Alright, last chapter of this book. And because some people have been asking, I decided to bring back one particular character (that I most certainly didn't forget about at all ... whoops)

Lebanon, Kansas

The bunker lights buzzed above Alex's head, but the sound was lost beneath the steady thwack of fists against the worn brown punching bag. Her feet moved silently on the wood, carrying her back and forth as she struck and retreated, her hands rising up to block an imaginary blow before she lunged forward to land another hit. The lights above her head flickered, and that information briefly registered in the back of her mind, but Alex pushed it away; she had felt the surge in Lucifer's grace that had caused the electrical instability but, like the rest of his tempers, she had elected to ignore it.

She dropped into a crouch, hands up to cover her head as she pretended to duck a punch, and in the moment of silence, she heard approaching footsteps. Her wings stretched out as she spun, her feet sweeping out as if to knock her opponent off balance, and she straightened up as the door swung open. Sam led the way through, followed closely by Dean, and the angel's face darkened before the door had a chance to close. "Hey," Sam greeted, a thin smile accompanying his words, and Alex returned it; her grin faded at the sight of Dean's frown. "You got a moment?"

"I guess." Alex reached out to steady the swinging punching bag as she spoke, and her eyes flickered between the two brothers. "Let me guess. This is about Lucifer."

"He's not coming out of your room," Sam began, but his words were overshadowed by Dean.

"He's locked in your room." Dean's green eyes flashed, and his fists shoved deep into his jacket pockets. "And he's blasting some, uh, god-awful music." Sam's lips pursed at the pun, but Dean's stony face never changed. "You haven't even tried to talk to him since he stormed off."

"Give him a bit of slack, okay? He's been through a lot these past couple of days." Alex let the bag go, and the chains creaked loudly as it settled. "You saw what Amara did to him. And now with Chuck ..."

"Oh, of course you're gonna side with him."

"Well, somebody had to be." Alex's wings flapped, and she clenched her jaw to quell her anger. "Alright, fine. I'll go try and talk with him." Her grace twisted within her, and she drew it back as it instinctively reached out for Lucifer. "But I don't think he's going to want to hear anything that isn't from Chuck."

She brushed past the Winchesters on her way out the door, her wings flicking as she started down the stairs. She took the long way through the bunker, stopping in the kitchen doorway as she heard ceramic clinck. Chuck sat inside, a cup of coffee resting in front of him — he looked up as she paused, and Alex's wings fell reverently low. "Oh. Uh, hey."

"Hey." Chuck's eyes dropped down onto his drink, and Alex stepped backwards, ready to turn tail, but Chuck's voice had her hesitating. "Let me guess. Sam and Dean want you to talk to Lucifer." Alex plucked nervously at Lucifer's grace, mouth open to reply, but Chuck merely sighed. "I didn't realize how similar the two of you were until I saw you side by side. No wonder his grace has latched onto yours."

"Okay ..." Alex's shoes scuffed against the concrete floor. "Are you just saying that for fun, o-or did you want to do something about it, or —"

"Do something?" Chuck's chair creaked, and he reached up to scratch at the back of his neck. "I don't know — short of ripping it all out, there's not much I can do. If you want me to, I can try —"

"No." Alex's hands went up defensively, and her feet carried her one step back. "No, I-I think I'll just keep it, if that's alright with you." She felt Lucifer's grace quake again, and the lights flickered above their heads. In the distance, bunker stairs creaked, and Alex's head instinctively turned towards the source, her grace snapping out to find Sam and Dean headed their way. Chuck's gaze followed, and Alex took the distraction as a chance to dart out of sight, her feet carrying her through the library and towards her bedroom.

The door, unsurprisingly, was locked, and Alex rapped twice on the wooden frame. "Luce?" Her call was lost beneath the heavy bass and, with a roll of her eyes, she let her grace slip out to undo the pin that held the door shut. The room inside was dark, but Alex could make out the archangel lying on her bed, his arms crossed and his wings drawn in tight. Alex sighed, and she flipped on the lights as she closed the door behind her. She expected a reprimand, but Lucifer said nothing; emboldened by his silence, Alex crossed the room to turn off the music. "Really?" She glanced back over her shoulder as she spoke, but Lucifer's mouth remained shut in sullen petulance. "This isn't even real music — did you really just search 'loud obnoxious metal' and play the first thing that came up?" She quit the tab, and the music died. Lucifer's grace reached out past her to try and it turn it back on, but Alex batted it away. "Sorry, can't let you do that. Dean's about ready to kill." She turned back to her computer and pulled up her own music, adding, "Here."

She crossed over to the bed as Volbeat's 'Heaven or Hell' thrummed through the speakers, just loud enough to mask the impending conversation from outside ears. She sat down on the edge of the mattress, her wings drawn back, and her fingers drummed in time to the beat as she waited for Lucifer to speak. It took a moment or two, but eventually he sighed. "You're mad at me, aren't you?"

"No." The lie jumped from her mouth, and Alex's black wings twitched crossly against the stiff sheets. "Yes," she corrected, and her eyes flashed. "You promised me that you wouldn't hurt Sam or Dean, but then yesterday you sure as hell tried to!" She opened her mouth, ready to comment on how lucky he was Chuck had stopped him, but a second thought stayed her tongue. "But ... I forgive you," she finished. "You were hurt, and you were angry."

Lucifer's eyes finally turned onto her, narrowed in accusation. "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk," Alex said. Lucifer turned away, and her hand shot out to stop him. "Not — not like that. I won't even mention His name unless you bring it up, okay? I just ... want to talk." Lucifer remained silent, and Alex hesitantly reached out to brush a wing against his. "Here. Just let me ..." She gently tugged on the knot of his grace and, to her relief, the archangel let it come undone; the strands loosened and began to uncurl, slowly at first, before they twisted free and snapped into place. A chill settled beneath her skin, and Alex felt some of the tension leave her muscles. "So, um ... how's Cas?"

"He's fine." The bed creaked as Lucifer sat up, his shoes thudding against the concrete floor as he turned his back to her. "I don't think he felt half of what Amara did." His wings twitched, and after a moment of silence, he rose to his feet, circling around the foot of the bed to stand in front of her. "I talked with him, actually. He told me what he said to you."

His brow furrowed, face darkening ever so slightly, and Alex winced. Right. "I figured you'd be happy to hear I'm more or less without a mate now." The words sat bitterly on her tongue, and her eyes dropped down to her hand to watch her thumb rub against her knuckles.

Lucifer sat down next to her, and one crimson wing curled around her shoulders. "He's still your mate," he reminded, and Alex pressed her cheek into his arm. "And, as far as I know, the only way to break such a bond is to make another." His grace bumped up against hers, and Alex scowled as her neck glowed with her bond. "Of course," she heard the archangel muse, "I could simply rip it out, but I'm not sure either of you would survive."

Alex scoffed, burying her face further into his shoulder. "Yeah, I don't think Dean would be happy if you killed Cas."

