay, now that we're back and safe — or as safe as we can get — you have some explaining to do," Mary says. She looks over at Ketch. "Like what is he doing here?"

"We're working with him to stop Lucifer," Dean says. "So far, he's done more to help us than hurt us, so for now, at least, he stays. Once we've ganked Satan, we can talk."

"And who's that?" Jack asks, pointing at Gabriel.

"Oh, right, that's Gabriel," Sam says. "He's an archangel. I guess he's kind of your uncle."

"Awesome!"

Gabriel chuckles. "I never was cut out for parenthood, but I've always wanted to be the weird uncle. Nice to finally meet you, Jack. I've heard so little about you."

"And I'm assuming you know our mom?" Sam guesses. "Or at least can figure out who she is?"

"Ah, yeah, I know her," Gabriel says. "She tried to kill me once, like, fifty years ago."

"What? Why did I do that?" Mary asks, both skeptical and apologetic.

"I don't know, I think I threw someone in a black hole or fed someone to a shark in the middle of some landlocked state or something," Gabriel says with a dismissive shrug. "Apparently hunters like you frown upon things like that. Who would've thunk it?"

All she can think to say to that is, "What?"

"Gabriel's not quite the team player," Dean tells her. "Sometimes he helps us out, and sometimes we're trying to kill each other. It's kind of a case by case basis. I'm sure when you tried to kill him, it was a good idea."

"But I don't remember — wait, are you the trickster?"

Gabriel grins. "Wow, half a century later and you still remember me."

"Yeah, I mean, everything you did was way bigger than anything I'd seen before," Mary says. "But how do you remember me? You have to have met hundreds of hunters since then."

"Well, thousands, but come on," Gabriel says as if she should know this. "You Winchesters are legends, what with the whole 'perfect vessels for Michael and Lucifer' thing those two have got going on." Gabriel gestures to Sam and Dean with a jerk of his head. "Your entire bloodline exists just for that moment. Obviously I'm gonna recognize anyone involved in the whole process, you included."

"So you knew me before we met?" Mary asks, awed.

"I knew your purpose before we met. Same with your kids and your husband and your dad and I think I vaguely remember catching a glimpse of the idiot that is your father-in-law. And I have to say, none of you were as fun to screw with as Dean. You need to up your game."

"Hey!" Dean whines.

"You'd agree if you watched yourself die a hundred Tuesdays," Gabriel tells him. "The lesson was for Sam, but the joke was on you, Deano."

"What are you talking about?" Mary asks.

Both Dean and Gabriel begin to tell their narration of the story at the same time, but Sam quickly interrupts with, "I don't think we need to rehash old tricks right now."

"Aw, please?" Gabriel whines. "I've never had anyone to tell them to before!"

"And you never will," Sam deadpans. "End of discussion."

"But —"

"My mom would kick your ass to the curb if she heard half the stuff you did to us," Sam says. "Trust me, it's better to keep your mouth shut."