April 19th, 2010
Unknown
Alex could hear voices. They pierced the thick, heavy darkness, pulling the young hunter back into consciousness. She groaned at the pounding in her skull, her head rolling back in an attempt to alleviate the pain. She cracked open her eyes, and the voices ceased as the spinning room slowly came into focus. She was sitting upright, bound hand and foot to a metal chair. The room was dim, lit only by a single, bare bulb that hung from the concrete ceiling. The damp air stung her nose, and Alex snorted, craning her neck to look behind her.
Ah. Right.
She had wings. She tried to move them, but they were bound tightly by rope behind her back. Her limbs felt drugged, hanging limply at her side. Probably because you were drugged. The chiding voice sounded in her head, and Alex let out a low, frustrated hiss. Demon scum.
She heard the door behind her open, and she redoubled her efforts to see behind her, curiosity and anger bubbling up within her stomach. Footsteps approached, slow and steady, and Alex lifted her wings threateningly at the sound of a throat being cleared. "Hello, love."
"Crowley?" Alex spat out the name, and she yanked at her bonds as she tried to catch a glimpse of the demon behind her.
"Imagine seeing you here." Crowley circled around to stand in front of her, his dark brown eyes looking her up and down.
"The hell do you want?"
"Isn't it obvious?" The demon walked over to a small table that lay against the wall, his hand hovering over its contents before he picked up a small, serrated knife. His face twisted thoughtfully as he studied it, and Alex's breath hitched at the sight. The demon grinned, running the blade lightly over the palm of his hand as he moved back over to her.
Alex lifted her chin, refusing to bend as defiance glittered in her eyes, but her jaw trembled slightly as the tip of the weapon slid along her temple. It pulled away as the demon circled out of sight, and Alex winced at the sound of the knife digging into something rough. No pain followed the actions; instead, her wings unfolded, free from their bonds, and the young angel shook them out only long enough to straighten the bent feathers before she drew them back in closely. "If you're going to kill me, kill me," she growled. "Haven't you heard not to play with your food?"
She heard the demon chuckle as he returned to stand in front of her. Metal scraped against the concrete floor as he pulled up a stool, allowing him to sink down to her level to meet her gaze. "Kill you?" Faux surprise lined his voice, and amusement glittered in his gaze. "I wouldn't want to do that. I would hate to damage the merchandise."
Realization as cold as ice rushed through her veins, and Alex flinched as if she had been hit in the gut. "Merchandise?" she managed to spit out. "T-The hell you talking about?"
The demon's finger tucked themselves under her chin, forcing Alex to meet his gaze. "I think you know what I mean. Now, normally I wouldn't stoop this low — I'm a man of integrity, after all." He ignored Alex's low scoff, and he pulled his hand away. "But desperate times."
"Who the hell would buy me?" Alex let her wings rise up, feathers puffing out in a clear threat. "Especially from someone like you?"
"I think you'd be surprised. A creature like you is the apple of many an angels' eye. Those who can afford it would trade several thousand souls. But, alas ... risky business." The demon rose back to his feet with a shake of his head. "You're right; most wouldn't get caught dealing with someone like me, meaning they wouldn't hesitate to double cross."
"Your point?"
Crowley leaned down, his hand going out to lift up her chin again, but Alex lashed out. Her lips pulled back in a snarl, her teeth closing around empty air that had been flesh only a moment before. The sound of the hollow bite echoed throughout the room, followed immediately by dull, heavy slap as the demon's backhand came down across her cheek. "My point is this," continued, seemingly unperturbed by the attack, and Alex spit a mouthful of blood down onto the ground. "There's a certain angel who recently crawled out of hell, and after the Carthage fiasco, I would love to be on his good side."
Alex felt her face pale, and her wings drew in closely as she desperately searched the demon's face for any sign of deception.
"And once Sam and Dean send his ass back to the cage," Crowley added as Alex strained fruitlessly at her bonds, fighting back panic as the ropes dug into her exposed wrists, "Well ... we'll figure that out later, won't we? That is if there's anything left."
The door creaked open, and Alex froze. Footsteps approached, soft and quiet, and the young angel squeezed her eyes shut, her chest constricting in terror. "Is this her?" The newcomer's voice was soft, contemplative, and cold. All too familiar.