Lucifer's fingers curled in her hair, holding her close, and she felt his chest vibrate in a hum. His grace rose within her, twisting and tugging as if exploring, and she felt his wings twitch curiously. "You were close to going into heat when I ... left. You should be burning up."

"Yeah." Alex's wings twitched, and she couldn't help the warmth that flushed through her cheeks. "Well, he-who-should-not-be-named took care of it. I guess he, like, rewired my circuits or something. Apparently it was a pretty simple fix." Lucifer grunted, his wings flicking sourly, and Alex shifted so she was straddling his thighs, her face buried in the cool crook of his neck. "Which was probably for the best," she murmured against his skin. "I don't exactly have Cas around anymore."

Lucifer's hands rose up, and Alex's back instinctively arched as they found the base of her wings. She expected him to speak, but the archangel remained silent, his eyes narrowed in thought as his fingers idly toyed with the small feathers that brushed against her shirt.

It was the vibration of Alex's phone from her pocket that had him pausing, and the angel reached back to retrieve it. "It's from Dean." She scanned the text before she tossed her phone onto the nightstand. "I, uh, I guess Chuck is willing to talk if you want to listen." Lucifer's shoulders tightened, and she added, "If you need more time, I understand, but ... look, Amara is still out there, and she needs to be stopped before — before she takes out an entire continent to prove her point!" Alex pulled back so she could look Lucifer in the face, and his hands dropped down to her hips as Alex tugged nervously on his tie. "Unless ... Luce, you weren't serious about being on Amara's team, right?"

Lucifer scoffed, and he reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face. "What do you think?" His hand dropped down to cup her cheek, and Alex leaned into the touch. "Fine. I'll hear what he has to say." His wings nudged her to her feet, and Alex's grace snuck out to turn off the music. The archangel rose, and his feet angled towards the door before he paused. "How did you keep it together when you met your father?"

Alex froze, and her hand went up to grab at her necklace. "I didn't," she admitted. I shot him. "I guess ... as long as you don't try and kill Chuck, you'll do better than I did."

The curtains that decorated the back of the library were drawn to the side, revealing the defunct copper telescope that sat tucked away in its observatory. Two chairs sat in front of it; Chuck sat in one, waiting, and Alex felt her grace shrink away as his eyes turned to watch her approach. Her eyes flickered over onto Sam and Dean, who stood between the chairs and the telescope. Sam's eyes were on the ground, but Dean lifted his chin, his lips tight in an undisguised frown. Both brothers disappeared from sight as Lucifer's wing curled around her, and his grace twitched defensively as his fingers threaded through hers.

Alex stopped beside the two chairs; Lucifer paused with her, but Alex nudged him forward with her wings. He obeyed, his wings dragging behind him as he dropped down into the seat across from Chuck. The library fell silent, both waiting for the other to speak first, and Alex's feet shifted nervously as the tension grew. "One of you is gonna have to, uh, go first," Sam finally said, and two pairs of equally blue eyes turned onto him. "You — you know what? Lucifer, you agreed to have a sit down if Chuck would show, so —"

He gestured to Chuck, and Dean added, "And Chuck, you did say you'd talk."

"Him first." Lucifer flicked a wing towards his father, the crimson feathers skimming across the polished floor. "I'm the one who's owed an explanation."

Chuck sighed, a small, frustrated noise, and Alex saw Sam's shoulders fall. "Okay, let's try 'I feel' statements," Dean suggested, and he glanced over at Sam with an added with a whisper, "Dr. Phil." Sam shrugged, and Dean move back to sit on the steps beside the telescope. Sam followed, and after a moment's hesitation, Alex did too, perching beside Sam as she waited for Chuck to begin.

His face was dark, brow furrowed pensively, and it took him a second to speak. "I am ... sorry ... that you feel that I betrayed you," he finally said; his eyes flickered over to Dean, searching for confirmation that he was doing the right thing. "That I acted without a cause." Lucifer's grace curled within Alex, and the young angel tore her gaze away from Chuck in time to see Lucifer roll his eyes. Sam shifted next to her, discomfort darkening his gaze, but Chuck carried on. "I'm sorry that you can't see you gave me no choice," he finished, and his hands folded in his lap as he turned to the hunters. "I think that's good."

Lucifer's eyes narrowed, his lips curled in a grimace as his gaze sought out Alex. "You heard that, right?"

Alex pressed her grace up against his, and she felt him grab hold, squeezing so tightly that she couldn't hold back a grunt of pain; thankfully, the sound was lost beneath Sam's words. "We all know that you're God, but maybe — could you be a little less .... 'Lordly'?"

Chuck's brow furrowed. "But I am — I am the Lord."

"Wow. There he goes." Lucifer threw his hands up in exasperation, and his wings spilled out childishly across the floor as he leaned back.

"I did what I had to do!" For the first time, emotion crept into Chuck's voice, and Alex leaned forward. "To create the world, I had to lock Amara away. And when the Mark corrupted you, and I saw you posed a threat to humankind, I did the same to you."

"No, you betrayed me!" Lucifer's wings snapped up, his crimson feathers fanning out to fill the air. "You gave me the Mark to lock her away, and when it changed me — when it did what the Mark inevitably does — you threw me away." His grace tightened its hold, and Alex had to tear herself free before it crushed her.

"No, son. The Mark —" Chuck paused. "You always cast a jaundiced glance towards humans. The Mark didn't change you. It just made you more of what you already were."

Lucifer's feathers bristled, and Alex felt his grace crackle. "What I was, was your son." Desperation crept into his voice, and his wings twitched, drawing in closer to his back as he leaned forward. "Your child."

"Why should I put you first above all others?"

Alex shifted closer to Sam as their voices rose, and the action had Lucifer's gaze snapping onto her. "You have any idea what it's like to argue with your father when your father is God?" He forced a coarse laugh, and his eyes turned back onto Chuck. "Everything is a tautology with you. Everything is 'because I told you so.' Everything's 'it had to be done.' "

"Pretty sure that's all fathers," Dean joked, and Sam cleared his throat to silence him.

"Okay, fine." Lucifer straightened up in his seat, drawing in a breath as he did so, and his wings relaxed as he forced them to be still. "Big picture, as God, you did what you had to do. But little picture? You sucked at being a dad."

"Okay, maybe I didn't handle everything ... perfectly," Chuck admitted. "But tell me: could I have kept humankind safe with you on the board?" Lucifer's eyes narrowed, and Chuck did the same, his voice growing sharp. "I know about your little bid to replace me with the angels. Okay, 'New God,' what would you have done about you?"

"That's not the point!"

Chuck's mouth hung open, confusion darkening his eyes, and Sam cleared his throat as the silence grew. "I-I can't believe I'm actually about to say this," he started, "but, um ... Lucifer is right." His hands rubbed together as Chuck turned on him, but his voice remained strong. "All he wants is an apology, and you're too concerned about being right to give him one. But apologies aren't always about being right. Sometimes they're just about apologizing."

