Chapter

Chapter 10

Dean had enjoyed running into the low level demons as he’d made his way down past the subway tunnels and into the interlacing network beneath them. He had been counting on the fact that this area was the perfect hiding place for the smarter master demons that were taking their time to build their armies… and he’d been right. As soon as he’d entered the lower levels that weren’t waterlogged, he had felt power wash over him from several directions.

He let his heightened gaze search the dark tunnels curiously. They’d been dug years before by humans and perhaps by a few demons that had survived the demon wars as well. Even now he could feel several demonic guard dogs coming toward him at a rapid pace and a cruel smile appeared on his face as he readied himself.

Dean held his ground as several ugly hell hounds came crawling out of the tunnel to his right. They were using the walls and ceiling… not the floor, and their razor sharp teeth were as long as his fingers. Their blood red eyes glowed from long faces that looked like they’d recently been skinned and were still oozing with black blood.

“Come on you little beasties… I’ve got a doggy bone for you,” Dean said as his Fallen Blade appeared in his hand lighting the darkness around him. It was the first time in a few centuries he’d pulled the weapon and wanted the next couple hours to be the last good deed he did on Earth.

The way he saw it, he could go out with a big bang and kill a bunch of demons while he was at it. With any luck, he’d run into one that was too strong for him to handle alone in his current condition. If it killed him then so be it… that only meant he would get his final wish and the demon thriving inside him would also die before it completely took him over.

He sliced at the first demon that leapt at him relying on the one thing that was working in his favor… the fact that he was pissed off enough to do some major damage to the demon population before he bit the big one. The roar of the demon was silenced as its head went in one direction and its body in another.

Dean brought the blade back around in an ark as the next demon dropped from the ceiling above him. He was a warrior, not only physically but mentally and had anticipated the double attack, leaving three more beasties to try and overrun him.

As he danced with the devils, his mind went back to the real reason he was down here. He had come to terms with the fact that the demon inside was slowly killing him… his only regret would be leaving Kriss behind.

With that thought weighing heavy on his mind, Dean jerked the blade from the last demon and ran his fingers across it to sling the remaining blood against the wall on his left where a group of vampires were about to emerge. He sighed forgoing the use of the blade knowing he wouldn’t need it. He made a small slice across his palm just before the blade vanished and started toward the tunnel willing to meet them halfway.

He wiped his bleeding palm across his other arm and leaned against the brick as if he were exhausted then smiled as the fangers came into view.

“Finally someone that can help me,” Dean pushed away from the wall weakly, making sure they saw the blood. “Can you help a dude out here? I seem to be lost.”

“Sure,” one of the vampires said with an evil smile, “we can make sure you stay lost.”

Dean raised his arms to give them targets as they struck with a pack mentality, each of them sinking their fangs into him simultaneously. It only took seconds before they started burning from the inside out and a moment later Dean was once again alone.

“Hope you enjoyed your lunch guys,” he murmured sarcastically as he flexed his arm already missing the rapid pace his body had once healed.

Hearing a growl coming from right behind him, Dean swung around and came face to face with another hell hound… this one was twice the size of the others. He watched as it dropped from the wall to land right on top of one of its smaller comrades that he had dismembered. At first, he thought maybe it was mourning the death of the other demon but was quickly corrected when it kicked the carcass out of the way with its back feet and commenced to hiss at him like a feral cat.

“No love lost there I see,” Dean taunted wanting to have fun. “Too bad… because I think they miss you.”

Slinging his arm out to the side, his Fallen Blade quickly came back into view. He smiled in its ominous light and crooked his finger at the demon. The hell hound hissed again and leapt at him all fangs and claws and bad breath. Dean’s smile widened showing his top row of teeth as he swung the blade, cutting the demon in half with one powerful stroke.

“Have fun with your little friends,” Dean muttered and started to turn away but paused when he saw movement.

The legs of the demon’s upper body were still twitching and the thing was dragging itself toward him. He arched an eyebrow at the long trail of black blood left on the rock floor behind it. There was a dull flash of light as the lower body disintegrated and what was left of the hell hound reached its sharp claws out for his ankle.

