Faith Against Fate

Present Day

My eyes shot open in the dark, rapidly taking in my surroundings. I was at a motel twenty miles from Portsmouth, dead in the middle of nowhere. There was only one main road that ran out of the town, and about twenty-five miles beyond it I’d come upon a chilling sight. Cars had been piled at least five high on the road, all of them smashed and destroyed. A few bodies had even hung from the mangled metal, the road stained a reddish brown. My escape route had been effectively cut off, and dense forest ran along the length of the road so there was no clear path around the gory mess. Since there was no way in hell that I was going anywhere on foot, I’d chosen a motel five miles back as my home-base. Apparently the manager of the place, and his car had become a part of the make-shift roadblock, because the motel was totally abandoned.

Dean took Sam and left soon after our argument, and even though I’d told them to leave, a very small part of me wished they hadn’t. Sam had argued fiercely, yelled at Dean, yelled at me, but in the end saw the sense.

Slowly I had come to accept that this was the end of the line for me. After they left I did a bit of research myself, and it was easy to tell that the entire town and surrounding wilderness of Portsmouth was completely surrounded. All of the towns around it were, in fact, demon infested hell-holes, and I was a fucking idiot for not seeing it before. Part of me thought I deserved getting my ass kicked for being so damn stupid, but just a part.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t going down without a fight, though. Just because I knew this was my last rodeo, it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to take as many of the bastards with me as I could. Before he left, Sam had given me something, a knife that he said could actually kill them. It was a simple, rusty blade, but complicated runes on the hilt held the real power, he said. I hugged him with tears in my eyes and lied to the poor kid again. I told him I’d return it someday.

I don’t think he believed me, but he at least pretended to. It made everything easier, I guess.
Said knife was now securely tethered to my belt, along with an assortment of other knives and my Desert Eagle. Both of my shotguns, and the four or so other handguns I kept around for backup all rested on my bed, cleaned, loaded, and ready to go. My real weapon, the exorcism prayers I’d known since birth, were recorded on a CD and ready to go in the portable stereo I carried around with me. A gallon of holy water in an old milk jug sat next to my bed, and I wore a rosary around my neck.

I’d had everything ready to go in less than half an hour upon arriving, and I was just waiting now, dozing off every once in a while.

I hated being stuck in the tiny room. Four hours into my little stand-off and there was still no sign of them. I paced the length of the room again and paused by the window. I pulled back the curtains for what seemed like the millionth time and scanned the area.

Nothing was moving.

“They’re waiting for your food supply to dwindle. They want you weak before attacking.”

The unfamiliar voice spoke from behind and made me jump. I whipped around, gun in hand, and only just stopped myself from pulling the trigger. The face was clear, human, but it wasn’t normal. A glow seemed to emanate from it, a warm light that touched something strange inside of me…I couldn’t describe what it was. I lowered my arm, and put my gun back in its holster. I don’t even know why I did it, but for some reason I knew this person, or whatever, wasn’t going to hurt me.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that,” I chided for the second time that day.

“Why?” he…it…asked.

“I almost shot you,” I answered lamely, examining the man more closely. He wore a tan trench coat over a suit, and he looked about thirty. A five o’clock shadow made him look scruffy, but his hair was neatly trimmed and the suit was impeccable.

“So?” he replied, like it really wouldn’t have bothered him. I just stared.

“Let me guess, a bullet won’t kill you?”

“No. It would be unfortunate for my vessel, but I would remain intact.”

“What do you mean ‘vessel’?” I asked, my voice serious. The word ‘meatsuit’ came to mind, and possession was a crime punishable by death in my book.

“This body is merely a vessel,” he explained, “but I only inhabited it with the vessel’s permission.” He then took a breath, stood a little taller, and I kid you not…puffed out his chest. “Faith,” he started, his voice taking on a deeper tone, “my name is Castiel, and this body you see is not my true form, as I am an angel of the Lord.”

My mouth fell open, and the only word I could utter was, “Huh?”

“I am an angel,” he repeated, “and I know who you are. We’ve been watching you for a very long time.”

“Wha-wait a minute.” I closed my eyes and tried to think.

An angel? Seriously? I knew there were demons, and I’d heard the rumors…and there was the fact he was standing in my barricaded room, and there was the way his face looked to me, and the light around him…it actually made sense. I think I actually believed him. Maybe I just wanted to believe him though, who knows? Regardless, however, I was just so damn tired…even if he was lying and had come to kill me, at least everything would be over soon.

“So,” I started, walking a slow circle around him. I waited until I was facing him again before continuing. “Where the fuck were you twenty years ago?!”

“Under orders not to interfere,” he replied simply, like those few words explained everything.

“Okay,” I started pacing, rubbing my temples as I did so, “let’s see if I got all of this straight. You’re an angel, you know who I am, and even though you’ve been ‘watching me’ you just stood by and let my parents die, and let me end up in more hellish situations than I can even remember now. Is that about it?”

“You left out the part where I can manifest myself at will, but other than that, yes,” he answered, completely serious.

I stopped in my tracks and just stared at him.

“Oh, you didn’t mean for me to answer that question, did you?” he asked, seeming to realize his mistake.

“No, not really.”

“Sorry,” he sighed.

“Anyway,” I continued, a million questions running through my head, “what’s changed? Why are you here now?”

“Because I’m no longer bound by heavenly orders and can do as I see right by God.”

“Really?” I looked at him dubiously.