"Yeah," Dean added, "and the great thing about apologies is that you don't even have to mean 'em. You know, I lie and tell Sam I'm sorry all the time." Sam's nostrils flared as he glared at his brother, and Dean's teeth flashed in a smile. "Sorry." His grin grew, and he looked back at Chuck. "See?"

"Enough from the peanut gallery." Chuck dismissively waved his hand, and energy twisted through the air, overpowering yet warm, sweeping her off of her feet. For a moment, she was falling, and Alex's wings barely had time to curl in around her before she was on the floor. Sam and Dean were above her, perched on two red leather chairs. "The fuck?" Alex pushed herself to her feet as she looked around the small nook on the war room's balcony, and her grace reached out through the walls. Lucifer and Chuck were still downstairs in the library, just out of sight when she peered over the iron-wrought railing; she probed at Lucifer's grace, trying to catch a glimpse of their conversation, but something firm and warm kept her out.

"What are they doing?" Dean's voice distracted her, and Alex pulled back. Lucifer's grace caught hers, reluctant to let her go, and Alex firmly extracted herself from his grasp.

"I don't know." Her wings twitched crossly as she turned back to the Winchesters. "Chuck's keeping me out, so they must be talking." Her eyes flitted towards the stairs, and she added, "I guess they'll let us know when they're done." Her fingers drummed on the stone chess table as she fell silent, and Dean pushed himself to his feet with a muttered curse. He headed towards the stairs, and Alex lifted her voice. "I — I wouldn't go down there just yet."

She strained her ears to hear, but silence came from the room below. Sam and Dean stood quietly, listening just as hard, but from their frustrated expressions, Chuck's wall had blocked them out as well.

She felt it the moment the conversation ended; the energy faded, dissipating like mist in the morning sun, and she jumped to her feet as footsteps approached. Lucifer and Chuck appeared from the library; Lucifer was grinning, and Alex let out a breath of relief. "Well?" she heard Dean demand. "Are we good?" Lucifer and Chuck exchanged looks before they nodded, and Alex saw Dean grin. "Okay! Great."

"So, what's the next move?" Alex slipped past Sam to hurry towards the stairs, her grace curling forward to reach Lucifer. "I'm hoping it involves killing Amara."

"Amara needs to be stopped, but I won't kill her." Chuck shook his head, and Alex paused halfway down the staircase. "Listen, Amara's been caged for, y'know, billions of years, but she's always been there. She had to be there. You know, yin and yang. Light and dark."

"English, Chuck."

With a huff and a roll of his eyes, Chuck waved his hand, and Alex's wings drew in tight as she was swept off her feet and deposited unceremoniously onto the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Her wings stretched out to steady her; from the gasps of surprise from behind her, it was clear that the Winchesters were experiencing the same lack of balance. "There's a harmony, a balance, in the universe," Chuck explained. "Light needs dark. Dark needs light. If you blow one of them up, then, I mean —"

"It wouldn't be a good thing," Lucifer finished, and a wing reached out towards Alex, beckoning her closer.

"It'd be really not a good thing," Chuck agreed. "Like, 'end of reality' not good."

The Winchesters exchanged looks, a silent conversation passing among them, and then Sam shrugged. "Okay, so we gift-wrap Amara. I mean, we got the team back together, so —"

He motioned to Chuck and Lucifer, but Chuck simply shook his head. "Not quite. We're still a few members short of the original line up." He descended the library stairs, and Alex skirted him to sit on concrete column that jutted out from the wall.

Lucifer moved after his father, but he paused at Alex's side. "Yeah, last time it took the combined strength of me and my brothers to weaken Amara before Daddy-O finished her off."

"And even then it was close," Chuck finished. He paused beside the war room table, his arms crossed as his face darkened pensively. "Now with just the two of us, we'll lose."

"Okay, so what?" Dean leaned up against the table with a thin frown. "We need more, uh, group therapy between you and the archangels if we wanna have a shot?" He crossed his arms, his shoulders tense as his eyes swept across the room.

"Raphael's dead," Alex reminded, and she felt Lucifer's wingtips brush up against her thigh. "Michael's curled up somewhere in the Cage right now, and from what I've heard he's not exactly in any fighting shape, and Gabriel ..."

She trailed off as two sets of eyes turned onto her, and her cheeks burned. "Gabriel is dead." Sam spoke slowly, unsurety drawing out each word. "Right?"

"Um ... wrong." Alex shifted uncomfortably on her perch as Dean's face darkened. "Or at least, he wasn't dead when he fled from the Elysian Fields." Lucifer's hand came up to rest on the back of her neck, a cool comfort to the heated embarrassment that scorched her skin. "But I haven't heard anything from him since the angels fell," she finished.

"And we don't have time to retrieve him," Chuck added, and Alex tipped her head; what could that mean? She leaned forward, hoping for an explanation, but Chuck carried right on without one. "And you're right. Michael is in no condition to fight, and it's beyond my power to bring Raphael back."

"But you restored Castiel." Sam glanced over at his brother, his brow knitting together, and Dean shrugged.

"Archangels are different," Chuck said, and Alex felt Lucifer's feathers puff out in pride. "They're the stuff of primordial creation. Rebuilding them, that's — that's time we don't have."

"Then why not just make more angel-angels?" Alex suggested after a moment's pause. "Or what — what about Metatron? He was smart."

"Metatron's usefulness lay in his knowledge, but there's nothing he knows that I don't. As far as his strength ... he's not stronger than any other angel in heaven. As for making more ..." Chuck hesitated before he sighed. "I could, but it would take a hundred — a thousand — to match the power of even one archangel. To create them, to write out each of their names — that's time we just don't have."

He leaned up against the back of a chair as he faced the Winchesters, and Sam's face scrunched up. "So, what do you need to win?" he asked.

"What do ya got?" Chuck shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he looked between Sam and Dean. "What do we bring to the table to make up for archangel power?"

Silence fell, and Sam's eyes darkened pensively before they lit up. "We could try and find more Hands of Gods," he suggested after a moment.

"Crowley still has the Horn of Joshua," Alex added, and Lucifer's cold fingers massaged at her neck before they pulled away; she watched him circle past the stairs and around the table to stand next to his father, his crimson wings drawn in thoughtfully.

Chuck shook his head, and he lifted up both of his hands. "A bit redundant."

"What about Crowley?" Dean finally spoke up, and Chuck's eyes turned onto him. "Big demon power, former King of Hell. He was a player in his day."

Lucifer scoffed, and he dropped down into a chair, leaning back in it as he threw his feet up onto the table. Alex planted her hands on the stone below her, poised to follow, but a look from Dean had her dropping back down, her head turned to hide a roll of her eyes. "Okay," she heard Chuck agreed, "talk to him."

"We have the angels." Lucifer's chair creaked as he leaned back even further, and Chuck nodded, allocating the task to him.

"Rowena," Sam added, and Lucifer's smug grin darkened into a scowl. "I mean, she's a snake, but she's a powerful witch."

