Chapter 1: Sludge
"You gotta be shitting me,"
The long haired male grumbled, his eyes wide as he opened the door to his home. Greeted by two men that he was far too familiar with. Yet, they didn't seem enough like the men he had known previously. A dark skinned male stood before him with eyes narrowed slightly to the words that had been uttered by the Winchester.
"Nice to see you too, Sam."
"This doesn't make sense, I was told you died Uriel," Sam's voice came out in an almost whisper as he looked the male up and down,
"I did, I was given another chance." he replied bluntly, turning towards the man behind him before setting eyes back to the long haired hunter,
"Are you going to invite us in? Or are we not welcome?"
Sam blinked a few times in surprise before stepping away from the door to allow the men to come inside his once humble home. The taller of the two gave Sam a quick glance before hiding his face. Something felt different about him, Sam noted. Unlike Uriel, who seemed calm, cool and collected, this angel seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible in Sam's presence. Shaking off the thought, the hunter shut the door behind them. Guiding the men towards the living room, a couch sat in the middle of the brightly lit room. Soft sunlight collected through the large bay windows of the suburban home, flooding the room with a warmth that resembled a hug. Uriel moved easily through the small sea of childrens toys that littered the carpet below.
But, the other Angel seemed to have none of Uriel's confidence, or ability to not trample over or kick the toys by accident. Muttering "Sorry." to Sam with every step he took as if his limbs were not in his control. Uriel took a seat on the couch, dark eyes staring as he waited for his colleague to take a seat. The dirty blonde haired angel sat as far from Uriel as he possibly could. Blinking at the floor nervously before pulling a small, thin, smart phone from his pocket causing Uriel to let out an annoyed sigh, rolling his eyes.
"We sent you down to live with humans so you would understand and be confident when around them," he growled, slapping the phone from the others hand, causing the other angel to scramble, grabbing at it in the air before it landed with a soft thunk on the floor.
"Cell phones are part of being human," The angel replied coldly, his voice gravily as he spoke, as if his nose was plugged at all times. Plucking the phone from the floor he leaned back against the cushions.
Sam stood before them, hands on his hips, looking between the two.
"Are you going to explain why you're here? I need to go pick up my son," his face fell, "This isn't about my son is it?"
Sam could feel a spark of panic in his heart, he knew if the angels were here, something was happening. They weren't exactly the type to show up for an honest chat.
"No," Uriel replied smoothly, eyes still glaring at the other beside him.
Clearing his voice, Uriel nodded towards the blonde, "This is Chamuel,"
He replied, "He's been chosen to be an archAngel,"
Sam waited for a few rapid heartbeats before speaking, "Yeah? And? Why is he here? Is he-- going to watch over us or?"
Uriel shook his head, putting a hand up to stop the other from speaking, "This is going to be hard to swallow — Chamuel has been sent to live with humans, nearly Twenty years ago," Sam tried to not show his impatience, it was just like Uriel to be as dramatic as he possibly could. Even with a new vessel, the man would never stop with his dramatic antics.
"He was sent down to be human because there's a war coming, and without him, we will not survive," Uriel noted the look on Sam's face before continuing, "But he can't do it alone he--"
"That's where I'm going to stop you, I can't help," Sam replied with a small shrug, glancing at Chamuel who refused to make eye contact with him.
"This isn't how it looks Sam, it's not you we need, but we will need your help."
"Can you just spit it out," Sam, shook his head, "I have to go pick up my son and I'd rather not be late."
Uriel scoffed, his eyes moved back to Chamuel, then to Sam, then back again, "Alright," Uriel stood, as if to add to his words, "Dean Winchester's son is destined to win this fight,"
That was it! That was the part Sam knew was going to be hard to swallow. He opened his jaw to speak but nothing seemed to come out, Dean's son? The words echoed in the hunters skull as he traced Uriel's face for any show that the angel was possibly lying, or had said the wrong thing. After all, Uriel did betray the angels all those years ago. Why would he decide to suddenly change now?
"Deans son?" He finally choked out, "Do you mean my son? Or...Deans son?" Confusion lit like a christmas tree in the man's eyes as he awaited an answer.
