[Hell's Angel]
An-Nafud Desert, Saudi Arabia
EXT. TENT
The tent was surrounded by torch flames.
INT. TENT
A man in white robes entered the tent, joining three other men who were conversing in Arabic. They sat for a drink, but the tent began to shake as the wind gusted outside.
Crowley arrived and asked in Arabic, "Where is he?"
One of the men gestured the way, pulling back curtain for Crowley to enter. There was another man inside, lying in bed.
"Noel, I came when you asked," Crowley said. "You're looking a trifle peaky." Noel chuckled weakly. "Do you truly have it?"
Noel nodded. "And it's yours... if you hold up your end of the bargain." He got up slowly, sighing with relief at the sight of the contract that Crowley had pulled from his jacket. "I've had a good life... thanks to you. Very few of the world's secrets I haven't cracked. It seemed worth a soul... at the time."
"Oh. It always does."
"Destroy that thing."
"Show me the object first."
Noel nodded to the other man, who opened a wooden box and pulled out an item wrapped in cloth. He showed it to Crowley. "A shofar. The Horn of Joshua, touched by the hand of God." Crowley reached out to take it. "Easy. Easy there."
"It's authentic. I can feel it."
"Now tear that thing up." Crowley broke the contract in half and Noel smiled and sighed with relief. "Thank God. I don't think I have long."
"How very prescient of you."
Crowley twisted his hand and Noel's neck snapped. He was dead. The other man quickly left the room. Crowley picked up the Horn of Joshua and smiled. He pushed the curtain aside and walked into the other room. Four men had guns aimed at him. A man spoke in Arabic. Crowley raised his hands, but did not surrender. As he turned his hands slowly, the men turned to aim their guns at each other, moving against their own control. Crowley dropped his finger and they fired, killing each other. Crowley looked across the room. The four men were bloody and dead.
"Amateurs," Crowley said.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Crowley walked along a dark city street. Torrential rain was falling.
He spoken the phone. "Are you not hearing me? I said I have in my possession the solution to our collective problems. You should be doing a jig."
INT. BUNKER
Dean said, "I don't jig. Now, how do I even know you escaped Lucifer and he's not making you say all this?"
"Honestly, your cynicism is depressing. I'm glad Lady's not around to offer more." A siren wailed in the distance as Crowley ducked into an alley, trying to stay out of sight. "Why would Lucifer force me to discuss the very means of his destruction?"
"What are you talking about?"
"A weapon... one that channels divinity." He glimpsed at a truck coming. There were demons aboard carrying angel blades. They were searching for Crowley who sighed and continued. "Yes, powerful enough to help destroy a force like the Darkness," he teleported to the top of a building site as he went on, "or Lucifer. Tell me you haven't been searching for such a thing."
"A Hand of God? Of course we have."
"Thought as much. St. Louis. The old post office on Beekman." He hung up and watched the truck drive by below.
"Crowley." His phone beeped as the connection ended. "Sam! Natalia!"
INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Amara laid on a table and said weakly, "How do I know that any of this is working? I don't feel any different, for all of your promises. I warn you, I'm not one to be trifled with."
Rowena worked on a spell over Amara's back. "Shh. Mahday, eelohtah, sahn. Serloh, eelohtah. That's enough for now, poor wee thing, but you're coming along. I'll heal you just as I promised."
"And who are you again?"
"One who communes with the natural forces and channels them to help the less fortunate, such as yourself."
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm."
"You're his mother."
"Say what, dear?"
"Uncle Crowley's mother."
Rowena was surprised. "Uncle?"
"He tried controlling me when I was a child. Did he send you to bring me back?"
"Heavens, no. My son and I loathe each other."
"Then why are you helping me?"
"Because you're going to win, my dear. Yes, I know about the grievance between you and your brother and his archangel. I have my own axe to grind with Lucifer."
"You know him?"
Rowena scoffed. "Know him?"
Lucifer snapped Rowena's neck.
"And yet, you live?"
"Aye. Like yourself, I'm a survivor. A hard life has taught me to be prepared. I, long ago, secreted within my person..." she revealed a scar on her right thigh, "... a wee casket of powerful magic."
Lucifer and Crowley left the room, with Rowena dead on the floor. A spell was activated from her right thigh.