Chuck shrugged, and four sets of turned onto Alex. The angel hesitated before she shrugged. "Sorry, guys, Gabriel was sort of my big revelation, but I guess he's unavailable for service. I mean, we got angels, demons, witch." She nodded to each person in turn before she shrugged again. "I've got nothing else to add."

She watched as Sam and Dean exchanged looks; Dean's jaw set tightly, and Sam heaved a sigh. "We'll talk about it later," he promised. "Okay, well then I guess you can come with one of us."

"Dibs." Lucifer jumped to his feet, and Alex rolled her eyes as his grace tugged her across the floor to rest at his side.

A scowl marred Dean's face, but Chuck carried on. "Getting these groups to enlist and then work together, it's not gonna be easy," he warned as he settled down against the table, and Alex moved to to do the same; Lucifer, however, sank down into his chair and pulled her after him, leaving her seated awkwardly upon his lap.

"Why don't you just compel them?" Dean asked; from the way his voice tightened, he had noticed where Alex sat, but his eyes never left Chuck.

Chuck shook his head, and the table creaked as he adjusted his weight. "I invented free will for a reason. You can't make an effective soldier by force," he added when Dean's frown didn't lighten. "They have to choose to fight."

"But they're gonna want to know they're backing a winner," Dean argued.

Lucifer's grace twitched, a silent question, and Chuck gave a curt nod. "Okay, great." Alex tried to push herself to her feet, but Lucifer held her still, his hands on her waist. "So we get everyone together, and hit Hela with everything we got before Ragnorok starts. And once she's weak —"

"Then I finish her off," Chuck finished; despite the strength behind his words, hesitation still danced through his eyes.

"So, a page from the original playbook." Sam circled around so he could sit at the table, choosing a seat as far away from Alex and Lucifer as he could. "This time with witches and demons subbing for archangels."

Lucifer nodded, but Dean just shook his head. "I still don't like it." Alex turned her eyes onto him, and she felt all other eyes follow. Dean's shoulders rolled back, face with all four of them, but his voice remained strong. "But — why trap her when you can kill her, you know? I-I mean, you got to admit, there's a lot less room for error if you shoot to kill."

"I explained why."

"Right." Dean quickly jumped to agree with Chuck, but his face remained dark. "But why — why keep her in play? So she can escape and we can go through this all over again?"

Sam's chair creaked as he leaned forward. "Dean, what is this about?"

"I — nothing." Dean's fingers twitched at his side, and he crossed his arms as his eyes flickered over onto Alex. "Am I the only one thinking rationally here?"

"It's about her, Sam. It's about his girlfriend." Lucifer nudged Alex upwards, and she moved to sit on the table as he straighten up in his seat. Dean's glare sharpened, but Lucifer's eyes stayed on Sam. "I mean, think about it. Dean Winchester meets the biggest evil in the universe, and he takes a pass? Come on. Now he wants Daddy to do what he couldn't."

"Okay, shut up." Dean bristled as Sam's eyes turned onto him. "I'm not getting into it with him. Not gonna happen."

Amusement flitted along Lucifer's grace. "Hey, Dean. Come on, what's good for the goose is good for the gander." His wingtip flicked off towards Chuck, and Alex twisted around to look back at him. "We opened a vein for you two."

Dean's gaze flattened, and it took several seconds for him to speak. "I tried to kill her. And it didn't work."

"Maybe it didn't work because you didn't want it to work," Chuck suggested, and Dean's face tightened. "Maybe you didn't want to kill her."

Dean's lips pressed tightly together, and Alex heard Sam shift at the silence that followed. "You want God to kill Amara because you don't want Amara to be killed?" His chair creaked as he leaned forward, and Alex slid off of the table to stand behind Lucifer's chair

"Yeah," Dean reluctantly agreed. "Maybe there's a part of me that just can't hurt her. But if she's already dead —"

"Then she's already dead," Sam finished. "Right."

Lucifer's chair scraped against the concrete floor as he pushed himself to his feet. "Well, that got weird." He held out his hand towards Alex and, when the angel didn't take it fast enough, he caught her by the wrist. "And on that note, I think we're going to head out." The wind whipped through Alex's hair as he took off into the sky, and she closed her eyes, her broken wings drawn in tight around her. Lucifer's hands held her by the waist, and his grace curled around her own, a steady support despite the turmoil in the air around them.

Then, all was calm, and Alex's feet found solid ground. The walls and floors glowed, and Alex stepped out of Lucifer's arm with a murmured thanks. "Where is everyone?" she asked, flicking her grace out as she spoke.

"They'll be here soon." The white glow flashed red, a high pitched screech drowning out Lucifer's words, and the archangel rolled his eyes; a snap of his grace had the alarm disappearing. Footsteps pounded against the floor, approaching from all sides, and Alex's wings rose defensively, her broken and bare feathers puffed out as angels rushed into sight, their blades drawn. "And here I thought I'd made real inroads with you guys," Lucifer teased, and Alex's feet carried her closer to his side.

"You're wrong, serpent." One of the angels spoke, and Alex narrowed her eyes as she recognized his face; what was his name? "We loathe you. We'll always loathe you."

"Serpent." Lucifer spoke the name under his breath; despite the grin that decorated his face, a twist of his grace gave away his displeasure. "Whelp, I came here to ask a good-faith favor of you folks, but as you are clearly less than kindly disposed, perhaps you'll, uh, lend an ear to my very own Jiminy Cricket, hmm?"

His hand came to rest on Alex's shoulder, and the young angel opened her mouth, ready to remind him that the angels certainly wouldn't listen to her over him, but then Lucifer's grace was retreating. His crimson wings evaporated, immediately replaced by blue, the navy feathers torn and tattered. "Hello, brothers." Castiel's voice rasped in his throat. "Sisters."

"Castiel?" An angel spoke up from the crowd, and the seraph nodded.

The first angel — Sidriel — scoffed. "Do you think we see any daylight between you and the Adversary?" he demanded.

"Hey, listen!" Alex stepped forward, her wings fanning out, and all eyes turned onto her. "The Darkness is out there, and she's dead set on destroying everyone and everything." The angels around her exchanged looks, and she added, "Chuck —"

"Our Father is back on earth." Castiel took over, and Alex fell silent. "He's agreed to vanquish Amara again, like he did before, but she's strong, and he can't do it alone. Not without the archangels." Again the angels exchanged glances among themselves, a low murmur rising, but Castiel carried on. "He needs your help."

"Then let's hear it from him," Sidriel demanded.

Castiel's wings unfolded placidly. "In good time," he promised. "Do I have your support?"

"I can't even look at you, Castiel." The angel's lip curled, and his fingers tightened on the handle of his blade as he stepped forward. "You befouled yourself with the Deceiver."

His eyes turned onto Alex, and Lucifer's grace rose within her; clearly the archangel was listening. "You know ..." Castiel spoke slowly, quietly, and Lucifer's grace stilled. "Every second I've spent with Lucifer, it's been a torment. It's destroying me. It's burning through my vessel." Alex's wings drew in close, and she hesitantly probed at his grace with her own; it immediately drew back, and Alex retreated. "But I would do it all over again, because through me, he and God will defeat the Darkness. That's my role in this fight. It's God's fight. You can play a part in that fight, too, if you join me."

