Fire and Smoke

Prologue

Welcome to the end.

Amara's words faded, and silence fell upon the old power plant. Alex could hear Sam's heart racing in his chest, and she pressed herself closer to him as she fought the trembling in her limbs. Her own chest felt hollow, almost too warm for comfort, and the young angel's broken black wings shuddered as her eyes stretched wide. "Lucifer?" She struggled out of Sam's lap and pushed herself to shaky feet. "Luce!" Her voice cracked as she spun around, almost tripping over her own feet in her haste. A flash of tan caught her eye, slumped against a concrete pillar, and Alex threw herself forward, narrowly avoiding navy wings as she landed on her knees. "No. No, no, no, no." Alex pressed her hand up against Castiel's chest as the seraph's eyes flickered open. Her grace rushed inwards, pushing past Castiel as it scoured the vessel, giving up only when he gently pushed her hand away.

"He's gone." His voice rasped in his throat, and Alex fell back on her heels as his eyes turned up onto Dean. "Amara ripped him from my body."

"Is he ... is he dead?" The words caught in Alex's throat, and her wings trembled as her grace twisted; without Lucifer it felt small and weak. "I can't feel him anymore."

"I don't know." Castiel struggled to his feet, and Dean reached down to help him up, leaving Alex to rise on her own.

Her eyes turned onto Sam, who had moved to kneel at Chuck's side. Chuck had managed, with Sam's help, no doubt, to sit up upon the concrete floor. His head was slumped, held in trembling hands, and Alex crept closer as Sam's hazel eyes sought her out. "Are you, uh ..." Sam hesitated, hands resting cautiously on Chuck's shoulder. "H-How do you feel?"

Chuck's response was a low, pained groan. "You know w-when you're driving and a bug hits the windshield?" He lifted his head to look Sam in the eyes, grimacing at the pain the action brought. "I'm the bug."

"So what Amara said about you ..."

"Dying." Chuck nodded, his head dropping back down to his chest, and Sam's shoulders fell. "Yeah. Whatever Amara did to me ... I can feel my spark, my light, fading. And when it's gone ..." A shudder passed through his body, and his face scrunched up in pain.

"Okay." Dean looked down at Sam, who offered up a helpless shrug. "Well, t-tell us how to fix you."

"You can't." Chuck tucked his legs under him, pushing himself to his feet, and Sam scrambled up with him, grunting as Chuck all but collapsed against his shoulder. "I-I-I suppose Amara could, maybe," Chuck added, "but that's never gonna happen." He groaned as Sam readjusted, stooping so he could sling Chuck's arm over his shoulder.

A door slammed, and Alex whipped around, her heart jumping in her chest. She heard Dean's gun click, cocked and ready, but the muzzle dropped as he recognized the newcomer. Rowena stepped into sight, a frown upon her angular face; a moment later, Crowley appeared at her side. "Well ..." he began, his dark eyes sweeping across them, "that was a complete and utter breakfast, wasn't it?"

"I didn't know dogs had breakfast."

Crowley's lips set in a tight line, and Dean rolled his eyes as he pocketed his gun. "Cas is back," he announced, and Alex dropped her eyes to the ground as Crowley's gaze turned upon her.

"Just curious." Rowena spoke up, the faint quiver in her tone the only outward sign of her anxiety. "Has anyone bothered to look outside?"

Outside? Alex glanced up towards the frosted windows with a frown. Dean started towards the door, Castiel close on his heels, and Alex rushed after them. Broken glass shimmered against the pavement, reflecting orange skies, and Alex slowly turned her gaze upwards. The sun burned overhead, a giant orange ball, and the young angel couldn't stop the shiver that ran up her spine. "What is it?" she heard Dean ask, and she tore her gaze away in time to see Sam's mouth fall open.