The Magnificent Seven
"I don't think we're gonna have to worry about hunting them." Bobby said as we stood in the next room with the sounds of Envy being exorcised back to hell in the background of our conversation.
"What does that mean?" Sam asked.
"I think maybe this joker's right." Bobby stated. "They're gonna be hunting us, and they're not gonna quit easy."
"Guys, take Tamara and head for the hills. I'll stay, slow them down, buy time." Dean suggested.
"If you stay, I stay." I said.
"No, you're not--"
"You're insane, Dean. Just forget about it, okay?" Sam cut him off.
"Sam's right." Bobby agreed.
"There's six of them, guys." Dean stated as if we had forgotten. "We're outmanned, we're outgunned. We'll be dead by dawn."
"Maybe, but there's no place to run that they won't find us."
"Look, if we're going down, we're going down together, all right?" Sam said.
"Well, let's not make it easy for them." Dean caved.
Suddenly Envy screamed.
Tamara walked in. "Demon's out of the guy."
"And the guy?" Sam asked.
"He didn't make it." She answered, seeming unaffected as she walked out of the room.
___
Dean sat across the room on the floor, loading rock salt bullets into a gun as Sam and I filled flasks with holy water when the radio cut on by itself.
Dean cocked the gun, standing. "Here we go."
Moving to peek out of the boarded-up window, I gripped my own gun in my hand. Nothing was out there though.
Bobby and Tamara were downstairs near the front door. We had salted every window and door to keep the demons out but who knew how long that would last.
I could hear Isaac yelling for Tamara from outside though. But I knew it wasn't him. A demon had probably possessed him to taunt the poor woman.
___
The door swung open, three demons walking in. Dean had left moments ago, going to deal with another demon.
"Here's Johnny." One said.
That's just not even original.
He held his hand up, signally for no one to move. He looked up at the devil's trap on the ceiling. "Come on. You really think something like that is gonna fool someone like me? I mean, me?"
"Let me guess." Sam said. "You're Pride."
He smiled, flicking his wrist. The ceiling cracked, breaking the trap. "Mm. The root of all sin. And you are Sam Winchester. That's right, I've heard of you. We've all heard of you. The prodigy. The Boy King. Looking at you now, I gotta tell you, don't believe all the hype." Pride's eyes flickered to me. "Speaking of hype, you aren't what I expected. Choas and darkness incarnate. The Sorceress. Very underwhelming. You think I'm gonna bow to cut rate, piss poor humans like you two? I have my pride, after all. Now with your yellow eyed friend dead, I don't have to do a damn thing, do I? You're fair game now, and it's open season."
___
I'd like to say it shocked me when I ended up with a demon's hand around my throat, cutting off my air supply, but it didn't. I fought best I could, but I was slowly losing consciousness.
Then I got an idea. It was crazy and far fetched, but it didn't matter much.
I reached toward my jeans, pulling out the pure black knife the Sorceress gave me. I raised it, sinking it into the chest of the demon pinning me down. His black eyes flickered yellow before he slumped forward, dead.
A blonde girl walked in the room then, pulling a knife from the holster on her thigh and slicing the other demon's throat, killing her.
Now all that was left was Pride, who was currently trying to murder Sam.
Sam was able to get free, punching Pride. He stumbled, spinning around just to be stabbed in the jaw.
"Who the hell are you?" Sam asked.
"This knife is pretty cool." I muttered, looking down at the blade in my hand. "Thanks...Shadow Lady."
"I'm the girl that just saved your ass." The blonde woman replied.
"Well, I just saved yours too." Sam replied.
"See you around, Sam." She said. "Bye, Saige."
"...Bye...?" I said.
"Wait." Sam called, but it was too late. She was gone.
___
Sam, Dean and I were getting ready to burn the demon bodies as Tamara stood across the field, watching as Isaac's body burned.
"Think she's gonna be all right?" Sam asked.
"Honestly? No." I said.
"No. Definitely not." Dean agreed.
Bobby walked over to us then, looking tired and ready for a long nap.
"Well, you look like hell warmed over." Dean remarked.
I slapped his arm. "Don't be rude."
"Well, you try exorcising all night, see how you feel." Bobby replied.
"Any survivors, Bobby?" Sam asked.
"Well, the pretty girl and the heavy guy. They'll make it." Bobby answered. "Lifetime of therapy bills ahead, but still."
"It's more than you can say for these poor bastards." Dean nodded to the dead bodies.
I looked away. I had killed one of them. There was a human in there somewhere and I killed him.
"Bobby, that knife, what kind of blade can kill a demon?" Sam asked.
"Yesterday, I'd have said there was no such thing." Bobby stated.
"I'm just gonna have to ask again." Dean spoke up. "Who was that masked chick? The more troubling question would be how come a girl can fight better than you?"
Sam scoffed. "Three demons, Dean. At once."
"Oh." Dean nodded, smiling mockingly at him.
"Hey, I was there. I took out one." I pointed out. "I didn't need some random chick's help."
Dean smiled. "That's my girl." He patted my back gently before looking at Sam. "Hey, whatever it takes to get you through the night, pal." He smacked Sam's arm.
"If you want a troubling question, I got one." Sam said.
"What's that?"
"If we let out the seven deadly sins, what else did we let out?" Sam asked.
"I like to think of it as what else did Jake let out?" I stated.
"Either way, you're right, that is troubling." Dean struck a match, dropping it onto the bodies.
___
"See you gents around." Tamara nodded as she walked by. "Saige."
"Bye." I mumbled.
"Tamara." Bobby called. "World just got a lot scarier. Be careful."
"You too." She said before getting in her car and driving off.
"Keep your eyes peeled for omens. I'll do the same." Bobby told us.
"You got it." Dean agreed.