"When the spell inside me sensed my life-force ebbing... it went to work." The spell reached her heart and the energy traveled throughout her body. "And I was revived."
Rowena woke with a gasp. Her neck forced itself back into place and she healed, looking furious.
"Where is Lucifer now?" Amara asked. "He's hidden himself from me, and I, too, have a score to settle."
"All in good time. Right now, you're still weak from that pesky angel smiting."
"And you can fix that?"
"Aye, and so much more. You can destroy your enemies and, I imagine, remake the world any way you choose. And I... will be by your side."
INT. ANOTHER ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
There were cobwebs everywhere, so thick that Sam and Natalia got tangled and had to shake the cobwebs off.
Natalia started freaking out, realizing there might be spiders around and Sam pulled the cobwebs off and said quietly, "It's okay. You tell me if you see a spider and I'll get it for you." She nodded her thanks.
Crowley was waiting inside.
"Nice digs," Dean commented. "The Crypt Keeper out of town?"
"I'm lucky to be alive," Crowley replied. "Lucifer had me trussed up like a dog in my own palace."
""Palace"? Oh, you mean the abandoned nuthouse."
"He kept me in a kennel!" Dean, Sam and Natalia smiled, amused. "And he turned all his demons... my demons... against me. They scour the earth, day and night, looking to kill me. He has to be dealt with."
"So is this why you brought us here? Some lousy grudge match with Lucifer?"
"Yeah, where's this, uh, Hand of God you were talking about?" Sam asked.
"I'm getting to that. Your only hope of subduing Amara is to match the level of power that she possesses."
"No kidding," Dean said. "And?"
"And I have the Horn of Joshua."
"Joshua?" Sam repeated. "As in the Joshua that won the battle of Jericho?"
Natalia glanced at her brother. "You know another famous Joshua? Yeah, presumably that Joshua."
"An I'm willing to entrust it to your capable hands," Crowley told them as the siblings shared a skeptical look. "What? I just said I'd give you the thing."
"If?" Sam, Dean and Natalia pressed.
"Is this how you say "thank you"? You think these things grow on body trees?!"
"Cut the crap, Crowley," Dean retorted. "With you, there's always an "if"."
"Fine. I will give you the Horn "if" you help me exorcise Lucifer from Castiel's vessel and then return him immediately to the Cage."
"Oh, that's all? Huh?" Sam asked.
"Okay," Natalia said. "And where is this horn?"
"Safely hidden, naturally," Crowley answered.
"Yeah."
Sam frowned. "Crowley, even if we could exorcise Lucifer out of Cas, the Cage is damn near impenetrable. It took a spell from the Book of the Damned to spring Lucifer, and Rowena hid the book."
"And we would need both the book and her to even have a shot," Dean added.
"Did I say this would be easy? No. I did not," Crowley told them.
"Do you even know where Rowena is?" Sam questioned.
"Rotting somewhere, I assume. Lucifer snapped her neck."
INT. HEAVEN - CORRIDORS
An angel, Jofiel, was checking the doors and suddenly spotted the archangel. "Lucifer."
"Jofiel. How's it hangin'?" Lucifer asked as Jofiel looked around, panicked. "Easy, there."
"So perfect. Castiel, one of Heaven's most wanted, possessed by Heaven's most hated."
"I come in peace. I just want to be a part of the action again. I want to lend a hand."
Jofiel turned and yelled, "Brothers!"
Lucifer snapped his fingers and Jofiel disintegrated into black smoke.
INSIDE
Lucifer addressed a room full of angels. "Okay, guys. So, trying to smite the Darkness was a bust, huh? You had all of the power of Heaven behind you. Couldn't even slow the bitch down. Well, no need to feel like abject losers. You learned a valuable lesson here. You need me." He looked around, waiting for a response from any angel. "All right. Not giddy with awe."
"You... exploded Jofiel," Angel One said.
"Or did Jofiel explode himself?"
"God cast you out of Heaven," Angel Two reminded him.
"And who do you think spread that tabloid headline?" Lucifer straddled the angel as he spoke. "It was Captain G, the Eternal One." He put his face close to Angel Two, intimidating him with gentle forehead bumps. "Because I didn't buy in to His obsessive-compulsive love for mankind."
"Mankind is his creation," Angel One stated.