“Won’t you die already,” Dean growled in annoyance.

Raising his hand, he rammed his blade through the top of the demon’s head and out the other side. There was another dull flash and the remains of the demon vanished, turning to ash and quickly forgotten.

Dean again cleaned his Fallen Blade, this time using his jean covered thigh to wipe the blade against. He’d never liked the blade’s light to be tarnished by black blood as the mixture of the two seemed to give off a dark, black light effect. Just call him sentimental, but if this was the last time he was going to use it then he wanted it to shine.

He turned around to continue his tour of the tunnels when an eerie scream echoed so loud that he gritted his teeth waiting on the ear piercing wail to stop. If he’d been human, his ears would have been bleeding from the force of the demon’s nightmarish screech. When it came out of the darkness, he realized the sound affect matched its face. Hell, it had probably accidentally seen its own reflection and been screaming at the horror of it.

“Oh boy,” Dean said maliciously and brought his blade back up suddenly realizing that he was enjoying this a bit more than he should have. “You look like a good time.”

The demon attacked, slashing at Dean with its long black claws. He danced out of its reach wearing a wicked grin. The demon screamed its rage at him again and Dean decided to make things more fun by sending a burst of power through the blade he was holding.

Getting the weapon as close to the demon’s blazing red eyes as he dared, the blade lit up in a blinding flash of pure light then the tunnel was plunged into darkness as Dean put the weapon away. It would be weeks before that demon would be able to see again and he intended to make sure it didn’t live that long… not by a long shot.

“How about a game of tag?” Dean asked and darted past the blind demon to make his way further into the tunnel it had come out of. This demon was deadlier than the hell hounds, so there was a better chance that he’d run into what he was searching for in the direction it had come from.

Another scream echoed down the tunnel as the demon gave chase using its other senses to track him. Not wanting the demon to lose him, Dean began to taunt it over his shoulder.

“Come on ugly,” he called back, “I know you can move faster than that.”

It screeched in fury and with a burst of unexpected speed, it lunged at the voice. Dean dodged the claws coming at him but the maneuver cost him because he quickly found his back to the wall with the demon closing in fast. He made a face at the open mouth full of sharp, crooked teeth.

“You need dental floss,” Dean informed the slobbering monster and quickly got out of its way.

Feeling the demon gaining on him again, he closed in on a sharp turn and used the wall in front of him to flip back and over the enraged demon as it darted beneath him. To his surprise, it turned in mid-skid and reached out with its claws, catching his shirt and ripping it open. This was followed by a crunch as the demon slammed into the wall.

Dean landed hard on his feet facing the dazed creature just in time to watch the wall collapse around it. He didn’t bother looking down at the wound he’d just gotten, he could feel the wetness of the blood sliding down his skin. It was amazing how pain could make you feel so alive and at the moment that was exactly what he needed.

He smiled breathlessly when the demon dug itself out of the crumbled rock that had landed on it. The demonic soul inside him whispered something he couldn't quite make out but the fact that he could hear it at all let Dean know his time was coming to an end. He shook his head deciding he was going to have to stop playing around.

“Come to Papa you ugly son of a bitch,” Dean growled.

When the demon came at him again, he reached out and slammed his hand hard against the demon’s forehead. Another high pitched wail rang through the tunnels as a bright light began to shine through its eyes and lit up the inside of its skull.

The head abruptly exploded, raining black blood and other things all over the walls and Dean. He took a step back and looked down at himself before shaking his arms to get rid of the excess.

“You were a nasty one,” Dean said in distaste before continuing down the dark tunnel in search of something stronger to fight.

***** Kriss hunched down on the roof of a speeding subway train glaring at all the tunnels that shot off in different directions as they passed by. He’d been trying to track Dean down for hours now and so far he hadn’t been able to sense his presence anywhere. It was as if Dean had completely vanished from existence, but Kriss didn’t believe that for a minute. When Dean wanted to hide, then he could do it in plain sight… right under everyone’s nose and they’d never see him.

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration knowing Dean could suppress his aura and power when he wanted to blend in and appear human to the other supernaturals he was walking among. It took a lot of concentration for a Fallen to hide his soul from those who could see such things for even a short amount of time, but Dean had mastered the skill and that was what made him so hard to track.