"Hey, Bobby?" Sam asked before he could walk away. "We can win this war, right?"
Bobby didn't answer for a moment, but replied with, "Catch you on the next one."
Wow.
Super reassuring.
Bobby got in his car and drove off.
"So where to?" Dean asked.
"I want to stop by my house for a while." I stated, still feeling weird not saying my dad's house.
"Uh...I don't know. I was thinking Louisiana, maybe." Sam shrugged.
"Little early for Mardi Gras, isn't it?" Dean asked.
"Yeah. I was talking to Tamara, she mentioned this Hoodoo priestess that might be able to help us out, you know, with your--" Sam began. "Your demon deal."
"Nah." Dean shrugged.
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"Nah? What does that mean, 'nah'?" Sam added.
"Sam, no Hoodoo spell is gonna break this deal. It's a goose chase." Dean stated.
"We don't know that." Sam said.
"Yes, we do. Forget it, she can't help."
"Look, it's worth--"
"We're not going and that's that." Dean cut him off. "What about Reno? Huh?"
"You know what?" Sam grabbed Dean's arm before he could walk away.
"Oh, hey, let's stop by the mall or something, yeah?" I said. "Everybody loves the mall."
"I've had it." Sam said.
"Let's not argue, please." I pleaded.
"I've been bending over backwards trying to be nice to you...and I don't care anymore." Sam told Dean.
"That didn't last long." Dean looked at me. "Twenty bucks, doll face."
I rolled my eyes, pulling a twenty from my bra and handing it to him. "Damn it."
"You know what?" Sam said. "Saige and I have been busting our asses trying to keep you alive, Dean. And you act like you couldn't care less. What, you got some kind of death wish or something?"
"It's not like that." Dean admitted.
"Then what's it like?"
"Sam--"
"Please, tell me."
Dean looked between us for a moment. "We trapped a crossroads demon, trick it, try to welch our way out of the deal in any way, you and Saige die. Okay? You die. Those are the terms. There's no way out of it. If you two try to find a way, so help me God, I'm gonna stop you."
I sighed, wrapping my arms around myself. This whole thing made me feel sick. I hated it. I hated every single thing about it.
"How could you make that deal, Dean?" Sam asked.
"Because I couldn't live with either of you dead." Dean stated. "Couldn't do it."
"So, what now? We live and you die?"
That statement made nausea rise up my throat. I pressed a hand to my chest as if it'd help me breathe better.
"That's the general idea, yeah." Dean nodded his head.
I hated how little he cared about it.
"Yeah, well, you're a hypocrite, Dean." Sam said. "How did you feel when Dad sold his soul for you? I was there. I remember. You were twisted and broken and now you go and do the same thing. To me. To Saige. What you did was selfish."
My eyes stung. I couldn't breathe. My heart and lungs felt too heavy to work anymore.
This was all too much.
"Yeah, you're right. It was selfish, but I'm okay with that." Dean told us.
"I'm not." Sam said.
I wasn't either, but my words wouldn't form. They got caught in my throat, choking me.
"Tough." Dean shrugged. "After everything I've done for this family, I think I'm entitled. Truth is, I'm tired, Sam. I don't know, it's like there's a light at the end of the tunnel."
"That's hellfire, Dean."
"Eh. Well, whatever." Dean said. "You're both alive. I feel good for the first time in a long time. I got a year to live, Sam. I'd like to make the most of it."
"Whatever?" I choked out. "It's not whatever. You not even thirty, Dean. You have a whole life ahead of you. Now...it's gone and you'll be tortured for the rest of eternity and I have to live with it being my fault."
"Si." Dean looked at me. "It's all right. Okay, I promise. You'll be all right. What do you say we kill some evil sons of bitches and we raise a little hell? Huh?"
"You're unbelievable." Sam stated.
"Very true." Dean smiled, setting an arm around my shoulder and leading me to the car.
___
I woke in the middle of the night freezing cold and shivering. I moved closer to Dean, not moving my hand from his arm where I'd fallen asleep with it resting. Ever since he made the deal, I felt like he would just disappear and I couldn't deal with that.
Suddenly, Shadow Lady appeared, standing over Dean, staring down at him. "Shh." She hissed, leaning down.
"No, go away. Leave him alone." I hissed, swatting at her, but it did nothing.
"It's all right." She assured me. "This will help."
"Help what? Drive all of us insane? What's next? You gonna bite Sam too?" I asked.
"If need be." She told me.
"Saige?" Sam asked groggily, looking over at me. "Who are you talking to?"
"Shall I let them both see?" Sorceress asked.
"What? No. Leave them alone." I told her. "Uh, nobody, Sam. Go back to bed."
He sighed. "You sure?"
"I'm good, yeah."
"May I continue?" Sorceress asked.
"No!" I told her.
She rolled her eyes. "I shall anyway." She placed a hand on Dean's back, handprint searing into his skin. He didn't move or wake up.
"Stop it! Hey! Go away!" I hissed. "Dean, wake up." I shook his shoulder.
He groaned. "Go back to bed, Si. I'm sure it's just the people next door."
"No, Dean, she's hurting you." I shook his shoulder.
"Hmm, you didn't hurt me. You can if you want to, but later, 'kay?"
"Not me, her."
Dean blinked his eyes open as Shadow Lady took her hand from his skin. He rolled onto his back, sitting up. "What? Are you okay?"
"No. Shadow Lady was...doing something." I gestured to where she stood by his side of the bed.
He looked over, half asleep. His eyes widened. "Oh, son of a bitch." He muttered.
"You see her?" I asked.
"Uh, yeah. I do."
"See? I am helping." She said.
"Oh my god, it talks." Dean remarked.
Shadow Lady blinked. "Shall I help the other one?"
"I don't know." I said.
"He will see on his own soon." She stated.