Lucifer got up and walked around the room. "Oh, come on! It's not like He invented the Prius, which actually works. I don't have to tell you people what a mess mankind is. The Salem Witch Trials... Third Reich..." he saluted and clicked his heals, "... Twin Towers. And, sure, every once in a while, He'll send down a little plague to straighten them out, but it's nothing permanent. Humanity brought us Hiroshima and got a redo. I merely questioned His priorities, and I got the boot."
"He said you're evil," Angel Two said, causing Lucifer to glare.
Angel One spoke nervously. "Incarnate. E-Evil incarnate."
Lucifer smirked. "It's marketing. He's creating a need in the consumer's mind. Can't be a Super Savior if you don't have a Super Villain."
"So, what are you offering?" Angel Three asked.
"Well, a way out of this pickle."
"By "pickle," you mean the Darkness," Angel Two guessed and Lucifer nodded.
"You can reason with her?" Angel Three questioned.
"Well... I doubt that," Lucifer replied. "But I can lock her away. This time for good. Done it before. Oh, Pops didn't tell you that, huh?"
Lucifer grinned. "Oh, I like way you think." He clapped. "Man, am I jazzed! Hey. If it makes you feel comfy, could call me God."
INT. ANOTHER ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Sam, Dean, Natalia and Crowley continued their conversation.
"Hold on, okay?" Dean said. "Let's just put it in reverse. We will put Lucifer back in the Cage after we put Amara back on ice. It has to be in that order, otherwise there is no Lucifer, there's no Cage, there's nothing."
"He's spent years marinating in hate against us!" Crowley yelled. "He has to go."
"Problem is, we may need him," Sam said.
"He's been down this road with Amara before," Dean explained. "He might be the only one powerful enough to use the horn against her."
"He had me cleaning the floors with my tongue!" Crowley cried. "He called me "puppy"! He made me beg! And don't you three have an archangel already? Lady's guardian angel."
"All right. Come on. Is that what this is about? Huh? Your stupid ego? The fact that he dissed you in front of a bunch of stupid demons? You're smarter than this. Come on!"
"Dean's right," Sam told the demon. "Priority is to put the Horn in Lucifer's hands and set him loose on Amara. Rae isn't strong enough. It has to be Lucifer."
"After we exorcise Lucifer out of Cas and put him into a new vessel."
"What? Really?"
"Yes, really. We're not gonna send Lucifer into battle inside Cas. What if he doesn't make it?"
"Dean, it's a strong vessel. It's held Cas for years, and we know what he's been through. I'm guessing it can hold Lucifer."
Natalia shook her head and narrowed her eyes. ""It"? It's not an "it," Sam. It's Cas."
"And Cas wanted to do this."
"Yeah, well, there's times I want to get slapped during sex by a girl wearing a Zorro mask," Dean said. "That don't make it a good idea."
Natalia glanced at her eldest brother. "I did not need to know that."
Sam looked between his siblings. "Dean, Natalia, this is exactly how we screw ourselves. W-We make the... the heart choice instead of the smart choice."
"Oh, okay," Dean replied. "Thank you, Dr. Phil. Cas is family."
"Yes, and his choice deserves to be respected."
"Even if it kills him?" Dean and Natalia asked.
"It's killing me," Crowley commented. "I would rather stick white-hot skewers in my eyes than listen to you three bitches bicker! I have you the terms of my deal. If Lucifer's not back in the Cage, the Horn stays hidden."
INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Rowena continued working her magic on Amara and said, "The vessel is healing nicely. Soon you'll be shipshape and Bristol fashion."
"You seem pleased with my progress," Amara noted. "But I don't sense in you the capacity for kindness or... concern."
"Kindness gets you a hug, not a seat at the big boys' table."
"And what is it you want?"
"Oh, like yourself, I want revenge on Lucifer. But more than that, I want to be there when you remake the universe to your taste."
"Oh? I'm told my tastes run towards the catastrophic."
"Aye. The Winchesters say you are all about destruction."
"The Winchesters are right." Rowena began looking worried. "But... what they call "destruction"," she sighed, "I call renovation. My blueprints. Not God's."
"That's my girl. Do things the way you would have done them."
"I will. And where do you fit into that?"