"I mean Dean's son, Abel Winchester."
Uriel snapped his fingers at Chamuel, who nearly dropped the phone once more before typing a few things into the screen, handing it to the other who snatched it angrily from the blonde.
"I need your help to train him, teach him," Uriel said, holding the phone towards Sam to see the image on screen. On the front of the phone was a social media platform, "Abel Winchester" written on the top in a scratchy font. Sam took the phone lightly from Uriel, looking at it with shock as he scrolled down the feed on the phone. Stopping on a picture of Abel, his hair was shaggy, messy, dark, his skin almost ashy to the look. His sharp features, his choice of leather and plaid, it was as if he was looking directly at a picture of Dean if he let his hair grow out. Speechless Sam continued to scroll downward, his mouth agape.
"How" Sam breathed,
"We know where he lives, and we need you to come with us, to convince him, to train him,"
Sam didn't like that Uriel seemed to be dodging the question, he was shocked as he glanced over the pictures. Shaking his head to loosen the anxiety that gnawed behind his eyes he handed the phone back to Chamuel. The blonde rapidly took it, leaning back into the couch yet again.
"Well," Uriel asked, arching an eyebrow, "Are you going to help us?"
***
Only an hour ago Sam's entire world seemed to change, Dean had a child he had never heard of, a war was coming, and once again he was being dragged out of his house to fight things he had long let go of.
Sam glanced over at Chamuel who sat beside him in silence. Uriel had decided to meet the two at Abels home and vanished. Leaving Sam and Chamuel to drive a good five hours to an unknown location,
"So uh," Sam started, looking from Chamuel to the Map app on the phone that was settled into the air grates of the old Chevy Impala, then to the road in front of him. It had grown dark quickly as they drove on a long, winding road, passing a large sea of trees.
"Don't take this the wrong way," He started, biting his lip a bit before turning attention towards the blonde,
"Why are you so...nervous? No offense, but every angel I've met has been, well," He chuckled lightly to himself, "A dick."
Chamuel glanced over at him, tilting his head slightly before fiddling with the pink sweater that covered his tall frame. Seeming to take his time to answer,
"Well, I'm…" He hesitated a bit, "I was sent down here to adapt and live with people." He started, "And all their emotions and trauma just became a little much I guess."
"Why were you sent down here? Especially such a long time ago,"
"I'm not sure, my father just... told me this is where I needed to be. So, I'm here, I guess."
The awkward silence continued. Sam couldn't believe what Uriel said. Even if this was Dean's son, how would he save the world? Train him? Was he even a hunter? Then Chamuel — how was he going to help? Sam shook his head, He looks like he'd jump at his own shadow at this point. He mused to himself as Chamuel fiddled with his own shirt.
"Why didn't you just zap yourself there?" Sam asked, breaking the tension that had started to form.
"Well I--" He shook his head, "I try to avoid using my powers when I can," he answered, turning his eyes from his shirt to the world outside.
"Just seems like it might be easier,"
"It's not," Chamuel replied bluntly, causing Sams next sentence to die in his throat. He knew Chamuel wasn't going to go into depth at this point, it was as if he was talking to an incredibly anxious brick wall. The hunter leaned forward, flicking the music on as if to conclude the conversation. Chamuel hesitated a bit, glancing back at Sam with bright blue eyes,
"I'm scared," He admitted, "I was a low level angel, and they decided to bump me to archangel and since then I haven't felt anything but fear,"
Sam wasn't sure how to comfort the other, he hardly knew him after all, but part of the man understood the fear.
"Being told you're going to save the world isn't a cake walk," He replied dryly, recalling the events that had almost sparked the original end of the world. How Dean had been told the same thing, and how he was told he would destroy it.
"But if Abel's anything like Dean, I don't think you'll have to worry,"
"Why?"
"Because if anyone could save the world it was Dean,"
Sam felt a sharp pain in his chest as he remembered his brother, how he'd always make him feel better in the worst times just by his presence. The man seemed like a mountain when the world was collapsing around him, and with that, Sam was able to push aside his own fears, anxieties, even demons' blood to save everyone.
