Six Months Earlier
Mike Colby poured another beer as he stood behind the counter of the road house. It was a busy night and the place had been packed with hunters, all going about their business. Many of them had been summoned their by Mike and Asher, as they were planning on filling their hunter friends and allies in the information they had a war that had been declared by an enemy that had yet to find out the name of.
"So, we doing this or what?" Asher asked as he brought an extra keg in from the garage.
"Yeah, just want to make sure that everyone's here," Mike said as he scanned the bar. "I think it's time. I just wish Ben and Adam were here."
"Me, too," Asher said. "Let me bring the last keg in and we can do this."
"Hang on, let me help you," Mike told him. "You've carried two in already, I don't want you putting your back out."
The brothers headed out for the garage where Mike helped Asher lift the last keg. "You going to see Adam this weekend?"
"Someone needs to, with Ben and Samandriel gone and Hunter missing, he's got no one," Asher told him. "Having someone there with him could help him."
"Okay, I guess that makes--"
BOOOOM!
The roadhouse had gone up in a giant fireball, leaving nothing standing and killing everyone inside instantly. Dropping the keg, the Colby brothers ran toward the fire.
"How?" Asher asked as Mike dropped to his knees. "This roadhouse was a hunter secret."
"Apparently not," Mike whispered as he stared into the flames. "The war's begun, little brother. And the bad guys just dropped the first nuke."
*
"Eat up, little one, you need your strength," Rowena said as she put a tray of food in front of a traumatized Hunter, who sat at the table with only a blanket around his shoulders. "Oh, are you still upset from that spell I cast? Trust me, you have all the powers of a superhero now, and then some. I unlocked your full potential and gave you a little something extra."
"It hurt," Hunter whispered as he stared down at the soup. "My whole body was in pain."
"Getting superpowers wasn't going to be a joyride," Rowena admitted. "But trust me, it will be well worth the experience once you're ready to use them. This is what you were born to do."
"How come you didn't get any superpowers?"
"I'm already the world's most powerful witch," Rowena admitted. "Any more power would be being selfish. Besides, the demon tablet is for demons only."
"Now what do we do?" Hunter asked as he slowly ate his food.
"Now that you can protect yourself, you no longer need me," Rowena told him. "I'll be moving on in the morning. There's much to do out there if we're going to save the world."
"Can't I come with you?" Hunter asked.
"Oh, sweet Hunter, where I'm going is no place for a young boy like you," Rowena said as she stroked his cheek. "But I will be checking up on you, maybe even calling on those wonderful new powers of yours when the time is right."
"I'm going to be all alone again," Hunter told her. "I don't want to be alone."
"Oh, my little Hunter, you'll never truly be alone," Rowena said with a devilish smirk. "That I can assure you."
*
Lawrence, Kansas
Ritchie's head lay on Lucas's bare chest while they were on the couch with a blanket draped over them. Lucas gently rubbed Ritchie's shoulder as they enjoyed the silence.
"Happy birthday," Lucas said, gently kissing the top of Ritchie's head. "I hope it was everything you wanted it to be."
"It was," Ritchie smiled. "Except... I wish my mom was--"
"She'll come around someday," Lucas promised. "In the meantime, you've got me. Speaking of which...," Lucas's hand dug around the couch cushion, pulling out a ring. "is it too soon to do this?"
Ritchie's eyes widened at the diamond ring. "Lucas, are you--?"
"You're a psychic and you didn't see this coming?"
"I guess true love is my blind spot," Ritchie smirked. "So this is completely real?"
"I want you to finish college first," Lucas told him. "But yeah, I want you to be my husband. What do you say?"
"YES!" Ritchie shouted as he sat up and took the engagement ring. "I love it! I love you."
The two kissed just as a screaming was heard from outside. Lucas grabbed his pants and stood up. "Stay here, I'll see what's going on out there. Better not be another one of those damn demons."
Lucas opened the door and stepped outside, seeing people running down the street in a panic, with traffic backed up all the way down the street.
"What the hell is going on?" Lucas asked as he looked in the other direction to see a large fireball, which was expanding and getting closer. "Oh, damn."
*
"It's begun," the reaper said as he felt all the deaths that were happening. "The apocalypse is nearing."
"And Billie's missing," another reaper said. "And several reapers have turned up dead. What is going on?"
