The sky above was grey. Clouds were packed together, and thunder roared. When the first bolt of lightning struck, the children screamed and cowered together, hiding under whatever they could find. The few adults that were present tried to shield the windows, but they were too high up, and there were no curtains in the church. Allegra had brought them there after the animals died. The hallowed ground of the church would keep them safe for now. At least, she hoped it would. None of the adults or children present had shown any signs of possessions. And she couldn't see a demon face on any of them. Her plan was working so far. She clutched the Staff tighter, lowering her head in prayer.

Please. If anyone hears me... if anyone cares... Please don't make me do this again. So many innocents will die. This can't be His plan. Don't make me live with this.

"Why is this happening?"

Allegra looked down at a little girl no older than seven or eight. She had her arms wrapped around a teddy bear and looked up at Allegra with frightened eyes.

"Is He angry with us?"

The girl turned her head to a painting of Christ on the cross. The reverend was seated underneath it, his head in his hands. The poor guy was trying to figure out what was going on, just like everyone else. When the girl's clear voice spoke, he looked up. Everyone did. They all looked at the mysterious woman who had appeared out of nowhere with a weird-looking stick in her hand and who apparently knew all about what was happening. Allegra bit her lip and knelt down on her knees. She caressed the girl's face and mustered a smile.

"He's not angry. Not with you or anyone here. But there are some very bad people living in this town, and He's doing this to make them leave."

"Are you here to help?" asked the girl.

"I... I am here to get rid of the bad people," said Allegra with a broken voice.

That seemed enough for the girl. She let go of her teddy, holding it only with one hand, and her arms went around Allegra. She froze at the child's gesture, barely managing to keep her composure as pushed the girl away as gently as possible.

"Stay here. Be good."

The girl nodded and ran back to the group of children she'd been with earlier. Allegra used the Staff to pull herself up and directed the entire group.

"Don't go outside. It's not safe for you. Please stay here. I'll be back shortly."

She walked towards the church's entrance. She opened the door and stepped outside just as another lightning strike lit up the sky. The first hailstones were coming down as well. With the door behind her firmly shut again, Allegra could finally let her tears run free. She dropped the Staff and slid down against the door of the church, crying for the lives already lost and for the innocent ones bound to die soon. All because of her.
Another bolt of lightning came down. In that brief moment, Allegra looked up, and between her tears, she thought she saw someone in the convenience store across the street. She narrowed her eyes. There was definitely someone in there. Several someones, in fact. And they were fighting, all ganging up on the person furthest in the back. Was it...? 

Oh God, no...

***

Dean was cornered. There was nowhere to run. He'd emptied his gun on the first four boil-infested sons of bitches who tried to get him. His other gun had been knocked out of his hand by a fifth one who'd gotten the drop on him and who called in help from his buddies. All he had left now was a machete strapped to his back. But they didn't give him the chance to reach for it. 
Dean was left with no alternative but to punch and kick his way out. But between the lightning and hailstorm that was going on outside, or the three bastards that were still left standing inside, there was no way he was gonna get out of this one unscathed. He already had a cut on his chin, and he could feel warm blood on his brow too. Not to mention he probably cracked a rib or two when the biggest and ugliest guy threw him against the vegetable stand. 

Just when he was about to pull a major Chuck Norris karate kick, the convenience store's door and windows shattered to pieces. Dean dove to the floor for cover. One of his slower opponents got hit right in the neck by a big-ass chunk of glass and was nearly decapitated. His head lolled on some skin as his body hit the floor and eventually tore off entirely. The other two left standing gave out a bloodcurdling shriek and directed their attention to someone who had appeared in the convenience store. Dean lifted his head and couldn't believe his luck.