He sighed again, “and because Dean wouldn’t leave me alone until I agreed to help. He’s such a child sometimes…”

“What?” I cut him off, “what do you mean Dean wouldn’t leave you alone? He knows you?” My heart started beating rapidly at the mention of his name. I was trying so damn hard not think about him and all the ugly, terrifying truths I’d learned.

“Of course. I’m the one that pulled him back from Hell.”

“Holy shit,” I barely whispered, sitting on my bed and putting my head in my hands, “I’m getting a headache.”

“Sam and Dean are on their way. They should arrive within the hour.”

“No, no I told them to stay away! They left!” I pleaded with him, like I could somehow convince him he was wrong.

“Yes they left, because they knew if they didn’t then you would run. This way they could double back and follow you after they stopped for some food and supplies.”

“Those lying bastards—”

“Faith,” Castiel cut me off, “they want to help you. And trust me, you’re going to need it.”

“You can’t just…I don’t know…zap the demons away?” I mumbled weakly, my hands still cradling my head.

“No, I can’t just ‘zap’ them away. Unfortunately I parted with some of my abilities when I broke ties with Heaven.”

“Why would you do that?” I asked without even really thinking. “Isn’t that what Satan did?”

“No, it’s not,” he barked. His change of tone startled me. “Satan disobeyed God, I disobeyed those who would go against Him.”

“Who?”

“The angels that control Heaven now. They despise humans, and even though He is absent, I know He’d never allow them to continue on like this if He were there.”

“So where is God?” I asked, curious now.

“I wish I knew,” Castiel sighed, sitting on the bed beside me. He looked as tired and defeated as I felt, and my heart went out to him. If he really was lying, then he was pretty damn good at it.

The touchy-feely moment ended, though, as the sharp report of gunshots suddenly rang out from outside. I was on my feet in less than a second, my gun out and the safety off.

“What the hell? You said they were waiting it out!” I pulled the curtains back again, keeping myself out of sight.

“I thought they were,” Castiel replied, looking out the window as well.

The shots became louder and closer, and soon the roar of an engine could be heard as well. We watched as the Impala sped past the hotel, a pickup full of demons following close behind. There were about five of them in the bed of the truck, absolutely showering the black car with bullets.

“Fuck! They don’t know about the roadblock!!” I yelled to no one in particular, grabbing my shotgun and running for the door.

“If you go outside they’ll kill you on the spot,” Castiel said, barring the door with his arm.

“Sam and Dean are going to be slaughtered!!” I shouted in his face, my hand itching for the trigger. Maybe a bullet wouldn’t kill him, but it might get him out of my way…

“I’ll go warn them. Just stay put and wait for us to come back. If you go out there and get yourself killed, then this will all be for nothing.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could even say one word he was suddenly gone, and I fell forward into the door where his arm used to be.

It was impressive, the disappearing act, but I knew that even if he could somehow get to the guys and warn them, it wouldn’t stop the pickup from hell that was hot on their trail.

I took a breath, and opened the door.

I made a mad dash towards my truck, but didn’t even make it ten feet before gunshots rang out all around me, whizzing past my ear and exploding on the pavement beside me. I felt a sharp bite in my left side, and another in my right leg, but I kept moving despite what I knew were going to be hellish wounds. I dove in my truck from the driver’s side, ducked down, and cranked up the nifty PA system I’d had installed not a month ago.

I screamed the exorcism chant into the microphone, and I know it must have echoed up to at least a half-mile away. The gunshots soon stopped, and after I finished reciting the words I knew so well, I risked a glance out the window, and almost smiled when I saw the columns of black smoke twisting up and into the air. There were at least three that I saw, and after waiting a few minutes I recited it over again, just for good measure. Once I saw the sky was clear, I finally let myself relax a little and I tried to sit up behind the wheel.

My body really didn’t feel like cooperating though. I almost cried out when the pain in my side seemed to blaze, and then the bullet hole in my leg decided to join in, and together they brought tears to my eyes. I glanced at them both and cursed when I saw that my seats were already stained with red. I laid back and tried to focus.

I gingerly removed the black studded belt I was wearing and slid it over the wound in my leg. I inhaled sharply when I pulled it tight, and actually did cry out when I gave it one final tug. There wasn’t a damn thing I could do about the one in my side just then, so I left it alone. I made myself sit up next, and gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles were white. I had to get to Sam and Dean.

I stuck the key in the ignition, but just before I could turn it I heard the sound of gunshots again, and then the unmistakable roar of the Impala’s engine, drawing ever closer. An idea struck me, and I immediately turned on the PA, reciting the words over again just as the car raced into view, narrowly missing my truck as it screeched to a stop right beside it. My voice rang out above everything else, and as the pickup rocketed into view it started skidding out of control, flinging demons from the back left and right. All of them were clutching their ears, but it was hopeless. Once they’ve heard my voice and the prayers, nothing can stop their rotted souls from sinking back into Hell.

The pickup swerved off the road and smashed into a tree, numerous black, spiraling columns spinning into the air all around it. It was a beautiful sight indeed, and after the air cleared I dropped the microphone and collapsed back onto the seats. I was incredibly lightheaded, and my vision was spotted.

“Faith!” I heard a car door slam and Sam’s voice, but I closed my eyes.

“Get her inside, more are coming,” Castiel said, and then I heard the truck’s door open.

“Faith, Faith! Open your eyes right now, damnit!”

I wanted to listen, I really did. But my eyelids were far too heavy, and I just wanted to pain to stop. Dean’s cursing was the last thing I heard before finally drifting off.