A Call to Arms, part 2
A Call to Arms, part 2
Singer Salvage Yard...
Forty-eight hours from when they'd last seen Bobby, he returned. Sam and Dean didn't say a word when he placed a small bag on the kitchen table. Neither did they speak when Bobby shuffled off to his room without a word. Sam opened the bag and took out the three vials of blood Bobby had collected from Sister Martha Louise.
”Will it be enough?” Dean asked quietly. Sam shrugged. ”Think so.”
”What do we do now?” Dean asked and Sam shrugged again. It was one thing to have the ingredients and spell to open Purgatory, quite another to actually do that. Dean's cell buzzed and he looked at the text, then went out onto the front porch.
”We could fudge one of the sigils, it would be easier Cas,” he said with a smile.
”No. There needs to be a safe haven. Hello, Sam,” Castiel said.
”Hey Cas,” Sam said. Balthazar slipped out of the twilight shadows and came up to Castiel.
”Time?” he asked.
”Nearly, I must speak with Hel first,” Castiel said.
”Then I will follow you,” Balthazar said.
”You can't. It is my...”Castiel was cut off by Dean.
”The hell we're letting you go visit Hel without backup. You coming Sam or want to stay with Bobby?” Dean asked as an afterthought.
”And leave you two to negotiate? Don't think so,” Sam's reply was mocking in tone but not intent.
”Good. That's settled, shall we leave or chat about the weather some more?” Balthazar said flippantly and then sniggered at the faces pulled by the other three.
Inside Hel's Keep...
Since speaking with Eve, Hel had been busy marshalling her forces in preparation for battle. It might not be the Ragnarok of Pagan telling but the alliance between Eve and herself promised the razing of both the Leviathan and Hell. Hel circled the central pool of her private chamber issuing orders to her servants, speaking to her brothers and taking visitors from all the known Underworld Realms.
In the end the access Hel needed to fulfil her bargain with Eve came down to a single sin: greed. Rogue Reapers charged exorbitant fees for ferrying souls across the veil, usually heroic humans trying to please the gods or cheat a demon deal.
The Reapers didn't ask. The only thing they were afraid of was Death finding out about their after-hours activities.
Ajay knew he was done for the moment Hel approached him. Yet pride as well as greed made him agree to her demands. He wasn't so stupid as to argue with one of Death's favourite ambassadors. He sat and watched the Goddess prepare for war.
The waters of the pool rippled once again and four people stepped out onto the chamber floor.
”Well met Little Cousin,” Hel gently mocked Castiel.
”Well met Mistress of Helheimr, Mistress of Nilfheim,” Castiel bowed awkwardly then formally introduced the others. ”This is Balthazar, Angel of the Lord and Sam Winchester, Dean’s younger brother.”
Balthazar bowed as Castiel had while Dean and Sam curtly nodded and tightened the grips of their guns.
”Well met, you shall not need your weapons,” Hel spoke and indicated they should seat. The sudden appearance of chairs and laden table surprised Sam. Dean sat down and started to eat, Sam slapped the food out of his hand.
”Dude?” Dean gestured.
”Persephone,” Sam said gesturing to the food. Dean shrugged. Sam gestured and Balthazar explained.
”Sam thinks if you eat from Hel's table you will be forced to stay here for eternity,” he said dryly.
”This is not Hade's table and you need your strength humans. Eat and drink while I speak with Castiel and his friend,” Hel ordered softly and moved away from the table, the two angels following her.
A friendly nose pushed invisibly against Dean and Sam's legs as Garm took position under the table. Dean began to eat and reluctantly so did Sam. He found he agreed with Dean. The food was good.
Marshalling the Forces...
Hel, Castiel, and Balthazar spoke quietly amongst themselves, Castiel informing the Goddess what had happened since their last meeting. Hel asked how many of Castiel's rebel force would still support him. He answered he didn't know. The Goddess was silent for a long time. Then she rose and spoke with a man wearing a taxi driver's uniform. They shook hands and the man disappeared into the mist.
”My brothers plan to attack Crowley's laboratory. They could use your help, Little Cousin. Vali reports there are Angels joining the demon's forces,” she said, taking her seat once again.