"Yes, this would be the one." Crowley stepped back, and the knife in his hands glided in the harsh light.
"You haven't harmed her." The question sounded more like a statement — a threat, Alex shakily corrected. So much power rested behind the simple set of words, crackling through the air like lightning.
"Of course not." Crowley was quick to stow the weapon, stepping away even further to put more distance between himself and the angels. "She's been quite cooperative."
Alex couldn't help by snort angrily, her gaze snapping up to meet Crowley's with a snarl, but she was silenced as cold hands brushed across her wings. An involuntary whimper fell from her lips, and Alex dropped her head, eyes squeezed shut. The hand moved, trailing across her arch down to her shoulder, and Alex shied away as the figure stopped in front of her. "Alex?" The voice lifted in surprise, quelled within a second, and the young angel felt her jaw tremble. "Last time I saw you, you didn't have wings." Fabric rustled as he crouched down in front of her, the coldness of his skin permeating the air. "You do recognize me, don't you? You should. Remember? I'm the one who almost killed my baby brother. Of course, you had to step in and save him."
Alex didn't look up; she didn't even open her eyes.
"I'm the one who escaped from the Cage?" The voice grew singsong, almost playful in manner. Sam Winchester's my vessel? Come on, Alex. I know you can hear me."
With the greatest reluctance, Alex lifted her gaze.
"There we go." Lucifer grinned, his cold blue eyes sparkling in curiosity and amusement. "Now, I'm going to be completely honest. I wasn't expecting you." His pointer finger tapped thoughtfully on his chin. "What happened? What is Gabriel?"
Alex's throat tightened, unable to respond, and after a second, Crowley answered for her. "Castiel."
"Castiel." The archangel repeated the name, his tongue twisting around the word before he nodded thoughtfully. "He always had a soft spot for humanity, but I didn't know it would ever come to this. Now, what I do know is that wings don't come in until after six months." Long, crimson wings stretched upwards, flicking for emphasis, but Alex couldn't tear her gaze away from his face. "Which means you've been an angel since I've got here. And I don't suppose you were going to tell me any of this."
Alex tried to respond, but all she could manage was a low growl. A pitiful sound, but her point was clear.
A similar noise rumbled in Lucifer's chest, a clear warning. "Well, le adna agi," he decided. "I think you and I will have a great time." He rose back to his feet, and Alex drew in a deep, gulping breath, straining for oxygen. "What was it you wanted in return?"
Alex watched as Crowley straightened up in surprise to find the demon's attention upon him. "All I ask, my lord, is my life." His words were accompanied by a flourishing bow, and Alex huffed.
Lucifer's eyes narrowed thoughtfully before he waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "For now. Go away." The demon disappeared before the last syllable had fallen, and Lucifer turned back to her.
"What do you want from me?" The words came out as a hoarse whisper, and Alex did her best to stifle her trembling jaw.
"I don't know." The archangel took a seat on the stool, arms resting on his knees as he leaned forward to study her. He sat there silently for a second, and then two, before he finally said, "Crowley summoned me here and said he had a proposition. I had every intention to kill him, but this ..."
"How do you know what I am?" The words exploded from Alex's mouth before she could stop herself, and Lucifer's eyebrows lifted in surprise at her sudden exclamation. "Cas said this — the human-angel thing — it started before Noah, but you — you were in the cage, and I —"
"I have several sympathizers in heaven." Lucifer's quiet words had her cutting off and falling silent almost immediately. "They've caught me up on everything that I had missed. Nick —" he tapped on his temple "— has been very useful on the rest of human history. I know enough." The archangel's head lifted, staring into empty space, and suddenly he rose to his feet. "There's some place I must be. I'll be right back."
A snap of his fingers had Alex's bonds falling away, and the young angel sprung to her feet and raced the for the door. Her feet had carried her four steps before her legs were yanked out from under her and she fell to the ground, dazed. A chain clinked, and Alex looked over at Lucifer. The devil stood, his foot on an iron chain that was cuffed to her ankle. "You didn't think you could get away that easily, did you?" Laughter lined the devil's voice, and Alex snarled. She sat up, knees drawn up closely as she pressed her wings tightly into her back.