"That's —"

"So what exactly is the plan?" Sidriel challenged.

Castiel's grace tremored, and his face paled before Lucifer's grace rose up, his blood red wings exploding into the air. The angels shifted back to avoid the long feathers the archangel shook out his wings with a grin. "The plan? It's simple. You're not the only team we're enlisting. Hopefully, Hell and some of earth's strongest will chip in." A muttering arose, and Lucifer clicked his tongue. "I know, I know. But with Dad and I being the only remaining members of the original line up, we need to compromise." His feathers puffed out, pride flickering in his blue eyes, but his voice remained steady. "Unless, of course, one of you has a better idea." No answer came, and he swung his gaze around the gathered crowd. "We need as many hands on deck as we can get. Is this all of you?"

"There's seven others." Sidriel hesitated, and his face darkened as he added, "There's one angel remaining in heaven's prison, but I doubt he would be willing to cooperate." The angels around him muttered out their agreement, but Lucifer merely flicked a wing.

"I can be pretty persuasive," he promised. "Why don't you let me take a shot at the guy." Alex frowned to find the angels hesitating; she had surely expected a flat-out rejection at Lucifer's offer of 'persuasion.'

However, eventually a familiar angel stepped forward from the crowd, her grey wings twitching against her back. "I'll take you there," Dumah announced. Surprise flitted along Lucifer's grace, followed immediately by amusement, and the two started down the hall, leaving Alex to pick up the rear.

The hallway wound onwards; even though it never changed, Alex could have sworn they were slowly descending. Every once and a while she would catch a glimpse a door or an intersection that looked familiar, but it wasn't until they reached the heavy metal door that marked the entrance to the prison that she recognized where they were. Despite herself, her wings twitched nervously, and she eyed Dumah; it wouldn't be the first time the angels had tricked her into prison's cells. Lucifer's grace rose against hers, a cold, soothing comfort, and Alex forced her feathers to lie flat. "Here." Dumah stopped in front of the far cell, her wings flicking sharply towards the bars.

What lay inside had Alex's feathers ruffling all over again. "What?" The blood drained from her cheeks. "Balthazar? Are you serious?"

The angel lifted his head, and amber wings, dirty and tattered, drew back to reveal blue eyes. "You know this rebel?" Dumah's voice lifted in surprise before it flattened. "Of course you do."

The statement was accompanied by a dirty look towards Lucifer, but Alex barely noticed. "What are you doing here? I thought ..." She trailed off as she grabbed the bars, her head cocked to one side.

"Thought Cas killed me? He did." Scorn crept into Balthazar's tone, and he rose to his feet. "And then he unkilled me because you asked him to." He crossed the cell to grab the bars just above her hands, his eyes flashing as he leaned forward. "Next time you want to 'help,' sweetheart, don't."

Alex's wings flared, her grey eyes flashing with fire. "Nice to see you again, too. I guess next time I'll just let you die."

"I was already dead. Which was preferable to being locked up in here before being tossed down to the streets." His wings twitched, the bare vanes rattling together. "Trust me, I was laying very, very low until these mooks picked me up again."

"And ... who are you exactly?" Lucifer stepped up to Alex's side, his teeth digging into his bottom lip as he studied the caged angel.

"He's a friend."

"I was your babysitter," Balthazar corrected crossly, and he stepped away from the bars. "Speaking of," he added, waving a hand off towards Lucifer, "is Cassie still hiding somewhere in there, or do you have the place all to yourself?"

"Cas is still there." Alex answered before Lucifer could; Balthazar just grunted. "Listen. We need your help —"

Balthazar scoffed, and Alex felt silent. "Help?" he repeated. "If you think I owe you anything, you're sorely mistaken." He dropped back down onto the stone bench at the far end of the cell, and Alex's eyes drifted onto the pale markings carved into the walls, a combination of tallies and sigils. "You did have plans to come for me, right?"

"Of course! Things just got ... busy." Alex glanced up at Lucifer, searching for support, but the archangel remained silent. "Cas let out the leviathans when he opened Purgatory, and everything sort of, uh, spiraled." The corner of Balthazar's lip curled up in a snarl, and she added, "Most of the time I couldn't have gotten into heaven if I'd tried, and even now I'm not sure everyone is okay with me being here."

Balthazar grunted again, his back angled away from them, and Alex's wings fell as silence followed her words. "Maybe he just needs some motivation." Lucifer shook out his wings, the long crimson feathers rustling. "Tell you what. If you chip in, we'll let you out."

Dumah's displeasure crackled through the air, and Balthazar scoffed. "And I trust you ... why?"

Lucifer's wings curled down, brushing against Alex's back and the young angel stepped forward. "You trust me, right?" Her broken feathers stretched through the bars, drooping when she saw Balthazar roll his eyes. "Look, we're just trying to help. God — Chuck —"

She fell silent when Lucifer's hand came to rest on her shoulder. "It's a devil's bargain," he agreed; the upwards curl of his lips revealed his amusement at the phrase. "The question is, how do we know that we can trust you?" His free hand gestured to the iron bars. "No offense, but you hardly seem ... saintly."

"You would know all about that, hmm?" Balthazar's wings twitched disparagingly. "Trust me; I would do just about anything to get out of this bloody cell."

Do you trust him? Lucifer's voice echoed through her mind, and his grace rose curiously against hers. Alex paused, gathering her thoughts before she spoke. "I believe him," she finally said. "Don't get me wrong — he'll rob you for everything you have if you turn your back, but he keeps his word."

Lucifer raised his fingers, poised to snap, and Alex felt his eyes flicker down onto her. "And this isn't going to be like the last time I let you have a pet, right?" He didn't wait for Alex's response; before her feathers could ruffle at his words, the cell door was swinging open. "I think I remember you," he said as Balthazar rose to his feet. "You got in trouble for swinging on Heaven's Gate."

Alex shifted back as Balthazar shook out his wings with a barely-disguised scowl. "That was a long time ago." He huffed as he stepped past Dumah without so much as a glance in her direction. "So what big baddie have the Winchesters released upon the world this time?" Alex's jaw tightened, and Balthazar let out a scornful laugh. "It wasn't too hard to guess, sweetheart. Those two buffoons are some of the most incompetent individuals I've ever met."

"And somehow, they're Dad's favorites," Lucifer added, bitterness creeping into his voice; the faint twitch of Balthazar's wings conveyed his agreement. "Somehow, Dean got his hands on the Mark, and now they've managed to release our dear old aunt from the hole Pops and I threw her into back before you were created. Lucky for us, Dad's back in town for a rematch."

"I'm sorry, what?" Balthazar's wings flittered, and his gaze sharpened. "Do you mean he's back back, or just 'I sent a sign' back?"

"In the flesh," Lucifer promised, and Alex frowned at the displeasure upon both angels' faces. "Who knows. Maybe if we're lucky, he'll take the team out for ice cream after the big win."