Kriss narrowed his gaze on a set of tunnels when he felt a high concentration of the demon population but could only sense low levels of individual power. Granted, if enough low level demons teamed up, they could become a force to be reckoned with… and sadly, that seemed to be exactly what they were doing.

He couldn't shake the eerie premonition from his mind. Dean had been in a tunnel… that much he was sure of. Problem was LA had a maze of tunnels under the city streets… everything from sewers to subways spread out in an elaborate network. That puddle of water at Dean’s feet hadn't been sewage so his best bet of finding the other Fallen had been to hit the subways.

Thinking back on the tender way Dean had kissed him before he’d left the apartment now sent chills up Kriss’ spine. Damn him… it had been Dean's way of saying goodbye. Dean must have known what was coming and probably thought he was doing the right thing by cutting him loose. One heartfelt kiss... that was all he got?

“I don’t think so,” Kriss growled as silver bled into the color of his irises. “You’re not leaving me that easily.”

He knew Dean better than Dean thought he did. The self-sacrificing bastard thought he was protecting him by just disappearing without a clue as to what happened to him. Did Dean really think he wouldn’t feel it if he died? A Fallen’s love was more powerful than that and if he found Dean before the knucklehead had a chance to commit suicide Kriss vowed to beat that knowledge into him so hard he’d never forget it.

Jumping off the train at the Second Street Tunnel, he landed beside the tracks out of sight of the multitude of pedestrians waiting for the train at the main terminal. Knowing there had been no humans near the place of the premonition, Kriss turned to the right and started up the tunnel looking for more alcoves and side passages.

He inhaled deeply, praying for even a fleeting touch of Fallen blood in the air. Dean had been bleeding in the vision and that was the scent he was looking for. He closed his eyes in disappointment not finding the one thing Dean could not hide from him.

The sun had come up a few hours ago and above ground the day was bright and beautiful… a stark contrast to the darkness of the subways and the even darker thoughts going through Kriss’ mind.

“Where are you Dean?” Kriss whispered feeling his chest constrict.

Exhaling loudly, Kriss glanced up the tunnel seeing several demons lingering in the entrance of one of the alcoves. He crouched down low to the ground and watched them for a moment. They shoved the smallest one forward, forcing it to do their bidding. The little demon snapped its teeth at them before sticking its head out to look up and down the tunnel as though making sure the coast was clear before completely emerging.

There were five of them all together, low level and appeared to be very afraid of running into something. Kriss’ eyes widened when he caught the barest hint of Dean’s scent coming from their direction. He growled low in his chest and shot forward.

The sound caused the demons to freeze where they were before turning toward him. The first demon didn’t even get a chance to defend itself before it was sliced open by the Fallen Blade that was suddenly glowing brightly in the tunnel. The other four quickly decided it was either kill or be killed and leapt at Kriss in a chorus of shrieks and screams.

Kriss was able to lop off the head of another, but only after they’d gotten a good hold on him. Their claws dug into his skin, ripping at his shirt and jeans, leaving long scratches in their wake. One jumped on Kriss’ back, making him stumble forward. He hissed when he felt teeth bite down on his left shoulder.

The demon suddenly reared back and let go of Kriss, screaming bloody murder. Kriss didn’t pay it much attention after that but from the sulfuric stench he knew it had met its end. The last two didn’t prove to be much difficulty as they seemed to learn from their now dead comrade and were using only their claws as weapons.

Kriss grabbed the closest one by the face and shoved it back into the wall, crushing its skull against the sturdy concrete. Dark blood made a path down his arm to his elbow where it began to drip onto the floor. Keeping a tight grip on its face, Kriss pulled it away from the wall and slung the dead body at the fifth one, forcing both demons to fall off the maintenance walkway and onto the rails below.

The electrical current took hold of them as soon as their bodies touched the rail. The demon that was still alive screamed and arched its back in agony while the dead body merely twitched. Kriss stood above them and stared down impassively while the bodies turned black… cooked by the very electricity that ran through the subway system.