Allegra had found him somehow. She had both hands on the Staff, holding it like a weapon. When the closest of her adversaries lunged for her, she punched the Staff against his skull, causing a nauseating sound as the bone broke. Then she took a swing and knocked away the guy's legs, making him land on his back. 
Allegra hit the Staff on the ground, and an immense force cleared away everything within the Staff's reach. The guy was blown outside, and as soon as he hit the pavement, a lightning bolt came roaring down, striking him right in the middle of his chest. The sucker burned to a crisp in less than 5 seconds. His buddy witnessed the whole thing and hesitated if he should try his luck. That, however, was the stupidest thing he could have done. He had completely forgotten about Dean.

"Hey, douchebag!"

The guy turned at the sound of Dean's voice, and the machete came right at him. The blade cut clean through the guy's neck, and Dean dropped the weapon when the head tumbled down.

About freakin' time, he thought, relieved.

"Dean?"

He faced Allegra. Her expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. She stammered.

"Wha- what are you...?"

"You didn't think I'd let you go through this alone, did ya?" replied Dean with a little grin.

The Staff trembled in her quivering hand. It dropped to the floor. Allegra stepped over the bodies, crossing the distance between them, and then started pounding on Dean's chest.

"You stupid idiot! Why did you come here?! Why did you...?!"

Dean wrapped his arms tightly around her to stop her rant (and prevent any more ribs from cracking) and shushed her.

"Hey, hey, stop, it's okay."

"No! No, you need to go," sobbed Allegra. "You need to leave right now!"

"I'm not going anywhere," said Dean stubbornly.

"Dean, no." She shook her head against his chest. "You're a firstborn. You have to leave. Please go!"

He lifted Allegra's chin and made her look at him. At the sight of her tears and concern for him, Dean felt his heart surging. He couldn't leave her. He wouldn't. Even if that meant the end for him.

"I am not going anywhere," he repeated firmly. "I'll help you stop this."

"Nothing can stop this, Dean. I've tried to stop it before, but I just can't."

"You didn't have the Staff before."

"It's because of that damn thing that it's all going so fast in the first place. The plagues are supposed to last days, not hours. The Staff's only making things worse. It's not supposed to be like this."

Dean put Allegra's head against his chest again and looked at the Staff. He really wished Sam had torched Balthazar's wings right about now. The bastard caused more trouble than he realized.

"Can we destroy it?" he asked.

"Even if we could, it wouldn't make a difference. It's too late. Every time a plague kills, the next one is triggered. I don't even have to do anything anymore. Four persons drowned in the river when it turned to blood. Then the frogs came. From the river, the sewers, the pool... Everyone who was drinking tap water died because they got a frog stuck in their throat. Then the lice. People were scratching right through their skulls! Same with the flies, their bites were driving everyone mad. And the animals... I saw a teenager get torn apart by his pet golden retriever before the mutt dropped dead on his owner's body... God, I can still hear him screaming!"

"Ssshh, don't do that. This isn't your fault."

Dean pressed Allegra even closer against him as if that would be enough to shield her from the horrors outside. There had to be something they could do. Someone who could help.

"What about the angels?"

"Don't you think I've tried? I've been begging them to stop this. But they're ignoring my prayers."

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

Dean let go of Allegra and took a step back. He looked up and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"CAS! Cas, come on, man! You can't let it go on! Innocent people are getting killed! Cas, dammit, stop ignoring us and make it stop, you bastard!"

Everything went dead silent. The flies that had been buzzing around were suddenly nowhere to be found. The frogs that had been hopping and croaking in almost every building in town crawled away. The boils on Dean's attackers popped one by one, oozing with pus, revealing dead lice on infested skin. The thunder stopped. The hail stopped. The lightning stopped. For a moment, Dean thought Castiel had actually listened. For a moment, Dean thought it was over. But he was so wrong.
He heard them then. A cracking buzz that could almost be compared to static on a radio. All of a sudden, they were everywhere around them. Hundreds, no, thousands of locusts. On the shelves, on the food, on the floor, on the bodies... everywhere except on them.

"Like I said," said Allegra. "They don't listen."

She took Dean's hand in hers. He felt the familiar sensation of her shield around him. 

"Don't let go."