"Ha ha, very funny." Alex batted Lucifer in the arm with her wings. "I thought we agreed to stow the daddy issues."

"I see you're just as bossy as ever," Balthazar drawled, and Alex rolled her eyes.

She quickly dropped her gaze to the ground at the sight of Lucifer's frown. "Yes," he agreed. "But other than that, she's pretty well behaved."

"I'm not a dog, Luce!"

Her indignation was ignored as Lucifer turned towards the door, inviting Balthazar to follow with a flick of his wings. "So, you called yourself her babysitter," he began. "I think I remember Alex mentioning you once or twice. I hope she wasn't too much of a headache."

Amusement lined his voice, and Alex felt his grace shift, egging her on towards a response. "I was twenty," she retorted hotly, jumping at the bait. "I didn't need a babysitter! I would have been fine on my own."

"Hm. That's not how I remember it." Balthazar barely spared her a look over his shoulder, and Alex glowered. "I distinctly recall you getting yourself impaled only a month after you left." Scorn sharpened his tone, fiercer than Lucifer's humored remarks. "I'd hardly call that the mark of a competent individual."

"Why is everyone — it was one time. One!" Alex rushed forward to walk at Lucifer's side. "Why does everyone feel the need to bring it up?" Her feathers ruffled, waiting for a sharp retort, but Lucifer had paused, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. "What?"

"It's time to go." Lucifer turned to Dumah, who had stopped at his side. "I trust you'll see to it that our new friend here gets settled in." His hand went up to squeeze Dumah's shoulder, the amiability of the gesture undermined by the tightness of his grip and the unspoken threat behind his eyes. Her waited for Dumah to nod before he clapped his hands together. "Great. I'll have you await my signal."

He took Alex by the hand, and then they were gone. The glow of heaven disappeared, replaced with blue sky as Lucifer returned them to the earth. They landed in the bunker, and Lucifer's wings drew back to reveal Chuck seated alone at the library table. "Oh, good. You're back." Chuck took a sip from his coffee mug before he rose to his feet. "How did it go?"

"It took some convincing, but I believe we have their support," Lucifer said.

Chuck paused at the library stairs, a small frown on his face, and Alex added, "I'm not sure if you remember this, but I'm pretty sure we're considered two of the most untrustworthy angels out there. If you really want to convince them, you should just go talk to them yourself."

"No." Chuck shook his head, and he descended down into the war room, pausing to set his coffee down on the table before he turned back to them. "No, if they wouldn't have listened to you, then they wouldn't listen to me, either."

Lucifer's grace twitched, surprised, and Alex's head recoiled. "What?" she snapped before she could stop herself. "That makes absolutely no sense. They asked for you. After — after everything, the least you could do is talk to them!"

"Crowley and Rowena have agreed to fight," Chuck announced, turning to Lucifer, and Alex's feathers bristled at how she was brushed aside. "There's an old power plant near Ames. Sam and Dean will meet us there." His eyes swung over onto Alex, and hesitation flickered through his eyes before he steeled himself. "If there's anything you need, I suggest you get it now."

Ames, Iowa

The abandoned plant sat between two hills, hidden from sight save for its two concrete smoke stacks that stretched up into the sky. Their peaks were obscured by the low grey clouds, and Alex craned her next to see up through the fog. "We're sure this place is safe?" she asked, and she felt Lucifer's feathers brush against her leg.

"Amara won't find us here," Chuck promised, and Alex turned to find him already in the darkened doorway. "Not until we want her to, anyways." He disappeared into the building, and Lucifer followed without a moment's hesitation. He held a large spear in his right hand, a weapon retrieved from hell before their arrival at the plant. It took her a few seconds, but Alex eventually trailed after him, her grace flicking out through the fog before she stepped through the door.

Lucifer stood by himself, his fingers dancing over the shaft of his weapon as he examined the metal lancet, and Alex frowned. "Where's Chuck?" she asked, and she turned her eyes around the dusty room, unable to hide a frown at the grim interior.

"Gone. Said he forgot something." Lucifer straightened up with a shake of his wings. "He also said Sam and Dean are almost here." He leaned the spear up against a steel support column, beckoning her closer with a crooked finger. Alex obeyed, her broken wings curling forward as she stopped at his side. "You shouldn't be here." The words came as a low murmur, and Alex frowned. "Amara is dangerous — she's more than dangerous. If this doesn't go according to plan —"

"If you think you're sending me away for one moment, I swear to God —" Alex cut off, her tongue tripping over the curse, and she hurriedly glanced behind her in search of Chuck. "I'm not leaving," she finally restated. "It's my fight as well as yours. And I'll be damned if you of all people are going to sideline me." Lucifer's wings twitched, and Alex's nostrils flared. "I'm stronger than Sam, stronger than Dean, stronger than anything Crowley or Rowena can muster up. I deserve to be here!"

A car door slammed, and Lucifer's wings twitched. "If this goes sideways, everyone here is dead."

"I know." Alex crossed her arms, but Lucifer merely shrugged as his eyes slid past her towards the door. Footsteps approached — two pairs — and Alex turned to watch Sam and Dean enter the building. "You're here." With a sigh, she stepped away from Lucifer to greet the brothers. "Chuck will be back shortly. Where are the others?"

"Rowena's here." Crowley appeared at Alex's side. "Give her a minute to find her way in." He adjusted his black tie as he turned his eyes across his companions, lingering a second longer on Lucifer.

"Crowley." Lucifer's lip curled up into a cold grin as he joined them, and Alex shifted sideways to put herself squarely between the two. "You're looking well."

Alex saw Sam and Dean exchange looks out of the corner of her eye, their faces dark with apprehension. Lucifer's mouth opened, ready to say more, but Crowley cut him off. "I don't hold grudges," he said with a dismissive shake of his head. "Besides, that dog collar was a lovely touch. Really made my eyes pop. Almost wore it here today."

Lucifer's grin widened, and Alex felt his grace twist in amusement at the demon's scornful tone. "Oh, I'm glad you're such a good sport." His eyes turned past Crowley. "Hey, Red. Looking gorgeous as ever," he teased, and Alex twisted around in time to see Rowena enter, her thin face set stoically. "Hey, I think a little apology is in order."

The smile on his face offset any sincerity that might have been lingering in his words, and Rowena paused, the faintest hint of fear flickering behind her cold eyes before it was quelled. "You think you're the first man who's tried to kill me?" she retorted with a sniff. Her gaze slid past them onto Crowley. "Hello, Fergus."

"Mother." Crowley's voice was as flat as Rowena's, and Alex watched him straightened up beneath the witch's stare. She opened her mouth, ready to interject before either could say anything more, but a flash of light had her immediately snapping her jaw shut.

"Hello, my children." Chuck stood in front of them, and Alex missed Crowley's surprised, "Him?" as Lucifer scoffed under his breath. "Rowena. Crowley." Chuck nodded to each of them in turn. "It's good to finally meet you in person."