"Oh, I can be useful. Provide you with information on the troublesome brothers and sister and Lucifer... their plans. And even if it is born out of my own self-interest, I... I care about you. I'm someone you can talk with. Confide in. Have you... have you ever had that?"
"I've always been alone."
"Oh, you don't have to be, darlin'!" She reached to touch her cheek and Amara moved away, staring at Rowena. Rowena moved her had away and wiped her forehead with her finger.
"Well... whatever you're doing, it seems to be working. Maybe I should try a little test."
INT. HEAVEN - ROOM
The angels began leaving and Lucifer stood by the door saying, "Thank you. Hey, I like your spunk. There's always room for a go-getter in my organization."
Lucifer grabbed Angel One by the shoulder and dragged him back. The angel was breathing heavily, slightly panicked as Lucifer said, "Hey, I know I can count on you. But what about your people? They on board, or we need to do a little wing-twisting?"
"I'll have to think about it..." Angel One replied nervously.
"Don't you think about it too long. You know what they say... he who hesitates..." he snapped his fingers, "... disintegrates."
INT. ANOTHER ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Sam, Dean, Natalia and Crowley continued their conversation.
"You know, this is a dick move, Crowley," Sam said. "Even for you. You're not being reasonable."
"I don't have to be reasonable," Crowley retorted. "I'm the king."
INT. HEAVEN
Lucifer spoke to an angel. "You look great. You been working out?"
INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Rowena watched as Amara closed her eyes and spread her arms out.
"HEAR ME!" Amara yelled.
A pulse of energy enveloped Amara, and erupted from her. Rowena looked on in fear.
In Heaven, there was a loud rumbling, the walls shook, and the lights flickered. Angel One saw a black cloud propelling itself down the corridor. He turned and ran.
In the warehouse, Sam, Dean, Natalia and Crowley heard loud crashing coming from outside.
"What the hell was that?" Dean and Natalia wondered.
INT. HEAVEN
The angels were panicking. They ran back to the meeting room as the black cloud enveloped them. Lucifer stood in the doorway, smiling. He put an arm up to defend himself from the impact. The angels were thrown around the room, including Lucifer, but he just smiled, knowingly.
EXT. ANOTHER ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Sam, Dean, Natalia and Crowley walked outside and looked at the sky, which was stormy. Lightning broke through the swirling clouds while thunder crashed.
"You know what, fellas, sis?" Dean said. "I think that's her."
INT. HEAVEN
The angels got to their feet, checking with each other to make sure they were all okay.
Lucifer spoke. "Well, that... was a little payback, ladies and gents. I don't think Auntie Amara appreciated your little half-assed smiting. And, uh, guess what... this... this is just a teeny test of what's to come. So, clearly my expertise is gonna come in handy. 'Cause God knows what's next. Ouch. I almost forgot. Um... God doesn't care."
INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Rowena looked at Amara in fear and awe.
Amara chuckled. "Okay. I'm back."
INT. ANOTHER ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Sam, Dean, Natalia and Crowley went back inside.
Sam said, "Okay. So now we all just saw what happens when she's in a bad mood, which, apparently, she's been in since the dawn of time."
Dean frowned slightly. "I think she just rattled Heaven with a flick of her pinkie finger. That's not a big enough does of reality for you?"
Rowena's head was stretched back and her eyes were white. She was listening in on the hunters and her son.
"Why are we arguing?" Crowley asked. "We all know that he has to go back in the Cage.
"Yes, when it makes sense. Amara's the big picture here now, okay? Look, in order to take her out, Lucifer has got to have the Horn of Joshua. He does her, we do him. Check, please."
Rowena gasped as she came out her trance.
"Well?" Amara asked. "What are the Winchesters planning to do?"
"Mm, nothing," Rowena lied. "Paralyzed with fear. They don't know what to do."
"You're right. You're actually handy to have around." She patted Rowena on the face.
Rowena's tone was relived. "Thanks. Lovely of you to say."
INT. ANOTHER ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Sam, Dean, Natalia and Crowley were still arguing.
"Crowley, ticktock," Dean said. "You with us?"
"The crux of your dispute is your contention that Lucifer, and only Lucifer, can use the Horn to beat Amara, right?"
"You got it."
"Well, that scenario only works if you actually possess said Horn, which you do not."