"Raphael," Cole whispered as he stared into the sky. "He-- he tried to erase my memories of it, but the human part of me still remembers. It's Raphael, he's taken the body of the anti-christ. He's all powerful now."
"Then what do we do?" the female reaper asked. One by one all the reapers turned toward Cole for guidance. "Heaven's closed and there's no one to lead us."
"We can't do our jobs and we can't fight what's coming," Cole told them. "Hide. Find safe places away from whatever Raphael is doing. There are still humans out there that can help, I know it. I'll find a way to reach them. But for now, spread the word that all reapers are to go into hiding immediately. Don't come back until I find you. It's our only hope."
*
Samandriel ran through a clearing with most of his clothing have been ripped off and shredded by enemies trying to get at him. He hid behind a tree, hoping he'd lost his pursuers when a hand found itself on his shoulder. He jumped as he saw Castiel standing there.
"I believe it is safe for now," Cas told him. "Come, I've procured some of the ingredients we'll need."
*
"I still can't believe we're actually in The Empty," Cas told him. "How is this possible?"
"I guess Dawn's spell didn't break when she died," Samandriel told him. "It was part of her plan to get me to break Adam out of the The Cage. Only I guess the spell affected everyone in The Empty."
"It is nice seeing my old allies, but I'm also seeing old enemies here that would like to see me dead," Cas said. "But it is good to see you again, Samandriel. I wish our last few encounters hadn't ended so badly."
"You mean like killing me or putting me on Heaven's radar? Don't worry, I forgive you, brother," Samandriel told him. "I am glad that we're getting this chance to know each other again. I just wish it were under better circumstances."
"So, what happens when we perform this spell? Will it really take us to The Cage?"
"Yes, where Michael will no doubt be waiting to slaughter us both," Samandriel said. "But I must risk it. Adam and Ben are in trouble."
"As are Sam and Dean," Cas added. "Our humans need us. Let us get back to them as soon as we can."
"But we'll be powerless in Hell," Samandriel told him. "Last time it took hundreds of years to return to Earth. We'll have no grace when we get back."
"We do not need grace, brother. We are hunters now. We were trained by the best to survive." Cas said as Samandriel smiled.
*
"He needs time to grieve," Prometheus told Mike over the phone as he watched Sandy sitting on the hood of the car. "I don't know where we'll end up, but between losing Luke and Todreel abandoning Earth... I think we both need time to reflect."
"Luke's not dead," Sandy said as Prometheus approached. "He's still here, I can feel him."
"He's in The Veil," Prometheus said. "With the doors of Heaven sealed, no souls can get in. Cole's tried, but--"
"The reaper is useless," Sandy told him. "They claim to be in charge of death, but they can't get my brother into Heaven. They're worthless to us."
"We should hit the road, I want to be at my mom's place by sundown." Prometheus told him as he tapped the hood.
"You have a mother?" Sandy asked. "I thought you were like... this."
"I'm 1,014 years old," Prometheus told him. "Those first twelve years I was just a normal kid until I was kidnapped to Mt. Olympus as revenge against my father. My real name is Oliver."
"Well, now I know why you go by Prometheus," Sandy said as he got into the car. "And why I have to drive us everywhere. I guess they don't give licenses to demigods, huh?"
"I can get one in two years," Prometheus told him. "When I'm technically 16."
*
Hunter came downstairs early one morning, only to find the house empty. Rowena's things were gone from her room, and there were several gifts on the living room table for him, along with a note.
"My dear Hunter, I'm sorry for it to be this sudden, but I had to leave. The world as we know it is in danger, forcing me to find a way to fight it. For your own safety, you must remain in the house. I've warded it against all manner of evil. In the boxes on the table you'll find several trinkets you can use to fight monsters if you manage to leave. The stitches on your side are from me planting a charm inside of you in case you are harmed, it'll revive a boy your size exactly three times before it needs to be recharged. Hopefully it won't come to that, but you never know.
We will meet again, I promise you that. Remain safe until that day.
- Your loving Aunt Rowena"
"Great," Hunter said as he crumbled the note. "Alone again."
*
"How's the arm?" Lucas asked as brought some water to Ritchie as they sat under a destroyed bridge. The sky was polluted with ash, blocking out the sun in mid-afternoon and there tons of casualties with no help on the way from anywhere.