Rowena drew in a breath, sharp yet soft, and Alex rolled her eyes as she dropped down into a bow. "Sorry about, well, everything I've ever done in my life," she rushed out. "Really, y-you can't have been a fan."

Lucifer coughed, a pale attempt at covering his amusement at the witch's ramblings, but Chuck merely smiled. "Oh, yeah, I've been quietly rooting against you both for quite some time. Although," he admitted after a moment, "I can't deny that you're one of my guilty pleasures."

"Oh, God." Rowena's giggle was lost beneath Crowley's muttered, "Oh, god."

"Alright, alright, no flirting," Dean snapped. "And no fighting," he added when Crowley glared over at his mother.

"Yeah, and no deals," Sam finished. "No talks about who is owed what if we survive this. Nobody here likes each other, but that doesn't matter. We only have the fight ahead."

Alex watched as an uneasy glance was cast about the room, and she felt Lucifer's wings rise up, curling around her to usher her closer to him. "Amara's looking for me," Chuck announced. "But I'm warded against her, for now. The second I drop the warding, she'll show." His eyes flickered upwards, and for a moment, he paused. "She'll be expecting a fight, and we'll give it to her." His finger went out to point at Crowley, Lucifer, and Rowena, in turn. "You have your troops in position?" His eyes turned across them, pausing when Rowena lifted her hand with a small cough. "Yes, Rowena?"

"Fabulous plan, God," the witch gushed, "but ... doesn't this strategy strike anyone as a wee bit ... un-strategic?"

"Is that sequence set in stone?" Crowley added. "Demon, angel, witch power? Seems to me that the first response should come from the most disposable force."

"Right!" Lucifer agreed. "Good argument, doggie. Demons first it is." He thumped Crowley on the shoulder, his grace prickling humorously as the force of the gesture almost sent the demon stumbling forward a step.

"The weakest should go first," Crowley ground out, straightening himself with a sharp huff. "Naturally, that means the witches."

"Enough," Sam snapped, and Alex reached out to put a hand on Lucifer's arm at the sight of Chuck's impatient frown.

He waited until silence had fallen before he spoke once again. "After that," he said, and Alex felt Lucifer straighten up under his father's stare. "It's Lucifer's turn. Physical attack. One on one."

"What about Cas?" Dean's demand came sharp and loud, and Lucifer turned with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, don't worry," he promised, and Alex shifted away from him as Dean's glare turned onto her. "Your pet's safety is my highest concern." Dean gave a heavy roll of his eyes, and some of the humor faded from Lucifer's face. "Trust me, he's on board."

"Once she's been weakened, I will take the Mark back from Amara and use it to seal her away." Chuck's solemn blue eyes moved from Lucifer to Sam. "You ready?"

Sam nodded, and Alex's feathers prickled. "Ready?" she repeated, turning to the Winchester. "Ready for what?"

Her sentiment was echoed by Dean, and Sam squared his shoulders under the scrutiny of their combined gazes. "God and I talked about this. Someone needs to bear the Mark."

"Well, then it should be me." Dean's gaze swung up onto Chuck. "I-I've had it before. I'm damaged goods." Alex opened her mouth, ready to volunteer, but her jaw snapped shut when Lucifer's grace rose up within her; it gripped her tightly, a cold warning, and Alex drew her wings in as she lowered her gaze.

Chuck's eyes swept past her. "Exactly, Dean," she heard him say. "You've already been tainted. I can't transfer it to you." He gestured down to Sam when Dean's frown deepened even further. "He volunteered."

"First Cas is making kamikaze side plans, and now you?" Dean turned on Sam, eyes ablaze. At the same moment, Crowley and Lucifer's eyes met, and Alex paused, torn between the two avenues of conversation.

"What makes you think that demons are the weakest?" Crowley challenged, and Alex turned her attention onto him with a small sigh. "What about the angels? I haven't exactly seen them do anything."

Lucifer's tongue flicked out, teasing at his lips as he shook his head. "I'm just saying, angels can hurt her. It's worked before."

"If you call giving Amara a mild case of the pukes working."

"We're trying to disorientate her as much as hurt her," Rowena reminded stiffly, and Alex grumbled as she shifted sideways to let the witch into their circle. "You underestimate witchcraft, Fergus. Always have." She let out a dry chuckle, and Alex stepped closer to Lucifer, her thin wings flicking in displeasure.

Crowley carried on as if Rowena had never spoken. "If anything, she's inoculated," he insisted. "A full-scale demon attack. That's our x-factor."

Lucifer's head fell back in a scornful laugh, and Alex glanced over her shoulder towards Sam and Dean. They were still still deep in their argument, and her wings twitched as her grey eyes darted over to Chuck; he was watching them silently, his face unreadable. "Wait." She spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, but it took a moment for silence to fall. "So, what about me and Dean?" She jerked a finger to motion between herself and Winchester. "What exactly is our role in this?"

"You stay out of our way." Lucifer pulled her back into his chest, his arms locking around her waist to keep her near, and Alex's cheeks flushed with heat as she fruitlessly tried to pry herself free. "Let the adults do their jobs, alright?"

He released his grip, and Alex stumbled forward, her wings flaring out to catch herself before she fell. "I'm not leaving," she snapped. "If this whole thing goes sideways, I'm going with it."

She lifted her chin as Lucifer's wings flapped twice, displeased, but he kept his mouth shut. "No one's going to make you leave," Chuck promised. "You're just as invaluable as anyone here." Dean scoffed, but Chuck's eyes moved past him to rest on Rowena. "You've been in Amara's head before, correct?" He waited for her to nod before he let out a hum. "Good. That means you should be able to find your way back in. You can use that to draw her here."

Rowena dipped in a quick curtesy before she hurried towards the door, murmuring something about needing to alert the other members of her coven — Alex had stopped listening long before her mouth had opened. Lucifer had stepped away from Crowley to retrieve his spear, testing the weight of it in his hands. He paused, and Alex pushed her grace into his when it stilled. "The angels are ready," he announced. "They'll strike once Amara arrives."

"Demons are waiting on my command," Crowley added; Lucifer gave a curt nod, and Alex retreated back to his side, her cheeks burning as she felt Dean's frown follow her across the room.

"I've taken down the warding." The room had fallen so quiet, Chuck's soft voice reverberated off of the walls. "Amara will be here shortly." Lucifer's wings ushered Alex closer to the far wal, and she spluttered out her protests until his grace rose up to silence her. His feathers surrounded her, hiding her away as the air around them changed.

"Attenuare!" Rowena's shout was muffled by the concrete, and all of a sudden, Alex was very grateful for the wings that were tucked around her. She could feel the witchcraft that thrummed through the air, strengthening tenfold with each passing second. The building was beginning to shake around them, and Alex ducked through Lucifer's feathers to seek out Chuck; he hadn't moved, his face unreadable.

"Enough!" The building shook again at Amara's roar, and thunder crackled overhead. There was screaming — not from Rowena, but from seemingly everywhere at once, and the magic vanished from the air.