To Dean's surprise, the locusts actually cleared a path for them. Only one tiny little creature landed on Allegra's shoulder. She didn't wave it away but let it rest there like she was used to it. When they got to the door, Allegra went all Jedi and made the Staff come up to her stretched-out hand. If he weren't surrounded by killer locusts, Dean would've been impressed by that.
It was worse outside. Absolutely everything was covered in locusts. The cars, the trees, the houses... Even the church. Allegra looked in that direction, biting her lip.

"They should be safe as long as they keep everything closed," she mused aloud.

"They?" asked Dean.

"People who have nothing to do with the demons in this town. Or their followers. Just innocents who'll die in the crossfire."

"Smart move putting them on hallowed ground."

"It won't matter," said Allegra sadly. "They'll die no matter what I do to protect them. And so will you if I don't get you out of here right now."

Dean sighed wearily.

"Allegra, I'm not gonna have that discussion again. I'm staying."

"Goddammit, Winchester! I don't want you here!"

"Well, though!"

They glared at each other for a moment, but then Allegra's head snapped around. A couple slowly came towards them. A black-haired woman and a blond guy. Both had black eyes. Dean lifted the machete as Allegra did her Staff. The little locust on her shoulder was as still as a statue.

"So... you're the little bitch who comes ruining our plans," said the woman.

"You shouldn't have come here," said Allegra clearly. "I'm going to give you one chance to leave this town."

"Or what?" The man sniggered in amusement. "You'll let your little pets loose on us?"

"Dude, don't tempt her," threatened Dean.

"Oh well, if it isn't little Dean Winchester! What's up, man? Yeah, you don't know me, but I was pretty tight with Alastair. Not cool, bro."

"'Bro?' Really?"

"Dean." Allegra hushed  him in a warning tone.

"We'll make it very simple," said the woman, raising her voice to let her authority ring through. "Stop what you're doing, and we won't kill the rest of the survivors."

"Too many have died already," said Allegra. "Leave, and then maybe I can stop this."

The couple looked at each other. They gave Allegra a wicked grin, and the woman tilted her head mockingly.

"Looks like someone isn't in control of her powers."

She disappeared. Allegra lifted her Staff, and just as the woman reappeared behind her, she swung it around. Dean expected the wood to smash against the woman's head, but instead, he saw the top half of the Staff transform into a giant king cobra. The reptile flung itself mid-air at the woman's neck and sank its fangs into her flesh. Blood foamed up her mouth. 
The demon that possessed the woman tried to flee and leave her body, but there was no escaping its fate. The black entity passed from the woman into the serpent. Its body lit up, and Dean heard a shriek that would have even made a banshee cower in fear. The cobra let go of the woman's neck, and she dropped dead amidst the locusts who were all over her body in less than a second. Allegra turned back to the man staring at the cobra/Staff, horrified and in shock.

"You bitch! You're gonna pay for this! We're gonna make you suffer, you little freak!"

Dean was about ready to kick this guy's ass when Allegra stopped him with a pinch of her hand. She breathed in and then blew out her breath. As she did, the little locust moved and flew directly to the blond man possessed by the second demon. He tried to shoo it away, waving wildly with his hands, but it was no use. The little thing landed on his shoulder, and the entire swarm of locusts descended on him like rabid dogs. Allegra pulled Dean down to his knees, shielding his head from the locusts that flew around them, targeting their prey.

"Keep your head down!" she yelled.

Dean heard the guy's terrible screams. He dared to raise his eyes a little and froze when he saw the locusts eating right through him. Soon, the screams came to a gurgling stop when the winged creatures came crawling back up through his mouth. The same thing was happening to the woman. Luckily, she was already dead. When they were done, the locusts disappeared as fast as they had come. All that was left of the possessed couple were bloodstains on the street.

Allegra let go of Dean's head. He got up and tried to pull her up with him, but she felt like dead weight. His heart sank at how fragile and miserable she appeared. He'd only witnessed her using the plagues when they tortured Alastair years ago. He knew they were terrible, but he had never, not for a second, suspected this was what the angels made her do. No wonder Allegra hated these powers. He would too.