"And if he's anything like Dean, you could drink Demon's blood and he'd still save you,"
***
"The black sludge has been spotted in our community, nothing seems to stop it!" A frantic woman raved, she stood beside a reporter with wide eyes, her mouth agape as she spoke. The reporter looked shocked as the woman continued,
"I watched it! I saw it," The woman's pale face turned even paler if it was even possible, "I saw it crawling out of the sewer, like it was possessed!"
"Possessed?"
Abel said, squinting at the television seated before him, the man laid on a small, oil stained couch in the middle of his small garage. A bed was shoved into a corner with a mini fridge hooked up beside it. The garage had a few cars inside it, some with no wheels, others with an opened hood. The small room was covered in smoke as Abel took a drag of the strongly smelling joint between his fingers.
The sounds on the TV were second to the thoughts running through Abels head, tugging off his shirt the man tossed it onto the floor before rolling to his feet. Trampling his way towards the small fridge, he pulled it open, snatched up a soda and made back towards his spot on the couch. The scream on the TV didn't capture his attention as he fell into the cushions, his high causing him to sail above the world. His body tingled lightly from the drugs racing through his system that caused his head to float off his shoulders.
That is, until he heard the noise of a car driving up to his parking lot. The gravel road crunched under the wheels of the Impala as it came to a halt. The dark haired male sat up, glancing at his phone, it lit up bright.
"Nine thirty, who the hell," He grumbled, taking a swig of his drink. Grabbing the baseball bat beside his couch, the man swayed towards the front of the garage and towards a small door that led outside into the cold. Glancing out of the peephole, Abel watched as the old school car parked itself just in front of his closed garage. The lights shone bright on the old car, causing him to wince against them before they shut off. Standing in front of the door were three men, though he couldn't make them out well through the small opening on his door. He rocked back on his heels, rapidly becoming sober as adrenaline kicked into gear. Since the black sludge started to show up in his town, he trusted people less and less. The last thing he needed was one of those freaks to come in here and attack him.
Gripping the bat he swung the door open, the cold air immediately bit at his exposed skin. The three men looked shocked as he stood before them. Fiery amber eyes glaring at them,
"What do you want?" Abel snarled, his deep voice echoed in the air around them.
Uriel scoffed, standing tall, but before he could speak Chamuel spoke up,
"This is how you talk to your customers?" his voice was small as he held up a hand, "Our car just needed to be looked at,"
Uriel seemed surprised at Chamuel as he spoke but said nothing. Abel glanced between the three, then pointed the baseball bat to Chamuel who stood behind the others, holding his hands as he did so.
"What's wrong with it?"
Cham bit his lip, stepping up so he was standing in the light that filtered from inside the garage. Noting the smell of marajuana but not mentioning it as he spoke,
"Not sure, we thought maybe we can come in and explain?"
"Why should I let you in?"
"Because you're freezing," Chamuel offered, giving a small smile as he stepped closer to the other. He towered over Abel but the smaller man didn't seem worried about this. Not backing down, holding the baseball bat firm. Chamuel was convinced that one swing would be enough to kill his vessel and possibly any friendship they could obtain when working together.
At the others words Abels anger seemed to fade, a soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Man, I'm freezin," He laughed, "Alright, come on,"
Maybe it was the weed, maybe it was the cold, but something about Chamuel, the nervousness in his eyes, his nasally voice, brought an almost calm to Abel. He didn't feel as if this pink wearing, receding hairline, anxious guy would be any threat to him. Though he made a note to keep an eye on the other two silently.
The three men followed Abel into the warm room. The room had a thick smoke filling it as if Abel had been sitting in the smoke for hours, adding to it as the time went on. Abel stood hardly to Chamuels chest as he guided the three towards the small couch. Sam eyed the man, his walk, movements, it was as if he was staring at a smaller Dean. The only thing that bothered him were a few neatly placed scars on his chest. Right below his nipples as if deliberate.
"So what's wrong with the car?" Abel asked as Chamuel took a seat, his eyes more focused on the blonde than the other two. Already deciding he trusted him more.