Turning his back on the sight, Kriss strode into the alcove they’d emerged from. He inhaled, craving the scent he’d caught before but now all he could smell was demons. It didn’t matter… Dean had been through here recently and that was enough for him. Feeling demonic eyes on him, his lips thinned and Kriss tightened his grip on the blade daring them to get in his way.

Deep underneath the tunnel Kriss was searching in, Dean slumped against the cold hard rock of another tunnel. A light flickered dimly and he could hear the electrical buzzing sound made by old faulty lighting but it was enough to illuminate the shallow puddle of water at his feet. Dean looked down at his reflection taking a moment to rest.

He’d fought more in the last few hours than he had since the Demon War. His shirt was ripped in places, barely hanging on him along with his jeans. He had blood running from the corner of his mouth, and his eyebrow was bleeding as well. Wiping some of the blood away, he realized the trail of blood was actually a long cut from his eyebrow to the corner of his lips made by a very sharp claw.

He made a face and felt it pull at the wound. His head was pounding and his whole body hurt, letting him know that he was dying and it wouldn’t be long before the ancient demon took him over.

He ignored the pain as he looked down the dark tunnel feeling the more powerful demons scattered throughout the black alcoves. He’d made it into their inner sanctum and was still alive… that was a good sign. He was worn down but refused to be beaten just yet. Not when he was this close to the demons he really wanted to fight.

Kriss’ image tried to flash across his mind’s eye but Dean stubbornly pushed it away. He’d made the right decision to leave when he did. This was something he had to do alone because if Kriss was here… he’d want to fight it until the last breath and it would be the demon inside him that would be the end of Kriss. No… it was better this way.

“Ready or not,” Dean rasped and pushed himself away from the wall and the reflective puddle at his feet, making sure to stomp in it before staggering down the tunnel, “here I come.”

***** Kane and Skye had searched all the local demon hangouts but there was no sign of Michael. Panic was ready to settle in Kane’s mind but he ignored it. There was no sense in panicking when there was nothing to panic about… yet. That and Kane could still sense a tiny part of Michael’s soul that hadn’t been lost to the darkness… now if he could only find it.

“We’re running out of places to search,” Skye said quietly when they came to a stop on the roof of a tall banking building.

Kane sighed, “I know but we’re running out of options. I can still sense him but when I hone in on our link, all I see is darkness.”

Skye nodded, “It’s hard to see the light in a situation if you’re surrounded by darkness.”

Kane stopped and tilted his head to the side with a frown before he slowly turned around and looked at the Fallen.

“What did you say?” he demanded in a whisper.

“I said it’s hard to see the light when you’re surrounded by darkness,” Skye answered with a shrug.

“Son of a bitch,” Kane exclaimed and grabbed his head in his hands before grabbing Skye by the shoulders and shaking him slightly. “THAT’S IT!”

Kane traced from the roof of the bank and Skye immediately gave chase. He didn’t know what he’d said but the expression of relief on Kane’s face was enough to make whatever he’d done worth it.

***** Power, that’s all he could feel… power was everything. Michael laughed breathlessly as he tossed aside another master demon that dared to face him. The crumpled body landed on the underlings that had mistakenly tried to protect it.

Glancing over his shoulder, he regarded the following he’d accumulated since entering these endless tunnels. He didn’t want them… they were weak and useless. Worthy minions would have tried to save their masters instead of standing there and watching or hiding until it was over.

Michael hissed and lunged at them only to laugh loudly when they scattered like rats. He loved it down here and was in no hurry to leave… he might never leave as long as the endless supply of demon blood was flowing through these tunnels like a river.

When he’d first entered the tunnels, it had been dark and dingy but now everything was shiny… even the lovely spider webs that decorated the deepest corners. He held his hand out and let an albino spider crawl onto his palm lifting it so he could look into its red eyes.

His gaze jerked to the wall it had come from. There, somewhere on the other side of the thick rock was another master demon just a touch more powerful than the one he’d just killed. Slamming the palm the spider had been resting on against the rock wall, the narrow tunnel rumbled and shook as the barrier between tunnels collapsed allowing him quicker access to his next victim.