Rubicon
Rubicon
Word Count: 666 LOL
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairing: (Gen) Michael, Lucifer, Adam, mentions of the Winchesters and Death
Warnings: one sentence mention of gore and body horror
Summary: The Mark is a Lock and a Key.
AKA - How Season 10 would have ended if it was up to me which obviously, it wasn't.
"So you have ever heard of the Roman emperor Commodus?" Michael asked. "Youngest consul ever in the Roman Empire?"
"Maybe?" Adam shrugged. "AP World History was a long, long time ago.""He was the son of Marcus Aurelius. Officially, at least." Michael smirked. "He was actually Gabriel's son. That's why he was stronger and smarter than all the other men of the empire. The problems started after Marcus Aurelius died and Commodus became a megalomaniac. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Hercules and ... "
Michael trailed off as the whole Cage began to shake.
"Mikey, are you doing this?" Lucifer asked.
Before he could answer, the rune on the door began to glow.
Adam knew what it was, had his intestines ripped out of his gut and shoved back in through his ear during the argument after Death took Sam.
Lucifer explained that it had once been his mark, that the simple rune held more power than any other symbol in the universe, and held back unspeakable evil from the earth. It was the lock to the other cage, the one that held The Darkness.
Lucifer had accused Michael of using it on this cage just to taunt Lucifer.
Michael said he had been ordered by God to bind the door with that mark. Only God himself, the rings of all four Horseman together, breaking of 66 seals, or the bearer of the Mark would be able to open the door.
The cage shook harder. A low pitched whine filled the air, rising in tone and volume. The mark on the door glowed brighter and brighter, reaching an intensity unbearable even for two archangels who could not be seen by humans in their true form.
The three beings in the Cage fell together into a heap, facedown and huddled for protection against whatever was coming.
When the sound stopped and the light faded, the silence and darkness was deafening.
"Dad?" Lucifer stage whispered.
There was no answer.
The three of them stayed down for a few more moments or maybe it was a few months. After all these years, Adam still had trouble distinguishing the passage of time in the cage occasionally.
Michael rose first, keeping one hand on each of the others' backs until he knew what they were facing.
The problem was, they weren't facing anything.
Well, nothing except an open door.
"How is that possible?" Michael asked in a small, awed voice.
"It's not." Lucifer said, confused. "Death would never reap Cain. He knows what's at stake."
"What is Death is dead?" Michael glanced briefly at his brother before turning back to the open door.
"How can Death be dead?" Adam asked.
Lucifer snorted. "If I had to guess, I'd say a couple of guys who are psychotically, ..."
"... irrationally, erotically codependent on each other." Michael and Adam finished.
The three of them stood staring at the door for a bit longer before Adam asked "Do you really think Dean and Sam could kill Death?"
"I don't know of anyone else who could." Michael said. "Or at least anyone else who would."
"But if one of them was in mortal danger and the other thought it would save him ... " Lucifer added.
The three of them continued to stand there, looking at the door.
Finally, Michael sighed. "I'm going upstairs. See what's going on. See if there's anything left."
"I'm going to do the same on Earth." Lucifer said.
Michael took the first two steps toward the door before he stopped and looked back at Adam. "Come on, Adam. I'll take you back to Heaven. You get your eternity with your mom, kiddo. You deserve it."
Adam stepped forward, but paused when Lucifer spoke.
"You deserve a lot more than that, Adam. You've been here for over 700 years, and this wasn't even your fight. I can't give you those years back. I can't give your mom back. But I can give you Sam and Dean."
Adam turned around and smiled.
"Where do we start?"