"Nothing," Uriel growled out, closing the door behind him as he entered. If Abel was shocked it didn't show it, instead Chamuel noticed a flash of anger in the man's fiery eyes.
"Nothing?" He repeated,
"Abel Winchester," Uriel continued, ignoring the smaller man's confusion, "Son of Dean Winchester," Uriel slapped a large file on the coffee table that sat in front of the tv. Pushing aside a few soda cans, he opened it up.
"You have a file on me?"
"Mother is unknown, she only put Dean down as your father," Uriel glanced up to be sure they were listening, "Born a woman, you jumped from house to house till you were sixteen, decided to drop out of high school, be a mechanic." He flipped open to a picture of a young woman, short, sharp features, same hair and eyes.
"Yeah, and? Is that illegal?"
"Born Alice Winchester, you decided to get your GED, go to college for baseball. Got pretty far too! Until you changed your gender,"
Nodding slowly, "Yeah thanks, I always wanted someone to narrate my life to me,"
Uriel ignored him,
"Than you dropped out and now you live here, that correct"
A woman? Sam looked over Abel for a few heartbeats. Nothing about him seemed like a woman. He was strong, muscular, he could tell he hit the gym, face dotted with stubble. How could he have ever been a woman?
"Take a picture, Goliath, it will last longer," Abel snapped at Sam, glancing back at Uriel.
"What is this? An audition for the Three stooges?"
"This is the end of the world"
This seemed to cause Abel to shut his mouth, eyes dragging from Uriel back to Chamuel, than to Sam.
"You guys been snorting that black sludge?" He asked, a note of fear in his voice as he spoke.
"Take a seat, we have a lot to talk about,"
Uriel insisted, motioning towards the old beaten couch that Chamuel was sitting on. Abel glanced between the men again, feeling like a child as he dropped down beside the blonde. Not caring if he brushed against the stranger or not, it was his house after all!
"My name is Uriel, I'm an Angel of the Lord, this next to you is Chamuel,"
"Is he God's nervous cousin?"
"He's an archangel,"
Abel scoffed, "No offense but you look like a math teacher,"
Chamuel shot him a look but said nothing,
"And I'm Sam," the man interrupted, "Sam Winchester,"
Abel paused his thoughts, looking the other over with wide eyes.
"Winchester?"
"Yeah, as in, I'm…" He swallowed, "Your uncle,"
***
Abel paced back and forth now, bringing a lit cigarette to his lips as he listened to Uriel's explanation. The entire thing seemed to go on forever as he listened — Sam and Dean fighting demons, dying over and over, heaven, hell, it was making his head spin as he tried to collect a single string of thought.
"And now we are here," Uriel continued, "You and Chamuel have been chosen by God himself to defend the world from the evils that are coming at it."
"Hold on," Abel raced his fingers through his hair, flicking ash to the floor, "You're telling me that I failed to be a baseball player because God wanted it?" He asked with wide eyes,
"Yes"
"And that I'm some dead prophets kid or something,"
Sam looked slightly surprised at the wording, "Something like that," Uriel commented,
"Prophet might be too strong a word," he grumbled,
"And I'm going to save the world with him?" Abel motioned to Chamuel, whose eyes flickered from the text on his screen at the mention of him.
"Unfortunately our father works in mysterious ways,"
Chamuel flinched at this but said nothing as he moved his eyes back to the phone screen. Abel bit his lip, glancing back to the floor as he tried to come to terms with the information that was suddenly laid upon him. He felt as though he had been tossed in a tub of ice water.
"Hey can I talk to you," Sam whispered to Uriel.
Abel sat back down on the seat next to Chamuel as he watched the two men whisper to one another, before turning to head outside.
"We're going to be right back," Sam called over his shoulder, trying to make his voice sound reassuring though it came off more anxious than he meant it to. The door shut behind them, leaving Chamuel and Abel alone in the quiet room. The faint smell of smoke still lingered in the air as Abel leaned back into the cushions.