The thunder came again, and this time Alex recognized it. A second later, the ground pitched beneath her feet as the windows flashed white. Her grace rose up within her, spurred on by the cascade of heaven's power that flooded the small valley around them; if it hadn't been for Chuck, the entire building surely would have collapsed. Alex could feel his might in the air, surrounding the room and protecting those inside; it didn't even flinch under the brunt of heaven's full force. Before the white glow had even had a chance to fade, the power plant began to shake once again. Demons.

The lights above Alex's head exploded, sending down a shower of sparks raining down upon them. Alex grabbed onto Lucifer's arm to steady herself as the world outside exploded into chaos.

There was a scream, and Alex spun around, her frail wings drawn in fearfully. Lucifer's grace shifted, and Alex's heard pounded at the spark of worry that flickered across his face. Crowley had vanished; Alex turned in time to see the side door swing closed, and seconds later, red smoke spiraled past the windows and into the blackened air. The scream came again, this time sharp with pain and surprise.

Then, everything was silent. The door swung open, and Amara stumbled through. Cuts decorated her arms, crimson on white, and blood stained her lips. "Hello, brother." She staggered forward, and Alex stepped back, wings flittering as Lucifer moved off behind her, circling past the Darkness; if Amara noticed, she gave no sign, her eyes fixed upon Chuck. "You cheated. Again." She stopped, and out of the corner of her eye, Alex saw Dean step forward, stopped only by Sam's hand on his shoulder. "But —"

Amara cut off with a scream as Lucifer surged forward, thrusting his spear through her ribs. The tip protruded from her abdomen, red with her blood, and Amara crumbled the concrete floor. Lucifer yanked the weapon free, his wings lifting as he positioned himself to strike again, but Chuck lifted a hand. "Ah!" he warned. "Son." Lucifer hesitated, his feathers ruffling as Amara whimpered in pain, but he obediently took a step back as Chuck sighed. "I'm sorry. For this for everything."

"An apology at last." Amara ground out the words through clenched teeth, and Alex saw Dean squeeze his eyes shut as Amara shuddered. "What's sorry to me? I spent millions of years crammed into that cage, alone and afraid, wishing — begging — for death because of you! And what was my crime, brother?"

"The world needed to be born! And you wouldn't let me!" Chuck crouched down beside his sister, and his voice softened. "Amara, you gave me no choice."

"That's your story. Not mine." Amara struggled to push herself up, but her legs gave out, and she fell back onto the floor. "The real reason you banished me, why I couldn't be allowed to exist — you couldn't stand it." Her voice trembled, and she planted her palms against the floor to keep herself from tipping; despite her pain, her voice was strong and scornful. "Yeah, we're equals. We weren't great or powerful because we stood only in relation to each other. You think you made the archangels to bring bright light? No." She scoffed, and Alex cast a glance over at Lucifer. "You made them to create lesser beings, to make you large." With a pained groan, Amara struggled up to stand on trembling legs. "To make you Lord. It was ego! You wanted to be big!"

Alex moved back behind the Winchester, circling past Amara to find Lucifer; the archangel was watching Amara, his wings folded stiffly behind his back. "That's true." Chuck sighed as he rose to his feet to match his sister's height. "But it isn't the whole truth. There's a value, a ploy in creation that's greater and truer than my pride of my ego."

"Are you okay?" Alex stopped beside Lucifer, and she curled her wings around him as she let her fear slowly show upon her face. His grace rose up, chasing away her anxiety and leaving only a cold calm behind, and Alex let her eyes fall closed as he drew her close.

"No! No, no, no!" Amara's scream had Alex ripping herself free from Lucifer's hold, spinning in time to see the Mark burning at Sam's arm. The Winchester's teeth were grit in pain, his eyes squeezed shut as he forced himself to breathe through his nose.

"I'm sorry." Chuck's whisper was almost lost beneath Amara's scream.

"No!" she wailed. "Not again!" Her eyes snapped open, and Amara lunged forward. Her hand wrapped around Chuck's neck and thrust him upwards, dangling him above the ground. "Not ever again!" Chuck's nails scrabbled at Amara's hands as he gasped for air, and the air crackled as she lifted him higher, past the reach of her arms and towards the roof.

Lucifer threw himself forward with a shout, and the bloody spear swung upwards towards the Darkness. Amara's hand flung out to catch him midair, and Alex dove to the ground as Lucifer was thrown backwards past her head. "Goodbye, nephew."

The air froze over, and Lucifer's grace boiled within Alex. A raw scream rose in her throat as it was ripped away from hers, torn at the roots; it tried to cling to her, swelling up until it burned at her eyes, but it was no match for Amara's power. Castiel's face lit up in a bright light, and Alex's head hit the floor as it faded.

Someone shouted her name, and Alex felt hands pull her up into strong arms. She gripped blindly at the sleeve as she waited for the darkness that stung her eyes to fade. "I'd die a million times and murder you a million more before going back there," she heard Amara shout, and Alex forced her grace upwards to see. It moved slowly — clumsily — and the world before her blurred together in hues of brown and black. The hands around her tightened — Sam's hands. Alex could smell him from where she sat tucked against his chest. "Tell me." Amara's voice reverberated off of the bare walls. "If you won't change, why should I?"

The room was growing clearer, but the brown had faded into black. Alex squinted to make out Amara, a pale, fuzzy shape against a twisting black background. Chuck screamed, hidden behind the blackness, and something in the corner of her eye stumbled forward. "Amara, no!" Dean reached out for her, and Alex squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to force the grey spots away. Lucifer's grace was gone; its absence left an open wound within her, a deep and oozing pain that sucked the strength from her very bones.

She twisted in Sam's arms, eyes snapping open as she sought out Lucifer, but Sam held her fast. "Shh!" he hissed, and the urgency in his voice had Alex immediately stilling. "Don't move."

A bright light was starting to break through the black tendrils, growing brighter with each of Chuck's screams until Sam pressed his face into her hair, shielding his eyes. And then, the light suddenly died. "Sorry, brother." The blackness drew back at Amara's words, and Alex couldn't hold back the hoarse shriek as Chuck's body hit the concrete floor mere inches from her leg. His blue eyes were dull, his skin battered and bloody.

Sam's grip on her tightened as Amara's eyes turned onto her. "No." Dean staggered towards them, and Amara turned away. "Amara, what have you done?"

"He's dead." Sam's voice rasped in his throat, and his fingers dug into Alex's shoulders, forcing her to tear her eyes away from Chuck. "God's dead."

"No," Amara corrected. "He's dying." As if on cue, Chuck's chest rose and fell in the faintest hint of a breath. "My brother will dim and fade away into nothing, but not until he sees what comes next. Not until he watches this world, everything he created, everything he loves, turn to ash." She turned to Dean, and their eyes locked before she vanished, leaving her final words clinging to the air. "Welcome to the end."

On Thursday I'll post the last chapter I have written; it's shorter than most and will serve as a prologue of sorts for the next installment, so unless you follow me as an author, you won't get a notification. Just check my page, and you'll see it there. As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the support!