Lucifer knelt down beside her, and Alex turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze. "I won't be gone long." His fingers danced along her shoulder, as cold as winter's rain. They rested gently under her chin, and Alex let him move her head, unable to resist his silent command. "There we go." The words were soft, barely a murmur, and Alex shivered as she realized that he was pleased with her.
Disgust rose in her stomach, thick as bile, but the devil was gone before she could react. The disgust was replaced with rage, and Alex pushed herself to her feet. She was angry at Crowley, angry at Lucifer. Angry that she had wandered off with out Castiel. But most of all she was angry that her body had betrayed her. All it took was a touch, and she was bending to Lucifer's whims. The feeling of his fingers still lingered, and Alex dragged her nails over the skin, trying to chase the cold away with pain.
Her eyes darted around the rest of her small, concrete cell. One thin mattress on a rickety frame. One table — the knife was gone. Two chairs, a stool, and a small pile of books in the corner. Alex crossed over to them, sifting through the titles with her foot. Everything Dragons. Great. She crossed back over to the bed and collapsed on the mattress, groaning at the sound of the iron chain following. The rage faded, leaving only exhaustion behind, and Alex groaned again, too tired to care. She closed her eyes, and the tranquilizers dragged her back down into a fitful sleep.
She woke up to an uncomfortable feeling. Her feathers twitched nervously against her back, her hair standing on end, and the young angel's eyes snapped open, alarmed at the strange feeling. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, damp and cold, and the young angel scrambled up into a sitting position, eyes widening in surprise. Where was she? Something cold and heavy was wrapped around her ankle — a chain, and Alex's stygian wings drew in tightly. Right. The memories came back, a flood wall of fear, and the young angel was finally able to place the chill in the air. Lucifer.
The devil was sitting at the foot of the bed. He rested on the metal chair, arms folded across the back as he watched her. Their eyes met, and the archangel gave a slow blink before he moved, his chin lifting away from his arms. His poise reminded Alex of a cat; a large, evil, annoying cat — one with the biggest pair of wings she had ever seen. Now that she was finally able to get a good look at them, she could see the extent of their size; even folded up, they looked twice as larges as hers.The blood-red feathers faded to black at the primaries, and despite the dim light, they shone.
"How did you sleep?" The devil's voice was soft, curious almost, but Alex refused to respond, choosing instead to draw her legs up to her chest. She watched as Lucifer sighed, and his chin returned to his arms as he drew his feet up off of the ground and crossed them on the chair. "Still nothing, hmm? Then why don't we start with a little about ourselves? I'll go first." His head lifted again, fingers drumming on the metal chair. "As you know, my name is Lucifer, second oldest archangel. Unrightfully cast into hell, etcetera, etcetera." He waved it off with a dismissive flick of his hand. "I'm sure you know enough about me. But what about you? Your name is Alex — maybe. You somehow know about me and my future. Care to explain?"
"Why are you here?" Alex studied the thin, worn sheet that covered the bed. "Crowley wants to sell me off to be some angel's — some angel's mate or something. But you seem like you'd hate it."
She winced as the devil snorted. "You're right." The chair creaked as he leaned forward. "You are an abomination. But you also have the answers that I want. Who are you, and how do you know these things? You're not a prophet."
"I'm not a prophet," Alex agreed softly. "I told you how I know. You're the one who chose not to believe me. A-And maybe that's the only thing keeping me alive right now."
She dared to lift her head, meeting the devil's gaze, and she was surprised to find amusement in his eyes. "Perhaps," he conceded. "You know, you've yet to cease to entertain me. Perhaps you're not as human as you look."
"How ... how did you end up in the cage?" Alex looked away, unsure of how to ease into her question. "Everyone says you were cast into hell, but ... how did you get to the cage?"
"Michael put me there." Anger burned the devil's gaze as the memory, and his nails dragged along the metal backing. When I rebelled, I and my army fell into hell — the real hell — into the lake of holy fire." He glanced back at his wings, which flicked painfully, and he added, "Being an archangel, I was able to retain my grace and my wings. The others weren't so lucky."
"How did you get back out?"
"I flew. I left the others in charge of building our new kingdom. Have you heard of Pandemonium?" He watched as Alex gave a half-hearted shrug, and he frowned. "It pales in comparison to heaven's palace, but it was home. Mammon built it himself, a city of crystal and gold that reflects the light of the fire."