”I'll go,” Balthazar volunteered. ”Don't look at me like that Cassie, you'll be needed elsewhere. Besides if you still have supporters they'll need somebody to boss them around while you're swallowing Monsterland.”
”I'm not swallowing Monsterland. It's...” Castiel began but Hel interrupted him.
”Actually, you are. Or most of it. I have promised to help Eve secure her place as Ruler of Purgatory and kill the Leviathan,” she said matter-of-factly.
”Leviathan? Cas, are you crazy? You know what Eleanor said, they're like the Monsters, monster. Their boogeyman,” Dean said from behind the angel. He and Sam had gotten sick of waiting and come over to join the conversation.
”Is that true?” Balthazar asked looking from Hel to Cas to the Winchesters.
”There is a way to defeat the Leviathan. You need not worry yourselves about that. It is a family affair,” Hel said by way of explanation.
There was silence while all four visitors had a silent conversation of ticks, nods and shrugs. Then Dean asked, “So what do we do?”
Hel rose and with a wave of her hand the surface of the central pool became a giant map of the United States of America. Shadows moved over it constantly. She pointed to Wyoming and the Winchesters recognised the Devil's Trap of Samual Colt.
”There is a portal to Hell within this area and my sources tell me your King of Hell is gathering his troops to this point. I am also informed that Angels are arriving en mass as well,” Hel stated.
”Crowley, son-of-a-bitch,” Dean and Sam said. ”Raphael,” Balthazar and Castiel said.
”Good. You will take care of the Angels and we shall deal with the Demons.” Hel pointed to Balthazar and Sam as she spoke.
”Castiel will be with Crowley as they have planned and Dean shall accompany me,” Hel said and with a clap of her hands the map disappeared and the pool returned to its natural state.
”Wait, just wait a goddamn minute. Let me get this right. You want Castiel to open purgatory and turn himself into a nuclear reactor. What if he blows up?” Dean could not believe what he was hearing.
”Then you will have your Apocalypse, Loki will have his Ragnarok, and Castiel will have died in battle. It is a great honour for a Soldier of the Lord, Christian or otherwise,” Hel said matter-of-factly.
”We're trying to avoid a Second Apocalypse or am I the only one that believes that?” Dean said.
”No, Dean you are not. We need to make sure Crowley and Raphael do not succeed in opening Purgatory and taking the souls for their own usage,” Castiel calmly explained. ”I made this pact with Crowley and I intend to see that he keeps it. Or rather that he doesn't keep it.”
”Cassie, Cassie, Cassie, nobody can accuse you of doing a job half-heartedly. Right, I'll leave you boys to your bickering and go see how many of the folk are still loyal or whether it's just you and lil'ol me,” Balthazar said and disappeared beneath the waters of Hel's pool.
”What did smarty-pants mean by that?” Dean asked Castiel once Balthazar had left.
”I told the truth. I believed it necessary that any who fought beside me knew what I had done and would do to beat Raphael. That their decision be their own,” Castiel admitted.
”Cas, you don't go all 'mea culpa' before a fight. You do it after you've won. You really need to ask me or Sam the next time you try communication about anything to anybody. Got it?” Dean said wearily.
”Yes, Dean,” Castiel said with the smallest of smiles touching his lips.
”Is this how you humans communicate?” Hel asked Sam having watched the exchange with a detached interest.
”It's how my brother communicates,” was Sam's only reply.
Hel arched an eyebrow in distain and then turned back to her preparations. ”When will the spell be performed, Little Cousin?”
”When the eclipse is at its height. Tomorrow afternoon,” Castiel said.
”Then you shall call on me an hour before,” Hel said.
”Yes. Thank-you,” Castiel said.
The goddess said nothing. Only looked at the Angel and two humans standing in front of her. When at last she did speak, Sam thought he detected something like sincerity and sorrow in her tone.
”You should not show false gratitude, Little Cousin. There will be time enough after this battle.” With that she dismissed them from her sight.
It was only after they were back at Bobby's that Dean remembered that he'd forgotten to ask why he should follow Hel and more importantly 'where' he should follow her.
Chapter 10