The Runt of the Litter

Control Is a Precious Commodity (Part IV)

Note: hello hello, here's the rescue you've been waiting for <3

Control Is a Precious Commodity (Part IV)

Anna is in the middle of a silent staring contest with the Devil when she hears a knock at the door. Four beats, rhythmic. It's Sam, Dean, or both. Possibly unarmed, definitely reckless. She closes her eyes, sensing defeat.

Lucifer moves for the door with this horrible grin, and Anna watches him open it. She sees both her brothers' eyes search for her in the room. But they're both pinned to the wall before they find her.

"Not even a hello?" Dean asks with feigned nonchalance.

Anna can hear his fear, can see it. That's rare for them. It's Dean's way to only show her vulnerability when he knows she needs it. But she catches his eyes, and he repairs his expression. It bolsters her, gives her a brand new strength. She isn't alone anymore, and that means a lot. It means everything. They can get out of this.

She can see something else in Dean's eyes now. Confidence. There's a plan. She can't imagine what it is, but she's not about to start doubting her family now. So, she tries to convey her trust in one look. But she's pulled from the moment all too quickly. Dean's eyes break from hers as Lucifer leans past him and grips Sam's chin tightly.

The devil's eyes flash red, and he laughs. "Here's what I'm thinking, Sammy." He straightens and makes a pyramid with his fingers, tapping them against one another. "Last time we met like this, you were a real jerk. Course, I was in a cage, and there was a time limit on the whole thing. Not exactly what I'd call fair odds." Lucifer wags his finger at Sam, then whirls around and points at Anna, giving Sam and Dean a clear view of her tied to a chair. "Now, I've got nothing but time. And I thought we'd play a little game. For old time's sake."

"Screw you," is all Sam has to say. Anna can't help the hint of a smile she gives in return. But it only serves to make Lucifer chuckle.

"There's that fire I love beating out of you," he tells Sam.

Anna's smile disappears. She twists her hands against the armrests of the chair, but it's useless. Even if she could get free, Lucifer is too powerful to escape. He would trap her again, ropes or not.

"What's your game," Dean demands, gritting his teeth in clear anger.

Lucifer looks at Dean for just a moment, seeming irritated by his very presence. He turns to Sam again. "The game is would you rather," he answers.

Anna can instantly see the dread enter her brothers' faces. Lucifer wants something from Sam, and he's got all three of them at his mercy. Whatever their plan is, Anna hopes the boys hurry the hell up with it.

"So, Sammy," Lucifer says, pulling an angel blade from the table nearby. He runs the tip of the blade over his finger, admiring the weapon with a morbid smile. "Would you rather let me in," he steps behind Anna's chair and presses the tip of the blade to her throat. "Or watch your sister bleed?"

Anna swallows, heart thudding like a pill caught in her throat, but keeps her expression carefully blank. She can feel the heat of Lucifer's breath on the back of her head, and the cold metal against her neck is painfully familiar. Anytime now, guys, she thinks and twists her hands subconsciously one more time. Sweat is making the rope slick, but it doesn't give her any leeway. All it does is make her raw wrists burn every time they twitch.

Sam is surprisingly calm when Anna's eyes meet his. He's asking her for something– confirmation, she thinks, that she can handle this for a minute. Anna's scared, and she knows she's crap at hiding it from her family. But she hopes her trust comes through as strongly as her fear.