"No, we don't," Sam replied in a frustrated tone. "But you do, so..."
"Exactly!" Crowley yelled. "I do! This isn't a negotiation. I have the high cards, and you have... Hold on. Give me a second. Let me have a look... no cards! My offer stands."
Dean frowned. "When we sprung Lucifer from the Cage, we had Rowena and the Book o the Damned. Both of which we will need to put him back in the Cage, both of which are gone."
Sam and Natalia noticed spell-work appearing on an old safe and called, "Guys."
"Back to you," Dean told Crowley.
"Guys," Sam and Natalia repeated in a louder tone. "Look at this..."
The spell-work revealed the words: BACK FROM THE DEAD FERGUS!
INT. CHURCH
Dean spray-painted warding onto the floor. Sam held a wooden cross. Rowena lurked in the background and waved to the siblings.
"I hate this," Sam and Natalia muttered.
"Yeah," Dean agreed.
"And, by the way, where the hell is Crowley?" Sam wondered. "I mean, we're essentially all set up."
"Yeah, I mean, he's the one that boxed us into doing this. You'd think he'd have the decency to..."
"Show up?" Crowley finished. "He does. Because without the bait, well... a trap really isn't a trap, is it?"
Sam scoffed and pointed at the Horn of Joshua. "That's it? Doesn't look like much, does it?"
"First impressions can be deceiving, Moose. For instance, I once thought of you as dull and plodding." Sam glared. "Oh, never mind. Bad analogy."
"For the record, we still think this is a bad idea," Dean said. "We should be using Lucifer, not icing him."
"I'm aware. So I'll be standing right here should you hesitate. The hand that giveth can so quickly taketh away."
"Yes, we getteth that."
"So, Mummy, you were telling us your fascinating tale of resurrection. But you never did say exactly where you'd been this whole time."
"Same as you, Fergus. Hiding," Rowena replied. "Once the Dark Prince knew I was alive, I wouldn't be."
"No mucking about like last time. The warding and the holy fire won't keep an archangel but for a moment. If he shows up at all."
"Oh, he'll show," Dean told her. "He's too hungry to take Amara out, and we've got the blaster to do it." He tossed a match into the potion to begin the spell. He read from a parchment. "In nomine magni dei nostri Satanas, introibo ad altare Domini Inferi. I summon you to make an offer. The weapon by which its bearer can crush the Darkness forever."
Thunder crashed. Sam and Natalia looked around. Rowena left the room to hide behind the door, terrified. Lucifer appeared, standing on the painted warding.
"Sam, now!" Dean yelled.
Sam lit a match and dropped it onto the holy oil, which lit into a ring around Lucifer, trapping him. He smirked and looked at Sam, who was also scared. Natalia was nervous, trying not to show it.
"I'm sorry," Lucifer said. "Your prayer implied that I'd be... joining the team, but I'm just not feeling the warm and fuzzy here." Dean, Sam and Natalia glanced at one another as Lucifer noticed the Horn. "Wow. There it is. Powered up by Dad himself. Well, that bad boy plus me... That ought to take her out all right." He clapped and rubbed his hands together in glee. "Let's get to it. Douse the flames." He snapped his fingers impatiently. "Or don't?"
Dean cut his hand and pressed it against a spell etched onto the wall. Lucifer started to shake as Castiel woke inside him.
"Cas!" Dean called. "Castiel, show yourself!"
Castiel breathed heavily. "Dean?"
"Cas."
"What are you doing? What's... What's going on?"
"Cas, listen to me. We don't have a whole lot of time, okay? You have got to..." Castiel writhed and shook as Lucifer regained control. "Cas." Lucifer continued to struggle, grunting and writhing. "Castiel, show yourself!"
Lucifer laughed with glee. "Oh-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whoo! Uh, he's got to what? You boys and girl..." he laughed, "ooh, you almost had me there for a minute, but these mail-order spells... they're just not what they're cracked up to be, are they?"
"Cas, expel him! You got to kick Lucifer out! Do you hear me?!"
"Honestly, I think he's happy with the arrangement. I mean, he did invite me in and all, Dean."
"Cas!" Dean and Natalia yelled desperately.
"Cas!" Lucifer cried mockingly, causing Dean and Natalia to glare at Lucifer in frustration and anger. "Hand over the weapon. What do you say? Or we can just wait for this warding to fall and I'll take it."
The spell-work died and the warding began to fail.
"Bloody hell," Crowley muttered.
Crowley smoked out of his meat-suit and entered Lucifer. Sam, Dean, Natalia and Rowena watched in astonishment.
---
Crowley entered Castiel's mind while the angel sat in the bunker watching TV.
"Is it going to be all right?" the TV announcer asked.
"It's going to be all right," the crowd replied.
The TV announcer laughed. "Ha, ha, ha, oh, you bet. Dear friends, it is going to be all right. It's going to be all right tonight."
"Castiel?" Crowley called.
"Oh, Crowley," Castiel noted. "What are you doing here?"
Castiel looked about the room. "Is this the Winchesters' kitchen?"
"Sort of. I come here in my mind to pass the time. For some reason, it has excellent reception."
"What's wrong with you? What has Lucifer done to you?"
"Well, he mostly just leaves me alone. I'm just waiting here, you know, for the battle with the Darkness."
"He's really got his hooks in you. Snap out of it. Do you know what's happening out there? The Winchesters have trapped the abomination so that you can expel him so that they can put him back in the Cage..."
"Well, that doesn't sound like a very good idea."
"In your current state, you're in no position to judge."
"Wait. That was Dean and Natalia I saw a minute ago, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"And they want me to expel Lucifer?"
"Yes!"
Castiel laughed. "Ha, ha, ha! Well... they may have a more objective view of the situation. Maybe I should."
"So, let's do it now before it's too late."
"It already is," Lucifer said with a sigh. "Really, Crowley? You want to put me back in the Cage? Well, I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you."
INT. CHURCH
Sam frowned. "You know, he's been gone a long time. I mean, what do you think is going on?"
"I don't know," Dean replied. "Maybe Cas isn't willing to play ball. I mean, you said it yourself... he wanted this."
"Can't you people do anything right?!" Rowena cried. "Whilst all this dithering goes on, we're losing time! Look... the warding's beginning to fail."
"Come on, Cas," Dean and Natalia muttered. "What the hell?"
INT. CASTIEL'S MIND
Lucifer tossed Crowley across the room as he said, "You second rate bean counter." He picked Crowley up again and tossed him onto the table, barely missing Castiel's TV.
"Aah!" Crowley cried.
"Guys, you're gonna break something," Castiel told them.
INT. CHURCH
Sam, Dean, Natalia and Rowena heard a sizzling noise. They turned to see that Crowley had sent them a message, burnt into his meat-suit's forehead: HELP ME.
INT. CASTIEL'S MIND
The fight between Lucifer and Crowley continued. Lucifer smashed a glass on Crowley's head before saying, "You wanted my throne. You plotted to replace me!"
"Aah!" Crowley cried again.
INT. CHURCH / INT. CASTIEL'S MIND
Sam grabbed the cross and held it up to Lucifer as he recited an exorcism from memory. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas..."
"As if ambition and posturing were the same as majesty!" Lucifer yelled, grabbing Crowley in a throat lock and began lifting him off the ground. Crowley groaned.
"... omnis incursio infernalis adversarii. Omnis legio! Omnis con..."
"Everyone in Hell despises you and sees you for exactly what you are... nothing."
"... potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii. Omnis legio! Omnis congregatio et secta diabolica! Ergo, Draco maledicte et omnis..."
The chanting continued in Castiel's mind, and he looked up from the TV. Crowley and Lucifer also heard the chanting.
"... legio diabolica, adiuramus te! Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii. Omnis legio! Omnis congrgatio et secta diabolica! Ergo, Draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adiuramus te!"
Dean and Natalia tossed holy water onto Lucifer as Sam continued the chant. Suddenly, red smoke exited from Lucifer and Crowley was back in his own meat-suit, gasping.
INT. CHURCH
"Crowley," Sam noted.
"Useless," Crowley said. "Lucifer's hold on him is too strong."
"Lads, lady, the fire!" Rowena screamed.