"No offense, man," he groaned, "Nothing on you it's just, I'm kind of freaking out,"
Chamuel shook his head lightly, "I don't blame you, I am too," he replied softly. "Don't worry about it, I'm not offended, besides you weren't completely wrong," he laughed,
"I was trying to be a therapist,"
"An Angel for a therapist? Like, on earth or in heaven?"
"Earth, Heavens a little too…" he trailed off, scratching his face as he attempted to find the right words but they never seemed to come.
"This stuff cant be real, right?" Abel asked, closing his eyes to stop the spinning that seemed to go on forever in his mind, "Angels? Devils? Yeah the black sludge isn't normal but…" He trailed off, dropping the cigarette that had been in his hand to the table. Chamuel watched the cigarette for a few second, pondering what the smaller man had said.
"Trust me, I know it seems crazy, but well, it's as real as it real gets," Chamuel replied simply.
Abel watched him for a few more heartbeats before a soft crash alerted the shorter man, he jumped up from his seat. Another soft crash. Chamuel scrambled to his feet, following Abels eyes towards the door that settled in the middle of the room beside the couch. It led outside, towards the back of the garage.
"What is that?" Chamuel asked, curiosity sparked in his eyes though a small anxious voice screamed at him not to check. Abel narrowed his eyes, pulling a silver baseball bat from the side of the couch. It was old, dinged up but seemed strong and sturdy.
"Dead is what it's about to be," Abel replied calmly, holding the bat firm in his hands as he slowly made his way towards the backdoor. Cham followed in step behind him, staying close but not too close. He didn't want the other to swing back with the bat and hit him with it. Another crash, this time louder than the last, caused Abel to jump to the door and swing it opened without a second thought. Holding his baseball bat at the ready for whatever it could possibly be; only for him to let the head of the bat drop onto the ground with a soft clunk.
"What is it?" Chamuel whispered, glancing over the man's shoulder.
A startled group of raccoons looked up at them, eyes wide as they stood around a knocked over trash can.
"Come on! Get outta here, man!" He shouted at them, waving his arms. The animals quickly scrambled from their spots into the safety of the open forest behind them. Abel chuckled, shaking his head
"You all have me going crazy over here," he laughed, glancing up at the angel, "It can't be true, yet I'm jumpin' outta my damn skin,"
As if on cue a loud screech ripped the air apart between them, Abel hoisted his bat up with wide eyes. The forest around them fell completely silent, the only noise was the soft breathing of the two as they glanced around the dark cleaning they stood in. Chamuel took a slow step back, causing the noise to explode out of the woods once more.
"Don't move," Abel whispered, narrowing his eyes against the darkness. He took a few rapid steps forward before glancing back at Chamuel with a look of irritation,
"You said don't move!" Chamuel whispered after him "But you're moving," Chamuel retorted as he scrambled to keep up with the other.
"I meant for you not to move, if I need someone to ask about feelings I'll find you first," he hissed at the other, feeling fear cloud his usually cool demeanor.
"I'm an angel," He shot back, "And you're the size of a third grader, I think I can help you,"
Abel turned on his heels, rage taking over the fear that had clouded his mind, "What did you just say about me?"
"That you're the size of a third grader," Chamuel snorted, finally getting frustrated. "Or is that too tall? Would you rather a second grader?"
Abel glared daggers at Chamuel, clenching his teeth, "What are you? The angel of anxiety? At least be badass! And I'm not short, you bitch, I'm the perfect size to beat you in the crotch," He spat,
A soft groan caused both men to freeze in their tracks, glancing away from each other and back to the darkness. A hard wheezing now emitted around them, slowly Cham turned so his back was to Abel, Abel backed up until he touched the other. Both glancing into the woods, waiting, on high alert. Suddenly the crunching of leaves filled the air, the scream came once. It was closer, moving fast towards them.
"Is that a demon?"
"If it is, he's got a real breathing problem" Cham replied quietly as the woods parted in front of them, a large racoon exploded from its depths. Eyes completely black, its teeth sharp, long, its body seemed to tremble with whatever was inside of it, controlling it, black blood oozed out of the multiple small cuts on the creature. Black blood fell from its jaw as it let loose another scream of pure anger.