"So ... so there were other angels that fell with you."
Lucifer nodded. "Almost a third of heaven's numbers. But as I said, most of their grace was burned away when they fell. They became demons. The majority of them were slaughtered by heaven, but some have still survived."
"I didn't know that." Alex let her legs uncurl slightly, a small attempt at showing her fading discomfort. "What about — tell me about your brothers?" She leaned forward slightly, her curiosity peaked at the prospect of hearing about the other archangels.
Lucifer, however, merely waved her question off. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about all of them."
"Then what about Gabriel? And Michael."
"Yes, you and Gabriel seem to be rather good friends." Lucifer's words were casual, but his eyes sharpened slightly as he searched her face for any flicker of emotion. "I suppose that depends on what you know. He was one of the youngest archangels, but perhaps he was my favorite. Him and I shared a certain bond that no other angels had." His eyes unfocused slightly as he paused, momentarily losing himself in the past before a sharp blink brought him back to the present. "Now it's your turn. Castiel? Really." A small smile grew across his face as he added, "You fell for a fallen angel. How poetic."
Alex rolled her eyes, determined not to be phased. "It's complicated."
"So's life. You know, I really should have seen it coming." Lucifer leaned backwards, wings stretching out as he looked up thoughtfully. "I spoke to him in Carthage, you know. Not long before I first met you. Sure, he was determined to be stubborn; a threat to his friends' safety had him angry, but when Meg told me an 'Alex' wanted to see me ..." The devil chuckled, and Alex drew her wings in apprehensively. "You should have seen him, enay. Fists clenched, wings flared — to think just the mention of your name sent him mad." His eyes turned onto hers, and Alex winced at the intensity in his stare. "How long did it take you to say yes?"
"I didn't know what I was saying yes to." Alex tugged on the sheet in frustration, indecision battling in her mind about how much she should reveal. "There was, uh ... some miscommunication between the two of us."
"He tricked you."
"No. I don't think he meant to at all." She pulled on the sheets again, studying the concrete walls around her. Lucifer didn't respond, and she flicked the tip of her wing, uncomfortable with his presence. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the devil shook his wings out, momentarily marveling at the size and power behind them. A thought passed through her brain, the possibility of flying back to Castiel, but Alex dismissed it almost immediately. No. Even if she could get her wings to carry her out of here, she wouldn't win against Lucifer. Alex curled her wings around her, stifling a sigh. All she could do was wait until she could once again be free.
Alex woke up for the third day. Or, at least she thought it was the third day; with no clocks or windows, it was impossible to tell. The room was silent, devoid of the archangel's presence, and the young angel reluctantly slid out of bed, doing her best to ignore the clang of the iron chain against the ground. She sunk down onto the ground as her stomach growled, and Alex grit her teeth to quell the growing hunger. A distraction was all she needed, something to distance her from the lack of food. She pulled one of the books closer and leaned up against the bed, facing away from the door as she opened the front cover. The worn, yellowed margins were filled with ink-scrawled drawings of fantastical beasts, curling around the faded letters.
The door creaked open, and Alex froze, her wings drawing in tightly at the sound; she didn't have to turn around to know who it was. She could feel it in the air. Goosebumps ran up her arms, and Alex quickly dropped her gaze back down to her book as she tried to ignore the approaching footsteps. The bed creaked behind her as Lucifer sat down on it, and she could feel his face peering over her shoulder as he curiously studied the book in her hands. "And how are you doing?"
His voice was calm, polite even, but Alex ignored him. She turned the page and dragged her finger down the text, a visual sign that she was trying to read.
"Are you just going to sit there and read that book again?" Lucifer sighed dramatically, shifting so he was laying across the bed. "That's all you did yesterday." His hand went out, covering the top of the next page as he added, "You know, a real dragon looks nothing like that."
God, doesn't he ever shut up? Alex brushed his hand away so she could continue on with the text, gaze steeling when the devil chuckled; the physical contact had only spurred him on.
"Come on, Alex." Lucifer's voice dropped into a playful whine in her ear. "Talk to me I'm bored." He watched as the young angel's fingers traced over the intricate drawing of a small hatchling, and the creaking of the bed was all the warning that she had before he snatched the book out of her hands and tossed it across the room.
"Hey!" The word exploded from her throat before Alex could stop herself. "I was reading that!" Her head whipped around to glare at the devil. "Seriously! How old are you?" She pushed herself to her feet and stomped across the room, but her journey was cut short by a sharp tug on the chain that almost pulled her off her feet.
"You've read that book three times by now," Lucifer chided, tugging on the chain again as he propped himself up on his elbows. "And if we're on the topic of age ..."
"Let me go!" Alex tried to jerk her leg backwards, the the devil's grip was unmoving.
"Come here." Lucifer pushed himself up into a sitting position, motioning to the ground where Alex had been barely a moment before. The words were light, but the order was clear.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Alex's wings flared out, spreading high into the damp air as her temper exploded. In the next second, the ground was gone as her legs were yanked sharply out from under her, and Alex's back hit the hard stone with a painful thud.
Lucifer was on his feet in a blink of an eye, his wings spanning the length of the room as he stared down at her. "When I tell you to do something, you do it," he growled, and his hand buried itself in her shirt as he yanked Alex back to her feet. The coldness of his touch seeped into her skin, and the young angel's vision went red with fury. She wrenched herself away and lashed out, raking her nails down Lucifer's cheek. Long red scratches welled up on his face, and droplets of blood beaded on the surface.
Alex barely had a second to take in the wounds before she was thrown roughly into the wall. Lucifer held her there, her wings pinned between her back and the rough stone, and her wrists were yanked above her head in one of his hand. "Never do that again." The devil snarled out his words, and Alex struggled, kicking out with her legs. Lucifer stepped closer, using his body to hold her still, and Alex turned her head away to avoid his gaze as she felt the will to fight leave her body, sucked away by his icy chill.
"Well, don't let me interrupt."
Crowley's words had Lucifer pulling away, and Alex drew in a deep, shaky breath. She felt the devil's grip lessen, and she took the distraction to wrench herself free, making it barely a step before Lucifer's hands were around her waist, dragging her back into his chest to keep her near, a grim reminder that she wasn't off of the hook. "Crowley." Malice darkened the devil's tone despite the calmness of his words. "What is it that you want?"
"If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to have a word with her." Crowley motioned to Alex, and the young angel snarled. "Personal business, nothing of concern. However," he was quick to add, "I want to talk to her, but I don't want to deal with her attitude, so if it's not too much trouble, I'd ask that you tie her back up."
Alex struggled, and Lucifer's head dropped down so his lips were near her ear. "Drix, li pas agi," he murmured, and Alex stilled as the Enochian translated in her mind. Relax, my little one. "So let me get this straight." The devil lifted his gaze to address Crowley once again. "You bring me an offering and then wish to use it? Even for you, Crowley, that seems low." Alex growled, and the devil tightened his grip in warning.
The demon seemed at a loss for words, and Alex wiggled her way free from the devil's grasp. "Give me five minutes." Lucifer dropped his arms back down to his side, and his wings stretched out slightly, leaving no room for argument.
Crowley disappeared, and Alex turned to face Lucifer, her feathers ruffling warily to find herself alone once again with the devil. "Listen ..." she began, but she cut off sharply when a push of the archangel's wings had him standing in front of her. She jumped away, wings fluttering angrily as she tried to escape, but the concrete walls hindered her, and she hissed as her wings collided with the stone.
Her hands were captured, twisted behind her back, and the young angel growled in fear as rope bound her wrists. She went limp, falling to the ground, but the archangel picked her up as if she weighed nothing and carried her over to the metal chair. She was dropped in it less than gracefully, and Alex folded her battered wings, the feathers bent and twisted.
Metal legs scraped against the ground as Lucifer pulled up the stool. The scratches on his cheek had faded to thin, pink lines, and the devil rubbed them with a scowl. "If you ever do that again," he warned, "you'll deeply regret it." His fingers moved upwards, swiping through his hair as he added, "There's little beside my mercy that is keeping you alive. Understand?"
Alex let out a quiet hiss, and Lucifer frowned.
"For now, I'll take that as a yes." His gaze danced across her wings, and Alex felt them twitch under his stare. She pushed herself to her feet, and the devil did the same, rising to his feet and shaking out his wings. His eyes flashed, displeased with her brazen move, and Alex stepped back away from his anger.
Her leg caught on the chair, and she tripped, sending both it and her toppling to the ground. Alex twisted, wings flaring out in alarm, and without her arms to catch her, she landed on her bak with a grunt. The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs, and Alex gasped at the pain in her wings from the awkward fall. She rolled onto her stomach, twisting free her feathered limbs.
Lucifer still stood above her, and Alex could feel his curious gaze on her back. Her wings drew in tightly, trying to escape his sight, but the devil dropped down onto his knees beside her, one hand coming out to rest lightly on her back.
The young angel tried to roll away, but the hand was firm, keeping her still against the concrete ground. She tried to draw her wings in and up, an attempt to force him away, but a growl had them falling away. The hand on the small of her back shifted, pressing flatter against her shirt, while the other one came up to her feathers, tugging roughly on a broken vane.
There were words being spoken, quiet and thoughtful, but she couldn't understand them; the Enochian was too complex, too much for her to handle in her panicked state, and she only caught small fragments, a word here and there. Curious. Careful. Quiet. Don't. The devil's hands moved faster, pulling out broken feathers and grime that matted them together. The fingers danced down the arch, pausing where her wings met her back, and the Enochian ceased.
Alex's wings were stretched out across the ground, lax and content, but when Lucifer stopped, they twitched curiously. "You should be careful with your wings." The archangel finally reverted back to English. "They need care." His own wings flared out, covering the light above their heads, and he momentarily reverted back to Enochian, muttering a thought to himself before he drew away. "Our time is up. I believe Crowley wishes to speak to you now."
The chair squeaked as he set it upright, and Alex felt herself pulled to her feet and dropped into the seat. "Wait," she began, but her protest sounded weak. Her wings curled forward, willing back his hands, but she forced them back down when the archangel chuckled.
"I won't be gone long. I must go prepare to fight my brother." Sadness weighed down his wings for the briefest of seconds, and then Lucifer was gone.
The door swung open as Crowley stepped through, his dark eyes darting around the room to verify that the archangel had left. "What do you want?" Alex's teeth bared in a snarl at the sight of him; now that the devil was gone, her rage was returning sevenfold.
The demon sauntered forward. "You should be careful who you piss off," he warned with a click of his tongue. "It's remarkable his temper has kept."
"Yeah, because I'm the one who's the bundle of joy," Alex retorted. "The hell you want, Crowley? Either get me out of here or get the fuck out."
"Ah." Crowley cocked an eyebrow, a look of faux surprise crossing his face at her boldness. "Now, that's no way to talk to your superior, now is it? I thought Lucifer would have you under control by now."
"I thought you'd be dead by now, but alas, here we are." Alex tested her bonds with a frown.
"Now here's what I don't understand." With a wave of his hand, a drink appeared in the demon's hand. "I come in and threaten you with a knife, yet you remain defiant. He wanders in, and poof. Suddenly, you can't find your wit."
Alex scoffed, but when she couldn't find a response in her head, she simply scoffed again. "You said you wanted to talk to me. So ... what?"
"Where's your mate?"
"Cas? I don't know —"
"No. Where's the other one?" Crowley gestured around the room, and Alex felt her face flush furiously when she realize what he meant.
"Lucifer?" The young angel spit on the ground in defiance. "He's not my mate! He's not my anything! And I don't know, okay?" She tugged angrily at her bonds, but they refused to give. "Detroit, maybe? Sam's going to say yes soon." She watched as Crowley's eyes flashed with surprise, and she quickly added, "They have a plan, you moron. They always have a plan. They're not stupid."
"Good." The demon drained the last of his drink. "Because if your mate wins the battle royale ... let's say it won't be pretty for either of us."
The bonds fell away from her hand, and the demon disappeared as Alex leapt to her feet. "Crowley!" The name echoed across the small, concrete room, but the demon didn't return. "Please." Alex's legs shook beneath her, and she slowly made her way over to the small, unkempt bed. Cas? Her head lifted towards the ceiling as she prayed, but no answer came. Where are you? You told me you'd come whenever I needed you. And I ... I need you.