"Ah," Lucifer stated. "Trick me? You lied to me. You know, I could have been your warrior." He smiled. "Ah. Who needs ya? Well. It's just like Crowley to leave right when the party's getting started. Have a seat." He motioned to Sam, Dean and Natalia, without control, forcing them to sit. "As much as I get a giggle out of you three, and I do, there comes a time when every relationship has... run its course. So..." He closed his fist and Sam, Dean and Natalia began choking; they gasped and struggled for breath as he gripped them tighter and tighter, smirking. Rowena was still hiding, terrified. Suddenly, there was an explosion and a gaping hole appeared in the church. Lucifer turned to see Amara enter the room.
"Oh, Lucifer," Amara said. "Dear nephew, how you've changed." Lucifer smirked. "I was tracking her," she indicated Rowena, "when she left my side."
"You were safely sealed away. You're gonna wish you'd stayed there."
Lucifer held up the Horn of Joshua and it glowed red as he absorbed its power. His eyes turned white and he conjured a ball of fire into his hand. He aimed it at Amara and threw a beam of white light to engulf her. But then, as the light died down, Amara remained standing, without a scratch. She lifted her hand and drew Lucifer effortlessly towards her. He dropped the Horn of Joshua.
Amara cupped a hand on Lucifer's face as the siblings watched on in astonishment and she said, "I think you and I need to have a nice, long chat."
"Cas?" Dean and Natalia yelled.
Amara turned to look at Dean and Natalia. She raised a hand to release Dean, Sam and Natalia from Lucifer's grip. There was a blinding flash of light which enveloped Amara and Lucifer. They disappeared. Rowena made her exit, while Sam, Dean and Natalia looked at each other in a combination of relief and disbelief.
INT. BUNKER
Sam brought a beer to Dean and Natalia. They'd been drinking for awhile, as there were several empty beer bottles on the map table.
"So, Rowena and Crowley... like mother, like son, huh?" Sam said. "They both took exactly one split second to take off when things started going south."
"Yep," Dean and Natalia answered.
"Here." He handed a beer to Dean and the other to Natalia. "By the way, what's Rowena doing with Amara?"
"My guess... she's playing the odds," Dean replied. "When sucking up to Lucifer didn't work to, maybe she thought Amara was the best bet. Then she heard Lucifer had a shot, so she switched horses again."
"I thought Lucifer had a shot. Apparently, uh, archangel plus God power doesn't trump God's sister."
Natalia frowned slightly. "But if the thing has to be used by God's chosen, then maybe an archangel who got the boot doesn't qualify. Either way, horn's out of ammo, so..."
"So, back to square one."
"Yep," Dean and Natalia confirmed with a sigh.
"Listen, um... I know I came down on the side of wanting Cas to deal with Amara, so..."
"Well, that's what he wanted, though, right?" Dean said. "Besides, didn't we say that we were gonna swear off getting in the way when one person makes a choice the other doesn't agree with?"
"Yeah, um... Yeah, we did say that."
"So..." Dean and Natalia began.
"Okay. So, that's our policy."
"Which sounds damn good."
Sam chuckled and Dean continued. "Well, let's go find that idiot and bring him home. Nat, call Rae or pray to her or whatever, let her know we're bringing Cas home."
Dean rolled a ball across the table to knock over the empty beer bottles.
INT. ROOM
Amara threw Lucifer against the wall.
Lucifer breathed heavily and said, "Okay. Okay. Look, I know you have a major beef with me. You probably want to finish me. But you may want to rethink your position. 'Cause I could actually be of use to you."
"Really?" Amara questioned.
"You hadn't considered? We both have an axe to grind with God. I know his soft spots. He can't handle us both."
"Do you, for one moment, think that I would actually consider trusting you for anything? I did trust you once. You and my brother conspired to seal me away for eons. But you're right. You might be of some use to me."
"All right. Good. Now we're talking." He started approaching Amara, but she swiftly threw him back against the wall.
She held her hands up towards him. "As God's favorite, his first son, you may be the one thing in all of creation that he still cares about, the one thing that could finally make him show himself so that I can confront him and he can acknowledge the wrongs he's done to me. And then he can witness the utter destruction of all his creation... before he himself is swept away."
Lucifer smirked. "You're expecting him? Oh. Well... I wouldn't wait up. I'm pretty sure he caught the last train out."
"Well... we'll see, won't we?" She turned and pointed at Lucifer to torture him. Lucifer was enveloped in a white light and screamed in terrible agony.