Work Text:
Sam wished so desperately that the apprehension he was feeling from approaching Lucifer's cage could be from fear. That would make it easier, wouldn't? Instead he was continuously riddled with unanswered and sickening thoughts and emotions.
There was always a special place for these 'designated devil defiances' as Sam had dubbed them. Tightly locked away in the back of his mind, never to be touched.
That is until now.
Death's wall had left a sort of...emptiness. A surreal longing that had spiraled into deadly hallucinations. And that's all they were, hallucinations. So what had even happened in the cage? And why, after all this time, did Sam still find himself unable to truly hate Lucifer?
The devil took his sweet time making an appearance after Rowena's summoning spell. Every second that passed seemingly an eternity to Sam. When the Archangel finally did show, he was nothing like Sam remembered him.
Because this Lucifer look defeated, deflated. Like someone had completely ripped all hope from underneath him. Sam supposed they had; he had.
An unexpected surge of guilt gripped at his heart at the thought.
“Well. This certainly is unexpected.” Lucifer wouldn't even look at him, his eyes still hooded by the shadow of the cage bars. “I don't really get visitors.”
More guilt. Undeniably, sickening guilt.
“The Darkness was released.” Sam decided to get right to the point then. “I...I prayed-”
“You prayed?” Lucifer interrupted, feigning shock. “Oh, do tell how my Father is going to help with this undoubtedly catastrophic situation, Sam.” The Archangel's voiced was dripping with sarcasm. “I'm all ears.”
“He sent me here, asshole.” Sam spat back. And why did Lucifer always make him so unhinged? “He sent me visions of the cage.” Sam chanced a glance at the angel then. “Of you.”
Lucifer was quite for a long while after Sam's statement. Too long. It was when the angel finally raised his head to reply and Sam got a glimpse of his expression for the first time that the hunter knew something was very, very wrong.
“You need to leave, Sam. Now.” Lucifer's voice was stressed and Sam didn't miss the darting of his eyes to the corners of the cage.
Sam felt his reflexes begin to twitch into hunter mode. He wasn't going to leave. Not now.
“SAM, I SAID LEAVE!” Lucifer bellowed, now gaining the attention of both Crowley and Rowena.
“What the bloody hell are you on about?” Crowley spoke up on now obvious deaf ears.
“No!” Sam nearly screamed back. “Not until you tell me-”
The barriers Rowena had cast were puffed out like a candle. Silence befell the group.
Then Sam was in the cage; and there was one extra Archangel.
Several things started happening at once.
Michael had begun circling Sam with a look torn between amusement and utter rage while Lucifer had taken his own protective stance in front of his vessel. Crowley and Rowena remained on the sidelines bickering heatedly about what the hell to do about any of this.
Between all of this though, the only thing Sam seemed to register was Lucifer. How that empty, longing feeling that had plagued him for the past six years had seemingly disappeared the second he had entered the cage. And how that might just be the scariest thing about this whole situation.
Michael was the first to break the tense silence.
“You stupid, stupid ape.” Michael sneered at Sam. “You really think our Father would come back after all this time for the same vile-”
The punch Lucifer gave his brother sent the elder Archangel hitting the far side of the cage wall.
“Vile!” Lucifer laughed manically in his brother's direction. “Are these not the same beings you cast me out for not wanting to bow before?!” Another kick was intended for Michael's face but the elder Archangel caught it and swung Lucifer violently against another side wall.
“Yes.” Michael hissed, now setting his sights on Sam. “Though your opinion has seemingly changed, hasn't it brother?” The question was directed at a recovering Lucifer but Michael was still staring directly at the hunter, his eyes cold and calculating.
Sam's heart began to speed significantly.
“Your vessel was supposed to be only that. A vessel.”
Then stopped completely.
Michael sent a malicious grin as he backed Sam into a corner of the cage. “But you don't remember that, do you Sam?” Before Michael could take another step, Lucifer charged him once again.
Sam's mind was reeling, pieces of the Lucifer puzzle beginning to fall together that the hunter would have rather liked to have been kept apart.
It was Micheal’s next words that sent Sam into the decision that would truly make or break him this time.
“You think that mud monkey ever cared for you? You're nothing but the family reject!”
One shaky breath, three letters and a blinding light later; and Sam knew he had made the right decision.