"Still hurts," Ritchie said as he sat with his back against the wall, his arm in a makeshift sling. "Any luck finding survivors?"
"Yeah, but everyone's in such a panic right now that mass looting's broken out," Lucas told him as he started wiping the blood from Ritchie's wounds. "All the roads are closed off and the bridges destroyed. There's no way out of the town. It's like someone wants to keep everyone trapped."
"It's been a week and there's been no emergency response," Ritchie said. "What the hell's going on?"
*
Asher and Mike watched the news report about the destruction of Lawrence on a small black and white t.v. while sitting in a hidden safe house.
"Ritchie's in that town, we need to help him," Asher said as he looked at Mike. "We need to find what's left of our friends."
"There's nothing left," Mike told him. "Prometheus is off the grid, Hunter's probably dead and the one angel we know is locked in Heaven. And I wouldn't count on the reapers for anything. And it seems like all the hunters that we knew have dropped off the face of the Earth or are dead. Even the Winchesters are gone. It's just us and--"
Mike tried to stand up, but got a splitting headache as Asher had to help him sit back down.
"Your headaches are getting worse," Asher said. "What the hell is going on, Mike? What aren't you telling me? It's like you've been trying to keep in the dark about something for a while now. Just tell me."
"I'm dying," Mike finally admitted. "I have a brain tumor, I've known for a while now, I've just been... trying to fight it because I don't want to leave you alone, especially when the world's going to Hell. I can't die, not yet."
"I don't think this is something you have a say in," Asher said, fighting back the tears. "Dammit, Mike, you should have said something sooner. We could have looked for a witch or a book or a relic, something that--"
"NO!" Mike shouted as he tried to stay calm. "I ain't going out like that! If I have to die, I'm gonna die human. I hate leaving you, but-- I'm not losing my soul to stay."
"How long?"
"Any day now," Mike said in a whisper. "The pain gets worse without medication every day, but I've been trying to stay strong for you."
"Dammit, Mike," Asher said as he hugged his brother tightly. "You don't have to baby me, I'm an adult now. Let me take care of you for once. Let me... let me make your last days peaceful."
"I don't want to die peaceful, I want to die a hunter," Mike told him. "I want to take out as many of those evil bastards as I can before I'm gone. One last hunt, baby brother."
*
Heaven
Todreel sat in the personal Heaven of his host body's mother as she sat on a porch swing. She stared at the sun setting, which had been a favorite personal memory of hers, although her husband and son were supposed to be there with her, at least they had been when this memory happened in real life. Todd had been just a baby at the time, just a few months old.
Todreel found this place peaceful as well, and loved sitting there, just watching the sun setting calmly, although Todreel usually wasn't in the driver's seat.
"It's okay, Mom," Todd whispered as he touched her arm. "I'm here, I'm okay. I just wish things could have been different. I never meant for you and Dad to pay for me being an idiot. I'm sorry."
"Do you hate me?" Todreel asked as his angel form stood on the porch. "For stealing your life?"
"What life?" Todd asked. "I was a weak, bullied kid that had no friends and my parents ignored me. I had nothing but a stupid wishing belt buckle, and I never even got to use it before I got splattered. If anything, you saved my life, showed me some pretty cool shit."
"Do you regret not staying on Earth?"
"If something bad's coming, maybe we could have helped in some way," Todd said. "Maybe we could have done something or helped someone that can change the fight. I kind of feel like, I don't know, a coward for running."
"Something that can change the fight." Todreel said to himself as he turned to watch the sun set.
*
Hunter stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at the small stitches on his side where Rowena had placed a charm inside of him. It wasn't a big scar, and Hunter wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.
"At least I'll have a cool scar to show people," Hunter said as he pulled his shirt back on. As he headed out of the bathroom, he clutched his stomach in pain as he fell to his knees. "AHHH!"
Hunter tried to stand up, but found himself in too much pain. He started to fall to the floor, but only a torn set of clothes hit the ground.
*
"There we are," Rowena said as she faced a set of werewolves as Hunter arrived, only it didn't look like a 12-year-old half-demon, half-human. "Monsters, meet Hunter. Hunter... destroy."
Within the seconds, the werewolves were yelping like frightened puppies before a shower of blood sprayed everywhere. Fortunately, Rowena had been hiding behind an umbrella.
"That'll do, Hunter. That'll do."
NEXT: Back to the Regularly Scheduled Program