Down the Rabbit Hole

Heart of Darkness Part 2

Soundtrack:

Temptations I'm Losing You

Elbow Grounds for Divorce

Ron Pope A drop in the ocean

The following morning Lacey was sat on the sofa in Bobby's living room with Dean when Bobby came up and handed Dean an envelope.
"It's from Crowley." Dean took a piece of paper out of the envelope and studied it for a moment.
"Well... who feels like hog-tying Death tonight?"
"Old age is over-rated anyhow." Bobby muttered to himself as he took the spell back from Dean and began to check off the required items.

"Well, we've got most of this stuff but we're going to have to make a run for a few things." Bobby reported back a short while later.
"Like?"
"Like an act of God crystallised forever."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked as the three of them stared at him blankly.
"I think it means an actual crystal. See, lightning strikes sand at the right angle – it crystallises into the perfect shape of itself."
"Lightning. Act of God." Sam nodded his understanding.
"Jinga. You got yourself a fulgurate and we're gonna need a biggie."
"And let me guess... rare." Dean hypothesised.
"I found records of an auction. Winning bidder lives about nine hours from here."

That night they drove out to the house of the guy who'd won the fulgurate at auction. Dean had asked if Lacey wanted to stay at home but she was adamant about going with them. They parked the car a few houses down and walked the rest of the way. As they were heading across the lawn they heard a shout;
"Hey!" Lacey grabbed hold of Dean's wrist as the security guard pointed his gun at them.
"Excuse me, you got any grey poupon?" Dean asked. The guard stared at him, confused, and Sam hit him over the back of the head, knocking him out.
"Grey poupon? Seriously?" Sam looked at him, dumbfounded.
"It's what popped in my head." Dean shrugged. Dean disabled the security system and the four of them split up to search the house. Dean and Lacey entered a darkened study and Lacey pointed towards the far wall where a large glass case stood. Inside it was the fulgurate. They silently made their way over to it and Dean was about to try and open it when they heard a large click behind them. They spun round to find the owners of the house standing behind them, the husband levelling a shotgun at them.
"Hi, uh... I don't want to hurt you. Really." Dean told them as the two of them held their hands in the air.
"I'm the one with the firearm, son." The guy reminded him.
"I get that."

A short while later the four of them reconvened in the study. The owners were tied to chairs at the back of the room.
"Okay, yeah. Good. Hey guys, uh, so this is Dr and Mr Weiss." Dean introduced them.
"Hi, sorry." Sam gave them an apologetic smile.
"I found the God thingy." Dean pointed out the case.
"Well, let's light this candle." Bobby said as he began to prepare the spell. He said the incantation and a dark, imposing figure appeared before them.
"Um.. Hello? Death."
"You're joking." Death gave them a withering glare.
"I'm sorry, Death. This isn't what it seems." Dean tried to explain.
"Seems like you bound me." Death told him, raising his arms to show a shimmering energy surrounding them.
"For good reason, okay? Just hear us out. Fried pickle chip? They're the best in the state." Dean offered him a paper bag.
"That easy to soothe me, you think? This is about Sam's hallucinations, I assume?"
"What?" Dean looked confused.
"Sorry, Sam. One wall per customer. Now, unbind me."
"We can't. Yet." Sam told him, uncertainly.
"This isn't going to end well." Death warned him.
"We need you to kill God." Dean told him.
"Pardon?" Death raised an eyebrow.
"Kill God. You heard right... your honor." Bobby stumbled over his words.
"What makes you think I can do that?"
"You told us." Dean reminded him.
"Why should I?" Death countered.
"Because.... We said so, and we're the boss of you... respectfully." Dean finished as Death glared at him again.
"Amazing." The four of them whipped round to find a worn out looking Cas behind them.
"Cas..."
"I didn't want to kill you, but now..." Lacey hid behind Dean, her heart pounding in her chest. So this was afraid. She'd only ever been afraid for the people around her, but right now her life was in the balance just as much as theirs and she had no clue what to do.
"You can't kill us." Dean replied.
"You've erased any nostalgia I had for you, Dean."
"Death is our bitch. We ain't gonna die, not even if God pulls the trigger." Dean told him.
"Annoying little protozoa, aren't they? 'God'? You look awfully like a mutated angel to me. Your vessels melting. You're going to explode. " Death warned him.
"No, I'm not. When I've finished my work I'll repair myself."
"You think you can because you think you're simply under the weight of all those souls, yes? But that's not the worst problem. There are things much older than souls in Purgatory and you gulped those in too."
"Irrelevant. I control them." Cas brushed him off.
"For the moment."
"Wait, uh, what older things?" Dean asked.
"Long before God created Angel and man, he made the first beasts, the Leviathans."
"Leviathans?"
"I personally found them entertaining, but he was concerned they'd chomp the entire petri dish, so he locked them away. Why do you think he created Purgatory? To keep those clever, poisonous things out. Now Castiel has swallowed them. He's the one thin membrane between the old ones and your home."
"Enough." Cas dismissed him.
"Stupid little soldier you are."
"Why? Because I dared open a door that he shut? Where is he? I did a service, taking his place."
"Service? Settling petty vendettas?" Death scoffed.
"No, I'm cleaning up one mess after another, selflessly."
"Quite the humanitarian."
"And how would you know? What are you really? A fly swatter?"
"Destined to swat you, I think."
"Unless I take you first." Cas threatened.
"Really bought his oen press, this one. Please, Cas, I know God, and you sir are no God."
"All right, put your junk away, both of you. Look, call him what you want. Just kill him now!" Dean ordered.
"All right, fine." Death made as if to do so but Cas snapped his fingers and Deaths bonds fell away. "Thank you. Shall we kickbox now? I had a tingle I'd be reaping someone very soon." Dean grabbed hold of Lacey and began to back up. "Don't worry, not you." He reached out and picked up the bag of pickle chips and began to eat them as Cas vanished. "Well, he was in a hurry." Death sat down and carried on eating.
"Um..."
"Shut up, Dean. I'm not here to tie your shoes every time you trip. I warned you about those souls how long ago? Long ago to stop that fool. And here we are again, with your little planet of the edge of immolation."
"Well, I'm sorry. All right? I've been trying to save this planet, so maybe you should find somebody better to tip off." Dean suggested.
"Maybe I should spend my effort on a better planet. Well, it's been amusing." Death got up, as if to leave.
"Wait, hold on, hold on." Sam protested. "Just... can't you give us something? You have to care a little about what happens to us."
"You know, I really don't. But I do find that little angel arrogant."
"Great. Let's go with that." Dean nodded.
"Your only hope is to have him return it all to Purgatory. Quickly."
"We need a door." Sam reminded him.
"You have everyting you need at that lab. Get him to return there and compel him to give up the power."
"Compel?" Dean asked.
"Figure it out."
"But that door only opens in the eclipse, and that's over." Bobby reminded them.
"I'll make another. 3:59 Sunday morning, just before dawn. Be punctual. Don't thank me. Clean up your mess. Try to bind me again, you'll die before you start. Nice Pickle chips by the way." Death told them before he disappeared.