"Those things have been sludged!" Abe shouted to Cham, who looked at the monster with wide and horrified eyes. It immediately took off towards them, teeth gnashing, claws digging deep into the dirt and ripping apart the grass below. Leaving an eerie black trail behind its mangled body. Abel glared, stepping towards the monster and swinging. The creature hit the metal of the baseball bat and immediately screamed in horror as it was thrown backwards by the strong hit.
"Nice hit!" Cham called,
"Behind you,"
Cham turned his head to see another monstrous raccoon clawing its way towards him, Cham took a few steps back, fear flooded his face as he froze. Closing his eyes, he felt air rush past him as Abel jumped in front of Cham. The monster bit down onto Abels bat, screaming as its mouth seemed to almost dissolve under the silver and dropping to the ground. The smaller man held his foot back, using all his might he kicked the monstrous raccoon backwards and into the woods.
"Are you okay?"
"Why did you help me?"
"Because you're my partner, Cham, aren't you? God's word an all,"
Cham looked shocked before shaking it off, moving his attention back to where the raccoons had vanished. The wheezing started up once more as more raccoons slowly started to march out of the woods, Cham glanced down at Abel who was bent down slightly to get a better stand.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted," He snorted,
Cham turned back to the creatures as they slowly ascended upon the two. Then, a thought came to the man,
"That bat's silver, right?"
"Yeah, I mean, I think so,"
"Whatever comes out of those raccoons, beat them, don't ask questions just kill them," Cham's voice was dark, angry, something he hadn't shown when Abel first saw him.
"Point me in the direction and I'll beat anything you want,"
Cham's hand slowly started to glow a soft pink, which caught Abel by surprise, but he didnt question it. The first raccoon raced up but with a quick movement, the raccoon screamed in agony before collapsing to the ground. Covered in a pink light, a large black blob of sludge like substance came flowing out of the animal, the sludge screamed at Abel, causing him to stumble back slightly, closer to Chamuel.
Chamuel closed his hand and lifted it, causing the small sludge like creature to be hoisted into the air. Abel didn't need any instruction, with a sharp smack the blob was thrown into the night sky. Exploding like a wet firework, leaving a small trail of black in the air before vanishing.
"Batter up!" Abel shouted,
The raccoons didn't seem phased by what happened just seconds before, they roared and charged at the team. The Angel rips the sludge from the already deceased bodies of the raccoons and throws it towards the baseball player who smacked them with a satisfying clunk! It seemed never ending with the amount of raccoons that charged at them, Abel could feel it in his arms, the sharp pains of swinging the bat for too long. Ignoring this he continued on with his fight, until finally, none seemed left. Chams hands dropped as the two looked around at the battleground before them. At least fifty raccoons seemed to litter the ground, all of which seemed to have died almost immediately when being possessed by the black sludge.
Abel let the head of the bat drop to the floor with a clank; blood, black as night, covering the top of his baseball bat. He and Chamuel were both breathing heavily as they waited for more to come.
"I think, we're good," Abel breathed, shooting a lopsided grin at Chamuel.
"I know what we're having for dinner tonight," He joked, poking lightly at the raccoon bodies with his baseball bat.
"Oh, I can only get so turned on, first you take me to a baseball game and now dinner," Cham retorted, a sarcastic hint in his voice. The two took a few more deep breaths, laughing softly to one another.
"We... Made a good team," Abel noted,
"Still don't believe in demons and angels?" Chamuel asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Take that smug look off your face," Abel laughed, "Whatever you are, and whatever those are, they exist," using his sleeve to brush blood from his cheek.
"I don't know what's going on, but--"
"What the hell happened here?" Sam asked with wide eyes, Abel and Cham turned their attention to the door that led out to the small alleyway. Sam and Uriel stood in the blood soaked entrance, Sam looking shocked but Uriel acted as if he had been waiting for this to happen.
Uriel took a few slow steps towards the angel and hunter, using his clean black shoe to softly kick over the body of a raccoon. The animal seemed to heave before blood spilled out of it in a wave, Uriel's gaze didn't leave Abel as he spoke.
"The start of war," he started
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone