Lazarus Falling [Supernatural]

Chapter Five - The Devil You Know

Sam walked up the stairs of the abandoned hotel with trepidation, the demon blood he had recently consumed coursing through his veins.

Detroit. That was what Lucifer had said. He would give up his freedom in Detroit.

That night had been one of the most terrifying and heartbreaking of his life. Jess. Lucifer had used her to get at Sam, and even though the hunter pretended it didn't faze him, it really, truly did.

She had looked so beautiful, her blond hair curling against the pillow and her dark eyes fixated on him. She was just the same as she had been years ago, before she was brutally murdered. Jess had taken his hand and laced their fingers together, and for a moment, Sam had believed that she was alive. Then she spoke words that cut like knives, and he knew that it couldn't really be Jess. "I was dead from the moment we said hello," She had said, and although Sam wanted to deny it, he knew she was right.

Of course, it hadn't been Jess in front of him. It was Lucifer, who had come in the middle of the night to profess that Sam was his vessel. Sam was the one who he would possess and use to destroy the world.

Of course, Sam had vehemently disagreed and swore that he would never let such a thing come to pass.

But now he knew that sacrificing himself over to evil might be the only way to save the world. He slid his hand into the pocket of his jacket, his fingers closing around the cluster of rings. The rings of the Four Horsemen, whose combined power would open a gateway to the Pit. They hadn't been easy to obtain, and the battle had been a struggle so far. Everyone except Sam was dead, even Bobby. It would have been a lot easier if Dean had been there, and maybe some of their allies would have survived.

Sam scoffed lightly and bitterly. No doubt they would have needed an angel for that, but no one was on his side.

He was truly, properly, alone.

Never mind that, Sam reminded himself, pushing his wounded thoughts to the back of his mind. There was no time to wallow in self-pity. Something had to be done, and so help him, Sam would not back down.

Sam walked down the hallway slowly, finally finding an open door. He stepped into the room, wincing as he heard a floorboard creak.

But Lucifer didn't even turn around. He was staring out the window, or rather, he was staring at the ice that coated it. With a cruel-looking set to his lips, he drew a pitchfork in the frost with his finger. Sam shivered, pulling his jacket closer to him against the cold. A few demons stood there, shrouded in darkness. They didn't stop Sam as he tried to approach, though, which filled Sam with leaden dread.  They know why I'm here.

"People always assume it's hot around me. That Hell is filled with scorching fire. But it's not so."

"Hell is cold," Sam murmured curiously despite himself, a phrase from one of Bobby's long-forgotten books finding its way into his mouth.

"Dante," Lucifer chuckled. "Now, there was an interesting man. I'm impressed, Sam, you certainly know your classic literature."

The fallen angel turned to face Sam then, his vessel's features cast in the pale, weak light. Sam sucked in a mildly disgusted breath.

The vessel, whoever that poor man was, was falling apart. Large red sores, not unlike scabs, covered a good percentage of his face. He looked weak, pale, and tired, too tired to carry on. Not unlike how Sam felt, actually.

"As you can see," Lucifer gestured to his vessel's face distastefully. "This vessel is not of the best quality. But you are.  Now, before you consent, I need a test of your strength. No good finding another vessel, only to have it be as weak as Nick."

Sam took a deep breath, filing his fear away into some dark corner of him. A test of strength? He could do that. "What should I do?"

Lucifer shrugged, his gaze resting on each of the silent demonic sentinels in the room. "Kill all of them. Be sure to use your powers."

Sam looked around, surprised that none of the demons seemed upset or even remotely fazed by Lucifer's order. He reached out with his mind, grasping all of the compliant demon souls that lingered in the meatsuits' bodies. He forced the kill intent into them, sparking a lightning storm inside each of the demons' chests. They were dead in a matter of seconds, all thudding against the dusty wooden floor with a resounding thump.

"Nice job," Lucifer nodded, looking relatively impressed. "Now, what are you waiting for?"

Sam tried to say that hateful word: yes. But the sound seemed to stick in his mouth and he remained silent, shoving his hand in his pocket and clutching the rings.

"You're afraid, Sam, I know. But this was meant to be," Lucifer whispered in a frighteningly comforting tone. Sam felt his muscles relaxing...then stopped himself. He couldn't afford to lose focus, not on a mission as important as this. "This was always going to happen. It was always going to be Detroit," Lucifer continued.

Sam nodded slowly. "I know." He swallowed nervously, blinking away the tears welling in his eyes. He tried not to think of Dean, who would be devastated that Sam planned on sacrificing himself to stop Lucifer. Finally, he found enough courage to say it: "Yes."

A brilliant white light blazed with the force of a thousand suns as Lucifer took hold of Sam, his new vessel. Sam could feel the power of the devil burning cold fire in his very blood, searching out every ounce of control Sam had. But before Lucifer could lock Sam within his own mind, he threw the cluster of rings at the far wall and shouted the incantation.

The reaction was instantaneous. The wall fell away, and a gaping black pit took its place. Sam/Lucifer could feel the rush of cold wind funneling upwards from the Pit. Sam tried to force Lucifer into the mouth of the yawning hole, but was suddenly bombarded by images of Lucifer, trapped and alone for thousands of years, roaring his rage at the heavens. As Sam/Lucifer stepped back, Sam realized just how much he had underestimated the master of evil.

Lucifer held his hand out, now fully in control of Sam's body, and willed the cluster of rings to come to him.

"Thanks, Sam, for bringing the rings of the Four Horsemen to me. This could prove useful in the upcoming battle...I personally think the Pit is the perfect place to store Michael away for a little bit. What do you think, Sam?"

Sam wasn't thinking about any of what Lucifer had just said, though. He was locked in a dark corner of his mind, terrified of what the fallen angel had in store for him and for the world. I have truly failed. What little piece of him that was still him curled up inwardly against Lucifer, trying to block all thought, all noise, all sight.

He just wanted to sit in the dark for a while and mourn his world.