Suddenly, Dean noticed the sunlight dying on them. It was still too early; the sun wasn't supposed to set for another 3 hours or so. But the sun wasn't setting - it was being blocked out. Not by clouds or an eclipse but by sheer darkness. Fear crept within Dean as he was plunged into a dark void, blind to everything around him. If it weren't for Allegra holding him, he would've thought she'd vanished as well. She gripped his hand tighter, and Dean felt her warm shield surrounding him once again. 
Being within the shield's safety, Dean saw Allegra finally get up. She held the Staff of Moses between them, and the tip of it was on fire. White dancing flames that didn't burn them but did bring light into the dark. Dean noticed the gold in Allegra's eyes had almost died out. They were their usual brown color. She wasn't happy, that's why they were like this. She wasn't enjoying herself; she was in pain. The gold always went away then, leaving only the tiniest trace behind.

"It's time, Allegra."

A serious hollow voice in the dark void made Dean jump. The white flames brightened, and he made out Death's solemn shape standing right outside Allegra's shield. He was the only one of the Four Horsemen they hadn't killed when Dean and Sam. How could they kill Death?

"Please don't," pleaded Allegra. "The plague of darkness is supposed to last 3 days. Give me at least that. Give me time to find the rest of the demons and their followers. No one else needs to die."

"I can't, my dear." Death actually sounded contrite. "These plagues were unleashed because of the joint forces of the Staff and your own powers. When one plague kills, the next one must follow. That is how it is now."

"Just give me 3 days. Let me try and save them. Please..."

"It's already started. I'm sorry. Truly I am."

Death then turned his attention to Dean. Those dark eyes bore into him.

"Mr. Winchester, you took a big risk coming here today. You are either very brave or very foolish. I am curious to see how you survive this one. If you do... stay out of trouble."

Despite being in the shield's warmth, Dean suddenly felt very cold. His heart rate slowed. He collapsed on the ground, struggling to breathe. Everything was such a blur, except for Allegra's desperate and stricken voice.

"Dean! No, no, no! Don't die, you hear me?! Don't you dare die! Fight it! Reach out to me and fight it! Dean!"

The rest of her words were lost to him. His world dissolved into nothing. Everything except her. Allegra's touch, Allegra's warmth, Allegra's soul... He felt all of her and reached out to her. When he connected with her, it felt like gravity pulled him back. Dean's heart started beating again, and he gasped for air. He was in Allegra's arms. She cradled him, her tears falling onto his face. He was alive. Thanks to her.

***

There was no one left. Those who survived until the end never had a chance; they were all firstborn or the only child in their family. The others had all died from the previous plagues or had been fortunate enough to be away from their hometown when the mysterious redheaded woman arrived.

Dean followed Allegra as she wandered around aimlessly. She was vaguely aware of his presence. He survived, at least. She saved him, just like she saved his father and Bobby all those years ago. But she hadn't been able to save anyone else. Never. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how many times she pleaded with the reapers and Death, it was no use. Everyone always died... If not from the plagues, then from the fire the angels spread to cleanse the town. 
Allegra's feet carried her back into the church, past the bodies of men, women, and children. Innocent people hiding in a place they went to because they believed in a good force that would protect them from evil. They had never expected that good to be the thing that would eventually kill them all. Allegra stopped at the body of a little girl holding onto a teddy bear, sleeping peacefully in eternal slumber. She broke down, dropping to the floor to take the little girl into her arms as she cried. Dean hurried towards her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Let go," he whispered. "Allegra, let go, please."

He helped her lay the girl back down and then picked Allegra up to carry her out of the church. He carried her away from the death and destruction she had left in her wake, away from this godforsaken place. One thing was clear to Dean - he would make the angels pay for what they'd done to her and the townspeople. That, he swore. 

A/N The title may seem a little strange, but if anyone has seen the Dreamworks film The Prince of Egypt, you'll get the reference ;-)